Customer Reviews

Tavares: The Greatest Hits

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

One of my favorite songs on this CD"Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel" turns out to be a 1986 remake that does not sound like the original song that came out in 1977. It is an adulterated later version of the original song.The other songs on this CD are the otiginal 70s songs like "It Only Takes a Minute" and "Whodunit" which are great and make me give this an average rating,however I am strongly disappointed that "Heaven Must be Missing an Angel" on this CD is not the original version.

Looking at their chart history, it seems that Tavares were more popular in Britain, where they had four top ten pop hits, than their American homeland, where they had just one. Exactly why this should be so is not clear to me, but although Tavares were by no means the most important group of their era, they recorded some great songs.

This compilation includes all except one of their American top forty pop hits (Remember what I told you) and most of their ten UK hits, including a remix of Heaven must be missing an angel but not the original. While I would have preferred the original, the difference is not as dramatic as it might have been.

Heaven must be missing an angel, Don't take away the music, Whodunit and More than a woman (a track from the Saturday night fever soundtrack) were all UK top ten hits that made the American top forty pop chart. It only takes a minute was their only American top ten pop hit - it was a minor UK hit in 1986 having missed the chart, or maybe not been released, back in the seventies.

The mighty power of love (top thirty) and One step away (top twenty) are other UK hits included here, while Check it out was an American top forty pop hit. Other tracks include a cover of the Hall and Oates classic She's gone.

If you are interested in seventies soul music, Tavares are definitely worth a listen.

A lot of groups seem like overnight successes. The Tavares Brothers started out years earlier as Chubby and the Turnpikes. Renamed Tavares at Capitol Records they started with "Check it Out", covers of Rick Derringer's "Rock and Roll Hootchie Koo", and Hall & Oates "She's Gone". Their biggest hits came next including "It Only Takes a Minute, Heaven Must be Missing an Angel" and the cut that was used in the movie "Short Circuit" as well, "More Than a Woman". Johnny Five dances with Ally Sheedy. Alive! The same as this album is, music to make you come alive and get up and dance. Enjoy.

I love this CD! I bought this not knowing what the lengths of the songs were so I thought I would share that with everyone.

01. It Only Takes A Minute (4:00)
02. Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel (6:55)(1985 Irresistible Angel Mix)
03. Slow Train To Paradise (4:59)
04. Never Had A Love Like This Before (4:34)
05. Check It Out (3:20)
06. She's Gone (3:39)
07. My Ship (3:27)
08. Don't Take Away The Music (6:13)
09. Whodunit (3:36)
10. The Mighty Power Of Love (3:55)
11. One Step Away (4:14)
12. The Ghost Of Love (5:48)
13. The Love I Never Had (3:28)
14. I Wanna See You Soon (3:47)
15. Bein' With You (3:44)
16. More Than A Woman (3:15)

I don't know what they did, but this CD does not sound like the original recordings. So different, I threw it away. You may want to consider a direct download from some other source.

Definitely, Tavares is not one of the BEST groups of the Funk/Disco era.

That's why I don't understand the reason to include an AWFUL Disco-ed remake of "Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel", maybe their only great superhit.

However in this CD, you will also find 'It Only Takes A Minute' and 'Whodunit', other of their minor Disco era hits, plus a very nice and not widely known Cover of Daryl Hall & John Oates Superhit 'She's Gone'. Worth to give it a try...

Being a musician all of my years ; HIGHLY disappointed with the "remake" of Heaven Must be Missing an Angel ! What a farce ! Spent the money for what ? & to never play again . SHAME . Don't be a sucker like I was . Such a great song to be Ruined like that ! Beware .

I was a little disappointed with this CD because the songs don't sound like the originals that I was expecting. They sound like re-makes. How would you know this before purchasing other music? Did I miss something?

I listened to a song by Traveras and liked it. Decided to buy this cd and I like it alot. Great price along with fast delivery.

It is the same thing over and over: and I just can't get enough. 1970s soul in all mutations is always great to rediscover.

Now for a man my age, this takes awhile. This music was the best of AM radio--providing needed heart in between Clint Holme's "Playground Of My Mind" and Debbie Boone's "You Light Up My Life." Philly Soul had genuine emotion and featured real bands that had been singing this music long before they got on the radio.

But if you are my age, you heard this music in between trips from the cars seat to the playpen to the diaper changing table: so you don't know what band did what

Well, Tavaras was one of those I forgot, or maybe I just never knew the name: but when I recently found out that the same band did "It Only Takes A Minute" and an even better version of "She's Gone" than Hall and Oats, I knew I must be on to SOMETHING

And man was I right. This band is well balanced and the music sounds just great in 2010: that sound that sat dead center between Funkadelic and the Stylistics is what Tavaras did best. This music is not hard, but is not cotton candy, either. With master singing and great writing, Tavaras are masters of middle of the road, melodic soul---music that always fits in the ear with perfect construction and arranging.

It does not sound as good as the AM/FM divided 1970s. With open ears and a global view of music that you need for 2010, you'll find, it sounds MUCH, MUCH better.