Ollie & Jerry
AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Artists:
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Ollie & Jerry
- Genres: Rhythm & Blues
Biography
Drummer Ollie E. Brown and bassist Jerry Knight were first-call recording session musicians. The native Detroiters formed the rhythm nucleus of fellow Detroiter Ray Parker Jr.'s band Raydio. Knight sang lead vocals on Raydio's gold Top Five R&B/Top Eight pop smash "Jack and Jill." As an A&M recording artist,Knight forged an intriguing rock/R&B/funk mix with producer David Kershenbaum on the Top 17 R&B hit "Overnight Sensation" from the LP Jerry Knight and on Super Rare Disco, Vol. 2. Brown produced sides for Klique, Patti Austin, Latoya Jackson, and the Rolling Stones. Polydor Records exec Russ Regan asked Brown to contribute songs to the soundtrack of the breakdancing-themed movie Breakin'. While watching scenes from the movie during a pre-release screening of the movie, a line uttered by one of the character's got Brown's attention, "they can't stop us." While collaborating on the song idea with Knight, the two began to reflect on their music biz travails. Issued as Ollie and Jerry, "Breakin'...There's No Stoppin Us" went to number three R&B and number nine pop in the summer of 1984. The 12" extended version features a more echoey, cavernous mix and burning synth bass with an instrumental on the flipside. The duo returned on the soundtrack for the sequel Breakin 2: Electric Boogaloo which included "Electric Boogaloo" which made it to number 45 R&B in late 1984. Knight later co-wrote and produced sides on the Jets, Bunny DeBarge, Natalie Cole -- Everlasting -- and Patrice Rushen -- Watch Out. "Breakin'...There's No Stoppin Us" is on Disco Nights, Vol. 7: DJ Pix, Breaking Homies, Billboard Top Dance Hits:1984, Dance Dance Dance: Dance Hits of the '60s, '70s, & '80s, and Decades of Dance '60s '70s & '80s. ~ Ed Hogan, RoviRelated Videos:
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Ollie & Jerry
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Ollie & Jerry
| Ollie & Jerry | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Genres | Dance, pop, dance-pop, electro, synthpop, R&B |
| Years active | 1984–1985 |
| Labels | Polydor Records |
| Past members | |
| Ollie E. Brown Jerry Knight |
|
Ollie & Jerry was an American dance-pop duo active in the 1980s, consisting of drummer Ollie E. Brown and R&B singer Jerry Knight.
Despite releasing no studio albums under their own name, they are still widely known for their hit single "Breakin'... There's No Stopping Us", a dance-influenced track which became a top 10 hit in both the United States and the United Kingdom, and was featured as the theme to the film Breakin' and released on its accompanying soundtrack. However, the group disbanded in mid-1985, after the release of their second single "Electric Boogaloo". As a result, "Electric Boogaloo" failed to repeat the success of "Breakin'..." and the duo is widely considered a one-hit wonder.
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Contents
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History
Ollie Brown and Jerry Knight had previously worked together as session musicians, with Knight also being a member of R&B group Raydio.[1] The two formed Ollie & Jerry in Los Angeles, California in 1984, signing to Polydor Records. The duo recorded the song "Breakin'... There's No Stopping Us" as the title theme to the 1984 film Breakin', and released as the first single from the film's soundtrack album. The single became a hit, peaking at #5 on the UK Singles Chart[2] at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1984.[3] The group then did some promotion for the song, performing on the syndicated television program Soul Train in the midst of the success of the song. The Breakin' soundtrack went on to peak at #8 on the US Billboard 200 albums chart.[4]
The following year, the duo released the single "Electric Boogaloo", the title theme to the Breakin' sequel Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo. The single did fairly well on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at #57 on the chart.[5] However, the song failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100; it did however, find some minor success on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Dance Club Play charts, peaking at the positions of #45 and #43 respectively. After the song's release, the duo split in mid-1985.
Discography
Singles
- "Breakin'... There's No Stopping Us" (1984) #9 US, #5 UK[6]
- "Electric Boogaloo" (1985) #57 UK[6]
References
- ^ Hogan, Ed. "allmusic ((( Ollie & Jerry > Overview )))". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p190686. Retrieved July 4, 2009.
- ^ Chartstats.com. "Chart Stats - Ollie And Jerry - Breakin'... There's No Stopping Us Now". http://www.chartstats.com/songinfo.php?id=11703. Retrieved July 4, 2009.
- ^ Billboard.com. "The Billboard Hot 100 - Billboard Hot 100 - Breakin... There's No Stopping". http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=379&cfgn=Singles&cfn=The+Billboard+Hot+100&ci=3003778&cdi=6156516&cid=08%2F04%2F1984.
- ^ Billboard.com. "The Billboard 200 - Breakin' - Soundtrack". http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=305&cfgn=Albums&cfn=The+Billboard+200&ci=3003753&cdi=6154771&cid=07%2F21%2F1984. Retrieved July 4, 2009.[dead link]
- ^ Chartstats.com. "Chart Stats - Ollie And Jerry - Electric Boogaloo". http://www.chartstats.com/songinfo.php?id=12317. Retrieved July 4, 2009.
- ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 406. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
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