Genres R&B, pop, soul | Years active 1969–present | |
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Record labels Universal Music LLC, Collectables Records Albums Street Corner Symphony, Frankly a Cappella, A Cappella Dreams, Chirpin', The Persuasions Sing the Profiles | ||
The persuasions good times
The Persuasions are an a cappella group that began singing together in Brooklyn, New York in the mid-1960s. The group is composed of original members Jimmy Hayes (bass), Jayotis Washington (tenor, baritone). Cliff Dawson and Raymond Sanders are also longtime singers with The Persuasions. Dave Revels (lead vocals, arranger, and producer) replaced Jerry Lawson, who left in 2003.
Contents
- The persuasions good times
- The persuasions we are not a doo wop group
- Career
- Members
- Influences
- Albums
- Non album singles
- Songs
- References
The Persuasions recently sang on albums by Barenaked Ladies and Steve Van Zandt. They were The Kings of A Cappella throughout their long well established career. They have covered artists such as Frank Zappa, the Grateful Dead, Roy Hamilton, Jerry Butler, Sam Cooke, and Elvis Presley, and toured, performed, and recorded with Joni Mitchell, Liza Minnelli, the Grateful Dead, and Ray Charles. In addition to their own recordings, they have appeared on albums by artists such as Joni Mitchell, Don McLean, Phoebe Snow, and Paul Pena, and their version of "Papa Oom Mow Mow" appeared on the soundtrack of Steven Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
There are talks of a reunion between all of the original, revolving and current members for the purpose of The Persuasions being hopefully inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame.
The persuasions we are not a doo wop group
Career
Frank Zappa was responsible for The Persuasions' first LP, Acappella. He heard The Persuasions singing over the phone from a New Jersey record shop known as Stan's Square Records. The store's owner, Stan Krause, was the group's manager at the time. Prior to that time, The Persuasions had recorded several a cappella tracks for Krause's record label, Catamount Records. Zappa had an appreciation for soul and street corner style singing, and after hearing the group, flew them to Los Angeles to record their first album. The Persuasions were the opening act at The Mothers concerts at Carnegie Hall, 1971. Thirty years later, Zappa fan Rip Rense supervised and encouraged the group in the creation of a Persuasions tribute CD to Zappa, Frankly A Cappella on Earthbeat Records.
The Persuasions later recorded tribute albums consisting of material by the Grateful Dead (Might as Well), the Beatles (The Persuasions sing the Beatles). The last album they made together prior to Lawson's departure was on the Chesky label titled A Cappella Dreams.
Toubo Rhoad, one of the original members, died in 1988. In 1990, The Persuasions perform on the PBS TV special Spike Lee & Company – "Do It A Cappella". Lawson left the group in 2003 to pursue a career working with developmentally disabled adults and later decided to pursue a singing career independent of the group. In 2007, he released his first post-Persuasions a cappella CD with his new group, Jerry Lawson and Talk of The Town.[1] Lawson considers this the masterpiece of his a cappella career. In December 2010, Jerry Lawson and Talk of The Town were featured on Series 2 of NBC's The Sing-Off. Lawson was invited back on season 3 as a featured guest without Talk of the Town. He was accompanied by 16 cast members, performing the Arthur Conley hit (written by Sam Cooke) "Sweet Soul Music".
Groups as varied as Take 6, Rockapella, The Nylons, and Boyz II Men cite The Persuasions as major influences.
Sweet Joe Russell died on May 5, 2012.
1971 song "Good Times" off Street Corner Symphony was sampled by electronic music producer Jamie xx in his 2015 single "I Know There's Gonna Be (Good Times)" off the In Colour album, featuring rapper Young Thug and dancehall artist Popcaan. The sample sparked controversy when the song was first released, but it was cleared when the record label announced that the group was contacted prior to the song's release.
The Persuasions performed on The View in 2015, hosted by Whoopi Goldberg. The Persuasions' performed with Barenaked Ladies in New York City's Central Park in June 2016 and again in Toronto in October 2016.
Members
The Persuasions are Dave Revels, James Hayes, Jayotis Washington, Cliff Dawson and Raymond Sanders.
Jerry Lawson original lead singer, arranger, and producer is now singing a cappella with Talk of the Town and his only a cappella CD released since leaving The Persuasions is "Jerry Lawson & Talk of The Town". He made his debut as a solo artist accompanied by some of Nashville's finest musicians on RedBeet Records in 2015. "Jerry Lawson Just A Mortal Man" Lawson and his newest release was featured on NPR with host Joel Rose.
Influences
In the liner notes to the 2003 album, A Cappella Dreams, the group revealed their musical influences:
Albums
Non-album singles
The following various artists recordings contained otherwise unissued Persuasions recordings:
Songs
Oh - Heavenly SalvationLive At McCabe's Guitar Shop · 2010
Gypsy Woman1971
People Get ReadyStreet Corner Symphony · 1971