Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame Historical Archive

From The Turnpikes To The Top – The Story of
TAVARES
Rhode Island’s First Family Of Soul

INTRODUCTION

The story of Tavares is the inspirational tale of a band of young brothers bound not only by blood, prodigious talent, and a rich musical legacy, but by a fierce determination to succeed in the music business. For more than two decades, the Tavares brothers were in the thick of it with the best and biggest of them. Along the way, they managed to place 8 singles onto the Billboard Top 40, 12 singles on the R&B Top 10 chart (including three #1 records), 3 Dance Chart hits (1 at #3 and 2 at #1), 10 hit albums, and won a Grammy for their work on the soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever, one of the best-selling albums of all time (recently certified at 15 times Platinum). Tavares toured the world in tandem with their peers and as headliners and performed dozens of times on television guesting on every major variety, talk and music program of the 1970s and 1980s.

Not bad for “…a bunch of snot-nosed kids from Rhode Island”, as Tiny Tavares put it in an interview with The Providence Journal on the eve of their induction into the Cape Verdean Heritage Hall Of Fame in 2006.

And this is where the story begins – in Providence, Rhode Island. Although most resources refer to Tavares as a New Bedford, Massachusetts band and it is well known that the family lived with relatives in southeastern, Massachusetts at different times, it is equally well known that they spent most of their early years in the Fox Point and South Providence neighborhoods of Providence. Their family’s musical endeavors were based out of Fox Point and Tiny speaks with great fondness of his musical education at the Roger Williams Middle School in South Providence. One of the earliest known photos of the group shows six boys, all dressed in matching Fox Point Boys Club t-shirts. And so, for the purposes of this Rhode Island Music Hall Of Fame Archive entry, we proudly claim Tavares as our own.

- Rick Bellaire, April, 2011

FULL BIOGRAPHY COMING SOON

In the meantime, we suggest you visit the Tavares family’s official websites:

TAVARES
http://www.tavaresbrothers.com/

TINY TAVARES
http://www.tavares2001.com/

and the website for the Cape Verdean Heritage Hall Of Fame which has stories not only about the group, but about their biggest musical influences: their dad, Feliciano “Flash” Tavares and their aunt, Vickie Tavares Vieira:

http://www.capeverdeanmuseum.org/2006halloffame.html

Although most Tavares releases have gone out of print, all of their original records and CD reissues are easy to find (and generally affordable) on collectors sites such as eBay, GEMM and MusicStack. The bulk of their output is also available for download on the larger sites such as iTunes and Rhapsody. If you’re looking for a place to start, we recommend:

The Best Of Tavares (EMI/Capitol Gold 93802)
One CD with 15 of their biggest Capitol tracks, an expansion of the “Best of” LP

Tavares: Anthology (Capitol/Right Stuff 93745)
Two CDs at a budget price with ALL the hits plus many album tracks

THE TAVARES DISCOGRAPHY: Original Releases
by Rick Bellaire

Singles/45s
CHUBBY AND THE TURNPIKES
1968
I Know The Inside Story b/w I Didn’t Try (Capitol 5840)

 

THE TURNPIKES
1969
Cast A Spell b/w Nothing But Promises (Capitol 2234)

TAVARES
1973
The Judgement Day b/w Check It Out (Capitol 3674)
Non-album A-Side

 

 

1974
That’s The Sound that Lonely Makes b/w Little Girl (Capitol 3794)
Too Late b/w Leave It Up To The Lady (Capitol 3882)

She’s Gone b/w To Love You (Capitol 3957)
Remember What I Told You To Forget b/w My Ship (Capitol 4010)

1975
It Only Takes A Minute b/w I Hope She Chooses Me (Capitol 4111)
Free Ride b/w In the Eyes Of Love (Capitol 4184)

1976
The Love I Never Had b/w In The City (Capitol 4221)
Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel Part 1 b/w Part 2 (Capitol 4270)

Don’t Take Away The Music b/w Guiding Star (Capitol 4348)

1977
Whodunit b/w Fool Of the Year (Capitol 4398)
Goodnight My Love b/w Watchin’ The Woman’s Movement (Capitol 4453)
More Than A Woman b/w We’re Both Ready For Love (Capitol 4500)

1978
The Ghost Of Love Part 1 b/w Part 2 (Capitol 4544)

Timber b/w Feel So Good (Capitol 4583)
Never Had A Love Like This Before b/w Positive Forces (Capitol 4658)

1979
Straight From The Heart b/w Let Me Heal The Bruises (Capitol 4703)
Bad Times b/w Got To Have Your Love (Capitol 4811)

1980
I Can’t Go On Living Without You b/w Why Can’t We Fall In Love (Capitol 4846)
I Don’t Want You Anymore b/w Paradise (Capitol 4880)
Love Uprising b/w Hot Love (Capitol 4933)

1981
Break Down For Love b/w Loneliness (Capitol 4969)
Turn Out The Nightlight b/w House Of Music (Capitol 5019)
Loveline b/w Right On Time (Capitol 5043)

1982
A Penny For Your Thoughts b/w The Skin You’re In (RCA 13292)
Got To Find My Way Back To You
b/w Hope You’ll Be Very Unhappy Without Me (RCA 13433)

