The Floaters

by Ron WynnA short-lived spinoff group formed by onetime Detroit Emeralds members James Mitchell and Marvin Willis, Floaters scored a number one R&B and number two pop hit with their debut Float On for ABC. It was neither a lyrical nor vocal triumph, but still was among the biggest selling R&B singles of 1977. Lead singer Charles Clark, along with Larry Cunningham, Paul and Ralph Mitchell, and Jonathan Murray werent able to sustain whatever magic they generated with Float On. The next two singles were actually superior performances to the hit. You Dont Have to Say You Love Me and I Just Want to Be With You demonstrated that Clark could be an effective ballad singer, but neither could move beyond moderate R&B chart status.