Dynasty (band)
Encyclopedia
Dynasty was an American
R&B
band
, based in Los Angeles
, California
, created by producer
and SOLAR Records
label
head Dick Griffey
and Leon Sylvers III
. The band was known for their dance
/pop
numbers during the late 1970s and 1980s. Bassist
Kevin Spencer and vocalists Nidra Beard and Linda Carriere comprised the group.
family group who had achieved much popularity in the early to mid 1970s. A principal architect of the SOLAR
sound, Sylvers had become the in-house producer in 1978 for the label (whose name stood for "Sound Of Los Angeles Records') and it was in this capacity that he brought the members of Dynasty together. The group consisted of three young performers; vocalists Nidra Beard, Linda Carriere and bassist Kevin Spencer.
Beard and Carriere first became friends during the winter of 1972, when Carriere moved from New Orleans for college. Both were frequent visitors to 'Maverick's Flat', a popular soul/pop nightclub
in Los Angeles. The owner of Maverick's Flat, John Daniels, was in the process of putting together a new group 'DeBlanc' and both young singers became members. For two years, they toured with the DeBlanc, throughout the major cities of Europe, Japan, Canada, and United States. When DeBlanc broke up in 1975, some of the original members (including Beard and Carriere) formed a new group called Starfire. For one successful year, Starfire performed essentially in the United States, with a few key dates in Finland and Iran. After the tour, the group decided to disband. Around this time Beard developed a strong relationship with Sylvers. She was, at that time, performing with Capitol
recording artists, The Sylvers as a fill-in on live dates for the female Sylvers who were minors at the time. This new association proved beneficial to both Beard and Carriere, as Sylvers introduced each to Griffey. Spencer first met Sylvers when he appeared at the Sylvers' Palos Verdes
home, unannounced, to audition as bass player for the Sylvers. It was that introduction coupled with Spencer's performance dates with the Sylvers that cemented what both Sylvers and Griffey needed for their new group. Work then began on Dynasty's first album.
The band's debut album Your Piece Of The Rock
, released in 1979, yielded the band's first R&B hit, "I Don't Want to Be a Freak (But I Can't Help Myself)". The track peaked at #20 in the UK Singles Chart
in late 1979.
During the late 1970s to mid 1980s, recordings by SOLAR groups such as The Whispers
, Shalamar
, Midnight Star
, and Dynasty, would become hits, and although Dynasty was not as successful as The Whispers or Shalamar, they did enjoy a few chart entries.
Adventures In The Land Of Music
, released in 1980, was Dynasty's second album. The set contained their biggest hit, "I've Just Begun to Love You" (which peaked at #6 on the US
Billboard
R&B
chart
; #87 on the US Billboard Hot 100
; and #51 in the UK
),
Dynasty was an American
R&B
band
, based in Los Angeles
, California
, created by producer
and SOLAR Records
label
head Dick Griffey
and Leon Sylvers III
. The band was known for their dance
/pop
numbers during the late 1970s and 1980s. Bassist
Kevin Spencer and vocalists Nidra Beard and Linda Carriere comprised the group.
family group who had achieved much popularity in the early to mid 1970s. A principal architect of the SOLAR
sound, Sylvers had become the in-house producer in 1978 for the label (whose name stood for "Sound Of Los Angeles Records') and it was in this capacity that he brought the members of Dynasty together. The group consisted of three young performers; vocalists Nidra Beard, Linda Carriere and bassist Kevin Spencer.
Beard and Carriere first became friends during the winter of 1972, when Carriere moved from New Orleans for college. Both were frequent visitors to 'Maverick's Flat', a popular soul/pop nightclub
in Los Angeles. The owner of Maverick's Flat, John Daniels, was in the process of putting together a new group 'DeBlanc' and both young singers became members. For two years, they toured with the DeBlanc, throughout the major cities of Europe, Japan, Canada, and United States. When DeBlanc broke up in 1975, some of the original members (including Beard and Carriere) formed a new group called Starfire. For one successful year, Starfire performed essentially in the United States, with a few key dates in Finland and Iran. After the tour, the group decided to disband. Around this time Beard developed a strong relationship with Sylvers. She was, at that time, performing with Capitol
recording artists, The Sylvers as a fill-in on live dates for the female Sylvers who were minors at the time. This new association proved beneficial to both Beard and Carriere, as Sylvers introduced each to Griffey. Spencer first met Sylvers when he appeared at the Sylvers' Palos Verdes
home, unannounced, to audition as bass player for the Sylvers. It was that introduction coupled with Spencer's performance dates with the Sylvers that cemented what both Sylvers and Griffey needed for their new group. Work then began on Dynasty's first album.
The band's debut album Your Piece Of The Rock
, released in 1979, yielded the band's first R&B hit, "I Don't Want to Be a Freak (But I Can't Help Myself)". The track peaked at #20 in the UK Singles Chart
in late 1979.
During the late 1970s to mid 1980s, recordings by SOLAR groups such as The Whispers
, Shalamar
, Midnight Star
, and Dynasty, would become hits, and although Dynasty was not as successful as The Whispers or Shalamar, they did enjoy a few chart entries.
Adventures In The Land Of Music
, released in 1980, was Dynasty's second album. The set contained their biggest hit, "I've Just Begun to Love You" (which peaked at #6 on the US
Billboard
R&B
chart
; #87 on the US Billboard Hot 100
; and #51 in the UK
),
Dynasty was an American
R&B
band
, based in Los Angeles
, California
, created by producer
and SOLAR Records
label
head Dick Griffey
and Leon Sylvers III
. The band was known for their dance
/pop
numbers during the late 1970s and 1980s. Bassist
Kevin Spencer and vocalists Nidra Beard and Linda Carriere comprised the group.
family group who had achieved much popularity in the early to mid 1970s. A principal architect of the SOLAR
sound, Sylvers had become the in-house producer in 1978 for the label (whose name stood for "Sound Of Los Angeles Records') and it was in this capacity that he brought the members of Dynasty together. The group consisted of three young performers; vocalists Nidra Beard, Linda Carriere and bassist Kevin Spencer.
Beard and Carriere first became friends during the winter of 1972, when Carriere moved from New Orleans for college. Both were frequent visitors to 'Maverick's Flat', a popular soul/pop nightclub
in Los Angeles. The owner of Maverick's Flat, John Daniels, was in the process of putting together a new group 'DeBlanc' and both young singers became members. For two years, they toured with the DeBlanc, throughout the major cities of Europe, Japan, Canada, and United States. When DeBlanc broke up in 1975, some of the original members (including Beard and Carriere) formed a new group called Starfire. For one successful year, Starfire performed essentially in the United States, with a few key dates in Finland and Iran. After the tour, the group decided to disband. Around this time Beard developed a strong relationship with Sylvers. She was, at that time, performing with Capitol
recording artists, The Sylvers as a fill-in on live dates for the female Sylvers who were minors at the time. This new association proved beneficial to both Beard and Carriere, as Sylvers introduced each to Griffey. Spencer first met Sylvers when he appeared at the Sylvers' Palos Verdes
home, unannounced, to audition as bass player for the Sylvers. It was that introduction coupled with Spencer's performance dates with the Sylvers that cemented what both Sylvers and Griffey needed for their new group. Work then began on Dynasty's first album.
The band's debut album Your Piece Of The Rock
, released in 1979, yielded the band's first R&B hit, "I Don't Want to Be a Freak (But I Can't Help Myself)". The track peaked at #20 in the UK Singles Chart
in late 1979.
During the late 1970s to mid 1980s, recordings by SOLAR groups such as The Whispers
, Shalamar
, Midnight Star
, and Dynasty, would become hits, and although Dynasty was not as successful as The Whispers or Shalamar, they did enjoy a few chart entries.
Adventures In The Land Of Music
, released in 1980, was Dynasty's second album. The set contained their biggest hit, "I've Just Begun to Love You" (which peaked at #6 on the US
Billboard
R&B
chart
; #87 on the US Billboard Hot 100
; and #51 in the UK
), as well as the songs, "Do Me Right" and "Groove Control." The three songs combined to reach number five on the US Dance chart. The title track would provide the key samples
for Camp Lo
's "Luchini AKA This Is It", Angie Stone
's "Lovers' Ghetto", Terri Walker
's "This Is My Time", and Wiz Khalifa
's "Won't Land."
Sylvers joined the group in 1981, but his presence did not elevate their success. That year they released their third album, The Second Adventure
. Although it did produce two top forty R&B hits, "Here I Am" and "Love in the Fast Lane", the album was largely overlooked. Sylvers and Beard were briefly married during the early 1980s.
Three more albums followed, 1982's Right Back at Cha!
