SWV (Sisters with Voices) is an American R&B vocal trio from New York City whose members are Cheryl (Coko) Gamble, Tamara (Taj) Johnson, and Leanne (Lelee) Lyons. Formed in 1988 as a

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...

group, SWV became one of the most successful R&B groups of the 1990s. They had a series of hits, including "

Weak Weak may refer to: Songs * "Weak" (AJR song), 2016 * "Weak" (Melanie C song), 2011 * "Weak" (SWV song), 1993 * "Weak" (Skunk Anansie song), 1995 * "Weak", a song by Seether from '' Seether: 2002-2013'' Television episodes * "Weak" (''Fear t ...

", " Right Here (Human Nature Remix)", "

I'm So into You "I'm So into You" is a song recorded by American R&B vocal trio SWV for their debut studio album, '' It's About Time'' (1992). Written and produced by Brian Alexander Morgan, the song was released in January 1993 as the second single from the ...

", and " You're the One". The group disbanded in 1998 to pursue solo projects and reunited in 2005. SWV has sold more than 25 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling girl groups of all time.

Biography

Early life and big break

SWV was formed by Cheryl "Coko" Gamble, Tamara "Taj" Johnson, and

Leanne "Lelee" Lyons Leanne Clency Lyons (born July 17, 1973), better known by her stage name Lelee, is an American singer and television personality. Lyons is the founding member of the American vocal trio Sisters with Voices (SWV). Early life Born Leanne Cle ...

(with Lelee and Coko as founding members). After getting their demo together, their manager at the time, Maureen Singleton sent out demo tapes along with bottles of Perrier ("We couldn't afford champagne", says Taj) to catch the attention of record execs all over America. In 1991, after being invited to sing live in front of RCA executives, SWV was signed to an eight-album record deal.

1992–1995: ''It's About Time'' and ''The Remixes''

'' It's About Time'', the debut studio album by SWV, was released by

RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also ...

on October 27, 1992. It was certified

multi-platinum Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

by the

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...

for more than two million copies shipped to store. SWV's first single, " Right Here", was released in the fall of 1992, reaching No. 13 on the R&B charts. Their second single, "

", peaked at No. 2 on R&B and reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. The third single, "

", reached No. 1 on both the R&B and Hot 100 charts. " Right Here/Human Nature", the fourth single and a remix of their first single, "Right Here", featured samples of

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the " King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over ...

's hit "

Human Nature Human nature is a concept that denotes the fundamental dispositions and characteristics—including ways of thinking, feeling, and acting—that humans are said to have naturally. The term is often used to denote the essence of humankind, or ...

Pharrell Williams Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973) is an American record producer, rapper, singer, and songwriter. Alongside close colleague Chad Hugo, he formed the hip hop and R&B production duo the Neptunes in the early 1990s, with whom h ...

performed a small rap solo on "Right Here (UK Remix)". "Right Here/Human Nature" peaked at No. 1 on R&B and No. 2 on the Hot 100 and it stayed at No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' R&B charts for 7 weeks, making it one of the longest-running singles of 1993. It was followed up with the additional Top10 R&B hits, "Downtown" (No. 2), and "You're Always on My Mind" (No. 8). The album peaked at 8 on the US Billboard 200. Following the success of their first album, SWV appeared on the soundtrack for the 1994 film '' Above the Rim''. The single, "Anything", became a top ten R&B hit and reached No. 18 on the Hot 100 in the spring of 1994. That same year, SWV released '' The Remixes'', which went gold by the end of the year. In the summer of 1995, the trio lent vocal harmonies to Blackstreet's Top 40 R&B hit "Tonight's the Night".

1996–1997: ''New Beginning'', ''Release Some Tension'' and ''A Special Christmas''

'' New Beginning'' was the second album from SWV. The first single, " You're the One", became one of their signature songs peaking at number five on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart. The second single, "Use Your Heart", saw the debut of the super producers

The Neptunes The Neptunes are an American songwriting and production duo composed of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, formed in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in 1992. Williams often provides additional vocals on records and appears in the duo's music video ...

