Champaign (band)
Encyclopedia
Champaign was a 1980s United States
R&B
band
with adult contemporary leanings, best known for their 1981 hit
, "How 'Bout Us
."
, included Pauli Carman and Rena Jones (later Day) on vocals
; Michael Day and Dana Walden on keyboards
; Leon Reeder on guitar
; Michael Reed on bass
; and Rocky Maffitt on percussion
/drums
. The title track from their 1981 album
, How 'Bout Us
, was a hit
single
, reaching #5 in the UK Singles Chart
, and on the US
Billboard
R&B
chart
(also #12 US Billboard Hot 100
). Their second album, Modern Heart, was released in 1983 and contained the Top 10 R&B track "Try Again
" (also #23 US Pop). Another follow-up, 1984's Woman in Flames, included the Top 10 R&B song "Off and On Love." Other songs include "Party People" and "Walkin'".
In the mid 1980s Carman left the band to begin a solo
career. He released his first solo album, Dial My Number in 1986, scoring an R&B hit with the title track. His second album, It's Time was released the following year. This follow-up effort proved less successful.
In 1990, Champaign (including Carman) reconvened to record
, and the Champaign IV album was released the following year. While it was not a hit, it did herald a brief return to the US R&B chart with the single, "Trials of the Heart."
Former band member Michael Day died of cancer
in 2001.
In 2003, a greatest hits
compilation album
was released that included most of the group's hits, though several (most notably "Try Again") were absent.
Pauli Carman continues to record as a solo artist and under the group name. The Carma album, released in 2008, included original songs along with a remake of The Beatles
' "And I Love Her
" and the Stevie Wonder
track "I Love, I Love". His latest album, Get Back 2 Love, released in 2010, included a remaster of "How 'Bout Us". The title track "Get Back 2 Love" made reference to Champaign's top hits. Also in 2010, Carman released the single "Mercy", a remake of the Marvin Gaye
hit "Mercy Mercy Me". Carman's single was to assist those affected by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico
. A portion of the proceeds was donated to various agencies assisting with the clean up and restoration in the area.
In November 2010, Carman produced The Pauli Carman Show (a TV pilot online show).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
with adult contemporary leanings, best known for their 1981 hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
, "How 'Bout Us
How 'Bout Us
"How 'Bout Us" is a 1981 hit single recorded by R&B music group Champaign and composed by band keyboardist Dana Walden. Originally released on the band's debut album of the same name, the title track peaked at #12 on the Hot 100...
."
Career
The mixed-race septet, who named themselves after their hometown of Champaign, IllinoisChampaign, Illinois
Champaign is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, in the United States. The city is located south of Chicago, west of Indianapolis, Indiana, and 178 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Though surrounded by farm communities, Champaign is notable for sharing the campus of the University of...
, included Pauli Carman and Rena Jones (later Day) on vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
; Michael Day and Dana Walden on keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
; Leon Reeder on guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
; Michael Reed on bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
; and Rocky Maffitt on percussion
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
/drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
. The title track from their 1981 album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, How 'Bout Us
How 'Bout Us
"How 'Bout Us" is a 1981 hit single recorded by R&B music group Champaign and composed by band keyboardist Dana Walden. Originally released on the band's debut album of the same name, the title track peaked at #12 on the Hot 100...
, was a hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, reaching #5 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, and on the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
R&B
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
(also #12 US Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
). Their second album, Modern Heart, was released in 1983 and contained the Top 10 R&B track "Try Again
Try Again (Champaign song)
"Try Again" is a 1983 song by the American R&B band Champaign. Released in March of that year as the only single from their album Modern Heart, this ballad peaked at position 23 on the Hot 100 in June and became a smash hit on the R&B chart, just missing the #1 spot.-Chart history:-Personnel:*Pauli...
" (also #23 US Pop). Another follow-up, 1984's Woman in Flames, included the Top 10 R&B song "Off and On Love." Other songs include "Party People" and "Walkin'".
In the mid 1980s Carman left the band to begin a solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
career. He released his first solo album, Dial My Number in 1986, scoring an R&B hit with the title track. His second album, It's Time was released the following year. This follow-up effort proved less successful.
In 1990, Champaign (including Carman) reconvened to record
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
, and the Champaign IV album was released the following year. While it was not a hit, it did herald a brief return to the US R&B chart with the single, "Trials of the Heart."
Former band member Michael Day died of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
in 2001.
In 2003, a greatest hits
Greatest hits
A greatest hits album is a music compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular artist or band...
compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
was released that included most of the group's hits, though several (most notably "Try Again") were absent.
Pauli Carman continues to record as a solo artist and under the group name. The Carma album, released in 2008, included original songs along with a remake of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' "And I Love Her
And I Love Her
"And I Love Her" is a song recorded by The Beatles, written mainly by Paul McCartney . The fifth track on their third album, A Hard Day's Night, it was released 20 July 1964 with "If I Fell" as a single by Capitol Records in the United States, reaching #12 in Billboard.The Beatles performed "And I...
" and the Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
track "I Love, I Love". His latest album, Get Back 2 Love, released in 2010, included a remaster of "How 'Bout Us". The title track "Get Back 2 Love" made reference to Champaign's top hits. Also in 2010, Carman released the single "Mercy", a remake of the Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
hit "Mercy Mercy Me". Carman's single was to assist those affected by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
. A portion of the proceeds was donated to various agencies assisting with the clean up and restoration in the area.
In November 2010, Carman produced The Pauli Carman Show (a TV pilot online show).
Studio albums
- 1981: How Bout Us?
- 1983: Modern Heart
- 1984: Woman in Flames
- 1991: Champaign IV