, 1986's Day Dreamin'
, 1988's Out of Control. Right Back at Cha! had two US singles released; "Check It Out" and "Strokin'". Only "Check It Out" saw chart action and the album reached in the middle of the Billboard 200
. In the UK the label went for two other singles; "The Only One" and "Does That Ring A Bell", where the latter entered the UK Singles Chart peaking at #53. The band returned again in 1986 with the album, Day Dreamin' , but by this time Carriere was no longer part of the group and Nidra Beard was using her Sylvers surname. Their final studio release was 1988's Out of Control, but hit singles had dried up. Curiously, the Out of Control album had the exact same cover as the preceding album (Day Dreamin' ) and also included several of the same tracks. The singles "Don't Waste My Time" and "Tell Me (Do You Want My Love)?" were taken off the album. Even though new SOLAR producers, L.A. Reid and Babyface, were brought in to produce the album, the group could not revive their earlier glory and disbanded soon afterwards. Although the group had disbanded, they would later appear as backing vocalists on gospel
artist and label-mate Juanita G. Hines' 1994 album Jesus, My Wonderful Friend.
Beard, who had written much of Dynasty's material, continued as a songwriter. Her songs appeared on albums by Shalamar, The Whispers, 7th Wonder
, 911
, and LaRue
. Carriere continued as a background vocalist working with Kristine W
, Loose Ends
, and Randy Crawford
, among others. Keyboardist-singer Spencer returned to studio work and can be heard on recordings by Carrie Lucas
, Shalamar, The Whispers, Tin Harris, and Gladys Knight & the Pips
. Sylvers went on to have a successful career as the producer and songwriter of such artists as Howard Hewett
, Ahmad Jamal
, The Brothers Johnson, Glenn Jones
, Blackstreet
.
The band has recently reissued most of their albums on CD
, through Canadian independent record label
, Unidisc Music Inc.
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...
, based in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, created by producer
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...
and SOLAR Records
SOLAR Records
S.O.L.A.R. Records was an American record label founded in 1977 by Dick Griffey, reconstituted out of Soul Train Records only two years after it was founded with Soul Train television show host and creator Don Cornelius.-Company history:In 1975, Soul Train Records was founded by Dick Griffey and...
label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
head Dick Griffey
Dick Griffey
Richard Gilbert "Dick" Griffey was an American record producer and promoter who founded SOLAR Records, an acronym for "Sound of Los Angeles Records", which played a major role in developing a funk-oriented blend of disco, R&B and soul music during the 1970s and 1980s...
and Leon Sylvers III
Leon Sylvers III
Leon Frank Sylvers III is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and multi-instrumentalist. He was a member of the family group The Sylvers and became one of the most successful producers in black music in the late 1970s to the mid 1980s through his association with Dick Griffey's SOLAR...
. The band was known for their dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
/pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
numbers during the late 1970s and 1980s. Bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Kevin Spencer and vocalists Nidra Beard and Linda Carriere comprised the group.
History
Dynasty was essentially the brainchild of Griffey and producer Sylvers, a former member of the SylversThe Sylvers
The Sylvers were a popular R&B/soul and disco family group during the 1970s. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, the family would later relocate to Watts, California.- Beginnings :...
family group who had achieved much popularity in the early to mid 1970s. A principal architect of the SOLAR
SOLAR Records
S.O.L.A.R. Records was an American record label founded in 1977 by Dick Griffey, reconstituted out of Soul Train Records only two years after it was founded with Soul Train television show host and creator Don Cornelius.-Company history:In 1975, Soul Train Records was founded by Dick Griffey and...
sound, Sylvers had become the in-house producer in 1978 for the label (whose name stood for "Sound Of Los Angeles Records') and it was in this capacity that he brought the members of Dynasty together. The group consisted of three young performers; vocalists Nidra Beard, Linda Carriere and bassist Kevin Spencer.
