Thanks, Donald! Like I wrote (and keep saying): ever since I started doing these weekly posts, my respect for these groups and musicians has gone through the roof. Pure craftsmanship and artistry, and those dance moves… man… 😂😂😂
Tremendous, Pe! Sorry I'm so late to the dance, but you're doing a terrific job! I really never knew much about Perren, but, of course, always saw his name everywhere! And, Tavares was always a favorite, too, but somehow missed learning more about them.
Echoing everyone else here, you sound great, and you've avoided the most common mistake many make...hurrying through out of nervousness. You're comfortable, measured, and well-paced! Keep up the great work!!
Another brilliant installment Pé! I loved this deep dive into Tavares a band of whom I only knew a few songs. I never realized they were of Cape Verdean descent, how fascinating! My wife and I hiked in Cabo Verde a few years ago. The country and the people are gorgeous.
I never knew that there was a Tavares version of “More Than a Woman” which I’d only ever associated with The Bee Gees.
Your video was amazing. Given your screen presence and your enunciation, the fact that you have an accent (doesn’t everyone though?) shouldn’t be concerning to you at all. Quite frankly, I found it charming!
Such a wonderful compliment, Mark, thank you. I haven’t yet had the chance to visit Cabo Verde, unfortunately. Some friends of ours have been and loved it. Have you written about your trip? Wishing you a great rest of the week!
Yes it’s absolutely gorgeous there. We went in the dry season which was good for hiking but you miss out on the waterfalls and the verdant valleys. I hadn’t started writing when we went on that trip so I’ve never written about it.
I saw the Bee Gees in concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Thursday, December 2, 1976. The opening act was Tavares. Arriving just as the show started, I'll never forget hearing their opening song, "Don't Take Away The Music," as I was finding my seat! Great artists! Great show!! Great memories!!!
Your read-aloud version of your well-researched weekly Substack is absolutely intriguing.
Thanks for explaining the reason why there are two versions of "More Than A Woman" in Saturday Night Fever... one by each of these groups of brothers.
I loved listening to you speak with your accent, even your mispronunciations! You are a natural: engaging, warm, knowledgeable and entertaining.
Thanks, Duke! Really appreciate your reaction and the kind words 😁. The mispronunciations will probably remain a feature for the foreseeable future 😂. What you mentioned about Tavares opening for the Bee Gees on the ’76 tour is fascinating, it adds another layer to the whole SNF connection I hadn’t considered. Thanks again for reading and reacting, and enjoy your Sunday!
WELL 👏🏻 DONE 👏🏻 PE 👏🏻 I am so proud of you, mate. You smashed it. I always enjoy reading your work, as you know, and I really enjoyed watching you tell the stories you so masterfully craft. Please don't worry about your accent. We all have an accent in one way or another, and your fluency, grammar and diction are excellent. I could understand every word. Most notably, Pe, your video presence is engaging, warm, compelling and extremely professional. I KNEW you had it in you ("d'ya wanna say goodbye to the audience while I try and find my favourite button?" 🤣). I knew you would be good. I knew your personality and style would do well on screen. But I didn't realise you were THAT ready. Chapeau, my friend. Sky's the limit!! ✈️
Very high praise indeed, you really made my day/evening, Andy 👍👍👍👍👍. And your note about being able to understand every word means a great deal. Thanks for the inspiration and the encouragement; you’re a big part of this. Thanks again for reading and watching, and have a great weekend!
I feel honoured and blessed to have been able to play a part in helping you find what you already had in you. If I was a fan before, I'm a SUPERFAN now!! 👏🏻🙌🏻 Have a great weekend too!
You’re a natural for the video/audio format! You enunciate well and make looking at the camera the whole time feel natural. Great background too!
As someone born in the 90s, this song lives right at the intersection of “before my time” and “hasn’t lived onein the mainstream like, say, I Will Survive” that ensures i hadn’t even heard of it till watching this video. You’ve given me plenty of reason to listen to it!
A fascinating read as always. Capitol's discomfort with marketing disco is illustrated in the UK campaign for Never Had A Love Like This Before. Tavares had 4 Top 5 hits during 1976/77, but by 1978 Slow Train To Paradise didn't even make the Top 50. In an attempt to sell the next single, Never Had A Love Like This Before to the white pop audience who had bought More Than A Woman, Capitol UK chose a publicity shot of Clark Gable and Jean Harlow for the music press ads (the single didn't have a picture sleeve). This seems a strange choice, as although there was a lot of nostalgia for the 1930s in Hollywood films of the '70s (there was even a biopic of Gable and Lombard), quite a few of these movies were flops and interest had waned by the end of the decade. The much bigger problem of course is one of racism. In Britain of the late 70s, there was still no guarantee a black artist would feature in their own promotional campaign.
I think that last remark holds for continental Europe as well, Paul. This is my second encounter with Capitol’s internal policies and I get the impression they were perhaps the most conservative of the majors. Your story really confirms that. Thanks for reading and for chiming in, Paul. Wishing you a great weekend!
