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Ashford & Simpson facts for kids
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Ashford & Simpson
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Ashford & Simpson in New York City, March 2000
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| Background information | |
| Origin | New York, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1964–2011 |
| Labels | Motown, Warner Bros., Capitol |
| Associated acts | |
| Past members | Nickolas Ashford (deceased) Valerie Simpson |
Ashford & Simpson were an American husband-and-wife songwriting-production team and recording duo of Nickolas Ashford (May 4, 1941 – August 22, 2011) and Valerie Simpson (born August 26, 1946).
Ashford was born in Fairfield, South Carolina, and Simpson in the Bronx, New York City. Afterwards, his family relocated to Ypsilanti, Michigan, where he became a member of Christ Temple Baptist Church. While there, he sang with a group called the Hammond Singers (named after the founding minister, James Hammond). Later, Nickolas attended and graduated from Willow Run High School in Ypsilanti, Michigan, before pursuing his professional career, where he would ultimately meet his wife, Valerie. They met at Harlem's White Rock Baptist Church in 1964. After having recorded unsuccessfully as a duo, they joined an aspiring solo artist and former member of the Ikettes, Joshie Jo Armstead, at the Scepter/Wand label, where their compositions were recorded by Ronnie Milsap ("Never Had It So Good"), Maxine Brown ("One Step at a Time"), as well as the Shirelles, the Guess Who, and Chuck Jackson. ..... That same year, Ashford & Simpson joined Motown, where their best-known songs included "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," "You're All I Need to Get By," "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing," and "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)." Ashford and Simpson wrote many other hit songs, including Chaka Khan's "I'm Every Woman" (1978) and "Is It Still Good to Ya?", originally recorded by the duo in 1978 and covered by Teddy Pendergrass in 1980.
As performers, Ashford & Simpson's best-known duets are "Solid" (1984) and "Found a Cure" (1979). The duo were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002. They are also recipients of The Rhythm & Blues Foundation's Pioneer Award, ASCAP Founders Award, and the Grammy Trustee Award. Rolling Stone ranked them No. 19 on its list of the 20 Greatest Duos of All Time.
Contents
Career
Songwriters
The duo essentially had two careers: one as a successful writing and producing team and the other as singers and performers themselves. ..... Their work with Charles brought them to the attention of Motown chief Berry Gordy.
Upon joining the Motown staff in 1966, Ashford & Simpson were paired with the vocal duo Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, and they wrote and/or produced all but one of the late-1960s Gaye/Terrell singles, including hits such as the original version of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "Your Precious Love", "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing", and "You're All I Need to Get By". According to Gaye in the book Divided Soul, Simpson did most of the vocals on the last album he did with Terrell, Easy, as a way for Terrell's family to have additional income, as she was battling an ultimately fatal brain tumor. Though Louvain Demps, singer of the Andantes, has stated that she saw Terrell recording the album, and Simpson is quoted as saying, in a book written by Terrell's sister, Ludie Montgomery, what they saw was her singing the guide tracks for the album, which were later replaced by Tammi's own vocals.
Ashford & Simpson wrote and produced almost all the songs on three 1970s albums for former Supreme Diana Ross, including her first solo album Diana Ross ("Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)") and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", Surrender ("Remember Me"), and The Boss. All three albums were critically acclaimed with Diana Ross, her 1970 album debut, and The Boss being certified platinum and "Surrender" certified gold.
Other Motown artists whom Ashford & Simpson worked with include Gladys Knight & the Pips ("Didn't You Know You'd Have to Cry Sometime", and after Motown they wrote and produced for this group "Landlord", "Bourgie, Bourgie", and "Taste of Bitter Love"), Smokey Robinson & the Miracles ("Who's Gonna Take the Blame"), Syreeta Wright ("I Can't Give Back the Love I Feel for You"), the Marvelettes ("Destination: Anywhere"), Martha Reeves & the Vandellas ("Tear It On Down"), the Dynamic Superiors ("Shoe, Shoe Shine"), Blinky Williams ("I Wouldn't Change the Man He Is"), and the Supremes with the Four Tops (original duets, plus the production of a hit cover of Phil Spector's "River Deep-Mountain High").
Other artists with whom Ashford & Simpson had hits were Teddy Pendergrass ("Is It Still Good to Ya"), the Brothers Johnson ("Ride-O-Rocket"), Stephanie Mills ("Keep Away Girls"), Chaka Khan, both on her own ("I'm Every Woman" and "Clouds"), and with Rufus ("Keep It Comin'" and "Ain't Nothin' But a Maybe").
