Related Research Articles
The Weather Girls are an American female duo whose best-known line-up comprised Martha Wash and Izora Armstead. Formed in 1976 in San Francisco, California, The Weather Girls members began their musical career as Two Tons O' Fun, the female backup duo for disco singer Sylvester. After years of limited success singing background for Sylvester, the duo were signed in 1979 to Fantasy Records. The Weather Girls was launched into mainstream recognition following the release of their best-selling single, "It's Raining Men" (1982), which became their first number-one Dance song. Despite critical and commercial success, the duo struggled to repeat the success of "It's Raining Men" and ultimately disbanded after the release of their self-titled fifth album The Weather Girls in 1988.
MFSB, officially standing for "Mother Father Sister Brother", was a pool of more than 30 studio musicians based at Philadelphia’s Sigma Sound Studios. They worked closely with the production team of Gamble and Huff and producer/arranger Thom Bell, and backed up such groups as Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, the O’Jays, the Stylistics, the Spinners, Wilson Pickett, and Billy Paul.
"It's Raining Men" is a song by the American musical duo the Weather Girls from their third studio album Success (1983). It was released as the album's lead single on September 10, 1982 through Columbia Records and CBS Records International. Paul Jabara wrote the song in collaboration with Paul Shaffer, and composed the song in collaboration with Bob Esty. "It's Raining Men" is a Hi-NRG and Post-disco that incorporates elements of R&B, soul, and 1970s-style electronic dance music. Its lyrics describe an excitement and enjoyment of many different types of men.
The Ritchie Family was an American vocal group based in Philadelphia that achieved several hits during the disco era.
"Walking on Thin Ice" is a song by Yoko Ono, released in 1981. She and John Lennon concluded the recording of the song on December 8, 1980. It was upon their return from the recording studio to The Dakota that Lennon was murdered by Mark David Chapman. Lennon was clutching a tape of a final mix when he was shot.
Evelyn "Champagne" King is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. She is best known for her hit disco single "Shame", which was released in 1977 during the height of disco's popularity. King had other hits from the early through the mid–1980s including; "I'm in Love" (1981), "Love Come Down" (1982) and "Your Personal Touch" (1985).
Martha Elaine Wash is an American singer-songwriter, actress, and producer. Known for her distinctive and powerful voice, Wash first achieved fame as half of the Two Tons O' Fun, who sang backing for American disco singer Sylvester including on his signature hit "You Make Me Feel ". After gaining their own record deal, they released three consecutive commercially successful songs which all peaked at number 2 in the dance charts. The duo was renamed The Weather Girls in 1982 after they released the top-selling single "It's Raining Men", which brought them to mainstream pop attention. The Weather Girls released five albums and were heavily featured on Sylvester's albums.
Jeanie Tracy is an American singer-songwriter, actor, and record producer. She rose to fame in the late 1970s as a background singer of Sylvester, an American disco singer. Her first album, Me and You (1982), featured post-disco hits "I'm Your Jeanie" and "Sing Your Own Song". From late 1984 to early 1985, she performed on television Show Star Search where she was the winner in the Female Vocalist category for six weeks. In 1995, Tracy released her second album It's My Time.
Thank God It's Friday is a 1978 American musical disco comedy film directed by Robert Klane and produced by Motown Productions and Casablanca FilmWorks for Columbia Pictures. Produced at the height of the disco craze, the film features The Commodores performing "Too Hot ta Trot", and Donna Summer performing "Last Dance", which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1978. The film features an early performance by Jeff Goldblum and the first major screen appearance by Debra Winger. The film also features Terri Nunn, who would go on to fame in the 1980s new wave group Berlin. This would be one of several Columbia Pictures films in which the studio’s “Torch Lady” came to life in the opening credits, showing off her moves for a few seconds prior to the start of the film.
"Groovejet " is a song by Italian electronic music producer Spiller featuring vocals from British singer-songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor. Various versions of the single were later featured on the German reissue and some UK editions of Ellis-Bextor's debut solo album, Read My Lips.
