| Take 6 | |
| Landscape: | yes |
| Background: | group_or_band |
| Origin: | Huntsville, Alabama, U.S. |
| Instrument: | Voice (vocal bass, vocal percussion, mouth trumpet) |
| Years Active: | 1980–present |
| Current Members: |
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| Past Members: |
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Take 6 is an American a cappella gospel sextet formed in 1980 on the campus of Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama.[1] The group integrates jazz with spiritual and inspirational lyrics. Take 6 has received several Grammy Awards as well as Dove Awards, a Soul Train Award and nominations for the NAACP Image Award.
The band has worked with Ray Charles, Nnenna Freelon, Gordon Goodwin, Don Henley, Whitney Houston, Al Jarreau, Quincy Jones, k.d. lang, Queen Latifah, The Manhattan Transfer, Johnny Mathis, Brian McKnight, Luis Miguel, Marcus Miller, Joe Sample, Ben Tankard, Randy Travis, CeCe Winans, Stevie Wonder and Jacob Collier. All original members grew up in the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
In 1980, Claude McKnight, older brother of R&B musician Brian McKnight, formed an a cappella quartet, The Gentlemen's Estates Quartet, at Oakwood College (now Oakwood University), a Seventh-day Adventist university in Huntsville, Alabama, where he was a freshman. He auditioned students for the group. While rehearsing in a campus bathroom to prepare for a performance, Mark Kibble heard them singing. He joined the harmonizing, adding a fifth part with them onstage that night.[2] Kibble invited Mervyn Warren to join the group, which performed under the name Alliance. Alliance performed in local churches and on campus with a changing roster of members. In 1985, the lower half of the group (bass, baritone, and second tenor) left after graduating. Alvin Chea, Cedric Dent, and David Thomas joined.
The band signed a contract with Warner Alliance[3] in 1987 and changed its name to Take 6 after a search revealed the name "Alliance" was in use. Their self-titled debut album (1988) won Grammy Awards in the gospel and jazz categories and three Dove Awards. They contributed to the film Do the Right Thing and sang on the album Back on the Block by Quincy Jones. They also appeared on Sesame Street and . The band's second album, So Much 2 Say (1990) appeared on the gospel, jazz, and R&B charts of Billboard magazine. The band then signed with Reprise. In 1991, after the release of So Much 2 Say, Mervyn Warren left the group to pursue a career as a record producer and was replaced by Joey Kibble, Mark Kibble's younger brother. The group added instrumentation to their a cappella sound on the album He Is Christmas.[4]
In 2006, the group started the label Take 6 Records; Feels Good, the first album on their new label, was released the same year. In 2007, they recorded with Eros Ramazzotti for his album E². A year later Take 6 released The Standard, which ventured into more traditional jazz territory.
Believe (Sono, 2016), produced by Claude Villani and Ross Vannelli, charted in six categories on Billboard in its first two weeks of release.[5] Iconic (Sono, 2018), produced and arranged by the band, was its first album to chart at No. 1 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart. The first single was a cover version of "Change the World" by Eric Clapton and debuted on the Contemporary Jazz Song chart in the top 30. The second single, "Sailing", is a cover of the Christopher Cross classic.
| Year | Album | US | US R&B</small> | US Gospel | US Jazz | Label | Certification(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Take 6 | 71 | 41 | 3 | 8 | Warner Alliance | US Platinum | |
| 1990 | So Much 2 Say | 72 | 22 | 8 | 2 | Warner Alliance | ||
| 1991 | He Is Christmas | 100 | 84 | — | — | Reprise | ||
| 1994 | Join the Band | 86 | 17 | 17 | — | Reprise | US: Gold | |
| 1996 | Brothers | — | 71 | — | — | Reprise | ||
| 1998 | So Cool | — | 92 | 8 | — | Reprise | ||
| 1999 | We Wish You a Merry Christmas | — | — | — | — | Reprise | ||
| 2002 | Beautiful World | — | — | 14 | — | Warner Bros. | ||
| 2006 | Feels Good | — | — | 10 | — | Take 6 Records | ||
| 2008 | The Standard | — | — | 6 | 2 | Heads Up | ||
| 2010 | The Most Wonderful Time of the Year | — | 70 | — | 40 | |||
| 2012 | One | — | — | 15 | — | Shanachie | ||
| 2016 | Believe | — | 25 | 9 | 2 | Sono | ||
| 2018 | Iconic | — | 9 | — | 1 | |||
| "—" denotes that a release did not chart | ||||||||
| Year | Title | Label | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | All Access | Warner Reprise | VHS | |
| 2009 | Michael McDonald – A Tribute to Motown [Live] | E1 Entertainment | Guest |
| Year | Category | Title | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Best New Artist | — | ||
| 1989 | Best Soul Gospel Performance – Duo, Group, Choir or Chorus | Take 6 | ||
| 1989 | Best Jazz Vocal Performance – Duo or Group | "Spread Love" | ||
| 1990 | Best Gospel Performance – Duo, Group, Choir or Chorus | "The Savior Is Waiting" | ||
| 1990 | Best Jazz Vocal Performance – Duo or Group | "Like the Whole World's Watching" | ||
| 1991 | Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album | So Much 2 Say | ||
| 1992 | Best Jazz Vocal Performance | He Is Christmas | ||
| 1993 | Best Jazz Vocal Performance | "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" | ||
| 1995 | Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album | Join the Band | ||
| 1995 | Best Rhythm & Blues Vocal Performance - Duo or Group | "Biggest Part of Me" | ||
| 1996 | Best Rhythm & Blues Vocal Performance - Duo or Group | "All I Need (Is a Chance)" | ||
| 1997 | Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals | "When You Wish upon a Star" | ||
| 1997 | Best Instrumental Arrangement with Accompanying Vocal(s) | "When You Wish Upon a Star" | ||
| 1998 | Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album | Brothers | ||
| 1998 | Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals | "You Don't Have to Be Afraid" | ||
| 2000 | Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album | So Cool | ||
| 2003 | Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals | "Love's in Need of Love Today" (with Stevie Wonder) | ||
| 2005 | Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals | "Moon River" (with Stevie Wonder) | ||
| 2009 | Best Gospel Performance | "Shall We Gather at the River" |
| Year | Category | Title | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Contemporary Gospel Album | Take 6 | |
| 1988 | Group of the Year | — | |
| 1988 | Contemporary Gospel Song | "If We Ever" | |
| 1988 | New Artist of the Year | — | |
| 1990 | Contemporary Gospel Song | "I L-O-V-E You" | |
| 1990 | Contemporary Gospel Album | So Much 2 Say | |
| 1990 | Contemporary Gospel Album | He Is Christmas | |
| 1992 | Contemporary Gospel Album | Handel's Messiah: A Soulful Celebration | |
| 1994 | Contemporary Gospel Album | Join the Band | |
| 1996 | Special Event Album | Tribute: The Songs of Andrae Crouch (various artists) |