The Main Ingredient is an American soul and R&B group best known for their … Read Full Bio ↴The Main Ingredient is an American soul and R&B group best known for their 1972 hit song "Everybody Plays the Fool".

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.

Superwoman
The Main Ingredient Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Mary wants to be a superwoman,
but is that really in her head?
I just want to live each day to love her for what she is.
Mary wants to be another movie star,
but is that really in her mind?
And all the things she wants to be she needs to leave behind.
Very well,
I believe I know you.

Very well,
Wish that you knew me too.
Very well,
and I think I can deal with
every thing going through your head.
Very well,
and I think I can face.
Very well,
wish that you knew me too
Very well,
And I think I can cope
with every thing going through your head.
Mary wants to be a superwoman,
and try to boss the bull around.
But does she really think
she'll get by with her dream?
My woman wants to be a superwoman,
and I just have to say goodbye,
because I can't spend all my hours starting to cry,
Woo oh.
Very well,
I believe I know you.
Very well,
Wish that you knew me too.
And very well,
Oh yeah,
I think I can deal with
every thing going through your head.
Very well,
and I think I can face.
And very well,
wish that you knew me too
And very well, oh yeah
And I think I can cope
with every thing going through your head.
And very well,
well well
Think I know you
wish you knew me too.
Said very well,
Oh yeah,
I think I can cope with
everything going thorugh your head.
Said very well,
Well well,
I believe I know you,
yes I do.
Said very well,
Oh yeah,

think I can cope with
everything going thorugh your head.

Overall Meaning

In The Main Ingredient's song Superwoman, the singer addresses a woman named Mary who desires to be a "superwoman." This term is likely used to represent society's expectations of women to be perfect in every way, balancing multiple roles and tasks with ease. The singer questions whether this ideal is truly what Mary wants, or if it's simply an unrealistic goal that's been internalized. Instead, the singer just wants to love Mary for who she is, without the added pressure to conform to societal expectations. However, Mary's own dreams of becoming a movie star and controlling everything around her may mean that their relationship has to end.

Overall, the song is a commentary on the pressures that women face to live up to impossible standards, and how this desire can impact their relationships, both with themselves and with others. The repetition of "very well" throughout the song suggests a sense of resignation or acceptance towards the situation, but also a sense of empathy towards Mary's struggles.

Line by Line Meaning

Mary wants to be a superwoman,
Mary yearns to be someone of immense power and strength,

but is that really in her head?
But is it something she truly believes and is capable of achieving?

I just want to live each day to love her for what she is.
I, on the other hand, just want to appreciate and accept her for who she is every day.

Mary wants to be another movie star,
Mary also desires to become someone famous in the world of entertainment,

but is that really in her mind?
But is it a realistic or true aspiration that she holds in her thoughts?

And all the things she wants to be she needs to leave behind.
All of her lofty ambitions are things she must let go of and move past in order to be content.

Very well,
Okay,

I believe I know you.
I feel as though I understand you well.

Wish that you knew me too.
I wish you felt the same way about me and knew me equally as well.

And I think I can deal with
And I believe I am capable of handling and managing

every thing going through your head.
All of the emotions, thoughts, and struggles that constantly churn in your mind.

And I think I can face.
And I believe I can confront and handle

My woman wants to be a superwoman,
The person I care for also desires to become someone of great power and strength,

and I just have to say goodbye,
And unfortunately, I must part ways with her,

because I can't spend all my hours starting to cry,
Because I cannot spend all of my time crying and worrying about her pursuits and aspirations.

Woo oh.
Woo oh.

And very well, oh yeah,
And okay, yes,

And I think I can cope
And I believe I have the ability to handle and deal with