The Persuasions

The Persuasions are an A cappella group which began singing together in Brooklyn, New York in the early 1960s. The group is known for its interpretations of both secular and non-secular music and has covered a wide range of musical genres.

The five original members are lead singer, arranger and producer Jerry Lawson, Jesse "Sweet Joe" Russell, Jayotis Washington, Herbert "Toubo" Rhoad, and bassman Jimmy "Bro" Hayes.^{[citation needed]}

The Persuasions can be categorized as an a cappella group which has covered gospel and popular music of each decade in which they performed and recorded. They have covered artists as varied as Frank Zappa, The Grateful Dead, Roy Hamilton, Jerry Butler, Sam Cooke, and Elvis Presley, and toured, performed, and recorded with Joni Mitchell, Liza Minelli, The Grateful Dead, and Ray Charles.^{[citation needed]} In addition to their own recordings, they have appeared on albums by artists such as Joni Mitchell, Don McLean, and Paul Pena, and their version of "Papa Oom Mow Mow" appears on the soundtrack of Steven Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.

Frank Zappa was responsible for The Persuasions' first LP, Acappella.^{[citation needed]} He heard The Persuasions singing over the phone from a New Jersey record shop known as Stan's Square Records. The store's owner, Stan Krause, was the groups manager at the time. Prior to that time, The Persuasions had recorded several a cappella tracks for Krause's legendary doo-wop/acapella label Catamount Records. Zappa had a great appreciation for Soul and Street corner style singing and immediately after hearing them flew the group to Los Angeles to record their first album. Thirty years later Zappa fan Rip Rense supervised and encouraged the group in the creation of a Persuasions tribute CD to Zappa, Frankly A Cappella on Earthbeat Records.

The Persuasions later recorded tribute albums consisting of material by the Grateful Dead (Might as Well), the Beatles (The Persuasions sing the Beatles), and U2 (The Persuasions Sing U2). Their constant eclectic choice of material, as well as the clever, unique direction of their arrangements, have been hallmarks of their live work and recordings since their earliest days.

Toubo Rhoad, one of the original members, died in 1988. Lawson left the group in 2003. He left to pursue a career working with developmentally disabled adults, and later decided to pursue a singing career independent of the group.^{[citation needed]} In 2007 he released his first post-Persuasions a cappella CD with his new group Jerry Lawson and Talk of The Town.[1] Lawson considers this the masterpiece of his a cappella career. In December 2010, Jerry Lawson and Talk of The Town became contestants on Series 2 of The Sing-Off.

Groups as varied as Take 6, Rockapella, The Nylons and Boyz II Men cite The Persuasions as major influences.

The current group members (as of 2010) consist of three original Persuasions: Joe Russell, Jimmy Hayes, and Jayotis Washington, rounded out by newer members Dave Revels (2009) and Ray Sanders (since 1996). Willie C. Daniels also performed with the group for a number of years. Dave Revels joined the group officially in 2009 and has since taken over the role of arranger and producer for the group's recordings. He arranged the U2 CD on Chesky records and their latest CD on ZOHO Label, "Knockin' On Bob's Door," the music of Bob Dylan, to be released in November of 2010. Long time contributor on many of the group's recording "B.J." Jones still performs and records with the group. Reggie Moore and Gil Torres are among the vocalists who have filled in since Lawson went solo.^{[citation needed]} Russel, Hayes, and Washington appeared with Ray Charles in Blue's Big Musical Movie (2000).

Influences

Jerry Lawson seems to have taken much of his inspiration from the songs of Sam Cooke, David Ruffin, Jackie Wilson, Jerry Butler, Roy Hamilton, Al Hibbler, and Brook Benton; "Sweet Joe" Russell from Jackie Wilson. Excellent examples of The Persuasions's versions of songs by these two Soul Music pioneers can be found on We Came to Play and Chirpin', two albums considered by many to be among their best.^{[citation needed]}

However, in the liner notes to the 2003 album A Cappella Dreams, they reveal their influences to be quite different from what has often assumed to be the case:

Sweet Joe Russell references the Dixie Hummingbirds, the Mighty Clouds of Joy, the Soul Stirrers, and "all those gospel greats."
Jimmy Hayes speaks of Jimmy Ricks [spelled "Rix" in the notes] and Melvin Franklin.
Jayotis Washington focuses his attention on Louis Jordan.
Ray Sanders thanks all of the Temptations for his influences.
Jerry Lawson cites Roy Hamilton, Sam Cooke, Al Hibbler, Brook Benton and Elvis Presley as his mentors, adding, "Believe it or not, Elvis was a big influence. I thought he was...a fine singer, and I think we do him pretty good."

Discography

Albums

Acappella (1970; Reprise/Straight [CD issue: Enigma Retro; CD reissue: Collectables])
We Came To Play (1971; Capitol [CD issue: Collectables])
Street Corner Symphony (1971; Capitol [CD issue: Collectables])
Spread The Word (1972; Capitol [CD issue: Collectables])
We Still Ain't Got No Band (1973; MCA [not yet issued on CD])
I Just Want To Sing With My Friends (1974; A&M [not yet issued on CD])
More Than Before (1974; A&M [not yet issued on CD])
Chirpin' (1977; Elektra)
Comin' At Ya (1979; Rounder/Flying Fish)
No Frills (1984; Rounder)
Stardust (1987 [recorded 1969]; Catamount [CD issue: Relic])
Good News (1988; Rounder)
Live In The Whispering Gallery (1993; Hammer n' Nails)
Toúbo's Song (1993; Hammer n' Nails)
Ships at Sea, Sailors and Shoes [with Ned Sublette & Lawrence Weiner] (1993; Qbadisc/Excellent)
Right Around The Corner (1994; Rounder/Bullseye Blues)
Sincerely (1996; Rounder/Bullseye Blues)
You're All I Want For Christmas (1997; Rounder/Bullseye Blues)
Man, Oh Man: The Power of The Persuasions (1997; EMI [1970-72 Capitol masters compilation])
On The Good Ship Lollipop (1999; Rhino/Kid Rhino/Music for Little People)
Frankly A Cappella: The Persuasions Sing Zappa (2000; Rhino/EarthBeat)
Might As Well...The Persuasions Sing Grateful Dead (2000; Arista/Grateful Dead)
Sunday Morning Soul (2000; Rounder/Bullseye Blues Basics)
The Persuasions Sing The Beatles (2002; Chesky)
A Cappella Dreams (2003; Chesky)
The Persuasions Sing U2 [their first release without Lawson] (2005; Chesky)
Collectables Classics (2006; Collectables [Box set containing all 1971, 1972, & 1977 releases])
Essential Recordings: A Cappella Soul (2008; Rounder [1979-86 Rounder/Flying Fish/Bullseye Blues compilation])

Jerry Lawson has also released recordings since his departure from the group; details of those recordings can be found on his Wikipedia page.

Non-album singles

"Party in the Woods"/"It's Better to Have Loved and Lost" [1968; Minit]
"One Thing on My Mind"/"Darlin'" [1975; A&M]

The following various-artists recordings contain otherwise-unissued Persuasions recordings:

Various Artists: Bread & Roses: Festival of Acoustic Music (1979; Fantasy)
Various Artists: Spike & Co. Do It A Cappella [soundtrack] (1990; Elektra)
Ned Sublette & Lawrence Weiner (with Kim Weston, Junior Mance, et al.): Monsters from the Deep (1997; Qbadisc/Excellent)

External links