. This song peaked at twenty-two on the Hot 100 and number six on the R&B chart. The last single, "It's All About U", found Taj taking most of the lead as opposed to Coko. The album was certified platinum for shipping 1,000,000 copies in the U.S. alone. Also, in 1995 SWV appeared on the '' Waiting to Exhale: Original Soundtrack Album'', recording the track, "All Night Long". ''

Release Some Tension ''Release Some Tension'' is the third studio album by American R&B vocal group SWV. It was released by RCA Records on July 29, 1997. The album guest appearances by E-40, Puff Daddy, Missy Elliott, Timbaland, Foxy Brown, Lil' Cease, Lil' Kim ...

'' is SWV's third album. Guest appearances are made by

E-40 Earl Tywone Stevens Sr. (born November 15, 1967), better known by his stage name E-40, is an American rapper. He is a founding member of the rap group The Click, and the founder of Sick Wid It Records. He has released 26 studio albums to date, ...

Puff Daddy Puff may refer to: Science and technology * Puff, a small quantity of gas or smoke in the air ** Puff, a light gust of wind ** Exhalation ** Inhalation * Puff model, volcanic ash tracking model developed at the University of Alaska Fairbanks * ...

Missy Elliott Melissa Arnette Elliott (born July 1, 1971), better known as Missy Elliott or Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliot, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She embarked on her music career with R&B girl group Sista in the earl ...

, Foxy Brown, Lil' Cease,

Lil' Kim Kimberly Denise Jones (born July 11, 1974), Those giving 1974 include: * * * * * better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper and reality television personality. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, she lived much of h ...

Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, " ...

y Dogg, and Redman. The album features hits like "

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" (which samples

Jaco Pastorius John Francis Anthony "Jaco" Pastorius III (; December 1, 1951 – September 21, 1987) was an American jazz bassist, composer and producer. He recorded albums as a solo artist and band leader and was a member of Weather Report from 1976 to 1981. ...

's classic " Portrait of Tracy"), "

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", " Can We" (which was originally included on the soundtrack for the

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film ''

Booty Call ''Booty Call'' is a 1997 American buddy comedy film, written by J. Stanford Parker (credited as Bootsie) and Takashi Bufford, and directed by Jeff Pollack. The film stars Jamie Foxx, Tommy Davidson, Vivica A. Fox, and Tamala Jones. Plot Rushon ...

''), and canceled single "

Lose My Cool "Lose My Cool" is a song by American R&B group SWV featuring rapper Redman, released as the third single from their third studio album ''Release Some Tension''. It was unable to chart on the US ''Billboard'' Hot R&B Singles chart due to rules in ...

". "Someone", although featuring one of the biggest producers/artists of the year, Puff Daddy, only reached No. 19 on the ''Billboard'' charts which sampled

The Notorious B.I.G. Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was an American rapper. Rooted in East Coast hip hop and particularly gangsta ...

's "Ten Crack Commandment's and

Les McCann Leslie Coleman McCann (born September 23, 1935) is an American jazz pianist and vocalist.Feather, Leonard, and Ira Gitler (2007), ''The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz'', p. 448. Oxford University Press. Early life Les McCann was born in ...

's "Valantra". "When U Cry" also sampled

Tyrone Davis Tyrone Davis (born Tyrone D. Fettson or Tyrone D. Branch, October 3, 1937 – February 9, 2005) was an American blues and soul singer with a long list of hit records over more than 20 years. Davis had three number 1 hits on the '' Billboard'' ...

' "In The Mood". The album was certified gold for shipping 500,000 copies in the U.S. alone
RIAA Database
''A Special Christmas'', a holiday album featuring both cover versions and original material, was released in the United States on November 18, 1997, by

. ''A Special Christmas'' would be the penultimate album the trio recorded together before they disbanded in 1998. Coko, the group's lead singer, released her first solo album in 1999.

1998–2010: Hiatus and reuniting of SWV

The group split in 1998. The members began leading their own careers. After SWV disbanded, Coko went on to release her first solo album under RCA, titled ''Hot Coko'', released August 1999. The first single, "Sunshine", which was dedicated to her son Jazz, reached the Top 40 position in the R&B charts that summer. However, neither the album nor the singles gathered the same mainstream success as Coko once did with SWV. Meanwhile, Coko was working on a second solo album titled ''Music Doll'' in early 2001, but RCA closed the black music division and the project was shelved. Since then, she has concentrated more on her family, and eventually married gospel producer and drummer for

Israel and New Breed Israel Houghton (; born May 19, 1971) is an American contemporary Christian music singer, songwriter, producer and worship leader. He is usually credited as Israel & New Breed. Musical career Houghton produced an album by Michael Gungor, '' B ...

