The group was formed in Harlem, New York City in 1964 as a trio called the Poets, composed of lead singer Donald McPherson, Luther Simmons, Jr., and Panama-born Tony Silvester. They made their first recordings for Leiber & Stoller's Red Bird label, but soon changed their name to the Insiders and signed with RCA Records. In 1968, after a couple of singles, they changed their name once again, this time permanently, to the Main Ingredient. The name came from a Coke bottle.
They then teamed up with record producer/arranger Bert DeCoteaux. Under his direction, the Main Ingredient reached the R&B Top 30 for the first time in 1970 with "You've Been My Inspiration". A cover of The Impressions' "I'm So Proud" broke the Top 20, and "Spinning Around (I Must Be Falling in Love)" went into the Top 10. In 1971, they scored again, with the McPherson-penned black-power anthem "Black Seeds Keep on Growing," but tragedy struck that year. Don McPherson, who had suddenly taken ill with leukemia, died unexpectedly. Stunned, Tony Silvester and Luther Simmons re-grouped with new lead singer Cuba Gooding, Sr., who had served as a backing vocalist on some of their previous recordings and had filled in on tour during McPherson's brief illness.
The Gooding era began auspiciously with the million-selling smash "Everybody Plays the Fool", which hit number two R&B and number three pop to become the group's biggest hit. It sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in September 1972. The accompanying album, Bitter Sweet, became their first to hit the Top 10 on the R&B album chart; its follow-up, 1973's Afrodisiac, featured several songs written or co-written by Stevie Wonder, although it did not produce any huge successes on the singles charts. They peaked at number eight on the R&B chart in 1974 with "Just Don't Want to Be Lonely", which sold over a million copies,and also reached number ten on the Billboard Hot 100. The track peaked at number twenty-seven in the UK Singles Chart in July 1974, although it was their only chart presence in the UK. In 1975, the group recorded several songs co-written by Leon Ware, including the R&B Top Ten "Rolling Down a Mountainside". By this point, however, Tony Silvester was harboring other ambitions; he released a solo album called Magic Touch that year, and left the group to form a production team with DeCoteaux. The two of them scored a Top 10 Pop and R&B smash with their production of Ben E. King's hit "Supernatural Thing" in 1975.
Silvester was replaced by Carl Tompkins, and Gooding departed for a solo career on Motown in 1977, which produced two albums; Simmons, meanwhile, left the music industry to work as a stockbroker. Gooding, Silvester and Simmons reunited as the Main Ingredient in 1979, and recorded two more albums, 1980's Ready for Love and 1981's I Only Have Eyes for You (the latter featured a minor hit in "Evening of Love"). The trio reunited for a second time in 1986, but their Zakia single "Do Me Right" flopped, and Simmons returned to his day job. He was replaced by Jerome Jackson on the 1989 Polydor album I Just Wanna Love You. In the wake of Aaron Neville's Top Ten revival of "Everybody Plays the Fool", Gooding resumed his solo career and issued his third album in 1993. Silvester and Simmons re-formed the Main Ingredient in 1999 with new lead singer Carlton Blount; this line-up recorded Pure Magic in 2001.
Tony Silvester died after a six-year struggle with multiple myeloma on November 27, 2006, at the age of 65, and original member Luther Simmons retired shortly thereafter. Cuba Gooding Sr. was found dead in his car on April 20, 2017. The current line-up of the group consists of Jerome Jackson, and Stanley Alston.
Summer Breeze
The Main Ingredient Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the window
In the evening of a friday night
Little lights shining through
The window
Lets me know everything alright
Summer breeze makes me feel fine
Blowing through the jasmines
Summer breeze makes me fine
Blowing through the jasmine
In my mind
See the pavement laying on the side walk with the
Music from the house nextdoor
So I walk on up to the door steps
Through the screen
And across the floor
Summer breeze makes me
Feel fine blowing
Through the jasmine in my mind
Summer breeze makes
Me feel fine
Blowing through the
Jasmine of my in my mind
Sweet days of summer
The jasmines are low
July is dressed up
And playing the tunes
When I come home from
A hard day′s work
And you waiting there
Not a care oh oh oh oh
I see the smile waving
In the kitchen
Food cooking in place for two
Feel the arms reach
Out to hold me
In the evening when the
Day is through
Summer breeze makes me
Feel fine blowing
Through the jasmine in my mind
Summer breeze makes me
Feel fine blowing through the
Jasmine in my mind
Oooh ooh ooh
Summer breeze makes me
Feel fine blowing through
The jasmine in my mind
Ooh summer breeze makes
Me feel fine blowing
Through the jasmine
In my mind
Summer breeze
Summer love
Summer breeze
Summer love
The Main Ingredient's "Summer Breeze" is a song that perfectly encapsulates the feeling of summer romance. The song starts off by describing the scene outside the singer's window on a Friday night, with curtains hanging and little lights shining through. The summer breeze blowing through the jasmine is the only thing he needs to make him feel fine. The singer then goes on to describe the sounds of music coming from the house next door and how he walks up to the doorsteps and through the screen to join in on the festivities. As the song continues, he talks about the happiness he feels when he comes home from a hard day's work and sees his significant other waiting for him. The soft summer breeze that blows through the jasmine in his mind is always there to make him feel fine.