Beard and Carriere first became friends during the winter of 1972, when Carriere moved from New Orleans for college. Both were frequent visitors to 'Maverick's Flat', a popular soul/pop nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
in Los Angeles. The owner of Maverick's Flat, John Daniels, was in the process of putting together a new group 'DeBlanc' and both young singers became members. For two years, they toured with the DeBlanc, throughout the major cities of Europe, Japan, Canada, and United States. When DeBlanc broke up in 1975, some of the original members (including Beard and Carriere) formed a new group called Starfire. For one successful year, Starfire performed essentially in the United States, with a few key dates in Finland and Iran. After the tour, the group decided to disband. Around this time Beard developed a strong relationship with Sylvers. She was, at that time, performing with Capitol
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...
recording artists, The Sylvers as a fill-in on live dates for the female Sylvers who were minors at the time. This new association proved beneficial to both Beard and Carriere, as Sylvers introduced each to Griffey. Spencer first met Sylvers when he appeared at the Sylvers' Palos Verdes
Palos Verdes
Palos Verdes is a name often used to refer to a group of coastal cities in the Palos Verdes Hills on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, within southwestern Los Angeles County in the U.S...
home, unannounced, to audition as bass player for the Sylvers. It was that introduction coupled with Spencer's performance dates with the Sylvers that cemented what both Sylvers and Griffey needed for their new group. Work then began on Dynasty's first album.
The band's debut album Your Piece Of The Rock
Your Piece Of The Rock
Your Piece Of The Rock is the debut album by the Los Angeles, California-based R&B group Dynasty . Released in 1979.-Track listing:#"Your Piece of the Rock"...
, released in 1979, yielded the band's first R&B hit, "I Don't Want to Be a Freak (But I Can't Help Myself)". The track peaked at #20 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 ...
in late 1979.
During the late 1970s to mid 1980s, recordings by SOLAR groups such as The Whispers
The Whispers
The Whispers are a long-established R&B-dance vocal group from Los Angeles, California, with a consistent track record of hit records dating back to the late 1960s.-Career:...
, Shalamar
Shalamar
Shalamar was an American music group, primarily of the 1970s and 1980s, that was originally a disco-driven vehicle created by Soul Train booking agent Dick Griffey and show creator Don Cornelius. They went on to be an influential dance trio, masterminded by Soul Train producer Don Cornelius...
, Midnight Star
Midnight Star
Midnight Star is an R&B and electro-funk group that had a string of R&B hits in the 1980s.-Band history:The group was formed in 1976 at Kentucky State University by trumpeter Reggie Calloway, vocalist Belinda Lipscomb, guitarist/vocalist Melvin Gentry, bassist Kenneth Gant, multi-instrumentalist...
, and Dynasty, would become hits, and although Dynasty was not as successful as The Whispers or Shalamar, they did enjoy a few chart entries.
Adventures In The Land Of Music
Adventures in the Land of Music
Adventures in the Land of Music is the second album by the Los Angeles, California-based R&B group Dynasty, released in 1980.- Track listing :# "I've Just Begun to Love You" 6:26...
, released in 1980, was Dynasty's second album. The set contained their biggest hit, "I've Just Begun to Love You" (which peaked at #6 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....
; #87 on the 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...
; and #51 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...
),
Dynasty was an American
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...
, based in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, created by producer
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...
and SOLAR Records
SOLAR Records
S.O.L.A.R. Records was an American record label founded in 1977 by Dick Griffey, reconstituted out of Soul Train Records only two years after it was founded with Soul Train television show host and creator Don Cornelius.-Company history:In 1975, Soul Train Records was founded by Dick Griffey and...
label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
head Dick Griffey
Dick Griffey
Richard Gilbert "Dick" Griffey was an American record producer and promoter who founded SOLAR Records, an acronym for "Sound of Los Angeles Records", which played a major role in developing a funk-oriented blend of disco, R&B and soul music during the 1970s and 1980s...
and Leon Sylvers III
Leon Sylvers III
Leon Frank Sylvers III is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and multi-instrumentalist. He was a member of the family group The Sylvers and became one of the most successful producers in black music in the late 1970s to the mid 1980s through his association with Dick Griffey's SOLAR...
. The band was known for their dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
/pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
numbers during the late 1970s and 1980s. Bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Kevin Spencer and vocalists Nidra Beard and Linda Carriere comprised the group.
History
Dynasty was essentially the brainchild of Griffey and producer Sylvers, a former member of the SylversThe Sylvers
The Sylvers were a popular R&B/soul and disco family group during the 1970s. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, the family would later relocate to Watts, California.- Beginnings :...
family group who had achieved much popularity in the early to mid 1970s. A principal architect of the SOLAR
SOLAR Records
S.O.L.A.R. Records was an American record label founded in 1977 by Dick Griffey, reconstituted out of Soul Train Records only two years after it was founded with Soul Train television show host and creator Don Cornelius.-Company history:In 1975, Soul Train Records was founded by Dick Griffey and...
sound, Sylvers had become the in-house producer in 1978 for the label (whose name stood for "Sound Of Los Angeles Records') and it was in this capacity that he brought the members of Dynasty together. The group consisted of three young performers; vocalists Nidra Beard, Linda Carriere and bassist Kevin Spencer.
