It was over a half century ago, in 1973, that the five brothers from New Bedford, Massachusetts, under their surname moniker Tavares, finally got their break with a hit Capitol Records debut album, Check It Out, and a crossover smash title track.
For the follow-up single, the group teamed with 70s hitmaker Johnny Bristol, who penned the bittersweet, funky ballad “That’s The Sound That Lonely Makes.” It became another top 10 soul hit and helped propel the Check It Out album into the top 20.
It was more than a half decade before the emergence of MTV, but the group put together a promotional video for “Sound,” and issued it to television music shows around the world. The video has been largely lost to the world for 50 years, but through the wonders of YouTube, has re-emerged through a clip from an unidentified British television show.
The video reminds us of just how great the early Tavares albums were, and those outfits! Check out this happily unvaulted musical memory below, and smile with us.
By Chris Rizik
