United (Commodores Album)
''United'' is the 12th studio album by the Commodores, released on October 7, 1986 on Polydor Records. Overview The album reached number 17 on the ''Billboard'' Top R&B Albums chart. " Goin' to the Bank" and " Take It from Me" climbed to number two on Billboard's R&B singles charts. Another single, "United in Love," peaked at #22 on the Adult Contemporary chart. Covers The Commodores covered Peabo Bryson's "Let's Apologize" from his 1985 studio album '' Take No Prisoners''. Track listing Personnel Commodores * Walter Orange – drums, lead vocals (1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 10), backing vocals (4), arrangements (10) * J.D. Nicholas – rap (1), lead vocals (2, 3, 4, 6-9), backing vocals (3, 4, 6) * William King – keyboards, arrangements (7), BGV arrangements (7) * Milan Williams – keyboards, arrangements (8), BGV arrangements (8) Additional musicians * Claude Gaudette – keyboards (1-4, 6), electronic programming (1-4, 6), arrangements (2, 3, 4, 6) * Casey Young – special effect ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Commodores
Commodores are an American funk and soul band, which were at their peak in the late 1970s through the mid 1980s. The members of the group met as mostly freshmen at Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) in 1968, and signed with Motown in November 1972, having first caught the public eye opening for the Jackson 5 while on tour. The group's most successful period was in the late 1970s and early 1980s when Lionel Richie was the co-lead singer. The band's biggest hit singles are ballads such as " Easy", "Three Times a Lady", and " Nightshift"; and funk-influenced dance songs; including " Brick House", "Fancy Dancer", "Lady (You Bring Me Up)", and "Too Hot ta Trot". Commodores were inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame and Vocal Group Hall of Fame. The band has also won one Grammy Award out of nine nominations. The Commodores have sold over 70 million albums worldwide. History Commodores were formed from two former student groups, the Mystics and the Jays. Richie desc ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Peabo Bryson
Robert Peapo "Peabo" Bryson (born April 13, 1951) is an American singer and songwriter. He is known for singing soul ballads (often as a duet with female singers) including the 1983 hit "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love" with Roberta Flack. Bryson has contributed to two Disney animated feature soundtracks. Bryson is a winner of two Grammy Awards. Early years and career Born Robert Peapo Bryson in Greenville, South Carolina, Peabo Bryson spent much of his childhood on his grandfather's farm in Mauldin, South Carolina. His love for music stemmed from his mother, who often took the family to concerts of well-known African-American artists at the time. Bryson marked his professional debut at age 14, singing backup for Al Freeman and the Upsetters, a local Greenville group. It was Freeman's difficulty in pronouncing Bryson's French West-Indian name, Peapo, that led Bryson to perform as Peabo. Two years later, he left home to tour the Chitlin' Circuit with another local band, Moses Dill ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Paul Jackson Jr
Paul Milton Jackson Jr. (born December 30, 1959) is an American fusion/urban jazz composer, arranger, producer and guitarist. He was born and raised in Los Angeles. Jackson knew by the age of fifteen that he wanted to become a professional musician. He attended the University of Southern California, majoring in music. In addition to being a recording artist in his own right, Jackson is also a highly accomplished L.A. session player, with a career spanning multiple decades. He has supported artists ranging from Michael Jackson (no relation)Vogel, Joachim (1995). ''Masters of Rhythm Guitar'', p. 93. AMA Verlag. (on the albums ''Thriller'', '' Bad'', '' Dangerous'', ''HIStory'' and '' Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix'') to the Temptations, Whitney Houston, Alexander O'Neal, Five Star (on the album '' Silk and Steel''), Howard Hewett, Thomas Anders, Patti LaBelle and Luis Miguel, to rockers such as Chicago and Elton John, to jazz-oriented players such as George Duke ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Guitar Synthesizer
A guitar synthesizer is any one of a number of musical instrument systems that allow a guitarist to access synthesizer capabilities. Overview Today's guitar synths are direct descendants of 1970s devices from manufacturers (often in partnership) such as Hammond Innovex and Ovation, Ludwig, EMS, 360 Systems, Norlin Music and Maestro, Ampeg and Hagström, Arp, Roland Corporation and FujiGen ( GR-500 and GR-300), New England Digital, Electro-Harmonix, Casio, Terratec/Axon, Starr Labs, Ibanez, Holt Electro Acoustic Research, Zeta Systems, and Yamaha. In the early days, there were three main types of guitar-synthesizers: * Multi-effects type * Frequency-to-voltage converter type (using guitar with pickups) * Guitorgan type (using guitar with fretboard switches) Later, the multi-effects type evolved into modeling guitar, and the other two types evolved into current devices. Presently, there are two main groups: * Guitar-synth using guitars: regular guitars equipped with ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Michael Boddicker
Michael Lehmann Boddicker (born January 19, 1953) is an American film composer and session musician, specializing in electronic music. He is a three times National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (N.A.R.A.S.) Most Valuable Player "Synthesizer" and MVP Emeritus, he was awarded a Grammy as a songwriter for "Imagination" from ''Flashdance'' in 1984. He is the president of The Lehmann Boddicker Group. Early life and education Boddicker grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. His parents, Arlene Estelle (née Reyman) and Gerald "Jerry" Valentine Boddicker operated a music school and store in Cedar Rapids, which served students in all of Eastern Iowa. His mother was a nationally recognized accordionist. While still attending Jefferson High School in Cedar Rapids in 1971, Boddicker enrolled full-time at the local Coe College, studying electronic music. By 1972, he continued studies at Coe College, focused on music composition and he started taking jazz studies at the University of Wis ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Tom Kelly (musician)
Thomas F. Kelly (born April 16, 1952) is an American musician, best known for his songwriting partnership with Billy Steinberg. Steinberg and Kelly co-wrote numerous hit songs for popular music artists, including five number-one singles on the ''Billboard'' Top 100 chart in the 1980s. Early life Originally from Indiana, Kelly lived in Effingham, Illinois from 1963 to 1966, before moving back to West Lafayette, Indiana where he graduated from West Lafayette High School in 1967. Kelly attended Eastern Illinois University, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and Purdue University, but dropped out of college to pursue his music career. He played bass guitar and sang in several bands throughout Illinois and Indiana in the late 1960s and early 1970s, including the Trifaris, the Gaping Huggers, the One Eyed Jacks, and the Guild. In 1974 Kelly moved to Los Angeles with his first wife, Kay Kelly, and two children, Barry and Denise. He played in Dan Fogelberg's backup band, and jo ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Gary Usher
Gary Lee Usher (December 14, 1938 – May 25, 1990) was an American rock musician, songwriter, and record producer, who worked with numerous California acts in the 1960s, including the Byrds, the Beach Boys, and Dick Dale. Usher also produced fictitious surf groups or hot rod groups, mixing studio session musicians with his own troops (Chuck Girard, Dick Burns and others). These bands included the Super-Stocks, with the hot-rod song "Midnight Run", and the Kickstands. Death Usher died of lung cancer at his home in his hometown of Los Angeles, California, on May 25, 1990 at the age of 51. Selected discography Production *''Go Little Honda'' (1964, The Hondells) *''Hondells'' (1964, The Hondells) *''Hit City '65'' (1965, The Surfaris) *''It Ain't Me, Babe'' (1965, The Surfaris) *''In Action'' (1966, Keith Allison) *''An Esoteric Qabalistic Service'' (1966, Rev. Ann Davies with the Builders of the Adytum Choir) *''Gene Clark with the Gosdin Brothers'' (1967, Gene Clark) *''Younger ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Billy Steinberg
William Endfield Steinberg (born February 26, 1950) is an American songwriter. He achieved his greatest success in the 1980s with songwriting partner Tom Kelly; together they wrote or co-wrote the No. 1 hits " Like a Virgin" by Madonna (1984), " True Colors" by Cyndi Lauper (1986), "Eternal Flame" by the Bangles (1989), "So Emotional" by Whitney Houston (1987) and " Alone" (covered by Heart in 1987). They also wrote or co-wrote the hit songs "I Drove All Night" (recorded by various artists, 1987), "I Touch Myself" by Divinyls (1990), and "I'll Stand by You" by The Pretenders (1994). After Kelly retired from music in the 1990s, Steinberg collaborated with other songwriters. With Rick Nowels and Marie-Claire D'Ubaldo he wrote the hit songs "Falling Into You" (covered by Celine Dion) and " One & One". He has written hit songs with Josh Alexander including " All About Us" by t.A.T.u. (2005), "Too Little Too Late" by JoJo (2006) and "Give Your Heart a Break" by Demi Lovato (2012). ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Milan Williams