Beard and Carriere first became friends during the winter of 1972, when Carriere moved from New Orleans for college. Both were frequent visitors to 'Maverick's Flat', a popular soul/pop nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
in Los Angeles. The owner of Maverick's Flat, John Daniels, was in the process of putting together a new group 'DeBlanc' and both young singers became members. For two years, they toured with the DeBlanc, throughout the major cities of Europe, Japan, Canada, and United States. When DeBlanc broke up in 1975, some of the original members (including Beard and Carriere) formed a new group called Starfire. For one successful year, Starfire performed essentially in the United States, with a few key dates in Finland and Iran. After the tour, the group decided to disband. Around this time Beard developed a strong relationship with Sylvers. She was, at that time, performing with Capitol
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...
recording artists, The Sylvers as a fill-in on live dates for the female Sylvers who were minors at the time. This new association proved beneficial to both Beard and Carriere, as Sylvers introduced each to Griffey. Spencer first met Sylvers when he appeared at the Sylvers' Palos Verdes
Palos Verdes
Palos Verdes is a name often used to refer to a group of coastal cities in the Palos Verdes Hills on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, within southwestern Los Angeles County in the U.S...
home, unannounced, to audition as bass player for the Sylvers. It was that introduction coupled with Spencer's performance dates with the Sylvers that cemented what both Sylvers and Griffey needed for their new group. Work then began on Dynasty's first album.
The band's debut album Your Piece Of The Rock
Your Piece Of The Rock
Your Piece Of The Rock is the debut album by the Los Angeles, California-based R&B group Dynasty . Released in 1979.-Track listing:#"Your Piece of the Rock"...
, released in 1979, yielded the band's first R&B hit, "I Don't Want to Be a Freak (But I Can't Help Myself)". The track peaked at #20 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 ...
in late 1979.
During the late 1970s to mid 1980s, recordings by SOLAR groups such as The Whispers
The Whispers
The Whispers are a long-established R&B-dance vocal group from Los Angeles, California, with a consistent track record of hit records dating back to the late 1960s.-Career:...
, Shalamar
Shalamar
Shalamar was an American music group, primarily of the 1970s and 1980s, that was originally a disco-driven vehicle created by Soul Train booking agent Dick Griffey and show creator Don Cornelius. They went on to be an influential dance trio, masterminded by Soul Train producer Don Cornelius...
, Midnight Star
Midnight Star
Midnight Star is an R&B and electro-funk group that had a string of R&B hits in the 1980s.-Band history:The group was formed in 1976 at Kentucky State University by trumpeter Reggie Calloway, vocalist Belinda Lipscomb, guitarist/vocalist Melvin Gentry, bassist Kenneth Gant, multi-instrumentalist...
, and Dynasty, would become hits, and although Dynasty was not as successful as The Whispers or Shalamar, they did enjoy a few chart entries.
Adventures In The Land Of Music
Adventures in the Land of Music
Adventures in the Land of Music is the second album by the Los Angeles, California-based R&B group Dynasty, released in 1980.- Track listing :# "I've Just Begun to Love You" 6:26...
, released in 1980, was Dynasty's second album. The set contained their biggest hit, "I've Just Begun to Love You" (which peaked at #6 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....
; #87 on the 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...
; and #51 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...
),
Dynasty was an American
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...
, based in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, created by producer
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...
and SOLAR Records
SOLAR Records
S.O.L.A.R. Records was an American record label founded in 1977 by Dick Griffey, reconstituted out of Soul Train Records only two years after it was founded with Soul Train television show host and creator Don Cornelius.-Company history:In 1975, Soul Train Records was founded by Dick Griffey and...
label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
head Dick Griffey
Dick Griffey
Richard Gilbert "Dick" Griffey was an American record producer and promoter who founded SOLAR Records, an acronym for "Sound of Los Angeles Records", which played a major role in developing a funk-oriented blend of disco, R&B and soul music during the 1970s and 1980s...
and Leon Sylvers III
Leon Sylvers III
Leon Frank Sylvers III is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and multi-instrumentalist. He was a member of the family group The Sylvers and became one of the most successful producers in black music in the late 1970s to the mid 1980s through his association with Dick Griffey's SOLAR...
