Fatback Band
Encyclopedia
The Fatback Band is an American
funk
and disco
band. Most popular in the 1970s and 1980s, The Fatback Band is most known for their Top Ten R&B
hits, "(Do The) Spanish Hustle", "I Like Girls", "Gotta Get My Hands on Some (Money)", and "Backstrokin'". Their 1979 single "King Tim III (Personality Jock)
" is sometimes considered the first hip hop
single.
in 1970, The Fatback Band was the concept of Bill Curtis, an experienced session
drummer
, inspired to merge the "fatback" jazz
beat of New Orleans into a funk
band. In addition to Curtis, the band's initial line-up included guitarist Johnny King, bassist Johnny Flippin, trumpet player George Williams, saxophonist Earl Shelton, flautist George Adams, and keyboardist Gerry Thomas. The band specialized in playing "street funk". The group also later included conga player Wayne Woolford, vocalists Jayne and Gerry, Deborah Cooper
saxophonist Fred Demerey, guitarist Louis Wright and George Victory.
The Fatback Band signed to Perception Records and had a hit single that summer with "Street Dance". The single reached the Top 30 on the US
Billboard
R&B
chart
, but failed to cross over to the pop chart
, a pattern the group would follow for the rest of their career. The band released the albums Let's Do It Again, People Music, and Feel My Soul before signing to Event Records in 1974.
In the mid-1970s, the band incorporated jazz elements and moved more towards a disco
sound resulting in the singles, "Keep On Steppin'", "Yum, Yum (Give Me Some)", and "(Are You Ready) Do The Bus Stop". The singles proved popular in dance clubs, but did not do as well on R&B chart until the spring of 1976 when "(Do The) Spanish Hustle" came close to the Top Ten. "(Are You Ready) Do The Bus Stop" birthed the development of line dancing
.
Now recording for Spring/Polydor, the group continued with the singles, "Party Time", "The Booty", and "Double Dutch". Late 1977 brought a name change to Fatback, and in 1978 they found their first Top Ten single with "I Like Girls". The song "King Tim III (Personality Jock)
" is often considered to be the first commercially released rap
single, having shipped just a week before The Sugarhill Gang's
"Rapper's Delight
" in October 1979.
In 1980, Fatback had a pair of their biggest hits with "Gotta Get My Hands On Some (Money)" and "Backstrokin'". Also finding the charts in the 1980s were "Take It Any Way You Can't It", "I Found Lovin'", and "Spread Love", with singer Evelyn Thomas
, in 1985. Whilst American pop success proved elusive, the group made regular appearances in the UK Singles Chart
, including the Top Ten twice with "(Do The) Spanish Hustle" and "I Found Lovin'".
Keyboardist Gerry Thomas was simultaneously a member of The Jimmy Castor Bunch, so the band elected to remain close to the New York area instead of extensive touring. They had substantial success in South America
, especially in Brazil
(with "Money", and "Backstrokin'").
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
and disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
band. Most popular in the 1970s and 1980s, The Fatback Band is most known for their Top Ten 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...
hits, "(Do The) Spanish Hustle", "I Like Girls", "Gotta Get My Hands on Some (Money)", and "Backstrokin'". Their 1979 single "King Tim III (Personality Jock)
King Tim III (Personality Jock)
"King Tim III " is a 1979 song by the Fatback Band from the disco album XII. Released on July 25, 1979, several weeks before "Rapper's Delight" , this song is often cited as the beginning of recorded hip hop...
" is sometimes considered the first hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
single.
History
Formed in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1970, The Fatback Band was the concept of Bill Curtis, an experienced session
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
, inspired to merge the "fatback" jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
beat of New Orleans into a funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
band. In addition to Curtis, the band's initial line-up included guitarist Johnny King, bassist Johnny Flippin, trumpet player George Williams, saxophonist Earl Shelton, flautist George Adams, and keyboardist Gerry Thomas. The band specialized in playing "street funk". The group also later included conga player Wayne Woolford, vocalists Jayne and Gerry, Deborah Cooper
Deborah Cooper
Deborah Cooper is a female, part African American, professional dance music singer, award winning composer and entertainer, with several number one and top charting dance music and house music hits.-History:...
saxophonist Fred Demerey, guitarist Louis Wright and George Victory.
The Fatback Band signed to Perception Records and had a hit single that summer with "Street Dance". The single reached the Top 30 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....
, but failed to cross over to the pop chart
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...
, a pattern the group would follow for the rest of their career. The band released the albums Let's Do It Again, People Music, and Feel My Soul before signing to Event Records in 1974.
In the mid-1970s, the band incorporated jazz elements and moved more towards a disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
sound resulting in the singles, "Keep On Steppin'", "Yum, Yum (Give Me Some)", and "(Are You Ready) Do The Bus Stop". The singles proved popular in dance clubs, but did not do as well on R&B chart until the spring of 1976 when "(Do The) Spanish Hustle" came close to the Top Ten. "(Are You Ready) Do The Bus Stop" birthed the development of line dancing
Line dance
A line dance is a choreographed dance with a repeated sequence of steps in which a group of people dance in one or more lines or rows without regard for the gender of the individuals, all facing the same direction, and executing the steps at the same time. Line dancers are not in physical contact...