Milan B. Williams (March 28, 1948 – July 9, 2006) was an American keyboardist and a founding member of The Commodores. Biography Williams was born in Okolona, Mississippi, and began playing the piano after being inspired by his older brother Earl, who was a multi-instrumentalist. Williams's first band was called The Jays. After they disbanded, he met the other founding members of the Commodores in 1967. They were freshmen at Tuskegee Institute, Alabama and Williams was recruited into the newly-formed band. In 1969 he traveled with the band to New York City, where they recorded a single called "Keep on Dancing" on Atlantic Records. Williams also wrote the Commodores' first hit record the instrumental track, "Machine Gun". Other Commodores songs penned by him are; "The Bump", "Rapid Fire", "I'm Ready", "Better Never Than Forever", "Mary Mary", "Quick Draw", "Patch It Up", "X-Rated Movie", "Wonderland", "Old-Fashion Love", "Only You" (a track Williams also produced, taken from the ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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William King (singer)
William King (born January 30, 1949) is an American singer, musician and choreographer. He is a founding member of the Commodores, where he plays trumpet, guitar, synthesizer, flute, and congas/percussion and is the group's choreographer. Background King was born in Birmingham, Alabama. After college, he considered playing tennis professionally but decided to continue his career with the Commodores. King was also hired by a digital computer company to write software but gave that up as well to join the band. King's compositions include "Lady" and "I'm In Love", both of which he co-composed with Harold Hudson and one other. The latter was the B side to their single "Janet" which was released in 1985.45Cat Commodores - Discography, USA/ref> Personal life King married his songwriting partner and fellow Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Sheldon Reynolds (guitarist)
Sheldon Maurice Reynolds (born September 13, 1959) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Reynolds is a former member of bands Sun, The Commodores and Earth, Wind & Fire. Career Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Reynolds began playing the guitar when he was eight years old, and by the age of 12 was considered a prodigy. He went on to become an alumnus of The University of Cincinnati. Reynolds eventually embarked upon a professional musical career. At first he toured with singer Millie Jackson. Reynolds later joined R&B band Sun, with whom he recorded three albums. During 1983 he became a member of The Commodores. With the Commodores he sang on their 1985 LP '' Nightshift'' and then played on their 1986 album ''United''. Altogether he featured with the band for four years. Reynolds then joined Earth, Wind, & Fire (EWF) in the roles of lead guitarist and co-vocalist. He went on to play on EWF's LPs '' Touch The World'' (1987), '' The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 2'' (1988) ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Richard Feldman (songwriter)
Richard Feldman is a Grammy Award-winning American songwriter and producer, raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He worked at Leon Russell's The Church Studio in Tulsa before moving to Los Angeles in 1978, where he worked at Shelter Records. That year he co-wrote "Promises" for Eric Clapton with Roger Linn. The demo was recorded using an early version of the Linndrum. He also wrote songs for the Pointer Sisters, Atlantic Starr, Don Williams, Joe Cocker, The Wailing Souls and many others as well as writing and producing music for Belinda Carlisle, Shakespears Sister and Midge Ure. Feldman won a Grammy for best reggae album in 2004 for Toots and the Maytals The Maytals, known from 1972 to 2020 as Toots and the Maytals, are a Jamaican musical group, one of the best known ska and rocksteady vocal groups. The Maytals were formed in the early 1960s and were key figures in popularizing reggae music. ... ''True Love''. He is currently president of the Association of Independent Music Publishe ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |