New York City
An R&B vocal group from New York City, New York, USA. New York City were one of the finest representatives of the renaissance of vocal harmony groups and the explosion of the Philadelphia recording scene during the early '70s. Members were Tim McQueen, John Brown (earlier a member of the Five Satins), Ed Shell, and Claude Johnson. The group first recorded for Buddah as Triboro Exchange, but it was not until their name change in 1972 and their signing to Chelsea Records that the group became successful. Under the aegis of ace Philadelphia producer/arranger Thom Bell the group flourished on the charts with such hits as I'm Doin' Fine Now (number 14 R&B, number 17 pop), Quick, Fast, In A Hurry (number 19 R&B, number 79 pop), and Happiness Is (number 20 R&B). Their last chart record was in 1975, a time when standup vocal groups were becoming less of a factor in R&B. Their legacy was recalled in 1992 when in the UK the Pasadenas had a number 1 hit with I'm Doing Fine Now.