Gap Band - Outstanding

Outstanding

Gap Band IV(4) Total Experience MERS 6 G/F Sleeve (1982)

Early In The Morning; Season's No Reason To Change; Lonely Like Me; Outstanding; Stay With Me; You Dropped A Bomb On Me; I Can't Get Over You; Talkin' Back

Produced: Lonnie Simmons

Outstanding is the ultimate sway groove along with I Found Lovin' from Fatback Band, written by Raymond Calhoun, who's name is miss-typed on my copy of the album, he also wrote another of my Gap Band Fave's I Found My Baby. The song has long been popular with the UK soul crowd, with even Kenny Thomas having also having a hit with it. The other nice track on this set is I Can't Get Over You. Album is produced by Lonnie Simmons who owned the Total Experience Label.

As a mobile DJ in the eighties I would get asked for Ooops Upside Your Head by the Gap Band every night but as The 'Rowing Boat Song' I don't think people even new who they were or even cared as long as they had a bit of fun. The same could be said of the Village People's YMCA, punters out for a good time like a 'bit of a lark' with music and I'll go along with that anything that breaks-the-ice so to speak.

Weddings would be the worst for me, two family's sitting either side of the room not wanting to mix, but I must admit the hardest challenge of all was the Fishing Club Annual Presentations doo. Introverts go fishing that's what they do, anyway I always got them going after first locking the doors and then spinning groups like the Gap Band and if that didn't work I threaten them with Max Bygraves! that thankfully always worked. Just to show what dj's are prepared to pay to own original 12's; Burn Rubber promo recently sold for £162 and Oops Promo for £71 on ebay.

The Group is from Tulsa, Oklahoma, they are the brothers; Ronnie; Robert & Charlie Wilson. Their farther was a minister and the brothers spent many of their early years in his church choir. The name GAP comes from the first letters of Tulsa's main Black business areas; Greenwood, Archer and Pine Streets. The Greenwood district was the site of one of the most violent racially motivated attacks in United States history. The complete destruction of the community was the result of the Tulsa Race Riot.

The band released their first record on an indie label in 1974 to little success. At the time, the group had up to twelve musicians, including drummer Ronnie Smith. Condensing to the three brothers and with producer Leon Russell at the helm, the group began to find success in 1978 with songs such as "I'm in Love" and "Shake", the latter becoming a Top 10 R&B hit.The band was formed by their eldest brother Ronnie. Leon Russel also from Tulsa took them as an opening act on his show in 1973. In 1978 Lonnie Simmons signed them up to Total Experience Production Company.