the [un]sung: Meet Tony Washington and The Dynamic Superiors
It's sometimes funny the way things work out. I've been meaning to post about this amazing group for over two months now (meaning it was half-written, sitting in my drafts) but with all that's happening in my world, it kept getting put on the back-burner. Rewind to last Saturday... I'm out crate digging... and BAM... a sealed copy of The Dynamic Superiors' 1975 debut album on Motown. I took that as a sign, and so here we are!
When having conversations about Black music... Detroit’s Motown Sound, Gamble & Huff’s Sound of Philadelphia (TSOP), the blues of the Chess and VEE-JAY labels out of Chicago, the soulful funk of Stax in Memphis... those cities are almost ALWAYS mentioned and DC gets left out of those conversations.
DC has birthed many of soul music's greatest voices and DC radio is just as important to the distribution and commercialization of Black music as cities like Detroit, Philly, Chicago, and Memphis are for its creation. I'm going to say that again. DC RADIO IS JUST AS IMPORTANT TO THE DISTRIBUTION AND COMMERCIALIZATION OF BLACK MUSIC AS CITIES LIKE DETROIT, PHILLY, CHICAGO, AND MEMPHIS ARE FOR ITS CREATION.
One of DC's greatest contributions to soul music was Motown recording group The Dynamic Superiors. Led by Tony Washington, the quintet formed in 1961. Rounding out the group were George Spann, George Peterback Jr., Michael McCalpin, and Tony's brother Maurice Washington. Like most groups that formed at the time, the guys all grew up in the same projects and went to the same high school in Northeast DC. But there was one thing that set the Dynamic Superiors apart from other R&B groups: Tony Washington was an openly gay man.
They began by competing in local talent shows and then hit the club circuit (lying about their ages to get in). Soon after, they were traveling around the country with their act. By 1968, the group had made enough money from performing that they were able to all buy a house together. In 1969, they signed with New York's SUE record label and released two singles, "Heavenly Angel" and "I'd Rather Die."
While at an Atlanta talent showcase in 1972, the group was discovered by Motown Records president Ewart Abner. Shortly thereafter, The Dynamic Superiors were signed to the label. The group moved to Detroit and were assigned to famed Motown writing/producing team of Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson.
This was a first: a Black all male group with an openly gay member signed to a MAJOR R&B label.
If you're at all familiar with Ashford & Simpson's body of work, you know that their soulful ballads are some of the best written and produced in R&B music. And what better voice to breathe life into their songs than Tony Washington's, with his magnificent falsetto. Their first single, "Shoe Shoe Shine", went to number 6 on the pop charts and number 16 on the R&B charts. The Dynamic Superiors were on their way. The guys were compared to groups like The Temptations and The Four Tops, while touring with the likes of Stevie Wonder and The Jackson 5. These brothas were SMOOTH!
If their stage shows weren't indication enough of Tony's sexuality (the group would perform a version of Billy Paul's hit "Me And Mrs. Jones" and Tony would jump in front, yelling out "MISTER JONES!"), then their album covers told it all. This was, no question, apart of Motown's marketing for the group. Tony wasn't an overly flamboyant man, but if you were going to sell a gay act in the 70s, you really had to SELL it!
Their first album cover was filled with pink butterflies and roses while Tony stood in front of the other group members, hands on his hip, in full makeup and an open blouse. For their next album with Motown, the cover simply featured a man's hairy legs and his painted fingernails.
By 1977, disco had become king and Motown teamed the Dynamic Superiors with another legendary production team, Holland-Dozier-Holland.
Their fourth Motown album, Give And Take, was produced by Brian Holland and featured remakes of Martha Reeves & The Vandella's "Nowhere To Run" and Stevie Wonder's "All Is Fair In Love." (I REALLY want y'all to give that Stevie cover a listen... Tony Washington's voice is AMAZING!)
Sadly, Tony Washington passed away in 1989 but his legacy lives on. Before Sylvester, David Bowie, George Michael, or Prince experimented with sexuality and androgyny in music, there was Tony Washington. His legacy is one that is often forgotten, but the impact he made is one that continues to touch the music industry.
