Tavares (also known as The Tavares Brothers) are an American R&B, funk, and soul music group, composed of five Cape Verdean-American brothers. Born and raised in Providence, Rhode Island, they would later move to New Bedford, Massachusetts. They were inducted into the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame in 2014.
The Tavares brothers, whose parents were of Cape Verdean descent, started performing in 1959 as Chubby and the Turnpikes when the youngest brother was 9. Future Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer appeared as the “token white-guy drummer” in a later incarnation called The Turnpikes from the fall of 1969 until September of 1970, when he was invited to join Aerosmith.
Chubby and The Turnpikes signed with Capitol Records in 1967 and had a couple of local hit records including “I Know The Inside Story” in 1967 and “Nothing But Promises” in 1968.[1] By 1973, they had changed their name to Tavares and scored their first R&B Top 10 (Pop Top 40) hit with “Check it Out”, and soon began charting regularly on the R&B and pop charts. Their first album included their brother Victor, who sang lead on “Check it Out”, but dropped out of the group shortly afterward. In 1974 Tavares had a #1 R&B hit with Hall & Oates’s “She’s Gone”, (which became a hit for Hall & Oates as well two years later). Tavares followed up that success with “Remember What I Told You to Forget”.
1975 turned out to be their most successful year chartwise, with a Top 40 Pop album (In the City) and their biggest hit, the Top 10 Pop/#1 R&B smash “It Only Takes a Minute”, which was later successfully covered by both Jonathan King and Take That, and sampled by Jennifer Lopez. They parlayed this success into a spot as an opening act for The Jackson 5. KC and The Sunshine Band was also on this tour. “Minute” was followed by a string of hits: “Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel” (1976), “Don’t Take Away the Music” (1976), and “Whodunit” (1977, another #1 R&B hit). In 1977 they also recorded “I Wanna See You Soon”, a duet with Capitol labelmate Freda Payne which received airplay on BBC Radio 1 but failed to chart.
Many of their hits, however, underplayed their R&B background and gave the group the image of being a disco act. This perception was reinforced by their appearance on the soundtrack to the film Saturday Night Fever in 1977. Tavares recorded the Bee Gees song “More Than a Woman”, and their version reached the Pop Top 40 that year. The soundtrack became one of the most successful in history, giving Tavares their only Grammy.
Later albums, such as Madam Butterfly and Supercharged, strayed from the disco format and were less successful on the pop chart (although they continued to have Top 10 R&B hits such as “Never Had a Love Like This Before” and the popular sociopolitical “Bad Times” written by British singer-songwriter Gerard McMahon). At the start of the 1980s, Tavares left Capitol Records, signing with RCA. They had one last major hit, the ballad “A Penny for Your Thoughts”, for which they were nominated for a Grammy in 1982; their last major release was Words and Music in 1983.
In 1984, Ralph Tavares stepped down from the group, and Tiny left in the mid-1990s, but the other three brothers continued to tour. In early 2009, Tiny Tavares rejoined and is currently touring with the group. Tiny Tavares also invited his grandson Anthony Paul Verville to sing on stage with him during a live family concert.
“It Only Takes a Minute” was later covered by British boy band Take That, becoming a Top 10 UK hit, and is featured in the soundtrack of Konami’s dancing game Dance Dance Revolution 3rd Mix.
“Out of the Picture” was sampled by 50 Cent in his 2003 song “Many Men (Wish Death)”.
Musician Feliciano “Flash” Vierra Tavares, the family patriarch and father of all members of Tavares, died in 2008.
Chubby Tavares released his first solo album, Jealousy, on July 17, 2012, a few months after Tavares, the Four Tops, and the Temptations toured the UK together. Preceding the album a digital-only single was released called “It’s Christmas”. On December 17, it reached #5 on Amazon’s Acid Jazz chart. Both the album and the single were produced by Carla Olson, and the album was released by Fuel Records/Universal.
Read more about Tavares at their official website.
