He's a Friend

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He's a Friend
Front cover of "He's a Friend", Eddie Kendricks album, Tamla, 1976.jpeg
Studio album by
Eddie Kendricks
ReleasedFebruary 1976
Recorded1975 - 1976
StudioSigma Sound Studios, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
GenreSoul
LabelTamla Records
ProducerNorman Harris
Eddie Kendricks chronology
The Hit Man
(1975) 		He's a Friend
(1976) 		Goin' Up In Smoke
(1976)

He's a Friend is the seventh album by former Temptations vocalist Eddie Kendricks. It was released in February 1976 on the Tamla imprint of Motown Records.

Reception[]

This album was totally embraced by the black and gay underground clubs as a complete entity. The lead and album title single, "He's a Friend", merged the classic Motown sound with T.S.O.P., the Sound of Philadelphia, courtesy of Norman Harris and several Philly sessions players. That first single was rotated like a #1 record at these clubs. Along with that, "Get it While It's Hot", "I Won't Take No" and even the ballad "Part of Me" was spun when clubs would play one or two downtempo tracks at the close of an evening. This diverse club play made "He's a Friend" an underground club classic.

"He's a Friend" fell one step away from securing another #1 R&B single for Eddie, stopping at #2 behind "Disco Lady" by Johnnie Taylor. Eddie had an impressive 9 Top 10 hits (10 if The Temptations reunion single, "Standing on the Top" counted, since the song was recorded when he was a solo artist). Two more singles, like the smash "Girl You Need A Change Of Mind" also made the Top 20.

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic4/5 stars [1]

Track listing[]

  1. "He's a Friend" (Allan Felder, Bruce Gray, T.G. Conway) 4:36
  2. "A Part of Me" (Allan Felder, Norman Harris, Ron Tyson aka "Tyron Presson") 3:16
  3. "I Won't Take No" (Allan Felder, Norman Harris, Ron Tyson aka "Tyron Presson") 2:55
  4. "Never Gonna Leave You" (Allan Felder, Bruce Gray, T.G. Conway) 4:08
  5. "Get It While It's Hot" (Mike Holden, Theodore Life) 3:09
  6. "Chains" (Allan Felder, Bunny Sigler, Norman Harris, Ron Tyson) 3:23
  7. "The Sweeter You Treat Her" (Buddy Turner, Jerry Akines, Johnny Bellmon, Victor Drayton) 4:53
  8. "It's Not What You Got" (Allan Felder, T.G. Conway) 4:07
  9. "On My Way Home" (Buddy Turner, Jerry Akines, Johnny Bellmon, Victor Drayton) 3:49
  10. "All of My Love" (Allan Felder, Bruce Gray) 2:46

Personnel[]

  • Eddie Kendricks - lead and backing vocals
  • Norman Harris - guitar
  • Vincent Montana Jr. - vibraphone
  • Bruce Gray - keyboards, backing vocals
  • Michael "Sugar Bear" Foreman, Ron Baker - bass
  • Charles Collins, Earl "The Pearl" Young - drums
  • Bobby Eli, T.J. Tindall - Guitar
  • Carlton Kent, Ron "Have Mercy" Kersey, T. G. Conway - keyboards
  • Larry Washington - congas
  • Don Renaldo - horns, strings
  • Barbara Ingram, Bruce Hawes, Carl Helm, Carla Benson, Darryl Grant, Evette Benton - backing vocals
  • Allan Felder - vocal arrangements, percussion, backing vocals
  • Norman Harris, Vincent Montana, Jr., T.G. Conway, Ron "Have Mercy" Tyson - arrangements

Charts[]

Year Album Chart positions[2]
US US
R&B
1976 He's A Friend 38 3

Singles[]

Year Single Chart positions[3]
US US
R&B 		US
Dance
1976 "Chains" — — 3
"Get It While It's Hot" — 24 3
"He's A Friend" 36 2 15
"It's Not What You Got" — — 2

References[]

  1. ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/r42185/review
  2. ^ "Eddie Kendricks US albums chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-07-23.
  3. ^ "Eddie Kendricks US singles chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-07-23.

External links[]

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