Sylvers

Among the more popular family acts on the '70s R&B circuit, Memphis' Sylvers recorded for Pride, MGM, Capitol, Casablanca, and Geffen during their 13-year chart run. No less than nine of the ten brothers and sisters in the family – Olympia, Leon, Charmaine, James, Edmund, Ricky, Angie, Pat, Foster – performed in the group that was viewed as a Southern version of the Jackson 5. Their 1972 Pride single "Fool's Paradise" got things going in the right direction, reaching number 14 on the R&B charts. They had three other Top Ten R&B hits in the '70s, but their biggest song was "Boogie Fever" in 1975. It perfectly captured the disco spirit and topped both the R&B and pop charts that year. "Hot Line" was another Top Ten on both lists in 1976, and their second biggest single. They scored another Top 20 R&B single on Casablanca in 1978, "Don't Stop, Get Off," but the charming qualities of their earlier material seemed more calculated. They couldn't recapture the spark during their mid-'80s period on Geffen.

Brilliant funk-soul from 1973. Written by Leon Sylvers III, produced by a heavyweight line-up comprising Jerry Butler, Keg Johnson and Michael Viner.

This is masterpiece. And we mean it. Beautiful, golden-era soul written by Leon Sylvers III, produced by Jerry Butler and Keg Johnson. The Sylvers were a family from Los Angeles who were very successful during the 70s and into the early 80s, with chart hits deep into pop-disco territory by then! including Boogie Fever, Hot Line and High School Dance.

Beautiful funk-soul album produced by Jerry Butler, Keg Johnson and Michael Viner, written by Leon Sylvers III.
The Sylvers were a family group from Los Angeles who were very successful during the 70s and into the early 80s, with chart hits – deep into pop-disco territory by then! – including ‘Fools Paradise’, ‘Boogie Fever’, ‘Hot Line’ and ‘High School Dance’. No less than 9 of the 10 brothers and sisters of the family made up the group, often referred to as a Southern version of the Jackson 5.

New Horizons is the sixth album by the Los Angeles, California-based R&B group the Sylvers.

Released in November, 1976, this was the family's second album for Capitol Records, and their fifth album overall. Produced by Freddie Perren, "Something Special" would be the last album in which the Sylvers would team with the veteran producer.

Next to Razor & Tie's 1995 collection Boogie Fever (which went out of print not long after its release), Capitol's 2002 collection Classic Masters is the best overview of the nine-piece disco band's career, containing all of their biggest hits on a snappy 12-track collection. Not everything is as good as "Boogie Fever," and some of these tunes now sound a little silly, but it still all sounds pretty fun, particularly for those that like the hits. They might not find hidden gems here, but they'll likely groove along with the record rather enjoyably.

The Casablanca Records Story is a 4CD box set exploring the soul and disco sides of Neil Bogart's Casablanca Records. Released in 1994, this is dedicated to just their soul and disco sides, not the rock side so no Kiss or Angel. This was taken from the promotional version of the collection so no booklet, as it was packaged in a thick case (clam shell).

"Big Fun" is the 3rd album by American R&B group Shalamar, released in 1979 on the SOLAR label. Big Fun was produced by Leon Sylvers III and is the first album to feature what is considered the 'classic' Shalamar line-up (Jeffrey Daniel, Howard Hewett and Jody Watley), with Hewett having replaced Gerald Brown. The album features the group's biggest hit single, "The Second Time Around". "Big Fun" has been certified Gold in the United States for sales of over 500,000. It peaked at #4 on the R&B chart and #23 on the Billboard chart (Shalamar's highest-placing album on this chart). In the UK it reached #45.

"Words and Music" is the 12th and final album by American soul/R&B group Tavares, released by RCA in 1983. The album contains a top 10 R&B single in "Deeper in Love". The single, "Words and Music", peaked at #29 on the R&B chart.