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Industry News
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Ray, Goodman & Brown / The Moments / Ray Goodman & Brown
The performing longevity is remarkable, but check the singles this group, formerly THE MOMENTS has collected. Ever since 1969's "Not On The Outside But Inside Strong", they have charted consistently with classics like "Look At Me, I'm In Love", "Love On A Two Way Street", covered by (Stacy Lattisaw) , "With You", "Happy Anniversary", and "Special Lady", one of A.S.C.A.P.'s most performed songs of 1980. More are on the way via their new LP, "Take It To The Limit", The album is a reaffirmation by one of the great vocal group--the lead and background voices still caress and console, resonating effortlessly outside the senses. Like a good massage they're universally therapeutic. Warm in a non threatening way, they have the ability to hit a fellas's soft spot and to make women feel comfortable. On a signature ballad like "We've Got Tonight" for example, Billy Brown's flexible tenor can easily catch a female off guard, making her easy prey for the "let's-get-it-on'" lyric. The other totally modern, totally RAY, GOODMAN, & BROWN tracks are seductive too. The start of a new chapter in their career, they combine more soul than ever with sequencers. In the beginning, Al Goodman and Billy Brown were in an outfit called the Broadways, Harry Ray fronted the Establishments. The latter reigned over Long Branch, New Jersey, while the former dominated nearby Asbury Park, New Jersey. "Though we competed against each other from time to time, we were all friends," says Ray. So when the Broadways--who signed to Sugarhill Records and renamed the Moments--lost their third member, he was called upon to be a three-week replacement. Laughing, Ray calls his tenure "a long three weeks." But between 1982 and 1984, Harry Ray went on his own. These were the wonder years, as Harry, Al, and Billy wondered what would become of them. Ray didn't establish himself as a solo act, and his replacement in the group couldn't recreate the smooth magic of the Moments. Trendiness ruled, and the hits stopped. Their careers in disarray, Harry soon rejoined his childhood buddies. Together they took to the stages of Europe and the Far East, striking a familiar chord with a mixture of comedy and synchronized showmanship. Meanwhile, the old tunes were being resurrected at basement jams. Like young Frankensteins, street kids breathed new life into the same songs their parents and older siblings may have fallen in love with. Knowing they would conquer entire dynasties in one shot, Hush Productions initiated the formal reformation of the original RAY, GOODMAN & BROWN and signed them with EMI America. Calling on the producing talents of William Rhinehart, Rahni Harris, and Al Goodman, RAY, GOODMAN, & BROWN have merged with another multi format/multi-generational masterpiece that will undoubtedly lock up more hearts.
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