Nice job Pe! Great to see you on screen! I also like the addition of other visuals related to Tavares. I have to admit to only knowing two songs recorded by the group: "Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel" and "More Than a Woman" so it's interesting to hear about their other contributions and their background details. You give LOTS of detail here!
Thanks, Dan. I know I went off on a bit of a tangent with the Cape Verde background, but I didn’t want to leave it out, it explains so much about why it was such a close-knit family band. Anyway, thanks for the compliments and for reading/watching. Wishing you a great weekend, Dan!
I love the two-version story. This is the music business as it was: brutal but real. The stakes were high. Now it's all nostalgia and follow the leader. I'm certain good music and dance moves will win in the end. Tavares! Great story!
Thanks, Steve, I agree. And to answer your other question (about Marvin Gaye): he wasn’t on the shortlist yet. I’ll add him, but I need to figure out which track, as it still has to fit the mixtape, and the two you mentioned are on the slower side. Thankfully, with Marvin Gaye I’ve got plenty of options.
Thanks for reading and reacting, and have a great weekend!
Fabulous show, Peter! I was mesmerized by your narration and presentation. The content is top-notch and the writing, as always, is impeccable. You certainly have inspired me to take a deep dive into the music of Tavares. I can’t wait for the next episode!! 😎
Thanks, Todd, that means a lot. We’re definitely not there yet, and it took me some time to get it to where it is now. Most of the issues were technical, and they’re now (more or less) sorted out. And I’m absolutely going to practice my “th” sound this week! 😂😂😂
In any case, I had a lot of fun making it, and I know I’ll be experimenting with all the possibilities over the coming months.
Thanks again for reading, listening, and watching. Have a great weekend!
Amazing Pe. Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel is one of my favorite songs of all time. This was fascinating. Loved the voice over as well. Great job.
Thanks Taz. Appreciate the compliments. Thanks for reading/watching and have a great weekend!
Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel is one of my favorite songs, too. We must be kindred musical souls, Tamara. I just subscribed to your Substack.
Thanks.
I think your “Tavares” show was genius.
Crown Heights Affair is coming soon. Isn’t it so ? Tell the truth.
Haha… they weren’t (yet), but I’ll put them on the shortlist. It won’t be right away, though.
I’ll wait. Great show !!
Great show
This was the very first group I did a show with. I have a great love ❤️ for them, their crazy ass family and the music. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Thanks, Donald! Like I wrote (and keep saying): ever since I started doing these weekly posts, my respect for these groups and musicians has gone through the roof. Pure craftsmanship and artistry, and those dance moves… man… 😂😂😂
Have a great weekend!
Tremendous, Pe! Sorry I'm so late to the dance, but you're doing a terrific job! I really never knew much about Perren, but, of course, always saw his name everywhere! And, Tavares was always a favorite, too, but somehow missed learning more about them.
Echoing everyone else here, you sound great, and you've avoided the most common mistake many make...hurrying through out of nervousness. You're comfortable, measured, and well-paced! Keep up the great work!!
Haha, thanks Brad! The dance goes on forever, so you’re always welcome 😁 I really appreciate the kind words.
Another brilliant installment Pé! I loved this deep dive into Tavares a band of whom I only knew a few songs. I never realized they were of Cape Verdean descent, how fascinating! My wife and I hiked in Cabo Verde a few years ago. The country and the people are gorgeous.
I never knew that there was a Tavares version of “More Than a Woman” which I’d only ever associated with The Bee Gees.
Your video was amazing. Given your screen presence and your enunciation, the fact that you have an accent (doesn’t everyone though?) shouldn’t be concerning to you at all. Quite frankly, I found it charming!
Such a wonderful compliment, Mark, thank you. I haven’t yet had the chance to visit Cabo Verde, unfortunately. Some friends of ours have been and loved it. Have you written about your trip? Wishing you a great rest of the week!
Yes it’s absolutely gorgeous there. We went in the dry season which was good for hiking but you miss out on the waterfalls and the verdant valleys. I hadn’t started writing when we went on that trip so I’ve never written about it.
I saw the Bee Gees in concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Thursday, December 2, 1976. The opening act was Tavares. Arriving just as the show started, I'll never forget hearing their opening song, "Don't Take Away The Music," as I was finding my seat! Great artists! Great show!! Great memories!!!
Your read-aloud version of your well-researched weekly Substack is absolutely intriguing.
Thanks for explaining the reason why there are two versions of "More Than A Woman" in Saturday Night Fever... one by each of these groups of brothers.
I loved listening to you speak with your accent, even your mispronunciations! You are a natural: engaging, warm, knowledgeable and entertaining.
