View source for The Friends of Distinction

{{Short description|American rhythm and blues group}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name   = The Friends of Distinction
| image   =Friends of Distinction 1973.JPG
| caption   = The Friends of Distinction in 1973.<br/>Floyd Butler, Dani McCormick, Harry Elston, Dianne Jackson
| image_size   = 
| background   = group_or_band
| alias   = 
| origin   = Los Angeles, California, United States
| genre   = {{flatlist|
* [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]]
* [[pop music|pop]]
* [[soul music|soul]]
* [[sunshine pop]]
* [[psychedelic soul]]
}}
| years_active = 1968–1975
| label = [[RCA Records]]
| associated_acts =
| website =
| past_members = Floyd Butler<br/>Dani McCormick<br/>Harry Elston<br/>Dianne Jackson<br/>Charlene Gibson<br/>[[Jessica Cleaves]]<br/>Barbara Jean Love
}}

'''The Friends of Distinction''' were an American [[List of vocal groups|vocal group]] founded by Harry Elston and Floyd Butler, best known for their 1969 RIAA-certified Gold [[hit record|hits]] "[[Grazing in the Grass]]" and "[[Going in Circles]]" and the 1970 hit "[[Love or Let Me Be Lonely]]", with all three reaching the Hot 100's top 15.

==Career==
The Friends of Distinction  formed in 1968 in Los Angeles with original members Floyd Butler (June 5, 1937 – April 29, 1990), Harry Elston (November 4, 1938 – March 4, 2025), [[Jessica Cleaves]] (December 10, 1948 – May 2, 2014), and Barbara Jean Love (born July 24, 1941).<ref name="LarkinGE">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]|editor=[[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin Larkin]]|publisher=[[Guinness Publishing]]|date=1992|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-939-0|page=921}}</ref> Butler and Elston had worked together in The Hi-Fi's in the mid 1960s, often opening for [[Ray Charles]].<ref name="LarkinGE"/>  Other members of the Hi-Fi's were [[Marilyn McCoo]] and Lamont McLemore, who would later co-found [[The Fifth Dimension]].

The Friends of Distinction were discovered by [[American football]] player [[Jim Brown]], who also discovered [[Earth, Wind & Fire]],<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://magazine.waxpoetics.com/connections/saudade-brasil/article/earth-wind-and-fire-cosmic-heights/ |title=Cosmic Heights: Earth, Wind & Fire |first=Ericka Blount |last=Danois |date=January 22, 2021 |magazine=[[Wax Poetics]] |access-date=March 10, 2025}}</ref> and were signed to [[RCA Records]].

The Friends' first major hit, "[[Grazing in the Grass]]", was an Elston-sung vocal [[cover version]] of an [[instrumental]] [[chart-topper|hit]] by [[Hugh Masekela]], with [[lyrics]] written by Elston.<ref name="LarkinGE"/>  Released in March 1969, this [[music recording sales certification|gold record]] went Top 5 on both the [[pop music|pop]] and [[soul music|soul]] [[record chart|charts]] in the U.S., peaking at No. 3 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] in June.<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs">{{cite book
| first= Joseph
| last= Murrells
| year= 1978
| title= The Book of Golden Discs
| edition= 2nd
| publisher= Barrie and Jenkins Ltd
| location= London
| page= [https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/259 259]
| isbn= 0-214-20512-6
| url-access= registration
| url= https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/259
}}</ref>  The follow-up [[ballad]] "[[Going in Circles]]" also charted highly, hitting No. 15 in November.<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs"/>

When Love took time off during her pregnancy, Charlene Gibson replaced her, singing lead on the Friends' third hit, "[[Love or Let Me Be Lonely]]", which peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 on 2-9 May 1970. The Friends were prolific between 1969 and 1973, releasing six albums, with a seventh in 1976. They also released numerous [[single (music)|singles]], including "[[Check It Out (The Friends of Distinction song)|Check It Out]]" and a cover of [[Neil Sedaka]]'s "[[Time Waits for No One (Neil Sedaka song)|Time Waits for No One]]". They also released a cover of [[Bread (band)|Bread]]'s "[[It Don't Matter To Me]]" shortly after the original's release in 1970.

The group quit touring in 1976, and broke up soon afterward. Cleaves sang with Earth, Wind & Fire for a number of years. 

"Going in Circles" has been covered by [[Isaac Hayes]], [[The Gap Band]] and [[Luther Vandross]], and "Love or Let Me Be Lonely" by [[Paul Davis (singer)|Paul Davis]]. 

In 1990, Elston and Butler planned to revive the Friends of Distinction, but Butler suffered a heart attack and died at the age of 52 on April 29 of that year. He had already written songs for the group and one composition he co-wrote, "Check It Out", was a hit for the group [[Tavares (band)|Tavares]]. Elston formed a new quartet, also called The Friends of Distinction, and the group continues to give live performances.

[[Jessica Cleaves]] died on May 2, 2014, from a stroke at the age of 65.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.soultracks.com/story-jessica-cleaves-dies |title=Former Earth Wind & Fire and Friends of Distinction singer Jessica Cleaves dies at age 65 |website=Soultracks.com |date=2 May 2014 |access-date=May 3, 2014}}</ref>

Harry Elston died on March 4, 2025, at the age of 86.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://soultracks.com/news-friends-of-distinction-founder-harry-elston-dies |title=Friends of Distinction founder, "Grazing In The Grass" singer Harry Elston dies at 86|website=Soul Tracks|date=4 May 2025 |access-date=9 March 2025}}</ref>

==Discography==
===Studio albums===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Title
! colspan="3"| Peak chart positions
! rowspan="2"| Record label
|- style="font-size:smaller;"
! width="35"| [[Billboard 200|US Pop]]<br><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/the-friends-of-distinction/chart-history/billboard-200|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190714200204/https://www.billboard.com/music/the-friends-of-distinction/chart-history/billboard-200|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 14, 2019|title=The Friends of Distinction: Billboard 200|website=Billboard.com|date=22 January 2015}}</ref>
! width="35"| [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums|US<br>R&B]]<br><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/the-friends-of-distinction/chart-history/r-b-hip-hop-albums|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190714200154/https://www.billboard.com/music/the-friends-of-distinction/chart-history/r-b-hip-hop-albums|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 14, 2019|title=The Friends of Distinction: Top R&B Albums|website=Billboard.com}}</ref>
! width="35"| [[RPM (magazine)|CAN]]<br><ref name="can">{{cite web|url=http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/list.aspx?OCRText=Friends+of+Distinction&|title=The Friends of Distinction|publisher=[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]|website=Bac-lac.gc.ca|date=17 July 2013}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1969
| align="left"| ''[[Grazin']]''
| 35
| 10
| 17
| rowspan="7"| [[RCA Records|RCA]]
|-
| align="left"| ''[[Highly Distinct]]''
| 173
| 14
| —
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1970
| align="left"| ''[[Real Friends (The Friends of Distinction album)|Real Friends]]''
| 68
| 9
| 49
|-
| align="left"| ''[[Whatever (The Friends of Distinction album)|Whatever]]''
| 179
| 42
| —
|-
| rowspan="1"| 1971
| align="left"| ''[[Friends & People]]''
| 166
| —
| —
|-
| rowspan="1"| 1973
| align="left"| ''[[Love Can Make It Easier]]''
| —
| —
| —
|-
| rowspan="1"| 1975
| align="left"| ''Reviviscence – Live to Light Again''
| —
| —
| —
|-
| colspan="15" style="font-size:90%" | "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
|}

===Compilation albums===
*''Greatest Hits'' (1973, [[RCA Records|RCA Victor]])
*''Golden Classics'' (1989, [[Collectables Records|Collectables]])
*''Best of the Friends of Distinction'' (1996, RCA)
*''Going in Circles'' (2005, RCA/Sony BMG)

