Full Force is an American music group of
hip hop and
R&B singers and
producers
Producer or producers may refer to:
Occupations
*Producer (agriculture), a farm operator
*A stakeholder of economic production
*Film producer, supervises the making of films
**Executive producer, contributes to a film's budget and usually does not ...
from
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
.
[
]
Members
*B-Fine (Brian George) - drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a she ...
s and drum programming
Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices and computer software, such as sequencers and workstations or hardware synthesizers, sampler and sequencers, to generate sounds of musical instruments. These mus ...
, backing vocals
*Shy Shy (Hugh Junior Clark) - bass guitar
The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...
, backing vocals
*Paul Anthony (Paul Anthony George) - vocals
*Bow-Legged Lou (Lucien George Jr.) - vocals
*Curt-T-T (Curt Bedeau) - guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
, backing vocals
*Baby Gee (Gerry Charles) - keyboards
Keyboard may refer to:
Text input
* Keyboard, part of a typewriter
* Computer keyboard
** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping
** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware
Music
* Musi ...
, synthesizer
A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...
s, backing vocals.
History
Production and songwriting
The group produced and wrote music for numerous artists including UTFO
UTFO (an abbreviation for Untouchable Force Organization) was an American old-school hip hop group from Brooklyn, New York City.
The group consisted of Kangol Kid (born Shaun Shiller Fequiere; August 10, 1966 – December 18, 2021), Educated R ...
, Doctor Ice
UTFO (an abbreviation for Untouchable Force Organization) was an American old-school hip hop group from Brooklyn, New York City.
The group consisted of Kangol Kid (born Shaun Shiller Fequiere; August 10, 1966 – December 18, 2021), Educated R ...
, Samantha Fox
Samantha Karen Fox (born 15 April 1966) is an English pop singer and former glamour model from East London. She rose to public attention aged 16, when her mother entered her photographs in an amateur modelling contest run by ''The Sunday Peopl ...
, Patti LaBelle
Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944), known professionally as Patti LaBelle, is an American R&B singer, actress and businesswoman.
LaBelle is referred to as the " Godmother of Soul".
She began her career in the early 1960s as lead singe ...
, The Force M.D.s, Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...
, James Brown
James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honor ...
, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam
Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam were an urban contemporary band and one of the first freestyle music groups to emerge from New York City in the 1980s. Cult Jam consisted of vocalist Lisa Lisa (born Lisa Valez), guitarist/bassist Alex "Spanador" Moseley, a ...
, Backstreet Boys
Backstreet Boys (often abbreviated as BSB) are an American vocal group consisting of Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, and cousins Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson. Lou Pearlman formed the group in 1993 in Orlando, Florida.
The gr ...
, 'N Sync
NSYNC (, ; also stylized as *NSYNC or 'N Sync) was an American boy band formed by Chris Kirkpatrick in Orlando, Florida, in 1995 and launched in Germany by BMG Ariola Munich. Their self-titled debut album was successfully released to European ...
, Cheryl Pepsii Riley
Cheryl Bridget "Pepsii" Riley (born October 18, 1961) is an American singer and actress. Riley is best known for her music during the late 1980s through the early 1990s, most notable; 1988's R&B ballad " Thanks for My Child". Riley also starr ...
, Selena
Selena Quintanilla Pérez (; April 16, 1971 – March 31, 1995), known mononymously as Selena, was an American Tejano singer. Called the " Queen of Tejano music", her contributions to music and fashion made her one of the most celebrated Mex ...
and Lil' Kim
Kimberly Denise Jones (born July 11, 1974), Those giving 1974 include:
*
*
*
*
* better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper and reality television personality. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, she lived much of he ...
.[
Full Force's breakthrough hit was UTFO's " Roxanne, Roxanne" (1984), a record that led to several answer records, most notably one by ]Roxanne Shanté
Lolita Shante Gooden (born March 8, 1970), better known by her stage name Roxanne Shante, is an American rapper. Born and raised in the Queensbridge Projects of Queens, New York City, Shante first gained attention through the Roxanne Wars and w ...
. Through the 80s the group produced a string of major hits for Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam
Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam were an urban contemporary band and one of the first freestyle music groups to emerge from New York City in the 1980s. Cult Jam consisted of vocalist Lisa Lisa (born Lisa Valez), guitarist/bassist Alex "Spanador" Moseley, a ...
, including " I Wonder If I Take You Home", " All Cried Out" and "Head to Toe
"Head to Toe" is a song recorded by Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam that appeared on their 1987 album ''Spanish Fly''. The song hit number one on three charts: ''Billboard'' Hot 100 on June 20, 1987, the Hot Black Singles charts on May 30 of that year, ...
".[ They also scored hits for ]Samantha Fox
Samantha Karen Fox (born 15 April 1966) is an English pop singer and former glamour model from East London. She rose to public attention aged 16, when her mother entered her photographs in an amateur modelling contest run by ''The Sunday Peopl ...
, including "Naughty Girls (Need Love Too)
"Naughty Girls (Need Love Too)" is a song recorded by English singer Samantha Fox for her self-titled second studio album (1987). It was released as a single in 1988 and was a collaboration between Fox and hip-hop group Full Force. It describes ...
" and "I Wanna Have Some Fun
''I Wanna Have Some Fun'' is the third studio album by English singer Samantha Fox. It was released in November 1988 by Jive Records. The album features production from previous collaborators Full Force, Stock Aitken Waterman, Steve Power and S ...
" and R&B singer Cheryl Pepsii Riley
Cheryl Bridget "Pepsii" Riley (born October 18, 1961) is an American singer and actress. Riley is best known for her music during the late 1980s through the early 1990s, most notable; 1988's R&B ballad " Thanks for My Child". Riley also starr ...
including US R&B number one " Thanks for My Child". Their 1988 single " I'm Real" for James Brown
James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honor ...
gave the legendary singer his biggest hit for 14 years, peaking at US R&B number two.
Additionally, the group wrote and produced most of the singles from La Toya Jackson's fifth studio album '' La Toya'', including " You're Gonna Get Rocked!" and "You Blew
"You Blew" is a 1988 single by American singer La Toya Jackson, taken from her fifth album '' La Toya''. Released on December 20, 1988, The single was produced by hip-hop production team Full Force and was released on 7" and 12" formats in German ...
," as well as Patti LaBelle
Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944), known professionally as Patti LaBelle, is an American R&B singer, actress and businesswoman.
LaBelle is referred to as the " Godmother of Soul".
She began her career in the early 1960s as lead singe ...
's track "I Got It Like That", for which they also provided prominent background vocals from her 1989 album '' Be Yourself''. Full Force also provided backing vocals on two Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
songs recorded during sessions for ''Infidels
An infidel (literally "unfaithful") is a person accused of disbelief in the central tenets of one's own religion, such as members of another religion, or the irreligious.
Infidel is an ecclesiastical term in Christianity around which the Church ...
'': "Death Is Not the End" (released on ''Down in the Groove
''Down in the Groove'' is the 25th studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on May 30, 1988 by Columbia Records.
A highly collaborative effort, it was Dylan's second consecutive album to receive almost unanimously negative re ...
'' (1988) and "Tell Me" (released on ''The Bootleg Series Volumes 1-3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961-1991
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
'').
Full Force's biggest hit from the 1990s was the Backstreet Boys' 1998 US top 5/UK number 2 hit single " All I Have to Give". Full Force also worked with Prince
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...
's ex-wife Mayté on her 1995 album ''Child of the Sun'', however the tracks remain unreleased.
Full Force also contributed to the production on Blaque
Blaque is an American girl group that charted from 1999 to 2004. Outside of the United States, they are known as Blaque Ivory. Their self-titled debut album ''Blaque'' sold more than 1 million copies and was certified Platinum. The group's d ...
's 2002 unreleased album, '' Blaque Out'' and Lil' Kim
Kimberly Denise Jones (born July 11, 1974), Those giving 1974 include:
*
*
*
*
* better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper and reality television personality. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, she lived much of he ...
's 2003 release, ''La Bella Mafia
''La Bella Mafia'' is the third studio album by American rapper Lil' Kim, released on March 4, 2003, by Atlantic Records. The album debuted at number five on the US ''Billboard'' 200, was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association ...
'', on her song "Can't Fuck with Queen Bee." The group produced Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...
's "That La, La, La," which appears on her 2005 debut album ''Music of the Sun
''Music of the Sun'' is the debut studio album by Barbadian singer Rihanna. It was released on August 29, 2005, by Def Jam Recordings. Prior to signing with Def Jam, Rihanna was discovered by record producer Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers, Evan Rog ...
