The Friends of Distinction

Trackimage Playbut Trackname Playbut Trackname
Grazing In The Grass 00:00 Tools
Going In Circles 04:16 Tools
Love or Let Me Be Lonely 00:00 Tools
I Really Hope You Do 00:00 Tools
And I Love Him 00:00 Tools
I've Never Found A Girl (To Love Me Like You Do) 00:00 Tools
Lonesome Mood 04:48 Tools
When A Little Love Began To Die 00:00 Tools
Grazing In The Grass Anchorman Medley 00:00 Tools
Light My Fire 00:00 Tools
Love Or Let Me Be Lonely - Digitally Mastered - May - June, 1988 03:20 Tools
Great Day 00:00 Tools
Ain't No Woman (Like The One I've Got) 00:00 Tools
Time Waits for No One 03:25 Tools
Peaceful 00:00 Tools
It Don't Matter To Me 00:00 Tools
Let Yourself Go 00:00 Tools
Eli's Comin' 04:13 Tools
Baby I Could Be So Good At Loving You 00:00 Tools
Check It Out 03:02 Tools
I Need You 00:00 Tools
Crazy Mary 05:09 Tools
Dying To Live 04:48 Tools
I Can't Get You Out Of My Mind 00:00 Tools
Long Time Coming My Way 00:00 Tools
Sweet Young Thing Like You 00:00 Tools
Love Can Make It Easier 00:00 Tools
Down I Go 00:00 Tools
It's Sunday 00:00 Tools
Help Yourself (To All My Lovin') 00:00 Tools
Jenny Wants To Know 00:00 Tools
(A) Sweet Young Thing Like You 00:00 Tools
Workin' On A Groovy Thing 00:00 Tools
We Got A Good Thing Goin' 00:00 Tools
Impressions (Dialogue) 00:00 Tools
It's A Wonderful World 00:00 Tools
Love Me Or Let Me Be Lonely 00:00 Tools
Help Yourself (To All Of My Lovin') 00:00 Tools
This Generation 00:00 Tools
Grazing in the Grass (w/Bob Dylan intro) 00:00 Tools
Grazing In The Grass (Can You Dig It) 02:53 Tools
the way we planned it 04:17 Tools
Lonesome Mood ['In The Mood'] 00:00 Tools
Why Did I Lose You? 00:00 Tools
I've Never Found a Girl (Who Loves Me Like You Do) 00:00 Tools
Why Did I Lose You 00:00 Tools
Easy Evil 00:00 Tools
Going In Circles (Hocus Pocus - W0:00) 00:00 Tools
Gioing In Circles 00:00 Tools
It's Just A Game Love - (From the MGM Production "The Split") 00:00 Tools
You Got Me Going In Circles 00:00 Tools
Grazing In The Grass - Friends Of Distinction 00:00 Tools
Rock And Stone 00:00 Tools
New Mother Nature 00:00 Tools
Impressions 00:00 Tools
It's Just A Game Love 00:00 Tools
Now is the time 00:00 Tools
You're Gonna' Make It 00:00 Tools
Goodbye 00:00 Tools
My Mind Is A Camera 00:00 Tools
Believe in me 00:00 Tools
The Train 00:00 Tools
Terrie 00:00 Tools
Baby, I Could Be So Good At Loving You 00:00 Tools
Long Time Comin' My Way 00:00 Tools
When I Die 00:00 Tools
Just A Little Lovin' 00:00 Tools
You've Gotta Tell Him (About You And Me) 00:00 Tools
Any way you want me 00:00 Tools
Captain Of A Sinking Ship 00:00 Tools
I Don't Wanna Be Late (To Say I Love You) 00:00 Tools
No One's Gonna Be A Fool Forever 00:00 Tools
Love Or Let Me Be Lonely (Karaoke Version) 00:00 Tools
Out In The Country 00:00 Tools
And I Love Him [Rick Ross & Jay-Z - 'Maybach Music'] 00:00 Tools
Only Give Love 00:00 Tools
Lady Mae 00:00 Tools
The Train (Club Mix Bonus Track) 00:00 Tools
Going_In_Circles 00:00 Tools
Reviviscence (Part 1) 00:00 Tools
Reviviscence (Part 2) 00:00 Tools
Grazing In the Grass (Re-Recorded) 00:00 Tools
You're Gonna Make it 00:00 Tools
Impressions (The Friends of Distinction) 00:00 Tools
Didn't We 00:00 Tools
Nowhere 00:00 Tools
On & On 00:00 Tools
Grazing the Grass 00:00 Tools
Goin In Circles 00:00 Tools
Grazing In The Grass - Performed Live On The Ed Sullivan Show 12/27/1970 00:00 Tools
Reviviscence (Part I) 00:00 Tools
I've Never Found A Girl 00:00 Tools
You and I 00:00 Tools
Honey Baby Theme 00:00 Tools
Love Shack 00:00 Tools
Love Shack (Opened Up A Shop Called "Love") 00:00 Tools
Love Shack (Opened Up A Shop Called Love) 00:00 Tools
Willa Faye 00:00 Tools
Soulful Anthem 00:00 Tools
When a Little Love Began to Die (Funky DL / Don't Even Try It) 00:00 Tools
The Chittlin' Song 00:00 Tools
Grazing In The Grass/The Friends Of Distinction 00:00 Tools
Bring Us A Better Day 00:00 Tools
Grazing in the Grass ('69) 00:00 Tools
Friends Of Distinction - Grazing In The Grass 00:00 Tools
Ain’t No Woman (Like the One I’ve Got) 00:00 Tools
got me going in circles 00:00 Tools
Grazing in the Grass (69) 00:00 Tools
It Don’t Matter to Me 00:00 Tools
Grazing On The Grass 00:00 Tools
aint no woman (like the one i've got) 00:00 Tools
Ain't No Woman 00:00 Tools
People Talkin' And Sayin' Nothin' 00:00 Tools
gra 00:00 Tools
I Can’t Get You Out of My Mind 00:00 Tools
Grazing In The Grass - Rerecorded Version 00:00 Tools
I Don't Wanna Be Late (To Say I Love Me) 00:00 Tools
Smiling Faces Sometimes 00:00 Tools
Thumbtrippin' 00:00 Tools
I*’ve Never Loved a Girl (Who Loves Me Like You Do) 00:00 Tools
Reviviscence (Part II) 00:00 Tools
When a Little Love Began to Die (Don't Even Try It) 00:00 Tools
