May 5, 1979 - Peaches & Herb's "Reunited" hits #1
They were "The Sweethearts Of Soul" in the 1960s, but it was a decade and half later, with a different lineup, that Peaches & Herb finally made it to #1 with what became the duo’s signature song.
Herb Fame worked in a Washington D.C. record store, selling others' hits while daydreaming of his own shot a fame, when he met legendary producer Van McCoy, who helped team Fame with singer Francine “Peaches” Barker (of The Sweet Things) for a brand new duo that would be focused on romantic lovers’ ballads. The two scored hits "Let's Fall In Love" and "For Your Love," but the stress of touring led Barker to leave the act.
May 5, 1979 - Peaches & Herb's "Reunited" hits #1
They were "The Sweethearts Of Soul" in the 1960s, but it was a decade and half later, with a different lineup, that Peaches & Herb finally made it to #1 with what became the duo’s signature song.
Herb Fame worked in a Washington D.C. record store, selling others' hits while daydreaming of his own shot a fame, when he met legendary producer Van McCoy, who helped team Fame with singer Francine “Peaches” Barker (of The Sweet Things) for a brand new duo that would be focused on romantic lovers’ ballads. The two scored hits "Let's Fall In Love" and "For Your Love," but the stress of touring led Barker to leave the act.
Fame quit showbiz in 1970 and joined the Washington D.C. police force, but music was still in his veins. So he reconnected with McCoy and was paired with a new “Peaches,” young Linda Greene, a beauty possessing a bright voice and a keen sense of style.
After a failed initial album, the duo brought in hitmaker Freddie Perren (Tavares, The Jackson Five), who fashioned an album that would take them right to the top. 2Hot opened with the top 5 dance hit, “Shake Your Groove Thing,” but it was the follow up single that became a flat out classic.
“Reunited” was a song about lovers who found out just what they meant to each other after they parted, and it captured the exquisite joy of a romantic reunion. The song instantly connected with fans, and on May 5, 1979, it stood at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, where it stayed for four weeks.
There are a lot of SoulTrackers who held someone close on the dancefloor to “Reunited” back in the day, and today we remember that dance and celebrate the ballad that became a classic.
By Chris Rizik