Performers
Ashford & Simpson's career as recording artists began in the early 1960s as part of the gospel group the Followers, with whom they recorded the album Gospel Meeting (on Forum Circle), later issued as Meetin' The Followers (on Roulette Records). The LP contains their vocals and also four Ashford compositions. In 1964, they recorded "I'll Find You", as "Valerie & Nick". .....
Simpson appeared (with Melba Moore) as part of the "Blood, Sweat & Tears Soul Chorus" on the band's debut album Child Is Father to the Man in 1968. After concentrating on working with other artists, Simpson was the featured soloist on the songs "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and "What's Going On" on the Quincy Jones albums Gula Matari in 1970, and its follow-up, Smackwater Jack.
Simpson subsequently recorded two solo LPs for Motown: Exposed in 1971, and, the following year, Valerie Simpson, which included the single "Silly, Wasn't I", which was later sampled on 50 Cent's "Best Friend" from the movie, Get Rich or Die Tryin'. The song was also sampled by 9th Wonder on Murs's "Silly Girl" in the album, Murray's Revenge. Ashford & Simpson were featured singing selections from Simpson's solo albums on the PBS TV show Soul!, hosted by Ellis Haizlip in 1971. In 1973, they left Motown after the albums Simpson recorded for the label received poor promotion, and the company refused to release an album of the duo recording a collection of their most famous songs for other artists.
In 1974, Ashford and Simpson married after resuming their career as a duo, with the Warner Bros. album Gimme Something Real released in 1973, followed in 1974 by I Wanna Be Selfish. In 1975, Simpson sang backing vocals on Paul Simon's number-one hit "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover", and in 1976 they released Come As You Are. 1977 saw the release of two albums – So So Satisfied and Send it. This was followed by the hit singles "Send It", "Don't Cost You Nothin'" (1977), "It Seems To Hang On" (1978), "Is It Still Good To Ya" (1978), "Found a Cure" (1979), "Street Corner" (1982), and their biggest hit, "Solid", released in 1984.
In 1978, they were featured as vocalists, along with Chaka Khan, on the hit single "Stuff Like That" from Quincy Jones' Sounds... And Stuff Like That album and contributed to the writing of the soundtrack to The Wiz. The duo appeared as themselves in "Nocturne", a 1986 episode of the popular television series The Equalizer.
On his own, Ashford (along with Frank Wilson) produced the hit "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me", which Diana Ross & the Supremes recorded in collaboration with the Temptations in 1968. He also appeared in the movie New Jack City (1991), as Reverend Oates, an ordained minister who was part of Nino Brown's entourage.
Simpson's brothers were in the record business as well: Ray Simpson replaced Victor Willis in the Village People and their brother Jimmy Simpson produced the group GQ (which had big hits with "Disco Nights (Rock-Freak)" and "I Do Love You"), and was in great demand as a mixing engineer during the disco era.
Personal life
Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson had two daughters, Nicole (born in 1975), and Asia (born in 1987). Nicole graduated from Wesleyan University in 1997.
Awards and nominations
In 1969, Ashford and Simpson won three BMI Awards for the songs "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing," and "Your Precious Love."
Ashford and Simpson were inducted Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002. They were also recipients of The Rhythm & Blues Foundation's Pioneer Award in 1999, and ASCAP's highest honor, the Founders Award, which they received in 1996.
Grammy Awards
Ashford and Simpson were nominated for three Grammy Awards. In 2019, they received the Grammy Trustees Award.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Ashford And Simpson | Best Video, Short Form | Nominated |
| 1986 | Solid | Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal | Nominated |
| 1987 | Real Love | Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal | Nominated |
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Album | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Record label | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US |
US R&B |
AUT |
CAN |
GER |
NLD |
NZ |
SWI |
UK |
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| 1973 | Gimme Something Real | 156 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Warner Bros. | |||
| 1974 | I Wanna Be Selfish | 195 | 21 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1976 | Come as You Are | 189 | 35 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1977 | So So Satisfied | 180 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| Send It | 52 | 10 | — | 53 | — | — | — | — | — |
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| 1978 | Is It Still Good to Ya | 20 | 1 | — | 43 | — | — | — | — | — |
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| 1979 | Stay Free | 23 | 3 | — | 71 | — | — | — | — | — |
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| 1980 | A Musical Affair | 38 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1982 | Street Opera | 45 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Capitol | |||
| 1983 | High-Rise | 84 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1984 | Solid | 29 | 1 | 13 | 47 | 11 | 25 | 17 | 15 | 42 |
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| 1986 | Real Love | 74 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1989 | Love or Physical | 135 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1996 | Been Found | — | 49 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Hopsack & Silk | |||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
Live albums
| Year | Album | Peak chart positions | Record label | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US |
US R&B |
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| 1981 | Performance | 125 | 45 | Warner Bros. | ||||||||||
| 2009 | The Real Thing | — | 59 | Burgundy | ||||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
