“Easy” – Single by Commodores from the album Commodores
B-side: “Can’t Let You Tease Me”
Released: March 1977
Label: Motown
Songwriter: Lionel Richie
Producer: James Anthony Carmichael – Commodores
Released in March 1977, “Easy” reached number one on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart (for a single week, on July 16) and number four on the Billboard Hot 100. The success of “Easy” paved the way for similar Richie-composed hit ballads such as “Three Times a Lady” and “Still”, and also for Richie’s later solo hits.
How the Commodores got their name: The seven original members each had a name they liked, so they agreed to throw a dictionary in the air and blind-pick a word on the page it landed on. That word with “Commodore,” which was a ranking in the United States Navy that is no longer used. They came very close to being “The Commodes.”