, Mike "Big Mike" Clemmons, the father of her second son, Jaylen. She currently resides in Virginia Beach, Virginia. In 2001, Coko and her Mother Lady "Clyde" Tibba Gamble did a remake of the song " Tears in Heaven" (originally recorded by

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list o ...

) on the album ''Rhythm and Spirit: "Love Can Build a Bridge"''. The album featured other artists such as Jennifer Holliday,

Patti LaBelle Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944), known professionally as Patti LaBelle, is an American R&B singer, actress and businesswoman. LaBelle is referred to as the " Godmother of Soul". She began her career in the early 1960s as lead singe ...

, and Tramaine Hawkins. Clemons sang on the Brent Jones & TP Mobb single "Midnite" in 2002. She also appeared on Youthful Praise's 2003 gospel album ''Thank You for the Change'' singing lead on "Up There". Coko's full gospel solo debut, ''Grateful'', was released in the United States on October 31, 2006 and debuted at No. 5 on ''Billboard''s Top Independent albums chart. ''Grateful'' includes an all-star cover of The Clark Sisters' "Endow Me" which features R&B singers Faith Evans,

Fantasia Barrino Fantasia Monique Barrino-Taylor (born June 30, 1984), known professionally by her mononym Fantasia, is an American R&B singer and actress. She rose to fame as the winner of the third season of the reality television series ''American Idol'' in ...

and Lil Mo. An alternate version, minus Faith Evans was performed on

BET Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los ...

's ''Celebration of Gospel '07''. A special edition of ''Grateful'' only available through

Wal-Mart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...

includes two bonus tracks "I Wish" and Brent Jones' "Midnite" featuring Coko on lead vocals. Coko was reported to have joined an all-black touring cast performing the critically acclaimed play ''

The Vagina Monologues ''The Vagina Monologues'' is an episodic play written in 1996 by Eve Ensler which developed and premiered at HERE Arts Center, Off-Off-Broadway in New York and was followed by an Off-Broadway run in at Westside Theatre. The play explores c ...

'', along with

Sherri Shepherd Sherri Shepherd (born April 22, 1967) is an American actress, comedian, author, broadcaster, and television personality. She currently hosts the daily syndicated daytime talk show, '' Sherri''. From 2007 to 2014, Shepherd was a co-host of the da ...

Star Jones Starlet Marie Jones (born March 24, 1962), better known as Star Jones, is an American lawyer, journalist, television personality, fashion designer, author, and women's and diversity advocate. She is best known as one of the first co-hosts on the ...

, Vanessa L. Williams, and others. In June 2008, Coko performed in Japan for the Billboard Live Tour. She sang some of her solo hits "Sunshine", "Clap Your Hands", and the SWV song " Right Here/Human Nature". Tajofswv

In 2005, SWV reunited and announced plans to record a new album the following year, which did not materialize. In 2007, the group performed dates with

After 7 After 7 is an American R&B group founded in 1987 by brothers Melvin and Kevon Edmonds, and their friend Keith Mitchell. The Edmonds brothers are the older siblings of pop/R&B singer-songwriter and record producer Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, wh ...

, Bobby Brown,

New Edition New Edition is an American R&B/Pop group from the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1978 by Bobby Brown. Their name is taken to mean a 'new edition' of the Jackson 5. The group reached its height of popularity in the 19 ...

, and Blackstreet. Also in 2007, Taj appeared in the TV One reality series ''I Married a Baller'' which documented her life with husband

Eddie George Edward Nathan George Jr. (born September 24, 1973) is an American football coach and former player who is the current head coach at Tennessee State. He played as a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons, primarily ...