1983
Deeper In Love b/w I Really Miss You Baby (RCA 13611)
Words And Music b/w Us And Love, We Go Together (RCA 13684)

EPs/12″ Dance Singles
1975
It Only Takes A Minute (Capitol DISCO-8171)

1976
Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel (Capitol DISCO-8382)
Don’t Take Away The Music (Capitol DISCO-8500)

Albums/LPs
1974
Check It Out (Capitol ST-11258)

If That’s the Way You Want It
Strangers in Dark Corners
That’s the Sound That Lonely Makes
Check It Out*
Wish You Were With Me Mary
I’ll Never Say Never Again
Little Girl
Let’s Make the Best of What We Got
I’m in Love
Mama’s Little Girl
Produced by Johnny Bristol, Robert Bowles*

2 – Hard Core Poetry (Capitol ST-11316)

Someone To Go Home To
She’s Gone
My Ship
Leave It Up To The Lady
To Love You
Too Late
Remember What I Told You To Forget
What You Don’t Know
Hard Core Poetry
Produced by Dennis Lambert & Brian Potter

1975
In The City (Capitol ST-11396)

It Only Takes A Minute
Fool’s Hall Of Fame
The Love I Never Had
Nothing You Can Do
In The Eyes Of Love
Ready, Willing And Able
We Fit To A Tee
Free Ride
I Hope She Chooses Me
In The City
Produced by Dennis Lambert & Brian Potter

1976
Sky High! (Capitol ST-11533)

The Mighty Power Of Love
Ridin’ High
To The Other Man
Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel
Bein’ With You
Wonderful
Guiding Star
Don’t Take Away The Music
Produced by Freddie Perren

1977
5 – Love Storm (Capitol ST-11628)

Whodunit
Keep In Touch
I Wanna See You Soon
Fool Of The Year
Watchin’ The Woman’s Movement
One Step Away
Out Of The Picture
The Goung Ups & The Coming Downs
Goodnight My Love, Pleasant Dreams
Produced by Freddie Perren

Saturday Night Fever: Original Movie Sound Track (RSO 2658-123)

includes one track by Tavares
More Than A Woman
Produced by Freddie Perren

The Best Of Tavares (Capitol ST-11701)

Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel
She’s Gone
Mighty Power Of Love
Check It Out
One Step Away
I Wanna See You Soon
Who Dunit
Bein’ With You
It Only Takes A Minute
The Love I Never Had
My Ship
Don’t Take Away The Music
Various producers

1978
6 – Future Bound (Capitol SW-11719)

The Ghosts Of Love
Timber
We’re Both Ready For Love
All I See Is You
Slow Train To Paradise
Honey Can I
More Than A Woman
Feel So Good
Produced by Freddie Perren

1979
8 – Madam Butterfly (Capitol SW-11874)

Straight From Your Heart
Games, Games
Madam Butterfly
Let Me Heal the Bruises
Never Had a Love Like This Before
One Telephone Call Away
My Love Calls
Positive Forces
I’m Back for More
Produced by Bobby Martin

1980
9 – Supercharged (Capitol ST-12026)

Bad Times
We Both Tried
Can’t Get Enough
Why Can’t We Fall In Love
I Just Can’t Go On Living Without You
I Don’t Want You Anymore
Paradise
Got To Have Your Love
Produced by David Foster, Benjamin Wright, Bobby Colomby

10 – Love Uprising (Capitol ST-12117)

Only One I Need to Love
Break Down for Love
Love Uprising
Loneliness
Knock the Wall Down
Hot Love
Don’t Wanna Say Goodnight
Do You Believe in Love
She Can Wait Forever
In This Lovely World
Life Time Of Love
Produced by Benjamin Wright

1981
Loveline (Capitol 12167)

Keep On
Turn Out The Nightlight
Better Love
God Bless You
Touche
Loveline
Don’t Want To Fool You
House Of Music
Right Back In Your Arms Again
Right On Time
Produced by Alan Abrahams

1982
New Directions (RCA AFL1-4357)

A Penny For Your Thoughts
I Hope You’ll Be Very Unhappy Without Me
Mystery Lady
Abra-Ca-Dabra Love You Too
Got To Find My Way Back To You
Maybe We’ll Fall In Love Again
The Skin You’re In
Wanna Be Close To You
Produced by Freddie Perren, Kenny Nolan

1983
Words And Music (RCA AFL1-4700)

Ten To One
Deeper In Love
Caught Short
(You’re) My All In All
Words And Music
Baby I Want You Back
I Really Miss You Baby
Don’t Play So Hard To Get
Us And Love (We Go Together)
Produced by Leon Sylvers III, Dana Meyers, Wardell Potts Jr., Jay Senter, Kenny Nolan, Rick Wyatt Jr.

SOLO AND RELATED RECORDINGS

VICTOR TAVARES
Singles
1981
Come Into The Heartbeat b/w  First House On The Right (Polydor 12-PRO-151)

So Good b/w Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye (Polydor PD-2174)

1983
Show Me b/w Show Me – Instrumental (Malaco MAL-120010)

1981
Album
Victor Tavares (Polydor LP-2391)

Come Into The Heartbeat
So Good
Going Through The Motions Of Love
Solid Gold
First House On The Right Side
Once You’ve Gone With Your Mind
Good Good Lovin’
Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye
Produced by Benjamin Wright & Feliciano Tavares