King Floyd
Encyclopedia
King Floyd was a New Orleans soul
singer and songwriter
, best known for his Top 10 hit
from 1970, "Groove Me
".
. Following a stint in the army
, Floyd went to California
, where he joined up with record producer
Harold Battiste
. His debut album, A Man In Love, featuring songs co-written with Dr. John
, failed to make an impact on the charts
. Floyd returned to New Orleans in 1969 and worked for the Post Office
.
, an arranger
of R&B
scores, persuaded Floyd to record "Groove Me" with Malaco Records
in Jackson
, Mississippi
. Jean Knight
recorded her hit, "Mr. Big Stuff
," in the same sessions.
At first, "Groove Me" was a B-side
to another Floyd song, "What Our Love Needs." New Orleans radio DJ's
started playing "Groove Me" and the song became a local hit. Atlantic Records
picked up national distribution of "Groove Me," which topped the United States R&B
chart and reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100
. & went to #41 in Britain. This disc sold over one million copies, and received a gold disc
awarded by the R.I.A.A.
in December 1970.
Floyd quit his job at the post office to perform a U.S. tour. His follow-up single, "Baby Can I Kiss You" climbed up to number 29 on the Billboard Top 40 charts in 1971.
However, differences with Quezergue soon emerged and his 1973 follow-up album, Think About It, although a fine album, failed to make much impact. However, Atlantic released a song from the album, "Woman Don't Go Astray" as a single. His 1975 album, Well Done, was released through TK Records
with Atlantic distributing. "I Feel Like Dynamite" from the album, written by Larry Hamilton
, became a minor hit.
dominated the charts for the remainder of the 1970s. However, Floyd had credits for "Boombastic
," recorded in 1995 by Shaggy, which became a big hit. Floyd reunited with Malaco Records in 2000 for the Old Skool Funk album, but it failed to make an impact. However, his song "Don't Leave Me Lonely" was prominently sampled by the Wu-Tang Clan
for the song "For Heaven's Sake" off their album Wu-Tang Forever
.
and diabetes
. He is survived by his wife, children, and grandchildren.
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
singer and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, best known for his Top 10 hit
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...
from 1970, "Groove Me
Groove Me
"Groove Me" is a song recorded by R&B singer King Floyd. Released from his eponymous album in late 1970, it was a crossover hit, spending four non-consecutive weeks at number-one on Billboard soul chart and peaking at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100....
".
Early career
King Floyd III was born in New Orleans in 1945. His musical career started as a singer at the Sho-Bar on Bourbon StreetBourbon Street
Bourbon Street is a famous and historic street that spans the length of the French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana. When founded in 1718, the city was originally centered around the French Quarter...
. Following a stint in the army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, Floyd went to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where he joined up with record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Harold Battiste
Harold Battiste
Harold Raymond Battiste, Jr. , is an American music composer, arranger, performer and teacher.He attended New Orleans' Dillard University, earning a B.S. in music in 1953. His first success as a studio arranger was with Sam Cooke’s "You Send Me" in 1957...
. His debut album, A Man In Love, featuring songs co-written with Dr. John
Dr. John
Malcolm John "Mac" Rebennack, Jr. , better known by the stage name Dr. John , is an American singer-songwriter, pianist and guitarist, whose music combines blues, pop, jazz as well as Zydeco, boogie woogie and rock and roll.Active as a session musician since the late 1950s, he came to wider...
, failed to make an impact on the charts
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....
. Floyd returned to New Orleans in 1969 and worked for the Post Office
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
.
Recording success
In 1970, Wardell QuezergueWardell Quezergue
Wardell Quezergue was an American music arranger, producer and bandleader, known among New Orleans musicians as the “Creole Beethoven”. Wardell was born into a musical family with his father, Sidney Quezergue Sr., being a guitar player. Wardell was the second youngest of three brothers: Sidney...
, an arranger
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
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...
scores, persuaded Floyd to record "Groove Me" with Malaco Records
Malaco Records
Malaco Records is an independent record label based in Jackson, Mississippi. Malaco is and has been the home of various major soul, blues and gospel acts, such as Johnnie Taylor, Bobby Bland, ZZ Hill, Denise LaSalle, Benny Latimore, Dorothy Moore, Little Milton, Shirley Brown, Marvin Sease, and the...
in Jackson
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
. Jean Knight
Jean Knight
Jean Knight is an African-American soul/R&B/funk singer, best known for her 1971 Stax Records hit single, "Mr. Big Stuff".-Early years:...
recorded her hit, "Mr. Big Stuff
Mr. Big Stuff
"Mr. Big Stuff" is a song by R&B singer Jean Knight. Released from her 1971 debut album of the same title, it became a huge crossover hit. The song spent five weeks at number-one on Billboard's Best Selling Soul Singles and peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart. "Mr. Big Stuff" would...
," in the same sessions.
At first, "Groove Me" was a B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
to another Floyd song, "What Our Love Needs." New Orleans radio DJ's
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
started playing "Groove Me" and the song became a local hit. Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
picked up national distribution of "Groove Me," which topped the United States R&B
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot 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,...
chart and reached #6 on the 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...
. & went to #41 in Britain. This disc sold over one million copies, and received a gold disc
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
awarded by the R.I.A.A.
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
in December 1970.
Floyd quit his job at the post office to perform a U.S. tour. His follow-up single, "Baby Can I Kiss You" climbed up to number 29 on the Billboard Top 40 charts in 1971.
However, differences with Quezergue soon emerged and his 1973 follow-up album, Think About It, although a fine album, failed to make much impact. However, Atlantic released a song from the album, "Woman Don't Go Astray" as a single. His 1975 album, Well Done, was released through TK Records
TK Records
TK Records was an American record label started by record distributor, Henry Stone in Miami, Florida, one of several labels that he founded in the 1960s and 1970s...
with Atlantic distributing. "I Feel Like Dynamite" from the album, written by Larry Hamilton
Larry Hamilton (musician)
Larry Hamilton is an American New Orleans blues, rhythm and blues and soul blues singer and songwriter. Although he has been a professional musician since the mid 1960s, his solo debut album was not released until 1997.-Biography:...
, became a minor hit.
Subsequent career
None of his subsequent songs achieved the same, as discoDisco
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...
dominated the charts for the remainder of the 1970s. However, Floyd had credits for "Boombastic
Boombastic
Boombastic is the third studio album released by Jamaican artist Shaggy. The album was released on July 11, 1995. The album sold over one million copies in the U.S., as well as selling 300,000+ in the UK...
," recorded in 1995 by Shaggy, which became a big hit. Floyd reunited with Malaco Records in 2000 for the Old Skool Funk album, but it failed to make an impact. However, his song "Don't Leave Me Lonely" was prominently sampled by the Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
The Wu-Tang Clan is a hip-hop group from Staten Island that consists of RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. They are frequently joined by fellow childhood friend Cappadonna, a quasi member of the group...
for the song "For Heaven's Sake" off their album Wu-Tang Forever
Wu-Tang Forever
Wu-Tang Forever is the second studio album of American hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, released June 3, 1997 on Loud/RCA Records in the United States. Pressed as a double album, it was released after a long run of successful solo projects from various members of the group, and serves as the follow-up...
.
Personal life
He died on March 6, 2006 from complications of a strokeStroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
and diabetes
Diabetes mellitus
Diabetes mellitus, often simply referred to as diabetes, is a group of metabolic diseases in which a person has high blood sugar, either because the body does not produce enough insulin, or because cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced...
. He is survived by his wife, children, and grandchildren.
External links
- [ Allmusic.com King Floyd article]