New York City -

New York City was an American soul quartet from NYC that released the 1973/74 albums I’m Doin’ Fine Now and Soulful Road on Chelsea Records.

Members: John Brown, Claude Johnson, Tim McQueen, Edward Schell

Background

New York City formed in 1972 in New York under the initial name Tri-Boro Exchange, a reference to the city bridge linking Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx. The group comprised lead singer Tim McQueen (b. September 17, 1946, New York City), tenor John Brown (b. May 2, 1939, New Haven, Conn.), baritone Claude Johnson (b. November 24, 1937, Harlem, N.Y.), and bass vocalist Edward Schell (b. January 12, 1942, Savannah, Ga.).

McQueen studied business at City College and worked as a systems analyst while singing in local gospel and R&B groups. Brown, a veteran of the doo-wop circuit, sang with the Five Satins, the Cadillacs, and briefly substituted in the Moonglows when Harvey Fuqua reassembled the act in the early 1960s. Johnson, trained in harmony singing during Harlem’s postwar vocal-group boom, fronted the Genies (“Who’s That Knocking,” 1959) and later recorded as Don of Don & Juan (“What’s Your Name,” 1962). Schell, who relocated from Georgia to New York in the mid-1960s, supported himself as a taxi driver while performing in club ensembles across the city’s R&B circuit.

The four vocalists met through shared appearances in Manhattan and the Bronx club scene. Their blend of established doo-wop phrasing and modern Philadelphia-influenced soul harmonies drew the attention of producer Wes Farrell, who suggested the name Tri-Boro Exchange and arranged their first recording session. The group’s 1972 debut single, “Seven Lonely Nights” (b/w the mono mix of the same track), appeared on Buddah Records. Written and produced by Rudy Clark, Ken Williams, and J.R. Bailey, the song featured an arrangement by Tony Camillo but received little airplay.

Farrell soon introduced the quartet to Philadelphia producer–arranger Thom Bell, whose work with the Delfonics, Stylistics, and Spinners helped define early-1970s orchestral soul. Under Bell’s direction, the group adopted the name New York City and signed to Farrell’s label, Chelsea Records. Their collaboration produced the 1973 single “I’m Doin’ Fine Now,” a Bell–Sherman Marshall composition that reached No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 14 on the R&B chart. Touring followed, backed by the Big Apple Band, an ensemble that included future Chic founders bassist Bernard Edwards and guitarist Nile Rodgers.

I’m Doin’ Fine Now

New York City released their debut album I’m Doin’ Fine Now in 1973 on Chelsea Records.

The album presents the quartet’s polished vocal blend within the lush, orchestrated framework of producer Thom Bell’s Philadelphia soul sound. Sessions alternated between Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia and Mediasound in New York. Along with Bell, producer Wes Farrell and arranger John Bahler contributed to the project’s crossover soul appeal.

Lead singer Tim McQueen wrote three songs and co-wrote one with his bandmates. The group also recorded two Bell collaborations with lyricists Linda Creed and Sherman Marshall, plus outside numbers by Ron Baker, Norman Harris, and Allan Felder of MFSB. They covered songs popularized by Glen Campbell (“By the Time I Get to Phoenix”) and The McCoys (“Hang On Sloopy”).

The album balances uptempo soul with reflective ballads. McQueen’s “Make Me Twice the Man” shows his command of personal narrative themes, while “Sanity” (co-written by the group) draws on their doo-wop roots through layered harmonic interplay. Bell’s “Quick, Fast, in a Hurry” showcases tight vocal exchanges against rhythmic horn punctuation, and the title track closes the set with affirming lyrical imagery.

A1. “Hang Your Head in Shame” (3:00) — written by Ron Baker, Norman Harris, and Allan Felder.
A2. “Make Me Twice the Man” (3:16) — written by Tim McQueen.
A3. “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” (3:55) — originated as a 1967 hit for Glen Campbell, written by Jimmy Webb.
A4. “Sanity” (3:00) — written by Tim McQueen, John Brown, Claude Johnson, and Edward Schell.
A5. “Hang On Sloopy” (3:37) — originated as a 1965 No. 1 hit for The McCoys, written by Wes Farrell and Bert Russell (a.k.a. Bert Berns).
A6. “Set the Record Straight” (2:56) — written by Tim McQueen.

