Ashford & Simpson sono stati un duo di cantautori, produttori discografici, compositori e parolieri statunitensi.

Storia Nickolas Ashford (4 maggio 1941 – 22 agosto 2011) originario della Carolina del Sud, e Valerie Simpson (26 agosto 1946), nata a New York, si sono incontrati nel 1964 e sono stati anche marito e moglie. Ashford è deceduto nel 2011 all'età di 70 anni.

Nickolas Ashford e Valerie Simpson erano produttori di canzoni. Hanno iniziato a scrivere e registrare insieme nel 1964 e due anni dopo hanno scritto la loro prima canzone di successo, Let's Go Get Stoned, registrata da Ray Charles. Hanno poi assunto posizioni di staff alla Motown, dove hanno scritto e prodotto successi per Marvin Gaye e Diana Ross. Durante il loro soggiorno alla Motown, Valerie pubblicò un paio di album da solista che fallirono, spingendo lei e Ashford a lasciare nel 1973. Da quel momento in poi, il duo si concentrò sulla realizzazione dei propri dischi, anche se scrissero il successo di Chaka Khan I'm Every Woman prima di ottenere finalmente il riconoscimento come artisti a pieno titolo. Hanno avuto due figlie: Nicole Ashford e Asia Ashford.

Hanno scritto brani come Ain't No Mountain High Enough, You're All I Need to Get By e Ain't Nothing like the Real Thing, interpretati in duo da Marvin Gaye e Tammi Terrell.

Del duo è anche la canzone Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand), cantata da Diana Ross e presente nel suo album d'esordio del 1970. Sono autori di altri brani di successo come I'm Every Woman, interpretata da Chaka Khan e poi da Whitney Houston, e Is It Still Good to You?, cantata da Teddy Pendergrass.

Nel periodo tra il 1971 e il 1972, Valerie Simpson ha pubblicato due album e alcuni singoli da solista.

I brani più conosciuti di Ashford & Simpson interpretati dagli stessi autori sono probabilmente Solid (1984) e Found a Cure (1979).

Nel 2002 il duo è stato inserito nella Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Discografia Album in studio Anno Album Piazzamento in classifica Certificazioni Etichetta US USR&B AUT CAN GER NLD NZ SWI UK 1973 Gimme Something Real 156 18 — — — — — — — Warner Bros. 1974 I Wanna Be Selfish 195 21 — — — — — — — 1976 Come as You Are 189 35 — — — — — — — 1977 So So Satisfied 180 30 — — — — — — — Send It 52 10 — 53 — — — — — RIAA: Gold 1978 Is It Still Good to Ya 20 1 — 43 — — — — — RIAA: Gold 1979 Stay Free 23 3 — 71 — — — — — RIAA: Gold 1980 A Musical Affair 38 8 — — — — — — — 1982 Street Opera 45 5 — — — — — — — Capitol 1983 High-Rise 84 14 — — — — — — — 1984 Solid 29 1 13 47 11 25 17 15 42 RIAA: Gold 1986 Real Love 74 12 — — — — — — — 1989 Love or Physical 135 28 — — — — — — — 1996 Been Found — 49 — — — — — — — Hopsack & Silk "—" indica un brano non classificato o non presente in quel territorio.

Album dal vivo Anno Album Piazzamento in classifica Etichetta US USR&B 1981 Performance 125 45 Warner Bros. 2009 The Real Thing — 59 Burgundy "—" indica un brano non classificato o non presente in quel territorio.

Raccolte The Best of Ashford & Simpson (1993, Capitol) Capitol Gold: The Best of Ashford & Simpson (1996, Capitol) The Gospel According to Ashford & Simpson: Count Your Blessings (1996, EMI) The Very Best of Ashford & Simpson (2002, Warner Bros./Rhino) The Warner Bros. Years: Hits, Remixes & Rarities (2008, Rhino)

Singoli Anno Brano Posizione in graduatoria Certificazioni Album US USR&B USDan AUT CAN GER NLD NZ SWI UK 1964 "I'll Find You" 117 — — — — — — — — — align=left rowspan="3" "Don't You Feel Sorry" — — — — — — — — — — "It Ain't Like That" — — — — — — — — — — 1973 "(I'd Know You) Anywhere" 88 37 — — — — — — — — Gimme Something Real 1974 "Have You Ever Tried It" — 77 — — — — — — — — "Main Line" — 37 — — — — — — — — I Wanna Be Selfish "Everybody's Got to Give It Up" — 53 — — — — — — — — 1975 "Bend Me" — 73 — — — — — — — — Gimme Something Real 1976 "It'll Come, It'll Come, It'll Come" — 96 — — — — — — — — Come as You Are "Somebody Told a Lie" — 58 — — — — — — — — "One More Try" — — 9 — — — — — — — "Tried, Tested and Found True" — 52 34 — — — — — — — So So Satisfied 1977 "So So Satisfied" — 27 — — — — — — — — "Over and Over" — 39 — — — — — — — — "Send It" — 15 — — — — — — — — Send It 1978 "Don't Cost You Nothing" 79 10 23 — — — — — — — "By Way of Love's Express" — 35 — — — — — — — — "Stuff Like That" (with Quincy Jones & Chaka Khan) 21 1 — — 23 — 24 — — 34 Sounds...and Stuff Like That!! "It Seems to Hang On" — 2 — — — — — — — 48 Is It Still Good to Ya "Is It Still Good to Ya" — 12 — — — — — — — — 1979 "Flashback" — 70 — — — — — — — — "Found a Cure" 36 2 1 — 65 — 37 — — — Stay Free "Nobody Knows" — 19 — — — — — — — "Stay Free" — — — — — — — — — 1980 "Love Don't Make It Right" — 6 7 — — — — — — — A Musical Affair "Happy Endings" — 35 — — — — — — — — 1981 "Get Out Your Handkerchief" — 65 — — — — — — — — "It Shows in the Eyes" — 34 — — — — — — — — Performance "It's the Long Run" — — — — — — — — — — 1982 "Street Corner" 56 9 11 — — — — — — — Street Opera "Love It Away" — 20 — — — — — — — — 1983 "I'll Take the Whole World On" — — — — — — — — — — "High-Rise" — 17 41 — — — — — — — High-Rise "It's Much Deeper" — 45 — — — — — — — — 1984 "I'm Not That Tough" — 78 — — — — — — — — "Solid" 12 1 15 4 5 2 3 1 3 3 BPI: Gold MC: Gold Solid 1985 "Outta the World" 102 4 4 — — — — — — — "Babies" 102 29 — — — 53 — — — 56 1986 "Count Your Blessings" 84 4 — — — — — — — 79 Real Love "What Becomes of Love" — — — — — — — — — — 1987 "Nobody Walks in L.A." — — — — — — — — — — 1989 "I'll Be There for You" — 2 — — — — — — — — Love or Physical "Cookies and Cake" — — — — — — — — — — 1990 "Hungry for Me Again" — 40 — — — — — — — — Def by Temptation 1996 "Been Found" — 80 — — — — — — — — Been Found 1997 "What If" — 94 — — — — — — — — 2001 "We Are Family" (with Various Artists) — — — — — — — — — — align=left rowspan="1" "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

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Altri progetti

Collegamenti esterni

Categoria:Duo musicali statunitensi Categoria:Produttori discografici statunitensi del XX secolo Categoria:Produttori discografici statunitensi del XXI secolo