Nickolas Ashford May 4. 1942. Fairfield SC
Valerie Simpson August 26. 1946. Bronx NY
The duo essentially had two careers: one as a successful writing and producing team and the other as singers and performers themselves. They started their career in the
1960s, writing for artists such as Ray Charles ("Let's Go Get Stoned" and "'I Don't Need No Doctor"),1966 The Fifth Dimension ("California Soul") and Aretha Franklin
("Cry Like A Baby"). Joining the Motown staff in 1967, they wrote and/or produced all but one of the late 1960s singles Marvin Gaye recorded with Tammi Terrell,
including hits such as the original version of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "Your Precious Love", and "You're All I Need to Get By". Other Motown artists that
Ashford & Simpson worked with included Diana Ross ("Reach Out & Touch (Somebody's Hand)," "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "Remember Me," "Surrender" LP,
"The Boss" and "It's My House"); Gladys Knight & The Pips ("Didn't You Know You'd Have To Cry Sometime, "The Landlord", "Bourgie, Bourgie," "Taste Of Bitter Love");
Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, ("Who's Gonna Take The Blame"); The Marvelettes ("Destination:Anywhere") and The Dynamic Superiors ("Shoe, Shoe Shine").
Other artists they had hits with include Teddy Pendergrass ("Is It Still Good To You") Brothers Johnson ("Ride-O-Rocket") and Chaka Khan, both on her own ("I'm Every
Woman" and "Clouds," ) and with Rufus ("Keep It Comin" and "Ain't Nothin' But A Maybe" ). In 1980, they were featured as vocalists, along with Chaka Khan on the huge
hit "Stuff Like That" from Quincy Jones' album of the same title and contributed to the writing of the soundtrack to The Wiz. In 1995, Method Man and Mary J. Blige had
a hit with a medley of "I'll Be There For You" and "You're All I Need To Get By."
Ashford & Simpson's career as artists actually began in 1964 when they recorded "I'll Find You" as "Valerie & Nick." This was followed by several obscure singles Ashford
recorded on the Glover, Verve and ABC labels such as "It Ain't Like That", (later recorded by Martha Reeves & The Vandellas), "California Soul" and "Dead End Kids"
backed by his own version of "Let's Go Get Stoned," which the duo wrote with their early collaborator Joshie Jo Armstead. After concentrating on working with other
artists, Simpson was the featured soloist on the songs "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and "What's Going On" on the Quincy Jones albums "Gula Matari" in 1970 and its
followup, "Smackwater Jack." Simpson subsequently recorded two excellent solo LP's for Motown, Valerie Simpson Exposed in 1971, and, the following year, the album
Valerie Simpson, which included the single "Silly Wasn't I," which was sampled in 2006 on Jamie Foxx's hit "Unpredictable." Ashford & Simpson left Motown in 1973,
after the albums Simpson recorded for the label received poor promotion and the company refused to release an album of the two of them recording a collection of
their most famous songs for other artists. They first came to national prominence when they were featured singing selections from Simpson's solo albums on the PBS TV
show Soul!, hosted by Ellis Haizlip in 1971.
Around this time, they got married and in 1973, they resumed their career as a duo with the Warner Brothers album "Gimme Something Real." This was followed by the
hit singles, "Don't Cost You Nothin'," in 1977, "It Seems To Hang On" in 1978, "Found A Cure" in 1979, "Street Corner" in 1982, and their biggest hit, "Solid," which they
recorded in 1984. They recorded the album "Been Found" with poet Maya Angelou in 1996.
On his own, Ashford produced, along with Frank Wilson, the mammoth hit "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me", which was recorded by Diana Ross & The Supremes in
collaboration with The Temptations in 1968. He also appeared in the movie New Jack City (1991), as Reverend Oates, an ordained minister who was part of Nino
Brown's entourage.
Simpson's brothers were in the record business as well: Raymond Simpson replaced Victor Willis in the Village People and their brother Jimmy Simpson, produced the
group G.Q., (who had big hits with "Disco Nights" and "I Do Love You"), and was in great demand as a mix artist during the disco era.
In recent times, Ashford & Simpson have recorded and toured sporadically and in 1996, they opened the restaurant and live entertainment venue Sugar Bar in New York
City, which has an open mic on Thursday nights where performers have included Queen Latifah and Felicia Collins. Around this time, they were also featured disc
jockeys on New York's KISS-FM radio station.
On August 16th, 2006, Playbill Online reported that they are writing the score for a musical based on E. Lynn Harris's novel Invisible Life.
The Warner Bros. Years: Hits, Remixes & Rarities released February 2008 >
2-CD Compilation Boasts Lush, Soulful Originals, Impossible To Find 12" Versions And Sensational Contemporary Remixes Of Signature Tracks From R&B's Most
Enduring Duo!The phenomenal R&B performing and songwriting partnership of Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson-better known as simply Ashford & Simpson-made
their Warner Bros. recording debut with 1973's Billboard® Top 20 LP Gimme Something Real. Over the course of more than a decade with the label, the duo's legend
grew with a string of chart hits and acclaimed albums, among them 1978's gold-selling Is It Still Good To Ya, which Stephen Holden described in Rolling Stone as,
"music I find almost irresistibly ecstatic." That feeling comes across full-force on Rhino's new 2-CD compilation featuring unforgettable originals and 12" versions on Disc
1 followed by inspired contemporary remixes on Disc 2. As songwriters, Ashford & Simpson gave the world classics including "I'm Every Woman" and "Ain't Nothing Like
The Real Thing." As performers they deliver sonic ecstasy, celebrated to the max on this innovative set.
ASHFORD &
SIMPSON