Atlantic Starr began in
Greenburgh, New York with
trumpeter Duke Jones (who left the band prior to their first recordings),
drummer Porter Carroll Jr.,
bassist Clifford Archer,
percussionist and flautist Joseph Phillips, Sheldon Tucker (
guitar; parted ways with the band before the first recordings), and three brothers: David Lewis (
vocals/guitar), Wayne Lewis (
keyboards and
vocals), and Jonathan Lewis (
percussion and
trombone). The band's membership eventually stabilized around Carroll, Archer, Phillips, the three Lewis brothers, lead singer
Sharon Bryant (who was later replaced by
Barbara Weathers),
trumpeter William Sudderth III, and
saxophonist Damon Rentie (who was later replaced by Koran Daniels).
In 1977, the band came to Westwood, California, and performed on the
nightclub scene under the name "Newban," which they agreed to change at
the request of
A&M Records executive
Herb Alpert
when they were signed. Having already agreed to keep the Starr part of
an early idea for a new band name, the members decided to add the word
Atlantic, because of their
East Coast roots. The nine-member band were now A&M employees.
Throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s, Atlantic Starr scored several hits on the
R&B charts. However, significant crossover success (onto the
pop charts) did not come until halfway into the 1980s, with the release of their album
As the Band Turns (their last on A&M Records), and the single "Secret Lovers".
[3]
By this time, the band had pared itself down to a quintet, consisting
of the three Lewis brothers, Phillips, and Weathers. In 1987 (after
signing to
Warner Bros. Records), the band solidified their pop success by scoring a No. 1
pop (and
R&B) hit with "Always", a love ballad off their album
All in the Name of Love.
[3]
Following this success, Weathers left for a solo career, and she was
replaced by Porscha Martin for the band's next album, 1989's
We're Movin' Up.
[3] Although this album was not quite as successful as its predecessors, it did produce another No. 1 R&B hit with "
My First Love.
The band continued to score hits on both the R&B and
Pop charts into the early 1990s. 1991 saw the introduction of yet another new female lead singer, when Martin was replaced by
Miss Black America 1986, Rachel Oliver, for the album,
Love Crazy.
[1] This album featured the band's biggest hit of the 1990s, with "
Masterpiece" reaching No. 3 on both the
pop and
R&B charts in early 1992.
[2]
The group toured to Japan in 1992 with yet another female vocalist at
the helm, Crystal Blake, a studio vocalist for Stevie Wonder who had
also sung the female lead parts on the minor hit title track for
Eddie Murphy's
How Could It Be album and
Young MC's "
Bust a Move.
Following the release of
Love Crazy, Atlantic Starr's relationship with
Warner Bros. Records dissolved, and in 1994, the band recorded one album for
Arista:
Time. That album was a commercial disappointment and the single "I'll Remember You" only made it to the fifties on Billboard's
R&B and
pop singles charts.
[1] Time (which was David Lewis' last album with the band) found a fifth female singer, Aisha Tanner, replacing Oliver. And when 1999's
Legacy was distributed by the small, independent Street Solid label,
[4]
Atlantic Starr unveiled yet another lineup—one that consisted of two
Lewis Brothers (Wayne and Jonathan) as well as Oliver (who had returned
and replaced Tanner) and a new male singer named
DeWayne Woods.
[1] Although
Legacy received little attention, Atlantic Starr still continues to perform today and released their 14th album,
Metamorphosis in 2017, featuring L'john Epps and Melessa Pierce.
After leaving Atlantic Starr, original drummer and founding bandmember Porter Carroll Jr. released a self-titled solo album (Porter Carroll II) in 1986. This album featured contributions from several prominent musicians, including Marcus Miller, David Sanborn, and former Starr bandmate Sharon Bryant. He has continued to do session work since that time, and is currently playing percussion in Daryl Hall's live band.
Following her exit from Atlantic Starr, singer Bryant embarked on
a solo career and released an album in 1989, scoring several big hits
on the R&B charts, as well as a minor Pop hit from the project.[6]
Original saxophonist Damon Rentie went on to a solo career of his own, releasing his first solo album, Designated Hitter
in 1985. His second and third solo albums followed in each successive
year (1986 and 1987, respectively). He had also previously done session
work with DeBarge.
Original
trumpeter
William Sudderth continues to follow an active schedule in the music
business, performing in many diverse settings and having become one of
the most sought-after horn players in the industry.
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire