The Whispers (album)

The Whispers
Studio album by
the Whispers
ReleasedOctober 24, 1979
Recorded1979 at Studio Masters, (Los Angeles, California)
Genre
Length43:50
LabelSOLAR
ProducerThe Whispers, Dick Griffey
The Whispers chronology
Happy Holidays to You
(1979) 		The Whispers
(1979) 		Imagination
(1980)
Singles from The Whispers
  1. "A Song for Donny"
    Released: February 4, 1979
  2. "My Girl"
    Released: August 10, 1979
  3. "Lady"
    Released: 1979
  4. "And the Beat Goes On"
    Released: 1979
  5. "Out the Box"
    Released: 1979
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Christgau's Record GuideB[2]
Smash Hits5/10[3]
The Virgin Encyclopedia of R&B and Soul[4]

The Whispers is a studio album by American R&B/soul vocal group the Whispers, released on October 20, 1979, by SOLAR Records. It was the first hit album for the veteran group, peaking at number one on the Billboard Top Soul LPs chart, as well as number six on the Billboard Top LPs chart.

The album launched four singles, including their breakthrough single, the Leon Sylvers III-produced post-disco number, "And the Beat Goes On", which became their biggest hit single to date, reaching number one on the Hot Soul Singles chart, and crossing over to number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as landing in the top ten on various international charts. Other hit singles included "A Song for Donny", a tribute song to American musician Donny Hathaway, who died in January 1979. The song reached number 21 on the Hot Soul Singles chart. The Nicholas Caldwell-composed "Lady" became another hit, peaking at number three on the Hot Soul Singles chart, while also crossing over to the Hot 100 and adult contemporary charts and the UK charts, in 1980. A cover of the Temptations' "My Girl", became a hit in the UK, reaching number twenty six, while a fifth single, "Out the Box", was promoted briefly.

The album eventually went double-platinum becoming the Watts-based group's biggest success and their breakthrough after more than 15 years together.

  1. ^ Elias, Jason. The Whispers: The Whispers > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  2. ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: W". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 22, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  3. ^ Hillier, Bev. "The Whispers: The Whispers". Smash Hits (April 3–16, 1980): 31.
  4. ^ Larkin, Colin (1998). The Virgin Encyclopedia of R&B and Soul. Virgin. p. 357.