The group's most successful period was in the late 1970s and early 1980s when Lionel Richie was co-lead singer. The band's biggest hit singles are ballads such as "Easy", "Three Times a Lady", and "Nightshift"; and funky dance hits which include "Brick House", "Fancy Dancer", "Lady (You Bring Me Up)", and "Too Hot ta Trot". In 1986 the Commodores won their first Grammy for the song "Nightshift".
Band history
The Commodores originally came together from two former groups, the Mystics and the Jays. There was even a Jazz aspect to one of the groups. They wanted to change the name. Together, a six-man band was created from which the notable individuals were Lionel Richie, Thomas McClary, and William King from the Mystics; Andre Callahan, Michael Gilbert, and Milan Williams were from the Jays. To choose a new name, William "WAK" King opened a dictionary and randomly picked a word. "We lucked out", he remarked with a laugh when telling this story to People magazine. "We almost became 'The Commodes!
The band originated while its members attended Tuskegee University in Alabama. After winning the university's annual freshman talent contest, they played at fraternity parties as well as a weekend gig at the Black Forest Inn, one of a few clubs in Tuskegee that catered to college students. They performed mostly cover tunes and some original songs with their first singer, James Ingram (not the famous solo artist). Ingram, older than the rest of the band, left to serve active duty in Vietnam, and was later replaced by Walter "Clyde" Orange, who would write or co-write many of their hit tunes. Lionel Richie and Orange alternated as lead singers. (Orange was the lead singer on the Top 10 hits "Brick House" and "Nightshift".)
The Commodores made a brief appearance in the 1978 film Thank God It's Friday. They performed the song "Too Hot ta Trot" during the dance contest; the songs "Brick House" and "Easy" were also played during the movie.
"Machine Gun", the instrumental title track from the band's debut album, became a staple at American sporting events, and is similarly featured in many films, including Boogie Nights and Looking for Mr. Goodbar. It reached No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1975. Another instrumental, "Cebu" (named after an island in the Philippines), later became a staple in the Quiet storm format. Three albums released in 1975 and 1976 (Caught in the Act, Movin' On, and Hot on the Tracks) are considered the peak of their harder funk period. After those recordings the group started to move towards a softer sound. That move was hinted at in their 1976 Top Ten hits "Sweet Love" and "Just to Be Close to You". In 1977 the Commodores released "Easy", which became the group's biggest hit yet, reaching No. 4 in the U.S., followed by "Brick House", also top 5, both from their album The Commodores, as was "Zoom". The group reached No. 1 in 1978 with "Three Times a Lady". In 1979 the Commodores scored another top-five ballad, "Sail On", before reaching the top of the charts once again with another ballad, "Still". In 1981 they released two top-ten hits with "Oh No" (No. 4) and their first upbeat single in almost five years, "Lady (You Bring Me Up)" (No. 8).
In 1982, Lionel Richie left to pursue a solo career. A transition that was smooth but slow, Richie's departure was evident after it was mentioned to the band why his distinct sound would never be a part of The Commodores; Skyler Jett replaced Richie as co-lead singer. Also in 1982, their manager Benjamin Ashburn who also managed another band Platinum Hook died of a heart attack aged 54.
Over time, several founding members left - McClary left in 1983 (shortly after Richie) to pursue a solo career and to develop a gospel music company. McClary was replaced by guitarist-vocalist Sheldon Reynolds while LaPread left in 1986 and moved to Auckland, New Zealand and Reynolds departed for Earth, Wind & Fire in 1987, which prompted trumpeter William "WAK" King to take over primary guitar duties for live performances. Keyboardist Milan Williams exited the band in 1989 after allegedly refusing to tour South Africa.
The group also gradually abandoned its funk roots and moved into the more commercial pop arena. In 1984 former Heatwave singer James Dean "J.D." Nicholas assumed co-lead vocal duties with drummer Walter Orange. The band remained hitless until 1985 when their final Motown album, Nightshift, produced by Dennis Lambert—all prior albums were produced by James Anthony Carmichael)—delivered the Grammy Award-winning title track "Nightshift" (No. 3 in the U.S.). It was a tribute to Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson. In 2010 a new version was recorded, dedicated to Michael Jackson. The Commodores were on a European tour performing at Wembley Arena, London, on June 25, 2009, when they walked off the stage after they were told that Michael Jackson had died. Initially the band thought it was a hoax. However, back in their dressing rooms they received confirmation and broke down in tears. The next night at Birmingham's NIA Arena, J.D. Nicholas added Jackson's name into the lyrics of the song, and thenceforth the Commodores have mentioned Jackson and other deceased R&B singers. Thus came the inspiration upon the one-year anniversary of Jackson's death, to re-record, with new lyrics, the hit song "Nightshift" as a tribute. "Nightshift" won The Commodores their first Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals in 1985.
In 1990 the Commodores formed Commodores Records and re-recorded their 20 greatest hits as Commodores Hits Vol. I & II. They have recorded a live album Commodores Live! along with a DVD of the same name, and a Christmas album titled Commodores Christmas. In 2012, the band was working on new material, some contributions written by current and former members.
The Commodores now consist of Walter "Clyde" Orange, James Dean "J.D." Nicholas, and William "WAK" King, along with their five-piece band, known as the "Mean Machine". The group continues to perform, playing at arenas, theaters, and festivals around the world.
Studio albums
Machine Gun (1974)
Caught in the Act (1975)
Movin' On (1975)
Hot on the Tracks (1976)
Commodores (1977)
Natural High (1978)
Midnight Magic (1979)
Heroes (1980)
In the Pocket (1981)
Commodores 13 (1983)
Nightshift (1985)
United (1986)
Rock Solid (1988)
Commodores Christmas (1992)
No Tricks (1993)
still
Commodores Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I'm without you once again
You laughed at me, you said you've never needed me
I wonder if you need me now
We played the games that people play
We made mistakes along the way
Somehow I know deep in my heart, you needed me
Remembering the pain, if I must say
But then most of all, I do love you
Still
Those memories, times I'm sure we'll never forget
Those feelings we can't put aside
For what we had, sometimes I try to understand
But it's so heavy on my mind
So many dreams that flew away, so many words we didn't say
Two people lost in a storm, where did we go, where'd we go?
Lost what we both had found, you know we let each other down
But then most of all, I do love you
Still
We played the games that people play
We made our mistakes along the way
Somehow I know deep in my heart, you needed me
'Cause I needed you so desperately
We were too blind to see, but then
Most of all, I do love you
Still
The lyrics of Commodores' song 'Still' are a heartfelt account of a love that has suffered pain and separation but persists nonetheless. The song depicts the singer who is without their loved one once again and reminiscing over their past relationship. The opening lines 'Lady, morning's just a moment away/ And I'm without you once again' suggest that the singer has woken up without their lover once again and is reflecting on their current situation. The following lines 'You laughed at me, said you've never needed me/ I wonder if you need me now' express feelings of doubt and insecurity as the singer questions whether they still hold a place in their lover's heart.
The second verse of the song reflects on the memories that the two lovers have shared and the love they still have for each other despite their mistakes and shortcomings. The lyrics 'But it's so heavy on my mind/ So many dreams that flew away, so many words we didn't say' express regret over missed opportunities and unsaid words. The chorus line 'But then most of all, I do love you/ Still' reaffirms the singer's love for their significant other despite the pain and regret they feel.
The final verse reflects on the blindness of the two lovers towards each other's needs which led to the loss of their love. The lyrics 'We were too blind to see/ But then most of all, I do love you/ Still' express a longing to turn back time and make things right, but in the end, the singer knows that they still love their partner despite their past mistakes.
