Promo, RCA, 1974. One side is stereo, the other mono
vinyl condition: VG
Listen to the song.
| The Main Ingredient was formed in Harlem in 1964 as a trio called the Poets, composed of lead singer Donald McPherson, Luther Simmons, Jr., and Panama-born Tony Silvester. They made their first recordings for Leiber & Stoller's Red Bird label, but soon changed their name to the Insiders and signed with RCA Records. In 1968, after a couple of singles, they changed their name once again, this time permanently, to The Main Ingredient. The name came from a Coca-Cola bottle.
They then teamed up with record producer/arranger Bert DeCoteaux. Under his direction, the Main Ingredient reached the R&B Top 30 three times in 1970. In 1971, tragedy struck that year. Don McPherson died unexpectedly. Stunned, Tony Silvester and Luther Simmons re-grouped with new lead singer Cuba Gooding Sr., who had served as a backing vocalist on some of their previous recordings, and had filled in on tour.
The Gooding era began auspiciously with the million-selling smash EVERYBODY PLAYS THE FOOL, which hit number two R&B and number three pop to become the group's biggest hit. It sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc in 1972. They peaked at number eight on the R&B chart in 1974 with JUST DON'T WANT TO BE LONELY, which sold over a million copies, and also reached number ten on the Billboard Hot 100.
They've been sampled 200+ times in hip hop. The Main Ingredient currently perform as a legacy band.
vinyl condition: VG
Listen to the song.
| The Main Ingredient was formed in Harlem in 1964 as a trio called the Poets, composed of lead singer Donald McPherson, Luther Simmons, Jr., and Panama-born Tony Silvester. They made their first recordings for Leiber & Stoller's Red Bird label, but soon changed their name to the Insiders and signed with RCA Records. In 1968, after a couple of singles, they changed their name once again, this time permanently, to The Main Ingredient. The name came from a Coca-Cola bottle.
They then teamed up with record producer/arranger Bert DeCoteaux. Under his direction, the Main Ingredient reached the R&B Top 30 three times in 1970. In 1971, tragedy struck that year. Don McPherson died unexpectedly. Stunned, Tony Silvester and Luther Simmons re-grouped with new lead singer Cuba Gooding Sr., who had served as a backing vocalist on some of their previous recordings, and had filled in on tour.
The Gooding era began auspiciously with the million-selling smash EVERYBODY PLAYS THE FOOL, which hit number two R&B and number three pop to become the group's biggest hit. It sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc in 1972. They peaked at number eight on the R&B chart in 1974 with JUST DON'T WANT TO BE LONELY, which sold over a million copies, and also reached number ten on the Billboard Hot 100.
They've been sampled 200+ times in hip hop. The Main Ingredient currently perform as a legacy band.