New York, NY (Top40 Charts) With over 58 years in the music industry and a myriad of disappointments with traditional record companies, the Whispers have embarked on a journey to re-record covers of their catalog of hits. The Tag "Whispers' Version" will be included on each title so fans can distinguish their versions from those owned by the record labels.
The first release to drop on
September 9, 2022 on all streaming platforms is their most popular, "And the Beat Goes On (Whispers'
Radio version)," to be followed by the extended Dance Version.
Soon to follow will be, "Rock Steady," "
Olivia" and "Keep On Loving Me" along with Karaoke versions. The Catalog will be released independently by the Whispers in partnership with B&A Entertainment of Las
Vegas as the distributor and administrator.
Inspired and encouraged by artists such as
Taylor Swift and
Kelly Clarkson, who recently brought the re- recording issue to the forefront, and Anita Baker's struggles to acquire ownership of her masters, the Whispers' goal is to own the sound recordings ("masters") of their life's work. All Whispers' musical compositions (with their vocals on them) are considered their "Catalog."
In most cases, the record company owns the copyright to the "sound recording," and the writer owns the copyright to the lyrics and compositions.
The Artist has no control, receiving a very small percentage of the song's proceeds when the songs are used in film, television, commercials, and other platforms. Still in possession of their powerful voices and produced by longtime Producer Magic Mendez, listeners will easily recognize the smooth, lead vocals of twin brothers Wallace "Scotty" Scott and Walter Scott, and the silky tenor of Leaveil Degree, blending sweet harmonies.
According to Scotty, "We want to reap some of the financial benefits that record companies have enjoyed at our expense for decades ." Walter expressed a similar sentiment: "Record contracts have not always been artist-friendly. We and other artists have historically been disadvantaged by the contracts that we've signed."
The Whispers are one of the first "
Old School" artists to take control of their music. They hope that others will follow. Willette Ballard, Vice President of B & A Entertainment expressed her excitement about this endeavor: "When fans go on a streaming site searching for a Whispers' song, they will be able to select the Whispers' re-recording, adding more revenue to the Whispers that they should have received in the first place." Their previous independent releases include a social justice single in 2020, "
How Long" promoting love and unity during a dark period of social unrest, and in 2021, they returned with "
It's Been Too Long" a melodic reflection of their classic R&B style. With a renewed focus on "Ownership," 2022 should be a historical year. More information and "pre-release" downloads can be found on the Whispers' website linked below.
During this Whispers Week, we celebrate the Mighty Whispers who have produced hits for nearly six decades. One of their latest releases, entitled, "
How Long" which was inspired by the events surrounding
George Floyd remain as timely today as ever. They recently sat down with
Music and Medicine host, Dr. Moshe Lewis to discuss the meaning behind this song and the importance of "Owning Your Own Masters." They are currently in the process of remastering many of their greatest hits due out this fall.
The Whispers is an American group from Los Angeles, California who have scored hit records since the late 1960s. They are best known for their two number one R&B singles, "And The Beat Goes On" from 1980 and "
Rock Steady" done in 1987. The Whispers scored 15 top-ten R&B singles, and 8 top-ten R&B albums They have earned two platinum and five gold albums by the RIAA.
