Elston had been singing with the Hi-Fi's in the mid-60s, warming up for Ray Charles in tours across the country. When that group split in 1966, members Marilyn McCoo and Lamont McLemore went on to co-found the enormously successful Fifth Dimension and Elston started the Friends, whose sound was similar to, and often confused with, the Fifth Dimension -- both included tightly harmonizing men and women dressed in late 60s "hip" clothing -- though the Friends' music was generally more soulful.
The newly formed Friends of Distinction was managed by football great Jim Brown and signed with RCA Records. Hitting the popular music scene when Motown and Stax were dominating, the Friends arrived with a breezy California pop/soul sound. Great harmonies and crossover arrangements backed the individually strong lead vocals of the group members. Combined with top notch material (both originals and covers), the group, like the Fifth Dimension, sounded like a breath of fresh air on Pop radio in 1969.
Their first single, "Grazin' In the Grass," was a Elston-sung vocal remake of a Hugh Masekela instrumental cut, and hit the top 5 on both Pop and Soul charts in 1969. The group's follow-up, "Going In Circles," was a brilliant ballad that also charted high. Love took some time off to have a baby, and Charlene Gibson stepped in and sang lead on the group's third big hit, "Love or Let Me Be Lonely." She also sang on the wonderful album cut, "Crazy Mary."
The Friends were quite prolific from 1969-71, releasing 5 albums (a sixth appeared in 1973). They also released a number of great singles, including "Check It Out" (later remade by Tavares) and a terrific cover of Neil Sedaka's "Time Waits for No One." Their best cuts are excellently compiled in The Best of the Friends of Distinction, which was released in 1996.
As popular music changed in the mid-70s, the Friends' fortunes declined. Jessica Cleaves was featured with Earth Wind and Fire,first appearance on the"Last Days and Time" release. A grueling touring schedule and the lack of a hit for several years led the group to call it quits in 1975. Elston and Butler continued to write and perform for a few years, then ultimately went their separate ways, taking jobs outside of music.
Over the next two decades, there was a rediscovery of the great music that the Friends had made together, and their biggest hits were remade by several artists, with "Going In Circles" charting for the Gap Band and Luther Vandross and "Love or Let Me Be Lonely" for pop artist Paul Davis. Most recently, "Grazin In the Grass" was released by Disney star Raven.
In 1990, Elston and Butler decided to bring the Friends back together. Tragically, Butler died (at Elston's side) before the group reunion could be realized. After Butler's death, Elston spent several years forming a new Friends group, ultimately bringing together Geno Henderson, Wendy Bruné and Berlando Drake to sing with Elston. That lineup currently tours and continues to entertain audiences nearly 40 years after the world first heard the Friends of Distinction.
Goin In Circles
The Friends of Distinction Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm an ever spinning top, whirling around till I drop
Oh but what am I to do, my mind is in a whirlpool
Give me a little hope, one small thing to cling to
You got me going in circles (oh round and round I go)
You got me going in circles
(Oh round and round I go, I'm spun out over you)
I'm a faceless clock, with timeless hopes that never stop
Lord but I feel that way, of my soul, my soul is stay
Oh but what am I to do, my mind is in a whirlpool
Give me a little hope, one small thing to cling to
You got me going in circles (oh round and round I go)
You got me going in circles
(Oh round and round I go)
I'm spun out over you (I need you baby) over you (I need you baby)
Spun out over you (I need you baby, I need you baby (oh baby) baby)
I'm spun (I need you baby) I said I'm spun out over you (I need you baby)
Spun out over you (I need you baby, I need you baby
Baby, I need you baby I spun out over you
I need you baby
The Friends of Distinction's song, Goin In Circles, is about feeling lost and directionless. The lyrics express the feeling of being stuck in a never-ending cycle. The first stanza compares the singer to a wheel and a spinning top without any purpose or end goal. The line "Give me a little hope, one small thing to cling to" shows the singer's yearning for something to hold onto, a glimmer of light in the darkness of their confusion.
The second stanza describes the singer as a "faceless clock" that keeps on ticking with hope that never ends. However, the soul is tired of the endless cycle and yearns for a way out. The repetition of the chorus emphasizes the feeling of being stuck in a repetitive cycle, going round and round like a hamster on a wheel. The lines "I need you baby" and "Baby, I need you baby" suggest that the singer is looking for someone to help them break free from this cycle of confusion, someone to bring clarity and purpose to their life.
Overall, the song is a powerful expression of the feelings of confusion, aimlessness, and stagnation that one can experience in life.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm an ever rollin' wheel, without a destination real
I feel like my life is going nowhere and I am just going through the motions.
I'm an ever spinning top, whirling around till I drop
I can't seem to slow down and take control of my life, I feel like I am just spinning out of control.
Oh but what am I to do, my mind is in a whirlpool
I am overwhelmed and don't know what to do to get out of this cycle.
Give me a little hope, one small thing to cling to
I need something positive to focus on and help guide me out of this cycle.
You got me going in circles (oh round and round I go)
My thoughts and actions keep repeating in a never-ending cycle, with no clear way out.
I'm a faceless clock, with timeless hopes that never stop
I feel like a machine with no identity, just going through the motions while still holding onto the hope that things will get better.
Lord but I feel that way, of my soul, my soul is stay
I feel lost and empty inside, like something is missing or broken in my soul.
I'm spun out over you (I need you baby) over you (I need you baby)
I am consumed and fixated on someone or something that I feel like I need to break the cycle.
Spun out over you (I need you baby, I need you baby (oh baby) baby)
My fixation on this person or thing is so strong that I feel like I need them to be able to break the cycle.
I'm spun (I need you baby) I said I'm spun out over you (I need you baby)
My thoughts and feelings are so consumed by this person or thing that I feel like I am stuck in a never-ending cycle without them.
Spun out over you (I need you baby, I need you baby
Baby, I need you baby I spun out over you
I need you baby)
I am fixated on this person or thing and feel like I cannot break the cycle without them, I need them to give me hope to move forward.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ANITA POREE, JERRY PETERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@gregorywilson7568
Listened to this in Vietnam, one of the few black artist they played on Armed Forces radio. Needed this so much then.
@lestersmith493
thank you for your service
@kidkully
I knew a guy who was at khe sanh during the ENTIRE siege, he said him and his buddies were listening to chain of fools by Aretha franklin then the shelling started 💥 💥 🧨 💣 now every time I hear chain of fools I think of khe sanh lol, thanks for your service sir!
@dragonmeddler2152
Oh yeah. We got this out on the Ticonderoga (CVA-14) when the EC-121 Super G Constellations were flying high enough with the signal. Couldn't listen up on the flight deck, but in the ordnance shop with our makeshift antenna, it came in good on FM.
@blake-qh9xp
thank you for your service brother and welcome home from a old grunt
@blake-qh9xp
@@kidkully my 87 yr old father inlaw flew ammo runs over khe sahn, he said when the rear door opened all hell was around him, he s a good man, ran 5 miles a day until his he turned 80 and the knees gave out, now he settles for walking 3 miles a day, he s down to 100 lbs and we are scared but there is no telling him nothing,he enlisted in the 50s and did 25 before retiring, god bless their souls
@joshualowe5800
Has anyone ever gotten a bit of chills down their spine when they listen to this song?
@kathyjohson1273
Always!! Greatness does that to us, cause we know💯
@billywalkabout5076
I hear you man
@davidtaylor2659
Back when music had meaning and class! When the summers were nice and long and most importantly, when us real men loved to enjoy & appreciate women! Especially the ones who played hard to get!!!