"Freeway of Love" is a song by American singer Aretha Franklin. It was written by Jeffrey Cohen and Narada Michael Walden and produced by the latter for her thirtieth studio album Who's Zoomin' Who? (1985). The song features a notable contribution from Clarence Clemons, the saxophonist from Bruce Springsteen’'s E Street Band. Sylvester, Martha Wash, and Jeanie Tracy provided backup vocals on "Freeway of Love".
"Gonna Make You Sweat " is a song by C+C Music Factory. It was released in late 1990 as the debut and lead single from the album Gonna Make You Sweat. The song is sung by singer Martha Wash and rapper Freedom Williams. It charted internationally and achieved great success in the United States, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden where it reached number one on the charts.
"Don't Leave Me This Way" is a song written by Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff, and Cary Gilbert. It was originally released in 1975 by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes featuring Teddy Pendergrass, an act signed to Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia International label. "Don't Leave Me This Way" was subsequently covered by American singer Thelma Houston in 1977 and British duo the Communards in 1986, with both versions achieving commercial success.
Linda Clifford is an American R&B, disco and house music singer and actress, who scored hits from the 1970s to the 1980s, most notably "If My Friends Could See Me Now", "Bridge over Troubled Water", "Runaway Love" and "Red Light".
"Keep On Jumpin'" is the name of a popular 1970s disco song that was written by musician Patrick Adams and Ken Morris. This track has been remade, remixed, and sampled numerous times, but only the 1978 original by Adams's group Musique and Todd Terry's 1996 updated version with Martha Wash & Jocelyn Brown reached number one on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play charts. Musicians on the tracks include Rich Tannenbaum on drums, Ken Mazur on guitar, and Norbert Sloley on bass. Listed here are the most notable versions.
Ernest Weatherly Greene Jr., known professionally as Washed Out, is an American singer, songwriter and record producer.
Disco Fries is an American production duo consisting of Nick Ditri and Danny Boselovic.
Cheat Codes is an American electronic music DJ trio. Consisting of KEVI, Trevor Dahl, and Matthew Russell based in Los Angeles, the group is notable for their 2016 single "Sex", which samples the chorus from "Let's Talk About Sex" by Salt-N-Pepa, and their 2017 single "No Promises", which featured American pop superstar Demi Lovato and peaked within the top 40 of the US, UK and Australia. The track was certified Platinum by the RIAA.
First Ladies of Disco is an American girl group originally composed of Martha Wash, Linda Clifford, and Evelyn "Champagne" King. The group was formed in 2015 by James Washington, Wash's manager. Their group name was inspired by James Arena's book First Ladies of Disco: 32 Stars Discuss the Era and Their Singing Careers (2013), which includes interviews from the individual members of the group. In March 2015, the First Ladies of Disco released their debut single "Show Some Love" on Wash's record label Purple Rose Records. A remix of the single peaked at number six on Billboard's Dance chart.
"I Love It" is a song by Australian singer-songwriter Kylie Minogue from her fifteenth studio album Disco (2020). It was released by Darenote and BMG on 23 October 2020. Minogue co-wrote the song with its producers Richard Stannard and Duck Blackwell.
References
- ↑ HuffPost , 01/31/2017 - On the “A” w/Souleo: 1970s Disco Group, The Ritchie Family is Back ‘…in Town’ - Peter “Souleo” Wright
- ↑ Apple Music - Ice – Single by The Ritchie Family on Apple Music – iTunes, Ice - Single
- ↑ International Artists - THE RITCHIE FAMILY
- ↑ HuffPost, 01/31/2017 - On the “A” w/Souleo: 1970s Disco Group, The Ritchie Family is Back ‘…in Town’ - Peter “Souleo” Wright
- ↑ Pop Matters, 06 Aug 2018 - MUSIC, African Queens' and Disco Royalty: An Interview with the Ritchie Family By CHRISTIAN JOHN WIKANE
- ↑ Apple Music - Ice Remixes
- ↑ Global News Wire, November 11, 2016 - 40 Years Later, The Ritchie Family Is Back on Billboard's Dance Club Chart