The Simpsons

Nickolas Ashford (born May 4, 1942, in Fairfield, South Carolina) and Valerie Simpson (born August 26, 1946 in The Bronx, New York) are a successful husband and wife songwriting/production team, as well as being recording artists in their own right. more...

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History

The duo essentially had two careers: one as a successful writing and producing team and the other as singers and performers themselves. They started their career in the 1960s, writing for artists such as Ray Charles ("Let's Go Get Stoned" and "'I Don't Need No Doctor"),1966 The Fifth Dimension ("California Soul") and Aretha Franklin ("Cry Like A Baby"). Joining the Motown staff in 1967, they wrote and/or produced all but one of the late 1960s singles Marvin Gaye recorded with Tammi Terrell, including hits such as the original version of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "Your Precious Love", and "You're All I Need to Get By". Other Motown artists that Ashford & Simpson worked with included Diana Ross ("Reach Out & Touch (Somebody's Hand)," "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "Remember Me," "Surrender" LP, "The Boss" and "It's My House"); Gladys Knight & The Pips ("Didn't You Know You'd Have To Cry Sometime, "The Landlord", "Bourgie, Bourgie," "Taste Of Bitter Love"); Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, ("Who's Gonna Take The Blame"); The Marvelettes ("Destination:Anywhere") and The Dynamic Superiors ("Shoe, Shoe Shine"). Other artists they had hits with include Teddy Pendergrass ("Is It Still Good To You") Brothers Johnson ("Ride-O-Rocket") and Chaka Khan, both on her own ("I'm Every Woman" and "Clouds," ) and with Rufus ("Keep It Comin'" and "Ain't Nothin' But A Maybe" ). In 1980, they were featured as vocalists, along with Chaka Khan on the huge hit "Stuff Like That" from Quincy Jones' album of the same title and contributed to the writing of the soundtrack to The Wiz. In 1995, Method Man and Mary J. Blige had a hit with a medley of "I'll Be There For You" and "You're All I Need To Get By."

According to Marvin Gaye in the book Divided Soul, Simpson did most of the vocals on the last album he did with Tammi Terrell, "Easy," as a way of Tammi's family to have additional income.

Ashford & Simpson's career as artists actually began in 1964 when they recorded "I'll Find You" as "Valerie & Nick." This was followed by several obscure singles Ashford recorded on the Glover, Verve and ABC labels such as "It Ain't Like That", (later recorded by Martha Reeves & The Vandellas), "California Soul" and "Dead End Kids" backed by his own version of "Let's Go Get Stoned," which the duo wrote with their early collaborator Joshie Jo Armstead. After concentrating on working with other artists, Simpson was the featured soloist on the songs "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and "What's Going On" on the Quincy Jones albums "Gula Matari" in 1970 and its followup, "Smackwater Jack." Simpson subsequently recorded two excellent solo LP's for Motown, Valerie Simpson Exposed in 1971, and, the following year, the album Valerie Simpson, which included the single "Silly Wasn't I," which was sampled in 2006 on Jamie Foxx's hit "Unpredictable." Ashford & Simpson left Motown in 1973, after the albums Simpson recorded for the label received poor promotion and the company refused to release an album of the two of them recording a collection of their most famous songs for other artists. They first came to national prominence when they were featured singing selections from Simpson's solo albums on the PBS TV show Soul!, hosted by Ellis Haizlip in 1971.

Read more at Wikipedia.org