Checkmates, Ltd.
The Checkmates, Ltd. were an American R&B group from Fort Wayne, Indiana.[1] The group, discovered by Nancy Wilson, was named such because the group included both black and white members, and their various skin tones evoked a chessboard;[1] their one major hit was 1969's "Black Pearl", produced by Phil Spector.[1] The song peaked at No. 13 on the U.S. pop chart.[2] Their remake of "Proud Mary" reached No. 30 on the UK Singles Chart in late 1969.[3]
The group broke up in 1970, but reunited in 1974 for a few more years.[1] They performed on the same billing as Frank Sinatra and Herb Alpert, and sang the national anthem for the Thrilla in Manila in 1975.[4] Lead singer Sonny Charles later had a moderately successful career as a solo artist. Charles and Marvin ("Sweet Louie") Smith later reunited and toured the U.S. into the 2000s.
Smith died on December 15, 2007, of a heart attack, while on a cruise ship in the Caribbean where he and Sonny Charles were scheduled to perform. He was 68.[4][5]
Members
- Sonny Charles – lead vocals – (born Charles Hemphill, September 4, 1940, Blytheville, Arkansas)[2] – Charles was later a vocalist with the Steve Miller Band.[6]
- Bobby Stevens – vocals[1]
- Harvey Trees – guitar[1]
- Bill Van Buskirk – bass[1]
- Marvin "Sweet Louie" Smith – drums, vocals[1]
- Calvin Thomas – drums
- Jimmy Milton – vocals
- Joseph Ramirez - guitar
Discography
Albums
| Year | Album | Peak chart positions |
Record label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [7] |
US R&B [8] | ||||
| 1967 | Live! at Caesar's Palace | — | 36 | Capitol Records | |
| 1969 | Love Is All We Have to Give | 178 | — | A&M Records | |
| 1971 | Life | — | — | Rustic Records | |
| 1974 | F/S/O | — | — | ||
| 1977 | We Got the Moves | — | — | Fantasy Records | |
| Sould Out | — | — | Gucci Records | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | |||||
Singles
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions |
Record Label | B-side | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [9] |
US R&B [10] |
UK [3] |
AUS | |||||
| 1966 | "Do the Walk (The Temptation Walk)" | — | — | — | — | Capitol Records | "Glad for You" | |
| "Kissin' Her and Crying for You" | — | — | — | — | "I Can Hear the Rain" | |||
| 1967 | "Please Don't Take My World Away" | — | — | — | — | "Mastered the Art of Love" | ||
| "Walk in the Sunlight" | — | — | — | — | "A & I" | |||
| 1969 | "Love Is All I Have to Give" | 65 | — | — | 31 | A&M Records | "Never Should Have Lied" | Love Is All We Have to Give |
| "Black Pearl" | 13 | 8 | — | 31 | "Lazy Susan" | |||
| "Proud Mary" | 69 | — | 30 | — | "Spanish Harlem" | |||
| 1970 | "I Keep Forgettin'" | — | — | — | — | "Do You Love Your Baby" | ||
| 1974 | "Sexy Ways" | — | — | — | — | Rustic Records | "Run Nigger Run" | F/S/O |
| "Got to See "U" Soon" | — | — | — | — | "Might Get Betta" | |||
| 1976 | "All Alone by the Telephone" | — | 96 | — | — | Polydor Records | "Body Language" | |
| 1977 | "I'm Laying My Heart on the Line" | — | — | — | — | Greedy Records | "Make Love to Your Mind" | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||||||||
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Colin Larkin, ed. (1993). The Guinness Who's Who of Soul Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 43. ISBN 0-85112-733-9.
- ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (2000). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits (7th ed.).
- ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 102. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ a b "Life in Legacy - Week of December 15, 2007". Lifeinlegacy.com. Archived from the original on December 20, 2008.
- ^ "Seattletimes.nwsource.com – Obituary". Archived from the original on January 14, 2009.
- ^ Graff, Gary (May 8, 2008). "Steve Miller Band Celebrates 40 Years With 'Live' DVD". Billboard.
- ^ "Sonny Charles and the Checkmates, LTD. | Billboard 200". Billboard.
- ^ "Sonny Charles and the Checkmates, LTD. | Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard.
- ^ "Sonny Charles and the Checkmates, LTD. | Billboard Hot 100". Billboard.
- ^ "Sonny Charles and the Checkmates, LTD. | Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard.