The group's sound was marked by Scotty Scott's fluid, melodic voice which featured on virtually all of their hits. Scotty's sound was so distinctive and likeable that, in his heyday, he was as recognizable as such noted R&B lead singers as Ronald Isley of The Isley Brothers.[citation needed]
In 1987, they enjoyed a career resurgence when "Rock Steady" hit #1 on the R&B charts, and it became their first Top 10 success on the Hot 100, reaching #7. The Whispers also founded the Black Tie record label.
In the 1990s, The Whispers joined the Capitol Records family releasing more favorites. Expanding their creative horizons, brothers Walter and Scotty cut “My Brothers Keeper”, a critically-acclaimed duet album in 1993, scoring another R&B hit with a cover of the Intruders' "I Wanna Know Your Name." The 1995 release “Toast to the Ladies” featured a collection of love songs dedicated to women all over the world. In 1997, the group moved to Interscope Records where they featured the works of Baby face once again with their album, "Songbook, Vol. 1: The Songs of Babyface”. Both albums charted on Billboard's top 100 albums.
Marcus stopped performing with the group in 1989 due to ill health and the Whispers vowed never to replace him when he died in 2000. In the new millennium, the group still performs around the world to thousands of loyal fans. The group has not made any personnel changes and still consists of Walter Scott, Wallace Scott, Nicholas Caldwell, and Leaveil Degree. They have taken the world by storm, selling out in various casinos and hotels, music venues, and they have a tremendous following throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, and Africa. However, they still find time for charity work with youth education, cancer organizations, 100 Black Men, and Domestic violence charities.
On September 23, 2003, The Whispers’ four decades of accomplishments were acknowledged when they were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. On June 12, 2005, The San Francisco Chapter of the Grammy Awards presented the Whispers with the prestigious Governors Award, the highest honor bestowed by an Academy Chapter. They were also inducted into the Bay Area Blues Society Hall of Fame in 2006. In 2007, The Black Music Academy of America selected the Whispers to receive their “Living Legends” award.
They are one of only a few “old school” groups that can boast of having over 40 years in the industry with a worldwide fan base. The Whispers waited almost a decade to produce a new CD in 2005. This independent product, the first venture of their newly formed corporation Satin Tie Entertainment is a masterpiece entitled, “For Your Ears Only”. According to Walter, “This title was a way of saying to our fans that while we want everyone’s support, we very much want the support of our fans, who have been with us for many, many years.” It made its way up the Billboard chart immediately. In 2007, they release a DVD of their live concert entitled “The Whispers Live From Las Vegas”, the first of its kind. A CD soundtrack of the same concert was also released.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Seven Gold Albums, Two Platinum Albums, 12 Top Twenty Singles, 40 Charted Hits Since 1970, Four Decades of Pop & R & B FavoritesAmerican Music Award Nominees, Soul Train Award Nominees, Grammy Award Nominees
2003 Vocal Group Hall of Fame Inductees, 2005 S.F. Regional Grammy Governors Award
Love At It's Best
The Whispers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You know it's kinda hard to give up a love
That really turns you on, hey, hey
Kinda love that makes you strong
But oh sometimes
You just don't know doubt
You just keep hanging in there
Because love means that much, hey, hey listen
I never thought that I could possibly care
We were supposed to enjoy a simple love affair
(Ooh, ooh, oh)
But how unkind it is to put me in a spin
'Cause you've gone away and look at the trouble I'm in
Now that I've had love at it's best
I can't live with anything less
Now that I know how it ought to be
No other love does it for me
So many times it's just the same old routine
(Same old, same old)
I go through the motions but it don't mean a thing no, no, no
I start to fall in love and stop to compare
Halfway to heaven I know I'm not gonna make it there
Now that I've had love at it's best
I can't live with anything less
Now that I know how it ought to be
No other love does it for me
I used to have list when I was feeling bad, baby
I could just dial a kiss but oh its lips so sad
Now that I've had love at it's best
I can't live with anything less
Now that I know how it ought to be
No other love does it for me
Now that I know how it ought to be
No other love does it for me
Now that I've had love at it's best
I don't wanna live with anything less
The Whispers’ “Love At Its Best” is a song about the transformative power of love. The singer is faced with the difficult decision of whether or not to give up on a relationship that has been a great source of personal fulfillment. Though there may be doubts and challenges along the way, the sheer strength of the love between them is enough to keep them together. The singer reflects on how he never thought he would care so deeply for someone else, but when he experienced love at its best, nothing else would suffice.
The song also touches on the fear of settling for less. Once someone has experienced the absolute peak of what a love relationship has to offer, they can’t go back to something that falls short. The lyrics describe the feeling of going through the motions of a relationship that just “don’t mean a thing,” and realizing that this half-hearted affection is not what they want. Rather, the singer is holding onto the memory and experience of a love that has elevated him and expects nothing less going forward.
Overall, the song is an ode to the power of love to elevate and transform our lives. It reminds us that when we experience love at its best, we should hold onto it and never settle for anything less.
Line by Line Meaning
Talk
The song's beginning is setting up the idea that love is worth talking about and exploring.
You know it's kinda hard to give up a love
That really turns you on, hey, hey
Kinda love that makes you strong
It feels impossible to let go of love that makes you feel strong and good.
But oh sometimes
You just don't know doubt
You just keep hanging in there
Because love means that much, hey, hey listen
There are times when there is doubt, but love is worth sticking it out for, because of how much it means.
I never thought that I could possibly care
We were supposed to enjoy a simple love affair
(Ooh, ooh, oh)
But how unkind it is to put me in a spin
'Cause you've gone away and look at the trouble I'm in
The singer never expected to care so much about their love affair, and now that it's gone, it's causing a lot of trouble and confusion.
Now that I've had love at its best
I can't live with anything less
Now that I know how it ought to be
No other love does it for me
Having experienced love at its best, there's no going back. The singer can't settle for anything less now that they know what it could be like.
So many times it's just the same old routine
(Same old, same old)
I go through the motions but it don't mean a thing no, no, no
I start to fall in love and stop to compare
Halfway to heaven I know I'm not gonna make it there
The singer is tired of going through the motions of a love that doesn't mean anything. They begin to compare it to something better, but it's still not as good as it could be.
I used to have list when I was feeling bad, baby
I could just dial a kiss but oh its lips so sad
The singer used to be able to find comfort in a simple kiss, but now it's not enough when compared to the depth and intensity of real, amazing love.
Now that I know how it ought to be
No other love does it for me
Now that I've had love at its best
I can't live with anything less
Once you've experienced love at its best, there's no turning back. Nothing else can compare now that you know what it could be like.
Now that I know how it ought to be
No other love does it for me
Now that I've had love at its best
I don't wanna live with anything less
Again, the singer is emphasizing that having experienced the best kind of love, they simply can't settle for anything less.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: KATHY WAKEFIELD, KENNETH W HIRSCH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
June Terry
Yes this is love at its best and no other group makes me feel the way The Whispers do.
Anthony Vaughn
"And most assuredly! They just don't make music such as the Whispers, Temptations, O'jays, The Manhattan, The Dells, Dramatics, Smokey Robinson, "well!" The list goes on. But I sure would love to have just one more dance to any woman that can identify with what I saying concerning oldies, but goodies 😉.
Valerie Redd
I sooo agree
Craig Garmony
@Renee Pulliam q
Darrel Butler
Yes yes!!
Renee Pulliam
Yeesssssss💯🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥❤️❤️❤️❤️
Terry Sanders
OMG!! These guys are so smooth with the moves and their vocals. I love me some Whispers❤️🎤🎼🎶🎶👏👏👏👏👏🔥
Tracie Rivera
The Whispers had so many beautiful songs. I never grow tired of listening to their music.
Nina Ross
That's so true Tracie ,
too many not to like them all. I can't choose a favorite myself.
Vernostonus
That's what I call great music! These brothers had so much class, much respect to black artists like The Whispers.