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Gladys Knight & the Pips

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Gladys Knight & the Pips was a family group from Atlanta, Georgia. In 1952 the eight-year-old Gladys Knight won a talent contest on television. That same year she sang at her brother Merald's birthday party, together with him, her sister Brenda and their cousins William and Eleanor Guest. They called themselves The Pips, after the nickname of a cousin. The group won talent contests in Atlanta and got to open for Jackie Wilson and Sam Cooke. In 1961 came their first hit, Every Beat of My Heart, and from that year the group was called Gladys Knight & the Pips.

Music and breakthrough

In 1966 they signed with Motown. There, in 1967, they recorded I Heard It Through the Grapevine, the first version of that song to become a hit, although Marvin Gaye's version a year later was bigger still. At Motown they went on to record If I Were Your Woman and Neither One of Us, which won a Grammy. Even so, Gladys Knight felt she was treated as second-rate there. In 1973 the group moved to Buddah Records, where their most successful period began with Midnight Train to Georgia, their only number one hit, and I've Got to Use My Imagination.

Influence

In the group Gladys Knight's voice came first, with the Pips as backing singers. On stage they stood out for their polished shows, with fast dance steps devised for the Pips by the choreographer Cholly Atkins. In 1989 the Pips called it a day and Gladys Knight continued as a solo artist. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to I Heard It Through the Grapevine by Gladys Knight & the Pips and compare it with Marvin Gaye's version. Notice the faster tempo and how the Pips answer Gladys Knight's lead vocal.

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.

See also

Categories: Artists