The group's first single was "For The First Time", released in 1964 by Carnival Records. Many consider August 15, 1964, the date of recording, to be the official start of the group. The group continued recording with great success, with the songs written by various members of the group. In 1968, the group received the award "Most Promising Group" by NATRA. In 1969, the group moved to the Deluxe record label of King Records. They then went on a college tour. While playing at Kittrell College in North Carolina, the group met another group, the New Imperials, who featured a member Gerald Alston, nephew of The Shirelles' lead singer, Shirley Alston-Reeves. They were so impressed with Alston that they asked him to join the group, but he declined.
Tragedy struck the group late in 1970 when George Smith fell down a flight of stairs and later took ill. Unable to perform, the group began to search for a new lead. They originally tried for The Cymballs' lead, Lee Williams, but he was not willing to leave them. The group then renewed their request to Gerald Alston (born 8 November 1942, in North Carolina), who accepted, and took over the lead spot. George Smith died of a brain tumor December 16, 1970.
The group continued recording through the 1970s with Alston on lead. They hit it big in 1976 with "Kiss and Say Goodbye", written by Blue Lovett and arranged by Bobby Martin (Martin being from New York City). It shot to Number one on the Billboard Pop and R&B charts, and became the second single ever to go platinum. Taylor left in 1976 to concentrate on his conversion to Islam, but the group continued as a quartet.
The group hit it big again in March of 1980, with the release of "Shining Star", which reached #5 on the Billboard charts. It received a Grammy award the following year. The group celebrated its 20th anniversary in 1985 with the release of Too Hot To Stop It. It included the Bivins/Smith penned tune "We Were Made As One", originally recorded in 1966, but covered in an a cappella, doo wop style, to emphasize the group's doo wop roots. The album was also dedicated to George Smith.
The group continued until 1988. That year, Alston left to record as a soloist. Roger Harris was then recruited as the new lead singer. The Columbia contract expired, so the group moved to the Valley Vue label.
The group's largest shake-up occurred in 1990, when Blue Lovett left due to health problems, and Kenny Kelley returned to college, for his PhD. Bivins, now the only original member left, took over management of the group. He recruited new members Alvin Pazant, Harsey Hemphill, and Charles Hardy. This brought the group back to a quintet. Harris proved to be only a short-term lead, however, as he left in 1991, and was replaced by new lead Wade Taylor. Taylor also only remained for a short time, leaving just a few months later. Bivins then recruited Lee Williams, the person who they had originally wanted to replace George Smith.
The current line-up of the group is Sonny Bivins, Lee Williams, Alvin Pazant, Harsey Hemphill, and Charles Hardy. They released the CD Manhattans Now in 1994, and in recent years, the group has been featured in the play, Girl, He Ain't Worth It. In 1996, they began recording under their own label, Manhattans Entertainment Inc. The Manhattans continued to tour and record.
For what would be their 30th reunion, former member Blue Lovett decided to return to the music scene with his own group of Manhattans in 1995. He brought in former lead Gerald Alston to be lead in his group. They are currently a quartet with Troy May and David Tyson, brother of The Temptations' Ron Tyson. In the past, the group also featured Eban Brown, now the lead of The Stylistics. This group has also released some CDs, including Even Now. This group was featured in two PBS specials.
Can I
MANHATTANS Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can I tell her, I got to tell her she's mine
She's got to be mine alone
Can I kiss her, I want to kiss her right now Mr. Preacher
Can I, take my, take my little baby home
Its plain to see, that I love her
And I want her, you know I want her to be
She's got to be my wife
I'm gonna love her, for the rest of my life
Well have a short reception
And don't cha know, don't cha know and then
Then were gonna catch, were gonna catch that little plane
And then every, every little, every little road that we stop at
Don't cha know, its gonna be our lovers lane, and I want cha
I just, I got to kiss her, I got to kiss her right now Mr. Preacher
Don't cha know I got to tell her, oo, I got to tell her she's mine
She's got to be mine alone, Can I,
Can I kiss her, I got to kiss her right now Mr. Preacher
Can I take my, little baby home
(Can I take my baby home)
Come on let me kiss her now, I got to have her
She's got to be mine, she's my baby and I need her
Come on and let me take her home; I got to have her Mr. Preacher
I got to have her, come on, come on...
