B B & Q Band / Curtis Hairston – Genie 1985

 In 1985 Jacques Fred Petrus formed a new B.B.& Q. Band and released the album Genie which sold well in Europe but couldn’t fulfill the expected success in the U.S.. The record was produced by Jacques Fred Petrus and Kae Williams Jr. for Fred's company Vedette International.

The album was released first in Europe on different labels in different countries (Denmark, Italy, UK, Netherlands and Germany) and appeared on the U.S. market a year later on Elektra Records. The cover artwork of the European pressing and the American pressing differed completely. The name of executive producer Jacques Fred Petrus wasn’t even printed on the US album. By then he had been accused of tax evasion and his fraudulous US music companies collapsed accordingly. In these circumstances Fred Petrus wasn't legally able to negotiate an American record deal and was forced to hand over the project in the States. Still, the Genie album got published in America on the Elektra/Pretty Pearl imprint through an acquaintance of Fred. The name of the executive producer printed on the American sleeve was former NBA star Earl Monroe who happened to be the manager/executive producer of Curtis Hairston, lead singer on Genie. Hairston had already released a bunch of fairly successful R&B singles on Earl "The Pearl" Monroe’s Pretty Pearl record label (“I Want You (All Tonight)” 1983, “Summertime” 1983, “We All Are One” 1984 and “I Want Your Lovin’ (Just A Little Bit)” 1985). After Fred Petrus fled the US, abandoning the music biz, Monroe fixed a record deal via his label — which he initially started up as a vehicle for Curtis Hairston — to get Genie released in the U.S. on a major label. Petrus and Monroe shared adjoining offices in the Newsweek building in NYC.

The album was recorded at the MorningStar Studios in Spring House (Philadelphia, USA) and at the Morning Studios in Milan (Italy). However, the two releases showed different Italian recording studios on the covers. The US version of Genie was apparently recorded at the Castle Studios in Milan and the original European issue at the Morning Studios in Milan. But there's an explanation! The Castle Studios (a.k.a. The Stone Castle Studios) and the Morning Studios were actually one and the same recording facility, situated in Carimate near Milan. This studio was located inside a beautiful castle built in the 14th Century.

Featured tracks were the sweet “Minutes Away”, the upbeat “Riccochet”, the vibrant dancer “On The Shelf” (#72 Billboard’s R&B Singles Chart), “Dreamer” (#35 Billboard TOP 40), “Won’t You Be With Me Tonight”, the Prince/Minneapolis sound-inspired “Don’t Force It” and the impressive “Genie” (#40 Billboard TOP 40). The U.S. album featured extended versions of "Minutes Away" and "Dreamer". The mellow title track that bubbled and percolated nicely with a seductively soulful feel, especially on the vocals, became their biggest hit since "On The Beat". Genie was a surprisingly consistent album awash in great keyboards (DX7, Rhodes) and snapping electro beats that were nicely placed between the street and the dancefloor. The hi-tech vibe was ostensibly influenced by the Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis productions.

The album was composed, written and co-produced by Kae Williams Jr. (see photo). The musician crew involved were Timmy Allen (bass), Michael Campbell (guitar) and Kae Williams Jr. (keyboards, piano). Kae Williams was formerly keyboardist with the group Breakwater. In 1981 he joined Timmy Allen and other top NY session players to record an album as Hi-Gloss for the Prelude label. A year later Fred Petrus offered Kae Williams session work with Change and B.B.& Q. Band. Williams also composed several songs for these groups. He later moved back to Philadelphia where he worked with artists including Mason, Ian Foster, Phyllis Hyman, George Howard, Miki Howard, Shirley Lites, Peggi Blu, Curiosity, G-Five, Loose Ends, Five Star, Robert Hazard, Pretty Poison, Cashmere, Terri Wells, Joanna Gardner, Bootsy Collins and Sybil Thomas. Producer Kae Williams Jr. deceased on July 11, 2008 due to heart failure at the age of 52.

Genie featured Curtis Hairston (see photo) on lead and background vocals and Ullanda McCullough (see photo) on background vocals, although there were no vocal credits on the sleeves. The mentor of Hairston was label boss Earl "The Pearl" Monroe who had his office next to the office of Little Macho Music in the former Newsweek Building. Monroe's protégé Hairston, recording for Fred Petrus was something to come about sooner or later...
Producer Kae Williams would work with Curtis Hairston again in 1986 on his one and only solo album Curtis Hairston which included the popular soul track “The Morning After”, reminiscent of “Genie”. Unfortunately lead singer Curtis Hairston, who severely suffered from diabetes, passed away in January 1996. He was just 34 years old.
Based in New York, singer Ullanda McCullough worked consistently through the ‘70s and early ‘80s as a backing vocalist, particularly with Ashford & Simpson. The duo produced her second solo album Ullanda McCullough for Atlantic in 1981. As Ullanda she already released her first solo album Love Zone in 1979. In 1982 she recorded Watching You Watching Me on the Atlantic label, her last record to date. Elsewhere she recorded backing vocals with Roberta Flack, Teddy Pendergrass, Melba Moore, Lonnie Liston Smith, Cliff Dawson, Charles Earland, Cerrone, Hi-Gloss, Michael Zager Band, Stephanie Mills, Thelma Jones, Chic, Diana Ross, T-Connection,  The Spinners, Chaka Khan and Rainbow Brown among many more.