. The band was known for their dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
/pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
numbers during the late 1970s and 1980s. Bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Kevin Spencer and vocalists Nidra Beard and Linda Carriere comprised the group.
History
Dynasty was essentially the brainchild of Griffey and producer Sylvers, a former member of the SylversThe Sylvers
The Sylvers were a popular R&B/soul and disco family group during the 1970s. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, the family would later relocate to Watts, California.- Beginnings :...
family group who had achieved much popularity in the early to mid 1970s. A principal architect of the SOLAR
SOLAR Records
S.O.L.A.R. Records was an American record label founded in 1977 by Dick Griffey, reconstituted out of Soul Train Records only two years after it was founded with Soul Train television show host and creator Don Cornelius.-Company history:In 1975, Soul Train Records was founded by Dick Griffey and...
sound, Sylvers had become the in-house producer in 1978 for the label (whose name stood for "Sound Of Los Angeles Records') and it was in this capacity that he brought the members of Dynasty together. The group consisted of three young performers; vocalists Nidra Beard, Linda Carriere and bassist Kevin Spencer.
Beard and Carriere first became friends during the winter of 1972, when Carriere moved from New Orleans for college. Both were frequent visitors to 'Maverick's Flat', a popular soul/pop nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
in Los Angeles. The owner of Maverick's Flat, John Daniels, was in the process of putting together a new group 'DeBlanc' and both young singers became members. For two years, they toured with the DeBlanc, throughout the major cities of Europe, Japan, Canada, and United States. When DeBlanc broke up in 1975, some of the original members (including Beard and Carriere) formed a new group called Starfire. For one successful year, Starfire performed essentially in the United States, with a few key dates in Finland and Iran. After the tour, the group decided to disband. Around this time Beard developed a strong relationship with Sylvers. She was, at that time, performing with Capitol
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...
recording artists, The Sylvers as a fill-in on live dates for the female Sylvers who were minors at the time. This new association proved beneficial to both Beard and Carriere, as Sylvers introduced each to Griffey. Spencer first met Sylvers when he appeared at the Sylvers' Palos Verdes
Palos Verdes
Palos Verdes is a name often used to refer to a group of coastal cities in the Palos Verdes Hills on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, within southwestern Los Angeles County in the U.S...
home, unannounced, to audition as bass player for the Sylvers. It was that introduction coupled with Spencer's performance dates with the Sylvers that cemented what both Sylvers and Griffey needed for their new group. Work then began on Dynasty's first album.
The band's debut album Your Piece Of The Rock
Your Piece Of The Rock
Your Piece Of The Rock is the debut album by the Los Angeles, California-based R&B group Dynasty . Released in 1979.-Track listing:#"Your Piece of the Rock"...
, released in 1979, yielded the band's first R&B hit, "I Don't Want to Be a Freak (But I Can't Help Myself)". The track peaked at #20 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 ...
in late 1979.
During the late 1970s to mid 1980s, recordings by SOLAR groups such as The Whispers
The Whispers
The Whispers are a long-established R&B-dance vocal group from Los Angeles, California, with a consistent track record of hit records dating back to the late 1960s.-Career:...
, Shalamar
Shalamar
Shalamar was an American music group, primarily of the 1970s and 1980s, that was originally a disco-driven vehicle created by Soul Train booking agent Dick Griffey and show creator Don Cornelius. They went on to be an influential dance trio, masterminded by Soul Train producer Don Cornelius...
, Midnight Star
Midnight Star
Midnight Star is an R&B and electro-funk group that had a string of R&B hits in the 1980s.-Band history:The group was formed in 1976 at Kentucky State University by trumpeter Reggie Calloway, vocalist Belinda Lipscomb, guitarist/vocalist Melvin Gentry, bassist Kenneth Gant, multi-instrumentalist...
, and Dynasty, would become hits, and although Dynasty was not as successful as The Whispers or Shalamar, they did enjoy a few chart entries.
Adventures In The Land Of Music
Adventures in the Land of Music
Adventures in the Land of Music is the second album by the Los Angeles, California-based R&B group Dynasty, released in 1980.- Track listing :# "I've Just Begun to Love You" 6:26...
, released in 1980, was Dynasty's second album. The set contained their biggest hit, "I've Just Begun to Love You" (which peaked at #6 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....
