The seeds of what was to become The Classics IV were sown in Jacksonville, Florida in the early 1960s when a young drummer named Dennis Yost joined some high school classmates in a band called "The Echoes". By 1965, he had moved on to form a another group with James Cobb, Wally Eaton, and Joe Wilson, calling themselves "The Classics". Wilson was eventually replaced in the group by Dean Daughtry.
The group achieved their first taste of success with a local hit titled "Pollyanna" written by Joe South. The band started to attract attention, not only for their soulful sound, but Dennis was one of the few drummers to play while standing up and also singing lead. When the band learned of a New York City group that had a small amount of success with a song titled "Till Then," using the same name, they changed their handle to "The Four Classics" and eventually "The Classics IV".
By 1967, the band had moved to Atlanta, Georgia and were soon approached by Bill Lowery of The Lowery Music Group, who secured a recording contract with Capitol Records. For their first release, guitarist James Cobb and producer Buddy Buie added lyrics to an instrumental called "Spooky", a regional hit for saxophonist Mike Sharpe. After the record's release, it was picked up by a radio station in Louisville, Kentucky and began to get airplay. The song's popularity spread nationally and it climbed to number 3 on Billboard's Hot 100 in early in 1968, although it only reached number 46 in the UK.
Now in demand for TV and live appearances, the group hired drummer Kim Venable and brought Dennis Yost to the front to sing. A follow up song called "Soul Train" failed to match the success of "Spooky", but another tune written by James Cobb and Buddy Buie, "Stormy" shot up the chart to number 5 in 1969, becoming the band's second million seller. Later the same year, they scored a number 2 hit and a third gold record with "Traces Of Love", also written by Cobb and Buie. Touring with the hottest acts of the day, Dennis Yost and The Classics IV scored two more hits in late 1969, a number 12 hit called "Every Day With You Girl" and "Change Of Heart" which reached number 25.
They changed their name again, to Dennis Yost and the Classics IV, and had one last minor hit, "What Am I Crying For?" (1972, #39) on the MGM South label.
As musical tastes changed, guitarists James Cobb and Dean Daughtry, along with producer Buddy Buie left The Classics IV to team up with some former members of Roy Orbison's back up band. The result was The Atlanta Rhythm Section, who would go on to have an impressive string of hits in the 70s, including two Top 10 records, "So In To You" and "Imaginary Lover" along with their own cover version of "Spooky".
An attempt to feature Dennis Yost as a solo artist never got off the ground and he could only muster minor success with, "Midnight" and "Where Did All The Good Times Go", as he switched labels to Imperial in 1972. One last top forty entry, "What Am I Crying For?" was released on the MGM South label and a final effort, "Rosanna" stalled at number 95 in March of 1973.
Although he could no longer make a hit record, Yost never stopped touring, and continued to appear with the likes of Gary Lewis and The Playboys, Chuck Berry, The Drifters, The Coasters, The Turtles, Paul Revere and The Raiders, Eric Clapton and many others. After moving to Nashville in 1993, he added writing and record production to his list of accomplishments. He currently has twenty-seven published works to his credit and produced Barbara Lewis ("Hello Stranger," "Baby, I'm Yours," and "Make Me Your Baby") on a song called "Donor" to help the cause of organ donation awareness.
At the turn of the millennium, Dennis underwent successful throat surgery for a condition that had severely impaired his singing voice. He also won a trademark dispute which gave him exclusive rights to the name "The Classics IV" for both performing and recording purposes.
Soul Train
Classics IV Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's a stack of records on the stereo
Let yourself unwind, girl we're gonna take a journey down to rhythm and blues
Ridin' on a soul train, yeah baby just-a me and you
You don't have to hurry on a soul train ride
You don't have to worry let your troubles slide
Dancin' to the music, maybe we can travel till we're out of sight
Groovin' slow and easy, just takin' our time
We ain't goin' nowhere, for baby I don't mind
So put your arms around me we're gonna take a journey down to rhythm and blues
Ridin' on a soul train, yeah baby just-a me and you
Ridin' on a soul train, baby
Oh, ridin' on a soul train, yeah
The song "Soul Train" by Classics IV is a classic masterpiece that takes the listener on a journey down memory lane. The singer starts off by telling his love interest to relax and enjoy the moment, as they are surrounded by dimmed lights and a stack of records. They are about to embark on a journey down memory lane, exploring rhythm and blues, with just each other for company. The song takes its name from the popular TV show "Soul Train" which aired from 1971 to 2006, and was a show dedicated to soul music and dancing.
Throughout the song, the singer reassures his love interest that they don't have to rush and they don't have to worry. They simply need to let the music take them to a better place, where they can let their troubles slide away. As they dance to the music, they can travel far away, and everything will be fine. The singer suggests that they groove to the music slow and easy, taking their time and not worrying about where they're headed.
The song is a beautiful example of how music can help people connect and create a safe space to let go of their worries. The simplicity of the lyrics, combined with the mellow tone of the music, creates a timeless classic that anyone can relate to.
Line by Line Meaning
Listen to me, baby the lights are way down low
I am asking you to pay attention as I set the mood with dim lights.
There's a stack of records on the stereo
We have a lot of great music available to us tonight.
Let yourself unwind, girl we're gonna take a journey down to rhythm and blues
Relax and enjoy as we venture into the world of soulful music.
Ridin' on a soul train, yeah baby just-a me and you
We will be embarking on this soulful journey together.
You don't have to hurry on a soul train ride
We have plenty of time to explore this genre at our own pace.
You don't have to worry let your troubles slide
Forget all your worries and immerse yourself in the music.
Dancin' to the music, maybe we can travel till we're out of sight
We can lose ourselves in the rhythm and dance until we forget where we are.
Yeah, and everything'll be all right
Don't worry about anything else, we're here to have a good time.
Groovin' slow and easy, just takin' our time
We're not in a rush, let's enjoy the music as it comes.
We ain't goin' nowhere, for baby I don't mind
We don't have a specific destination, and that's okay with me.
So put your arms around me we're gonna take a journey down to rhythm and blues
Let's get closer and enjoy the music together.
Ridin' on a soul train, yeah baby just-a me and you
We're still on this soulful journey together.
Ridin' on a soul train, baby
We're still on this journey, and it feels great.
Oh, ridin' on a soul train, yeah
We're still here, and it's still amazing.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: BUIE, COBB
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Henry Calhoun
Great voice
Marcus Reeves
SPLACKA
Daniel Hudelson
wow.. shameless copycat followup to "Spooky"
, eh? They did redeem themselves with "Traces" and "Stormy" though.
Demetrius Dillard
Yeah, the song does sound eerily similar to "Spooky," doesn't it?
Kari Atkinson
My jam
Sandylorenzi22
It's the same writer I believe.