R&B group formed in 1990 in their native Waco, Texas, United States. Members: Tony Thompson, Roderick, Marcus Sanders, Russell Neal, and Toriano Easley. Their first album was self-titled and released in 1990 with production help from Teddy Riley and certified Gold in the United States. That Hi-Five album featured their biggest hit. Hi-Five is an American R&B quintet based in Waco, Texas.Hi-Five had a #1 hit on Billboard's Hot 100 in the early 1990s with 'I Like the Way (The Kissing Game)'.The band was formed in Waco, Texas in 1989, and consisted of the founding and original members from Waco, Texas: Tony Thompson (lead singer), Roderick 'Pooh' Clark, Marcus Sanders, Russell Neal, and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, native. The official website for Scottish pop rock band Texas. The new album Hi will be released on 28th May 2021, featuring the Hi and the new single Mr Haze. 2020/21 tour on sale now celebrating the 30th anniversary of the debut album Southside.

Hi-Five is the debut 1990 album by the American R&B (New Jack Swing) vocal group Hi-Five; original founding members are Waco, Texas and OKC, Oklahoma natives—lead singer Tony Thompson (age 14), Russell Neal (age 16), Marcus Sanders (age 17), Roderick Clark (age 17), and co-lead Toriano Easley (age 16). Released on September 25, 1990, The album peaked at number thirty eight on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Driven by the hit singles released; first single on August 27, 1990 'I Just Can't Handle It' on the Jive label, (R&B #10), 'I Like the Way (The Kissing Game)' (#1 R&B/Pop), 'I Can't Wait Another Minute' (R&B #1, Pop #8) and 'Just Another Girlfriend' (R&B #41). Also, Hi-Five is the only album to feature original founding Hi-Five member 16-year-old Toriano Easley (b. December 10, 1973), who turned himself in to Oklahoma City police on September 4, 1990, weeks before release of the studio debut album 'Hi-Five' for first-degree murder (after a confrontation with a 21 year old acquaintance) and sentenced to manslaughter, in March 1991. Also, Easley marked both his only single cover and music video (release Nov. 7, 1990) 'I Just Can't Handle It' appearance for the debut album with original founding group members; before dismissed from the group. Recorded between ages 13 and 16 years old, Toriano is co-lead singer with Tony Thompson on 'The Way You Said Goodbye,' 'Rag Doll,' 'I Can't Wait Another Minute,' and their demo 'I Know Love' which sealed the deal for record label (Jive/RCA) recording contract.^[2] The album received an Gold certification in the US in May 1991.^[3] In the video for 'I Can't Wait Another Minute', Treston Irby, at age 18, native of Bronx, New York (who is Easley's replacement) lip syncs Toriano's co-lead vocals during live performances and in video appearances (none of studio debut Hi-Five album songs were re-recorded with Treston Irby's vocals).

Background[edit]

The song, 'Too Young' (in a single edit version), also appeared on the soundtrack to the 1991 John Singleton film Boyz n the Hood. It is the first recorded appearance of Mobb Deep rapper Prodigy who was 16 when this song was released, which he revealed in his book My Infamous Life: The Autobiography of Mobb Deep's Prodigy.^[4]

Track listing[edit]

Personnel[edit]

Charts[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^'Hi-Five'. 25 September 1990 – via Amazon.
2. ^'Marcus Sanders revisits Hi-Five's debut album - Return To The Classics - SoulCulture'.
3. ^https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&se=hi-five#search_section
4. ^Johnson, A.; Checkoway, L. (2012). My Infamous Life: The Autobiography of Mobb Deep's Prodigy. Touchstone. p. 36. ISBN9781439103197. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
5. ^'Hi-Five, TLP'. Billboard. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
6. ^'Hi-Five, BLP'. Billboard. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
7. ^'Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1991'. Billboard. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
8. ^'Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1991'. Billboard. Retrieved April 8, 2021.

External links[edit]

• Hi-Five at AllMusic

Hi Five First Album

Hi-Five is an American R&B quintet based in Waco, Texas. Hi-Five had a #1 hit on Billboard's Hot 100 in the early 1990s with 'I Like the Way (The Kissing Game)'. The band was formed in Waco, Texas in 1989, and consisted of the founding and original members from Waco, Texas: Tony Thompson (lead singer), Roderick 'Pooh' Clark, Marcus Sanders, Russell Neal, and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, native, Toriano Easley.

Background[edit]

Early career[edit]

Hi-Five was originally signed to Jive Records in late 1989 and released their eponymous debut album in 1990.^[1] The album went platinum and was produced by Teddy Riley; it included such singles as 'I Just Can't Handle It' (R&B #10), 'I Can't Wait Another Minute' (Pop #8, R&B #1), and their biggest hit to date, 'I Like the Way (The Kissing Game)', which went to number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and the U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.^[2]

The group's second LP, Keep It Goin' On, came out in 1992. Though not as successful as their debut effort, several tracks from this album, including 'She's Playing Hard to Get' (Pop #5, R&B #2) and the R. Kelly-penned 'Quality Time' (Pop #38, R&B #3) got major airplay in East Coast (US) urban markets. Shortly after this album was released, the group was involved in a vehicular accident, which left Roderick 'Pooh' Clark paralyzed from the chest down. In 1993, Hi-Five emerged with a third album, Faithful, which featured the songs 'Unconditional Love' (Pop #92, R&B #21) and 'Never Should've Let You Go' (Pop #30, R&B #10).^[2] 'Unconditional Love' was also featured in the multi-platinum Menace II Society soundtrack, and received extensive airplay on urban contemporary stations throughout the summer of 1993 as the movie increased in popularity. 'Never Should've Let You Go' was featured in the Sister Act 2 soundtrack.

