Odyssey (band)
Encyclopedia
Odyssey was a New York
, now UK-based dance music
band
. It grew out of the talent of the Connecticut
-born Lopez sisters
: Lillian Lopez (born 16 November 1935), Louise Lopez (born 22 February 1933), and Carmen Lopez (born July 12 1934), who left the group before Odyssey, as the group came to be known after her departure, was formed.
singer
Tony Reynolds was added, at which point the band became known as Odyssey. The group was best known for its December 1977 hit
"Native New Yorker
", which reached #21 on the Billboard Hot 100
, and Top Ten in the UK, was later covered
by Frankie Valli
. Although a string of album
s and singles
followed, the group managed only one other R&B
chart
smash, the Slave
-produced
"Inside Out", written by Jesse Rae
, which peaked at US #12/UK #3 in 1982. Reynolds, for unknown reasons, left after the first album and was replaced by Fayetteville
, North Carolina
native William "Bill" McEachern, who remained with the group throughout the remainder of its RCA
record label
output. During that time, Lillian's eldest son, Brooklyn-born Steven Collazo joined the group as keyboardist, vocalist and musical director. Tony Reynolds died on February 4, 2010 while residing in his home in Jamaica, Queens, New York. Tony worked as an electrician for the NYC Police Department for over 20 years. He loved music so much that he even formed a band within the Police Department.
In the United Kingdom
, the band with its diverse musical style had more chart success, totalling five Top Ten hits between 1977 and 1982. One of them, "Use It Up and Wear It Out
", reached number one in the UK Singles Chart
for two weeks in 1980. Odyssey thus became the third U.S.
act of the year (after Fern Kinney
and M.A.S.H.
) to reach Number one in the UK
despite not charting in their home country. Later hit "Going Back to My Roots" was written and
originally recorded by songwriter Lamont Dozier
, who for many years was one third of the legendary Motown writing/production team of Brian Holland/Lamont Dozier/Eddie Holland. Post RCA, Odyssey, then composed of Lillian Lopez, Al Jackson and Steven Collazo, continued touring, performing, and making television appearances throughout the United Kingdom, Europe and the Middle East. Lillian and Al married in 2000 and retired from the music industry in 2003.
by Tindersticks
on their 1999 album, Simple Pleasure
. Other covers of Odyssey's material include "Don't Tell Me Tell Her" by Phyllis Hyman
and "Native New Yorker" by Esther Phillips
amongst several others. The band, now led by Steven Collazo and featuring vocalist twins Annis and Anne Peters released a new album "Legacy" in June 2011 on ISM records.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, now UK-based dance music
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
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...
. It grew out of the talent of the Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
-born Lopez sisters
Sibling
Siblings are people who share at least one parent. A male sibling is called a brother; and a female sibling is called a sister. In most societies throughout the world, siblings usually grow up together and spend a good deal of their childhood socializing with one another...
: Lillian Lopez (born 16 November 1935), Louise Lopez (born 22 February 1933), and Carmen Lopez (born July 12 1934), who left the group before Odyssey, as the group came to be known after her departure, was formed.
Career
FilipinoFilipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
singer
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
Tony Reynolds was added, at which point the band became known as Odyssey. The group was best known for its December 1977 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...
"Native New Yorker
Native New Yorker (song)
"Native New Yorker" is a song written by Sandy Linzer and Denny Randell and was a 1977 hit single for the dance band Odyssey, which reached number five on the UK charts. In the U.S., the song went to number three on the disco chart. "Native New Yorker" also went to number six on the soul chart and...
", which reached #21 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...
, and Top Ten in the UK, was later 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 Frankie Valli
Frankie Valli
Frankie Valli is an American musician, most famous as frontman of The Four Seasons. He is well-known for his unusually powerful falsetto singing voice...
. Although a string of 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 and singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
followed, the group managed only one other 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
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....
smash, the Slave
Slave (band)
Slave was an Ohio funk band popular in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Trumpeter Steve Washington and Mark Hicks formed the group in Dayton, Ohio in 1975.-Career:Trombonist Floyd Miller teamed with Tom Lockett Jr...
-produced
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...
"Inside Out", written by Jesse Rae
Jesse Rae
Jesse Rae is a Scottish singer from St Boswells. His single "Over the Sea", reached number 65 in the UK Singles Chart in 1985. The video for the single – which features a kilted, helmeted, claymore-brandishing Rae in both New York City and the Scottish Highlands – won a Vira award...
, which peaked at US #12/UK #3 in 1982. Reynolds, for unknown reasons, left after the first album and was replaced by Fayetteville
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Fayetteville is a city located in Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States. It is the county seat of Cumberland County, and is best known as the home of Fort Bragg, a U.S. Army post located northwest of the city....
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
native William "Bill" McEachern, who remained with the group throughout the remainder of its RCA
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
output. During that time, Lillian's eldest son, Brooklyn-born Steven Collazo joined the group as keyboardist, vocalist and musical director. Tony Reynolds died on February 4, 2010 while residing in his home in Jamaica, Queens, New York. Tony worked as an electrician for the NYC Police Department for over 20 years. He loved music so much that he even formed a band within the Police Department.
In the United Kingdom
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...
, the band with its diverse musical style had more chart success, totalling five Top Ten hits between 1977 and 1982. One of them, "Use It Up and Wear It Out
Use It Up And Wear It Out
"Use It Up and Wear It Out" is a song by Odyssey that was released as a single in 1980.-Overview:The song was written by Sandy Linzer and L. Russell Brown, and produced by Linzer. It was the New York-based disco group's only UK #1 single, spending two weeks at the top of the charts from July 26 to...
", reached number one 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 ...
for two weeks in 1980. Odyssey thus became the third U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
act of the year (after Fern Kinney
Fern Kinney
Fern Kinney is an American R&B and disco singer, who is best remembered for her releases, "Groove Me" and "Together We Are Beautiful".-Career:...
and M.A.S.H.
Suicide Is Painless
"Suicide Is Painless" is a song written by Johnny Mandel and Mike Altman , which is best known for being featured as the theme song for both the movie and TV series M*A*S*H. The actual title is "Song from M*A*S*H" ". Mike Altman is the son of the original film's director, Robert Altman, and was 14...
) to reach Number one 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...
despite not charting in their home country. Later hit "Going Back to My Roots" was written and
originally recorded by songwriter Lamont Dozier
Lamont Dozier
Lamont Herbert Dozier is an American songwriter and record producer, born in Detroit, Michigan. Dozier has either co-written or produced several US Billboard #1 hits.-Career:...
, who for many years was one third of the legendary Motown writing/production team of Brian Holland/Lamont Dozier/Eddie Holland. Post RCA, Odyssey, then composed of Lillian Lopez, Al Jackson and Steven Collazo, continued touring, performing, and making television appearances throughout the United Kingdom, Europe and the Middle East. Lillian and Al married in 2000 and retired from the music industry in 2003.
Legacy
Odyssey's "If You're Looking For a Way Out" was coveredCover 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 Tindersticks
Tindersticks
Tindersticks are an Indie rock band from Nottingham, England formed in 1991. They released six albums before singer Stuart A. Staples took on a solo career. The band reunited briefly in 2006, but more permanently the following year...
on their 1999 album, Simple Pleasure
Simple Pleasure
Simple Pleasure is the fourth studio album by Tindersticks. It was released in 1999 on Island Records. The album marked a major departure for the band, as it began to adapt more soul and jazz influences than on their previous recordings....
. Other covers of Odyssey's material include "Don't Tell Me Tell Her" by Phyllis Hyman
Phyllis Hyman
Phyllis Linda Hyman was an American soul singer and actress.-Early years:Phyllis Hyman was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and grew up in the St. Clair Village, the South Hills section of Pittsburgh...
and "Native New Yorker" by Esther Phillips
Esther Phillips
Esther Phillips was an American singer. Phillips was known for her R&B vocals, but she was a versatile singer, also performing pop, country, jazz, blues and soul music.-Early life:...
amongst several others. The band, now led by Steven Collazo and featuring vocalist twins Annis and Anne Peters released a new album "Legacy" in June 2011 on ISM records.
Singles
| Year | Song | U.S. 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... |
U.S. 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,... |
U.S. Dance 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... |
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 ... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | "Native New Yorker Native New Yorker (song) "Native New Yorker" is a song written by Sandy Linzer and Denny Randell and was a 1977 hit single for the dance band Odyssey, which reached number five on the UK charts. In the U.S., the song went to number three on the disco chart. "Native New Yorker" also went to number six on the soul chart and... " |
21 | 6 | 3 | 5 |
| 1977 | "Weekend Lover" | 57 | 37 | - | - |
| 1980 | "Don't Tell Me, Tell Her" | - | 44 | 6 | - |
| 1980 | "Use It Up and Wear It Out Use It Up And Wear It Out "Use It Up and Wear It Out" is a song by Odyssey that was released as a single in 1980.-Overview:The song was written by Sandy Linzer and L. Russell Brown, and produced by Linzer. It was the New York-based disco group's only UK #1 single, spending two weeks at the top of the charts from July 26 to... " |
- | - | 6 | 1 |
| 1981 | "Hang Together" | - | - | 6 | 36 |
| 1980 | "If You're Lookin' For a Way Out" | - | - | - | 6 |
| 1981 | "Going Back to My Roots" | - | 68 | 55 | 4 |
| 1981 | "It Will Be Alright" | - | - | - | 43 |
| 1982 | "Inside Out" | - | 12 | 25 | 3 |
| 1982 | "Magic Touch" | - | - | - | 41 |
| 1985 | "(Joy) I Know It" | - | - | - | 51 |
Albums
| Year | Title | Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
U.S. R&B Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Odyssey | 36 | 15 | - |
| 1978 | Hollywood Party Tonight | 123 | 72 | - |
| 1980 | Hang Together | 181 | 66 | 38 |
| 1981 | I've Got the Melody | 175 | 62 | 29 |
| 1982 | Happy Together | - | 23 | 21 |
| 1982 | The Magic Touch of Odyssey | - | - | 69 |
| 1985 | Joy | - | - | 69 |
| 2011 | Legacy | - | - | - |
See also
- List of disco artists
- List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart
- List of performers on Top of the Pops
External links
- http://www.odyssey.uk.com
- Odyssey at WorldMusicDatabase
- Odyssey discography at Discogs.com