Biography
Alton McClain fronted the trio Alton McClain & Destiny, whose Top Ten R&B and Top 40 pop single “It Must Be Love” became their signature success. She also supplied the first recording of Angela Winbush’s composition “I’ve Learned to Respect the Power of Love,” a track that reached number one on the R&B chart in 1986 when Stephanie Mills released her version. The group’s members were McClain, D’Marie (Delores Marie) Warren—who perished at age 32 in a February 1985 automobile crash—and Robyrda Stiger. Their strongest chart entry, “It Must Be Love,” echoed the style of the Emotions’ own number-ten R&B smash “The Best of My Love.”
Motown veteran Frank Wilson, whose résumé already included work with Eddie Kendricks, the Supremes, and ABC Records artist Lenny Williams, produced the ensemble’s debut album Alton McClain & Destiny for Polydor Records. In addition to the two aforementioned songs, the set contained the airy romantic groover “Crazy Love,” the soft chugger “Taking My Love for Granted,” the sweepingly romantic ballad “My Empty Room,” the spidery guitar/horn-punctuated funk number “Push and Pull” (“you’ve got to push and pull to make those dreams of yours come true”), and “God Said, Love Ye One Another.”
A further chart entry arrived when McClain teamed with original vocalist Johnny Bristol for a duet cover of “Hang on in There Baby.” Credited to Alton & Johnny, the single climbed to number 73 on the R&B list in early 1980 and later appeared in a scene from the Mike Myers film 54. Every charting release McClain placed on the Polydor label. After marrying producer Skip Scarborough she adopted the name Alton McClain Scarborough and contributed background vocals to Nancy Wilson’s albums Lady With a Song and Nancy Now!
Motown veteran Frank Wilson, whose résumé already included work with Eddie Kendricks, the Supremes, and ABC Records artist Lenny Williams, produced the ensemble’s debut album Alton McClain & Destiny for Polydor Records. In addition to the two aforementioned songs, the set contained the airy romantic groover “Crazy Love,” the soft chugger “Taking My Love for Granted,” the sweepingly romantic ballad “My Empty Room,” the spidery guitar/horn-punctuated funk number “Push and Pull” (“you’ve got to push and pull to make those dreams of yours come true”), and “God Said, Love Ye One Another.”
A further chart entry arrived when McClain teamed with original vocalist Johnny Bristol for a duet cover of “Hang on in There Baby.” Credited to Alton & Johnny, the single climbed to number 73 on the R&B list in early 1980 and later appeared in a scene from the Mike Myers film 54. Every charting release McClain placed on the Polydor label. After marrying producer Skip Scarborough she adopted the name Alton McClain Scarborough and contributed background vocals to Nancy Wilson’s albums Lady With a Song and Nancy Now!
Albums