Michael (the Lover)
Encyclopedia
"Michael"Sometimes written "Michael the Lover" or simply "Michael" (on the original C.O.D.'s single release). is a soul
song originally performed by American
Chicago soul
group the C.O.D.'s.
The song was written by the group's lead singer Larry BrownleeBut credited to Brownlee, Lewis, and Washington on an Emase Records single. who was murdered in 1978. It was released as a single
on Kellmac Records in the United States and Stateside in the United Kingdom and made it to number 5 on the Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles chart in 1965. The song was produced by Leon Singleton and arranged by Pete Matthews.
The song was later remade by the Mad Lads
, appearing on their 1966 album The Mad Lads In Action (Volt 414), and by the Northern soul
Geno Washington & the Ram Jam Band
(Piccadilly 7N 35359). Washington's version reached #39 on the UK charts. The 1980 song "Geno
", a tribute to Washington and his band, notes "You were Michael the lover, the fighter that won".
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
song originally performed by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Chicago soul
Chicago soul
Chicago soul is a style of soul music that arose during the 1960s in Chicago. Along with Detroit, the home of Motown, and Memphis, with its hard-edged, gritty performers , Chicago and the Chicago soul style helped spur the album-oriented soul revolution of the early 1970s.The sound of Chicago...
group the C.O.D.'s.
The song was written by the group's lead singer Larry BrownleeBut credited to Brownlee, Lewis, and Washington on an Emase Records single. who was murdered in 1978. It was released as a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
on Kellmac Records in the United States and Stateside in the United Kingdom and made it to number 5 on the Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles chart in 1965. The song was produced by Leon Singleton and arranged by Pete Matthews.
The song was later remade by the Mad Lads
The Mad Lads
The Mad Lads were an American rhythm and blues vocal group, who recorded on the Stax subsidiary label Volt in the 1960s. Their biggest hits were "Don't Have To Shop Around" and "I Want Someone" .-Career:...
, appearing on their 1966 album The Mad Lads In Action (Volt 414), and by the Northern soul
Northern soul
Northern soul is a music and dance movement that emerged from the British mod scene, initially in northern England in the late 1960s. Northern soul mainly consists of a particular style of black American soul music based on the heavy beat and fast tempo of the mid-1960s Tamla Motown sound...
Geno Washington & the Ram Jam Band
Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band
Geno Washington & the Ram Jam Band were an English based soul band, active from 1965 to 1968.-Career:The Ram Jam Band were formed around 1964 and evolved out of a group called Les Blues who were formed to rival an English group with a Black American singer called Milton And The Continentals...
(Piccadilly 7N 35359). Washington's version reached #39 on the UK charts. The 1980 song "Geno
Geno (song)
"Geno" is a song by Dexys Midnight Runners which reached #1 on the UK singles chart for two weeks in May 1980. Written by Kevin 'Al' Archer and Kevin Rowland, it was band's second single and their first number one...
", a tribute to Washington and his band, notes "You were Michael the lover, the fighter that won".