.
Now recording for Spring/Polydor, the group continued with the singles, "Party Time", "The Booty", and "Double Dutch". Late 1977 brought a name change to Fatback, and in 1978 they found their first Top Ten single with "I Like Girls". The song "King Tim III (Personality Jock)
King Tim III (Personality Jock)
"King Tim III " is a 1979 song by the Fatback Band from the disco album XII. Released on July 25, 1979, several weeks before "Rapper's Delight" , this song is often cited as the beginning of recorded hip hop...
" is often considered to be the first commercially released rap
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
single, having shipped just a week before The Sugarhill Gang's
The Sugarhill Gang
The Sugarhill Gang is an American hip hop group, known mostly for their 1979 hit, "Rapper's Delight", the first hip hop single to become a Top 40 hit. The song uses the instrumental track from the classic hit "Good Times" by Chic as its foundation....
"Rapper's Delight
Rapper's Delight
"Rapper's Delight" is a 1979 single by American hip hop trio The Sugarhill Gang. While it was not the first single to feature rapping, it is generally considered to be the song that first popularized hip hop in the United States and around the world. The song's opening lyric "I said a hip hop, a...
" in October 1979.
In 1980, Fatback had a pair of their biggest hits with "Gotta Get My Hands On Some (Money)" and "Backstrokin'". Also finding the charts in the 1980s were "Take It Any Way You Can't It", "I Found Lovin'", and "Spread Love", with singer Evelyn Thomas
Evelyn Thomas
Evelyn Thomas is an American singer from Chicago, Illinois, best known for the dance hits "High Energy", "Masquerade", "Standing At The Crossroads", "Reflections", and "WeakSpot"....
, in 1985. Whilst American pop success proved elusive, the group made regular appearances 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 ...
, including the Top Ten twice with "(Do The) Spanish Hustle" and "I Found Lovin'".
Keyboardist Gerry Thomas was simultaneously a member of The Jimmy Castor Bunch, so the band elected to remain close to the New York area instead of extensive touring. They had substantial success in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, especially in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
(with "Money", and "Backstrokin'").
Singles
- "Soul March" (1973), Perception - #69 US R&B
- "Street Dance" (1973), Perception - #26 US R&B
- "Njia (Nija) Walk" (1973), Perception - #56 US R&B
- "Keep On Steppin'" (1974), Event - #50 US R&B
- "Wicki Wacky'" (1974), Event - #94 US R&B
- "(Hey I) Feel Real Good (Part One)" (1975), Event
- "Yum Yum (Gimme Some)" (1975), Event - #80 US R&B; #40 UKUK Singles ChartThe 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 ...
- "(Are You Ready) Do The Bus Stop" (1975), Event - #37 US R&B; #18 UK
- "(Do The) Spanish Hustle" (1976), Event - #12 US R&B / #101 US Pop; #10 UK
- "Party Time" (1976), Spring - #84 US R&B; #41 UK
- "Night Fever" (1976) - #38 UK
- "The Booty" (1976), Spring - #32 US R&B
- "Double Dutch" (1977), Spring - #22 US R&B; #31 UK
- "Master Booty" (1977), Spring - #88 US R&B
- "I Like Girls" (1977), Spring - #9 US R&B / #101 US Pop
- "Freak the Freak Funk (Rock)" (1977), Spring - #36 US R&B
- "You're My Candy Sweet" (#67 R&B)/"King Tim III (Personality Jock)King Tim III (Personality Jock)"King Tim III " is a 1979 song by the Fatback Band from the disco album XII. Released on July 25, 1979, several weeks before "Rapper's Delight" , this song is often cited as the beginning of recorded hip hop...
" (1979), Spring - #26 US R&B - "Love in Perfect Harmony" (1979), Spring - #59 US R&B
- "Gotta Get Some Hands On Some (Money)" (1979), Spring - #6 US R&B
- "Backstrokin'" (1980), Spring - #3 US R&B
- "(To be) Without Your Love" (1980), Spring
- "Let's Do It Again" (1980), Spring - #55 US R&B
- "Angel" (1981), Spring - #67 US R&B
- "Take It Anyway You Want It" (1981), Spring - #19 US R&B
- "Kool Whip" (1981), Spring - #64 US R&B
- "Rockin' to the Beat" (1981), Spring - #50 US R&B
- "She's My Shining Star" (1982), Spring - #76 US R&B
- "The Girl is Fine (So Fine)" (1983), Spring - #28 US R&B
- "Is This the Future?" (1983), Spring - #43 US R&B
- "I Found Lovin" (1984) - #7 UK (and #55 UK in 1986)
- "Call Out My Name" (1985), Cotillion - #70 US R&B
- "Lover Undercover" (1985), Cotillion
- "Girls on My Mind" (1985), Cotillion - #79 US R&B; #69 UK
- "The Legendary Fatback Band-Second Generation" (2005)
- "Spread Love" (1985), Spring - #88 US R&B