, former NFL player and present Nashville entrepreneur. SWV members Coko and Lelee (who sing the theme song along with Taj) appear in a couple of the show's episodes. On June 24, 2008, during a performance from

Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...

at the BET Awards of 2008, SWV made a special appearance with the original line up from

En Vogue En Vogue is an American vocal girl group whose original lineup consisted of singers Terry Ellis, Dawn Robinson, Cindy Herron, and Maxine Jones. Formed in Oakland, California, in 1989, En Vogue reached No. 2 on the US Hot 100 with the single ...

and TLC. SWV sang "Weak" with Alicia and later performed "Waterfalls" with the two other R&B girl bands. Coko currently resides in

Virginia Beach Virginia Beach is an independent city located on the southeastern coast of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The population was 459,470 at the 2020 census. Although mostly suburban in character, it is the most populous ci ...

, Lelee in

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...

and Taj in

Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and th ...

.. Taj was a contestant on '' Survivor: Tocantins'', in which she came in fourth place. She was blindsided by her former alliance of J.T. Thomas and Stephen Fishbach. She became the sixth Jury Member. She participated in a 2009 national tour of the '' Vagina Monologues'' with an all-black cast, most of whom are also former reality show contestants. SWV appeared on '' The Mo'Nique Show'' on February 2, 2010, performing

's "

If Only You Knew "If Only You Knew" was a single written and produced primarily by Dexter Wansel and Cynthia Biggs for American singer Patti LaBelle's sixth solo album, '' I'm in Love Again''. It was released as the album's official first single in 1983, spendi ...

". Lelee and Coko provided the lead vocals.

2011–present: ''I Missed Us'', reality show and ''Still''

In 2011, SWV signed a record deal with Mass Appeal Entertainment and E1 Entertainment. On June 10, 2011, SWV was featured on the official remix of Chris Brown's remake of their "Right Here/Human Nature" song, "

She Ain't You "She Ain't You" is a song by American recording artist Chris Brown. The mid-tempo R&B record was written by Brown, Jean Baptiste, Ryan Buendia, Kevin McCall and Jason Boyd, and was produced by Free School. It was sent to urban contemporary rad ...

". SWV released "

Co-Sign A loan guarantee, in finance, is a promise by one party (the guarantor) to assume the debt obligation of a borrower if that borrower defaults. A guarantee can be limited or unlimited, making the guarantor liable for only a portion or all of the d ...

" on December 15, 2011, via iTunes as the first single from their fourth studio album, '' I Missed Us''. VH1 ranked SWV No. 88 on their 100 Greatest: Women in Music list. ''Billboard'' named SWV the No. 7 R&B Act and the No. 2 Top Selling/Airplay R&B Female Group of the 1990s. The track listing for SWV's ''I Missed Us'' was released on Amazon.com. The album was released on April 17, 2012, via eOne Music and Mass Appeal Entertainment. SWV appeared on the television talk show ''

The Wendy Williams Show ''The Wendy Williams Show'' (often shortened to ''Wendy'') is an American syndicated talk show created and hosted by Wendy Williams, and produced by Wendy Williams Productions, along with Perler Productions. The show is distributed by Debmar- ...

'' on April 17, 2012, to promote the release of ''I Missed Us'' and to perform the hit song "Co-Sign". The album then went to No. 1 on the iTunes R&B albums chart. On June 1, 2012, SWV announced that their next single to be released from ''I Missed Us'' would be "Love Unconditionally". On June 28, 2012, the song "

" from the triple-platinum album '' It's About Time'' was ranked at No. 18 on VH1's 40 Greatest R&B Songs of the '90s. On November 4, 2012, SWV performed on Black Girls Rock!, an organization to inspire young black girls, on

. On July 7, 2013, during the Essence Music Festival, SWV announced that

WE tv We TV (stylized as WE tv) is an American pay television channel. Owned by AMC Networks since its September 1997 launch, it is oriented mainly towards lifestyle and entertainment programming. As of February 2015, approximately 85.2 million Amer ...

