Ready for the World is a R&B / funk / dance band from Flint, Michigan who scored several moderate pop, soul, and dance hits in the mid to late 1980s. Founded by Melvin Riley and Gordon Strozier in Flint, Michigan. They had performed throughout Flint at high school talent shows and were discovered by WJLB Detroit Radio personality The Electrifying Mojo in 1982. They gained regional fame with their first release "Tonight" in 1983. "Tonight" was an underground hit in Flint and Detroit which helped garner them national prominence shortly after their signing under the MCA label.
Ready for the World recorded their album Ready for the World during 1984 in Flint, Michigan under the production of Bernard Terry. The album showed influences by, and is often compared] to the work of Prince from around the same period - in particular the vocal style of Melvin Riley shared many similarities with the aforementioned.
The group consists of lead vocalist/keyboardist/occasional rhythm guitarist Melvin Riley with Gordon Strozier (lead guitar), Gregory Potts (keyboards), Willie Triplett (percussion/keyboards), John Eaton (bass guitar),and Gerald Valentine (drums). Their aforementioned self-titled debut was released in 1985 and included perhaps their best-known hit "Oh Sheila," which went to number one on the R&B, Billboard Hot 100, and the Hot Dance Club Play charts that year, becoming the first ever single to hold the number one spot on all three of these charts simultaneously. The song "Digital Display" followed and hit number 21. In 1986, the band released their second album Long Time Coming, which returned them to the Top 10 on the pop charts when the slow jam "Love You Down" climbed to number nine. The band would go on to release a couple more albums into the 90s, but they weren't as successful as the first pair. When the band later separated in the early 1990s, lead singer Riley went on to record solo albums, one in 1994 and one in 2000. A Ready for the World reunion album followed in 2004, featuring mostly urban ballads. "Oh Sheila" is according to legend written about Sheila E. (wikipedia)
Young gospel phenom, gritty Stax/Volt soulster, lady-killing balladeer, chart-topping disco king, Southern soul-blues stalwart -- Johnnie Taylor somehow always managed to adapt to the times, and he parlayed that versatility into a recording career that lasted nearly four decades. Nicknamed the "Philosopher of Soul" during his Stax days, that version of Taylor is best remembered for his 1968 R&B chart-topping smash "Who's Making Love," but far and away his biggest success was 1976's across-the-board number one "Disco Lady," the first single ever certified platinum (which at the time meant sales of over two million copies). When the national hits dried up, Taylor wound up as one of the most prolific artists on the Malaco label, a refuge for many Southern soul and blues veterans whose styles had fallen out of popular favor by the '80s. Taylor called Malaco home for over 15 years and kept on recording and performing right up to his passing in 2000.
Johnnie Harrison Taylor was born in Crawfordsville, AR, on May 5, 1934 (though he usually gave his birth year as 1938); he grew up mostly in nearby West Memphis. He began singing in church as a young child and later moved to Kansas City, where he performed with a gospel group called the Melody Kings; it was through this outfit that he initially met and befriended Soul Stirrers frontman Sam Cooke. In 1953, Taylor left home and moved to Chicago, where he joined the doo wop group the Five Echoes; shortly thereafter, he began performing concurrently with the gospel group the Highway Q.C.'s, which had once been home to Sam Cooke. In 1957, Taylor would replace Cooke in the hugely influential Soul Stirrers, after Cooke departed for a career in secular music.
After four years with the Soul Stirrers, Taylor escaped gospel music's waning popularity and followed Cooke into the world of secular soul, becoming the first artist to sign with Cooke's label, Sar, in 1961. Taylor released a few singles on Sar and another Cooke label, Derby, over the next few years, including the minor R&B hit "Rome (Wasn't Built in a Day)." Unfortunately, Cooke was murdered in late 1964, and his labels folded, leaving Taylor without a record deal. He returned to the Memphis area and signed with the enormously popular Stax label in 1965, debuting early the following year with "I Had a Dream." Taylor scored a few minor R&B hits over the next few years, including "I Got to Love Somebody's Baby," "Somebody's Sleeping in My Bed," and "Next Time." He hit it big in late 1968 with the gritty, funky "Who's Making Love," his first number one R&B hit, which also made the pop Top Five. Taylor was able to land some decent-sized follow-up hits in the years to come, among them "Take Care of Your Homework," "Jody's Got Your Girl and Gone," "Steal Away," and "I Am Somebody." By the early '70s, Taylor's bread and butter had become smooth, elegant crooning, as typified by his 1973 album Taylored in Silk and his two attendant ballad smashes, "I Believe in You (You Believe in Me)" and "Cheaper to Keep Her."