; #87 on the 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...
; and #51 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...
), as well as the songs, "Do Me Right" and "Groove Control." The three songs combined to reach number five on the US Dance chart. The title track would provide the key samples
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
for Camp Lo
Camp Lo
Camp Lo is an American hip hop duo, formed in 1995, which hails from The Bronx, New York. The duo consists of rappers Sonny Cheeba and Geechi Suede , both of Muslim upbringing.-Career:...
's "Luchini AKA This Is It", Angie Stone
Angie Stone
Angie Stone is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She has been nominated for three Grammy Award. She is more successful on the charts R&B charts, with four Top 10 albums, forms including a number one album and 10 singles on the R&B chart,...
's "Lovers' Ghetto", Terri Walker
Terri Walker
Terri Walker is an English R&B and soul singer–songwriter. Walker has released three albums in the United Kingdom, Untitled, L.O.V.E, and I Am. She also provided the majority of the vocals for Shanks & Bigfoot's debut album Swings & Roundabouts...
's "This Is My Time", and Wiz Khalifa
Wiz Khalifa
Cameron Jibril Thomaz , better known by the stage name Wiz Khalifa , is an American rapper. He released his debut album, Show and Prove, in 2006, and signed to Warner Bros. Records in 2007...
's "Won't Land."
Sylvers joined the group in 1981, but his presence did not elevate their success. That year they released their third album, The Second Adventure
The Second Adventure (album)
The Second Adventure is the third album by the Los Angeles, California-based R&B group Dynasty .-Reception:Released in 1981, Produced by group member Leon Sylvers III.-Track listing:...
. Although it did produce two top forty R&B hits, "Here I Am" and "Love in the Fast Lane", the album was largely overlooked. Sylvers and Beard were briefly married during the early 1980s.
Three more albums followed, 1982's Right Back at Cha!
Right Back At Cha!
Right Back at Cha! is the fourth album by the Los Angeles, California-based R&B group Dynasty .-Reception:Released in 1982, Produced by group member Leon Sylvers III.-Track listing:#Check It Out - 5:49...
, 1986's Day Dreamin'
Day Dreamin'
Day Dreamin is the sixth album by the Los Angeles, California-based R&B group Dynasty . Released in 1986.- Track listing :#"Cherry Red Bikini", ´6:30 #"Way Out", 5:59...
, 1988's Out of Control. Right Back at Cha! had two US singles released; "Check It Out" and "Strokin'". Only "Check It Out" saw chart action and the album reached in the middle of the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. In the UK the label went for two other singles; "The Only One" and "Does That Ring A Bell", where the latter entered the UK Singles Chart peaking at #53. The band returned again in 1986 with the album, Day Dreamin' , but by this time Carriere was no longer part of the group and Nidra Beard was using her Sylvers surname. Their final studio release was 1988's Out of Control, but hit singles had dried up. Curiously, the Out of Control album had the exact same cover as the preceding album (Day Dreamin' ) and also included several of the same tracks. The singles "Don't Waste My Time" and "Tell Me (Do You Want My Love)?" were taken off the album. Even though new SOLAR producers, L.A. Reid and Babyface, were brought in to produce the album, the group could not revive their earlier glory and disbanded soon afterwards. Although the group had disbanded, they would later appear as backing vocalists on gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
artist and label-mate Juanita G. Hines' 1994 album Jesus, My Wonderful Friend.
Beard, who had written much of Dynasty's material, continued as a songwriter. Her songs appeared on albums by Shalamar, The Whispers, 7th Wonder
7th Wonder
"7th Wonder" was the Maltese entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2002, performed in English by Ira Losco. The song is composed by Philip Vella and written by Gerard James Borg....
, 911
911 (band)
911 is a British boyband that consists of Lee Brennan, Jimmy Constable Spike Dawbarn and for a short period Lee Womack who left the band to study at Huddersfield University. The band were formed in 1995 and released their debut single in May 1996...
, and LaRue
LaRue
LaRue is a French topographic name for someone who lived beside a road, track, or pathway, Old French rue , with the definite article la. It literally means "the street" in French.LaRue or Larue may refer to:...
. Carriere continued as a background vocalist working with Kristine W
Kristine W
Kristine W, born Kristine Weitz, is an American singer-songwriter. She has released seven albums, three of them through major labels, plus an early recording she sells to fans through her website...
