The Reunion Radio Podcast: Show #1 (click to download)

After numerous requests from listeners of our live365 channel we've finally got around to putting together a Reunion Radio Podcast. We'll try and get these up every two week ... but may even in slip some bonus shows if time permits.

Enjoy

Show #1 Track List

{Intro}
Night Groovin' - First Choice (2009)
I'm That Chick - Mariah Carey (2008)
Magic - Robin Thicke (2008)
Perfect Paradox - Chocolate Butterfly (2002)
Stimulate - The Deele (1985)
More Bounce - Zapp (1980)
Bump It - Erykah Badu (2003)
Valentine - Ryan Leslie (2009)
Top Of Your Lungs - Al B Sure (2009)
There Goes My Baby - Charlie Wilson (2009)
Epiphany - Chrisette Michele (2009)
9 to 5 - Electrik Red (2009)
Sweeter As The Days Go By - Shalamar (1981)
Amazing - Reel People (2008)
Because of You - Ne-Yo (2007)
Iminluvwichoo - Eric Benet (2008)
Your Love's Got a Hold On Me - Lillo Thomas (1984)
The Finest - SOS Band (1985)
{Closing}

Reunion Radio Honors the Music & Life of Michael Jackson

June Artist of the Month: Raphael Saadiq

Born in Oakland, CA, in spring 1966, Raphael Saadiq (born Raphael Wiggins) started playing music at age six. He played bass at church and school and enjoyed his place on-stage at various local hometown events. After high school, Saadiq won a chance to join Prince and Sheila E. on the Parade tour. Such an experience inspired Saadiq to do his own thing, and before the '80s came to an end, he formed Tony! Toni! Tone!.

Saadiq went under his birth name of Wiggins while in Tony! Toni! Tone! and was joined by his brother, Dwayne Wiggins, and cousin Timothy Christian. Tony! Toni! Tone! made their debut with "Little Walter" in 1988. Two years later, they were mega-stars thanks to the success of their second album, The Revival. The ballad "It Never Rains (In Southern California)" and the club-friendly "Feels Good" were major hits and the band eventually sold six million albums. However, Saadiq left the group at the height of its fame.

A solo career was in the works by the time the mid-'90s rolled around. Two singles for movie soundtracks -- 1995's "Ask of You" from Higher Learning and "Me & You" from Boyz N da Hood -- were Saadiq's proper solo introduction, but not exactly satisfying. He was used to being part of a band, so a solo career made him a bit apprehensive. Saadiq bowed out for some normalcy over the next few years.

Lucy Pearl was Saadiq's next project, where he joined with En Vogue's Dawn Robinson and Ali Shaheed Muhammad of A Tribe Called Quest for a short-lived super-group. Saadiq also had his hand in producing material for the likes of Macy Gray, TLC, the Roots, and D'Angelo. In 2000, his song "Untitled" won D'Angelo a Grammy. Inspired by his new "gospedelic" approach, he captured a new sound for himself while recording material between Oakland and Sacramento. The end result was Instant Vintage, which earned five Grammy nominations in 2003. The blaxploitation era-referencing Ray Ray and the '60s-flavored The Way I See It followed in 2004 and 2008, respectively.

MacKenzie Wilson ~ allmusic.com

May Artist of the Month: The Gap Band

Born and raised in Tulsa, OK, the Wilson brothers began singing and playing in their father's Pentecostal church, and it was also mandatory they practice their music lessons at home as well. They learned various instruments which primarily included the piano. As much as they despised the lessons at the time, it proved to be a value tool for all three.

With Ronnie being the oldest, he established his own band by the age of 14. Charlie, a few years younger, joined a rival band a couple of years later. One night the two bands were performing across the street from one another. Ronnie stopped by to check out Charlie grooving on the organ. While there, Ronnie asked Charlie to join his band for 50 dollars over what he was making. Though Charlie's bandmates doubled his offer, he joined his brother's band, as Ronnie gave him no choice.

At a gig not too long after the two had joined forces, the group's bass player quit and Ronnie and Charlie summoned their younger brother Robert, barely 14, to the group to play bass. For a short while, the band performed without a name. Finally they began going by the name the Greenwood, Archer and Pine Streets Band. As advertising such a name on posters became too lengthy, the group shortened the name to the G.A.P. Street Band. Due to a typographical error, the group was advertised as Gap Band and it stuck.

They performed at various venues around the Tulsa area, including country & western joints, tennis clubs, rock clubs, and wherever else called on their services. However, by the middle of the 1970s, Charlie became interested in Los Angeles and left Tulsa to explore his possibilities. A short time later, Charlie convinced his brothers to join him. The group floundered about L.A., hitting and missing on record deals, gigs, and the like. Still maintaining their interest, the group met entertainment businessman Lonnie Simmons through their friend, singer/musician D.J. Rogers. Simmons owned a nightclub and a recording studio at the time and signed the group to his company. (He would later start up a record label.)

The Top Five single "Shake" followed in 1979, along with "Steppin' Out" (number ten) and "I Don't Believe You Want to Get Up and Dance (Oops, Up Side Your Head)" (number four) in 1980. The latter was inspired at a concert in Pittsburgh where some kids were chanting the groove and the Gap Band picked up on it. In December of 1980, the trio dropped its first number one single with "Burn Rubber (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)" and followed it with the Top Five ballad "Yearning for Your Love" (1981).

