Misplaced Pages

#298701

95-530: In 1996, " Don't Let Go (Love) " became the group's third, and most successful single, to reach number two in the US, and became their sixth number one on the US R&;B chart . Scoring more number one singles on the US R&B chart than any other female group other than The Supremes . Robinson left the group in 1997 shortly before the release of their third album EV3 , which reached the US and UK top 10. Jones left

190-406: A Seat" featuring Snoop Dogg as well as Ne-Yo -penned lead single " Rocket ", the latter of which became their first top 10 hit on Billboard ' s Adult R&B Songs chart in over 20 years. In April 2018, En Vogue began the second leg of their European Tour in support of their seventh full-length studio album Electric Café . The same month, the album, their first studio project in 14 years,

285-480: A black animated locomotive with multicolored smoke coming out of its smokestack, and steam coming out of its sides, passing through a city, tunnel, or through outer space around the Earth. The scenery around the train changed as years went on. The Soul Train logo was featured, with a song or instrumental playing throughout. One of the most distinctive parts of the opening was when “Soul Train” was announced, stretching out

380-607: A black audience; the only nationally available show by blacks for blacks at the time was the public television series Soul! When the program moved into syndication, its home base was also shifted to Los Angeles, where it remained for the duration of its run. Soul Train was part of a national trend toward syndicated music-oriented programs targeted at niche audiences; two other network series ( Hee Haw for country music, and The Lawrence Welk Show for traditional music) also entered syndication in 1971 and would go on to have long runs. Though Don Cornelius moved his operations west,

475-555: A cameo appearance in Joel Schumacher 's superhero film Batman Forever . In 1996, En Vogue recorded " Don't Let Go (Love) " for the soundtrack to the motion picture Set It Off . Released as the soundtrack's lead single in the fall 1996, it became the group's biggest hit yet, selling over 1.8 million copies worldwide and becoming certified platinum by the RIAA . In response to the large commercial success of "Don't Let Go (Love),"

570-617: A consortium led by basketball player Magic Johnson and backed by private equity firm InterMedia Partners . The Johnson-InterMedia consortium planned on a potential film project that Cornelius had briefly mentioned prior to selling the franchise, as well as producing potential stage adaptations and a cruise. As part of the sale, Johnson's Aspire TV channel also began airing reruns of the series. Cornelius continued to appear for Soul Train documentaries and ceremonies until his death by suicide in February 2012. In 2013, Centric began presenting

665-626: A cruise-based revival, marketed as Soul Train Cruise . All rights and trademarks to the Soul Train brand including the show's extensive library, the annual cruise event, and the award shows are under the ownership of Paramount Global after its Paramount Media Networks division acquired the franchise in 2016. Some commentators have called Soul Train a "black American Bandstand ", another long-running program with which Soul Train shares some similarities. Cornelius acknowledged Bandstand as

760-404: A deal that was to include two albums and touring. While the trio finished several songs for a new album, including promotional single "I'll Cry Later" which was sent to select urban adult contemporary radio stations on September 26, 2011, the comeback stalled and Jones left the band once more. In August 2012, Jones and Robinson announced that they would potentially record a group album together under

855-464: A diverse roster of collaborators including credits from Babyface , David Foster , Diane Warren , Andrea Martin , and Ivan Matias along with regular contributors Foster and McElroy. Upon its release, EV3 received mixed reviews from critics, many of whom praised the band's vocal performances but were critical with overall production of the album. In the U.S., it debuted at number eight on both Billboard ' s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and

950-451: A few episodes. Clark later agreed to work with Cornelius on a series of network specials featuring R&B and soul artists. Cornelius was relatively conservative in his musical tastes and admitted he was not a fan of the emerging hip hop genre, believing that the genre did not reflect positively on African-American culture (one of his stated goals for the series). Even though Cornelius featured rap artists on Soul Train frequently during

1045-467: A local version of Soul Train continued in Chicago. Cornelius hosted both the local Chicago-based and national Los Angeles–based programs simultaneously, but soon focused his attention solely on the national edition. He continued to oversee production in Chicago, where Clinton Ghent hosted episodes on WCIU-TV until 1976, followed by three years of once-weekly reruns. The syndicated version was picked up in

SECTION 10

#1732791042299

1140-545: A model for his program; as the years advanced and Soul Train evolved into a tradition in its own right, he tended to bristle at the Bandstand comparisons. In 1973, Dick Clark , host and producer of Bandstand , launched Soul Unlimited — controversial for its pronounced racial overtures — to compete directly with Soul Train . Cornelius, with help from Jesse Jackson , openly accused Clark of trying to undermine TV's only black-owned show. Agreeing , ABC canceled it after

1235-417: A mutual friend and songwriting partner. With Bennett, the trio began work on their sixth album Soul Flower . Produced by Ellis and Herron, it was made independently through their own label Funkigirl Records as well as Foster and McElory's 33rd Street Records , and distribution was handled through an outside deal with Bayside Entertainment. Released to mixed reviews from critics, who noted its mellower tone,

1330-493: A new contract with Pyramid Records and began work on the album Electric Café with mentors Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy. In November, the trio appeared on the Lifetime holiday film An En Vogue Christmas in which they played fictional versions of themselves, reuniting to perform a benefit concert to save the nightclub where they got their start. The original movie featured En Vogue's hit singles as well as two new tracks and

1425-405: A new distributor for the program. Cornelius soon secured a deal with Trifecta Entertainment & Media . When Don Cornelius Productions still owned the program, clips of the show's performances and interviews were kept away from online video sites such as YouTube owing to copyright infringement claims. Cornelius also frowned upon the unauthorized distribution of Soul Train episodes through

1520-461: A nonnegotiable demand". She complimented the song as their "highest achievement" on EV3 . Ian Hyland from Sunday Mirror commented, "The hit singles ' Whatever ' and 'Don't Let Go' may well be brilliant but they only add more spice to a mighty fine collection." "Don't Let Go (Love)" became the third En Vogue track to peak at number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 where it was the group's sixth and final Top 10 hit. It also peaked at number two on

1615-635: A remix version of her song " Glamorous " which featured lead vocals by Bennett. Released as the second single from Druyts's third studio-album Everything and More (2007), it reached number two on the Ultratop 50 of the Flemish region of Belgium and launched the six-part Natalia Meets En Vogue feat. Shaggy concert series at the Antwerps Sportpaleis in January 2008. On June 24, 2008,

1710-611: A rendition of " O Holy Night ", later released digitally through En Vogue Records. In February 2015, Rufftown sued Ellis and Herron for over US $ 300 million, claiming the duo violated an exclusive recording contract by signing with Pyramid, alleging breach of contract, negligence, interference and fraud. Settled out of court, it resulted in the release of the extended play Rufftown Presents En Vogue in April 2015, which contained four songs recorded during their time with Rufftown, including "I'll Cry Later". In 2016, En Vogue released "Deja Vu,"

1805-583: A six-song EP titled Runaway Love was released in the fall of 1993, spawning the hit " Runaway Love ." The group was signed to an endorsement deal with Converse , and was featured as an opening act on Luther Vandross ' 1993 "Never Let Me Go" Tour. England, Germany, the Netherlands, and France were among the numerous countries toured. However, according to an article in Vibe magazine, Vandross (by his own admission in interviews) and his entourage clashed with

1900-627: A version of the show in the United Kingdom. The UK version, hosted by former Soul Train dancer and member of Shalamar Jeffrey Daniel , was titled 620 Soul Train and ran for one series on Channel 4 . In 1987, Soul Train launched the Soul Train Music Awards , which honors the top performances in R&;B, hip hop, and gospel music (and, in its earlier years, jazz music) from the previous year. Soul Train then produced

1995-494: Is a song by American R&B group En Vogue . It was written by Ivan Matias , Andrea Martin , and Marqueze Etheridge, and produced by Organized Noize for the Set It Off soundtrack (1996), also appearing on the group's third album, EV3 (1997). The song was the group’s last single and music video (directed by Matthew Rolston ) to feature member Dawn Robinson and was En Vogue's biggest international single, making it to

SECTION 20

#1732791042299

2090-488: Is an American musical variety television show. After airing locally on WCIU-TV in Chicago, Illinois , for a year, it aired in syndication from October 2, 1971, to March 25, 2006. Across its 35-year history, the show primarily featured performances by R&B , soul , and hip hop artists. The series was created by Don Cornelius , who also served as its first and longest-serving host and executive producer. Production

2185-670: The Billboard 200 with sales of 76,500 units, the band's highest first-week numbers. Two further singles released from the album, " Whatever " and " Too Gone, Too Long ", entered the top 20 and top 40 the Billboard Hot 100, respectively. In 1998, En Vogue recorded the song " No Fool No More " for the soundtrack to the film Why Do Fools Fall in Love (1998). A top 40 entry on the New Zealand Singles Chart , it

2280-617: The Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards presented to female recipients included: Special awards were given The Lady of Soul Awards and Christmas Starfest programs last aired in 2005, before emerging again years later. In April 2008, Don Cornelius announced that year's Soul Train Music Awards ceremony had been canceled. Cornelius cited 2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike by the Writers Guild of America as one of

2375-427: The Soul Train Music Awards , are now under the ownership of Paramount Global , through BET Networks . The origins of Soul Train can be traced to 1200 when WCIU-TV , an upstart UHF station in Chicago, began airing two youth-oriented dance programs: Kiddie-a-Go-Go and Red Hot and Blues . These programs—specifically the latter, which featured a predominantly African American group of in-studio dancers—would set

2470-689: The eighth series of the British television singing competition, The X Factor , on November 19, 2011. NME ranked the song number 127 in their list of the "150 Best Tracks Of The Past 15 Years" in 2011. The En Vogue hit reached number 23 on the UK chart and in Ireland, it also returned to the charts at number 50. In 1997, the song went to number one on the Norwegian top 20 singles chart (VG-Lista Topp 20) and stayed there for six consecutive weeks. In total, it

2565-574: The "Hippest trip in America" at the beginning of the show and closing the program with "...and you can bet your last money, it's all gonna be a stone gas, honey. I'm Don Cornelius, and, as always in parting, we wish you love, peace...and SOUL!" In 2019, BET selected various historic guest stars as Most Memorable Soul Train Performances . The list included Gladys Knight and The Jackson 5 , among others. In 1985, Cornelius gave permission for

2660-617: The "Queen Cobras" of Team Bad. The trio narrowly missed out on a spot in the finale of the singing competition as they were eliminated on the week of May 4 alongside Shaggy as "Space Bunny" of Team Cuddly. The same year, the band embarked on the Mixtape Tour alongside New Kids on the Block , Salt-N-Pepa, and Rick Astley . In the summer of 2023, En Vogue joined TLC and Shaggy on the Hot Summer Nights tour, and performed as

2755-413: The 1980s, he publicly would admit to the artists' faces, such as Kurtis Blow , that the genre was one that he did not understand. As rap continued to move further toward hardcore hip hop , Cornelius admitted to being frightened by the antics of groups such as Public Enemy . Rosie Perez testified in the 2010 VH1 documentary Soul Train: The Hippest Trip in America that Cornelius also disliked seeing

2850-470: The 1990s. They ranked as the second most successful female group of the 1990s. In March 2015, Billboard magazine named the group the ninth most-successful girl group of all time. Two of the group's singles ranks in Billboard's most successful girl group songs of all-time list, " Don't Let Go (Love) " (#12) and " Hold On " (#23). Billboard lists them as the third most successful female R&B group of

2945-515: The Chicago market by CBS - owned WBBM-TV at its launch; the program moved to WGN-TV in 1977 and remained there for the rest of its Chicago run. Don Cornelius hosted every episode of Soul Train from 1970 to 1993, except for Richard Pryor , who hosted the final episode of Season 4 (1974-1975). Beginning in Season 15 (1985-1986), Tribune Entertainment acquired the syndication contract; Tribune Entertainment continued producing Soul Train until

En Vogue - Misplaced Pages Continue

3040-618: The Max. Jones later lost the right to use the En Vogue name after Herron and Ellis had filed suit against her for unauthorized use of the name, and a judge ruled that Herron and Ellis, as holders of the group's LLC, had exclusive rights to the group's name. Jones went solo and began recording her own original material, releasing her debut single "Didn't I" and a new ballad version of the En Vogue hit "Don't Let Go (Love)" with Australian singer Greg Gould . In July 2014, Bennett, Ellis, and Herron signed

3135-426: The U.S. Mainstream Top 40 and ranks at number 43 on its all-time chart. The song was a number-one R&B song for one week, becoming En Vogue's sixth and final number-one R&B hit. It reached number five in the UK in early 1997 and spent 13 weeks in the UK top 40, eight of them in the top 10. The single re-entered the UK chart at number 23 in 2011 after girl group Little Mix performed the song in "Movies" week on

3230-781: The UK and became a hit in Europe. The next two singles, " Lies " and " You Don't Have to Worry ," each went to No. 1 on the Billboard R&;B charts, while the fourth and final single, " Don't Go ," charted at No. 3 on the Billboard R&;B. The album was later certified platinum by the RIAA. "Hold On" was awarded a Billboard Music Award for "#1 R&B Single of the Year," a Soul Train Award for R&B/Urban Contemporary Single of

3325-643: The United States, the album debuted at number 14 on Billboard ' s Independent Albums and reached the Top Album Sales chart. A second and final single from the album, " Reach 4 Me " became a top 20 hit on US Adult R&B Songs Chart in August 2018. In July 2019, the group performed on the song "I Got You (Always and Forever)" alongside Chance the Rapper , Kierra Sheard , and Ari Lennox on

3420-476: The Year, Group, Band or Duo and have been nominated for a Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group . In 1990, En Vogue signed an endorsement deal to appear in a Diet Coke commercial directed by Spike Lee . En Vogue's second album, Funky Divas , was released in the spring of 1992. The album debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the Billboard R&B and ultimately doubled

3515-673: The album and the band was soon dropped from the Elektra company. In 2001, Jones had announced her desire to spend more time with her daughter and departed the group. With Ellis and Herron wanting to continue performing En Vogue, singer-songwriter Amanda Cole joined as a performing member after submitting a demo. The following year, Ellis, Herron, and Cole collaborated with Timothy Eaton on the holiday album The Gift of Christmas , featuring four original songs and eight cover versions of Christmas standards and carols. Released in fall 2002 through Discretion Records, it failed to chart. In December 2002,

3610-655: The album failed to chart on the Billboard 200, but reached number 47 on the Top R&;B/Hip-Hop Albums and number 15 on the Independent Albums charts. Its two singles, " Losin' My Mind " and " Ooh Boy ", reached the top 40 on Billboard ' s Adult R&B Songs chart. During the latter part of 2004, En Vogue traveled three months in Europe as part of the Night of the Proms concerts series, with Jones rejoining

3705-472: The album received a mixed reception from critics upon its release, who were divided by its overall sound, and became a commercial disappointment, reaching number 33 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and number 67 on the US Billboard 200 only. While Masterpiece Theatre and "Riddle" fared better in international territories, its poor performance resulted in the release of no further singles from

3800-795: The backing vocals and music video for " So What the Fuss " from Wonder's 2005 A Time to Love album, which received a Grammy nomination at the 48th award ceremony in 2006. After failing to agree on business terms, Robinson once again chose to defect from En Vogue, and Bennett returned to complete the quartet. As a result, En Vogue was let go from the Firm and an album full of new original material did not materialize. En Vogue continued to perform with Ellis, Herron, Jones, and Bennett on selected spot dates in North America, Europe, and Japan. During this time, they teamed with Flemish singer Natalia Druyts on

3895-490: The bridge. Cindy Herron performs a verse to the bridge. Terry Ellis sings outro lyrics in the music video version and "Fulton Yard Mix". Martin Terry and Tommy Martin played the guitars on the song, while drums were played by Lil' John. Marvin "Chanz" Parkman played the grand piano . The song compelled Elektra mogul Sylvia Rhone to place En Vogue back in the studio to record their EV3 project for release in 1997. While

En Vogue - Misplaced Pages Continue

3990-534: The company entered into a licensing agreement with Time Life to distribute Soul Train DVD sets. MadVision then came to terms with Paramount Global -owned BET to relaunch the Soul Train Music Awards for BET's spin-off channel, Centric , in November 2009. Centric would broadcast archived episodes of the program. Archived episodes can also be seen on Bounce TV . MadVision sold the rights to Soul Train in 2011 to

4085-429: The end of the show's run in 2006. Production of first-run Soul Train episodes was suspended at the conclusion of the 2005–06 season, the show's 35th. In place of new content, for two seasons starting in the 2006–2007 season, the program aired archived episodes (selected from between 1973 and 1988) under the title The Best of Soul Train . This was because in later years, Nielsen ratings dropped to below 1.0; most of

4180-415: The end of the show's run on March 25, 2006. Don Cornelius stopped hosting after 22 seasons (1971–1993), though he remained the show's main creative force from behind the scenes. The following fall, Soul Train began using celebrity hosts until comedian Mystro Clark took over as the host in 1997. Shemar Moore took over as the host in 2000. In 2003, Dorian Gregory took over as the host, and stayed until

4275-608: The final cut. Originally conceived as a trio, Foster and McElroy decided to create a quartet after hearing the audition of Terry Ellis whose plane had been late from Houston, Texas. At first, they selected the band name 4-U but soon shifted to Vogue, ultimately settling on En Vogue, upon learning that another group had already claimed the Vogue name. After forming, the group began working with their producers on their debut album. Recording began in August 1989 and wrapped up in December of

4370-602: The first promotional single from Electric Café , through their own label En Vogue Records after signing with Entertainment One Music . The following year, they embarked on the For the Love of Music Tour . The European tour launched on April 6, 2017 in Dublin, Ireland and concluded in Bremen, Germany on April 25. Also in 2017, the trio released three further singles from their forthcoming effort, including buzz singles "I'm Good" and "Have

4465-557: The first word into a high-pitched imitation of a train whistle. Within the structure of the program, there were two enduring elements. The first was the " Soul Train Scramble Board ", where two dancers are given 60 seconds to unscramble a set of letters that form the name of that show's performer or a notable person in African American history. In describing the person's renown, the host concluded their description with

4560-441: The four original members could not agree on whether Bennett should once again step down as a non-original member. In October 2020, the trio of Ellis, Herron, and Bennett closed out the 2020 Billboard Music Awards , performing "Free Your Mind". The following year, the group made a cameo in the romantic comedy sequel Coming 2 America alongside Salt-N-Pepa . In 2022, En Vogue competed in season seven of The Masked Singer as

4655-544: The group as a trio. En Vogue has sold 20 million records worldwide. The group has won seven MTV Video Music Awards , three Soul Train Awards , two American Music Awards, and received seven Grammy nominations. They are the first and only female group to be awarded the Sammy Davis Jr. Award for Entertainer of the Year . In December 1999, Billboard magazine ranked the band as the 19th most successful recording artist of

4750-445: The group in 2001, Amanda Cole joined shortly thereafter. However, in 2003, Cole left the group, and Rhona Bennett joined the group during the recording of their album Soul Flower . In 2005, the original members briefly united before disassembling again. In 2009, the original members once again reunited for their "En Vogue: 20th Anniversary". Shortly after the tour, Robinson and Jones again departed from En Vogue, with Bennett rejoining

4845-423: The group to fill the place of Herron, who went on maternity leave. The Ellis/Bennett/Jones performing incarnation of the group headlined Lifetime 's fifth annual WomenRock! alongside Blondie , Angie Stone , and several others. Performing several of their hits, co-headliner Kelly Clarkson joined them for a rendition of " Free Your Mind ." In 2005, Herron and Robinson rejoined En Vogue, and Bennett withdrew from

SECTION 50

#1732791042299

4940-629: The group worked on their third studio album. As the album was nearing completion, Robinson chose to leave the group in March 1997 after contractual negotiations reached a stalemate. Despite Robinson's abrupt departure, Ellis, Herron, and Jones continued on as a trio. Following Robinson's departure from the group, the remaining trio re-recorded several of her original lead vocals for their forthcoming album EV3 , released in June 1997. A breakaway from previous projects, it marked En Vogue's first project to include

5035-581: The group. The original four signed with one of the industry's largest management firms, the Firm Management Group, and began soliciting material for a new studio album which was expected to be released through Los Angeles-based Movemakers and Funkigirl Records. That September, the band joined Salt-N-Pepa for their first joint public performance of their 1994 single " Whatta Man " at VH1 Hip Hop Honors , and briefly toured together. The quartet also collaborated with Stevie Wonder and Prince on

5130-803: The headlining pop group for the 2023 Boston Pops Orchestra Fireworks Spectacular on July 4, 2023. Later that year, they performed "Free Your Mind" in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade . In May and June 2024, the group returned to London, England for the first time since 2018 for performances at the Cross the Tracks and Mighty Hoopla 2024 festivals, also performing at summer festivals in the United States and in CNN's "The Fourth in America" in July. Former members Don%27t Let Go (Love) " Don't Let Go (Love) "

5225-413: The highlight of EV3 . Elysa Gardner from Rolling Stone described it as an "even more aggressive tune", and added that the "slow-burning" track "promote[s] romantic and carnal abandon, advising lovers to proceed without caution." Laura Jamison from Salon Magazine noted it as a "tempestuous" and "sexy" single. Ann Powers from Spin called it a "cry for a lover's loyalty that En Vogue convert into

5320-446: The late 1950s and early 1960s. Foster and McElroy envisioned an entertainment unit with interchangeable but not identical parts in which every member would qualify to take the lead vocals on any given number. Thus, their plan was to recruit singers who possessed strong voices, noticeably good looks, and intelligence. Approximately 3,000 women attended the auditions held in 1988, with Dawn Robinson , Cindy Herron , and Maxine Jones making

5415-402: The linchpin of the show's syndication efforts dropped the program, and many others followed suit. Soul Train ' s website acknowledged that the program had ceased distribution on September 22, 2008. Following the purchase by MadVision, the Soul Train archives were exposed to new forms of distribution. In April 2009, MadVision launched a Soul Train channel on YouTube . Three months later

5510-515: The members of En Vogue during the tour, and he vowed never to work with them again. En Vogue made numerous television appearances on such series as In Living Color , A Different World , Roc and Hangin' with Mr. Cooper (the latter two in which they also sang the shows' theme songs). In 1993, En Vogue was featured on Salt-N-Pepa 's top 10 hit " Whatta Man ", from Salt-N-Pepa's album Very Necessary . The track appeared (slightly edited) on En Vogue's Runaway Love EP. In 1995, En Vogue

