B.T. Express
Encyclopedia
B.T. Express was an American
funk
/disco
group, that had a number of successful songs during the 1970s.
"Do It ('Til You're Satisfied)
." The record was shopped around to major labels until it was accepted at Scepter Records, where exec Mel Cheren was championing dance acts to label founder Florence Greenberg. Scepter suggested the group change its name from Madison Street Express, hence the Brooklyn Trucking Express. The single was released in August 1974, and was in the top 10 by Halloween. Lane took the group back into the studios at that point to record a second single and pitch a full album to the label. Scepter agreed to the LP and to Roadshow Records having its own label within Scepter Records.
The first two singles were hits, both number 1 R&B releases and both Top 5 pop singles in the US. The album was also a huge seller, hitting number 1 on the R&B album chart and number 5 on the Pop album chart of the US. These recordings were also huge hits in the spreading disco culture, "Do It" peaking on club playlists before Billboard started a separate disco chart, but the follow-up single sat for 5 weeks at number 1. They were certified gold releases.
BT Express released an album per year through 1978. With the 3rd album, Leslie Ming was brought in as drummer and keyboardist Michael Jones was added as keyboardist. Jones would also convert to Muslim faith and change his name, to Kashif
Saleem, after departing the group in 1979 to pursue producing ("Mighty M Productions" with Morrie Brown and Paul Laurence Jones) and solo recording ventures. That year songwriter Billy Nichols
and drummer Leslie Ming also departed the group. In 1976 Scepter records was experiencing business difficulties that soon ended the company, and BT Express was given a distribution deal with Columbia Records, a much larger exposure but with less production attention amidst the many acts it represented. The group did not achieve the level of radio or sales success on Columbia that they had on the more nurturing but by-then defunct Scepter. They stayed with Columbia for 5 years, with Lane producing through 1978, then Nichols producing their 5th LP before he departed for solo work, and Morrie Brown producing the 6th LP and several follow-up tracks. The group switched labels to Coast To Coast Records for the 1982 LP, to Earthtone Records for a later 1982 single, and to manager King Davis' own label in 1985.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
/disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
group, that had a number of successful songs during the 1970s.
Career
The group was part of the "Brooklyn sound" of the early 70s, formed from three players of the group King Davis House Rockers. The House Rockers were a local dance band who had released a couple of obscure singles (1967's "We All Make Mistakes Sometimes" on Verve Records, 1972's "Rum Punch") The three players (guitarist Richard Thompson, tenor sax player Bill Risbrook, and alto sax player Carlos Ward) formed Madison Street Express along with bassist Louis Risbrook (later Muslim-monickered Jamal Rasool), percussionist Dennis Rowe, drummer Terrell Wood, and vocalist Barbara Wood. They along with producer Jeff Lane signed with production company Roadshow Records to record writer Billy NicholsBilly Nichols
Billy Nichols was one of nine children born to Laura Bell and Tom Sanders in Carrollton, Mississippi. They were a farming family. At the end of the work day, Billy's father played blues on the guitar. Billy and his family gathered on the porch to listen. Billy would play the guitar when his...
"Do It ('Til You're Satisfied)
Do It ('Til You're Satisfied)
"Do It " is the name of a popular song by funk group B.T. Express, written by group member Billy Nichols. Released from the debut album of the same title, the song became a great "crossover" success. The single was rated #1 of the R&B singles chart for a week during the autumn of 1974 and was...
." The record was shopped around to major labels until it was accepted at Scepter Records, where exec Mel Cheren was championing dance acts to label founder Florence Greenberg. Scepter suggested the group change its name from Madison Street Express, hence the Brooklyn Trucking Express. The single was released in August 1974, and was in the top 10 by Halloween. Lane took the group back into the studios at that point to record a second single and pitch a full album to the label. Scepter agreed to the LP and to Roadshow Records having its own label within Scepter Records.
