Brass Construction
Encyclopedia
Brass Construction was an American
funk
group
formed in Brooklyn
, New York
in 1968. They were originally known as Dynamic Soul, and went on to record a string of hit single
s and album
s through to 1985.
promotion man Fred Frank, they scored two US
Billboard Hot 100
entries in 1976 - the most successful being "Movin'," which hit #14. They had much more success on the US Hot Dance Club Play
chart
, with nine chart entries, including "Movin'," which reached #1
. Pianist/Flautist/Arranger Randy Muller went on to score a number of R&B
hits
with Skyy
.
Over the years, Brass Construction members have included Wade Williamston (bass), Sandy Billups (percussion), Morris Price (trumpet), Larry Payton (drums), Paul C Saenz (Guitar), Jesse Ward Jnr. (saxophone), Michael "Micky" Grudge (saxophone), Wayne Parris (trumpet), Duane Cahill (trombone), Joseph Arthur Wong (guitar), and Randy Muller.
Brass Construction played a concert
on November 28, 2005 at the Bataclan Arena in Paris
, France
.
in 1989 by Gang Starr
on "Positivity", and on "Gimme" by Jill Scott
(2001). Brass Construction's song "Movin'" was used on "Got Myself Together" by The Bucketheads (1995). "Message (Inspiration)" was sampled in 1988 on "I Ain't Tha 1" by N.W.A; while "What's on Your Mind (Expression)" was sampled in 1988 on "Cool V's Tribute to Scratching" by Biz Markie
. "Sambo" was sampled in 1998 on "Vision of Paradise" by Bob Sinclar
, and "One to One" was sampled in "Ain`t No Stoppin'" by Most Wanted
featuring Pras
and The Product G&B
in 1998. Also, "Get Up to Get Down" was sampled in "Bass" by King Tee
(1988) and on "Tanqueray" by DJ Quik
(1995). 1977's "Happy People" was sampled in 1997 by Cheek in "Sunshine People".
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...
group
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
formed in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 1968. They were originally known as Dynamic Soul, and went on to record a string of hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
s and album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s through to 1985.
Career
Signed in 1975 by Sid Maurer, and former Epic RecordsEpic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
promotion man Fred Frank, they scored two US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The 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...
entries in 1976 - the most successful being "Movin'," which hit #14. They had much more success on the US Hot Dance Club Play
Hot Dance Club Play
The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
, with nine chart entries, including "Movin'," which reached #1
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
. Pianist/Flautist/Arranger Randy Muller went on to score a number of R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
hits
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
with Skyy
Skyy (band)
Skyy was an American R&B/funk/disco band based in New York. They are perhaps best known for their 1982 hit, "Call Me," as well as their 1989 "comeback" hits, "Start of a Romance" and "Real Love."-Career:...
.
Over the years, Brass Construction members have included Wade Williamston (bass), Sandy Billups (percussion), Morris Price (trumpet), Larry Payton (drums), Paul C Saenz (Guitar), Jesse Ward Jnr. (saxophone), Michael "Micky" Grudge (saxophone), Wayne Parris (trumpet), Duane Cahill (trombone), Joseph Arthur Wong (guitar), and Randy Muller.
Brass Construction played a concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
on November 28, 2005 at the Bataclan Arena in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Legacy
1975's "Changin'" was sampledSampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
in 1989 by Gang Starr
Gang Starr
Gang Starr was an influential East Coast hip hop duo that consisted of the late MC Guru and DJ/producer DJ Premier. Their style combined elements of New York jazz and hip hop.-Background:...
on "Positivity", and on "Gimme" by Jill Scott
Jill Scott
Jill Scott is an American soul and R&B singer-songwriter, poet, and actress. In 2007, Scott made her cinematic debut in the films Hounddog and in Tyler Perry's feature film, Why Did I Get Married? That year, her third studio album, The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3, was released on...