5605-805: The middle for dancers to strut down and dance in consecutive order. Originally, this consisted of a couple—with men on one side and women on the other. In later years, men and women had their own individual lineups. Sometimes, new dance styles or moves were featured or introduced by particular dancers. In addition, there was an in-studio group of dancers who danced along to the music as it was being performed. Rosie Perez , Damita Jo Freeman , Darnell Williams , Cheryl Song, Louie "Ski" Carr, Alfie Lewis, Pat Davis ("Madam Butterfly"), Alise Mekhail, Andrea N. Miles, Carmen Electra , Nick Cannon , Vivica A. Fox , MC Hammer , Jermaine Stewart , Heather Hunter , Fred Berry , Laurieann Gibson , Pebbles , and NFL legend Walter Payton were among those who got noticed dancing on

5700-582: The name Heirs to the Throne. While Herron and Ellis continued to tour as En Vogue along with a rejoined Bennett, Jones and Robinson added singer Shaunté Usual to their lineup. However, in 2013, Robinson chose not to begin a new group with her former band member and instead joined the cast of the TV One reality show R&B Divas: Los Angeles . Meanwhile, Jones began touring with singers Alison Carney and Maria Freeman as her new lineup of En Vogue, titled En Vogue to

5795-594: The opportunity to bring his road show to television. After securing a sponsorship deal with the Chicago-based retailer Sears, Roebuck and Company , Soul Train premiered on WCIU-TV on August 17, 1970, as a live show airing weekday afternoons. Beginning as a low-budget affair, in black and white, the first episode of the program featured Jerry Butler , the Chi-Lites , and the Emotions as guests. Cornelius

SECTION 60

#1732791042299

5890-506: The original lineup of En Vogue appeared on the BET Awards , where they performed a medley with Alicia Keys , SWV and TLC as a tribute to girl groups of the 1990s. Complimented by the media, who declared their performance one of the evening's highlights, and with people buzzing about the industry return of the original band, the quartet talked about being united on a permanent basis. In August, after performing during selected spot dates,

5985-733: The original members announced their reformation for their 20th Anniversary World Tour which coincided with the release of their debut album Born to Sing (1990) and led them to tour North America, Europe and Japan. In 2009, En Vogue along with singers Beyoncé , John Legend , and Ne-Yo , performed at the Essence Music Festival , held at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. Again, new material with Robinson failed to materialize, and in 2010, Herron, Ellis, and Jones signed with René Moore's Rufftown Records in

6080-514: The other group members plus the record producers and label executives were focused on the new En Vogue album, Dawn Robinson wanted to pursue a solo career. Forced to choose between the group or her solo project, Robinson decided to leave En Vogue for a recording deal with Dr. Dre 's Aftermath Records. The turn of events following the success of the song was the beginning of a long and tumultuous era for En Vogue as member changes became quite frequent. AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine described

6175-410: The past 25 years, after TLC and Destiny's Child and seventh most successful group overall. In the late-1980s, when they were assembling their 1970 compilation project FM2 for Atlantic Records , Oakland-based production and songwriting duo Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy first conceived the idea of a modern-day girl group in the tradition of commercially successful female bands that flourished in

6270-450: The phrase "...whose name you should know". Cornelius openly admitted after the series ended its run that the game was usually set up so everybody won in an effort not to cause embarrassment for the show or African Americans in general. There was also the popular " Soul Train Line " (a variant of the 1950s fad then known as The Stroll ), in which all the dancers form two lines with a space in

6365-458: The program host onstage for a brief interview. From time to time, stand-up comedians, such as Tom Dreesen (whom Don Cornelius knew from his time in Chicago) and Franklyn Ajaye (known in the 1970s for being a star of the hit movie Car Wash ), would be featured on the program to perform a brief comedy routine. Soul Train was also known for two popular catchphrases , referring to itself as

6460-416: The program over the years. Two former dancers, Jody Watley and Jeffrey Daniel , enjoyed years of success as members of the R&B group Shalamar after they were chosen by Soul Train talent booker/record promoter Dick Griffey and Cornelius to replace the group's original session singers in 1978. Each musical guest usually performed twice on each program; after their first number, they were joined by

6555-410: The punch, power and stunning voices in harmony that one has come to expect from En Vogue." Rebecca Schiller from NME said the group's performance "was gutsy and full of knowing gravitas." Another NME editor, John Mulvey, stated that the single "retains a frankly terrifying power". A reviewer for People Magazine wrote that it is "still smoldering", noting the song's "tough sound", and naming it

6650-477: The rapper's album The Big Day . In October 2019, original members Robinson and Jones reunited with Ellis, Herron, and Bennett for an on-stage performance to salute music industry executive Sylvia Rhone at the City of Hope Gala 2019 , marking the first time all five members performed together. Plans to reunite permanently for another concert tour in support of their 30th anniversary in 2020, failed to materialize when