B1. “Quick, Fast, in a Hurry” (2:36) — written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed.
B2. “Uncle James” (3:25) — written by Joseph Jefferson.
B3. “Ain’t It So” (3:36) — written by Joseph Jefferson.
B4. “I’m Doin’ Fine Now” (2:52) — written by Thom Bell and Sherman Marshall.
B5. “Reach Out” (3:31) — written by Wes Farrell, Danny Janssen, and Bobby Hart.

Sessions occurred at Sigma Sound Studios (Philadelphia) and Mediasound (New York) with producers Thom Bell, Wes Farrell, and John Bahler. Bell and Bahler handled orchestral arrangements, assisted by engineers Joe Tarsia, Michael DeLugg, and Gary Kellgren.

Chelsea promoted I’m Doin’ Fine Now with the title track (b/w “Ain’t It So”), which reached No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 14 on the R&B chart, and No. 8 on the Adult Contemporary chart. It also hit No. 20 in the UK and No. 26 in Canada. The follow-up, “Make Me Twice the Man” (b/w “Uncle James”), peaked at No. 93 on the Hot 100 and No. 44 R&B. “Quick, Fast, in a Hurry” (b/w “Set the Record Straight”) appeared in late 1973 and reached No. 79 pop and No. 19 R&B.

Soulful Road

New York City released their second and final album, Soulful Road, in 1974 on Chelsea Records.

The album continues their collaboration with producer Thom Bell, who again shaped the group’s harmonic interplay within a refined orchestral soul setting. Recorded at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia, Soulful Road aligns with Bell’s concurrent work for The Spinners and The Stylistics in tone and arrangement, featuring strings, brass, and layered vocal textures.

Songwriting partners Joseph B. Jefferson, Bruce Hawes, and Charles Simmons supplied most of the material. Additional titles came from Philadelphia writers Talmadge Conway, Phil Terry, Theodore Life, and the Bell–Creed–Gamble team.

The set alternates between buoyant romantic numbers and slower, reflective pieces. “Happiness Is” opens the album in midtempo, while “Darling Take Me Back” and “Take My Hand” extend the group’s emotive phrasing across longer structures. “Love Is What You Make It” closes the record with a modulated coda reminiscent of Bell’s Spinners productions.

A1. “Happiness Is” (3:21) — written by Joseph B. Jefferson, Bruce Hawes, and Charles Simmons.
A2. “I’ve Had Enough” (3:54) — written by Joseph B. Jefferson, Bruce Hawes, and Charles Simmons.
A3. “Darling Take Me Back” (4:04) — written by Talmadge Conway, Phil Terry, and Theodore Life.
A4. “Can’t Survive Without My Sweets” (3:36) — written by Joseph B. Jefferson, Bruce Hawes, and Charles Simmons.
A5. “Got to Get You Back in My Life” (4:10) — written by Sherman Marshall and Phillip Pugh.

B1. “Do You Remember Yesterday” (4:38) — written by Linda Creed, Thom Bell, and Kenny Gamble.
B2. “Only You” (6:02) — written by Joseph B. Jefferson, Bruce Hawes, and Charles Simmons.
B3. “Take My Hand” (4:18) — written by Phil Terry, Talmadge Conway, and Theodore Life.
B4. “Can’t Go on Without You” (4:34) — written by Joseph B. Jefferson, Bruce Hawes, and Charles Simmons.
B5. “Love Is What You Make It” (4:31) — written by Joseph B. Jefferson, Bruce Hawes, and Charles Simmons.

Sessions occurred at Sigma Sound Studios (Philadelphia) with producer–arranger Thom Bell and engineers Don Murray and Joe Tarsia. Michael Hutchinson, Jim Gallagher, and Dirk Devlin assisted. Background vocals came from Linda Creed, Evette Benton, Barbara Ingram, and Lucille Jones.

The cover art for Soulful Road parodies The Beatles’ Abbey Road, depicting the four vocalists crossing a city street in similar fashion.

Chelsea issued four singles from the album in sequence. “Happiness Is” (b/w “Darling Take Me Back”) reached No. 20 on the Billboard R&B chart in mid-1974. “Love Is What You Make It” (b/w “Do You Remember Yesterday”) followed and reached No. 41 R&B. “Got to Get You Back in My Life” (b/w “Reach Out”) peaked at No. 76 R&B in early 1975, and “Take My Hand” (b/w “Can’t Survive Without My Sweets”) appeared that autumn without chart action.

Discography: