McFadden & Whitehead, Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now

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In the 15^th edition of 1 Hit WONDERful , we highlight “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now” performed by McFadden & Whitehead.

It only takes ONE hit to solidify a musical legacy ! On 1 Hit WONDERful , we highlight songs that were the SOLE hit by a given musician. To be fair, it is possible that the artists appearing on this list earned a minor hit or two, BUT for the most part, it’s that ONE hit that earned them recognition. So, in the 15^th edition of 1 Hit WONDERful , we dive into “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now”, the one hit wonder by McFadden & Whitehead.

“Ain’t no stoppin’ us now / We’re on the move / Ain’t no stoppin’ us now / We’ve got the groove.” Indeed, McFadden & Whitehead, indeed! The duo comprised of late singers/songwriters/producers Gene McFadden (1949 – 2006) and John Whitehead (1948 – 2004) struck gold with their 1979 song, “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now”. “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now” appeared on their debut album, McFadden & Whitehead. This groovy, infectious R&B/funk/disco cut experienced its fair share of pop success. It peaked at no. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. It performed even better on the R&B songs chart, reaching no. 1. Furthermore, the gem was nominated for a Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group, or Chorus . Despite the success of “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now,” they’d never chart another entry on the pop charts. They did, however, earn additional entries on the R&B charts.

boxing What makes “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now” the beloved hit that it is? Well, it’s a continued flex of the Philadelphia soul movement, which was one of soul’s best and most vibrant. The production is fire , which is idiomatic of R&B generally, and more specifically, idiomatic of Philly soul. The musicians are top-notch with a talented rhythm section, utterly sublime strings , and awesome background vocalists Evette Benton, Carla Benson, and Barbara Ingram, who graced many Philly soul records . McFadden and Whitehead penned and produced the opening track from their self-titled album alongside Jerry Cohen, who plays keyboard . Whitehead handles the lead vocals in the verses, with McFadden and background vocalists performing in the pre-chorus, and all join forces on the unstoppable chorus. “We’re puttin’ ourselves together / We’re polishing up our act,” Whitehead asserts in the first verse, adding, “And if you’ve ever been held down before / I know you refuse to be held down any more.” MIC DROP moment! All told, “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now” is seven minutes of glorious music which still packs a mean punch more than 40 years after its arrival.