Biography by Ed Hogan
Though soul/pop Peaches and Herb was billed as a duo, their group
member rotation is more similar to a group's. The original Peaches,
Francine Hurd Barker, a Washington, D.C., native, earned the childhood
nickname "Peaches" because of her genteel manner. She sang in
neighborhood groups and in her teens she became the lead singer for a
group named the Keynotes. Starting her own group, the Darlettes, they
auditioned for and were signed to D.C.-area label Date Records, where
their name was changed to the Sweet Things. Herb Fame, born Herbert
Feemster on October 1, 1942, in Washington, D.C., began singing in
church at seven and continued singing through the years in neighborhood
groups. After high school graduation, Herb began working at a record
store. His friend, Howard University student Freddie Perren, worked at
another record store, Sabin's right around the corner. One day in
January 1965, producer Van McCoy came into the store Herb worked in to
ask about doing in-store promotion for a group he was working with
called the Sweet Things. He and Herb began having conversations that
lead to Herb auditioning for and signing with Date Records as a solo
artist. While in New York recording the two acts, the Sweet Things and
Herb Fame, separately, McCoy decided to use some leftover recording
time to record Herb and Francine as a duo. The original A-side, "We're
in This Thing Together," failed to generate much interest. Then a disc
jockey at St. Louis, MO, radio station KATZ flipped the single over and
began playing the B-side, "Let's Fall in Love." It became Peaches and
Herb's first hit single; it was a remake of a number one pop hit for
Eddy Duchin from 1934 that went to number 11 R&B in December 1966. The
follow-up, "Close Your Eyes" written by Chuck Willis, hit number four
R&B, number eight pop in April 1967. As the hits continued, the duo
earned the nickname the Sweethearts of Soul. Next came "For Your Love"
(number ten R&B, July 1967), "Love Is Strange" (a remake of Mickey &
Sylvia's 1956 hit), and "Two Little Kids," written by Chicago soul
stalwarts Barbara Acklin, Eugene Record, and Carl Davis. The duo
released two hit albums in 1967 Let's Fall in Love and For Your Love.
This same year, Francine "Peaches" Barker tired of the rigors of
touring and she was replaced with a succession of "Peacheses" including
Marlene Mack, thus initiating a practice that goes on to this day.
Voted one of the top soul duos of the day by Cashbox Magazine, Peaches
and Herb continued to have hits: "The Ten Commandments of Love"; Gamble
& Huff wrote and produced "United," a 1966 R&B hit for the Intruders;
and "When He Touches Me (Nothing Else Matters)," a number ten R&B hit
from spring 1969. The single "It's Just a Game, Love" (from the Jim
Brown movie The Split), which stalled at number 50 R&B and number pop
in summer 1970, was Peaches and Herb's last charting single on Date.
Despondent over the act's failing chart success, Herb abruptly quit
Peaches and Herb and got a job with the Washington, D.C. Police
Department in July 1970. Then in 1976, Herb decided to re-enter the
music business. He found his "new" Peaches in fellow D.C. resident and
former model Linda Greene through a mutual introduction by Van McCoy.
The duo charted again in June 1977 with "We're Still Together" on MCA
Records from a self-titled album produced by Van McCoy. The following
year, they signed with Herb's old friend, songwriter/producer Freddie
Perren's production company MVP Productions. Perren had produced and
co-written million-selling hits by the Jackson 5, the Miracles, and the
Sylvers, among others. Through him, the duo inked a deal with Polydor
Records. Their first Polydor single, "Shake Your Groove Thing," went
gold peaking at number four R&B and number five pop in late 1978. The
creamy ballad "Reunited" seemed an unlikely follow-up to the
disco-oriented "Shake." The naysayers watched in shock as "Reunited"
earned platinum status, holding on to the number one spot for four
weeks on both the R&B and pop charts during spring 1979. Both are on
the platinum album 2 Hot (released October 1978). The majority of their
Polydor hits were written by Perren, Dino Fekaris, Kenny St. Lewis, and
Melvin Ragin. Though there were other hits on Polydor, none came close
to the success of their early- to mid-'60s Date singles. Though Herb
Fame believes it can happen again and employs a new "Peaches" to keep
the name current while he holds down a job in the Washington, D.C.
police department.