The surviving members of the legendary R&B vocal group, The Whispers, known for classic Billboard No. 1 R&B hits such as “Rock Steady” and “And the Beat Goes On,” are reissuing their beloved 2010 gospel album, Thankful, as Thankful : The Compilation (Kingdom Records / Virgin Music Group), on all digital music platforms on December 12, 2025. The 16-track set has been remastered by Fred “Toxic” Taylor with special remixes and previously unreleased material.

Whispers Talking Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5R6HciocN4

The Whispers were founded in Los Angeles circa 1963. Co-founding member Walter Scott passed away from stomach cancer this past June. Another founding member Nick Caldwell passed of congestive heart failure in 2016. The album opens with an intro by surviving members Wallace “Scotty” Scott (Walters’ twin brother)and Leaveil Degree discussing the initial inspiration for making the gospel album and some conversation about the recent losses of Walter and Nick.

The set features the original eleven songs, four of which were produced by gospel icon and Whispers fan Fred Hammond. The track “For Thou Art with Me” is a smooth ballad that became a Top 40 gospel radio hit in 2010. It’s followed by a song the Scott twins co-wrote and first introduced on their 2006 album For Your Ears Only. The project closes with four mixes of “Praise His Holy Name” – including two by Grammy® Award winning mixer Maurice Joshua (who has remixed tracks by the likes of Beyoncé, Janet Jackson, and Mariah Carey) - which has generated over 2 million digital streams in various incarnations over the years. “Doing the Whispers remix was very exciting for myself,” says Maurice Joshua. “I grew up spinning The Whispers and playing their music as a DJ throughout the decades. Just to hear the stems and their slick vocal harmonies was wonderous. It was a wonderful and joyous feeling just to be part of their legacy and having touched such a great record.” When originally released, the Thankful album peaked at No. 3 on Billboard’s Top Gospel Albums sales chart and spent 45 weeks on the survey.

The track listing:

1. Intro by Wallace Scott & Leaveil Degree
2. Walk With Me
3. Did You Know?
4. Praise His Holy Name
5. One More Chance
6. For Thou Art Me
7. Who Could It Be?
8. We Need You
9. This Is How I Feel
10. In the Name of Jesus
11. Living Without You
12. I Sing This Song for You
13. Praise His Holy Name (Acapella)
14. Praise His Holy Name (Instrumental)
15. Praise His Holy Name (House Remix)
16. Praise His Holy Name (Maurice Joshua’s Steppers Remix)

ABOUT THE WHISPERS

The timeless group was formed in 1963. Twin brothersWalter and Wallace Scott(akaScotty) used to sing on the street corners of Los Angeles with their buddies Nicholas Caldwell, Marcus Hutson, and Gordy Harmon. They went pro and landed a contract with Dore Records in 1964. The label owner Lou Bedellnamed them The Whispers because of their smooth vocal blend. Their first hits were novelty dance tunes such as “The Dip” and “Dr. Love.” By the early 1970s, Harmon had left the group and was replaced by Leaveil Degree. In 1976, The Whispers became the first group signed to Soul Train Records (co- owned by the TV show's creator and host Don Cornelius and entrepreneur Dick Griffey) that eventually evolved into Solar Records. Over the course of their career, the group has placed 46 songs on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart. The songs range from No. 1 dance cuts such as “And the Beat Goes On” and “Rock Steady” to silky smooth ballads such as “Lady” and “Olivia (Lost and Turned Out).” Marcus Huston left the group in 1992 for health reasons and passed of prostate cancer in 2000. They have earned numerous GRAMMY®, American Music, and Soul Train Music Award nominations. They have also received an NAACP Image Award, the Recording Academy’s San Francisco Chapter GRAMMY® Governor’s Award, and they have been inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. Recently, they received the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award for their community service work, and the Legends Awards at Central City’s 7th annual Black Music Honors televised ceremony.

 

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