Olympic Runners

Last updated

Olympic Runners
OriginUnited Kingdom
Genres Funk, disco
Years active1974–1979
Labels London, Polydor, RCA, Chipping Norton
Past members Mike Vernon
Pete Wingfield
George Chandler
Glen LeFleur
Joe Jammer
DeLisle Harper

The Olympic Runners were a 1970s British funk band, put together by record producer Mike Vernon who also played percussion, and fronted by singer George Chandler. They also included multi-instrumentalist Pete Wingfield, and had a number of hit singles in both the US and the UK.

Contents

History

In 1973, Mike Vernon, a British record producer and founder of Blue Horizon, put together a group of session musicians to play on an album with blues musician Jimmy Dawkins, to be recorded at Olympic Studios in London. The musicians included keyboard player and vocalist Pete Wingfield, singer George Chandler, guitarist Joe Jammer, bassist DeLisle Harper, and drummer Glen LeFleur, [1] of whom Chandler, Harper and LeFleur were also members of jazz-funk band Gonzalez. [2] When Dawkins' arrival was delayed, the musicians recorded a funk track in the spare studio time. Vernon then sold the track, "Put The Music Where Your Mouth Is", credited to the Olympic Runners, to London Records in New York City, and in 1974 it became a hit on the US R&B Chart, reaching no. 72. [3]

Following its success, the musicians recorded an album, including the track "Grab It" which also made the R&B charts. They recorded a second album, Out in Front, in 1975, shortly before Wingfield had his own solo hit single, "Eighteen with a Bullet". A third album, Don't Let Up, soon followed, along with a succession of singles. The 1976 album Hot to Trot has been cited as their finest. [1] Wingfield described the recording process:

"Barry Hammond the engineer would always keep a 2-track quarter-inch tape running so as to catch us jamming between takes – then we'd use that jamming as the basis for the next track. It was painless, we made album after album that way, it only took a couple of weeks out of the year, and we were selling records! For the first few years the band were completely anonymous – people assumed we were a US act..." [3]

Their commercial success diminished in the US at the same time as it grew in the UK, and their biggest successes in the UK charts came in 1978–79, with the hit singles "Get It While You Can" and "Sir Dancealot". [4] In 1979 they also performed the theme tune for the film The Bitch , starring Joan Collins, [1] which gave them a third UK top 40 hit.

The group split up in 1979. Vernon and Wingfield later joined Rocky Sharpe and the Replays, and the other band members continued as session musicians. [1] Several Olympic Runners tracks have been sampled by later artists, including Everlast. [3]

Discography

Albums

YearAlbumLabel US R&B
[5]
1974Put the Music Where Your Mouth Is London
1975Out in Front49
1976Don't Let Up
1977Hot to TrotChipping Norton
1978Keeping It Up RCA
Puttin' It on Ya Polydor
1979It's a Bitch [6]
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Singles

YearTitlePeak chart positions
US R&B
[5]
US Dance
[5]
UK
[4] [7]
1974"Sproutin' Out"
"Grab It"73
"Put the Music Where Your Mouth Is" / "Do It Over"72
1975"Party Time Is Here to Stay"97
"Drag It Over Here"92
"Dump the Bump"
1976"Keep It Up"27
"Personal Thang"
1977"Say What You Wanna But It Sure Is Funky"
"Love on My Mind"
1978"God Bless You"
"Whatever It Takes"61
"Get It While You Can"35
"Sir Dancealot"35
1979"The Bitch"8537
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Jam</span> English rock band

The Jam were an English mod revival/punk rock band formed in 1972 at Sheerwater Secondary School in Woking, Surrey. They released 18 consecutive Top 40 singles in the United Kingdom, from their debut in 1977 to their break-up in December 1982, including four number one hits. As of 2007, "That's Entertainment" and "Just Who Is the 5 O'Clock Hero?" remain the best-selling import singles of all time in the UK. They released one live album and six studio albums, the last of which, The Gift, reached number one on the UK Albums Chart. When the group disbanded in 1982, their first 15 singles were re-released and all placed within the top 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dexys Midnight Runners</span> English pop rock band