The group went on to score three more number one songs ("Early in the Morning" and "Outstanding" in 1982 and "All of My Love" in 1989), three more number two songs ("You Dropped a Bomb on Me" in 1982, "Beep a Freak" in 1984, and "Going in Circles" in 1986) and a horde of Top Ten hits. They also did the soundtracks for Leon Isaac Kennedy's Penitentiary III and Keena Ivory Waynans' I'm Gonna Get You Sucker. The group was given only 24 hours notice to complete the title song.

In 1984 Ronnie became a born-again Christian and started pastoring. He joined Melba Moore and David Peaston in the touring play Mama, I'm Sorry. Charlie has been one of most sought-after vocalists in the music industry. He has worked with Quincy Jones, Ray Charles, Eurythmics, Snoop Dogg, and scores of others. The Gap Band has recorded for various labels, including Mercury and Capitol Records. The group has remained together, enduring the good with the bad. They are still actively recording and touring the U.S. and abroad.

by Craig Lytle allmusic.com

Yearning For Your Love (live)

R.I.P. Robert Brookins

We lost a very talented brother this week. Singer/Songwriter/Producer Robert Brookins passed away from a heart attack at age 46. For those that don't know about Robert or his work, I have posted his bio below.

The often overused term multi-talented is true to its definition when referring to Robert F. Brookins. The singer/songwriter/musician/ arranger and producer -- born 1965 in Sacramento, CA -- was singing at four, drumming at five, playing keyboards at nine, and wowing locals with his band Little Robert & the Fondeles at 11. They were tight enough to best a field-of-plenty to win Motown's 1974 Soul Search Contest.

After school and seven years later, Earth, Wind & Fire's Maurice White inked Robert and his brother Michael Brookins to his CBS-distributed ARC Records. Calling themselves Afterbach, they cut Matinee (1981) which received good reviews, lots of print promotion, but few sales. A single, "It's You," which also shared a 12" with the Emotions' "Turn It Out," nearly broke out.

He enhanced his resume with guitar, bass, and horns' skills and became a sought-after songwriter and session musician. The list of artists who recorded his songs, often co-written with Tony Ray Haynes, is star-studded and includes the Reddings, Bobby Brown, Stephanie Mills, Deniece Williams, George Howard, Nancy Wilson, Stanley Clarke, Roy Ayers, George Duke, Waymon Tisdale, Keisha Jackson, Everette Harp, the Newtrons, Mystery Man's Band, Angela Bofil, Kirk Whalum, Joe McBride, Sue Ann, Michael Cooper, the Isley Brothers, the Whispers, and Walter & Scotty.

A singing stint on George Duke's self-titled 1986 album led to a solo deal with MCA Records. Brookens cranked out two LPs: In the Night (1987) and Let It Be Me (1988); a duet with Stephanie Mills graced both LPs. He was major on Jackie Jackson's Be the One LP (1989), writing many of its songs. Reuniting with the EWF empire, he became the legendary band's musical director and keyboard player. And Brookins still found time to work on Benet, Bobby Brown, Analysis, Bruce Hornsby, the Company, and Philip Bailey's CDs.

by Andrew Hamilton ~ allmusic.com

April Artist of the Month: The Isley Brothers

First formed in the early '50s, the Isley Brothers enjoyed one of the longest, most influential, and most diverse careers in the pantheon of popular music -- over the course of nearly a half century of performing, the group's distinguished history spanned not only two generations of Isley siblings but also massive cultural shifts which heralded their music's transformation from gritty R&B to Motown soul to blistering funk. The first generation of Isley siblings was born and raised in Cincinnati, OH, where they were encouraged to begin a singing career by their father, himself a professional vocalist, and their mother, a church pianist who provided musical accompaniment at their early performances. Initially a gospel quartet, the group was comprised of Ronald, Rudolph, O'Kelly, and Vernon Isley; after Vernon's 1955 death in a bicycling accident, tenor Ronald was tapped as the remaining trio's lead vocalist. In 1957, the brothers went to New York City to record a string of failed doo wop singles; while performing a spirited reading of the song "Lonely Teardrops" in Washington, D.C., two years later, they interjected the line "You know you make me want to shout," which inspired frenzied audience feedback. An RCA executive in the audience saw the concert, and when he signed the Isleys soon after, he instructed that their first single be constructed around their crowd-pleasing catch phrase; while the call-and-response classic "Shout" failed to reach the pop Top 40 on its initial release, it eventually became a frequently covered classic.

Still, success eluded the Isleys, and only after they left RCA in 1962 did they again have another hit, this time with their seminal cover of the Top Notes' "Twist and Shout." Like so many of the brothers' early R&B records, "Twist and Shout" earned greater commercial success when later rendered by a white group -- in this case, the Beatles; other acts who notched hits by closely following the Isleys' blueprint were the Yardbirds ("Respectable," also covered by the Outsiders), the Human Beinz ("Nobody but Me"), and Lulu ("Shout"). During a 1964 tour, they recruited a young guitarist named Jimmy James to play in their backing band; James -- who later shot to fame under his given name, Jimi Hendrix -- made his first recordings with the Isleys, including the single "Testify," issued on the brothers' own T-Neck label. They signed to the Motown subsidiary Tamla in 1965, where they joined forces with the famed Holland-Dozier-Holland writing and production team. Their first single, the shimmering "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)," was their finest moment yet, and barely missed the pop Top Ten.

