The Sylvers
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1971 in Watts, Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles , United States |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
The Sylvers were a family-based American R&B vocal ensemble originating from Watts, Los Angeles. During the 1970s, they released well-known tracks such as "Fool's Paradise", "Boogie Fever", and "Hot Line". Prior to adopting the Sylvers name, the group's four eldest siblings—Olympia, Leon, Charmaine, and James—performed under the name Little Angels. They appeared on television programs like You Bet Your Life and Make Room for Daddy, and served as opening acts for prominent artists including Johnny Mathis and Ray Charles. Their early discography includes two singles: "Santa Claus Parade" backed with "I'll Be a Little Angel" on Warwick Records and "Says You" backed with "Olympia" released through Capitol Records.
Members
The Sylvers family consisted of ten siblings, nine of whom participated in the band at different periods:
- Olympia Ann "Olan" Sylvers (born October 13, 1951) — vocals
- Leon Frank Sylvers III (born March 7, 1953) — bass guitar, vocals
- Charmaine Elaine Sylvers (born March 9, 1954) — vocals
- James Jonathan Sylvers (born June 8, 1955) — keyboards, vocals
- Edmund Theodore Sylvers (January 25, 1957 – March 11, 2004) — vocals, percussion
- Joseph Richard "Ricky" Sylvers (born October 13, 1958) — guitar, vocals
- Angelia Marie "Angie" Sylvers (born April 11, 1960) — vocals
- Patricia Lynn "Pat" Sylvers (born March 25, 1961) — keyboards, vocals
- Foster Emerson Sylvers (born February 25, 1962) — bass guitar, vocals
Christopher Joseph Sylvers (1966–1985), the youngest sibling, did not participate in the group’s performances.
Career
Shirley Mae Wyble and Leon Frank "Sonny" Sylvers met while attending Xavier University of Louisiana and had ten children whom they encouraged to develop musical abilities. The earliest lineup featuring Olympia "Olan", Leon, and Charmaine performed as the Little Angels, specializing in Caribbean Calypso-influenced soul music. The family made appearances on variety shows, charity events, and notably on the quiz show "You Bet Your Life" hosted by Groucho Marx. Later addition Jonathan "James" joined them as the group secured moderate recognition with television performances and recordings under Capitol Records during the mid-1960s.
By the late 1960s, Edmund and Joseph Richard "Ricky" joined the ensemble, expanding it to six members who signed with MGM Records and adopted the name the Sylvers. From 1972 to 1974, they produced three albums—The Sylvers, The Sylvers 2, and The Sylvers 3—with production handled by Jerry Butler and Keg Johnson. Four singles achieved placements on the Billboard R&B charts; among them was "Fool's Paradise," which reached number 14 in 1972. Lead vocal duties were distributed among Charmaine, Edmund, Ricky, Olympia, Leon, and James.
Their first top ten hit came in early 1973 with "Wish That I Could Talk to You," featuring lead vocals by Leon, Edmund, and Ricky. Other charting singles included "Stay Away From Me" which peaked at number 33, alongside "I'll Never Be Ashamed," and "Through the Love in My Heart," which reached number 50. Leon also composed "Misdemeanor," an energetic proto-disco track initially led vocally by Edmund but later reassigned to their younger brother Foster. This song later gained renewed attention when sampled by Dr. Dre for the D.O.C.'s track "It's Funky Enough."
Following the success of "Misdemeanor," Foster joined alongside Angie and Pat to officially expand the group to nine members. The band secured an exclusive contract with Capitol Records and worked closely with R&B producer Freddie Perren, renowned for his collaborations with the Jackson 5. Perren co-wrote and produced their two-million-selling hit single "Boogie Fever", which topped both the R&B charts and the Billboard Hot 100, as well as reaching number one on Canada's RPM national singles chart.
Individual pursuits
With the decline of dance music's mainstream appeal in the early 1980s, the Sylvers' commercial momentum also waned. In 1981, five siblings—excluding Edmund—recorded the album Concept under Solar Records. Leon took on production duties and played bass guitar but did not contribute vocals. The track "Come Back Lover, Come Back," led vocally by Foster, reached number 63 on the Billboard charts. Although "Take It to the Top" failed to chart, both singles were later included in Solar Records' compilation box set.
By 1984, six of the Sylvers siblings, with Charmaine rejoining, reunited under new management (Weisner–DeMann) and secured a deal with Geffen Records. Their release Bizarre received minimal promotional support and achieved limited commercial impact, generating modest chart placements with "In One Love and Out the Other" peaking at number 42 and "Falling For Your Love" reaching number 76. Tragically, the youngest sibling Christopher passed away from hepatitis in 1985 at age 18; he had never been part of the performing lineup. After the Geffen album's disappointing sales, the Sylvers officially disbanded in 1985 but remained active behind the scenes, contributing background vocals for artists such as Janet Jackson. Edmund pursued a solo project with Arista Records in 1985; although it was never released in the United States, the single "I Love the Streets" was issued in Japan in 1989. Foster established Hy-Tech in 1989 but produced two largely overlooked albums and a solo MP3 CD titled "Foster Vs. Foster" in 1998.