(2001). Brass Construction's song "Movin'" was used on "Got Myself Together" by The Bucketheads (1995). "Message (Inspiration)" was sampled in 1988 on "I Ain't Tha 1" by N.W.A; while "What's on Your Mind (Expression)" was sampled in 1988 on "Cool V's Tribute to Scratching" by Biz Markie
Biz Markie
Marcel Theo Hall better known by his stage name, Biz Markie, is an American rapper, beatboxer, DJ, comedian, singer, reality television personality, and commercial spokesperson. He is best known for his single "Just a Friend", an American Top 10 hit in 1989...
. "Sambo" was sampled in 1998 on "Vision of Paradise" by Bob Sinclar
Bob Sinclar
Bob Sinclar, originally spelled "Sinclair" - , is a French record producer, House music DJ, remixer and owner of the label Yellow Productions.- Career history :...
, and "One to One" was sampled in "Ain`t No Stoppin'" by Most Wanted
Most Wanted
*Lists used by law enforcement agencies to alert the public, such as:**FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives**FBI Most Wanted Terrorists**United States Secret Service Most Wanted Fugitives**U.S...
featuring Pras
Pras
Prakazrel Samuel Michel, known as Pras, is a Grammy Award-winning Haitian-American rapper, actor, film producer, and member of the hip hop trio The Fugees.-Early life:...
and The Product G&B
The Product G&B
The Product G&B is an R&B duo made up of Sincere and Money Harm . They were associated with Wyclef Jean's The Refugee Camp and managed by Troy Moet...
in 1998. Also, "Get Up to Get Down" was sampled in "Bass" by King Tee
King Tee
Roger McBride, mostly known as King Tee , is an American West coast rapper from Compton, California.-Career:...
(1988) and on "Tanqueray" by DJ Quik
DJ Quik
David Martin Blake , better known by his stage name DJ Quik, is an MC and record producer. According to Quik himself, his stage name reflects his ability to produce records in short time....
(1995). 1977's "Happy People" was sampled in 1997 by Cheek in "Sunshine People".
Albums
- 1976 - Brass Construction IBrass Construction IBrass Construction is the self titled debut album by the funk band Brass Construction. It was released in 1975 on United Artists Records. The album went number one on the R&B charts in 1976...
- 1976 - Brass Construction II
- 1977 - Brass Construction III
- 1978 - Brass Construction IV
- 1979 - Brass Construction V
- 1980 - Brass Construction VI
- 1982 - Attitudes
- 1983 - Conversations
- 1984 - Renegades
- 1985 - Conquest
- 1993 - The Best of Brass Construction (Movin' & Changin')
- 1997 - Get Up To Get Down (Brass Construction's Funky Feeling)
- 1998 - Brass Construction Live
- 2002 - Classic Masters
- 2002 - Movin' & Changin' Live
- 2006 - Something For The Weekend (Stateside Records)
Singles
- 1976 - "Movin'" 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...
#14; US 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 - 1976 - "Changin'" US R&B #24
- 1977 - "Ha Cha Cha (Funktion) US #51; US R&B #8
- 1977 - "What's On Your Mind (Expression)" US R&B #69
- 1977 - "Message (Inspiration)" US R&B #42
- 1978 - "L-O-V-E-U" US #104, US R&B #18
- 1978 - "Celebrate" US R&B #77
- 1978 - "Help Yourself" US R&B #58
- 1979 - "Get Up" US R&B #56
- 1980 - "Right Place" US R&B #41
- 1980 - "How Do You Do (What You Do To Me)" US R&B #71
- 1982 - "Can You See The Light" US R&B #23
- 1982 - "Attitude" US R&B #59
- 1983 - "Walkin' The Line" US R&B #28
- 1984 - "Never Had A Girl" US R&B #38
- 1984 - "Partytime" US R&B #53
- 1985 - "Give And Take" US R&B #76
UK chart hits
| Date entered chart | Title | UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The 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 ... |
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Remix A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song .... ) |
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See also
- List of Number 1 Dance Hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart