Sunday, April 19, 2009

The Three Degrees And Everybody Gets To Go To The Moon


from the yotube description
From the 1971 movie the French Connection sometimes when they performed this number live Sheila would tell the audience that they would now have a chance to listen to this song in its entirety without that blasted film getting in the way (or words to that effect LOL)
by Jimmy Webb
How many times have I been downhearted
looked up and see him smiling like a shiny dime
and hoped that he would stay and tell me
why he was so happy if he had the time
oh I wish there was a way to race him
catch a flying horse and chase him
everybody’s going to the moon
everybody’s going in a weird white suit
it’s customary songs like this
use a word like spoon
by the light of the silvery
take a flight to the silvery
you know everybody’s going to the moon
how many times while looking down
has he heard us singing songs
he wondered who we were
and envied us because the lady in the moon is gone
and now he misses her
and then he wondered to himself
now why is it
we so seldom pay a visit
everybody gets to go to the moon
everybody’s got to go in a weird white suit
now it’s customary songs like this
use a month like june
by the light of the silvery
take a flight to the silvery
you know everybody’s going to the moon
(spoken) now don’t you think it’s a miracle
that we’re the generation that’s going
to one day populate the moon
and that’s going to be fun
and it’s got to make you glad to be alive
yes it’s got to make you proud to be alive
everybody’s going to the moon
everybody’s going to the moon
well how many times have I heard a cynic say
I was a fool to try and reach for him
or heard a dreamer say ‘the skies the limit’
and just had to laugh at each for him
oh I suppose the point is only
that in orbit is no longer lonely
everybody’s going to go to the moon
everybody’s going in a weird white suit
now it’s customary songs like this
use a word like spoon
by the light of the silvery
take a flight to the silvery
everybody’s going to the moon

The Three Degrees are a female Philadelphia soul and disco vocal musical group, formed in 1963 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Although always fronted by a three person line-up, there have been a number of personnel changes, and a total of twelve women have represented the group so far. The original members were Fayette Pinkney, Shirley Porter and Linda Turner. The trio, tagged by the media as 'Prince Charles' favourites' were the first girl group to top the UK Singles Chart since The Supremes in 1964. They are best known for their million selling 1974 hit song, "When Will I See You Again".
The Three Degrees were formed around 1963 in Philadelphia. They were discovered by producer and songwriter, Richard Barrett Barrett was responsible for groups of the 1950s such as The Chantels, Little Anthony and the Imperials, and The Valentines. Barrett recorded the original line-up on their first song entitled, "Gee Baby (I'm Sorry)", for Swan Records. Turner and Porter both left the group and were replaced by Helen Scott and a variety of other ladies before Janet Harmon joined in the mid 1960s. Barrett also began managing and producing Sheila Ferguson who was a high school friend of Scott. Barrett also signed Ferguson to Swan Records in 1965.The Three Degrees released a number of singles such as "I'm Gonna Need You" and a cover version of "Maybe" with Scott taking the lead vocals.
By 1966, with many performances lined up, Scott decided to leave the group to start a family. Ferguson filled in for Scott and would remain in the group for 20 years. Ferguson sang backup on all the group's Swan recordings as did the Three Degrees for her solo singles.By 1967, Harmon left and was eventually replaced by Valerie Holiday. Barrett signed them to recording contracts over the next three years with Warner Bros., Metromedia, and Neptune record labels; the latter of which which was owned by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff who would work with group five years later. Their close harmony singing made them a popular nightclub act but that hit record still eluded them.
By 1970, they were signed to Roulette Records and they released their first album, Maybe.The title song took them to #4 on the U.S. R&B charts.Other singles like "I Do Take You" and "You're The Fool" followed, as did their second album, So Much Love. This success landed them a cameo appearance in the 1971 film, The French Connection, filmed during one of their appearances at the Copacabana nightclub in New York, and also an engagement at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada with Engelbert Humperdinck[1] who was quoted saying that "The Three Degrees are the finest female vocal trio around today."

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I will always believe that Copacabana appearance by the THREE DEGREES was recorded in its entirety, but never released as part of the FRENCH CONNECTION soundtrack. We always hear the "live" version they recorded in 1975 instead.
Why, oh why, didn't someone arrange to put that Copacabana recording on the FRENCH CONNECTION soundtrack master tape?

Anonymous said...

1 awesome song beautifuly arranged. It's a toughie!

Anonymous said...

Who sang lead Anthe scenes used in The French Connection?

Unknown said...

you might find that these lyrics sit better [from thelma houston version]
One of the best songs ever written:

HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I BEEN DOWN-HEARTED
LOOKED UP AND SAW HIM SMILING LIKE A SHINING DIME, YEAH
AND WISHED THAT HE WOULD STAY AND TELL ME
WHY HE WAS SO HAPPY IF HE HAD THE TIME
AND WISH THERE WAS A WAY TO RACE HIM
CATCH A FLYING HORSE AND CHASE HIM

EVERYBODY GETS TO GO TO THE MOON , YEAH
EVERYBODY GETS TO GO, IT’LL BE QUITE SOON
IT’S CUSTOMARY IN SONGS LIKE THIS
TO USE THE WORD LIKE SPOON
BY THE LIGHT OF THE SILVERY
TAKE A FLIGHT TO THE SILVERY
YOU KNOW EVERYBODY’S GOING TO THE MOON

HOW MANY TIMES WHILE LOOKING DOWN
AS HE HEARD US SINGING SONGS
AND WONDERED WHO WE WERE
AND ENVIED US BECAUSE THE LADY
IN THE MOON IS GONE AND NOW HE MISSES HER
AND WONDERS TO HIMSELF WHY IS IT
NO-ONE EVER PAYS A VISIT

EVERYBODY GETS TO GO TO THE MOON, OH YES
EVERYBODY GETS TO GO IT WILL BE QUITE SOON
AND ITS CUSTOMARY IN SONGS LIKE THIS
TO USE A MONTH LIKE JUNE
BY THE LIGHT OF THE SILVERY
WE’LL TAKE A FLIGHT TO THE SILVERY
YOU KNOW EVERYBODY'S GOING TO THE MOON

ISN’T IT A MIRACLE THAT
WE’RE THE GENERATION
WHO WILL TOUCH THAT SHINY BUBBLE
WITH OUR OWN TWO HANDS

IT HAS TO MAKE US GLAD TO BE ALIVE
YES IT HAS TO MAKE YOU PROUD TO BE A MAN
A MAN A MAN.............
HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I HEARD A CYNIC
SAY I WAS A FOOL TO TRY AND REACH FOR HIM
OR HEARD A DREAMER SAY THE SKY'S THE LIMIT
AND HAD TO LAUGH AND PREACH FOR HIM
OH I SUPPOSE THE POINT IS ONLY THAT
AN OLD FRIEND IS NO LONGER LONELY

EVERYBODY GETS TO GO TO THE MOON
EVERYBODY GETS TO GO
IT’LL BE QUITE SOON
ITS CUSTOMARY IN SONGS LIKE THIS
TO USE THE WORD LIKE ROOM
BY THE LIGHT OF THE SILVERY
TAKE A FLIGHT TO THE SILVERY
YOU KNOW EVERYBODY'S GOING
. . . TO- THE- MOON

TO THE SILVERY MOON
I WANNA SPOON
WITH MY HONEY AND CROON LOVE’S TUNE
HONEYMOON KEEP A-SHINING IN JUNE
YOUR SILVERY BEAMS WILL MAKE LOVE’S DREAMS
WE’LL BE CUDDLING SOON
BY THE LIGHT OF THE . . . . . .MOON

goodears