Dexys Midnight Runners are an English pop rock band from Birmingham, with soul influences, who achieved major commercial success in the early to mid-1980s. They are best known in the UK for their songs "Come On Eileen" and "Geno", both of which peaked at No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart, as well as six other top-20 singles. "Come On Eileen" also topped the US Billboard Hot 100, and with extensive airplay on MTV they are associated with the Second British Invasion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slade</span> British rock band

Slade are an English rock band formed in Wolverhampton in 1966. They rose to prominence during the glam rock era in the early 1970s, achieving 17 consecutive top 20 hits and six number ones on the UK Singles Chart. The British Hit Singles & Albums names them the most successful British group of the 1970s based on sales of singles. They were the first act to have three singles enter the charts at number one; all six of the band's chart-toppers were penned by Noddy Holder and Jim Lea. As of 2006, total UK sales stand at 6,520,171, and their best-selling single, "Merry Xmas Everybody", has sold in excess of one million copies. According to the 1999 BBC documentary It's Slade, the band have sold more than 50 million records worldwide.

The Bureau were an English new wave soul group formed in November 1980 in Birmingham, England, when the original line-up of Dexys Midnight Runners split up. The Bureau retained their Dexys roots and played powerful brass-driven soul sounds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Style Council</span> English band active 1983–1989

The Style Council were a British band formed in late 1982 by Paul Weller, the former singer, songwriter and guitarist with the punk rock/new wave/mod revival band the Jam, and keyboardist Mick Talbot, previously a member of Dexys Midnight Runners, the Bureau and the Merton Parkas. The band enabled Weller to take his music in a more soulful direction.

New jack swing, new jack, or swingbeat is a fusion genre of the rhythms and production techniques of hip hop and dance-pop, and the urban contemporary sound of R&B. Spearheaded by producers Teddy Riley, Bernard Belle, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, new jack swing was most popular from the late 1980s to early 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Capaldi</span> English musician and songwriter (1944–2005)

Nicola James Capaldi was an English singer-songwriter and drummer. His musical career spanned more than four decades. He co-founded the progressive rock band Traffic in 1967 with Steve Winwood with whom he co-wrote the majority of the band's material. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a part of Traffic's original lineup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander O'Neal</span> American R&B singer, songwriter and arranger

Alexander O'Neal is an American R&B singer, songwriter and arranger from Natchez, Mississippi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ram Jam</span> American rock band

Ram Jam was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1977, predominantly known for their hit single "Black Betty".

<i>Are You Experienced</i> 1967 studio album by The Jimi Hendrix Experience

Are You Experienced is the debut studio album by the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Released in 1967, the LP was an immediate critical and commercial success, and it is widely regarded as one of the greatest albums of all time. The album features Jimi Hendrix's innovative approach to songwriting and electric guitar playing which soon established a new direction in psychedelic and hard rock music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Technotronic</span> Belgian electronic music project

Technotronic was a Belgian electronic music project formed in 1987 by Jo Bogaert, who gained popularity in Europe as a solo artist with various new beat projects, including Acts of Madmen and Nux Nemo. Together with rapper Manuela Kamosi, he produced the single "Pump Up the Jam", which was originally an instrumental released under the name The Pro 24s. Based on Farley Jackmaster Funk's "The Acid Life", this instrumental initially included vocal samples from Eddie Murphy's "Delirious" live set from 1983 and was months later replaced by newer music, along with lyrics from Kamosi prior to the song's international release in September 1989. With Bogaert adopting the name Thomas De Quincey, a front for the act was put together, utilizing Congolese-born fashion model Felly Kilingi who was presented as the group's rapper, appearing on the single's cover art and in the music video.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Tears of a Clown</span> 1970 single by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles

"The Tears of a Clown" is a song written by Hank Cosby, Smokey Robinson, and Stevie Wonder and originally recorded by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles for the Tamla Records label subsidiary of Motown, first appearing on the 1967 album Make It Happen. The track was re-released in the United Kingdom as a single in July 1970, and it became a #1 hit on the UK Singles Chart for the week ending 12 September 1970. Subsequently, Motown released a partially re-recorded and completely remixed version as a single in the United States as well, where it quickly became a #1 hit on both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B Singles charts.

