Gap Band
Encyclopedia
The Gap Band was an American funk
band
, who rose to fame during the 1970s and 1980s. Comprising brothers Charlie
, Ronnie and Robert Wilson, the band first formed as the Greenwood, Archer and Pine Street Band in 1967 in their hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma
. The group shortened its name to The Gap Band in 1973. After 43 years together, they retired in 2010.
father, the Wilson brothers formed the Greenwood, Archer, and Pine Street Band in 1967, with Tuck Andress (later of Tuck and Patti).
Early on, the group took on a funk sound more reminiscent of the early 70s. This style failed to catch on, and their first two LP's, 1974's Magician's Holiday and 1977's The Gap Band (not to be confused with their 1979 album) failed to chart or produce any charting singles. However, they were introduced to LA producer Lonnie Simmons
, who signed them to his record label, Total Experience Records
. Simmons had recently gotten a distribution deal with Mercury
/Polygram.
In 1980 Charlie and Ronnie provided background vocals on Stevie Wonder's 1980 hit "I Ain't Gonna Stand For It" from Wonder's album Hotter Than July (1980).
Later that year, the group released "I Don't Believe You Want to Get Up and Dance (Oops!)
" on their album The Gap Band II
. Although it did not hit the Hot 100, it soared to #4 R&B. The song, and the band's musical output as a whole, became more P-Funk-esque, with expanded use of the synthesizers and spoken monologues within songs (see audio sample). The song "Steppin' (Out)" also reached the top 10 R&B. The album went gold.
The band reached a whole new level of fame in 1980 with the release of the #1 R&B and #16 Billboard 200 The Gap Band III
. The band adopted a formula of quiet-storm ballads (such as the #5 R&B song "Yearning for Your Love
" and "Are You Living") supported by anthemic funk songs (such as the R&B chart-topper Burn Rubber on Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)
and "Humpin'
"). They repeated this formula on the #1 R&B album Gap Band IV
in 1982, which resulted in three hit singles: "Early in the Morning" (#1 R&B, #13 Dance, #24 Hot 100), "You Dropped a Bomb on Me
" (#2 R&B, #31 Hot 100, #39 Dance), and "Outstanding
" (#1 R&B, #24 Dance). It was during this time that former Brides of Funkenstein singer Dawn Silva
joined them on tour.
Their 1983 effort, Gap Band V: Jammin'
, went gold
, but not quite as successful as the previous works, peaking at #2 R&B and #28 on the Billboard 200. The single "Party Train
" peaked at #3 R&B and the song "Jam the Motha'" peaked at #16 R&B, but neither made it onto the Hot 100. The album's closer "Someday" (A loose cover of Donny Hathaway
's Someday We'll All Be Free
) featured Stevie Wonder
as a guest vocalist.
Their next work, Gap Band VI brought them back to #1 R&B in 1985, but the album sold fewer copies, and did not go gold. "Beep a Freak" hit #2 R&B and "I Found My Baby" peaked at #8 on the R&B charts, and "Disrespect" peaked at #18. That year, lead singer Charlie Wilson provided backing vocals on Zapp & Roger's #8 R&B "Computer Love".
" went to #2 on the R&B charts, and the album it was released on, Gap Band VII hit #6 R&B, the album almost became their first in years to miss the Billboard 100, peaking at a mere #159.
Although they were beginning to struggle stateside, the group found their greatest success in the UK
when their 1987 single "Big Fun" from Gap Band 8 reached #4 in the UK Singles Chart
. 1988's Straight from the Heart was their last studio album with Total Experience.
The Gap Band caught a small break in 1988 with the Keenan Ivory Wayans film I'm Gonna Git You Sucka
. They contributed the non-charting "You're So Cute" and the #14 R&B title track to the film (The first was not on the soundtrack, but was used in the film). Their first song on their new label, Capitol Records, 1989's "All of My Love
" (from their album Round Trip), is, to date, their last #1 R&B hit. The album also produced the #8 R&B "Addicted to Your Love" and the #18 R&B ""We Can Make It Alright." They left Capitol records the next year and went on a five year hiatus from producing new material.
During the 1990s, the band released three non-charting studio albums and two live album
s. The only album to chart was the live album Live & Well
, which peaked at #54 R&B in 1996.
ventured into a solo career and had several minor hits on his own. Wilson's vocals were credited in part for inspiring the vocal style of New Jack Swing
artists Guy, Aaron Hall, Keith Sweat
, and R. Kelly
. The band reunited in 1996, and issued The Gap Band: Live and Well, a live greatest hits
album.