Grazing In The Grass (Trailer Song) 00:00 Tools
Eli's Coming 00:00 Tools
And I Love Him ['Hope (Original Version)'] 00:00 Tools
Love 00:00 Tools
Love Or Let Me Be Lonely (Digitally Mastered - May - June, 1988) 00:00 Tools
Grazing In The Grass [Can You Dig It] 00:00 Tools
Love Or Let Me Be Lonely ('70) 00:00 Tools
Ooh Child 00:00 Tools
You're Gotta Tell Him (About You And Me) 00:00 Tools
Friends Of Distinction - Going In Circles 00:00 Tools
The Chitllin Song 00:00 Tools
Going In Circles - The Friends of Distinction 00:00 Tools
Love Shack (Opened Up A Sop Called "Love") 00:00 Tools
My Mind Is A Camera (L.E.G.A.C.Y. - Insomnia) 00:00 Tools
Thumb Trippin' (I'll Be Movin' On) 00:00 Tools
And I Love Him [Wu Block - 'Guns for Life'] 00:00 Tools
Grazing in the Grass - The Friends of Distinction 00:00 Tools
And I Love Him [Edo G - 'Neva Die (Boom Bap)' & Maffew Ragazino - 'Never Ran, Never Will'] 00:00 Tools
You Got Me Goin' In Circles 00:00 Tools
Grazing In the Grass (Performed Live On The Ed Sullivan Show 12/27/1970) 00:00 Tools
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One of the most likeable and vocally cohesive singing groups of the late 60s and early 70s, the Friends of Distinction are too often forgotten in retrospectives of that era, but their music has continued to live on. Formed by Harry Elston, Floyd Butler, Jessica Cleaves and Barbara Love in 1968, the group had a relatively short life in its original incarnation, but made some of the most memorable pop/soul music of all time. Elston had been singing with the Hi-Fi's in the mid-60s, warming up for Ray Charles in tours across the country. When that group split in 1966, members Marilyn McCoo and Lamont McLemore went on to co-found the enormously successful Fifth Dimension and Elston started the Friends, whose sound was similar to, and often confused with, the Fifth Dimension -- both included tightly harmonizing men and women dressed in late 60s "hip" clothing -- though the Friends' music was generally more soulful. The newly formed Friends of Distinction was managed by football great Jim Brown and signed with RCA Records. Hitting the popular music scene when Motown and Stax were dominating, the Friends arrived with a breezy California pop/soul sound. Great harmonies and crossover arrangements backed the individually strong lead vocals of the group members. Combined with top notch material (both originals and covers), the group, like the Fifth Dimension, sounded like a breath of fresh air on Pop radio in 1969. Their first single, "Grazin' In the Grass," was a Elston-sung vocal remake of a Hugh Masekela instrumental cut, and hit the top 5 on both Pop and Soul charts in 1969. The group's follow-up, "Going In Circles," was a brilliant ballad that also charted high. Love took some time off to have a baby, and Charlene Gibson stepped in and sang lead on the group's third big hit, "Love or Let Me Be Lonely." She also sang on the wonderful album cut, "Crazy Mary." The Friends were quite prolific from 1969-71, releasing 5 albums (a sixth appeared in 1973). They also released a number of great singles, including "Check It Out" (later remade by Tavares) and a terrific cover of Neil Sedaka's "Time Waits for No One." Their best cuts are excellently compiled in The Best of the Friends of Distinction, which was released in 1996. As popular music changed in the mid-70s, the Friends' fortunes declined. Jessica Cleaves was featured with Earth Wind and Fire,first appearance on the"Last Days and Time" release. A grueling touring schedule and the lack of a hit for several years led the group to call it quits in 1975. Elston and Butler continued to write and perform for a few years, then ultimately went their separate ways, taking jobs outside of music. Over the next two decades, there was a rediscovery of the great music that the Friends had made together, and their biggest hits were remade by several artists, with "Going In Circles" charting for the Gap Band and Luther Vandross and "Love or Let Me Be Lonely" for pop artist Paul Davis. Most recently, "Grazin In the Grass" was released by Disney star Raven. In 1990, Elston and Butler decided to bring the Friends back together. Tragically, Butler died (at Elston's side) before the group reunion could be realized. After Butler's death, Elston spent several years forming a new Friends group, ultimately bringing together Geno Henderson, Wendy Bruné and Berlando Drake to sing with Elston. That lineup currently tours and continues to entertain audiences nearly 40 years after the world first heard the Friends of Distinction. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.