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People...Hold On

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People...Hold On is the second studio album by American singer Eddie Kendricks, released in May 1972 by Tamla Records. His second album after leaving the Temptations in 1971, and it proved to be his breakout album. The album took some time to gain traction, with sales gradually building, particularly in New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. Six months after its release, the album charted at number 131 on the Billboard Top LPs and Tape and number 13 on Soul LPs.

People...Hold On
Studio album by
Eddie Kendricks
ReleasedMay 1972
RecordedJanuary 1972
Genre
Length41:46
LabelTamla Records
Producer
Eddie Kendricks chronology
All by Myself
(1971) 		People...Hold On
(1972) 		Eddie Kendricks
(1973)
Singles from People...Hold On
  1. "Eddie's Love"
    Released: March 23, 1972
  2. "If You Let Me"
    Released: August 31, 1972
  3. "Girl You Need a Change of Mind"
    Released: January 9, 1973

The album was recorded in the Hitsville U.S.A. studio, and it was one of the last project completed there before Motown's move to Los Angeles. It marked a departure from Kendricks' previous pop-oriented sound, embracing a more socially conscious and urban style. The album produced three singles, with "Girl You Need a Change of Mind" standing out as one of the first disco and dance records. Other tracks explored themes of love and spirituality. The album's success in dance clubs laid the groundwork for Kendricks' upcoming number one song, "Keep On Truckin'".

Background and recording

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Eddie Kendricks in 1972.

Eddie Kendricks had been a founding member of The Temptations since 1960. However, by 1971, the internal drama within the group had taken a toll on him. Seeking a fresh start, Kendricks signed a solo deal with Motown's Tamla division, marking the beginning of his solo career.[1] In April 1971, Kendricks released his debut solo album, All by Myself, which peaked at number 80 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape.

That same year, he discovered the band The Young Senators, who had formed in 1965 and had just released their debut single, "Jungle," which rose to number one on local and regional R&B music charts. Kendricks met the band's leader, Jimi Dougans, and asked him if they wanted to be his backing band on tours, and Dougans agreed without consulting the other members.[2] The Young Senators began touring with Kendricks the following year and started recording his next album.[3]

The album was recorded in January 1972 and was one of the last album to be recorded at Motown's Hitsville U.S.A. studio before the label's move to Los Angeles. According to Dougans, Kendricks, along with the engineers, producers, and session musicians, stayed up until three o'clock in the morning to record the track "Girl You Need a Change of Mind."[4]

Music

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The Young Senators, who toured with Kendricks and played on People...Hold On.

People...Hold On is noted for being less pop-oriented, with DownBeat describing the music as "the sound of the streets." The tracks "If You Let Me" and "Eddie's Love," both released as singles, featured two-step rhythms and horn charts that were "steeped in an urban sound," created to resonate with a specific demographic rather than appealing to all of the United States.[4] The third single, "Girl You Need a Change of Mind," is noted for its gospel influence, with Frank Wilson's production featuring strings and a breakdown and buildup.[5] This track has been described as a prototype for the disco genre and later became popular in New York City dance clubs.[6][7] In the song, he touches on women's rights, questioning the process and expressing his concerns by asking why women marched in picket lines.[8][9] The track runs for nearly eight minutes, with a radio version being released by Motown.[10][11]

"My People...Hold On" uses a syncopated chant and African percussion, with Kendricks alternating between his falsetto and a deeper voice throughout the track. He described the song to Disc as "a spiritual song," encouraging people to hold on to love, emphasizing its lasting importance.[12][13] "Someday We’ll Have A Better World" features Kendricks dreaming of a utopian world, while "Date with the Rain" portrays Kendricks wanting comfort from a broken heart in the rainfall.[14][15]

Reception and commercial performance

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [16]

The album charted moderately well, peaking at number 13 on Billboard’s Soul LPs chart and reaching number 131 on the Top LPs & Tape.[17][18] Billboard described the album as having Kendricks's "best performance to day" with "good arrangements and variety."[19] This success helped to elevate Eddie Kendricks' profile during the early stages of his solo career after leaving The Temptations.[1] Lindsay Planer of AllMusic described People...Hold On as "dabbling with communally conscious soul and making initial forays into dance music that would predate disco," giving the album 4.5 out of 5 stars.[16]

