They call them Nick & Val...
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The duo essentially had two careers: one as a successful writing and producing team and the other as singers and performers themselves. They started their career in the 1960's, writing for artists such as Ray Charles ("Let's Go Get Stoned" and "'I Don't Need No Doctor"),1966 The Fifth Dimension ("California Soul") and Aretha Franklin ("Cry Like A Baby"). Joining the Motown staff in 1967, they wrote and/or produced all but one of the late 1960s singles Marvin Gaye recorded with Tammi Terrell, including hits such as the original version of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "Your Precious Love", and "You're All I Need to Get By". Other Motown artists that Ashford & Simpson worked with included Diana Ross ("Reach Out & Touch (Somebody's Hand)," "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "Remember Me," "Surrender" LP, "The Boss" and "It's My House"); Gladys Knight & The Pips ("Didn't You Know You'd Have To Cry Sometime, "The Landlord", "Bourgie, Bourgie," "Taste Of Bitter Love"); Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, ("Who's Gonna Take The Blame"); The Marvelettes ("Destination:Anywhere") and The Dynamic Superiors ("Shoe, Shoe Shine"). Other artists they had hits with include Teddy Pendergrass ("Is It Still Good To You") Brothers Johnson ("Ride-O-Rocke") and Chaka Khan, both on her own ("I'm Every Woman" and "Clouds," ) and with Rufus ("Keep It Comin'" and "Ain't Nothin' But A Maybe" ). In 1980, they were featured as vocalists, along with Chaka Khan on the huge hit "Stuff Like That" from Quincy Jones' album of the same title and contributed to the writing of the soundtrack to The Wiz. In 1995, Method Man and Mary J. Blige had a hit with a medley of "I'll Be There For You" and "You're All I Need To Get By."
According to Marvin Gaye in the book Divided Soul, Simpson did most of the vocals on the last album he did with Tammi Terrell, "Easy," as a way of Tammi's family to have additional income.
Ashford & Simpson's career as artists actually began in 1964 when they recorded "I'll Find You" as "Valerie & Nick." This was followed by several obscure singles Ashford recorded on the Glover, Verve and ABC labels such as "It Ain't Like That", (later recorded by Martha Reeves & The Vandellas), "California Soul" and "Dead End Kids" backed by his own version of "Let's Go Get Stoned," which the duo wrote with their early collaborator Joshie Jo Armstead. After concentrating on working with other artists, Simpson was the featured soloist on the songs "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and "What's Going On" on the Quincy Jones albums "Gula Matari" in 1970 and its followup, "Smackwater Jack." Simpson subsequently recorded two excellent solo LP's for Motown, Valerie Simpson Exposed in 1971, and, the following year, the album Valerie Simpson, which included the single "Silly Wasn't I," which was sampled in 2006 on Jamie Foxx's hit "Unpredictable." Ashford & Simpson left Motown in 1973, after the albums Simpson recorded for the label received poor promotion and the company refused to release an album of the two of them recording a collection of their most famous songs for other artists. They first came to national prominence when they were featured singing selections from Simpson's solo albums on the PBS TV show Soul!, hosted by Ellis Haizlip in 1971.
Around this time, they got married and in 1973, they resumed their career as a duo with the Warner Brothers album "Gimme Something Real." This was followed by the hit singles, "Don't Cost You Nothin'," in 1977, "It Seems To Hang On" in 1978, "Found A Cure" in 1979, "Street Corner" in 1982, and their biggest hit, "Solid," which they recorded in 1984. They recorded the album "Been Found" with poet Maya Angelou in 1996. A complete list of their albums can be found in the discography listed below. On his own, Ashford produced, along with Frank Wilson, the mammoth hit "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me", which was recorded by Diana Ross & The Supremes in collaboration with The Temptations in 1968. He also appeared in the movie New Jack City (1991), as Reverend Oates, an ordained minister who was part of Nino Brown's entourage. Simpson's brothers were in the record business as well: Raymond Simpson replaced Victor Willis in the Village People and their brother Jimmy Simpson, produced the group G.Q., (who had big hits with "Disco Nights" and "I Do Love You"), and was in great demand as a mix artist during the disco era. In recent times, Ashford & Simpson have recorded and toured sporadically and in 1996, they opened the restaurant and live entertainment venue Sugar Bar in New York City, which has an open mic on Thursday nights where performers have included Queen Latifah and Felicia Collins. Around this time, they were also featured disc jockeys on New York's KISS-FM radio station. On August 16th, 2006, Playbill Online reported that they are writing the score for a musical based on E. Lynn Harris's novel Invisible Life. My favorite songs from Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson are: "Don't cost you nothing", "Street corner", "Solid" and "Found a cure"!
Here's a link to that great song, "Found a cure"! Enjoy!:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4zraDUfF9Y
.
