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Lineup: Charlie Wilson, lead vocals, keyboards; Ronnie Wilson, trumpet, keyboards; Robert Wilson, bass, vocals; James Macon, guitar; Richard "Moon" Calhoun, drums; Tommy Lokey and Chris Clayton, horns. Macon, Lokey, Calhoun and Clayton left circa 1977. From 1979 to 1983, studio records featured John Black and Greg Phillinganes, keys; Glenn Nightingale, guitar; Raymond Calhoun, drums; Malvin "Dino" Vice contributed arrangements and occasional trumpet - they were never credited as full band members. Oliver Scott, keyboards, vocals, joined around 1983 but was never credited.
The first major hit for the Gap Band was a snazzy juke toon called "Shake." Just prior to the completion of their first album, Charlie Wilson cited the song for his brothers, thinking they might ridicule the lyric. His brothers loved it though, and the song was a smash number four single on the R&B charts, elevating the group to national status.
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 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.
Their youngest brother, Robert, the bass player, passed away on Monday August 16, 2010, at age 53.
-- Craig Lytle, All Music Guide
You Dropped the Bomb on Me | Early In The Morning | Burn Rubber On Me |
01. I-Yike_It 02. Backbone 03. After All Is Said And Done 04. Fontessa Fame 05. You Can Always Count On Me |
06. Bad Girl 07. Easy Life 08. Loving You Is Everything 09. Tommy�s Groove 10. Magician�s Holiday |
01. Out Of The Blue (can you feel it) 02. Stand Up And Dance With Me 03. Not Guilty 04. God Is Watching You 05. Little Bit Of Love |
06. Hang On (to yourself) 07. Knuckle Head Funkin� 08. Thinking Of You 09. Silly Grin |
01. Shake 02. You Can Count On Me 03. Open Up Your Mind (wide) 04. Messin� With My Mind |
05. Baby Baba Boogie 06. I�m In Love 07. Got To Get Away 08. I Can Sing |
01. Steppin� Out 02. No Hiding Place 03. I Don�t Believe You Wanna Get Up And Dance (oops!) 04. Who Do You Call |
05. You Are My High 06. Party Lights 07. The Boys Are Back In Town |
01. When I Look In Your Eyes 02. Yearning For Your Love 03. Burn Rubber On Me 04. Nothing Comes To Sleepers 05. Are You Living |
06. Sweet Caroline 07. Humpin� 08. The Way 09. Gash Gash Gash |
01. Early In The Morning 02. Season�s No Reason To Change 03. Lonely Like Me 04. Outstanding |
05. Stay With Me 06. You Dropped A Bomb On Me 07. I Can�t Get Over You 08. Talkin� Back |
01. Introduction: Where Are We Going? 02. Shake A Leg 03. I�m Ready (if you�re ready) 04. You�re My Everything 05. Jammin� In America 06. Smile |
07. Party Train 08. Jam The Motha 09. I Expect More 10. You�re Something Special 11. Someday |
01. Not Guilty 02. Silly Grin 03. Knucklehead Funkin� 04. Listen To The Music |
05. Party Down 06. I Can Sing 07. Strike A Groove 08. Merry-Go-Round |
01. The Sun Don�t Shine Everyday 02. Video Junkie 03. Weak Spot 04. The Sun Don�t Shine Everyday (inst. Interlude) 05. I Believe |
06. I Found My Baby 07. Beep A Freak 08. Don�t You Leave Me 09. Disrespect 10. The Sun Don�t Shine Everyday (vocal) |
01. Desire 02. Going In Circles 03. Automatic Brain 04. L'il Red Funkin' Hood 05. Ooh, What A Feeling |
06. I Want A Real Love 07. Bumpin' Gum People 08. I Know We'll Make It 09. I Need Your Love |
01. Big Fun 02. I Can�t Live Without Your Love 03. Get Loose, Get Funky 04. Don�t Take It Away 05. Going In Circles |
06. Keep Holding On 07. I�ll Always Love You 08. Bop-B-Da-B-Da-Da 09. I Owe It To Myself |
01. Come And Dance 02. Sweeter Than Candy 03. All The Way Yours 04. I�m So Satisfied |
05. Straight From The Heart 06. That�s It, I Quit 07. You Told Me That 08. I Will Never Leave You |
01. All Of My Love 02. Addicted To Your Love 03. We Can Make It Alright 04. It�s Our Duty 05. Wednesday Lover 06. I Like It |
07. I�m Dreaming 08. Antidote (to love) 09. No Easy Out 10. Jam 11. Let�s Talk About Love |
01. Early In The Morning 02. Shake 03. Outstanding 04. Burn Rubber On Me 05. Yearning For Your Love 06. Open Up Your Mind (wide) 07. You Dropped A Bomb On Me |
08. You Can Count On Me 09. I Don�t Believe You Wanna Get Up And Dance (oops!) 10. Steppin� Out 11. Humpin� 12. The Boys Are Back In Town 13. Party Train |
01. Testimony 02. Confess Your Love 03. Come Into My Love Life 04. Outside Looking In 05. Gap�s Jam |
06. Based On G. A. P.> 07. Everybody Knows 08. I Can Make You Dance 09. Gimme Lovin� Everyday 10. Funky Bass Man |
01. Where�s My Glasses? 02. First Lover 03. Closing The G. A. P. 04. Got It Goin� On 05. You Dropped A Bomb On Me (remix) 06. Love At Your Fingertips |
07. Shake Dat Booty 08. Here We Go 09. Over The Funkin� Hill (w/George Clinton) 10. Closing The G. A. P. (ext. club remix) 11. Why You Wanna Funk Around 12. Got It Goin� On, Pt. II |
01. Intro 02. Gap Band Party 03. Wide 04. Oops Upside Your Head 05. Outstanding 06. Humpin� 07. No Hiding Place 08. Burn Rubber On Me |
09. Gotta Get Up 10. Early In The Morning 11. Party Train 12. Drop The Bomb 13. Yearning For Your Love 14. Yearning (reprise, shooby doo mix) 15. Mega Mix (gotta get up mix) |
01. Funkin� Till 200 Comz 02. Baby I Remember Your Face 03. Good Old Fashioned Lovin 04. Untouchable 05. Scandalous 06. No Color Lines |
07. Messin� With My Flow 08. For The People 09. Style & Grace 10. Otta Be Like This 11. Good Old Fashioned Lovin� (ac mix) 12. Funkin� Till 200 Comz (millennium mix) |