When Stax went bankrupt in 1975, Taylor moved over to CBS/Columbia, debuting in 1976 with the album Eargasm. Its first single, "Disco Lady," was an instant smash, capturing the spirit of the era and selling over two million copies (although some soul fans still debate whether it was a true disco song). "Disco Lady" was Taylor's first number one pop hit, despite losing airplay over its supposedly suggestive lyrics, and it proved such a phenomenon that CBS eagerly pushed him to record more disco-oriented material, something Taylor wasn't extraordinarily comfortable with. He recorded several more albums for the label through 1980, but never came close to duplicating the success of "Disco Lady" and left to sign with the smaller Beverly Glen imprint in 1982.
Taylor recorded one album for Beverly Glen, 1982's Just Ain't Good Enough, which produced a minor R&B hit in "What About My Love." Still searching for a home more in line with the environment at Stax, Taylor soon jumped to Malaco Records, a Southern label dedicated to preserving the region's classic soul and blues sounds (albeit sometimes with a bit less grit than in days of old). Debuting with 1984's This Is Your Night, Taylor and Malaco clicked right away, and he wound up recording a total of 12 albums for the label over the next 15 years, ranking as one of their best-selling artists. Taylor's style during this era had evolved into a hybrid of soul and blues, with more emphasis on the latter than at any other point in his career; he continued to tour steadily through the '80s and '90s, and landed a few more singles on the lower reaches of the R&B chart up until 1990. In 1996, his album Good Love! topped the Billboard blues chart. Taylor's final album was 1999's Gotta Get the Groove Back; on May 31, 2000, he suffered a heart attack at his home in Duncanville, TX (a suburb of Dallas), and died at the hospital. (allmusic.com)
Often dismissed as little more than "the male Dionne Warwick," uptown soul singer Lou Johnson indeed rivaled Warwick as the premier interpreter of the songs of Burt Bacharach and Hal David during the composing team's formative years, but unlike so many of the vocalists who recorded the duo's work, commercial success proved frustratingly elusive. Born in 1941, Johnson first surfaced as a member of the vocal group the Zionettes before going solo in 1963. He signed with Big Top Records, a subsidiary of the Brill Building publishing firm Hill & Range; his debut effort, "Unsatisfied," earned little notice, so Johnson was assigned to the fledgling team of composer Bacharach and lyricist David. With his dramatic, smoky vocals and melodic flexibility, the singer proved ideally matched to Bacharach and David's material: the first of their collaborative efforts, "Magic Potion," remains perhaps more notable for its B-side "Reach Out for Me," recorded by Warwick a few months later in what amounted to a virtual note-for-note cover. But while Johnson's version was not a hit, Warwick's was -- it was a scenario that would play out several more times in the years to follow. His next single, the stately "(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me," would prove his biggest hit, peaking at number 49 in 1964; Bacharach himself then escorted Johnson to Britain, introducing the singer on the BBC television program Top of the Pops, but again his recording was superseded by a near-identical cover, this time by U.K. girl group queen Sandie Shaw. Johnson's next Bacharach/David-penned effort was arguably his best: the beautiful "Kentucky Bluebird (Send a Message to Martha)" nevertheless failed to crack the Hot 100 altogether, although British teen idol Adam Faith faithfully copied its arrangement on his way to a massive U.K. hit. The B-side of "Kentucky Bluebird," the cult favorite "The Last One to Be Loved," proved Johnson's last session with Bacharach and David at the helm -- somewhat remarkably, their collaborative work would not merit commercial reissue until the release of the three-disc anthology Look of Love: The Burt Bacharach Collection over three decades later. On his own, Johnson recorded a handful of subsequent Big Top singles including "Thank You Anyway (Mr. DJ)" and "Park Avenue" before the label terminated his contract; he next surfaced at Cotillion in 1969, issuing his first-ever full-length LP, the self-explanatory Sweet Southern Soul. After 1971's Volt label release With You in Mind, Johnson's ill-fated recording career finally dwindled to a halt -- in subsequent years he was a fixture of the Los Angeles nightclub circuit, also performing in a latter-day version of the Ink Spots. (allmusic.com)
Apollonia 6 was a 1980s female singing trio created by Prince as a continuation/succession of a previous group, Vanity 6. After a number of disputes with Prince, Vanity (Denise Matthews), the lead singer of Prince-created Vanity 6, fled the Prince entourage in 1983 to pursue solo endeavors recording with Motown Records and acting in films. She left open an acting position for the role written for her by Prince in the film Purple Rain.
