Tavares

It was late in the 1970s when I accepted a position at the CBS-affiliated TV station in New Bedford, MA, WTEV.  I had never heard of New Bedford or knew anything about the Cape Verdean people, many of who settled in the New England region, including New Bedford until I arrived in that quaint New England town. While living there, I learned that one of my favorite singing groups, Tavares, were Cape Verdean and headquartered in New Bedford. But this post ain't about me. It's about Tavares.

The singing group, known as Tavares, is an African American soul group that performed R & B, funk and disco music. They were born in Providence, Rhode Island but later moved to New Bedford, Massachusetts. Their family was originally from the Cape Verde Islands which are located off the coast of Northwest Africa. The group consists of five brothers, Butch (Feliciano Vierra Tavares, Jr.), Chubby (Antone Lee Tavares), Pooch (Arthur Paul Tavares), Ralph (Ralph Edward Vierra Tavares) and Tiny (Perry Lee Tavares). In 2014, the group was inducted into the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame.

The five brothers began performing in 1959 and had several major hits including “More Than A Woman”, “It Only Takes A Minute”, “Remember What I Told You to Forget” and my favorite, “Bad Times.” These tracks are from an era when great popular music made you feel good all over and will always be “timeless.”
  

Track Listings

 The Best of Tavares

  1. It Only Takes A Minute

  2. She's Gone

  3. Remember What I Told You To Forget

  4. Never Had A Love Like This Before

  5. Whodunit

  6. Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel

  7. More Than A Woman

  8. Free Ride

  9. Bad Times (Theme From Defiance)

  10. Check It Out