"This Old Heart of Mine" was their only hit on Motown, however, and when the song hit number three in Britain in 1967, the Isleys relocated to England in order to sustain their flagging career; after years of writing their own material, they felt straitjacketed by the Motown assembly-line production formula, and by the time they returned stateside in 1969, they had exited Tamla to resuscitate the T-Bone label. Their next release, the muscular and funky "It's Your Thing," hit number two on the U.S. charts in 1969, and became their most successful record. That year, the Isleys also welcomed a number of new members as younger brothers Ernie and Marvin, brother-in-law Chris Jasper, and family friend Everett Collins became the trio's new backing unit. Spearheaded by Ernie's hard-edged guitar leads, the group began incorporating more and more rock material into its repertoire as the 1970s dawned, and scored hits with covers of Stephen Stills' "Love the One You're With," Eric Burdon & War's "Spill the Wine," and Bob Dylan's "Lay Lady Lay."

In 1973, the Isleys scored a massive hit with their rock-funk fusion cover of their own earlier single "Who's That Lady," retitled "That Lady, Pt. 1"; the album 3 + 3 also proved highly successful, as did 1975's The Heat Is On, which spawned the smash "Fight the Power, Pt. 1." As the decade wore on, the group again altered its sound to fit into the booming disco market; while their success on pop radio ran dry, they frequently topped the R&B charts with singles like 1977's "The Pride," 1978's "Take Me to the Next Phase, Pt. 1," 1979's "I Wanna Be With You, Pt. 1," and 1980's "Don't Say Goodnight." While the Isleys' popularity continued into the 1980s, Ernie and Marvin, along with Chris Jasper, defected in 1984 to form their own group, Isley/Jasper/Isley; a year later, they topped the R&B charts with "Caravan of Love." On March 31, 1986, O'Kelly died of a heart attack; Rudolph soon left to join the ministry, but the group reunited in 1990. Although the individual members continued with solo work and side projects, the Isley Brothers forged on in one form or another throughout the decade; in 1996, now consisting of Ronald, Marvin, and Ernie, they released the album Mission to Please. Ronald and Ernie hooked up several years later for Eternal (2001), a brand-new selection of R&B cuts featuring collaborative efforts with Jill Scott, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and Raphael Saadiq. On that particular release, Ronald also introduced the alter ego Mr. Biggs. Body Kiss (2003) and Baby Makin' Music (2006) followed.

by Jason Ankeny allmusic.com

March Artist of the Month: Ray Parker Jr & Raydio

Guitarist/songwriter/producer Ray Parker, Jr. had hits as Raydio (the million-selling Jack and Jill, You Can't Change That), Ray Parker Jr. and Raydio (Two Places at the Same Time, A Woman Needs Love [Just Like You Do]), Ray Parker Jr. (the number one R&B and pop gold single "Ghostbusters"), and co-wrote hit songs for Rufus and Chaka Khan (the number one "You Got the Love" from fall 1974) and Barry White ("You See the Trouble With Me" from spring 1976).

Born May 1, 1954, in Detroit, MI, Parker started out as a teenaged session guitarist playing on sessions recorded for Holland-Dozier-Holland's Hot Wax and Invictus Records whose roster listed Freda Payne, Honey Cone, Chairman of the Board, 100 Proof Aged in Soul, Laura Lee, and 8th Wonder. He'd also play behind the Temptations, Stevie Wonder, the Spinners, Gladys Knight and the Pips, and other Motown acts when they appeared at the Twenty Grand Club. In 1972, Wonder called Parker to ask him to play behind him on a tour that he was doing with the Rolling Stones. Parker thought it was a crank call and hung up the phone. Wonder called back and convinced Parker that he was the real deal by singing "Superstition" to him.

Later, Parker played on Wonder's albums Talking Book (1972) and Innervisions (1973). Moving from Detroit to Los Angeles, Parker got into session work playing on sides by Leon Haywood, Barry White, arranger Gene Page, and working with Motown producer Clarence Paul on Ronnie McNeir's 1976 Motown debut, Love's Comin' Down, and he appeared in the picnic scene in the Bill Cosby/Sidney Poitier comedy classic Uptown Saturday Night.

Deciding to become a recording artist, Parker got a deal with Arista Records in 1977. Not confident on his singing ability, he put together a band that included vocalist Arnell Carmichael, bassist/singer Jerry Knight (who later had his own solo hit with "Overnight Sensation" and as half of Ollie & Jerry and co-produced hits by the Jets), guitarist Charles Fearing, Larry Tolbert, and Darren Carmichael. However, on record, Parker played most, if not all of the instruments. Though after racking up hits, Arnell et al. were paid a retainer so they'd be available if Raydio had a hit record and needed to tour.

His first LP, Raydio, went gold, peaking at number eight R&B in spring 1978. The LP included the gold, number five R&B hit single "Jack and Jill" (lead vocal by Jerry Knight), "Is This a Love Thing," and the charting single "Honey I'm Rich." The hits continued with Ray Parker, Jr. and Raydio's gold, number four Rock On (the single "You Can't Change That" was number three R&B, number nine pop in the spring of 1979); the gold, number six R&B Two Places at the Same Time from spring 1980 ("Two Places at the Same Time" was number six R&B in spring 1980); and the number one gold record A Woman Needs Love from 1981 ("A Woman Needs Love [Just Like You Do]" -- the first song Parker sung all the way through without trading vocals -- held the number one R&B spot for two weeks and went number four pop in spring 1981). Then, as Ray Parker, Jr., The Other Woman held the number one R&B, number 11 pop spot in spring 1982 ("The Other Woman" was number two R&B for four weeks).

