Tavares recorded the 1977 disco hit “Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel.”
Tavares was an American R&B and soul group formed by five Cape Verdean American brothers from New Bedford, Massachusetts. The group originally performed under the name Chubby and the Turnpikes before adopting the Tavares name and signing with Capitol Records.
“Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel” became one of the group’s signature recordings. Released in 1976, it reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1977 and became especially popular in dance clubs. Its polished vocal harmonies and rhythmic arrangement placed it squarely within the disco sound of the period.
Tavares also recorded “More Than a Woman,” which appeared on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. That connection sometimes causes listeners to confuse Tavares with other groups on the soundtrack, including The Trammps, whose “Disco Inferno” was another major disco recording. Tavares continued recording after disco’s peak and retained a reputation for close family harmonies, linking the group’s disco success to the broader traditions of R&B and soul singing.