Ripple was an American

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...

band from

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

. The group was signed to GRC Records and

Salsoul Records Salsoul Records is an American New York City based record label, founded by three brothers, Joseph Cayre, Kenneth Cayre, and Stanley Cayre (the Cayre brothers). Salsoul issued about 300 singles, including many disco/post-disco 12-inch releases, ...

in the 1970s, and scored several

hit single A hit song, also known as a hit record, hit single or simply a hit, is a recorded song or instrumental that becomes broadly popular or well-known. Although ''hit song'' means any widely played or big-selling song, the specific term ''hit record' ...

s, the biggest of which were "I Don't Know What It Is, but It Sure Is Funky" and "The Beat Goes On and On," the latter on

, joined by the

Salsoul Orchestra The Salsoul Orchestra was the backing band of session musicians for many acts on the New York City label Salsoul Records and, under its own name, recorded several hit singles and albums between 1975 and 1982. History The orchestra was formed i ...

. After moving to Atlanta, Georgia, Wally, Kenny, and Brian restructured the group, adding Victor Burks (keyboards) and Barry Lee (guitar). The group toured extensively around the Southeast, the highlight of which was opening for George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic on their "Mothership Connection" tour. Wally, Kenny, Brian, Victor, and Barry went on to record their seminal album, ''Sons of the Gods''. "The Beat Goes On and On", from that album, became a disco/hustle classic that still receives airplay today. The signature "oh-la oh-la ay" line from "I Don't Know What It Is, but It Sure Is Funky" was later incorporated into

Marcia Griffiths Marcia Llyneth Griffiths (born 23 November 1949) is a Jamaican singer. One reviewer described her by noting "she is known primarily for her strong, smooth-as-mousse love songs and captivating live performances". Biography Born in West Kingst ...

' smash hit, " Electric Boogie (Electric Slide)," along with

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 ...

's 1988 hit "Rollin' with Kid 'n Play."

Band members

*Keith Samuels - guitar, lead vocals *Simon Kenneth Carter - bass, vocals *Brian Sherrer - drums, percussion, timbales *Walter (Wally) Carter - conga, percussion, vocals *Dave Ferguson - trumpet, flugel horn, percussion *William (Bill) Hull - tenor sax, flute, percussion *Curtis Reynolds - organ, piano, vibe master, vibraphone, vocals *Victor Burks - keyboards, vocals *Barry Lee - guitar

Discography

Albums

*''Ripple'' ( GRC Records, 1973) *''Sons of the Gods'' (

, 1977)

Singles

References

External links

* {{Authority control Musical groups from Michigan American funk musical groups Salsoul Records artists 1973 establishments in Michigan