Discography
Greatest Hits Live
Esssential Media Group 2013
Tracks: Bad Times, Never Had A Love Like This Before, I Hope You'll Be Very Unhappy Without Me, You Are The Words, Don't Take Away The Music, She's Gone, It Only Takes A Minute, Remember What I Told You To Forget, Whodunit, Check It Out, Turn Your Love Around, More Than A Woman & Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel.
Musicians on the Greatest Hits Live album: Antone Tavares, Arthur Tavares, Feliciano Tavares, Perry Tavares, Ralph Tavares and others.
The Greatest Hits
EMI Music 2000
Tracks: It Only Takes a Minute, Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel, Slow Train to Paradise, Never Had a Love Like This Before, Check It Out, She's Gone, My Ship, Don't Take Away the Music, Whodunit, The Mighty Power of Love, One Step Away, The Ghost of Love, The Love I Had, I Wanna See You Soon, Bein' With You & More Than a Woman.
Musicians on the Greatest Hits: Antone Tavares, Arthur Tavares, Feliciano Tavares, Perry Tavares, Ralph Tavares and others.
The Best Of Tavares Revisited
Unidisc 1994
Tracks: Strangers in Dark Corners, Goodnight My Love (Pleasant Dreams), Remember What I Told You to Forget, A Penny for Your Thoughts, Check It Out, When I Need You, The Love I Never Had, She's Gone, Whodunit, Too Late, Just an Illusion, More Than a Woman - (12" Mix), Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel, It Only Takes a Minute, Dont Take Away the Music & My Ship.
Musicians on the Best Of Tavares Revisited album: Antone Tavares, Arthur Tavares, Feliciano Tavares, Perry Tavares, Ralph Tavares and others.
Words And Music
RCA Records 1983
Tracks: Ten To One, Deeper In Love, Caught Short, (You're) My All In All, Words And Music, Baby I Want You Back, I Really Miss You Baby, Don't Play So Hard To Get & Us And Love (We Go Together).
Musicians on the Words And Music album: Antone Tavares, Arthur Tavares, Feliciano Tavares, Perry Tavares, Ralph Tavares and others.
New Directions
RCA Records 1982
Tracks: A Penny For Your Thoughts, I Hope You´ll Be Very Unhappy Without Me, Mystery Lady, Abra-ca-dabra Love You To, Got To Find My Way Back To You, Maybe We´ll Fall In Love Again, The Skin You´re In & Wanna Be Close To You.
Musicians on the New Directions album: Antone Tavares, Arthur Tavares, Feliciano Tavares, Perry Tavares, Ralph Tavares, John Robinson, Melvin Webb, Ric Wyatt, Ndugu Chancler, Neil Stubenhaus, Cornelius Mims, Freddie Washington, Paul Jackson Jr., Charles Johnson, Charles Fearing, Marlo Henderson, Bill Meyers, Ric Wyatt, Clarence McDonald, Rick Kelly, Ian Underwood, Ric Wyatt, Benjamin Wright Jr., Mike Fisher, Paulinho Da Costa, Johnny Washington, Bobby Loya & Bobby Navarrete.
Loveline
Capitol Records 1981
Tracks: Keep On, Turn Out The Nightlight, Better Love, God Bless You, Touché, Loveline, Don´t Want To Fool You, House Of Music, Right Back In Your Arms Again & Right On Time.
Musicians on the Loveline album: Antone Tavares, Arthur Tavares, Feliciano Tavares, Perry Tavares, Ralph Tavares, Kenny Elliott, Nathan East, Charles Fearing, Paul Jackson Jr, Buzzy Feiten, Elliot Randall, Laythan Armor, Kashif Saleem, Michael Lewis, Alan Abrahams & Ernie Watts.
Love Uprising
Capitol Records 1980
Tracks: Only One I Need To Love, Break Down For Love, Love Uprising, Loneliness, Knock The Wall Down, Hot Love, Don't Wanna Say Goodnight, Do You Believe In Love, She Can Wait Forever, In This Lonely World & Life Time Of Love.
Musicians on the Love Uprising album: Antone Tavares, Arthur Tavares, Feliciano Tavares, Perry Tavares, Ralph Tavares, Nate Nebelett, James Jamerson, David Williams, Paul Jackson Jr., John Barnes, Ronnie Coleman, Benjamin Wright Jr., Paul Smith, Paulinho Da Costa, Gary Coleman, Donald Myrick, Fred Jackson, Herman Riley, Nolan Smith, Oscar Brashear, Robert Bryant, Garnett Brown, Louis Satterfield & George Bohanon.
Supercharged
Capitol Records 1980
Madam Butterfly
Capitol Records 1979
Future Bound
Capitol Records 1978
The Best Of Tavares
Capitol Records 1977
Tracks: Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel, It Only Takes A Minute, Bein' With You, Don't Take Away The Music, Check It Out, Strangers In Dark Corners, Remember What I Told You To Forget, She's Gone & The Love I Never Had.
Musicians on the Best Of Tavares album: Antone Tavares, Arthur Tavares, Feliciano Tavares, Perry Tavares, Ralph Tavares and others.
Love Storm
Capitol Records 1977
Tracks: Whodunit, Keep In Touch, I Wanna See You Soon, Fool Of The Year, Watchin´ The Woman´s Movement, One Step Away, Out Of The Picture, The Going Ups And The Coming Downs & Goodnight My Love.
Musicians on the Love Storm album: Antone Tavares, Arthur Tavares, Feliciano Tavares, Perry Tavares, Ralph Tavares, James Gadson, Scott Edwards, Bob Bowles, John Barnes, Sonny Burke, Freddie Perren, Bob Zimitti, Freda Payne & Julia Tillman.
Sky High
Capitol Records 1976
Tracks: The Mighty Power Of Love, Ridin' High, To The Other Man, Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel, Bein' With You, Wonderful, Guiding Star & Don't Take Away The Music.
Musicians on the Sky High album: Antone Tavares, Arthur Tavares, Feliciano Tavares, Perry Tavares, Ralph Tavares, James Gadson, Scott Edwards, Bob Bowles, Melvin Ragin, John Barnes, Bob Robitaille, Bob Zimitti & Paulinho Megalhaes.
In The City
Capitol Records 1975
Tracks: It Only Takes A Minute, Fool´s Hall Of Fame, The Love I Never Had, Nothing You Can Do, In The Eyes Of Love, Ready Willing And Able, We Fit To A Tee, Free Ride, I Hope She Chooses Me & In The City.
Musicians on the In The City album: Antone Tavares, Arthur Tavares, Feliciano Tavares, Perry Tavares, Ralph Tavares, Ed Greene, Wilton Felder, Scott Edwards, Larry Carlton, Dean Parks, Ben Benay, Michael Omartian, Dennis Lambert, Gary Coleman, Brian Potter, Tom Scott, Chuck Findley, Don Menza, Paul Hubinon & Dick Hyde.
Check It Out
Capitol Records 1974
Tracks: If That´s The Way You Want It, Strangers In Dark Corners, That´s The Sound That Lonely Makes, Check It Out, With You Were With Me Mary, I´ll Never Say Never Again, Little Girl,Let´s Make The Best Of What We Got, I´m In Love & Mama´s Little Girl.
Musicians on the Check It Out album: Antone Tavares, Arthur Tavares, Feliciano Tavares, Perry Tavares, Ralph Tavares, James Gadson, James Jamerson, Dean Parks, Melvin Ragin, David T. Walker, Joe Sample, Michael Melvoin, Gene Estes & Bobbye Hall.
Hard Core Poetry
Capitol Records 1974
Tracks: Someone To Go Home To, She´s Gone, My Ship, Leave It Up To The Lady, To Love You, Too Late, Remember What I Told You To Forget, What You Don´t Know & Hard Core Poetry.
Musicians on the Hard Core Poetry album: Antone Tavares, Arthur Tavares, Feliciano Tavares, Perry Tavares, Ralph Tavares, Ed Greene, Wilton Felder, Scott EdwardsLarry Carlton, Dean Parks, Ben Benay, Michael Omartian, Dennis Lambert, Gary Coleman & Brian Potter.