6745-469: The reasons, though a main factor may have been the uncertainty surrounding Soul Train' s future. Cornelius also announced that a motion picture based on the program was in development. Subsequent owners of the franchise have followed their own agenda for the program, which included a revival of the Soul Train Music Awards in 2009. In November 2023, the Soul Train Spirit of Soul presentation

6840-502: The sale of third-party VHS or DVD compilations. In May 2008, Cornelius sold the rights to the Soul Train library to MadVision Entertainment, whose principal partners came from the entertainment and publishing fields. The price and terms of the deal were not disclosed. However, by the start of the 2008–09 television season, the Tribune Broadcasting -owned stations (including national carrier WGN America ) that had been

6935-493: The same year. Born to Sing was released on April 3, 1990. The album peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard 200 chart and No. 3 on Billboard's R&B Albums Chart. The first single, " Hold On ," was released to radio in late February 1990 and became a crossover pop hit, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, and No. 1 on both the R&B singles and Hot Dance Music/Club Play charts. It later went to No. 5 in

7030-619: The short-lived Soul Train Comedy Awards in 1993, which discontinued that same year. Soul Train later created two additional annual specials: The Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards , first airing in 1995, celebrated top achievements by female performers; and the Soul Train Christmas Starfest , which premiered in 1998, featured holiday music performed by a variety of R&B and gospel artists. Award categories for

7125-403: The show were lampooned as extremely old and out of touch, eventually led to Cornelius stepping down as host in the early 1990s, and the show losing its influence. Questlove , drummer for hip-hop band The Roots and a fan of the program, authored a book chronicling Soul Train . Titled Soul Train: The Music, Dance, and Style of a Generation was published in 2013. The opening sequence showed

7220-405: The show's dancers perform sexually suggestive "East Coast" dance moves. Cornelius admittedly had rap artists on the show only because the genre was becoming popular among his African-American audience, though the decision alienated middle-aged, more affluent African Americans like himself. This disconnect, which was openly mocked in an In Living Color sketch titled Old Train , where Cornelius and

7315-466: The show's debut through the 2005–2006 season. Despite the production hiatus, Soul Train held that superlative record until 2016, when Entertainment Tonight surpassed it in completing its 35th season. Among non-news programs, Wheel of Fortune surpassed that mark in 2018. As of 2016, the rights to the Soul Train brand, library, and associated events, such as its cruises and annual awards show,

7410-408: The show, but stations in only seven other cities— Atlanta ; Birmingham ; Cleveland ; Detroit ; Houston ; Los Angeles ; and Philadelphia —purchased the program, which began airing on a weekly basis on October 2, 1971. By the end of the first season, Soul Train was on in the other eighteen markets. At the time, there were no other commercial television programs being produced by black people for

7505-510: The song as "yearning". Larry Flick from Billboard called it a "bluesy interlude", and commented further that the harmonies are "instantly recognizable, flexing sweetly over the track's live funk beat and snaky guitar licks. If you're looking for a duplication of past hits, forget it. This is a far more musically mature effort that will appeal to both street and sophisticated tastes." J.D. Considine from Entertainment Weekly wrote in his review of EV3 , "No surprise, then, that although

7600-457: The song is "hauntingly lush", and that it "finds the singers' voices ebbing and flowing like the ocean on a threatening day." A reviewer from Music Week gave it four out of five, stating that "the girls let rip with a swoonsome, powerful single" and a "positive taster" for a spring album, that "should please fans and ensure they attract a few more." Gerald Martinez from New Straits Times called it "dramatic", noting that "this song has all

7695-671: The song number 127 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years". In 2017, Billboard ranked "Don't Let Go (Love)" number 62 in their "The 100 Greatest Pop Songs of 1997". In 2018, Stacker ranked it number 43 in their list of "Best pop songs of the last 25 years". In 2019, Elle ranked it number 32 in their list of "52 Best 1990s Pop Songs" Sales figures based on certification alone. Shipments figures based on certification alone. Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. Soul Train Soul Train

7790-450: The stage for what was to come to the station several years later. Don Cornelius , a newsreader and backup disc jockey at Chicago radio station WVON , was hired by WCIU in 1967 as a news and sports reporter. Cornelius also was promoting and emceeing a touring series of concerts featuring local talent (sometimes called "record hops") at Chicago-area high schools, calling his traveling caravan of shows "The Soul Train" and in 1970, allowed him

7885-487: The stations that aired Soul Train by that point were either Fox television affiliates or independent stations that would later become affiliates of The WB or UPN , and, in the process, some of the stations which had been airing Soul Train on Saturday afternoons started rescheduling the program to overnight time slots. The future of Soul Train was uncertain with the announced closing of Tribune Entertainment in December 2007, which left Don Cornelius Productions to seek

7980-509: The take of its predecessor, going triple platinum. The album's first two singles: " My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It) " and " Giving Him Something He Can Feel " both went top 10 and peaked at No. 1 on the R&B charts. The next single, " Free Your Mind " also went top 10. The final two singles " Give It Up Turn It Loose " and " Love Don't Love You " both were top 40 hits. The album went on to sell more than five million copies, won an American Music Award for "Favorite Soul/R&B Album," and

8075-444: The top 10 in several countries. According to Billboard , the single ranked as the 83rd most successful single of the 1990s. "Don't Let Go (Love)" was written by Andrea Martin , Ivan Matias , Marqueze Ethridge, and Organized Noize members Sleepy Brown , Rico Wade, and Ray Murray, while production was by Organized Noize. Vocal production was supervised by Matias. Dawn Robinson sings the entire lead while Maxine Jones performs

8170-556: The trio gave a concert at the Alabama State Fairgrounds in Birmingham, Alabama which was recorded and released, along with bonus footage, on a DVD and live album through Charly Records in 2004. Cole, who felt increasingly limited vocally and creatively, decided to leave the band in favor of a solo career soon after, with singer and actress Rhona Bennett joining after being recommended to Denzel Foster through

8265-409: The women get top billing, the arrangements are the real stars. 'Don't Let Go (Love)' is the most obvious example, since the interplay between lead and background vocals is as disciplined as it is dramatic." Another EW editor, David Grad, noted its "combination of sensual harmonies and sultry attitude", and deemed it as a "provocative little offering". Dave Ferman from Fort Worth Star-Telegram said

8360-404: Was among numerous African American female vocalists featured on the song " Freedom " for the soundtrack to Mario Van Peebles 's film Panther (1995). Also in 1995, while band members Cindy Herron and Maxine Jones went on maternity leave, Ellis recorded and released a solo album titled Southern Gal , which spun off the top 10 R&B single "Where Ever You Are." The same year, the band made

8455-655: Was assisted by Clinton Ghent, a local professional dancer who appeared on early episodes before moving behind the scenes as a producer and secondary host. The program's immediate success attracted the attention of another locally based firm—the Johnson Products Company (manufacturers of the Afro Sheen line of hair-care products)—and they later agreed to co-sponsor the program's expansion into broadcast syndication . Cornelius and Soul Train ' s syndicator targeted 25 markets outside of Chicago to carry

8550-589: Was in the top 20 for 16 weeks. The single sold 1.3 million copies in the United States and was certified platinum by the RIAA . The music video for "Don't Let Go (Love)" was directed by Matthew Rolston under the Alan Smithee pseudonym. It was En Vogue's third collaboration with Rolston following " My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It) " and " Whatta Man ". The video shows En Vogue singing in front of an audience are dressed in black outfits while some clips of Set It Off are inserted. A second music video

8645-632: Was later included on the band's first compilation album Best of En Vogue , released in June 1999. A moderate success, the album reached the top 40 in Austria and the United Kingdom. Masterpiece Theatre , the group's fourth studio album, was released in May 2000. Their first project with Elektra Records , the trio worked exclusively with their founders on the album who made heavy use of samples from classical music and traditional pop music to construct songs for recording. Preceded by leading single " Riddle ",

8740-542: Was nominated for five Grammy Awards. The music video for "Free Your Mind" earned the group three MTV Video Music Awards for Best Choreography, Best Dance Video, and Best R&B Video. They were honored with Soul Train's Entertainer of the Year Award. In addition to this, the group was featured in Rolling Stone , Entertainment Weekly , and Essence , and other major publications. Riding on success of Funky Divas ,

8835-428: Was released using the same footage of all four band members singing in front of an audience, but the scenes from Set It Off are replaced with images that followed a new storyline. In this version, Mekhi Phifer plays a man who has been secretly cheating all four band members. The four women find out about each other and confront Phifer's character through their performance at the party. In October 2011, NME ranked

8930-417: Was released. A blend of neo soul , pop , and contemporary R&B with electronic dance music , the trio worked with Raphael Saadiq , Dem Jointz , Curtis "Sauce" Wilson as well as regular contributors Foster & McElroy on most of the album. Electric Café received mixed reviews from critics, many of whom praised the band for their vocal performances but found the material too generic and uneven. In

9025-462: Was suspended following the 2005–2006 season, with a rerun package under the moniker The Best of Soul Train airing for two years subsequently. As a nod to Soul Train ' s longevity, the show's opening sequence during later seasons contained a claim that it was the "longest-running first-run, nationally syndicated program in American television history", with more than 1,100 episodes produced from

#298701