About The Tempests
Hometown
Charlotte, NC, United States
Formed
1958
Genre
Traditional Pop
North Carolina group the Tempests cut a good album and a few non-LP singles in the late '60s full of assertive, brassy, good-time soul in the beach music tradition, though they didn't quite break out nationally. They were formed by brothers Roger Branch (guitar) and Michael Branch (keyboards), eventually growing into a ten-piece band that was large even by beach music standards. Including two trumpets, two saxophones, and an organ, the group was all-white with the exception of lead vocalist Hazel Martin, whose powerful yet slightly melodramatic singing was one of their key assets. Their first single, "Would You Believe!," bubbled under the Top 100 by peaking at number 127 in the charts, but while they'd never build any more national momentum, they were able to cut a full album for the Smash label, also titled Would You Believe!. Mostly devoted to strong (if nearly unremittingly upbeat) original material, it was followed by a couple non-LP singles. The album was reissued on CD with historical liner notes in 2007, adding both of the non-LP 45s as bonus cuts. ~ Richie Unterberger
Similar to: The Tempests
Discover more music and artists similar to The Tempests, like Bobby Paris, The High Keys, Cobblestone