One of Parker's biggest hits and best loved songs, "Ghostbusters" was initially submitted for the background score of the Dan Aykroyd/Harold Ramis/Bill Murray/Ernie Hudson comedy. Director Ivan Reitman thought that the song should be released as a single.The "Ghostbusters" music video is one of the funniest and star-studded videos ever made (breakdancing Bill Murray style). "Ghostbusters" parked at the number one R&B spot for two weeks and the number one pop for three weeks on Billboard's charts in summer 1984. Around this time, Parker was sued by Huey Lewis for copyright infringement claiming that "Ghostbusters" was a rip-off of his recent hit, "I Want a New Drug." Lewis received an out-of-court settlement. Some others at the time thought that if anyone's attorney should have been contacting both Parker and/or Lewis, it should have been Robin Scott who recorded as M and had a 1979 number one pop smash with "Pop Muzik," which both "...Drug" and "Ghostbusters" sounded similar to.

Parker also wrote and produced hits for New Edition ("Mr. Telephone Man" -- Parker originally recorded this with Jr. Tucker for his 1983 self-titled Geffen album), Randy Hall ("I've Been Watching You [Jamie's Girl]," the refreshing "Gentleman"), Cheryl Lynn ("Shake It Up Tonight" from In the Night), Deniece Williams (the 1979 ARC/Columbia LP When Love Comes Calling, the 1981 Bang LP Brick, Summer Heat), and Diana Ross ("Upfront" from her 1983 RCA LP Ross).

Parker left Arista for Geffen then MCA before returning to Arista because of his relationship with Arista president Clive Davis.

by Ed Hogan, All Music Guide

February Artist of the Month: New Edition

New Edition's early, Jackson 5-inspired material made them the forerunners of two generations of teen pop (most of which was geared to white audiences). As they matured and progressed, they laid much of the groundwork for the fusion of hip-hop and R&B known as new jack swing. In fact, after New Edition drifted apart, all of its members had at least some significant success outside the group as part of the new jack movement, which helped ensure that their original incarnation would be remembered for much more than the bubblegum urban soul that made their name.

New Edition was formed in the Roxbury section of Boston, MA, by Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, and Bobby Brown, who began singing together in 1978 while still in elementary school, hoping to perform for pocket cash. They eventually recruited friend Ralph Tresvant as a fourth member, and after winning a talent show in 1980, also added Ronnie Bell. More talent show victories followed, including a prestigious gig at the local Strand Theater, where they performed the Jackson 5's "The Love You Save." They were discovered by writer/producer/impresario Maurice Starr, who signed the group to his small Streetwise label in hopes of launching a Jackson 5 phenomenon for the '80s. "Candy Girl," a song Starr co-wrote for the group, was released as their first single in 1983, when the members ranged in age from 13 to 15. Despite a lack of major-label interest in the group, "Candy Girl" was a smash, topping the R&B charts. Their debut album, also titled Candy Girl, spawned two more R&B hits in "Popcorn Love" and "Is This the End?," and MCA offered the group a deal. Starr however, wanted the group to remain with Streetwise; New Edition summarily fired him as their manager and signed with MCA. Starr attempted to sue the group for their name, unsuccessfully claiming that "New Edition" actually referred to a whole new style of pop music he'd created. Starr of course, would go on to strike it rich with a similar concept, assembling a quintet of white teenagers he dubbed New Kids On The Block.


New Edition, meanwhile, released their eponymous MCA debut in 1984 and scored their biggest pop hit with the Top Five smash "Cool It Now," which ended with a short rap section. The Ray Parker Jr-penned "Mr. Telephone Man" soon became their third R&B chart-topper, and the group had reached full-fledged teen idol status. Yet they were growing up fast, as demonstrated on their next album, 1985's All for Love. Not only were their voices changing, but their material was becoming more adult, with harder-edged funk and more mature romantic ballads. Later that year, they also released a holiday album, Christmas All Over The World, and struck an endorsement deal with Coke. However, rumors of Brown's growing dissatisfaction proved true and he left for a solo career in 1986. Temporarily down to a quartet, the rest of the group recorded the covers album UNder the Blue Moon, a set of vintage doo wop and R&B numbers from the '50s and '60s; it produced a hit revival of the Penquins' "Earth Angel."


Brown'sreplacement came in the form of Johnn Gill, a deep-voiced friend of the group who'd been recording as a solo artist without much luck. Gill made his debut on the 1989 album Heart Break, which found New Edition working with star producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. The move paid immediate dividends, as they scored several R&B hits from the album, including the number one "Can You Stand the Rain." Meanwhile, Brown had become a superstar with his second album, the new jack swing landmark Don't Be Cruel. Feeling vindicated by Heart Break, New Edition split up to work on other projects. Gill returned to his solo career, with considerably more success this time around, and Tresvant also went solo. The remainder of the group teamed as Bell Biv DeVoe and wound up having greater success than anyone save Brown; their debut album, Poisen, was another new jack style-setter and Bivins' interest in developing new talent gave Boyz II Men their big break.


