THE SYLVERS :: SOMETHING SPECIAL :: VINYYLI LP 1976

                                                         THE SYLVERS  ..  SOMETHING SPECIAL

                                                                    ORIGINAL ..  Printed  In  U.S.A.

.. ST-11580     

To some, the Jackson 5 may be remembered simply as the starting point of Michael Jackson’s career and the band behind a few great hits, but not much more. Some might cherish a few of their albums a bit more but few consider what I regard as the most important feature of their legacy, that is the epidemic of family bands lead by young singers that arose seemingly immediately following the Jackson 5?s huge success. Every major label tried to cash in on their popularity and get the same pay off that Motown was getting from the group. Unlike most young musicians today, back then, under the supervision of great producers and with some fine arranging and instrumentation, teenagers in the soul world were performing up to the standard of some of their older peers. Of course not all of these young family bands were great, the DeFranco Family (who signed with 20th Century Fox) are a good example of what seemed to be a label just recruiting a family that had very little talent and seeing if they would fly. The formula, too, did not always mean success. For example, there was one very good group called 21st Century who released only one album, “Ahead Of Our Time” on RCA and soon after dismantled, forgotten by all but a few. Likely the best group spawned as a result of the Jackson phenomenon, and perhaps the group most similar to them was the Sylvers. In their case, it was MGM/Pride who took a chance on them, and later Capitol.
1976?s “Something Special,”  taking a slight turn toward disco, the group continued to be one of the best young soul groups around.

The Sylvers’ Michel Jackson, meaning their lead singer, was Edmund Sylvers. With a much more matured voice than Michel, at the age of 18 there was less novelty surrounding the act. Foster Sylvers, the youngest member provides most of the high pitched vocals you’ll hear on “Something Special.” The novelty of the group really lies in the fact that all nine members (only eight for this album) were actually siblings. To tell the truth, the group would have sufficed with a smaller selection of the siblings. They certainly aren’t singing eight part harmonies on this album, and only a few of the siblings actually know how to play any instruments. Aside from Leon III who played bass and produced some of their work, the others did little more than sing occasional background vocals to Edmund. Leon was the group’s MVP in my book for his production and songwriting, talents which got him noticed and put to use by big names, especially in disco, such as Shalamar, The Whispers and Lakeside, to name a few. We was in some ways a real pioneer in disco. He was by no means doing anything earth shattering with his rather simple lyrics, but characteristics of his songwriting would soon become, seen on “Something Special,” would soon become the norm for the genre.

The Sylvers were always able to pull together and make great soul albums.

A lot of the Sylvers’ longevity, and the appreciation that exists for them today is due to the fact that they are reliable sources for sampling producers and their albums are very sought after by record collectors. Sometimes these peoples’ views are skewed into believing something is good if it has a break or is very suitable for sampling, but in the case of the Sylvers, the appreciation is well deserved. 

“Something Special” has a few segments that could be transformed into a hip hop song, but more so, the album is enjoyable because it actually is high in quality.

The Sylvers were much more than a group of singing siblings. They were a gifted ensemble, clearly, as seen on “Something Special,” capable of crafting fine albums.

the sylvers

Formed 1971, Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.A.

The Sylvers comprised of:

Olympia-Ann Sylvers (b. 13th October 1951)

Leon Frank Sylvers III (b. 7th March 1943)

Christopher Joseph Sylvers (b. 10th August 1966 d. 18th June 1985)

Charmaine Elaine Sylvers (b. 9th March 1954)

James Jonathan Sylvers (b. 8th June 1955)

Edmund Theodore Sylvers (b. 25th January 1957, d. 11th March 2004, Richmond, Virginia, U.S.A.)

Joseph Richard 'Ricky' Sylvers (b. 13th October 1958)

Angela 'Angie' Sylvers (b. 11th April)

Patricia 'Pat' Lynn Sylvers (a.k.a Mrs Lorne Joseph DeRuso b. 25th March 1961)

and Foster Emerson Sylvers (b. 25th February 1962).

The group comprised of ten brothers and sisters.

The four eldest Sylvers, Olympia-Ann, Leon Frank III, Charmaine and James, were originally called the Little Angels.

Their mother was a former opera singer.

The group toured the United States and Europe as the opening act for Johnny Mathis and Ray Charles.

                       edmund sylvers

                A  MILLION  TIMES  BETTER  THAN  JACKSON 5   ...   

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