R. B. Greaves

Ronald Bertram Aloysius "R. B." Greaves III (November 28, 1943 – September 27, 2012)[2] was an American singer who had chart success in 1969 with the pop single "Take a Letter Maria". A number two hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, this single sold one million copies, and it earned gold record certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. Greaves also reached the Top 40 in early 1970 with "(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me".[3]

R.B. Greaves
Birth nameRonald Bertram Aloysius Greaves III
Born(1943-11-28)November 28, 1943[1]
Georgetown, Guyana
OriginGeorgetown, Guyana
DiedSeptember 27, 2012(2012-09-27) (aged 68)
Granada Hills, California
GenresR&B, soul music, pop music
Occupation(s)Singer
InstrumentsVocals
Years active1969 – 70s
LabelsAtco Records, Bareback, Sunflower Records
Associated actsSam Cooke

Biography

Greaves was born in 1943 on the US Army Air Forces base at Georgetown, Guyana.[1] A nephew of Sam Cooke, he grew up on a Seminole Indian reservation in the United States, but he moved to England in 1963.[4]

Greaves had built a career both in the Caribbean and in the UK, where he performed under the name Sonny Childe with his group the TNTs. His debut recording, "Take a Letter Maria", was released under the name R.B. Greaves and produced by the president of Atlantic Records, Ahmet Ertegün.

The song is the story of a man who learns of his wife's infidelity and dictates a letter of separation to Maria, his secretary, who the last verse suggests may become his new love. The song has a distinct Latin flavor, complete with a mariachi-style horn section.

The record stayed in the Billboard chart for 15 weeks in the United States, selling a million copies. It received gold record certification from the RIAA on December 11, 1969. By 1970, sales of this song totaled 2.5 million.[4]

Greaves was often accompanied in Southern California, in the early 70's, by his long time friend, guitarist Phillip John Diaz and keyboardist/songwriter Michael 'Papabax' Baxter. www.papabax.com

Greaves recorded a series of cover versions as follow-ups, including Burt Bacharach's and Hal David's "(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me" and Procol Harum's "A Whiter Shade of Pale".[1] Greaves left the label in the 1970s in favour of Sunflower Records, and then signed to Bareback Records. His only chart release for the latter label was "Margie, Who's Watching the Baby".[5]

Death

Greaves died from prostate cancer, in Granada Hills, California, on 27 September 2012 at the age of 68.[6]

Discography

Albums

Year Album Peak chart positions[7]
US US R&B
1969 R.B. Greaves
  • Released: 1969
  • Label: Atco Records
  • Format: LP album
85 24
1977 R.B. Greaves
  • Released: 1977
  • Label: Bareback Records
  • Format: LP album

Singles

Year Single Peak chart positions[8] RIAA[9] Album
US US R&B US AC
1969 "Take a Letter, Maria" 2 10 3 Gold R.B. Greaves
1970 "(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me" 27 50 3
"Fire & Rain" 82 single only
"Georgia Took Her Back" 88
"Whiter Shade of Pale" 82
1972 "Margie, Who's Watching the Baby" 115
1977 "Who's Watching the Baby (Margie)" 66 R.B. Greaves (1977)

"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not certified

gollark: Anyway, I am going to bed FAR too late but goodbye ish.
gollark: * actually quite bad in several ways
gollark: * bad
gollark: Yes, they're GMT+1 right now I think?
gollark: I disagree with this plan and *may* be forced to initiate ACETIC SUMMONER protocols.

References

  1. Whitburn, Joel (1992). Fred Weiler (ed.). The Billboard Book of USA Top 40 Hits (5 ed.). Guinness. p. 204.
  2. "R. B. Greaves, Pop Singer, Dies at 68". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
  3. "R.B. Greaves Always Something There to Remind Me Chart History". Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  4. Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London, UK: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 259. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
  5. "Billboard charted singles" (PDF). Mike Curb website. p. 23. Retrieved 2 August 2009.
  6. "R.B. Greaves, 'Take a Letter Maria' Writer and Singer, Dies at 68". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  7. "Album chart listings for R.B. Greaves". AllMusic.
  8. "Singles chart listings for R.B. Greaves". AllMusic.
  9. "RIAA search results for R.B. Greaves". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2 August 2009.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.