21st Century
21st Century (later known as 21st Creation) was an American soul vocal group from the West Side of Chicago that gained recognition in the mid-1970s for their smooth harmonies and "Jackson 5-style" sound. The group formed in 1968, consisting of five teenagers who lived in the Henry Horner Homes and attended Richard T. Crane High School.
Original Members of the group were Pierre Johnson (lead singer), Fred Williams (founder), Alphonso Smith, Tyrone Moores, and Alonzo Martin. They were discovered and produced by Marvin Eugene Smith for the local Chicago label, Golden Tone Productions.
The group’s career is primarily defined by two phases under different names and labels.
RCA Era (21st Century):
In 1974, they released their debut single, "Remember the Rain". The single’s success led to a distribution deal with RCA Records, which re-released the track in March 1975. It peaked at #69 on the Billboard Soul chart and made a brief appearance at #100 on the Hot 100. They released their only album under this name, Ahead of Our Time, in 1975. During their peak in 1975, the group appeared on Soul Train alongside Patti LaBelle and Minnie Riperton.
Motown Era (21st Creation):
In 1977, the group moved to Motown Records and changed their name to 21st Creation. Under Motown’s Gordy imprint, they released the album Break Thru (or Breakthrough) in 1978. They achieved a minor hit with the disco-flavored track "Tailgate", but the group largely faded from the national spotlight shortly after.
The group's music has seen a resurgence through sampling and covers by modern artists:- Snoop Dogg: Covered/sampled them on "Sisters & Brothers" (2005); Frank Ocean, Mario, and Nicki Minaj: All released versions or samples related to "Somebody Else" (2013); Chris Brown: Also utilized their work for a track titled "Somebody Else".
Ahead of Our Time
A2 The Way We Were (A. Bergman M. Bergman, Hamlisch 2:49)
A3 Ahead Of Our Time (Smith 2:13)
A4 Remember The Rain (Smith 3:58)
A5 Does Your Mama Know About Me? Chong, Baird 3:56)
B1 Child (Smith 3:25)
B2 If By Chance (Durham, Ellis, Smith 2:43)
B3 Mirror, Mirror (Smith 2:25)
B4 See My Love Growin' Old (Ellis 4:15)
B5 You're My Only World (Clinton* 2:55)
Label: RCA Victor – APL1-1189
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1975
Genre: R&B Soul
Style: Seventies Soul
Liner Notes read:
"From Chicago, legendary birthplace of the urban blues style which became the sound of the Fifties and Sixties, the 21st Century arrives letting us know how tomorrow sounds today. The children of the Seventies have seen more of civilization and life than any previous generation. A song heard here by the 21st Century describes growing up with "a man on the moon and hippie communes" echoing the frustrations of young people who see themselves being handled a world they did not create; yet all the while their music speaks loudly with the joy of youth. Surrounded since birth by a sophisticated musical tradition, they have learned to sing with intensity and feeling about today and tomorrow. Listen ... and welcome to the 21st Century!"
Ahead of Our Time is a 1970s Chicago soul album by the group 21st Century, known for its strong vocal harmonies and a sound that blends righteous, Temptations-esque tracks with spacey, mellow songs that highlight their falsetto vocals. It is a harmony soul record that fits within a trend of young, Chicago-based soul groups from that era, alongside acts like The 5 Stairsteps.
The lyrics are noted for reflecting the experience of youth in the 1970s, dealing with growing up surrounded by significant global events and societal changes like "a man on the moon and hippie communes," while still retaining a joyful youthful energy.