The song is all about being in the moment and enjoying the simple things in life. The way the summer breeze feels blowing through the jasmine, the music coming from a neighbor's house, and the comforting embrace of a loved one. It's about being present in the moment and taking it all in. The song's simple melody, soothing harmonies, and laid-back instrumentation perfectly capture the essence of summer.
Line by Line Meaning
See the curtains hanging
Observing the curtains hanging in the window
In the window
Directly in the window
In the evening of a friday night
On a Friday evening
Little lights shining through
Small lights shining through
The window
The windowpane
Lets me know everything alright
Assuring that everything is alright
Summer breeze makes me feel fine
Summer air makes me feel good
Blowing through the jasmines
Passing by the jasmine plants
In my mind
Mentally, in my thoughts
Summer breeze makes me fine
Summer air makes me feel good
Blowing through the jasmine
Passing by the jasmine plants
In my mind
Mentally, in my thoughts
See the pavement laying on the side walk with the
Observing the pavement lying on the sidewalk with the
Music from the house nextdoor
Music coming from the neighboring house
So I walk on up to the door steps
Walking up to the doorstep
Through the screen
Through the mesh door screen
And across the floor
Walking across the floor
Summer breeze makes me
Summer air makes me
Feel fine blowing
Feel good as it passes by
Through the jasmine in my mind
Passing by the jasmine plants in my thoughts
Summer breeze makes
Summer air makes
Me feel fine
Makes me feel good
Blowing through the
Passing by
Jasmine of my in my mind
Jasmine plants in my thoughts
Sweet days of summer
Pleasant days in summer
The jasmines are low
The jasmine plants are short
July is dressed up
July is looking nice
And playing the tunes
Playing pleasing sounds
When I come home from
When I return home after
A hard day′s work
A tough day's work
And you waiting there
And you are waiting there
Not a care oh oh oh oh
Without any worries
I see the smile waving
I see the waving smile
In the kitchen
Inside the kitchen
Food cooking in place for two
Cooked food for two people
Feel the arms reach
Feeling the arms reaching out
Out to hold me
To embrace me
In the evening when the
During the evening when
Day is through
The day is over
Oooh ooh ooh
Vocalizing an exclamation
Summer breeze makes me
Summer air makes me
Feel fine blowing through
Feel good as it blows past
The jasmine in my mind
The jasmine plants in my thoughts
Ooh summer breeze makes
Oh, summer air makes
Me feel fine blowing
Makes me feel good blowing
Through the jasmine
Passing by the jasmine plants
In my mind
Mentally, in my thoughts
Summer breeze
Summer air
Summer love
Summer romance
Summer breeze
Summer air
Summer love
Summer romance
Writer(s): Jimmy Seals, Darrell Crofts
Contributed by Molly S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Manuel Espinosa
See the curtains hangin' in the window, in the evenin' on a Friday night
A little light a-shinin' through the window, lets me know everything is alright
Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind
Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind
See the paper layin' in the sidewalk, a little music from the house next door
So I walked on up to the doorstep, through the screen and across the floor
Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind
Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind
Sweet days of summer, the jasmine's in bloom
July is dressed up and playing her tune
And I come home from a hard day's work
And you're waiting there, not a care in the world
See the smile a-waitin' in the kitchen, food cookin' and the plates for two
Feel the arms that reach out to hold me, in the evening when the day is through
Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind
Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind
Crystal Richards
The Main Ingredient show was my first live music show. I was 16 years old when we were blessed with their visit to South Africa. Cuba Gooding Snr remains my favourite male vocalist of all time for the purity of his voice. The best version of this song ever.
Manuel Espinosa
See the curtains hangin' in the window, in the evenin' on a Friday night
A little light a-shinin' through the window, lets me know everything is alright
Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind
Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind
See the paper layin' in the sidewalk, a little music from the house next door
So I walked on up to the doorstep, through the screen and across the floor
Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind
Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind
Sweet days of summer, the jasmine's in bloom
July is dressed up and playing her tune
And I come home from a hard day's work
And you're waiting there, not a care in the world
See the smile a-waitin' in the kitchen, food cookin' and the plates for two
Feel the arms that reach out to hold me, in the evening when the day is through
Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind
Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind
Mindsaw
Wow...never recognized the 1st line. Love it!
LeafgreenSniper
The BIG sample of this song is incredible. Things done changed….
bookieplow
THE best version of Summer Breeze I've ever heard.
Gerald Wooldridge
The Isley brothers version is just tottally amazing, if you don't know have a listen.
Reggaefusionlives
It's my favourite version of this timeless classic, no offense to Seal & Crofts, Isley Brothers, Ray Conniff and the Singers etc.
fortyeu789
This is fuller than the Isley Brothers version. I do believe that the Isley Brothers had a funkier version. This one felt a lot more smooth however.
DiverseLA
I agree... I thought this was better than the Isley version. And the Isley version is good too.
lex.cordis
Is your avatar meant to look like a loose hair stuck to your screen? Because I'm kind of high and just tried to wipe it off my screen like 3 times.