Faith Hope and Charity (US band)
| Company type | Vocal ensemble |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1969 |
| Headquarters | Tampa, Florida , United States |
| Products | Soul, disco, R&B music |
Faith Hope and Charity was a vocal ensemble originating from Tampa, Florida, primarily recognized for their 1975 chart-topper, "To Each His Own". Throughout the 1970s, they were also highly regarded as session vocalists in New York recording studios.
Career
The trio was established by Zulema Cusseaux, Brenda Hilliard, and Al Bailey. Initially named the Lovelles, they encountered producer Van McCoy, who signed them to Maxwell Records and rebranded them as Faith, Hope and Charity.
Their 1970 single "So Much Love" climbed to #14 on the Billboard R&B chart and reached #51 on the Hot 100. Following that, "Baby Don't Take Your Love" achieved #36 on the R&B chart and #96 on the Hot 100.
In 1971, Cusseaux departed to pursue a solo career under Sussex Records and was succeeded by Diane Destry in 1974. The group’s most notable achievements occurred after their transition to RCA Records in the mid-1970s, with Van McCoy continuing as writer and producer. Their track "To Each His Own" secured the #1 position on the R&B chart, placed #15 on the Dance chart, and peaked at #50 on the Hot 100 in 1975. Additionally, they lent their vocals to McCoy's "Disco Baby" album, which included the international #1 hit "The Hustle".
In January 1976, their rendition of Doris Troy's "Just One Look" from the album Faith, Hope & Charity reached #38 on the UK Singles Chart. The single "Don't Pity Me" attained #20 on the R&B chart in 1978. After releasing a second album with RCA that yielded modest hits, Destry exited the group; Hilliard and Bailey continued briefly with a final album under 20th Century before disbanding.
Priscilla Baskerville is credited as a member on certain recordings around 1977.
Post FH&C
Brenda Hilliard and Albert Bailey collaborated on the single "Talking About Loving You" backed with "This Has Happened Before," released on Clarama Records CL-1200 under the name Brenda & Albert.
Zulema Cusseaux passed away on September 30, 2013, aged 66.
Albert Bailey died on May 27, 2020.
Studio albums
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Record label | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | |||||||||||||
| 1970 | Faith Hope & Charity | — | — | Maxwell | ||||||||||
| 1972 | Heavy Love | — | — | Sussex | ||||||||||
| 1975 | Faith Hope & Charity | 100 | 24 | RCA Victor | ||||||||||
| 1976 | Life Goes On | — | — | RCA Victor | ||||||||||
| 1978 | Faith Hope & Charity | — | — | 20th Century Fox | ||||||||||
| "—" indicates releases that did not enter charts. | ||||||||||||||
Singles
1975 "Mellow Me" — — 18 — — — "Just One Look" — — — — — 38 1976 "Don't Go Looking for Love" — 38 — — — — "A Time for Celebration" (with The Choice Four) 107 — — — — — "You're My Peace of Mind" — 83 13 — — — 1977 "Life Goes On" — 65 — — — — 1978 "Don't Pity Me" — 20 — — — — align=left rowspan=2 Faith Hope & Charity (1978) "How Can I Help But Love You" — — — — — — colspan=15 style=font-size:90% | "—" signifies recordings that did not chart or were not issued in that region.| Year | Title | Highest chart rankings | Album | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | US Dance |
CAN | NZ | UK | |||
| 1970 | "So Much Love" | 51 | 14 | — | 38 | — | — | Faith, Hope & Charity (1970) |
| "Baby Don't Take Your Love" | 96 | 36 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1971 | "Come Back and Finish What You Started" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | Heavy Love |
| "No Trespassing" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | ||
| "God Bless the World" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | ||
| "I Was There" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | ||
| "Who Made You Go" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | ||
| "To Each His Own"
50 1 15 58 28 — align=left rowspan=4 Faith, Hope & Charity (1975) | ||||||||
Note
A 1990s female ensemble named Faith Hope & Charity existed, but it is not connected to this particular group.
Further reading
- Billboard, July 8, 1978 - Page 78 Closeup, review of the Faith Hope & Charity album
- The Chancellor of Soul (Mike Boone) presents The Story on Faith Hope & Charity in Chancellor's Chronicles.
External links
- [ Faith Hope & Charity] on AllMusic