Later career[edit]

On June 1, 2007, Thompson's body was discovered by security officers at around 10 p.m. near an air-conditioning unit outside of an apartment complex in his native Waco, Texas. An autopsy later determined that he had died from 'toxic effects of chlorodifluoromethane,' or inhaling a toxic amount of freon.^[3] He is buried at Doris Miller Memorial Park in Waco.^[4]

In 2011, Treston Irby released his debut solo single 'Everything' under the mantle Tru$ on his independent label, Bronx Most Wanted Ent.

In 2012, Irby, Shannon Gill and Marcus Sanders reformed Hi-Five with two new members, Andre Ramseur (aka Dre Wonda) and Faruq Evans. They released a single called 'Favorite Girl' also on the BMW label. Ramseur later left the group and was replaced by Billy Covington.

On July 2, 2014, former Hi-Five member Russell Neal was charged with murder in the stabbing death of his wife in Houston.^[5]

Hi-Five was featured on the TVOne music documentary series Unsung on August 6, 2014, chronicling the quintet's upbringing in Waco, their rise to superstardom, tragedies among group members, and their comeback. ^[6]

Legal issues[edit]

In a November 4, 2005 promotional radio appearance with then-DJ Wendy Williams, Thompson and re-formed bandmates were confronted with a cease and desist letter, which Williams read aloud. Sent on behalf of two former Hi-Five bandmates, the letter cited their legal ownership of the Hi-Five name. This stopped distribution of album/CD and sales. Shortly afterward on November 22, 2005, a lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York as a third former bandmate joined the initial complaint. The action would prohibit Thompson, an original founding member from using the trademark 'Hi-Five' name, that expired 1997 and not renewed; alleging agreement while minors, in connection with recordings not featuring all five original band members. Anthony Thompson was named as lead defendant, along with a former and three new bandmates, several distributors, retail outlet stores including Amazon and Wal-mart and RN'D, his primary distributor. Ultimately the legal case was not dismissed until August 2009, over two years after Thompson's death.

Approximately late 1992 Russell Neal would leave the group; by March 1993, Hi-Five promotions indicated a new replacement member (Terrence Murphy); leaving at the height of their fame as a result of business and financial differences with both record company (Jive) and with group band mates. In 2014, police say they found Neal's wife Catherine Martinez, dead. She had been beaten with a blunt object, and had stab wounds from multiple strikes with a sharp object. Neal originally admitted his wrong doings to police. He was charged with first-degree murder and released on a $100,000 bond. Neal has been deemed incompetent to stand trial.

Discography[edit]

Studio albums[edit]

EP[edit]

Sites For Hi Five First Album Cover

Compilation albums[edit]

Singles[edit]

Music videos[edit]

Sites For Hi Five First Album Online

References[edit]

1. ^'Remembering Rhythm & Blues: January 2007'. Rememberingrhythmandblues.com. Retrieved 2012-05-22.
2. ^ ^ab'Hi-Five Billboard Chart History'. billboard.com. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
3. ^'Autopsy Results Are In For Hi-Five Star Tony Thompson'. dallasblack.com. July 2, 2007. Archived from the original on July 7, 2014. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
4. ^Hoover, Carl (June 5, 2010). 'Family and friends remember Waco singer Tony Thompson at headstone ceremony'. wacotrib.com. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
5. ^'Former R&B singer charged with murdering wife in Houston'. CBS News. 2014-07-07.
6. ^'Hi-Five documentary to air, revisiting chart-topping Waco hip-hop group | Tv And Radio'. Wacotrib.com. 2014-08-01. Retrieved 2017-07-23.
7. ^ ^abcde'US Charts > Hi-Five'. Billboard. Retrieved 2013-07-12.
8. ^ ^ab'US Certifications > Hi-Five'. Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2012-07-12.
9. ^'AUS Charts > Hi-Five'. ARIA Charts. Archived from the original on 2016-09-14. Retrieved 2013-07-12.
10. ^'GER Charts > Hi-Five'. Media Control Charts. Retrieved 2013-07-12.
11. ^'NLD Charts > Hi-Five'. MegaCharts. Retrieved 2013-07-12.
12. ^'NZ Charts > Hi-Five'. Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved 2013-07-12.
13. ^'UK Charts > Hi-Five'. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2013-07-12.
14. ^''She's Playing Hard to Get' by Hi-Five'. VH1. Archived from the original on April 21, 2012. Retrieved September 30, 2011.

External links[edit]

• Hi-Five at IMDb
• Hi-Five at AllMusic
• Hi-Five discography at Discogs

Sites For Hi Five First Album Download