By the mid-'90s, new jack swing was giving way to new fusions of hip-hop and soul that were alternately more organic or aggressive. Although their status as innovators was secure, many of the New Edition splinter acts had a hard time keeping up and maintaining their career momentum. Thus, given their individually positive reputations, it made sense for the group to announce its triumphant reunion, with all six members participating in what was essentially an R&B supergroup. The public loved the idea; when the comeback album Home Again was finally released in 1996, it debuted at number one, and the first single, "Hit Me Off," was a smash, hitting number one on the R&B charts. The follow-up, "I'm Still in Love With You," was another big hit, and the group embarked on a blockbuster tour that, while popular, found relationships between some of the members fraying. After the tour, New Edition returned to their various prior projects, with the prospect of any future reunions looking dim. Those prospects increased significantly when it was learned that P. Diddy had signed the group to his Bad Boy label for the release of another comeback, 2004's One Love.

by Steve Huey allmusic.com

January Artist of the Month: The Bar-Kays

Initially a funky instrumental soul combo on Stax/Volt, the Bar-Kays were nearly destroyed when most of the band perished in the same plane crash that claimed Otis Redding. Amazingly, the Bar-Kays not only regrouped but prospered, evolving into a popular funk ensemble over the course of the '70s. They continued to score hits on the R&B charts through much of the '80s as well, making for a career longevity that no one would have predicted for Stax's formerly star-crossed number-two house band.

The Bar-Kays were formed in Memphis, TN, in 1966, growing out of a local group dubbed the Imperials. Modeled on classic Memphis soul instrumental outfits like the Mar-Kays and Booker T. & the MG's, the Bar-Kays originally included guitarist Jimmy King (not the famed bluesman), trumpeter Ben Cauley, organist Ronnie Caldwell, saxophonist Phalon Jones, bassist James Alexander, and drummer Carl Cunningham. Adopting a mutated version of their favorite brand of rum (Bacardi) as their name, the band started playing heavily around Memphis, and eventually caught the attention of Stax/Volt, which signed the sextet in early 1967. With help from house drummer Al Jackson Jr, the label began grooming the Bar-Kays as a second studio backing group that would spell Booker T. & the MG's on occasion. That spring, the Bar-Kays cut their first single, "Soul Finger," a playful, party-hearty instrumental punctuated by a group of neighborhood children shouting the title. "Soul Finger" reached the pop Top 20 and went all the way to number three on the R&B chart, establishing the Bar-Kays in the public eye (although the follow-up, "Give Everybody Some," barely scraped the R&B Top 40). Producer Allen A Jones began to take an interest in the group and became their manager and mentor; even better, Otis Redding chose them as his regular backing band that summer.

Unfortunately, disaster struck on December 10, 1967. En route to a gig in Madison, WI, Reddings plane crashed into frozen Lake Monona. He, his road manager, and four members of the Bar-Kays were killed. Trumpeter Ben Cauley survived the crash, and bassist James Alexander had not been on the flight; they soon assumed the heavy task of rebuilding the group. Adding insult to injury, the third and final single released by the original lineup, a cover of the Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night," was virtually ignored. Nonetheless, with Allen Jones' help, Cauley and Alexander assembled a new Bar-Kays lineup featuring guitarist Michael Toles, keyboardist Ronnie Gordon, saxophonist Havet Henderson, and drummers Roy Cunningham and Willie Hall. At first, their sound was similar to the original lineup, and they were used as the house band on numerous Stax/Volt recording sessions; they also backed Isaac Hayes on his groundbreaking 1969 opus Hot Buttered Soul. Still, they were unable to land a hit of their own, and Cunningham and Gordon both left the group in 1970; the latter was replaced on keyboards by Winston Stewart.

With 1971's Black Rock album, the Bar-Kays debuted their first-ever lead vocalist, Larry Dodson, and incorporated some of the psychedelic-inspired rock/funk fusions of Sly & the Family Stone and Funkadelic. After playing on Issac Hayes' hit Shaft soundtrack, Cauley and Toles both joined his backing band permanently, and were replaced by trumpeter Charles "Scoop" Allen and guitarist Vernon Bunch. This new lineup took a more mainstream funk direction, scoring a minor hit with a takeoff on Jimi Hendrix's "Foxy Lady" dubbed "Copy Cat." The follow-up, another good-humored goof on a recent hit, was "Son of Shaft," which in 1972 became the group's first Top Ten R&B hit since "Soul Finger." That summer, the Bar-Kays played a well-received set at Wattstax (the black answer to Woodstock), but it wasn't enough to keep their commercial momentum going, especially as Stax/Volt headed toward eventual bankruptcy in 1975.

Armed with new guitarist Lloyd Smith (who'd joined when Brunch left in 1973), new drummer Michael Beard, and trombonist Frank Thompson, the Bar-Kays signed with Mercury in 1976 and began the most commercially productive phase of their career. Writing most of their own material and using more synthesizers, their label debut, Too Hot to Stop, was a hit, powered by the smash R&B single "Shake Your Rump to the Funk." The group consolidated their success by opening for George Clinton's P-Funk machine on an extensive tour, and that loose, wild aesthetic was now a more accurate reflection of the Bar-Kays' brand of funk, although they were more easily able to bridge into disco. Follow-up Flying High on Your Love (1977) was the band's first gold record, and Money Talks — a Fantasy reissue of some previously unreleased Stax material — produced another Top Ten hit in "Holy Ghost" the following year. Drummer Sherman Guy and keyboardist Mark Bynum subsequently joined the band, and a string of hit albums followed: 1979's Injoy (which featured the Top Five R&B hit "Move Your Boogie Body"), 1980's As One, 1981's Nightcruising (which spawned two hits in "Hit and Run" and "Freaky Behavior"), and 1982's Propositions (more hits in "Do It (Let Me See You Shake)" and "She Talks to Me With Her Body"). All of those albums, save for As One, went gold.