On August 26, 2005, The Gap Band was honored as a BMI
Icon at the 57th annual BMI Urban Awards. The honor is given to a creator who has been "a unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers."Outstanding" alone remains one of the most sampled songs in history and has, astonishingly, been used by over 150 artists.
Robert Wilson died of a heart attack at his home in Palmdale, California
on August 15, 2010.
and covered
by R&B and Hip-Hop artists such as Nas
, 69 Boyz
, Snoop Dogg
, Ice Cube
, Jermaine Dupri
, Da Brat
, II D Extreme
, Blackstreet
, Shaquille O'Neal
, Mia X
, and Mary J. Blige
. "Outstanding" was sampled for a 1990s commercial for malt liquor
. Musicians inspired by The Gap Band include R. Kelly, Keith Sweat, Ruff Endz
, Guy, Blackstreet
, II D Extreme
, Mint Condition
, Jagged Edge
, D'Extra Wiley, and Aaron Hall.
"You Dropped a Bomb on Me
" was featured in the hit 2004 videogame Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
, playing on the fictional funk
radio station Bounce FM.
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...
band
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...
, who rose to fame during the 1970s and 1980s. Comprising brothers Charlie
Charlie Wilson (musician)
Charles Kent "Charlie" Wilson is an American R&B singer-songwriter-producer and the former lead vocalist for the Gap Band. As a solo artist he has been nominated for four Grammy awards, received a 2009 Soul Train Icon Award, and a recipient of a BMI Icon Award in 2005...
, Ronnie and Robert Wilson, the band first formed as the Greenwood, Archer and Pine Street Band in 1967 in their hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
. The group shortened its name to The Gap Band in 1973. After 43 years together, they retired in 2010.
Early years
Growing up with a Pentecostal ministerMinister of religion
In Christian churches, a minister is someone who is authorized by a church or religious organization to perform functions such as teaching of beliefs; leading services such as weddings, baptisms or funerals; or otherwise providing spiritual guidance to the community...
father, the Wilson brothers formed the Greenwood, Archer, and Pine Street Band in 1967, with Tuck Andress (later of Tuck and Patti).
Early on, the group took on a funk sound more reminiscent of the early 70s. This style failed to catch on, and their first two LP's, 1974's Magician's Holiday and 1977's The Gap Band (not to be confused with their 1979 album) failed to chart or produce any charting singles. However, they were introduced to LA producer Lonnie Simmons
Lonnie Simmons
Lonnie Simmons is an American record producer from Los Angeles, California. He is founder and president of the now-defunct Total Experience Records. As a composer, he wrote several #1 R&B songs for his label's major acts, The Gap Band and Yarbrough and Peoples....
, who signed them to his record label, Total Experience Records
Total Experience Records
Total Experience Records was a record label founded in 1977 by Lonnie Simmons. Its two major acts were The Gap Band and Yarbrough & Peoples. It originally began as a production company with a distribution deal through Mercury/PolyGram before becoming a full fledged label in 1981...
. Simmons had recently gotten a distribution deal with Mercury
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
/Polygram.
Success
When Lonnie signed them, the group had twelve musicians. The group dropped most of their personnel. Raymond Calhoun (writer "Outstanding"), Oliver Scott (co-writer "Yearning For Your Love), and arranger/producer Malvin Dino Vice (co-writer "Boys Are Back in Town") were retained as members of the backing band and major contributors to the Gap Band's later recordings. On their first Simmons-produced album, The Gap Band, they found chart success with songs such as "I'm in Love" and "Shake", the latter becoming a Top 10 R&B hit in 1979.In 1980 Charlie and Ronnie provided background vocals on Stevie Wonder's 1980 hit "I Ain't Gonna Stand For It" from Wonder's album Hotter Than July (1980).
Later that year, the group released "I Don't Believe You Want to Get Up and Dance (Oops!)
Oops Upside Your Head
"I Don't Believe You Want to Get Up and Dance ", , is a 1979 funk anthem recorded by the R&B group The Gap Band and released off their fourth album, The Gap Band II....
" on their album The Gap Band II
The Gap Band II
The Gap Band II is an album by The Gap Band, released in 1979 on Mercury Records. Contrary to the title, the album is actually the Gap Band's fourth album.-Reception:...
. Although it did not hit the Hot 100, it soared to #4 R&B. The song, and the band's musical output as a whole, became more P-Funk-esque, with expanded use of the synthesizers and spoken monologues within songs (see audio sample). The song "Steppin' (Out)" also reached the top 10 R&B. The album went gold.