Andrew Hamilton described People...Hold On as an example of why best-of and greatest-hits compilations aren't definitive, saying that much of the album's material went unnoticed. He praised "My People...Hold On" for its strong social message and highlighted "If You Let Me" as showcasing some of Kendricks' best vocal performances.[20] Jared Boyd of Al.com described it as an "expansive journey of sound," highlighting Kendricks' decision to create a "risky soul manifesto" instead of relying on his previous success with The Temptations.[21] The album was ranked at number 50 on UDiscoverMusic's list of The Best Albums of 1972. Author Sam Armstrong praised the album, describing it as one of Kendricks' "finest releases," noting its fusion of soul with meaningful social commentary.[22]

Impact and legacy

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People...Hold On was released during a pivotal moment in American history, coinciding with the rise of the Black power movement. Just months before, Stevie Wonder released Where I'm Coming From, and shortly after Kendricks' release, Marvin Gaye's What's Going On was released. The album marked a significant departure in Kendricks' sound, showcasing a more socially conscious and dance-oriented approach. However, Kendricks did not fully capitalize on this new direction and instead scaled back his sound in subsequent releases.[1]

Multiple songs from the album were sampled in other songs. "My People...Hold On" was sampled in Erykah Badu's "My People" from her 2008 album New Amerykah Part One (4th World War) and in J Dilla's "People" from his 2006 album Donuts.[23][24] "Date with the Rain" was notably sampled in Lil Wayne's "Let The Beat Build" from his 2008 album Tha Carter III, produced by Deezle and Kanye West.[25][26] Canadian rapper Drake sampled the song "Just Memories" on "Ratchet Happy Birthday" from his 2018 album Scorpion.[27][28]

Songs from the album have also been covered by various artists. In June 2020, American singer Amber Mark covered "My People...Hold On" as a response to the George Floyd protests, stating that it was "time to bring more positive force into this world."[29][30] The cover was the fourth track in her Covered-19 series, with the music video, directed by Mark herself with choreography by Morgan Marie Grayned, features Mark and dancers in white dresses performing on a rooftop.[31][32] Pitchfork praised the video, describing it as offering "a nourishing vision of beauty that feels especially potent in this time of unrest."[33] In May 2023, vocalist Billy Valentine covered the song on his album Billy Valentine And The Universal Truth.[34][35] The song "Girl You Need a Change of Mind" was covered by D'Angelo for the 1996 film Get on the Bus.[36]

Track listing

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All tracks produced by Frank Wilson except where noted.

People...Hold On standard track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."If You Let Me"Frank Wilson3:10
2."Let Me Run Into Your Lonely Heart"
  • Wilson
  • Anita Poree
2:59
3."Day by Day" (
  • Wilson
  • Caston Jr.
)
3:07
4."Girl You Need a Change of Mind" (
  • Wilson
  • Caston Jr.
)
  • Poree
  • Caston Jr.
7:30
5."Someday We'll Have a Better World"
  • Norma Toney
3:35
6."My People...Hold On" (
  • Wilson
  • Caston Jr.
)
  • Poree
  • Caston Jr.
5:40
7."Date with the Rain" (
  • Miller
)
  • Bobby Miller
2:42
8."Eddie's Love" (
  • Wilson
  • Caston Jr.
)
  • Poree
  • Caston Jr.
3:20
9."I'm on the Sideline"
  • Penelope McClendon
2:56
10."Just Memories" (
  • Wilson
  • Caston Jr.
)
  • Poree
  • Caston Jr.
5:50
Total length:41:46

Credits and personnel

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Charts

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Chart (1972) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[17] 131
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[18] 13

