Ashford & Simpson
Nickolas Ashford ( born May 4, 1942 in Fairfield County, South Carolina; † August 22, 2011 in New York City) and Valerie Simpson ( born August 26, 1946 in New York City - Bronx ) was an American songwriter and producer duo, who wrote in the 1960s with works for the record company Motown music history.
Soul classics such as Is not No Mountain High Enough (1967 ), Is not Nothing Like the Real Thing or You're All I Need To Get By (1968 ) emerged during this period. From 1973, the duo took plates and even on hits such as It Seems to Hang on (1978), Found a Cure (1979 ), Solid ( 1984), Outta the World ( 1985), Count Your Blessings (1986) and I'll Be There for You (1989 ) Ashford & Simpson made known worldwide. Throughout its more than 40 -year career, Ashford acted usually as a composer and songwriter Simpson.
- 3.1 solo albums Valerie Simpson
- 3.2 albums
Career
Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson met in 1964 at the White Rock Baptist Church in Harlem know. At this time, Ashford was homeless and slept intermittently on a bench, now a plaque with the inscription " Nick Ashford slept here " ( " Nick Ashford slept here " ) bears. Use the congregation could leave the street life behind Ashford, he was a member of the church choir and became friends with Simpson. The relationship remained platonic initially Together, they began to write gospel songs, and later secular pieces were added. For the small label Glover took Val & Nick, how the two called at this time, yet in 1964 a few unsuccessful singles. During her career took off not as a musician, Ashford and Simpson tried to continue as a songwriter. 1965 took Soul greats like Chuck Jackson & Maxine Brown ( Baby Take Me ), and Betty Everett ( The Real Thing ) on songs by the duo. The breakthrough came in 1966 when Ray Charles with the Ashford / Simpson song Let's Go Get Stoned landed at number one on the R & B charts. Ashford tried in the same year in vain to start a solo career, his few singles flopped for Verve, but at least was I Do not Need No Doctor also recorded by Ray Charles.
Hits for others and Valerie's solo recordings: The Motown Years
In April 1967 Ashford and Simpson exchanged as a solid songwriter for Motown Corporation, at that time the most successful record company in the Soul genre. They composed and produced hits they usually even in the Motown Recording Studios (Detroit ). The success came immediately: Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell had with Is not No Mountain High Enough, Is not Nothin Like the Real Thing and Your Precious Love in the same year three hits with Ashford / Simpson compositions. Followed in 1968 by You're All I Need To Get By. These songs evolved into classics of soul genres and have been covered numerous. In 1970, for example, a version of Diana Ross Is not No Mountain High Enough on and so landed at number one on the U.S. charts. Previously, Ross had given the Ashford / Simpson composition Reach Out and Touch ( Somebody's Hand ) made its debut as a soloist. Other Motown artists such as Gladys Knight & the Pips, the Supremes, the Four Tops or The Marvelettes followed Ross' example and took songs by Ashford and Simpson. The duo remained until 1973 when Motown.
Simpson tried to the early 1970s as a soloist and published on the sub-label Tamla Motown two moderately successful albums, Exposed (1971) and Valerie Simpson ( 1972). These recordings were partially in 1977, after they had successfully established with her husband in the charts, re-released under the title Keep It Comin '. With Silly Was not I Simpson had a small hit in the American pop and R & B charts.
Successes with their own plates: The Warner Years
1973 appeared in the record company Warner Gimme Something Real, the debut album by Ashford & Simpson. The following year married now privately affiliated duo. "Thanks carefully produced Soul Songs" included Ashford & Simpson in the following years to the " most sought protagonists of the black music scene." (Taurus Press) This was ensured above all, a fifth studio album, Send It, which went gold in the U.S. in 1977 and the R & B hit Do not Cost You Nothing brought forth. With the sophomore album Is It Still Good to Ya, the two were able to repeat the 1978 gold success, the single It Seems to Hang On came into the R & B charts to number two, the album even to the top. The LP Stayfree of 1979 brought, among others, the hit single Found a Cure show that first brought Ashford & Simpson in the Top 40 on the pop charts and became a disco classics. This genre had already devoted to the previous albums, but without denying their soul roots. For Stayfree, the duo also took out his third Gold award.
At the same time supplied Ashford and Simpson also other colleagues with hits in the disco beat: they wrote 1978, the feminist -inspired disco anthem I'm Every Woman Chaka Khan's first solo hit, and in 1992 for Whitney Houston a great success. In 1979 she produced the entire album for The Boss Diana Ross, who returned so as disco queen after a few flops back to the upper reaches of the charts. The single of the same reached number one on the U.S. disco charts of Billboard. Also, Gladys Knight & the Pips ( Album About Love and Touch, 1980 and 1981), Cheryl Lynn ( Believe in Me, 1982) or Stephanie Mills ( Keep Away Girls, 1982) benefited from the compositional arts of the duo.
After eight years of cooperation, the agreement with Warner ended in 1981 with the live album performance.
Biggest hit the mid-1980s: The Capitol Years
With the 1982 work Street Corner and the same R & B Top Ten hit collaboration with Capitol, which eventually also opened the biggest hit of Ashford & Simpson began. After the LP High-Rise (1983 ) was not particularly landed contrary to the prophetic title near the top of the charts, the album is solid and above all, the single of the same in 1984 selling excellent. Solid topped the R & B charts and failed just short of the top 10 of the American pop charts. Even better, it ran in Europe: in the UK and in Germany the song was in the top third The following singles Outta the World Babies and managed according to the country also made it into the charts, but could not repeat the enormous success of Solid. This was followed by R & B hits with Count Your Blessings (1986) and I'll Be There for You (1989 ), then ended the contract with Capitol.
The years from 1990
The single Hungry for Me Again for the horror film Def by Temptation (1990 ) should be the last Top 40 hit by Ashford & Simpson in the R & B charts. Overall, it brought the duo here on 33 entries. As live performers, the duo remained well in business, record releases, however, remained sporadic. 1996 originated Been Found in close collaboration with the writer and human rights activist Maya Angelou. 2002 were included in the Songwriters Hall of Fame Ashford & Simpson.
Private
Valerie Simpson is also connected family with the music. Her brother Raymond " Ray" Simpson is the current police officer in the Village People. In 1978 she co-produced the album with her husband Tiger Love for her brother.
Nickolas Ashford died on August 22, 2011 in a New York hospital from the effects of throat cancer disease. He left by his wife and two daughters.