Dayton (band)
Encyclopedia
Dayton was a post-disco
funk band
, formed in Dayton
, Ohio
, United States
by Chris Jones (trumpet
, keyboards
, vocals
) from the band Sun
and Shawn Sandridge (guitar
, vocals) from Over Night Low. Derrick Armstrong (vocals), Kevin Hurt (drum
s, percussion
), Jennifer Matthews (vocals) and Rachel Beavers (vocals) completed the line up. Former Sun member Dean Hummons played the keyboards on the first two Dayton album
s.
in 1980 and released their self-titled debut album which included the track "Eyes On You". Dayton toured with Ashford & Simpson
, Quincy Jones
and Stephanie Mills
. They recorded
a second Liberty album, Cutie Pie, in 1981. Guest musicians included James "Diamond" Williams, Keith Harrison, Clarence "Chet" Willis, Billy Beck
, Wes Boatman and Vincent Andrews.
Dayton introduced Rahni Harris as vocalist/keyboard player on their third album, Feel The Music in 1983, which included "The Sound Of Music". "The Sound of Music" was their best known track in the UK
, where it reached #75 in the UK Singles Chart
for one week in late 1983. The song "Love You Anyway" was produced
by Zapp
’s Roger Troutman
. Harris did most of the songwriting and production.
The group switched to Capitol Records
in 1982 and delivered the successful album Hot Fun. This record included "Krackity-Krack" with a guest appearance by Bootsy Collins
and their hit cover version
of Sly Stone's
"Hot Fun in the Summertime
."
They released their last album This Time in 1985, also produced by Harris. It did not match their previous efforts and marked the end of Dayton.
Post-disco
Post-disco refers to a historically significant period in popular music history beginning with the commercial death of disco music in the late 1970s and ending with the mainstream appearance of house music in late 1980s.The stripped-down musical trends followed from the DJ- and producer-driven,...
funk 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...
, formed in Dayton
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by Chris Jones (trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
, 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...
, vocals
Human voice
The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal folds for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, etc. Its frequency ranges from about 60 to 7000 Hz. The human voice is specifically that part of human sound production in which the vocal folds are the primary...
) from the band Sun
Sun (R&B band)
Sun is an R&B, disco, and funk band that was active mainly during the late 1970s and the early 1980s. Originating from Dayton, Ohio, Sun recorded prolifically for Capitol Records from 1976 to 1984. Sun was a brainstorm of Byron Byrd, a young Ohioan given to stargazing and eventual pursuits of...
and Shawn Sandridge (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...
, vocals) from Over Night Low. Derrick Armstrong (vocals), Kevin Hurt (drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s, 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...
), Jennifer Matthews (vocals) and Rachel Beavers (vocals) completed the line up. Former Sun member Dean Hummons played the keyboards on the first two Dayton 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...
s.
History
The group signed to Liberty RecordsLiberty Records
Liberty Records was a United States-based record label. It was started by chairman Simon Waronker in 1955 with Al Bennett as president and Theodore Keep as chief engineer. It was reactivated in 2001 in the United Kingdom and had two previous revivals.-1950s:...
in 1980 and released their self-titled debut album which included the track "Eyes On You". Dayton toured with Ashford & Simpson
Ashford & Simpson
Nickolas Ashford , and Valerie Simpson , were a husband and wife songwriting/production team and recording artists....
, Quincy Jones
Quincy Jones
Quincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is an American record producer and musician. A conductor, musical arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend...
and Stephanie Mills
Stephanie Mills
Stephanie Dorthea Mills is an American R&B and soul singer, and a former Broadway star.-Career:Mills began her career appearing in her first play at the age of nine. Two years later, Mills won Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater a record six times...
. They recorded
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...
a second Liberty album, Cutie Pie, in 1981. Guest musicians included James "Diamond" Williams, Keith Harrison, Clarence "Chet" Willis, Billy Beck
Billy Beck
Billy Beck was an American character actor.-Career:Beck has appeared in small roles since the 50's in such films as Irma la Douce , The Patsy , The Fortune Cookie , Nickelodeon , House , and the 1988 remake The Blob as the first victim of the title creature.-External links:...
, Wes Boatman and Vincent Andrews.
Dayton introduced Rahni Harris as vocalist/keyboard player on their third album, Feel The Music in 1983, which included "The Sound Of Music". "The Sound of Music" was their best known track in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, where it reached #75 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 ...
for one week in late 1983. The song "Love You Anyway" was produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by Zapp
Zapp
Zapp may refer to:*Zapp , a 1980s funk band based in Ohio, USA*Zapp , the debut album by the funk band*Zapp Brannigan, a fictional character from the television series Futurama...
’s Roger Troutman
Roger Troutman
Roger Troutman was the lead singer of the band Zapp who helped spearhead the Funk movement and heavily influenced West Coast hip hop due to the scene's heavy sampling of his music over the years...
. Harris did most of the songwriting and production.
The group switched to Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
in 1982 and delivered the successful album Hot Fun. This record included "Krackity-Krack" with a guest appearance by Bootsy Collins
Bootsy Collins
William Earl "Bootsy" Collins is an American funk bassist, singer, and songwriter.Rising to prominence with James Brown in the late 1960s, and with Parliament-Funkadelic in the '70s, Collins's driving bass guitar and humorous vocals established him as one of the leading names in funk...
and their hit cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of Sly Stone's
Sly Stone
Sly Stone is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, most famous for his role as frontman for Sly & the Family Stone, a band which played a critical role in the development of soul, funk and psychedelia in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1993, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of...
"Hot Fun in the Summertime
Hot Fun in the Summertime
"Hot Fun in the Summertime" is a 1969 song recorded by Sly & the Family Stone. The single was released in the wake of the band's high-profile performance at Woodstock, which greatly expanded their fanbase. The song peaked at number 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart and number 3 on...
."
They released their last album This Time in 1985, also produced by Harris. It did not match their previous efforts and marked the end of Dayton.
Albums
- 1980 - Dayton (LibertyLiberty RecordsLiberty Records was a United States-based record label. It was started by chairman Simon Waronker in 1955 with Al Bennett as president and Theodore Keep as chief engineer. It was reactivated in 2001 in the United Kingdom and had two previous revivals.-1950s:...
) - 1981 - Cutie Pie (Liberty)
- 1982 - Hot FunHot FunHot Fun is the third album from Dayton with the ever popular redention of Sly and the Family Stone's 1969 classic song Hot Fun in the Summertime...
(CapitolCapitol RecordsCapitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
) - 1983 - Feel The Music (Liberty)
- 1985 - This Time (Capitol)
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album |
| U.S. United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... 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,... |
|||
| 1982 | "Hot Fun In The Summertime" | 3 | Hot Fun |
| 1982 | "Krackity Krack" | 9 | Hot Fun |
| 1982 | "We Can't Miss" | 15 | Hot Fun |
| 1983 | "Meet The Man" | 7 | Hot Fun |
| 1983 | "It Must Be Love" | 54 | Feel the Music |
| 1985 | "This Time" | 81 | This Time |
External links
- Dayton biography
- [ Dayton discography] on Allmusic