Take 6
Take 6 | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Huntsville, Alabama United States |
| Years active | 1987 – Present |
| Members | Alvin Chea Cedric Dent Joey Kibble Mark Kibble Claude V. McKnight III David Thomas |
| Past members | Mervyn Warren |
Take 6 is an influential American a cappella gospel music sextet formed in 1985 on the campus of Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama. Take 6 sings in a contemporary style, integrating R&B and jazz influences into their devotional songs. The group is based primarily in Nashville. All members grew up Seventh-Day Adventist. [citation needed] They won Grammy Awards in 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1998, and 2003. They have collaborated with Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Queen Latifah, Joe Sample, Quincy Jones, Marcus Miller and Gordon Goodwin.
Group Biography
Oakwood College Years
In 1980, Claude McKnight formed an a cappella quartet, The Gentlemen's Estate Quartet, at Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama, where he was a freshman. He auditioned fellow students for the hobby group. The Gentlemen were rehearsing in a campus bathroom, getting ready for a performance, when Mark Kibble walked by and heard them singing. He joined the harmonizing, adding a fifth part, and ended up singing with them onstage that very night. [citation needed] Mark later invited Mervyn Warren to join the group. The group performed under the moniker "Alliance."
The group performed in local churches and on campus over the next years, with members changing due to college's inevitable comings and goings. In 1985, the lower half of the group (bass, baritone, and second tenor) left upon graduating. At that time, Alvin Chea, Cedric Dent, and David Thomas joined.
Recording Group
The group was signed to Warner Brothers in 1987, and quickly changed its name to "Take 6" after a name search revealed that "Alliance" was already being used. Their eponymous debut album, released in 1988, won them two Grammy Awards and resulted in top ten appearances on both the Billboard Contemporary Jazz and Contemporary Christian Charts. Take 6's swinging, harmony-rich gospel sound attracted a flurry of attention, and the group went on to record or appear with a number of luminaries, including Quincy Jones, Ella Fitzgerald and Stevie Wonder.
In 1991 Mervyn Warren left the group to pursue a career as a producer, and Joey Kibble, Mark's younger brother, was invited to round out the vocal lineup. The group added instrumentation to their purely a cappella sound beginning with the record "So Much To Say"; "He Is Christmas," "Join The Band" and "Brothers" continued their streak of success, and Take 6 amassed a total of seven Grammys and eight Dove awards, as well as topping the Downbeat Magazine's Reader's and Critic's poll for seven years' consecutively. [citation needed]
Take 6's 1998 release, "So Cool," brought the group back to its a cappella origins.
The 2006 release "Feels Good" was released on the band's own record label Take 6 Records.
The group currently lists Nashville, Tennessee as its home.[1]
In popular culture
The group appeared on various television entertainment programs as well as high-profile commercials ("Gatorade" with Michael Jordan, as well as others). Hot contemporary R&B groups like Boyz II Men and Coming of Age cite Take 6 as a major influence. [citation needed]
Members
- Alvin Chea (1985-) - bass
- Cedric Dent (1985-) - baritone
- Joey Kibble (1991-) - second tenor
- Kibble married singer Karima Kibble (Trotter) of the gospel group Virtue in August 1997.
- Mark Kibble (1985-) - first tenor.
- Claude V. McKnight III (1985-) - first tenor.
- McKnight's brother is R&B musician Brian McKnight.
- David Thomas (1985-) - second tenor
- Mervyn Warren (1985-1991) -
Discography
Album Releases
| Release date | Album | Label | RIAA certification | Cover Art |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Take 6 | Warner Brothers | Gold - July 11, 1989 Platinum - June 14, 1994 |
|
| 1990 | So Much 2 Say | Warner Brothers | ||
| 1991 | He is Christmas | Warner Brothers | ||
| 1994 | Join the Band | Warner Brothers | Gold - March 6, 1995 | |
| 1995 | Best of Take 6 | Warner Brothers | ||
| 1996 | Brothers | Warner Brothers | ||
| October 27, 1998 | So Cool | Warner Brothers | ||
| October 05, 1999 | We Wish You a Merry Christmas | Warner Brothers | ||
| July 20, 1999 | Greatest Hits | Warner Brothers | ||
| 2000 | Tonight: Live | Warner Brothers | ||
| April 25, 2000 | Best of Take 6 | Warner Brothers | ||
| April 23,2002 | Beautiful World | Warner Brothers | ||
| March 21, 2006 | Feels Good | Take 6 Records |
DVD releases
| Release date | DVD Title | Label | RIAA certification | Cover Art |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Billboard chart history
Albums
| Year | Album/Song | Chart | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Take 6 | Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums | 41 |
| 1989 | Take 6 | Top Contemporary Jazz Albums | 8 |
| 1989 | Take 6 | The Billboard 200 | 71 |
| 1990 | I L-O-V-E U | Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | 19 |
| 1990 | So Much 2 Say | Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums | 22 |
| 1990 | So Much 2 Say | Top Contemporary Jazz Albums | 2 |
| 1990 | So Much 2 Say | The Billboard 200 | 72 |
| 1992 | He Is Christmas | Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums | 84 |
| 1992 | He Is Christmas | The Billboard 200 | 100 |
| 1994 | Join The Band | Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums | 17 |
| 1994 | Join The Band | The Billboard 200 | 86 |
| 1994 | Biggest Part Of Me | Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | 36 |
| 1995 | All I Need (Is A Chance) | Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | 89 |
| 1996 | Brothers | Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums | 71 |
| 1998 | So Cool | Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums | 92 |
| 2006 | Feels Good | Top Independent Albums | 40 |
Awards
Award Wins
| Year | Award-giving body | Award Category | Song /Album Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Grammy Awards | Best Soul Gospel Performance - Duo, Group, Choir or Chorus | Take 6 |
| 1988 | Dove Awards | Contemporary Gospel Album | Take 6 |
| 1988 | Grammy Awards | Best Jazz Vocal Performance - Duo or Group | Spread Love |
| 1988 | Dove Awards | Group of the Year | |
| 1988 | Dove Awards | Contemporary Gospel Song | If We Ever |
| 1988 | Dove Awards | New Artist of the Year | |
| 1989 | Grammy Awards | Best Gospel Performance - Duo, Group, Choir or Chorus | The Savior Is Waiting |
| 1990 | Grammy Awards | Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album | So Much 2 Say |
| 1990 | Dove Awards | Contemporary Gospel Song | I L-O-V-E You |
| 1990 | Dove Awards | Contemporary Gospel Album | So Much 2 Say |
| 1991 | Grammy Awards | Best Jazz Vocal Performance | He Is Christmas |
| 1991 | Dove Awards | Contemporary Gospel Album | He Is Christmas |
| 1992 | Dove Awards | Contemporary Gospel Album | Handel's Messiah: A Soulful Celebration (with Mervyn Warren, George Duke, David Pack, Patti Austin, , Gary Hines, Robert Sadin, Richard Smallwood, The Yellowjackets, and Fred Hammond) |
| 1994 | Grammy Awards | Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album | Join the Band |
| 1994 | Grammy Awards | Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album | Join the Band |
| 1994 | Dove Awards | Contemporary Gospel Album | Join the Band |
| 1996 | Dove Awards | Special Event Album | Tribute: The Songs of Andrae Crouch (with CeCe Winans, Michael W. Smith, Twila Paris, Bryan Duncan, Wayne Watson, The Winans, Clay Crosse, The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, First Call, Andrae Crouch and the All-Star Choir) |
| 1997 | Grammy Awards | Contemporary Soul Gospel Album | Brothers |
| 1997 | Grammy Awards | Contemporary Soul Gospel Album | Brothers |
Award nominations
| Year | Award-giving body | Award Category | Song /Album Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Grammy Awards | Best Soul Gospel Performance - Duo, Group, Choir or Chorus" (Winner) | Take 6 |
| 1988 | Dove Awards | Contemporary Gospel Album (Winner) | Take 6 |
| 1988 | Grammy Awards | New Artist | Take 6 |
| 1988 | Grammy Awards | Best Jazz Vocal Performance - Duo or Group (Winner) | Spread Love |
| 1988 | Dove Awards | Group of the Year (Winner) | |
| 1988 | Dove Awards | Contemporary Gospel Song (Winner) | If We Ever |
| 1988 | Dove Awards | New Artist of the Year (Winner) | |
| 1989 | Grammy Awards | Best Jazz Vocal Performance - Duo or Group | Like the Whole World's Watching |
| 1989 | Grammy Awards | Best Gospel Performance - Duo, Group, Choir or Chorus (Winner) | The Savior Is Waiting |
| 1990 | Grammy Awards | Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album (Winner) | So Much 2 Say |
| 1990 | Dove Awards | Contemporary Gospel Song (Winner) | I L-O-V-E You |
| 1990 | Dove Awards | Contemporary Gospel Album (Winner) | So Much 2 Say |
| 1991 | Grammy Awards | Best Jazz Vocal Performance (Winner) | He Is Christmas |
| 1991 | Dove Awards | Contemporary Gospel Album (Winner) | He Is Christmas |
| 1992 | Dove Awards | Contemporary Gospel Album (Winner) | Handel's Messiah: A Soulful Celebration (with Mervyn Warren, George Duke, David Pack, Patti Austin, , Gary Hines, Robert Sadin, Richard Smallwood, The Yellowjackets, and Fred Hammond) |
| 1992 | Grammy Awards | Best Jazz Vocal Performance | I'm Always Chasing Rainbows |
| 1992 | Grammy Awards | Best Jazz Vocal Performance | I'm Always Chasing Rainbows |
| 1994 | Grammy Awards | Best Rhythm & Blues Vocal Performance - Duo or Group | Biggest Part of Me |
| 1994 | Grammy Awards | Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album (Winner) | Join the Band |
| 1994 | Grammy Awards | Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album (Winner) | Join the Band |
| 1994 | Dove Awards | Contemporary Gospel Album (Winner) | Join the Band |
| 1994 | Grammy Awards | Best Rhythm & Blues Vocal Performance - Duo or Group | Biggest Part of Me |
| 1995 | Grammy Awards | Best Rhythm & Blues Vocal Performance - Duo or Group | All I Need (Is a Chance) |
| 1995 | Grammy Awards | Best Rhythm & Blues Vocal Performance - Duo or Group | All I Need (Is a Chance) |
| 1996 | Dove Awards | Special Event Album (Winner) | Tribute: The Songs of Andrae Crouch (with CeCe Winans, Michael W. Smith, Twila Paris, Bryan Duncan, Wayne Watson, The Winans, Clay Crosse, The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, First Call, Andrae Crouch and the All-Star Choir) |
| 1996 | Grammy Awards | Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocal(s) | When You Wish Upon a Star (various artists) |
| 1996 | Grammy Awards | Pop Vocal Group | When You Wish upon a Star |
| 1996 | Grammy Awards | Pop Vocal Group | When You Wish upon a Star |
| 1996 | Grammy Awards | Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocal(s) | When You Wish Upon a Star (various artists) |
| 1997 | Grammy Awards | R&B Group Vocalist | You Don't Have to Be Afraid |
| 1997 | Grammy Awards | Contemporary Soul Gospel Album (Winner) | Brothers |
| 1997 | Grammy Awards | R&B Group Vocalist | You Don't Have to Be Afraid |
| 1997 | Grammy Awards | Contemporary Soul Gospel Album (Winner) | Brothers |
| 1999 | Grammy Awards | Contemporary Soul Gospel Album | So Cool |
| 1999 | Grammy Awards | Contemporary Soul Gospel Album | So Cool |
| 2002 | Dove Awards | Contemporary Gospel Album of the Year | Beautiful World |
| 2003 | Grammy Awards | Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) | Comes Love (with Gordon Goodwin, Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band, and Brian McKnight) |
| 2004 | Grammy Awards | Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals | Moon River (with Stevie Wonder) |
| 2007 | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Jazz Artist |
Trivia
- Take 6 has 10 Grammy wins, 10 Dove Awards, one Soul Train Award and two NAACP Image Award nominations.
- The group has recently launched Take 6 Records.
See also
External links
- www.take6.com - Official web site
- www.take6.net - Michiko's Take 6 Website
- Official MySpace.com Page
- "Primarily A-capella"
- UrbanWire reports on Take 6 "Spiritual a cappella ecstasy"