<i>Searching for the Young Soul Rebels</i> 1980 studio album by Dexys Midnight Runners

Searching for the Young Soul Rebels is the debut studio album by English soul group Dexys Midnight Runners, released on 11 July 1980, through Parlophone and EMI Records. Led by Kevin Rowland, the group formed in 1978 in Birmingham, England, and formed a strong live reputation before recording their first material. Recorded during April 1980, the album combines the aggressiveness of punk rock with soul music, particularly influenced by the Northern soul movement.

William Peter Wingfield is an English record producer, keyboard player, songwriter, singer and music journalist.

Nick Straker is a London-born musician, who had hits in Europe and the US in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Gonzalez were a British R&B and funk band. They became well known as a backing band for touring R&B, funk, and soul stars. Their eponymous album was released in 1974 and they recorded a total of six albums before disbanding in 1986. They are best known for their 1979 single success with their worldwide disco hit "Haven't Stopped Dancing Yet."

<i>The Belle Stars</i> (album) 1983 studio album by The Belle Stars

The Belle Stars is the only studio album by the all-female band of the same name released in 1983. The band's eponymous debut album reached number 15 on the UK Albums Chart. The Belle Stars had some success with their single "Iko Iko", a cover of The Dixie Cups' 1965 hit. It charted at number 35 in June 1982 on the UK Singles Chart. Seven years later the song became a hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart after it was featured in the movie Rain Man, where it peaked at number 14.

Blue Rondo à la Turk was an early 1980s British musical ensemble, whose music featured elements of salsa, pop and cool jazz. The group placed two songs on the UK Singles Chart, but is perhaps better known in retrospect for launching the careers of several players who went on to form the sophisticated jazz/Latin/samba/pop group Matt Bianco.

<i>Write On</i> (album) 1976 studio album by The Hollies

Write On is the first of two 1976 studio albums by the English rock/pop band, the Hollies, and their 16th UK studio album. Like the previous one, this album has mostly songs written by the group's songwriting team. The final track of the album is the only one not composed by them. This album was not issued in the US.

<i>Breaking Point</i> (Central Line album) 1982 studio album by Central Line

Breaking Point is the debut studio album by Britfunk band Central Line, released by Mercury Records in February 1982 in the United Kingdom. In the United States, it was released under the name Central Line with a different track listing and artwork. Recorded with producer Roy Carter, formerly of Heatwave, the album features a distinctly English style of synth-funk similarly to contemporaries Hi-Tension and Light of the World. The record was well-received and reached number 64 on the UK Albums Chart and 145 on the US Billboard Top LPs & Tapes chart. The hit single "Walking Into Sunshine" was also remixed by Larry Levan and became a popular club hit in New York. In 2007, The Guardian included Breaking Point on their list of "1000 Albums to Hear Before You Die".

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Amy Hanson. "Olympic Runners | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  2. Steve Huey. "Gonzalez | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 "Interview with PETE WINGFIELD". DMME.net. 24 January 2013. Archived from the original on 28 March 2012. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  4. 1 2 Betts, Graham (2004). Complete UK Hit Singles 1952–2004 (1st ed.). London: Collins. p. 569. ISBN   0-00-717931-6.
  5. 1 2 3 "Olympic Runners - Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 16 October 2012. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  6. "Olympic Runners | Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  7. "OLYMPIC RUNNERS - full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 18 June 2022.