After a frantic casting call, the film's director met actress and model Patricia Kotero. Renamed by Prince as "Apollonia", Kotero stepped into Vanity's role in the film Purple Rain, as well as in the fragmented group, Vanity 6. The other two members of Vanity 6, Brenda Bennett and Susan Moonsie, joined Apollonia and the group was christened "Apollonia 6" for the film and what would be their sole album (featuring Prince associates Jill Jones and Wendy & Lisa on backing vocals). During this time it was rumored that Apollonia and Prince were romantically involved with one another, but it was later revealed that Apollonia was actually married. Her "relationship" with Prince had been more of a PR stunt for the film than anything serious.
Although the album was certified platinum, Apollonia 6 only had a top 10 pop and R&B hit with the single "Sex Shooter" in 1984.
Prince had originally intended his classic tracks "Manic Monday" (later recorded by The Bangles), "17 Days" (later used as the B-side to "When Doves Cry"), and "The Glamorous Life" (recorded by Sheila E. in 1984) for the Apollonia 6 album but he soon lost interest in the project when he became convinced that Apollonia was only there to fulfill her job's obligations and would not be continuing with his group after her contractual obligations to completing the film and one album were fulfilled. Apollonia 6 were slated to open the Purple Rain tour with Prince and Sheila E., but that idea was scrapped after the group returned from a promotional tour of Europe.
After the group's demise, Kotero continued working on TV shows such as Falcon Crest and in B-movies for the next decade. She even released a solo album to lackluster success in 1988. The main criticism of the album was that Kotero tried too hard to give the impression of change; she adopted a more pop/California sound in place of her signature R&B/funk sound that had been successfully established for her formerly by Prince. (wikipedia)
Vanity 6 was a female vocal trio assembled by Prince in the early 1980s. They released one album, which blended the sounds of pop, New Wave, dance music, R&B, and funk.
In 1981, Prince, himself a rising musical star, suggested that his three female friends—Susan Moonsie, his wardrobe mistress, Boston native Brenda Bennett, and his personal assistant, Jamie Shoop form a girl group that would be called "The Hookers." Prince's vision was that the three women would perform in lingerie and sing sensual songs with lyrics about sex and fantasy. Prince had been wanting to mentor a girl singer or group since the late 70s when he saw the film A Star is Born with Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson.
The original trio recorded a few demos before Prince met Denise Matthews, a nude model and Canadian B-movie actress, in January of 1982. Prince was so taken by Matthews' charisma that he decided she would be the perfect front-woman for his "Hookers" project. Around this time, Prince and Matthews began a romantic relationship. With Matthews' arrival, Shoop bowed out of the group. Matthews was eventually re-christened Vanity. (Some versions of the name's origin have Prince suggesting that Matthews use the stage name "Vagina" (pronounced "Vageena"), she refused and renamed herself "Vanity" instead; other versions of the story suggest that it was Prince himself who coined the name "Vanity," as he said that looking at Matthews was like looking in a mirror at the female version of himself.)
With the new trio finalized, Prince renamed the group Vanity 6 (the number representing the group's breast count). He provided the group, now dressed in lingerie and high heels, with provocative songs (although within the album credits, group members were sometimes given sole writing credits). Their first single, "He's so Dull" did not do much on the charts, but did appear in the film National Lampoon's Vacation.
The second single "Nasty Girl" was a hit on both the U.S. R&B chart and U.S. Dance chart (where it hit number one), and it also made an appearance on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart. The song was featured in the film Beverly Hills Cop, although it was not included on the soundtrack. Members of the group also provided backing vocals on Prince's albums during their existence.
The third single, "Drive Me Wild," was another minor hit. Music videos were shot for all three singles. Their self-titled album (which would turn out to be their only release) was eventually certified gold. The group opened up on the Triple Threat Tour, between 1982 and 1983, which also featured The Time and Prince, as the headliner. The fact that The Time played behind a curtain while Vanity 6 performed caused a rift between the bands and friction within those friendships.[citation needed] To the other group members' dismay, Prince chose Vanity to pose with him for a Richard Avedon photograph used on the cover of an issue of Rolling Stone magazine. The issue also contained a two-page Avedon photo of Vanity 6.
In 1983, Vanity recorded a demo for a new song, "Sex Shooter," and started reading for her lead role in Purple Rain opposite Prince. Prior to the shooting of the movie, later in 1983, Vanity abruptly decided to leave the Prince camp and relinquish her role in the film. Many reasons were given for her sudden departure, including money, the end of their romantic relationship, and, most importantly, Vanity having been offered a lucrative solo deal from Motown Records.
Vanity was replaced in Purple Rain by Patricia Kotero, who would later use the stage name Apollonia. She also inherited the lead role in Vanity 6, which was renamed Apollonia 6, alongside Bennett and Moonsie. The new trio also recorded what would be their only album in 1984, but that album went on to outsell the Vanity 6 album, mainly on the strength of Kotero’s newfound fame, thanks to her movie role and its popularity. In the years since the group’s breakup, Matthews renounced her Vanity persona and music and became a born again Christian. (wikipedia)
By the sound of them, you would think Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings started making funk-threaded soul music together in the 1960s. Few devotedly retro acts are as convincing. Few singers as skilled as Sharon Jones at stuffing notes with ache and meaning might be willing to invest in a sound so fully occupied by the likes of Bettye LaVette and Tina Turner in the Ike years, too. But what Jones brings to the funkified table has legs of its own -- eight of them, to be exact -- and they belong to Binky Griptite, Bugaloo Velez, Homer Steinweiss, and Dave Guy -- her Dap-Kings.
Jones, like James Brown, was born in Augusta, GA; there she sang in her church choir, and from fellow parishioners picked up the kind of back-patting she needed to convince her to go mainstream. As a teenager, she moved with her family to Brooklyn, where she immersed herself in 1970s disco and funk with an eye toward cutting a record of her own. Instead, studios came calling and with them steady work -- by her twenties, Jones was turning in backup vocals for gospel, soul, disco and blues artists, most of it uncredited. In the '80s, however, Jones' sound was deemed unfashionable, and instead of pushing ahead with her soul diva's dream she went back to church singing. She also took a job as a corrections officer at New York's Rykers Island. It wouldn't be until 1996 that Desco Records would rediscover Jones' sweat-basted, lived-in talent. With that label's house band, the Soul Providers, Jones released several singles in the late '90s; their warmth and genuineness propelled the act across the Atlantic, and Jones picked up a moniker -- the queen of funk -- that stuck. Jones released her first full-length with the Dap-Kings, Dap Dippin' with Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, after signing with Daptone Records in 2002. Years of touring behind it, as well as cutting singles with other artists (including Greyboy) ensued. In 2005, Jones reteamed with the Dap-Kings for the winking groovefest that is Naturally, following it up two years later with 100 Days, 100 Nights. Jones also had a bit part The Great Debaters as the singer Lila. (allmusic.com)
