The Gap Band II
AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Albums:
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The Gap Band II
- Artist: The Gap Band
- Rating:
- Release Date: 1979
- Total Time: 38:52
- Genre: Rhythm & Blues
Review
The Gap Band II has often been described as the Wilson Brothers' second album, but truth be told, it was their fourth. However, the vast majority of fans that they acquired with 1979's The Gap Band never heard the little-known albums they had recorded in 1974 and 1975. So even though that 1979 breakthrough wasn't really their debut album, it was the first Gap Band album that enjoyed a great deal of attention -- arguably, that self-titled album was to the Wilson Brothers what Meet the Beatles was to John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. And with the gold The Gap Band II, they continued to forge ahead commercially and creatively. Produced by Lonnie Simmons, this excellent album boasts five-star funk gems like "Party Lights," "Steppin' (Out)," "Who Do You Call," and the Parliament-minded hit "I Don't Believe You Want to Get Up and Dance (Oops)." George Clinton and the Ohio Players are both strong influences on the funk tracks, while Earth, Wind & Fire's influence asserts itself on the smooth quiet storm slow jam "No Hiding Place." But the Gap Band never sounds like it is going out of its way to emulate any of its influences; in fact, the Wilson Brothers are recognizable and distinctive regardless of who is influencing a particular song. Even when they make a surprising, totally unexpected detour into pop/rock/soft rock on "The Boys Are Back in Town," they're recognizable as the Gap Band. Not to be confused with the Thin Lizzy smash, this congenial tune wouldn't have been out of place on a Billy Joel, Elton John, or Chicago album. But R&B, not pop/rock, was the Gap Band's forte, and Gap Band II is a funk/soul album first and foremost. It is also among the Wilson Brothers' most essential releases. ~ Alex Henderson, Rovi| The Gap Band 8 (1987 Album by The Gap Band) | |
| The Gap Band III (1980 Album by The Gap Band) |
Wikipedia on Answers.com:
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The Gap Band II
| Gap Band II | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by The Gap Band | ||||
| Released | 1979 | |||
| Recorded | 1979 at Total Experience Recording Studios, Hollywood, California | |||
| Genre | Soul Funk | |||
| Length | 38:52 | |||
| Label | Mercury Records | |||
| Producer | Lonnie Simmons | |||
| The Gap Band chronology | ||||
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The Gap Band II is an album by The Gap Band, released in 1979 (see 1979 in music) on Mercury Records. Contrary to the title, the album is actually the Gap Band's fourth album.
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Contents
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Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
The album reached #3 on the Black Albums chart and #42 on the Pop Albums chart. The album produced the singles "Steppin' (Out)" (#10 Black Singles), "Party Lights" (#36 Black Singles), and "I Don't Believe You Want to Get up and Dance (Oops!)" (#4 Black Singles, #52 Club Play Singles).
The album established the Gap Band as leaders in the R&B market, becoming their first gold album, selling over 500,000 copies through 1980. The album's most successful track, "I Don't Believe You Want to Get up and Dance (Oops!)", was their first to incorporate aspects of the P-Funk sound. The song also alludes to a well-known corruption of the childhood nursery rhyme, Jack & Jill (a pattern later continued on "Humpin'").
Track listing
- "Steppin' (Out)" (Lonnie Simmons, Charlie Wilson, Ronnie Wilson) 4:25
- "No Hiding Place" (Simmons, C.Wilson, Ronnie Wilson) 5:34
- "I Don't Believe You Want to Get up and Dance (Oops!)" (Rudolph Taylor, Robert Wilson, Simmons, C.Wilson, Ronnie Wilson) 8:39
- Who Do You Call (C.Wilson, Simmons, Robert Wilson, Ronnie Wilson) 4:57
- "You Are My High" (Johnseye Smith, C.Wilson, Ronnie Wilson) 5:38
- "Party Lights" (Simmons, Taylor, C.Wilson, Ronnie Wilson) 3:54
- "The Boys Are Back in Town" (C. Wilson, Malvin Vice, L. Simmons) 5:45
Personnel
- Charlie Wilson - Keyboards, Synthesizer, Percussion, Lead and Backing Vocals
- Ronnie Wilson - Trumpet, Keyboards, Backing Vocals
- Robert Wilson - Bass, Backing Vocals
- Greg Phillinganes - Keyboards, Percussion, Synthesizer
- John Black, Louie Cabaza - Keyboards
- Emzie Parker III, Glenn Nightingale, James Macon - Guitar
- Raymond Calhoun - Drums, Percussion
- Ronnie Kaufman - Drums
- Malvin "Dino" Vice, Trumpet, Backing Vocals
- Oliver "Gussie" Scott - Trombone - Backing Vocals
- Malvin "Dino" Vice - Horn Arrangements
- Benjamin Wright - String Arrangements
- Bernard Baisden - Trombone
- Fernando Harkless - Tenor Saxophone
- Lois Peoples, Angela Smith, Calvin Yarbrough, Gail Johnson, Howard Huntsberry, Robert "Goodie" Whitfield, Rudolph Taylor - Backing Vocals
Charts
| Chart (1980) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Billboard Pop Albums[2] | 42 |
| Billboard Top Soul Albums[2] | 3 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions[3] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US R&B |
US Disco |
||
| 1980 | "[I Don't Believe You Want to Get up and Dance (Oops!)" | 4 | 52 |
| "Party Lights" | 36 | - | |
| "Steppin' (Out)" | 10 | - | |
External links
References
- ^ Henderson, Alex. The Gap Band: The Gap Band II > Review at Allmusic. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
- ^ a b "The Gap Band US albums chart history". allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p4338/charts-awards/billboard-albums. Retrieved 2011-09-11.
- ^ "The Gap Band US singles chart history". allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p4338/charts-awards/billboard-singles. Retrieved 2011-09-11.
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The Gap Band II
(1979 Album by The Gap Band)
The Gap Band [1979]
(1979 Album by The Gap Band)