Edmund Sylvers, recognized for providing Marlon Jackson's voice on ABC's cartoon The Jackson 5ive, succumbed to lung cancer in Richmond, Virginia, on March 11, 2004, at age 47. In 2007, Pat collaborated with Larry O. Williams on the gospel duet "Thank You." That same year, Jet magazine featured the Sylvers in its "Where Are They Now?" segment and they participated in a radio interview alluding to potential new music endeavors.
During summer 2011, the Sylvers appeared on TV One’s series Unsung, reflecting on their career journey and aftermath alongside their mother Shirley. It was revealed that Foster and Ricky were incarcerated at that time due to parole violations. Following Foster’s release, he joined sisters Angie and Pat for an appearance on The Cindy Davis Show, where they discussed challenges within the music industry.
Legacy and influence
The Sylvers' song Only One Can Win was sampled by J Dilla for his track "Two Can Win," featured on his 2006 album Donuts.
Studio albums
| Year | Album | Chart positions | Record label | Available on CD | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 |
US R&B Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums |
AUS Kent Music Report | ||||
| 1972 | The Sylvers | 180 | 15 | — | Pride Records | Japan only |
| 1973 | The Sylvers II | 164 | 37 | — | Yes | |
| 1974 | The Sylvers III | 91 | 51 | — | MGM Records | Japan only |
| 1975 | Showcase | 58 | 23 | 37 | Capitol Records | Yes |
| 1976 | Something Special | 80 | 13 | 65 | UK only | |
| 1977 | New Horizons | 134 | 43 | — | Yes | |
| 1978 | Forever Yours | 132 | 40 | — | Casablanca Records | No |
| 1979 | Disco Fever | — | 52 | — | No | |
| 1981 | Concept | 92 | 76 | — | SOLAR Records | Yes |
| 1984 | Bizarre | — | — | — | Geffen Records | No |
Compilation albums
| Year | Album | Chart rankings | Label | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 |
US R&B Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums | |||
| 1978 | Best of the Sylvers | — | — | Capitol Records |
| 1994 | Greatest Hits | — | — | Curb Records |
| 1995 | Boogie Fever: The Best of the Sylvers | — | — | Razor & Tie |
| 2002 | Classic Masters | — | — | Capitol Records |
| 2003 | The Best of the Sylvers | — | — | EMI-Capitol Special Markets |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart rankings | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US |
US R&B |
AUS |
CAN |
NZ | |||
| 1971 | "I'm Just a Lonely Soul" | — | — | — | — | — | Released as single only |
| 1972 | "Time to Ride" | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Fool's Paradise" | 94 | 14 | — | — | — | The Sylvers | |
| "Wish I Could Talk to You" | 77 | 10 | — | — | — | ||
| 1973 | "Stay Away from Me" | 89 | 33 | — | — | — | The Sylvers II |
| 1974 | "Through the Love in My Heart" | — | 50 | — | — | — | |
| 1976 | "Boogie Fever" | 1 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 4 | Showcase |
| "Cotton Candy" | 59 | 19 | — | 77 | — | ||
| "Hot Line" | 5 | 3 | 27 | 1 | 10 | Something Special | |
| 1977 | "High School Dance" | 17 | 6 | — | 8 | 18 | |
| "Any Way You Want Me" | 72 | 12 | — | 66 | — |
New Horizons | |
| 1978 | "New Horizons" | — | 45 | — | — | — | |
| "Don't Stop, Get Off" | — | 15 | — | — | — |
Forever Yours | |
| 1979 | "Forever Yours" | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Mahogany" | — | — | — | — | — |
Disco Fever | |
| "Hoochie Coochie Dancin'" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1981 | "Come Back Lover, Come Back" | "—" | "63" | "—" | "—" | "—" |
Concept |
| 1984 | "In One Love and Out the Other" | "—" | "42" | "—" | "—" | "—" |
Bizarre |
| 1985 | "Falling for Your Love" | "—" | "76" | "—" | "—" | "—" | |
"—" indicates the single did not enter the charts
External links
- The Sylvers on Yahoo! Music (link no longer active)
- Larry O. Williams' profile on MySpace
- Articles with short description
- American dance music ensembles
- African-American musical acts
- 20th-century African-American vocalists
- American disco ensembles
- Family-based musical groups
- American soul music groups
- Musical acts originating from Los Angeles
- Artists signed to Capitol Records
- Artists associated with SOLAR Records
- Individuals from Watts, Los Angeles
- Musical groups that disbanded in 1985
- Musical groups from California
- Established in California in 1971
- Disbanded in California in 1985
- Musical groups disestablished in 1985