In 1983, Sherman Guy and Charles Allen left the group, presaging a more commercial direction in keeping with the urban sound of the early '80s. 1984's Dangerous produced one of the group's biggest hits, "Freakshow on the Dancefloor," and a couple more R&B chart hits in "Dirty Dancer" and "Sex-O-Matic." Their sound was becoming derivative, however, and although the group kept recording for Mercury through 1989, the changing musical landscape meant that the hits dried up. By 1987, only Larry Dodson, Harvey Henderson and Winston Stewart remained; that same year, Allen Jones died of a heart attack, and the group scored its last R&B Top Ten hit with "Certified True." When their contract with Mercury was up, the Bar-Kays called it quits with 1988's Animal Dodson and original bassistJames Alexander put together a short-lived new version of the Bar-Kays for the 1994 album, released on the small Basix label.

(source: Steve Huey allmusic.com)

December Artist of the Month: Slave

In funk circles, the name Slave has become synonyms with thumping monster bass-lines. Although it's Mark Adam's bass that played the biggest part in creating their signature sound, it was Steve Washington and Mark "Drac" Hicks who founded the band in Dayton Ohio back in 1975. The group scored a major hit with their first single "Slide" in 1977 .... but it wasn't until vocalist/drummer Steve Arrington, along with Starleana Young and Curt Jones, joined the group in 78 that the classic line-up would be set. Slave dropped 3 consecutive classic albums from 79-81 with Just a Touch of Love, Stone Jam & Show Time. From these 3 albums comes the majority of the groups best songs (Watching You, Just a Touch of Love, Snap Shot, For the Love of You, Party Lites, Slizzlin' Hot, Wait For Me, etc)

During this same period Washington formed a side group along with Curt Jones and Starleana Young called Aurra. They would find mainstream success of their own with the hits "Are You Single" & "Make Up Your Mind". Aurra's membership would stay made up of the main 3 plus revolving members of Slave until the mid 80s when Washington had a falling out with Young and Jones. Washington held the rights to the name Aurra, which he offered to sell to the duo. Young and Jones instead took the name Deja and would go on to score a #2 hit with "You & Me Tonight" before Starleana Young went solo 1988.

Steve Arrington left the group shortly after touring behind Show Time and started work on his solo project. The result would be the 1983 hood classic "Steve Arrington's Hall of Fame Vol 1" which would yield the song "Weak At The Knees" .... one of the most sampled bass-lines of the early 80s. Arrington, now a born again christian, would follow with his sophomore release "Positive Power" in 1984. While this album received a lukewarm response sales wise, it was another outstanding effort creatively. In 1985 Arrington would enjoy his most commercial success with the cross-over hits "Dancing in the Key of Life" & "Feels So Real". His sound now watered down by pop success, Steve would release two more solo albums before finally retiring full time to his ministry in the late 80s.

Slave would continue to release albums a few years after these departures, although none would spawn any radio hits. A few members still tour under the name Slave but it hardly bares any resemblance to the super group that ruled the funk world during the late 70s/early 80s.

This month Reunion Radio will be bringing you the music of Slave and it's satellites. We'll be playing the hits like Watching You & Slide but will also dig deeper with album tracks and some of the group's later recordings. So with the holiday season fast approaching ... turn on your Party Lites and groove along with the sound of Slave.

November Artist of the Month: Teena Marie

No white artist has sang R&B more convincingly than Teena Marie, whose big, robust vocals are so soulful, that in her early days some listeners wondered if she was a light-skinned African-American. Marie grew up in west Los Angeles in a neighborhood that was nicknamed "Venice Harlem" because of its heavy black population. As a child performer, she appeared on an episode of the then hit TV series "The Beverley Hillbillies". In 1976 she signed with Motown Records as a back up singer and soon met her mentor Rick James, who ended up doing all of the writing and producing for her debut album of 1979, Wild and Peaceful. That LP, which boasted her hit duet with James, "I'm Just a Sucker for Your Love," didn't show Marie's picture -- so many programmers at black radio just assumed she was black. When her second album "Lady T" came out, much of the R&B world was shocked to see how fair-skinned she was. But to many of the black R&B fans who were eating her music up, it really didn't matter -- the bottom line was she was a first-rate soul singer whose love of black culture ran deep.

By her third album, 1980's gold "Irons in the Fire" Marie was doing most of her own writing and producing. That album boasted the major hit "I Need Your Lovin'," and Marie went gold again with her next album "It Must Be Magic" (which included the major hit "Square Biz"). "It Must Be Magic" turned out to be her last album for Motown, which she had a nasty legal battle with. Marie got out of her contract with Motown, and the case ended up with the courts passing what is known as "The Teena Marie Law" -- which states that a label cannot keep an artist under contract without putting out an album by him or her.

Switching to Epic in 1983, Marie recorded her fifth album "Robbery" and had a hit with "Fix It." In 1984, Marie recorded her sixth album "Starchild" and had her biggest pop hit ever with "Lovergirl." Though Marie had often soared to the top of the R&B charts, "Lovergirl" marked the first time she'd done so well in the pop market. Ironically, Marie was a white singer who had enjoyed little exposure outside the R&B market prior to "Lovegirl."

Three more Epic albums followed: 1986's "Emerald City" 1987's "Naked to the World" (which contained her smash hit "Ooh La La La"), and 1990's "Ivory". Unfortunately, Marie's popularity had faded considerably by the late '80s, and Epic dropped her. In 1994, the singer released "Passion Play" on her own Sarat label. Ten years later, she signed to Cash Money and released "La Dona" featuring assistance from Gerald LeVert & Rick James. Her most recent album "Sapphire" was released in 2006 and saw Teena return to form with a mix of steamy slow jams and mid tempo grooves.

In this month of thanks, Reunion Radio shows it's appreciation to the one... the only .... LADY T

(Bio elements lifted from allmusic.com)

Lover Girl (1984)

October Artist of the Month: Con Funk Shun

Con Funk Shun was formed by high-school classmates Michael Cooper and Louis "Tony" McCall, along with Karl Fuller, Paul "Maceo" Harrell, Dennis Johnson, Cedric Martin and Danny "Sweet Man" Thomas. All of them had been playing together since their high-school days in Vallejo, CA. Felton Pilate, also from Vallejo, joined the group after his band, a local rival, disbanded.

In the early '70s, the group was a backup band for the Soul Children with the name Project Soul. And when they weren't on the road with the Soul Children, they were creatively working with various Stax staff writers. In the mid-'70s, Project Soul made an effort to become a headliner, but they met dead-ends and little success. However, they found good fortune at Audio Dimensions, a Memphis recording studio owned by producer Ted Strurges. Around this time, he group named itself after the title of one of their instrumentals, "Con Funk Shun." During their three-year stint at Audio Dimensions, Sturges, besides owning the studio, was also Con Funk Shun's producer. Their association resulted in the group's first album, Organized Con Funk Shun.

As their sound developed, Pilate and Cooper emerged as the primary lead vocalists. Around the time their first album for Crankshaft Productions, Inc. was being recorded, the eighth member, MC and technician Dennis Johnson, left the group to attend seminary in California. By 1976, the group signed to Mercury, where they remained for ten years. Their first hit for Mercury was "Ffun," written by Michael Cooper as a tribute to the R&B/funk band Brick. One of the premiere party funk bands of its time, they also began recording ballads and instrumental tracks by the early '80s. Aside from being the primary musicians on all their albums, Con Funk Shun also contributed to each of their albums as writers, arrangers, and/or producers.

Burnin' Love, the septet's last album with Mercury, was recorded without their longtime musical center, Felton Pilate, who left the group in 1986 to become a successful producer. (Pilate eventually became the musical force behind MC Hammer) Melvin Carter, a frequent collaborator of Con Funk Shun, joined the group upon Pilate's exit, and that same year Michael Cooper left for a solo career. Con Funk Shun disbanded after their last album with Mercury, but reunited in the '90s, and began performing at festivals and concerts around the world. ~ Craig Lytle (allmusic.com)

Here at Reunion Radio we always have at least a few of their tracks in our rotation. But this month we're going to lay the jelly on extra thick. From classic hits like Chase Me & Ffun to fan favorite album tracks like Juicy and California 1, all the way to solo projects from Michael and Felton. We're covering it all. Con Funk Shun is flat out one of the most underrated bands in R&B history. Reunion Radio takes great pride & pleasure in bringing their music to you throughout the month of October.

Too Tight (1980)

I'm Leaving *Live* (audio only)

September Artist of the Month: Kashif

Kashif was born Michael Jones in 1959 in Brooklyn, NY. Later taking the name Kashif Saleem after converting to Islam in the late early 80s. His early career was as a keyboard playing for the moderately successful 70s funk/disco band BT-express. He left the group in 1980, to focus on his own songwriting and production work .

1981 Kashif formed Mighty M Productions along with Paul Laurence and Morrie Brown. Kashif's sound, whether he worked within the Mighty M Productions company or by himself, was characterized hypnotic rhythm guitar along with synth bass and heavy keys. Kashif had developed a signiture sounds that he would ride for more than half the decade.

His first taste of success came when he produced Melba Moore's album including the hit "Take my love". But his true break-out came when he wrote and co-produced the mega hit "I'm In Love" with Evelyn "Champagne" King.

He followed that up in 1982 when he produced and wrote another smash hit, Howard Johnson's "So fine". Kashif and his team were now turning heads in the R&B world as keepers of a new sophisticated uptown sound. He kept up his workman like approach by heading back into the studio with Melba Moore and emerging with "The Other Side of The Rainbow" then quickly following that up with a reteaming with Evelyn King on "Get loose". The later which included the brilliant "Love come down" one of the decades most beloved songs. In addition, Kashif worked as an assistant producer on High fashion's Popdisco debut album "Feelin' lucky" in 82 under Jacques Fred Petrus (best known for the group Change). Kashif wrote two tracks on their album including the catchy "Hold on".

In 83 he produced for the third time an album with Melba Moore "Never Say Never" including hits like "Keepin' My Lover Satisfied" and "Love Me Right". In addition to all his production work, Kashif finally found time to start work on his own album. Recording tracks in between his other projects, the self titled "Kashif" was released in the second half of 1983. It was a brilliant album with gems like "I Just Got To Have", "Stone love", "The Mood" and "Help Yourself to My Love". "The Mood" would win a Grammy for best R&B instrumental of the year.

It was also in 83 when Kashif joined forces with sax player Kenny Gorelick (who he would make over as Kenny G) and guitarist George Benson. Kenny G's "G-Force" album would launch him as one of the best known sax players of all time and "Inside Love (So Personal)" would put George Benson back at the top of the R&B charts . Kashif released his solo follow up "Are You The Woman" in 84. The album included such high powered guests as Al Jarreau, George Benson, Kenny G and a young unknown backup singer named Whitney Houston.

When Clive Davis was ready to launch the young Houston's solo career, he turned to Kashif. The first single was the Kashif song "You Give Good Love"

The second half of the decade would be hit and miss for Kashif. He scored his biggest solo hit ever with "Love changes" (a duet with Meli'sa Morgan) but many other projects and solo work wasn't charting the way much of his early work was.