Line by Line Meaning
Lady, morning's just a moment away
Another day is about to begin and I wake up without you
And I'm without you once again
I miss you and I feel lost without you as always
You laughed at me, you said you've never needed me
You made fun of my feelings and claimed that you never depended on me
I wonder if you need me now
I am curious if you realize how much you actually need me in your life
We played the games that people play
We acted like others and followed societal expectations
We made mistakes along the way
We erred and faced difficulties in our journey
Somehow I know deep in my heart, you needed me
Despite your claims, I believe that you actually needed me
Remembering the pain, if I must say
Recalling the hurt and anguish we experienced
It's deep in my mind and locked away
The suffering is ingrained in my memory and difficult to forget
But then most of all, I do love you
Despite everything, I cannot deny that I have strong feelings of love for you
Those memories, times I'm sure we'll never forget
Those moments in our history that will always remain etched in our minds
Those feelings we can't put aside
The emotions we still harbor and cannot dismiss
For what we had, sometimes I try to understand
I attempt to comprehend what we once shared
But it's so heavy on my mind
However, it is a burden on my psyche
So many dreams that flew away, so many words we didn't say
We missed opportunities and failed to express ourselves
Two people lost in a storm, where did we go, where'd we go?
We were lost and helpless in a difficult situation, wondering how we got there
Lost what we both had found, you know we let each other down
We lost what we had achieved together and disappointed each other
But then most of all, I do love you
Despite all odds, I cannot deny the depth of my love for you
We played the games that people play
We conformed to societal norms and behaved like others
We made our mistakes along the way
We stumbled and committed errors in our journey
Somehow I know deep in my heart, you needed me
Despite your claims, I am convinced that you actually needed me
'Cause I needed you so desperately
Because I was so dependent on you and needed you so much
We were too blind to see, but then
We were ignorant of the reality, but at this point
Most of all, I do love you
Above all, I cannot help but admit that I love you deeply
Lyrics © CONSALAD CO., Ltd., BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Spirit Music Group, Sentric Music, Songtrust Ave, Anthem Entertainment, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc., Ashleriah Music
Written by: Lionel Richie
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
GTRFG7
Still Commodores Lyrics
[Verse 1]
Lady, morning's just a moment away
And I'm without you once again
You laughed at me
You said you never needed me
I wonder if you need me now
[Chorus]
We played the games that people play
We made mistakes along the way
Somehow I know deep in my heart
You needed me
Remembering the pain if I must say
It's deep in my mind and locked away
But then most of all
I do love you
Still
[Verse 2]
Those memories
Times I'm sure we'll never forget
Those feelings we can't put aside
For what we had
Sometimes I try to understand
But it's so heavy on my mind
So many dreams that flow away
So many words we didn't say
Two people lost in a storm
Where did we go?
Where'd we go?
Lost what we both had found
You know we let each other down
But then most of all
I do love You
Still
[Chorus]
We played the games that people play
We made our mistakes along the way
Somehow I know deep in my heart
You needed me
'Cause I needed you so desperately!
We were too blind to see
But then most of all
I do love You
Still
kwolf43
No auto-tunes,No voice overs Just pure artistry ,A very beautiful song.
Bruna Braga
boa meu amigo dso peito
Elizabeth Bowden
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤🎉🎉😂😂😂
Jenn S.
I think this is one of the most beautiful and saddest love songs ever written. I loved it in the 70's and it still touches my heart. The words to this song are so deep and profoundly tell the tale as old as time.
Delores Michael
I agree
Renato Timoteo
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C
I agree!! It’s a love song that speaks to the heart like The Notebook. This makes me think of when Noah finally stopped writing to Allie. Like he gave up hope but still couldn’t let the memory of what they had go. It’s a grief deep and profound like the loss of a loved one!
Mirella santos
💘💔😔
Nive Gangob
Nope!why?,because love is still there.the most saddest actually is the parody of the song more than words called you dont love me anymore by weird al nyancovic 😁😁😁😁
LanaTBA
One thing is for sure, Lionel Ritchie is an amazing wealth of talent. His song writing is second to none. Needless to say his voice🥰