, Loose Ends
Loose Ends (band)
Loose Ends was a successful British R&B band that had several urban contemporary hits. The trio was formed in London in 1980, initially comprising vocalist and guitarist Carl McIntosh, vocalist Jane Eugene, and keyboard player, writer and founder Steve Nichol...
, and Randy Crawford
Randy Crawford
Randy Crawford is an American jazz and R&B singer. She has been more successful in Europe than in the United States, where she has not entered the Billboard Hot 100 as a solo artist...
, among others. Keyboardist-singer Spencer returned to studio work and can be heard on recordings by Carrie Lucas
Carrie Lucas
Carrie Lucas, is an American female R&B musician, born in Carmel, California. In 1976 she was signed to Soul Train Records. Lucas made six albums over seven years with Soul Train and Solar Records.-Career:...
, Shalamar, The Whispers, Tin Harris, and Gladys Knight & the Pips
Gladys Knight & the Pips
Gladys Knight & The Pips were an R&B/soul family musical act from Atlanta, Georgia, active from 1953 to 1989. The group was best known for their string of hit singles on Motown's "Soul" record label and Buddah Records from 1967 to 1975, including "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "Midnight...
. Sylvers went on to have a successful career as the producer and songwriter of such artists as Howard Hewett
Howard Hewett
Howard Hewett is an American R&B and gospel singer and former lead vocalist of the R&B group Shalamar.Raised in Akron, Ohio, Hewett moved to Los Angeles. He would eventually meet Soul Train dancer and future first wife Rainey Riley-Cunningham, then a secretary of the show's creator and original...
, Ahmad Jamal
Ahmad Jamal
Ahmad Jamal is an innovative and influential American jazz pianist, composer, and educator. According to Stanley Crouch, Jamal is second in importance in the development of jazz after 1945 only to Charlie Parker...
, The Brothers Johnson, Glenn Jones
Glenn Jones
Glenn Jones, , is an American R&B/soul singer.-Career:He started his career as a gospel singer and has since, managed a successful move into the R&B field. He got his start in R&B in 1980 when Norman Connors featured Jones on a track on his album, Take It To The Limit...
, Blackstreet
Blackstreet
Blackstreet is an American R&B group founded in 1991 by Thomas Taliaferro and Teddy Riley, the inventor of New Jack Swing known for his work as a member of Guy. Chauncey Hannibal and Levi Little were signed under production and management contracts with Thomas Taliaferro and were merged into what...
.
The band has recently reissued most of their albums on CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
, through Canadian independent record label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
, Unidisc Music Inc.
Unidisc Music Inc.
Unidisc Music Inc, is one of Canada’s largest independent record labels. The company has been expanding in growth and productivity since the late 1970s...
Band members
- Leon Sylvers IIILeon Sylvers IIILeon Frank Sylvers III is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and multi-instrumentalist. He was a member of the family group The Sylvers and became one of the most successful producers in black music in the late 1970s to the mid 1980s through his association with Dick Griffey's SOLAR...
- bass - Kevin Spencer - Keyboard Synths/ Vocal
- William Shelby - keyboards/vocals
- Nidra Beard - vocals
- Linda Carriere - vocals
- Richard Randolph - Guitar
Discography
- Your Piece Of The RockYour Piece Of The RockYour Piece Of The Rock is the debut album by the Los Angeles, California-based R&B group Dynasty . Released in 1979.-Track listing:#"Your Piece of the Rock"...
(1979) - Adventures In The Land Of MusicAdventures in the Land of MusicAdventures in the Land of Music is the second album by the Los Angeles, California-based R&B group Dynasty, released in 1980.- Track listing :# "I've Just Begun to Love You" 6:26...
(1980) - The Second Adventure (album)The Second Adventure (album)The Second Adventure is the third album by the Los Angeles, California-based R&B group Dynasty .-Reception:Released in 1981, Produced by group member Leon Sylvers III.-Track listing:...
(1981) - Right Back At Cha!Right Back At Cha!Right Back at Cha! is the fourth album by the Los Angeles, California-based R&B group Dynasty .-Reception:Released in 1982, Produced by group member Leon Sylvers III.-Track listing:#Check It Out - 5:49...
(1982) - Day Dreamin' (1986)
- Out Of Control (1988)
External links
- Discomuseum.com/Dynasty.html@web.archive.org
- [ All Music Guide profile]
- Original 1979 Dynasty SOLAR Records biography