Compilation albums
- The Best of Ashford & Simpson (1993, Capitol)
- Capitol Gold: The Best of Ashford & Simpson (1996, Capitol)
- The Gospel According to Ashford & Simpson: Count Your Blessings (1996, EMI)
- The Very Best of Ashford & Simpson (2002, Warner Bros./Rhino)
- The Warner Bros. Years: Hits, Remixes & Rarities (2008, Rhino)
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US |
US R&B |
US Dan |
AUT |
CAN |
GER |
NLD |
NZ |
SWI |
UK |
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| 1964 | "I'll Find You" | 117 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N/A | ||
| "Don't You Feel Sorry" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "It Ain't Like That" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1973 | "(I'd Know You) Anywhere" | 88 | 37 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Gimme Something Real | ||
| 1974 | "Have You Ever Tried It" | — | 77 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Main Line" | — | 37 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | I Wanna Be Selfish | |||
| "Everybody's Got to Give It Up" | — | 53 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1975 | "Bend Me" | — | 73 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Gimme Something Real | ||
| 1976 | "It'll Come, It'll Come, It'll Come" | — | 96 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Come as You Are | ||
| "Somebody Told a Lie" | — | 58 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "One More Try" | — | — | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "Tried, Tested and Found True" | — | 52 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | So So Satisfied | |||
| 1977 | "So So Satisfied" | — | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Over and Over" | — | 39 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "Send It" | — | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Send It | |||
| 1978 | "Don't Cost You Nothing" | 79 | 10 | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 58 | |||
| "By Way of Love's Express" | — | 35 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "Stuff Like That" (with Quincy Jones & Chaka Khan) | 21 | 1 | — | — | 23 | — | 24 | — | — | 34 | Sounds...and Stuff Like That!! | |||
| "It Seems to Hang On" | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 48 | Is It Still Good to Ya | |||
| "Is It Still Good to Ya" | — | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1979 | "Flashback" | — | 70 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Found a Cure" | 36 | 2 | 1 | — | 65 | — | 37 | — | — | — | Stay Free | |||
| "Nobody Knows" | — | 19 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Stay Free" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 1980 | "Love Don't Make It Right" | — | 6 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | A Musical Affair | ||
| "Happy Endings" | — | 35 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1981 | "Get Out Your Handkerchief" | — | 65 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "It Shows in the Eyes" | — | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Performance | |||
| "It's the Long Run" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1982 | "Street Corner" | 56 | 9 | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Street Opera | ||
| "Love It Away" | — | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1983 | "I'll Take the Whole World On" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "High-Rise" | — | 17 | 41 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | High-Rise | |||
| "It's Much Deeper" | — | 45 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1984 | "I'm Not That Tough" | — | 78 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Solid" | 12 | 1 | 15 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | Solid | |||
| 1985 | "Outta the World" | 102 | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Babies" | 102 | 29 | — | — | — | 53 | — | — | — | 56 | ||||
| 1986 | "Count Your Blessings" | 84 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 79 | Real Love | ||
| "What Becomes of Love" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1987 | "Nobody Walks in L.A." | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1989 | "I'll Be There for You" | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Love or Physical | ||
| "Cookies and Cake" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1990 | "Hungry for Me Again" | — | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Def by Temptation | ||
| 1996 | "Been Found" | — | 80 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Been Found | ||
| 1997 | "What If" | — | 94 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 2001 | "We Are Family" (with Various Artists) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N/A | ||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
- Singles credited to Valerie & Nick
- Ashford & Simpson and Khan sang uncredited co-lead vocals on "Stuff Like That"
Solo recordings
Valerie Simpson
Listed below are solo recordings made by Valerie Simpson.
Albums
| Year | Album | Peak chart positions | Record label | |||||||||||
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| US |
US R&B |
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| 1971 | Exposed | 159 | 30 | Tamla | ||||||||||
| 1972 | Valerie Simpson | 162 | 50 | |||||||||||
| 2012 | Dinosaurs Are Coming Back Again | — | — | Hopsack & Silk | ||||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | |||||||||||
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| US |
US R&B |
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| 1971 | "Can't It Wait Until Tomorrow" | — | — | Exposed | ||||||||||
| 1972 | "Silly Wasn't I" | 63 | 24 | Valerie Simpson | ||||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
Nick Ashford
Listed below are solo recordings made by Nick Ashford.
Singles
- 1966: "I Don't Need No Doctor"
- 1967: "When I Feel the Need"
- 1968: "California Soul"
- 1970: "Dead End Kids"
See also
In Spanish: Ashford & Simpson para niños
- List of Number 1 Dance Hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart