Not dissin these groups when I call them "B" list. I simply mean a group that never really crossed over or had multiple top 10 hits on the black charts.

Brass Construction: Band leader and producer Randy Muller had more success writing and producing for Skyy but I always dug the BC shit more. Movin, Can You See The Light, Walkin The Line were just a few of the funky jams these cats turned out.

BB&Q Band: Their one top 10 hit was "On the Beat" that was on their debut album but the album I loved from BB&Q was 1982's "All Night Long" The best songs from this were "Imagination", "Hanging Out" and "Hard to get Around" This is a really good early 80's soul/dance album that fits well with what Cameo, Confunkshun and the Bar-Kays were doing around this same time.

Collage: Before Club Nouveau made it big out of Sacramento, Collage was the shit in these parts! This multi-racial funk band was HOT live. Only had two albums that I know of "Get in Touch" and "Shine The Light". Two minor hits with "Get in Touch" and "In tha Mix" but the group was at it's best playing live. After seeing them turn the crowd out at the 1983 California State Fair I thought big things were ahead for these cats. Never really worked out for them but I still enjoy their two albums.

La Connection: This band might rate a "C" status because they never had any sort of hit and only had one album. But damn was that album hot! This record is something of an underground classic. Released in 82 or 83 their album was produced by Larry Blackmon and was a dead ringer for a Cameo album (Actually as good or better than Cameo's Alligator Woman album that came out around the same time). The best track, "Come Into My Heart" might be one of the hottest cuts of that era this side of some Prince jams. The album had killer slow jams to go along with the dance floor gems. Almost everyone that know about this album and group love it. I have no idea why it never hit big.
[This message was edited Mon Jul 14 11:52:49 PDT 2003 by intha916]

TaMara: 4med by Jesse Johnson..had one album all songs had potential 2 me..their only hit being: Affection

Scritti Politti: Had lots of white soul funk in them mixed with rock n pop...only hit was : Perfect Way..a very complex lyrically fun pop song which i recited day 2 day for 2 months straight learning the song..

Black Ivory: very very soulful group from NY 4med by Leroy Burgess. Their hit: Dont Turn Around. They made a soulful remake of "Got 2 Be There" also.

***Sexual Harassment---In 1983,these guys burst onto the scene with a major club hit called "I Need A Freak".Radio started playing this song and it became a hit.They were heavily influenced by Prince and the whole Minneapolis Sound,and their music largely consisted of synth funk with nasty lyrics.Their debut album is great,but extremely hard to find these days.It included provocative songs like "If I Gave You A Party (Would You Come)?,"K-I-S-S-I-N-G" and the hilarious "Exercise Your Ass Off".In 1985,they returned with a new single called "We Want Prince",which was a tribute to you-know-who.But I never heard anything else from them again.

***Mass Production---In 1979,one of the hottest jams was "Firecracker",a relentless funk groove that set the dancefloors on fire.Years later,2-Live Crew would sample this song for their late 80s hit "Me So Horny".Unfortunately,Mass Production never really came up with anything as powerful as their debut hit.

***Instant Funk---Another great funk band that didn't really make it big.Their debut single "I Got My Mind Made Up" was huge in 1979,with it's memorable bassline and sexy lyrics.Their debut album also contained the hit "Crying",but subsequent albums didn't fare as well.

***The Kay-Gees---I bet you guys don't even know about this band! They were proteges of Robert Bell and Kool and The Gang.Their sound was very similiar to Kool and the Gang's early 70s sound.Their 1974 single "(You Got To) Keep On Bumpin" is incredibly funky,the perfect party song.Featuring lots of horn,bass and sounds of a party going on,it became a huge hit in my area.

DavidEye said:

i seen that video!,

on vh1 classic...i never thought it even had a video cause it just sounded like one of those off the wall obscure groups

Christopher said:

What is the video like? I've never seen it.

DavidEye said:

if i remember correctly they seemed to be a british band(or at least filming there) it was shot outside and in a courtyard them playing and singing(and something about a car)..they had the typical weird 80s thing going on lol...

other than that i dont remember anymore and i only seen it once...but they have this show on vh1 classic you can email request... any song you wish and ive seen -jill jones mia bocca- and other obscure stuff.
.
.
.
[This message was edited Tue Jul 15 5:24:55 PDT 2003 by Christopher]

paisleypark4 said:

Black Ivory? Didn't they have a house cut called Mainline?
[This message was edited Tue Jul 15 8:40:29 PDT 2003 by stymie]

APB-They had a slow cut called "No". I still love that song.

L.A. Boppers-Is This The Best(Bop-Doo-Wah). I have been looking for this song for ages.