References

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  1. ^ a b c Ousley, Brandon (May 1, 2022). "Eddie Kendricks' 'People… Hold On' Turns 50". Albumism.
  2. ^ Lornell & Stephenson 2009, pp. 74–75.
  3. ^ Teicher, Jordan G. (May 12, 2014). "Legends of Soul and Funk in the Nation's Capital". Slate.
  4. ^ a b Contreras, Ayana (February 11, 2020). "Eddie Kendricks' 'People' Was No Accident". DownBeat.
  5. ^ Heller, Jason (June 4, 2019). "Searching For Disco's Cro-Magnon". NPR.
  6. ^ Echols 2010, pp. 14.
  7. ^ Kiviat, Steve (March 21, 2013). "Remembering Leroy Fleming, Former Member of Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers". Washington City Paper.
  8. ^ Anderson, Jason (December 5, 2017). "The 50 Best Songs by Musicians Who Went Solo". Spin.
  9. ^ Leight, Elias. "The 100 Greatest Motown Songs". Rolling Stone.
  10. ^ Caswell, Estelle (April 26, 2019). "Why disco made pop songs longer". Vox.
  11. ^ Breihan, Tom (April 25, 2019). "The Number Ones: Eddie Kendricks' "Keep On Truckin'"". Stereogum.
  12. ^ Jackson, Ashawnta (May 1, 2024). "'My People…Hold On': Eddie Kendricks' Spiritual Anthem". UDiscoverMusic.
  13. ^ Darling, Cary (June 5, 2020). "50-year-old Motown protest songs still relevant today". San Antonio Express-News.
  14. ^ Armstrong, Sam (September 27, 2022). "The Best Songs Of 1972: 66 Classic Tunes". UDiscoverMusic.
  15. ^ Curtis, Deja (February 20, 2023). "Celebrate Black History Month With This Timeless Environmental Playlist". Sierra Club.
  16. ^ a b Planer, Lindsay. "People...Hold On". AllMusic.
  17. ^ a b "Eddie Kendricks Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
  18. ^ a b "Eddie Kendricks Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard.
  19. ^ Billboard Album Reviews. Billboard. May 27, 1972. p. 53.
  20. ^ Bogdanov 2003, pp. 387.
  21. ^ Boyd, Jared (July 26, 2017). "20 forgotten Alabama soul albums that you should totally revisit". Al.com.
  22. ^ Armstrong, Sam (January 2, 2022). "The Best Albums Of 1972: 65 Albums You Need To Hear". UDiscoverMusic.
  23. ^ Chomut, Christina (March 7, 2008). "Erykah Badu triumphs with her first CD in years". SheKnows.
  24. ^ Boyd, Jared (March 8, 2007). "20 sick songs that sample Alabama musicians". Al.com.
  25. ^ Kostidakis, Perry (June 10, 2018). "All Of The Tracks On 'Tha Carter III,' Ranked". Complex.
  26. ^ Unterberger, Andrew (March 24, 2015). "The 101 Best Kanye West-Produced Songs That Don't Feature Kanye". Spin.
  27. ^ Saponara, Michael (June 29, 2018). "Every Sample on Drake's 'Scorpion' Album". Billboard.
  28. ^ Price, Joe (June 29, 2018). "Here Are the Samples on Drake's 'Scorpion'". Complex.
  29. ^ Peacock, Tim (June 19, 2020). "Watch The Video For Amber Mark's Cover Of Eddie Kendricks' 'My People'". UDiscoverMusic.
  30. ^ Harris, LeTesha (June 19, 2020). "The Revolution Starts With Community In Amber Mark's Cover Of 'My People'". NPR.
  31. ^ Kenneally, Cerys (June 19, 2020). "Amber Mark covers Eddie Kendricks' "My People… Hold On" for Juneteenth". The Line of Best Fit.
  32. ^ Cantalini, Chris (June 19, 2020). "Amber Mark shares a beautiful cover of Eddie Kendricks' "My People…Hold On"". Gorilla vs. Bear.
  33. ^ Torres, Eric (July 1, 2020). "The 7 Best Music Videos of June 2020". Pitchfork.
  34. ^ Murray, Robin (May 3, 2023). "Billy Valentine & The Universal Truth Share Inspired Cut 'My People… Hold On'". Clash.
  35. ^ Le Gendre, Kevin (October 17, 2023). "Billy Valentine & Universal Truth bring the political funk to the fore for stunning Jazz Café performance". Jazzwise.
  36. ^ Boyd, Jared (February 28, 2018). "25 covers of songs by Alabama artists that are almost as good as their originals". Al.com.
Works cited
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