The Whispers - The Whispers (1979) Vinyl

The Whispers were a veteran R&B quintet with an impressive legacy of R&B hits. Formed in Los Angeles by twins Walter and Wallace Scott, Nicholas Caldwell, Marcus Hutson, and Gordy Harmon (who left in 1973), the Whispers turned up on the Dore label in 1964 with "I Was Born When You Kissed Me." In 1969, the quintet climbed the soul charts for the first time with "The Time Has Come" on Soul Clock, and they cracked the R&B Top Ten the next year with "Seems Like I Gotta Do Wrong".

They remained hitmakers for the labels Janus, Soul Train, and Solar, with smashes like the solid gold chart-topper "And the Beat Goes On" in 1980 and another number one urban contemporary hit, "Rock Steady," in 1987. After being their backbone and selling point since the group's inception, twin lead vocalists Walter and Wallace Scott took time out for solo careers in 1993, but remained with The Whispers.

"The Whispers" from 1979 was their first big album effort. This starts off with "A Song For Donny", a song written by Carrie Lucas that serves as elegy to Donny Hathaway. The ballad, set to the melody of Hathaway's "This Christmas", is touching, apt, and believable. Not so is a take on "My Girl" which pointlessly put the track to a disco beat. By this point, Solar was crafting its own sound. The biggest hit here is "And the Beat Goes On." A brilliant mix of disco's enthusiasm and synth-derived flash, it's proof that The Whispers got to the 80's faster than any of their contemporaries.

The Leon Sylvers-produced "Out The Box" is almost as good. Although the group is known for its dance tracks, they had equal success with ballads. The neoclassic "Lady", written by group member Nicholas Caldwell, features a smooth vocal from Wallace Scotty Scott. The last track, "Welcome Into My Dream", with its romantic arrangement, stays this side of smarmy and acquitted by the sedulous guitar fills and the well-intended vocals. "The Whispers" is a great album and it more than set the standard for their subsequent work.