An Album/Song A Week: "And The Beat Goes On" - Whispers

The fall of 1979 was my first year in High School.  We didn't have year round schools back then in our County.  Summer vacation started the first Friday in June and school resumed the day after Labor Day.  My high school had more African-Americans than any previous school I attended.  It turned out to be an eye-opener both socially and culturally.  I heard music that I knew existed, because of my Billboard subscription, but didn't hear very much.  There were no local R&B radio stations on my AM/FM dial.  To hear the R&B hits, I had to search for stations 2 or 3 hours away.  But I always knew what was topping the R&B charts.  In the Spring of 1980, my school held a pep rally in the gym.  There were speeches, cheerleader dances and then one moment that was a revelation.  During a student dance segment, the song that started to play was the Whispers' "And the Beat Goes On".  From the start everyone knew the song.  The kids got up and danced in stands.  This was one of the first times I realized how important music plays in our lives.  A couple years back in Junior High, we had a talent show.  A girl sang Natalie Cole's "I've Got Love On My Mind",  and the crowd almost reacted the same way.

The Whispers, led by twin brothers Walter and Wallace Scott, had a long, R&B chart-filled career.  Their big decades were the 70's/80's.  They had numerous R&B hits, but were not big crossover stars.  Finally, in 1980 they broke through on the Pop charts with the #19, "And The Beat Goes On".  It was also their biggest R&B hit.  They would manage 3 more Pop hits, the best being 1987's "Rock Steady", which peaked at #7 (#1 R&B).  They should have had more crossover hits, but Pop radio was reluctant to play R&B chart-toppers in the late 70's/early 80's.  "And the Beat Goes On" is a shiny, bright sounding R&B gem that typified Solar (Sound of Las Angeles) Records output in the 70's/80's. Their biggest act on the label were Shalamar.  It's an underrated label that also had Lakeside and Midnight Star.  But the Whispers had the labels first big hit. 

I can't hear this song today without thinking of my first year in High School.  I've been around big crowds since 1980 where everyone is singing and enjoying whatever song is playing (this happened at many sporting events).  But nothing like that initial rush that occured in the spring of 1980.