DavidEye said:

Good ones David! Loved Instant Funk and Mass production.And I have the Kay-Gees 45 of Keep On Bumpin

paisleypark4 said:

Tamara is a good choice. She did have a few albums though. "Blueberry Gossip" is a gem of an album if you can find it. The cut I dug on her first album was "Everybody Dance" That ish was classic Jesse.

stymie said:

Hi Stymie! You can find that song on the CD 'Full Length Funk: 12" Collection and More" from Polygram Records.This CD was released in 1999.Here is the full tracklist...

"Is This The Best (Bop-Doo-Wah)" by LA Boppers
"Ladies' Night" by Kool & The Gang
"I Just Wanna Dance With You" by Starpoint
"Strange Games and Things" by Love Unlimited Orchestra
"Funk Talk" by Southside Movement
"Daisy Lady" by 7th Wonder
"Bubble Bunch" by Jimmy Spicer
"If I Ruled The World" by Kurtis Blow
"Mine All Mine" by Cashflow
"I Can't Help It" by Junior
"Walking Into Sunshine" by Central Line

intha916 said:

"Keep On Bumpin" is DA JAM!! That song is so funky.And you gotta hear the full-length album version,which is over 8 minutes long.Surprisingly,not alot of people remember that song even though it charted in 1974.

Here are some other bands that you might be familiar with...


***The Nation Funktasia---This group was produced by Foster and McElroy,the former members of Club Nouveau who went on to produce various acts,including EnVogue.The Nation Funktasia consisted of three guys and a girl,and they were patterned after P-Funk.Their debut CD 'In Search of the Last Trunk Of Funk' appeared in 1991.It is extremely funky,and there were two minor hits..."Anti-Funky World" and "Move Me".But in the end,the Nation Funktasia was an interesting concept that just didn't catch on.

***Ozone---These guys were Teena Marie's backing band in 1981,and she produced a few songs on their debut album.She even appears on the funky first single "Gigolette",a hit in the fall of '81.The second single "Strut My Thang" became a hit in early '82,but I don't recall hearing anything else from them.

DavidEye said:

I have both albums. The Nation Funktasia had a real colorful cartoon looking cover with the band drawn on. "Move Me" was my shit. I thought it had a real "Cameosis" feel to it. I had forgotten about Ozone's second LP "lil Suzy" until I was digging through an old crate last week. Funny you mentioned "Strut My Thang" because I just burned that song Friday and have been bumpin it all weekend along with Steve Arrington's "Speak With Your Body" Both those songs are so funky.

DavidEye said:

Thanks David!

Lakeside 'Fantastic Voyage'

stymie said:

You're gonna love that CD,it's great! Alot of rare jams that you don't hear too much anymore..."Mine All Mine" by Cashflow,"Walking Into Sunshine" by Central Line...

1. Mandrill
2. War
3. Kool & The Gang
4. Ohio Players
5. Hidden Strength
6. Ice
7. Chocolate Milk
8. The Moments
9. The Impressions
10.The JBs

(in no particular order xcept the first one which is the first)

Ubiquity said:

Ubiquity,you're hella cool,but you can't seriously list those three bands as "B list",can you? Those three bands had a ton of Top 10 hits on the pop and R&B charts.

DavidEye said:

Oooops... I didnt read the B-List thing at all... I'm sorry. What a crazy idea is that? B-List?

Ubiquity said:

There were many R&B groups that never really made it big.They may have one or two minor hits,but never experienced mainstream success on a broader scale.I'm sure you can come up with a list of your favorite B-list groups.Come on,dig through those crates,bro

1) QUAZAR - A SPINOFF FROM THE PFUNK FEAT. PFUNK MEMBER GLENN GOINS

2) SECRET WEAPON

3) SUN

eldog98 said:

Oh man,I love this band! Songs like "Radiation Level" and the slowjams "I Had A Choice" and "Baby I Confess" are great.
[This message was edited Tue Jul 22 1:27:19 PDT 2003 by DavidEye]

d-eye...U are a person after ,y own heart. U know your
groups.

and you're right.
WAR and the ohio players ain't no B groups!

Here's one for ya remember :starpoint?

and MDLT willis? they were a bunch of cute sistas managed by
joe jackson. i have them on some SOul train compilation
video tapes.

oh yeah what about BLOODSTone?


charles..anybody can KNow the big groups...but the one -two
hit groups...

youngca said:

Starpoint is a great pick! Everyone seems to know them for only "Object of My Desire" but they had some great albums in the early 80's. "Keep On It" & "So Delicious" are my favs. Thanks for bringing them up!

youngca said:

I saw Bloodstone in concert, youngca, with the Dells, The Emotions and Enchantment. They were fantastic.

stymie said:

natural high is such a smooth slow jam. singing it you gotta
have yo shit together! (charles)

i got a question. were the JETS an "A" group or a 'B"?

they had hits...but i still can't put them in the 'A" category!

youngca said:

I personally would put the Jets in group B. Rocket 2 U was a jam though!