The band reached a whole new level of fame in 1980 with the release of the #1 R&B and #16 Billboard 200 The Gap Band III
The Gap Band III
The Gap Band III is an album by The Gap Band, released in 1980 on Mercury Records. Contrary to the title, the album is actually the Gap Band's fifth album.-Reception:...
. The band adopted a formula of quiet-storm ballads (such as the #5 R&B song "Yearning for Your Love
Yearning for Your Love
"Yearning for Your Love" is a quiet storm ballad recorded and released by The Gap Band on Mercury Records. The single was the third release off the Tulsa, Oklahoma-based group's fifth album, The Gap Band III...
" and "Are You Living") supported by anthemic funk songs (such as the R&B chart-topper Burn Rubber on Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)
Burn Rubber On Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)
"Burn Rubber on Me " is a song originally performed by The Gap Band and written by member Charlie Wilson and producer Lonnie Simmons. In 1981, it peaked at number eighty-four on the Hot 100 but it was a number one hit on the R&B charts...
and "Humpin'
Humpin'
"Humpin'" is a 1980 song by The Gap Band, from their fifth album The Gap Band III released as a single in 1981. The original B-side, "No Hiding Place", was originally released on The Gap Band II. The song had mixed chart success, only peaking at #60 R&B, but busting into the top-20 on the dance...
"). They repeated this formula on the #1 R&B album Gap Band IV
Gap Band IV
Gap Band IV is an album by The Gap Band, released in 1982 on Total Experience Records. The album reached #1 on the Black Albums chart and #14 on the Pop Albums chart...
in 1982, which resulted in three hit singles: "Early in the Morning" (#1 R&B, #13 Dance, #24 Hot 100), "You Dropped a Bomb on Me
You Dropped a Bomb on Me
"You Dropped a Bomb on Me" is an electrofunk song performed by The Gap Band, released in 1982 on producer Lonnie Simmons' label, Total Experience Records. It reached #2 on the Billboard R&B charts, #39 on the dance charts and #31 on the Billboard Hot 100....
" (#2 R&B, #31 Hot 100, #39 Dance), and "Outstanding
Outstanding
"Outstanding" is a song originally performed by The Gap Band and written by member Raymond Calhoun. The song originally appeared on the group's platinum-selling 1982 album Gap Band IV. It is one of their signature songs and biggest hits, reaching the number one spot on the U.S. R&B Singles Chart in...
" (#1 R&B, #24 Dance). It was during this time that former Brides of Funkenstein singer Dawn Silva
Dawn Silva
Dawn Silva is an American funk vocalist.Silva was born in Sacramento, California. She started her career as a background vocalist for Sly and The Family Stone. She joined P-Funk in 1977. She was the only original Brides of Funkenstein member to continue through Brides' career. In 1978, with Lynn...
joined them on tour.
Their 1983 effort, Gap Band V: Jammin'
Gap Band V: Jammin'
Gap Band V Jammin' is an album by The Gap Band, released in 1983 on Total Experience Records. The album was reissued on CD by Mercury Records, Total Experience's distributor at the time. Contrary to the title, the album is actually the Gap Band's seventh album.The album reached #2 on the Black...
, went gold
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
, but not quite as successful as the previous works, peaking at #2 R&B and #28 on the Billboard 200. The single "Party Train
Party Train
"Party Train" is a 1983 song by The Gap Band, released on their seventh album, Gap Band V: Jammin. It peaked at #3 on the R&B charts. The original release had "I'm Ready " on the A-side and "Party Train" on the B-side...
" peaked at #3 R&B and the song "Jam the Motha'" peaked at #16 R&B, but neither made it onto the Hot 100. The album's closer "Someday" (A loose cover of Donny Hathaway
Donny Hathaway
Donny Edward Hathaway was an American soul singer-songwriter and musician. Hathaway contracted with Atlantic Records in 1969 and with his first single for the Atco label, "The Ghetto, Part I" in early 1970, Rolling Stone magazine "marked him as a major new force in soul music."His collaborations...
's Someday We'll All Be Free
Someday We'll All Be Free
"Someday We'll All Be Free" is a 1973 song by Donny Hathaway from the album Extension of a Man. The song was released as the flipside to the single "Love, Love, Love"...
) featured Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
as a guest vocalist.
Their next work, Gap Band VI brought them back to #1 R&B in 1985, but the album sold fewer copies, and did not go gold. "Beep a Freak" hit #2 R&B and "I Found My Baby" peaked at #8 on the R&B charts, and "Disrespect" peaked at #18. That year, lead singer Charlie Wilson provided backing vocals on Zapp & Roger's #8 R&B "Computer Love".