green-lit a reality series that would detail their lives as a group and individually, professionally and personally. It would also address their 1998 breakup and their subsequent reunion. ''SWV Reunited'' premiered on January 16, 2014, with a six-episode season. A twelve-episode second season followed later that August. As promised, the show has documented the trust issues the groupmates have with one another from their acrimonious split and their attempt to rebuild their friendships and their brand. It also showcased their professional endeavors and struggles, including touring and recording a comeback album, trying to get out of a record contract and disputes with their road manager, Cory Taylor. Subplots included Coko's reluctance to record secular music after her foray into gospel, Taj's health issues and Lelee's tumultuous relationship with her daughter. A song that the group was shown recording on ''SWV Reunited'' entitled "Ain't No Man" was released to iTunes as a promo single on August 7, 2015. On November 6, 2015, it was officially announced via Coko's official Instagram account that ''SWV Reunited'' had been canceled by WE tv. In the same post, she stated that SWV's long-delayed fifth studio album would be entitled ''Still'' and is set to be released on February 5, 2016. On December 10, 2015, while making a surprise appearance on the television talk show, The View, Taj announced that "Still" was available for pre-order along with that came a second single entitled "MCE (Man Crush Everyday)". SWV performing at Rams

In 2017, they collaborated with

Bell Biv DeVoe Bell Biv DeVoe, also known as BBD, is an American music group from Boston, Massachusetts, formed from members of New Edition, consisting of Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins and Ronnie DeVoe. The band is best known for their debut album, the multi-p ...

on the song "Finally" which was released as the second single off their album '' Three Stripes''. They were awarded the "Lady of Soul Award" at the 2017 Soul Train Music Awards. In 2019, SWV announced they had partnered with hip-hop trio

Salt-N-Pepa Salt-N-Pepa (also stylized as Salt 'N' Pepa or Salt 'N Pepa) is an American hip-hop group formed in New York City in 1985, that comprised Salt (Cheryl James), Pepa (Sandra Denton), and DJ Spinderella (Deidra Roper). Their debut album, '' Hot, ...

in the creation of a new reality series called 'Ladies Night'. The show premiered on

on April 30, 2019. As part of their virtual artist battles birthed in 2020, Verzuz hosted a pre-Mother's day event, on May 8, 2021, featuring both SWV and Xscape. Both DJs, AONE and

Spinderella Deidra Muriel Roper (born August 3, 1970), known professionally as DJ Spinderella or simply Spinderella, is an American DJ, rapper and producer. She is best known as a member of the hip-hop group Salt-N-Pepa. Roper occasionally appeared in '' Th ...

, were responsible for music play for both groups.

Members

* Cheryl "Coko" Gamble (born June 13, 1970, The Bronx, New York) is the ''Soprano'' and lead singer of the group known for her distinctive high tone and vocal acrobatics. * Tamara "Taj" Johnson-George (born April 29, 1971, Brooklyn, New York) is the group's ''Mezzo-Soprano'' who has a more jazzy and blues sound. *

(born July 17, 1973, The Bronx, New York) is also a ''Mezzo-Soprano'' and though being the lightest voice of the three, sings the lower parts.

Discography

;Studio albums * '' It's About Time'' (1992) * '' New Beginning'' (1996) * ''

'' (1997) * '' I Missed Us'' (2012) * '' Still'' (2016)

Tours

*Weak (1993 in the UK) * Budweiser Superfest 1993 with BBD, Silk, Shai, MC Lyte & Intro in the US) * SWV Live (1994 in the UK, South Africa, Canada, US) *SWV World Tour (1996 in the US, Europe, South Africa, Asia, New Zealand) *Release Some Tension (1998 in the US) *New Jack Swing Tour (2005 in the US and Canada) *Billboard Live Tour (June 16–21, 2008 in Japan) *Billboard Live Tour (January 12–13, 2009 in Japan) *SWV and Faith Evans (December 5–10, 2010 in the United Kingdom) *Fresh Music Festival (May–July 2012, US) * SWV Comeback Tour (2013 in London and US) *Ladies Night Tour (With

) (2018, US) Opening Act *2017: Three Stripes Tour *2019: As Long as I Live Tour

Opening acts

SWV featured a number of successful female groups as opening acts throughout their various touring engagements. Those groups included such contemporaries as Xscape,

Jade Jade is a mineral used as jewellery or for ornaments. It is typically green, although may be yellow or white. Jade can refer to either of two different silicate minerals: nephrite (a silicate of calcium and magnesium in the amphibole group ...

, Total, 702, and

Destiny's Child Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final line-up comprised Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Houston, Texas. After years of limited ...

. Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * {{Authority control African-American girl groups American girl groups American pop girl groups American contemporary R&B musical groups American pop music groups American hip hop groups RCA Records artists New jack swing music groups Musical groups disestablished in 1998