''. The Black Eyed Peas
Black Eyed Peas (also known as The Black Eyed Peas) is an American musical group consisting of rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo. The group's line-up during the height of their popularity in the 2000s featured Fergie, who replaced Kim Hil ...
' 2005 worldwide hit "Don't Phunk with My Heart
"Don't Phunk with My Heart" (censored as "Don't Mess with My Heart") is a song recorded by American group the Black Eyed Peas for their fourth studio album '' Monkey Business'' (2005). It was written by band members will.i.am and Fergie with Pri ...
" was also written as a collaboration between Full Force and will.i.am
William James Adams Jr. (born March 15, 1975), known professionally as will.i.am (pronounced "Will-I-am"), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. He is the founding and lead member of the musical group Black Eyed Peas.
...
of the Peas.
Recording
In addition to their production résumé, the group have also released their own albums and music. Their 1985 single "Alice, I Want You Just for Me!" became a Top 10 hit in the UK in January 1986. They placed several hit singles under their own name on the US ''Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' R&B chart
A chart (sometimes known as a graph) is a graphical representation for data visualization, in which "the data is represented by symbols, such as bars in a bar chart, lines in a line chart, or slices in a pie chart". A chart can represent tabu ...
during the latter half of the 1980s. Tracks such as "Unselfish Lover" (from their self-titled debut) and "Temporary Love Thing" (from their follow-up album, ''Full Force Get Busy 1 Time!'') received substantial airplay. "All in My Mind" became the group's first and only single to date to reach the R&B Top Ten in 1988.
In 2001 Thump Records
Thump Records is a record label specialized in various genres of music. Founded by Bill Walker and Al Lopez for $10,000. In 1997 Bill Walker became its sole C.E.O. and President.
History
Thump's success was ignited by the popularity of its Old S ...
, a label known for its freestyle compilations, released the group's first greatest hits compilation ''Ahead of Their Time! Full Force's Greatest Hits''. In 2007, on its Columbia release ''Legendary'', the group has a song dedicated to Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954), or simply Oprah, is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', br ...
titled "We're Feeling You, Oprah." It was inspired by the related members' mother's love for Winfrey.
Acting
They appeared in the 1990 comedy film ''House Party
A house party is a type of party where people gather at the residence of the party's host.
Organization
A house party might be organized several months or just a few hours in advance. News of a party may be spread by personal invitations, ...
'' and its first sequel as the bullies of Kid 'n Play
Kid 'n Play is an American hip-hop duo from New York City that was most popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The duo was composed of Christopher Reid ("Kid") and Christopher Martin ("Play") working alongside their DJ, Mark "DJ Wiz" Eas ...
. (Although not included on ''House Partys official soundtrack album, Full Force's "Ain't My Type of Hype" was used in the film's dance-battle scene.) Bowlegged Lou also acted in ''Who's the Man?
''Who's the Man?'' is a 1993 thriller buddy comedy film directed by Ted Demme in his feature film directing debut. The film stars ''Yo! MTV Raps'' hosts Doctor Dré and Ed Lover as its two main protagonists and features cameo appearances from s ...
'' (1993) and played Lord Primus in the 2013 sci-fi TV series ''Body Jumpers''.
Discography
Albums
Singles
As Producers
Filmography
* 1985: ''Krush Groove
''Krush Groove'' is a 1985 American musical comedy-drama film distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures that was written by Ralph Farquhar and directed by Michael Schultz (who also produced the movie, along with George Jackson and Doug McHenry). This ...
''
* 1990: ''House Party
A house party is a type of party where people gather at the residence of the party's host.
Organization
A house party might be organized several months or just a few hours in advance. News of a party may be spread by personal invitations, ...
''
* 1991: ''House Party 2
''House Party 2'' is a 1991 American comedy film and the sequel to the 1990 film ''House Party'' released by New Line Cinema. The film returns most of the cast of the first film such as Kid 'n Play and Full Force, along with new cast members su ...
''
* 1993: ''Who's the Man''
References
External links
Official Fullforce Site
Official Fansite
Full Force Discography
at Discogs
Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the la ...
.
{{Authority control
African-American record producers
American hip hop record producers
American contemporary R&B musical groups
Capitol Records artists
Columbia Records artists
New jack swing music groups
Record production teams
Songwriters from New York (state)
TVT Records artists
Musical groups from Brooklyn
1976 establishments in New York City