The song "Can I" by The Manhattans is a romantic love song in which the singer (the groom) eagerly asks the preacher for permission to kiss and take his bride home. The lyrics reveal his excitement for being married and the earnest desire to be with his beloved. He implores the preacher to say the words that will sanction their union, and stresses how much he loves her and wants to be with her. He also mentions their future plans of having a short reception and taking a little plane to travel and visit different roads as "lovers lane."
The singer's emotional state is palpable, and the song highlights the sacredness of the wedding ceremony as a symbol of commitment and devotion. The lyrics also reinforce traditional gender roles where the groom pursues and "needs" the bride. The song's tone is upbeat, cheerful, and enthusiastic, reflecting the joy that comes with finding and marrying the right partner.
Overall, "Can I" by The Manhattans is a romantic classic that celebrates the bliss of falling in love and the excitement of getting married. It is a testament to the power of love and the importance of commitment and companionship.
Line by Line Meaning
Can I kiss my bride now preacher
May I please have the honor to kiss my wife now, as you have pronounced us as married, Mr. Preacher
Can I tell her, I got to tell her she's mine
May I express my love and ownership of her, she belongs to me and I must let her know
She's got to be mine alone
I cannot share her with anyone else, she belongs solely to me
Can I kiss her, I want to kiss her right now Mr. Preacher
May I please have your permission to kiss my wife, I cannot wait any longer, Mr. Preacher
Can I, take my, take my little baby home
May I take my beloved wife home with me, now that we are officially married
Its plain to see, that I love her
It is obvious that I am deeply in love with her
And I want her, you know I want her to be
I desire her to be with me and only me
She's got to be my wife
I am committed to her and cannot bear the thought of anyone else being with her
For if you, if you just say, if you just say that one word sir
If you simply say the word that makes us married, I will cherish and love her for the rest of my life
I'm gonna love her, for the rest of my life
I will love her unconditionally and forever
Well have a short reception
We will celebrate our marriage briefly
And don't cha know, don't cha know and then
As you know, as you know, after the reception
Then were gonna catch, were gonna catch that little plane
We will catch a small plane to our destination
And then every, every little, every little road that we stop at
Every small road we travel on from here on out
Don't cha know, its gonna be our lovers lane, and I want cha
Each new road will be where we express our love for each other, and I want you, my love
I just, I got to kiss her, I got to kiss her right now Mr. Preacher
I cannot wait any longer, I must kiss my wife immediately, Mr. Preacher
Don't cha know I got to tell her, oo, I got to tell her she's mine
She must know that she is mine, I need to remind her of that fact
She's got to be mine alone, Can I,
I cannot bear to share her with anyone else, may I have the pleasure of having her all to myself
Can I kiss her, I got to kiss her right now Mr. Preacher
I am compelled to kiss my wife right now, please allow me, Mr. Preacher
Can I take my, little baby home
May I take my beloved wife home with me, she is my little baby
Come on let me kiss her now, I got to have her
Please let me kiss her now, I cannot live without her
She's got to be mine, she's my baby and I need her
I must have her because she is mine and I cannot live without my baby
Come on and let me take her home; I got to have her Mr. Preacher
Please let me take my wife home, I need her more than anything, Mr. Preacher
I got to have her, come on, come on...
I absolutely must have her, please let me have her, come on...
Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANTHONY BERNARD ROUND, DENNIS ROUND, DARNELL SMITH, TIM KELLEY, SAMUEL LINDLEY, BOB ROBINSON, SHAWN PATRICK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ms. Nini
There'll never be another like The Manhattans. A group of true gentlemen with powerful talent :-)
Lois Weiss
we know it
PORT JERVIS
I LOVE THIS SONG!!!!!
Elvin Smith
George Smith of the Manhattans one of the best voices you'll ever hear.
Lois Weiss
yes indeed Elvin!
dadzilla
Always was a Manhattans fan. Have all of the Gerald Alston Manhattans joints. When I stumbled across this album, in the late 70's, this became my favorite Manhattans single.
bergendy5
I love the Manhattans, they have such a unique sound.Β The words had so much meaning, ..........
rongee 2049
They just don't make music like this anymore... What a treasure!
kariebeez
Lead vocals are great, harmonizing just wonderful. So sorry for the loss of these vocally talented gentlemen, their style and talent never to be replicated.
William Russell
This song tugs at the heart. Soooooooooo nice!!!