The first two singles were hits, both number 1 R&B releases and both Top 5 pop singles in the US. The album was also a huge seller, hitting number 1 on the R&B album chart and number 5 on the Pop album chart of the US. These recordings were also huge hits in the spreading disco culture, "Do It" peaking on club playlists before Billboard started a separate disco chart, but the follow-up single sat for 5 weeks at number 1. They were certified gold releases.
BT Express released an album per year through 1978. With the 3rd album, Leslie Ming was brought in as drummer and keyboardist Michael Jones was added as keyboardist. Jones would also convert to Muslim faith and change his name, to Kashif
Kashif
Kashif is an Arabic word, commonly used as a male given name in the Muslim world. Its meaning is close to the English words 'revealer', 'discoverer', 'uncoverer' or 'pioneer'....
Saleem, after departing the group in 1979 to pursue producing ("Mighty M Productions" with Morrie Brown and Paul Laurence Jones) and solo recording ventures. That year songwriter Billy Nichols
Billy Nichols
Billy Nichols was one of nine children born to Laura Bell and Tom Sanders in Carrollton, Mississippi. They were a farming family. At the end of the work day, Billy's father played blues on the guitar. Billy and his family gathered on the porch to listen. Billy would play the guitar when his...
and drummer Leslie Ming also departed the group. In 1976 Scepter records was experiencing business difficulties that soon ended the company, and BT Express was given a distribution deal with Columbia Records, a much larger exposure but with less production attention amidst the many acts it represented. The group did not achieve the level of radio or sales success on Columbia that they had on the more nurturing but by-then defunct Scepter. They stayed with Columbia for 5 years, with Lane producing through 1978, then Nichols producing their 5th LP before he departed for solo work, and Morrie Brown producing the 6th LP and several follow-up tracks. The group switched labels to Coast To Coast Records for the 1982 LP, to Earthtone Records for a later 1982 single, and to manager King Davis' own label in 1985.
Albums
- Do It ('Til You're Satisfied) (1974) RB#1, Pop#5
- Non-StopNon-Stop (BT Express album)Non-Stop is the second album by the Brooklyn, New York band B.T. Express. Released in July 1975, the album reached number one on the R&B charts.-Track listing:#Peace Pipe - 6:04#Give It What You Got - 4:19...
(1975) RB#1, Pop#19 - Energy To Burn (1976) RB#11, Pop#43
- Function At The Junction (1977) RB#39, Pop#111
- Shout! (Shout It Out)Shout! (Shout It Out)Shout! is the fifth album by the Brooklyn, New York band B.T. Express. Released in February 1978 on Columbia Records.-Track listing:#Shout It Out - 5:43...
(1978) RB#16, Pop#67 - B.T. Express (1980) RB#29, Pop#164
- Keep It Up (1982) RB#49
Singles
- "Do It ('Til You're Satisfied)Do It ('Til You're Satisfied)"Do It " is the name of a popular song by funk group B.T. Express, written by group member Billy Nichols. Released from the debut album of the same title, the song became a great "crossover" success. The single was rated #1 of the R&B singles chart for a week during the autumn of 1974 and was...
" (1974) USBillboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
#2,R&BHot R&B/Hip-Hop SongsHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
#1, Dance #8 - "Express" (1975) Pop #4, R&B #1, Dance #1, UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
#34 - "Peace Pipe" (1975) Pop #31, R&B #5, Dance #3
- "Give It What You Got" (1975) Pop #40, R&B #5
- "Close to You" (1976) Pop #82, R&B #31
- "Can't Stop Groovin' Now, Wanna Do It Some More" (1976) Pop #52, R&B #6
- "Energy To Burn" (1976) R&B #37
- "Shout It Out" (1977) R&B #12
- "Does It Feel Good" (1980) R&B #76, UK #52
- "Give Up the Funk (Let's Dance)" (1980) R&B #24, Dance #22, UK #52
- "Stretch" (1980) R&B #51
- "Let Me Be The One" (1980)
- "Let Yourself Go" (1981)
- "This Must Be The Night" (1982)
- "Hangin' Out" (1982)
- "Uptown Express" (1985)