===Singles===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Title
! colspan="5"| Peak chart positions
! rowspan="2"| [[Music recording sales certification|Certifications]]
! rowspan="2"| Album
|- style="font-size:smaller;"
! width="35"| [[Billboard Hot 100|US Pop]]<br><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/the-friends-of-distinction/chart-history/hot-100|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190714200215/https://www.billboard.com/music/the-friends-of-distinction/chart-history/hot-100|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 14, 2019|title=The Friends of Distinction: Hot 100|website=Billboard.com|date=12 September 2008}}</ref>
! width="35"| [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|US<br>R&B]]<br><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/the-friends-of-distinction/chart-history/r-b-hip-hop-songs|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190714200225/https://www.billboard.com/music/the-friends-of-distinction/chart-history/r-b-hip-hop-songs|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 14, 2019|title=The Friends of Distinction: Hot R&B Songs|website=Billboard.com}}</ref>
! width="35"| [[Adult Contemporary (chart)|US<br>A/C]]<br><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/the-friends-of-distinction/chart-history/adult-contemporary|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190714200418/https://www.billboard.com/music/the-friends-of-distinction/chart-history/adult-contemporary|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 14, 2019|title=The Friends of Distinction: Adult Contemporary Songs|website=Billboard.com}}</ref>
! width="35"| [[Kent Music Report|AUS]]<br><ref name="kent">{{cite book|title=Australian Charts Book 1970—1992|author=David Kent|isbn=0-646-11917-6|year=1993|publisher=Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W.}}</ref>
! width="35"| [[RPM (magazine)|CAN]]<br><ref name="can"/>
|-
| rowspan="3"|1969
| align="left"| "[[Grazing in the Grass]]"
| 3
| 5
| —
| 98
| 5
| align=left| 
* [[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]]: Gold<ref name="riaa">{{cite certification|region=United States|artist=Friends of Distinction|accessdate=September 23, 2024}}</ref>
| align=left rowspan="2"| ''Grazin'''
|-
| align="left"| "[[Going in Circles (song)|Going in Circles]]" <small>(A-side)</small>
| 15
| 3
| —
| —
| 24
| align=left| 
* [[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]]: Gold<ref name="riaa"/>
|-
| align="left"| "Let Yourself Go" <small>(B-side)</small>
| 63
| —
| —
| —
| 34
| align=left| 
| align=left rowspan="1"| ''Highly Distinct''
|-
| rowspan="2"|1970
| align="left"| "[[Love or Let Me Be Lonely]]"
| 6
| 13
| 9
| 55
| 2
| align=left| 
| align=left rowspan="1"| ''Real Friends''
|-
| align="left"| "[[Time Waits for No One (Neil Sedaka song)|Time Waits for No One]]"
| 60
| 37
| —
| —
| 37
| align=left| 
| align=left rowspan="1"| ''Whatever''
|-
| rowspan="3"|1971
| align="left"| "I Need You"
| 79
| 28
| —
| —
| —
| align=left| 
| align=left rowspan="3"| ''Friends & People''
|-
| align="left"| "Down I Go"
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| align=left| 
|-
| align="left"| "Let Me Be"
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| align=left| 
|-
| rowspan="2"|1972
| align="left"| "Love Is the Way of Life (The Humble Stranger)"
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| align=left| 
| align=left rowspan="1" | non-album track
|-
| align="left"| "Thumb Tripping (I'll Be Movin' On)"
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| align=left| 
| align=left rowspan="3"| ''Love Can Make It Easier''
|-
| rowspan="2"|1973
| align="left"| "Easy Evil"
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| align=left| 
|-
| align="left"| "Love Can Make It Easier"
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| align=left| 
|-
| rowspan="2"|1975
| align="left"| "Honey Baby Theme"
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| align=left| 
| align=left rowspan="1"| ''[[Honeybaby, Honeybaby#Soundtrack|Honey Baby, Honey Baby]]''
|-
| align="left"| "Love Shack (Opened Up a Shop) Pt. 1"
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| align=left| 
| align=left rowspan="1"| ''Reviviscence – Live to Light Again''
|-
| colspan="15" style="font-size:90%" | "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{allmusic|id=mn0000829125}}
*[http://www.soultracks.com/friends_of_distinction.htm The Friends of Distinction] at Soul Tracks
* {{discogs artist|The Friends Of Distinction}}
* {{imdb name|2048396}}

{{The Friends of Distinction}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Friends of Distinction, The}}
[[Category:African-American musical groups]]
[[Category:American soul musical groups]]
[[Category:American vocal groups]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1968]]
[[Category:Musical groups from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:RCA Records artists]]
[[Category:Sunshine pop]]