The Detroit Emeralds

The R&B act The Detroit Emeralds was founded as The Emeralds in the early 1960s by the brothers Abrim, Ivory, Raymond, and Cleophus Tilmon in Arkansas. Raymond and Cleophus left the group after a few years, and they were replaced by James Mitchell, a longtime friend of the Tilmon boys. They moved to the Motor City, added “Detroit” to their moniker, and had their first chart showing with “Show Time” in 1968. Their debut album, 1971’s Do Me Right, spun off a pair of hit singles—the album’s title track went top 10 on the R&B chart, and “Wear This Ring (with Love)” climbed to number 18. Their greatest success came with 1972’s “Baby Let Me Take You (In My Arms)”, a number 4 R&B and number 24 pop hit that appeared on the 1972 album You Want It, You Got It, alongside the second biggest single of their career, the album’s title track which landed at number 5 on the R&B chart and number 36 on the pop chart. The album also contained “Feel the Need In Me”, a top 10 UK hit thanks in part to a thriving northern soul scene at the time. They would land one more top 10 R&B single, “You’re Getting’ a Little Too Smart”, in 1973 before splintering with Abrim putting together a new group using the same name, and for a while both groups used the name. Abe rejoined the original members for a tour in the late 70s, but a supposed full-fledged reunion failed to materialize before 37-year-old Abrim passed away in 1982. The band continued to draw live audiences as an oldies act.

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