Your skipper,
Captain Duke
Host of YachtDisco on MixCloud.com and HearThis.at
Thanks, Duke! Really appreciate your reaction and the kind words 😁. The mispronunciations will probably remain a feature for the foreseeable future 😂. What you mentioned about Tavares opening for the Bee Gees on the ’76 tour is fascinating, it adds another layer to the whole SNF connection I hadn’t considered. Thanks again for reading and reacting, and enjoy your Sunday!
WELL 👏🏻 DONE 👏🏻 PE 👏🏻 I am so proud of you, mate. You smashed it. I always enjoy reading your work, as you know, and I really enjoyed watching you tell the stories you so masterfully craft. Please don't worry about your accent. We all have an accent in one way or another, and your fluency, grammar and diction are excellent. I could understand every word. Most notably, Pe, your video presence is engaging, warm, compelling and extremely professional. I KNEW you had it in you ("d'ya wanna say goodbye to the audience while I try and find my favourite button?" 🤣). I knew you would be good. I knew your personality and style would do well on screen. But I didn't realise you were THAT ready. Chapeau, my friend. Sky's the limit!! ✈️
Very high praise indeed, you really made my day/evening, Andy 👍👍👍👍👍. And your note about being able to understand every word means a great deal. Thanks for the inspiration and the encouragement; you’re a big part of this. Thanks again for reading and watching, and have a great weekend!
I feel honoured and blessed to have been able to play a part in helping you find what you already had in you. If I was a fan before, I'm a SUPERFAN now!! 👏🏻🙌🏻 Have a great weekend too!
You’re a natural for the video/audio format! You enunciate well and make looking at the camera the whole time feel natural. Great background too!
As someone born in the 90s, this song lives right at the intersection of “before my time” and “hasn’t lived onein the mainstream like, say, I Will Survive” that ensures i hadn’t even heard of it till watching this video. You’ve given me plenty of reason to listen to it!
Thanks Max! Such a wonderful compliment! And that's my job to (re)connect you with gems like these 😁 Have a great weekend!
A fascinating read as always. Capitol's discomfort with marketing disco is illustrated in the UK campaign for Never Had A Love Like This Before. Tavares had 4 Top 5 hits during 1976/77, but by 1978 Slow Train To Paradise didn't even make the Top 50. In an attempt to sell the next single, Never Had A Love Like This Before to the white pop audience who had bought More Than A Woman, Capitol UK chose a publicity shot of Clark Gable and Jean Harlow for the music press ads (the single didn't have a picture sleeve). This seems a strange choice, as although there was a lot of nostalgia for the 1930s in Hollywood films of the '70s (there was even a biopic of Gable and Lombard), quite a few of these movies were flops and interest had waned by the end of the decade. The much bigger problem of course is one of racism. In Britain of the late 70s, there was still no guarantee a black artist would feature in their own promotional campaign.
I think that last remark holds for continental Europe as well, Paul. This is my second encounter with Capitol’s internal policies and I get the impression they were perhaps the most conservative of the majors. Your story really confirms that. Thanks for reading and for chiming in, Paul. Wishing you a great weekend!
Nice job Pe! Great to see you on screen! I also like the addition of other visuals related to Tavares. I have to admit to only knowing two songs recorded by the group: "Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel" and "More Than a Woman" so it's interesting to hear about their other contributions and their background details. You give LOTS of detail here!
Thanks, Dan. I know I went off on a bit of a tangent with the Cape Verde background, but I didn’t want to leave it out, it explains so much about why it was such a close-knit family band. Anyway, thanks for the compliments and for reading/watching. Wishing you a great weekend, Dan!
I love the two-version story. This is the music business as it was: brutal but real. The stakes were high. Now it's all nostalgia and follow the leader. I'm certain good music and dance moves will win in the end. Tavares! Great story!
Thanks, Steve, I agree. And to answer your other question (about Marvin Gaye): he wasn’t on the shortlist yet. I’ll add him, but I need to figure out which track, as it still has to fit the mixtape, and the two you mentioned are on the slower side. Thankfully, with Marvin Gaye I’ve got plenty of options.
Thanks for reading and reacting, and have a great weekend!
Good start to the year Taveres! But we need a Marvin badly Mercy Mercy Me... What's Goin' On?
Fabulous show, Peter! I was mesmerized by your narration and presentation. The content is top-notch and the writing, as always, is impeccable. You certainly have inspired me to take a deep dive into the music of Tavares. I can’t wait for the next episode!! 😎
Thanks, Todd, that means a lot. We’re definitely not there yet, and it took me some time to get it to where it is now. Most of the issues were technical, and they’re now (more or less) sorted out. And I’m absolutely going to practice my “th” sound this week! 😂😂😂
In any case, I had a lot of fun making it, and I know I’ll be experimenting with all the possibilities over the coming months.
Thanks again for reading, listening, and watching. Have a great weekend!
Tavares is one of my all time favorite groups especially their early tunes before disco. Thanks for this great article!
Thanks Everybody Hates Trump! Glad you liked it 😁 Wishing you a great weekend ahead!