Kashif took a hiatus from recording in 1990, devoting his time to holding seminars and conducting classes for aspiring performers about the music business but he couldn't shake his love of the studio. Because in 1998 he released "Who Loves You" on the UK label Expansion records exclusively for the UK. Although this album was never released in the US, some of these songs appeared on his 2003 state-side album "Music of My Mind".

During the month of September, Reunion Radio will celebrate a key architect of the 80s boogie sound. We'll bring you Kashif's & Mighty M's production work along with the best of his solo albums. So sit back, relax and enjoy the feel good grooves of the 80s mixed with few sweet sounds from recent years. September is Kashif month people ........ enjoy!

August Artist of the Month: Cameo

An outlandish, in-your-face stage presence, a strange sense of humor, and a hard-driving funk sound that criss-crossed a few musical boundaries earned Cameo countless comparisons to Parliament/Funkadelic in their early days. However, Cameo eventually wore off accusations of being derivative by transcending their influences and outlasting almost every single one of them. Throughout the '70s and '80s, the group remained up with the times and occasionally crept ahead of them, such that they became influences themselves upon younger generations of R&B and hip-hop acts. By the time the group's popularity started to fizzle in the late '80s, a series of R&B chart hits -- ranging from greasy funk workouts to synthesized funk swingers to dripping ballads -- was left in their wake. Further separating Cameo from their forebears, they didn't have a diaper-clad guitarist. Instead, they had a codpiece-wearing lead vocalist.

That vocalist was Larry Blackmon. In 1974, the ex-Juilliard student and New York City club-goer instigated a funk band with a membership of 13 called the New York City Players. Blackmon, Tomi Jenkins and Nathan Leftenant formed the group's nucleus. The Casablanca label signed the group to their Chocolate City offshoot, and shortly after that, the group changed its name to Cameo. Their excellent debut album, 1977's Cardiac Arrest, was highlighted by four singles. Three of those hit the Billboard R&B chart: "Rigor Mortis" (number 33), "Funk Funk" (number 20), and "Post Mortem" (number 70). Although the group was clearly inspired by elder funk groups likeParliament, Funkadelic, and the Ohio Players, Cardiac Arrest made Cameo's case for belonging in the same division an open-and-shut one.

In an attempt to keep the ball rolling, 1978 saw the release of Cameo's second and third albums. Neither We All Know Who We Are nor Ugly Ego were as solid as the debut, but the group's singular characteristics were becoming increasingly evident. The winding, horn-punctuated "It's Serious" (from We All Know Who We Are) narrowly missed the Top 20 of the R&B chart, while "Insane" (from Ugly Ego) dipped just inside it, peaking at number 17. The best halves of these two albums would've made a fine sophomore LP.

1979's Secret Omen, featuring a disco-fied re-visiting of Cardiac Arrest's "Find My Way" and the magnificently funky and slightly loony "I Just Want to Be" (a number-three R&B chart hit), was stacked with fine album cuts and brought Cameo back as a group that excelled in the LP format. "Sparkle" was one of their best ballads, a sinewy number that hit the Top Ten. Five albums released between 1980 and 1983 (Cameosis, Feel Me, Knights of the Sound Table, Alligator Woman, Style) brought about a slight dip in quality on the album front. Despite an abundance of filler on each record, none of those albums were strict disappointments, delivering hot Top 20 R&B singles like "Shake Your Pants," "We're Goin' Out Tonight," "Keep It Hot," "Freaky Dancin'" "Just Be Yourself," "Flirt," and "Style."

One of the most significant ripples in Cameo's time line came during that period, in 1982, when they packed up and set up shop in Atlanta. Pared down to a quintet and located in a less hectic city, the group became bigger fish in a smaller pond.Blackmon even started his own label, Atlanta Artist. The label's first LP, Style, also marked a significant shift in sound, with synthesizers taking on a pronounced role. Paydirt was struck with 1984's She's Strange; the title cut, a late-night slithery smolder, topped the R&B chart and eclipsed the Top 50 of the pop chart, kicking off a remarkable three-album run that made Cameo one of the most popular groups of the '80s. Single Life and Word Up!, released respectively in 1985 and 1986, continued the hot streak. The singles from those two albums -- "Attack Me With Your Love," "Single Life," "Word Up," "Candy," and "Back and Forth" -- held down the Top Five plateau of the R&B chart. "Word Up" even went to number six on the pop chart, giving them their biggest bite of the mainstream. The song was everywhere.

What goes up must come down, and that's exactly what happened to Cameo. Despite the fact that two more singles -- "Skin I'm In" and "I Want It Now" -- scaled up to number five on the R&B chart, neither Machismo nor Real Men Wear Black performed well as albums. After 1991's Emotional Violence, the group's profile was lowered significantly, but they did tour sporadically to the delight of hardcore fans as well as plenty of misguided people who thought Cameo was all about "Word Up" and nothing more. Notably, Blackmon spent a few years of the '90s at Warner Bros., as the vice president of A&R.

Cameo's presence continued to be felt throughout the early 2000s, not only through extensive sample use and less tangible influences upon younger artists and producers. Several retrospectives have kept the group's music alive: Casablanca's 1993 compilation The Best of Cameo is an excellent point of entry. Mercury's 12" Collection & More, released in 1999, covers the group's best dancefloor moments. 2002's spectacular Anthology, a double-disc set also released by Mercury, covers a lot of ground and does the group justice as a total package. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide

We're Going Out Tonight (1980)

Flirt (1982)