The music journalist Ron Wynn has noted that "the Trammps' prowess can't be measured by chart popularity; Ellis' booming, joyous vocals brilliantly championed the celebratory fervor and atmosphere that made disco both loved and hated among music fans." The first disco-related track they released was "Love Epidemic" back in 1973. That made them trailblazers of its pop and soul fueled sound.
The history of the Trammps grew from a 60s-era group, called "The Volcanos", which later became "The Moods". With a number of line-up changes by the early 1970s, the band membership included gospel-influenced lead singer, Jimmy Ellis, drummer and bass singer, Earl Young, with brothers, Stanley and Harold 'Doc' Wade. Members of the Philadelphia recording band, MFSB played with the group on records and on tour in the 70s with singer, Robert Upchurch joining later. The group was produced by the Philadelphia team of Ronnie Baker, Norman Harris and Young, all MFSB mainstays who played on the recording sessions and contributed songs.
Their debut chart entry came via an upbeat cover version of the standard, "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart", which became a Top 20 US R&B chart hit in 1972.
Their first few recordings were released on Buddah Records, including "Hold Back The Night" which was a hit in the UK and on the Billboard R&B chart in 1973, before a re-release saw it climb the U.S. Hot 100 two years later. Several R&B hits followed during a stay with Philadelphia International subsidiary, Golden Fleece (run by Baker-Harris-Young) before they signed to Atlantic Records.
Their single "Disco Inferno" (1976), which was included on the Grammy Award winning Saturday Night Fever soundtrack in 1977,[3] reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in May 1978.[4]
Other major hits included "Hold Back the Night" (1975) (UK #5) and "That's Where the Happy People Go" (1976). In late 1977, the Trammps released the song "The Night the Lights Went Out" to commemorate the electrical blackout that affected New York City on July 13, 1977.
Their signature song, "Disco Inferno", has been covered by Tina Turner and Cyndi Lauper. In addition, Graham Parker covered "Hold Back The Night" on the "The Pink Parker EP" in 1977, and reached #20 in the UK Singles Chart, and Top 60 in the US.
On September 19, 2005, the group's "Disco Inferno" was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame at a ceremony held in New York. The song was part-written by Ron Kersey, a producer-arranger and a member of MFSB, who also played with Trammps in the 1970s for a time. During the ceremony, the original band members performed together for the first time in 25 years.
Two versions of the group, with differing line-ups, currently tour the nostalgia circuit. On March 8, 2012, lead singer Jimmy Ellis died at a nursing home in Rock Hill, South Carolina, at the age of 74. The cause of death was not immediately known but he suffered from Alzheimers' disease.
Earl Young's Trammps still continue to record and as at August 2014 have recently released "Get your lovin while you can" written by the Steals brothers renowned for their Philly hits such as 'Could it be I'm falling in love' for The Detroit Spinners.
Website: http://thetrammps.net/
Stop And Think
The Trammps Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You Know YouΓ’??d Better Stop
Stop It Baby
Stop And Think A While Before You Leave And Say Goodbye
You Know YouΓ’??d Better
If You Leave I Know My Life Will Never Be The Same
One More Chance ThatΓ’??s All I Ask
My Heart Is Full Of Shame
Ooh I Fooled Around And Took The Chance On A One Night Fling
You Caught Me Wrong
I Promise You Girl Ill Try My Best To Do The Right Thing
Stop And Think A While Before You Leave And Say Goodbye
You Know YouΓ’??d Better Stop
Stop It Baby
Wait A Minute Now
ThereΓ’??s One Thing Id Like To Say If You Have The Time
Ill Confess The Wrong IΓ’??ve Done
If You Say YouΓ’??re Mine
Let Me Explain
Ooh I Fooled Around And Took The Chance On A One Night Fling
Honey
You Caught Me Wrong
I Promise You Girl Ill Try My Best To Do The Right Thing
Stop And Think A While Before You Leave And Say Goodbye
You Know YouΓ’??d Better
Stop And Think A While Before You Leave And Say Goodbye
You Know YouΓ’??d Better
Stop
The Trammps's song Stop And Think is a touching plea to a lover to reconsider ending their relationship. The lyrics urge the lover to stop, think, and not leave without thinking about the consequences. The singer admits to making a mistake by having a one-night stand but begs for one more chance to make things right. The confession of guilt and the promise to do better are the singer's way of laying his cards on the table and asking for forgiveness.
The words "stop and think" are repeated throughout the song, underscoring the message of the song - that rash decisions can have serious consequences. The singer's plea is heartfelt, with a sense of desperation and urgency in his voice. This song speaks to the universality of human emotions, especially when it comes to love and relationships. It reminds us that mistakes can be made, but it takes courage to admit them and make things right.
Overall, Stop And Think is a soulful ballad that showcases the emotional depth and range of The Trammps as musicians. Their delivery of the lyrics is passionate and sincere, with the rhythm and melody of the song complementing the message conveyed.
Line by Line Meaning
Stop And Think A While Before You Leave And Say Goodbye
Before you go and say goodbye, take a moment to really think about it.
You Know You'd Better Stop
You should stop and reconsider your decision to leave.
Stop It Baby
Stop what you're doing and listen to me.
If You Leave I Know My Life Will Never Be The Same
I'm afraid that leaving will have a huge impact on my life.
One More Chance That's All I Ask
Please give me one more opportunity to make things right.
My Heart Is Full Of Shame
I feel guilty and ashamed for what I have done.
Let Me Explain
Please give me the chance to explain myself.
Ooh I Fooled Around And Took The Chance On A One Night Fling
I made a mistake by having a one night stand.
You Caught Me Wrong
You found out about my mistake.
I Promise You Girl Ill Try My Best To Do The Right Thing
I promise to make things right and do what's best for us.
Wait A Minute Now
Hold on a second, I have something important to say.
ThereΓ’??s One Thing Id Like To Say If You Have The Time
I have something to say if you're willing to listen.
Ill Confess The Wrong I've Done
I will admit to my mistake and take responsibility for it.
If You Say You're Mine
If you decide to stay with me and be mine.
Stop And Think A While Before You Leave And Say Goodbye
I'm begging you to reconsider leaving.
You Know You'd Better Stop
It's in your best interest to stop and think before you leave.
Stop It Baby
Please stop what you're doing and listen to me.
Stop And Think A While Before You Leave And Say Goodbye
I'm really trying to get you to reconsider leaving.
You Know You'd Better
I hope you understand that staying is the better choice.
Stop
I am pleading with you to stop and consider your decision to leave.
Lyrics Β© O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Paulo Gauzzi
"Stop And Think"
Stop and think a while before you leave and say goodbye
You know you'd better stop
Stop it baby
Stop and think a while before you leave and say goodbye
You know you'd better
If you leave I know my life will never be the same
One more chance that's all I ask
My heart is full of shame
Let me explain
Ooh, I fooled around and took the chance on a one night fling
You caught me wrong
I promise you girl I'll try my best to do the right thing
Stop and think a while before you leave and say goodbye
You know you'd better stop
Stop it baby
Stop and think a while before you leave and say goodbye
Wait a minute now
There's one thing I'd like to say if you have the time
I'll confess the wrong I've done
If you say you're mineππ
Let me explain
Ooh, I fooled around and took the chance on a one night fling
Honey
You caught me wrong
I promise you girl, I'll try my best to do the right thing
Stop and think a while before you leave and say goodbye
You know you'd better
Stop and think a while before you leave and say goodbye
You know you'd better
Stop...ππππππ
#DiscoPope
Ultra smooth MFSB Orchestra awesomeness, and the perfect cure for my Monday morning boredom right now...
:o)
Javier Avila
@Brad BP True,same musicians
Vince Montana conducted Salsoul Orchestra with some awesome arrangements.
Javier Avila
MFSB...the sound of philly back in disco days. Outstanding band.!
#DiscoPope
@MoisΓ©s Rocha Viva O Brasil! πππ
MoisΓ©s Rocha
Every day ...Jan/22, Rio, Brazil! Rip Ellis
Ronnie Brown
Those days and this music come once a lifetime... I'm glad I came of age in the thick of it...
peter bouma
The Trammps was a very underrated band in the seventies. They were great musicians and had a tremendous lead vocal in Jimmy Ellis.
Jimbo
The Trammps...the best disco band ever. Great sound, great vocals. I was working at Atlantic Records when Disco Inferno came out on our label. Awesome! But, their earlier tracks: Stop and Think and Save a Place are two of my favorites as well as Love Epidemic. But there are many other tracks that were great and hold up, even to this day.
Neil Murray
They dominated the disco floors in NYC in 70βs before Disco Inferno and another classic βWhere Happy People Goβ always a club favorite. Thanks for great memories.
Robert Jones
100% agree πΆπ