The Main Ingredient

Biography

The Main Ingredient was an American soul and R&B group which had a run of hits in the 1970s, including their 1972 million-selling song "Everybody Plays the Fool".

Early history

The group was formed in Harlem, New York City in 1964 as a trio called the Poets, composed of lead singer Donald McPherson (July 9, 1941 – July 3, 1971), Luther Simmons Jr. (September 9, 1942 – May 9, 2016), and Panama-born Tony Silvester (October 7, 1941 – November 26, 2006). They made their first recordings for Leiber & Stoller's Red Bird label, but soon changed their name to the Insiders and signed with RCA Records. In 1968, after a couple of singles, they changed their name once again, this time permanently, to The Main Ingredient. The name came from a Coca-Cola bottle.
They then teamed up with record producer/arranger Bert DeCoteaux. Under his direction, The Main Ingredient reached the R&B Top 30 for the first time in 1970 with "You've Been My Inspiration". A cover of The Impressions' "I'm So Proud" broke the Top 20, and "Spinning Around (I Must Be Falling in Love)" went into the Top 10. In 1971, they scored again, with the McPherson-penned black-power anthem "Black Seeds Keep on Growing," but tragedy struck that year. Don McPherson, who had been suddenly taken ill with leukemia, died unexpectedly on July 3, 1971, at age 29. Stunned, Tony Silvester and Luther Simmons re-grouped with new lead singer Cuba Gooding Sr., who had served as a backing vocalist on some of their previous recordings, and had filled in on tour during McPherson's brief illness.
The Gooding era began auspiciously with the million-selling smash "Everybody Plays the Fool", which hit number two R&B and number three pop to become the group's biggest hit. It sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in September 1972. The accompanying album, Bitter Sweet×Bitter Sweet1972 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Travelling2:592Where Are You3:153You've Got to Take It (If You Want)3:284Everybody Plays the Fool3:235Whirl-Wind3:246Fly Baby Fly3:237I Can't See Me Without You3:468Where Do Broken Hearted Lovers Go?2:539Who Can I Turn To?4:4810No Tears3:57, became their first to hit the Top 10 on the R&B albums chart; its follow-up, 1973's Afrodisiac×Afrodisiac1973 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracksA1SuperwomanA2Where Were You When I Needed YouA3I Am YoursA4Work to Do3:17A5Girl BlueB1You Can Call Me RoverB2Something 'Bout LoveB3Love of My LifeB4Something LovelyB5Goodbye My Love, featured several songs written or co-written by Stevie Wonder, although it did not produce any huge successes on the singles charts. They peaked at number eight on the R&B chart in 1974 with "Just Don't Want to Be Lonely", which sold over a million copies,
and also reached number ten on the Billboard Hot 100. The track peaked at number twenty-seven in the UK Singles Chart in July 1974, although it was their only chart presence in the UK. In 1975, the group recorded several songs co-written by Leon Ware, including the R&B Top Ten "Rolling Down a Mountainside×Rolling Down a Mountainside1975 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracks1Rolling Down a Mountainside4:352Of This I'm Sure3:353The Good Old Days3:584I Want to Make You Glad5:475Thanks for the Laughs4:006You & Me - Me & You3:017Family Man3:288A Broken Heart Don't Really Break3:099That Ain't My Style4:11". By this point, however, Tony Silvester was harboring other ambitions; he released a solo album called Magic Touch that year, and left the group to form a production team with DeCoteaux. The two of them scored a Top 10 Pop and R&B smash with their production of Ben E. King's hit "Supernatural Thing" in 1975.
In 1975 they were the opening act for The Jackson 5 at the Theatre at Westbury (known as The Westbury Music Fair at that time) on Long Island, New York, for the six shows from August 26 until 31. The Doobie Brothers were originally scheduled to perform, it's unknown why this change was made.

Later years

Silvester was replaced by Carl Tompkins, and Gooding departed for a solo career on Motown in 1977, which produced two albums; Simmons, meanwhile, left the music industry to work as a stockbroker. Gooding, Silvester and Simmons reunited as the Main Ingredient in 1979, and recorded two more albums, 1980's Ready for Love×Ready for Love19 August 1980 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracksA1Think Positive5:28A2Ready for Love5:20A3Evil Ways4:44A4What Can a Miracle Do4:53B1Catchin' the Fever3:58B2With You4:41B3Spoiled3:49B4Makes No Difference to Me7:44 and 1981's I Only Have Eyes for You×I Only Have Eyes for You29 October 1981 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracksA1Evening of Love6:43A2I Only Have Eyes for You3:50A3Party People5:15A4Rediscover Me4:20B1Save Me4:20B2Just Once5:10B3Only4:10B4All Because of You4:05B5Rediscover Me (reprise)1:00 (the latter featured a minor hit in "Evening of Love"). The trio reunited for a second time in 1986, but their Zakia single "Do Me Right" flopped, and Simmons returned to his day job. He was replaced by Jerome Jackson on the 1989 Polydor album I Just Wanna Love You×I Just Wanna Love You1989 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracks1I Just Wanna Love You4:352Surrender4:473Nothing's Too Good For My Baby5:034Never Give Up On Love3:505Just Say You Will4:256When We Need It Bad4:257Meant To Be In Love3:178I Can't Go For That4:39. In the wake of Aaron Neville's Top Ten revival of "Everybody Plays the Fool", Gooding resumed his solo career and issued his third album in 1993. Silvester and Simmons re-formed the Main Ingredient in 1999 with new lead singer Carlton Blount; this line-up recorded Pure Magic in 2001.
Tony Silvester died after a six-year struggle with multiple myeloma on November 26, 2006, at the age of 65, and original member Luther Simmons retired shortly thereafter. Simmons died on May 9, 2016, at the age of 74. Cuba Gooding Sr. was found dead in his car on April 20, 2017.
The final line-up of the group consisted of Jerome Jackson and Stanley Alston. On August 13, 2020, Alston died from ALS in his hometown of Palm Coast, Florida, at the age of 66.

Singles

A Single credited to The Poets
B Single credited to The Insiders