Impact -

Impact was an American soul quartet that released two albums in 1976/77 and scored R&B hits with “Happy Man,” “Sister Fine,” “Give a Broken Heart a Break.”

Members: Damon Harris (vocals), John Quinton Simms (vocals), Charles Timmons (vocals), Donald Tighman (vocals), Billy Griffin (vocals, 1970-71)

Background

Impact formed after vocalist Damon Harris left The Temptations in 1975 and reunited with singers John Quinton Simms, Charles Timmons, and Donald Tighman, his former partners from the Baltimore group the Young Tempts/Young Vandals.

Harris was born Otis Robert Harris Jr. on July 17, 1950, in Baltimore, Maryland, and formed the Young Tempts in high school as a Temptations tribute act. Motown objected to the Young Tempts name after their 1970 debut T-Neck single, “Too Busy Thinking About My Baby” (b/w “I’ve Been Good to You”). T-Neck repressed the single under the Young Vandals name, which the group shorted to The Vandals for two further 1970 T-Neck singles, “In My Opinion” and “I’m Gonna Wait for You.”.

In 1971, when the Temptations hired Harris to replace Eddie Kendricks, he changed his forename to Damon to avoid confusion with Temptations founder Otis Williams. Meanwhile, fellow Young Tempts Billy Griffin joined The Miracles as the replacement for Smokey Robinson.

After his 1975 exit from the Temptations, Harris rebuilt the Vandals lineup as Impact. The group signed with WMOT, the Philadelphia production company behind Blue Magic and Major Harris. The WMOT agreement placed Impact with Atco before the 1976 self-titled debut.

Impact

Impact released their self-titled debut album in May 1976 on Atco/WMOT.

The album contains nine songs, with producer Bobby Eli credited as co-writer on every title. Impact performed the album as the vocal quartet of Harris, Simms, Tilghman, and Timmons. Side A and “Love Attack” feature the Tower of Power horns.

“Happy Man” rides a brisk backbeat, with falsetto lead and group replies sharing foreground space. “Give a Broken Heart a Break” matches that high-register vocal blend to a bright dance arrangement. “Taboo” shifts into heavier midtempo motion and a darker vocal setting. “One Last Memory” slows around a lead-and-group ballad design. “Man and Woman” resigns to a sweet ballad contour. “Love Attack” and “It Only Happens in the Movies” return to quick backbeats and polished ensemble pacing.

A1. “Happy Man” (6:08) – Eli, Kelly
A2. “Taboo” (4:46) – Eli, Barry
A3. “Friends” (3:03) – Eli, Collins
A4. “Give a Broken Heart a Break” (5:57) – Eli, Collins

B1. “One Last Memory” (5:30) – Eli, Barry
B2. “Love Attack” (3:30) – Eli, Barry
B3. “Winning Combination” (3:30) – Eli, Hurtt
B4. “Man and Woman” (4:00) – Eli, Barrett
B5. “It Only Happens In the Movies” (3:18) – Eli, Phillips

Sessions occurred at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia, where Bobby Eli produced Impact in sequence with albums by First Choice, Loleatta Holloway, Ronnie Dyson, and The Whispers.

Impact depicts their heads as body parts of an oncoming rhinoceros, illustrated by Arnie Roberts, who created the mandala-serpent imagery for the 1975 Blue Magic release Mystic Dragon.

Atco lifted “Happy Man” as a May 1976 single backed with “Happy Man (Pt. II),” which reached No. 94 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 42 on the Billboard R&B singles chart.

“Give a Broken Heart a Break” followed in August 1976 backed with “Love Attack” and reached No. 102 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 36 on the Billboard R&B singles chart, and No. 11 on the Billboard dance chart.

“One Last Memory” became the third single in November 1976 backed with “Winning Combination.”

The ’Pac Is Back

Impact released their second album, The ’Pac Is Back, in 1977 on Fantasy/WMOT.

The album contains nine songs, including a cover of the Hall & Oates ballad “Sara Smile.” Impact retained the vocal lineup of Harris, Simms, Tilghman, and Timmons.

“Sara Smile” swells through a rising vocal line and a warm backing bed. “Rainy Days, Stormy Nights” rides a steady dance backbeat under storm-title text. “Smile Awhile” snaps into a shorter dance-side cut with compact title repetition. “Somebody Loves You” slows into a close ballad setting. “I Thought You Might Like to Know” closes with softer vocal placement and restrained accompaniment.

’Pac features a larger session cast, including bassist Michael “Sugar Bear” Foreman, drummer Charles Collins, guitarist Jeffrey Washington, and keyboardist John Davis. The ToP horns return on “Rainy Days, Stormy Nights” and “Song To Sing.”

A1. “Carry Me Back” (5:39) – Barrow, McLean
A2. “Sara Smile” (4:26) – Hall, Oates
A3. “Rainy Days, Stormy Nights” (5:26) – Barrow
A4. “Somebody Loves You” (3:15) – Hurtt, Bell

B1. “Smile Awhile” (2:35) – McDaniels, McLean
B2. “Sister Fine” (3:53) – McDaniels, McLean
B3. “Song To Sing” (5:55) – Eli, Collins
B4. “My Love” (5:06) – Barrow
B5. “I Thought You Might Like To Know” (3:25) – Dunham, Heath

Impact recorded the album at Delight Sound Studios, Fantasy Studios, and Sigma Sound Studios, where John Davis produced the album in sequence with titles by Carol Douglas, Phyllis Hyman, Universe City, and his own Monster Orchestra. MFSB/Salsoul guitarist Ron Kersey produced “Sara Smile.”

Fantasy/WMOT lifted “Rainy Days, Stormy Nights Part I” as an August 1977 single backed with “Part II,” which reached No. 90 on the Billboard R&B singles chart.

“Sister Fine” followed in December 1977 backed with “Smile Awhile” and reached No. 49 on the Billboard R&B singles chart in January 1978.

Postlude

Damon Harris went solo with the 1978 Fantasy WMOT release Damon, then formed a duo with Denita James (ex-Hodges, James and Smith) for the 1980 album Damion & Denita, released on Elton John‘s Rocket Record Company label.

Charles Timmons and Donald Tighman backed Ava Cherry on her 1980 album Ripe!!!

Discography: