The Pips

Even though Pips never really had any commercial success independently, these were well-known for the distinctive background harmonies which they supplied for Gladys Knight for quite some time. From 1961’s “Every Defeat of My Center” to 1973’s “Midnight Teach to Georgia” to 1988’s “Like Overboard,” the Pips supported Knight using one main strike after another. Knight initial started dealing with the Pips in 1952, when she was just eight and produced a quintet with her sibling Merald “Bubba” Knight, her sister Brenda Knight, and their cousins William and Elenor Visitor. Initially, the group’s primary purpose was engaging relatives and buddies, but another cousin, Adam “Pip” Woods, inspired the quintet to sing skillfully and became its reserving agent — and by the past due ’50s, Knight and her family members had been touring with Jackie Wilson and Sam Cooke as an starting action. Brenda Knight and Elenor Visitor still left the Pips (whose name was motivated by Woods’ nickname of Pip) in 1959, if they had been changed by cousins Langston George and Edward Patten. When George still left in 1962, the Pips’ most well-known lineup — Merald “Bubba” Knight, William Visitor, and Edward Patten — was set up. By 1962, Gladys Knight & the Pips acquired become famous because of the 1961 strike “Every Defeat of My Center.” Knight briefly still left the group in 1964 when she became pregnant, as well as the Pips survived by carrying out history vocals for several artists. Around that point, the Pips documented some little-known music independently, including “Linda,” “Bless the main one,” “To Whom IT COULD Concern,” “TRAVELLING in Circles,” and “Darling.” Knight came back in 1965, as well as the Pips didn’t perform any more documenting independently until the past due ’70s. Minus Knight, the Pips documented two albums for Casablanca: 1977’s FINALLY…the Pips and 1978’s Bunny Sigler-produced Callin’ — both which experienced inadequate promotion and do hardly any commercially. From then on, the Pips do no more documenting independently. They continued to be with Knight until 1990 — when Knight as well as the Pips parted firm once and for all that season, she became a full-time single artist as well as the Pips retired from music.