The duo essentially had two careers: one as a successful writing and producing team and the other as singers and performers themselves. They started their career in the 1960's, writing for artists such as Ray Charles ("Let's Go Get Stoned" and "'I Don't Need No Doctor"),1966 The Fifth Dimension ("California Soul") and Aretha Franklin ("Cry Like A Baby"). Joining the Motown staff in 1967, they wrote and/or produced all but one of the late 1960s singles Marvin Gaye recorded with Tammi Terrell, including hits such as the original version of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "Your Precious Love", and "You're All I Need to Get By". Other Motown artists that Ashford & Simpson worked with included Diana Ross ("Reach Out & Touch (Somebody's Hand)," "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "Remember Me," "Surrender" LP, "The Boss" and "It's My House"); Gladys Knight & The Pips ("Didn't You Know You'd Have To Cry Sometime, "The Landlord", "Bourgie, Bourgie," "Taste Of Bitter Love"); Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, ("Who's Gonna Take The Blame"); The Marvelettes ("Destination:Anywhere") and The Dynamic Superiors ("Shoe, Shoe Shine"). Other artists they had hits with include Teddy Pendergrass ("Is It Still Good To You") Brothers Johnson ("Ride-O-Rocke") and Chaka Khan, both on her own ("I'm Every Woman" and "Clouds," ) and with Rufus ("Keep It Comin'" and "Ain't Nothin' But A Maybe" ). In 1980, they were featured as vocalists, along with Chaka Khan on the huge hit "Stuff Like That" from Quincy Jones' album of the same title and contributed to the writing of the soundtrack to The Wiz. In 1995, Method Man and Mary J. Blige had a hit with a medley of "I'll Be There For You" and "You're All I Need To Get By."
According to Marvin Gaye in the book Divided Soul, Simpson did most of the vocals on the last album he did with Tammi Terrell, "Easy," as a way of Tammi's family to have additional income.
Ashford & Simpson's career as artists actually began in 1964 when they recorded "I'll Find You" as "Valerie & Nick." This was followed by several obscure singles Ashford recorded on the Glover, Verve and ABC labels such as "It Ain't Like That", (later recorded by Martha Reeves & The Vandellas), "California Soul" and "Dead End Kids" backed by his own version of "Let's Go Get Stoned," which the duo wrote with their early collaborator Joshie Jo Armstead. After concentrating on working with other artists, Simpson was the featured soloist on the songs "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and "What's Going On" on the Quincy Jones albums "Gula Matari" in 1970 and its followup, "Smackwater Jack." Simpson subsequently recorded two excellent solo LP's for Motown, Valerie Simpson Exposed in 1971, and, the following year, the album Valerie Simpson, which included the single "Silly Wasn't I," which was sampled in 2006 on Jamie Foxx's hit "Unpredictable." Ashford & Simpson left Motown in 1973, after the albums Simpson recorded for the label received poor promotion and the company refused to release an album of the two of them recording a collection of their most famous songs for other artists. They first came to national prominence when they were featured singing selections from Simpson's solo albums on the PBS TV show Soul!, hosted by Ellis Haizlip in 1971.
Around this time, they got married and in 1973, they resumed their career as a duo with the Warner Brothers album "Gimme Something Real." This was followed by the hit singles, "Don't Cost You Nothin'," in 1977, "It Seems To Hang On" in 1978, "Found A Cure" in 1979, "Street Corner" in 1982, and their biggest hit, "Solid," which they recorded in 1984. They recorded the album "Been Found" with poet Maya Angelou in 1996. A complete list of their albums can be found in the discography listed below. On his own, Ashford produced, along with Frank Wilson, the mammoth hit "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me", which was recorded by Diana Ross & The Supremes in collaboration with The Temptations in 1968. He also appeared in the movie New Jack City (1991), as Reverend Oates, an ordained minister who was part of Nino Brown's entourage. Simpson's brothers were in the record business as well: Raymond Simpson replaced Victor Willis in the Village People and their brother Jimmy Simpson, produced the group G.Q., (who had big hits with "Disco Nights" and "I Do Love You"), and was in great demand as a mix artist during the disco era. In recent times, Ashford & Simpson have recorded and toured sporadically and in 1996, they opened the restaurant and live entertainment venue Sugar Bar in New York City, which has an open mic on Thursday nights where performers have included Queen Latifah and Felicia Collins. Around this time, they were also featured disc jockeys on New York's KISS-FM radio station. On August 16th, 2006, Playbill Online reported that they are writing the score for a musical based on E. Lynn Harris's novel Invisible Life. My favorite songs from Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson are: "Don't cost you nothing", "Street corner", "Solid" and "Found a cure"!
Here's a link to that great song, "Found a cure"! Enjoy!:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4zraDUfF9Y
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posted by Patrick at Thursday, November 23, 2006
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