Later years
While their 1986 cover of "Going in CirclesGoing in Circles (song)
"Going in Circles" is a song written by Jerry Peters and Anita Poree, and originally performed by The Friends of Distinction on their 1969 album Grazin′, reaching #15 on the U.S. Hot 100, and #3 on the R&B chart...
" went to #2 on the R&B charts, and the album it was released on, Gap Band VII hit #6 R&B, the album almost became their first in years to miss the Billboard 100, peaking at a mere #159.
Although they were beginning to struggle stateside, the group found their greatest success in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
when their 1987 single "Big Fun" from Gap Band 8 reached #4 in the 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 ...
. 1988's Straight from the Heart was their last studio album with Total Experience.
The Gap Band caught a small break in 1988 with the Keenan Ivory Wayans film I'm Gonna Git You Sucka
I'm Gonna Git You Sucka
I'm Gonna Git You Sucka is a 1988 blaxploitation parody film written by, directed by and starring Keenen Ivory Wayans. Featured in the film are several black actors who were part of the blaxploitation phenomenon; including Jim Brown, Bernie Casey, Antonio Fargas and Isaac Hayes...
. They contributed the non-charting "You're So Cute" and the #14 R&B title track to the film (The first was not on the soundtrack, but was used in the film). Their first song on their new label, Capitol Records, 1989's "All of My Love
All of My Love (The Gap Band song)
"All of My Love" is a 1989 single by The Gap Band. The single was their first release on the Capitol label and was the group's last single to make it to number one on the Hot Black singles chart. "All of My Love" did not chart on the Hot 100.-References:...
" (from their album Round Trip), is, to date, their last #1 R&B hit. The album also produced the #8 R&B "Addicted to Your Love" and the #18 R&B ""We Can Make It Alright." They left Capitol records the next year and went on a five year hiatus from producing new material.
During the 1990s, the band released three non-charting studio albums and two live album
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
s. The only album to chart was the live album Live & Well
Live & Well (Gap Band album)
Live & Well is a Live album by The Gap Band, released in 1996. The songs "Gotta Get Up" and "Drop the Bomb" are both special live versions of "Early in the Morning" and "You Dropped a Bomb on Me" with similar instrumentations but modified lyrics....
, which peaked at #54 R&B in 1996.
Legacy
In 1992, CharlieCharlie Wilson (musician)
Charles Kent "Charlie" Wilson is an American R&B singer-songwriter-producer and the former lead vocalist for the Gap Band. As a solo artist he has been nominated for four Grammy awards, received a 2009 Soul Train Icon Award, and a recipient of a BMI Icon Award in 2005...
ventured into a solo career and had several minor hits on his own. Wilson's vocals were credited in part for inspiring the vocal style of New Jack Swing
New jack swing
New jack swing or swingbeat is a fusion genre spearheaded by Teddy Riley and Bernard Belle which became extremely popular from the late-1980s into the mid-1990s. Its influence, along with hip-hop, seeped into pop culture and was the definitive sound of the inventive Black New York club scene...
artists Guy, Aaron Hall, Keith Sweat
Keith Sweat
Keith Sweat is an American R&B/soul, singer-songwriter, record producer, radio personality and a major contributor to the new jack swing era.-Music career:...
, and R. Kelly
R. Kelly
Robert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
. The band reunited in 1996, and issued The Gap Band: Live and Well, a live greatest hits
Greatest hits
A greatest hits album is a music compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular artist or band...
album.
On August 26, 2005, The Gap Band was honored as a BMI
Broadcast Music Incorporated
Broadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
Icon at the 57th annual BMI Urban Awards. The honor is given to a creator who has been "a unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers."Outstanding" alone remains one of the most sampled songs in history and has, astonishingly, been used by over 150 artists.
Robert Wilson died of a heart attack at his home in Palmdale, California
Palmdale, California
Palmdale is a city located in the center of northern Los Angeles County, California, United States.Palmdale was the first community within the Antelope Valley to incorporate as a city on August 24, 1962; 47 years later, voters approved creating a charter city in November, 2009. Palmdale is...
on August 15, 2010.
Sampling
Since the 1990s, many The Gap Band hits have been 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...
and covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by R&B and Hip-Hop artists such as Nas
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
, 69 Boyz
69 Boyz
69 Boyz is a platinum selling Miami bass and hip hop group originating from Jacksonville, Florida, but now based largely in Orlando, Florida. The group was initiated by producers C.C...
, Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
, Ice Cube
Ice Cube
O'Shea Jackson , better known by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper and actor. He began his career as a member of the hip-hop group C.I.A. and later joined the rap group N.W.A. After leaving N.W.A in December 1989, he built a successful solo career in music, and also as a writer,...
, Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri Mauldin , known as Jermaine Dupri or JD, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper.- Early life and career :...
, Da Brat
Da Brat
Shawntae Harris , better known as Da Brat, is an American rapper and actress. Her debut album, Funkdafied, sold one million copies, making her the first female rapper to have a platinum-selling album.-Early life:...
, II D Extreme
II D Extreme
II D Extreme was an American new jack swing/urban R&B group from the early 1990s that included D'Extra Wiley, Randy Gill and Jermaine Mickey...
, Blackstreet
Blackstreet
Blackstreet is an American R&B group founded in 1991 by Thomas Taliaferro and Teddy Riley, the inventor of New Jack Swing known for his work as a member of Guy. Chauncey Hannibal and Levi Little were signed under production and management contracts with Thomas Taliaferro and were merged into what...
, Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal , nicknamed "Shaq" , is a former American professional basketball player. Standing tall and weighing , he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA...
, Mia X
Mia X
Mia Young , better known by her stage name Mia X, was the first female emcee to sign with No Limit Records. In 1992, she released a single titled “Ask Them Niggas.” From 1995 to 1998, Mia X released three albums for No Limit: Good Girl Gone Bad, Unlady Like, and Mama Drama...
, and Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...
. "Outstanding" was sampled for a 1990s commercial for malt liquor
Malt liquor
Malt liquor is a North American term referring to a type of beer with high alcohol content. In legal statutes, the term often includes any alcoholic beverage above or equal to 5% alcohol by volume made with malted barley. In common parlance, however, it is used for high-alcohol beers made with...
. Musicians inspired by The Gap Band include R. Kelly, Keith Sweat, Ruff Endz
Ruff Endz
Ruff Endz is an American R&B duo, consisting of members David "Davinch" Chance and Dante "Chi" Jordan from Baltimore, Maryland. They are best known for their hit songs "No More" and "Someone to Love You". Originally part of a quartet, the two left the group in 1994 to form the duo.-Biography:They...
, Guy, Blackstreet
Blackstreet
Blackstreet is an American R&B group founded in 1991 by Thomas Taliaferro and Teddy Riley, the inventor of New Jack Swing known for his work as a member of Guy. Chauncey Hannibal and Levi Little were signed under production and management contracts with Thomas Taliaferro and were merged into what...
, II D Extreme
II D Extreme
II D Extreme was an American new jack swing/urban R&B group from the early 1990s that included D'Extra Wiley, Randy Gill and Jermaine Mickey...
, Mint Condition
Mint Condition
Mint Condition is an R&B band from Saint Paul, Minnesota. Formed in the late 1980s, its original members were lead singer Stokley Williams, bassist Ricky Kinchen, guitarist Homer O'Dell, pianist Larry Waddell, keyboardist Keri Lewis, and keyboardist/saxophonist Jeffrey Allen...
, Jagged Edge
Jagged Edge (band)
Jagged Edge is an American R&B group, with the lead singers, Brandon & Brian, born in Hartford, CT on October 13, 1975, Kyle Norman of Decatur, GA born on February 26,1976 and Richard Wingo of College Park, GA born on September 3, 1975. Wingo was a late addition to the group, added after Kandi...
, D'Extra Wiley, and Aaron Hall.
"You Dropped a Bomb on Me
You Dropped a Bomb on Me
"You Dropped a Bomb on Me" is an electrofunk song performed by The Gap Band, released in 1982 on producer Lonnie Simmons' label, Total Experience Records. It reached #2 on the Billboard R&B charts, #39 on the dance charts and #31 on the Billboard Hot 100....
" was featured in the hit 2004 videogame Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a 2004 open world action video game developed by British games developer Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the third 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise, the fifth original console release and eighth game overall...
, playing on the fictional 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...
radio station Bounce FM.
External links
- Facebook Page
- Myspace Page
- Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Gap Band
- The Gap Band at WhoSampledWhoSampledWhoSampled is a website and database of information about sample-based music founded in London, United Kingdom.WhoSampled is an online sample-based music databases of music that compares original songs with covered songs or songs that "borrowed" samples, it serves as a historical line of where...
- Charlie Wilson in-depth interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' August 2011
- Charlie Wilson 2011 Interview at Soulinterviews.com