Rare Earth (band)

Rare Earth was an American rock band affiliated with, and named after, Motown's Rare Earth record label in the late-1960s and 1970s. It was the first act signed by Motown that consisted entirely of Caucasian members.

The group formed in 1961, and started recording for the Rare Earth record label as The Sunliners in 1969, then changed their name to that of the label. The main personnel in the group included Gil Bridges (lead vocals and saxophone), Pete Rivera (drums), John Parrish (bass guitar), Rod Richards (guitar), and Kenny James (keyboards). The personnel lineup changed considerably over the years, with three members of the group dying during the 1980s and 1990s, and the only original member currently left in the group is Bridges.

Rare Earth had a number of Top Ten hits in the 1970-1971 period, including covers of The Temptations' "(I Know) I'm Losing You" and "Get Ready". The cover of "Get Ready" was their biggest hit, peaking at #4 on the US pop charts, a better performance than the original. They did not chart significantly after 1971, although they continued to record into the 1980s. Their 1973 album Ma, written and produced by Norman Whitfield, is considered their best overall work, and features their version of "Hum Along and Dance"

The group gained a bit of notoriety when it was mentioned dismissively in the lyrics to Gil Scott-Heron's landmark 1970 poem "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised," which included the line, "The theme song [to the revolution] will not be written by Jim Webb, Francis Scott Key, nor sung by Glen Campbell, Tom Jones, Johnny Cash, Engelbert Humperdinck, or the Rare Earth."

Rare Earth, which continues to perform at corporate events and on the oldies circuit, appears to have had the last word, however; bits from their recordings have been used as samples on recordings as diverse as Beck's "Derelict," Black Sheep's "Try Counting Sheep," Peanut Butter Wolf's "Tale of Five Cities," Scarface's "Faith," NWA's "Real N****z Don't Die," and Eric B. and Rakim's "What's Going On." Their hit "I Just Want to Celebrate" was also used in a major national advertising campaign by Ford Motor Company.