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Skyy | |
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| Also known as | New York Skyy |
| Origin | New York City, United States |
| Genres | Disco, R&B, funk, boogie |
| Years active | 1977–1993 |
| Labels | Salsoul, Capitol, Atlantic |
| Past members | Solomon Roberts Jr. Anibal "Butch" Sierra Gerald Lebon Tommy McConnell Larry Greenberg Denise Dunning Wilkinson Benita "Bonnie" Dunning Williams Dolores Dunning Milligan Wayne Wilentz |
Skyy (also known as New York Skyy) [1] was an American R&B/funk/disco band based in New York City. [2] The group is perhaps best known for its 1981 hit "Call Me", as well as its 1989 comeback hits "Start of a Romance" and "Real Love". [3]
Skyy was formed in Brooklyn, New York, in 1977. [2] The original line-up consisted of sisters Denise, Delores, and Bonny Dunning as vocalists, with guitarists Solomon Roberts and Anibal Anthony Sierra, keyboardist Larry Greenberg, bassist Gerald Lebon, and drummer Tommy McConnell. [2] [3] In 1978, the band signed with Salsoul Records, releasing its debut album the following year. [2]
After two albums that yielded moderate hits on the R&B charts, the group crossed over to the US pop charts with the release of the Skyy Line album in late 1981. Featured on this album was the single "Call Me," which reached number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts [4] and was its first number-one on the R&B charts. [5] The album was later certified Gold by the RIAA. [6] The band continued to record for the Salsoul label until the release of its 1984 Inner City album. [7]
In the mid-1980s, the band signed with Capitol Records and released its album From the Left Side in 1986. Apart from the top ten R&B single, "Givin' It (to You)", the album saw limited success, and the group left Capitol soon thereafter. [3] [8]
In 1989, after signing with Atlantic Records, Skyy launched a comeback with the release of its Start of a Romance album. [3] This release yielded two number one R&B singles, "Start of a Romance" and "Real Love". [4] "Real Love" also became the group's second and final crossover pop hit peaking at number 47 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in early 1990. [4] By the release of the Nearer to You album in 1992, the hits were less successful, and the band has not released a new studio album since then. [9]
The sisters have performed consistently since then. In 2007 they attempted to beat a Guinness World Record for the largest kazoo band at the Summerstage Concert Series in Harlem USA, singing their song “Skyyzoo.” [10] [11] Other notable performances have included the Salsoul Reunion Concert, where they performed with former label mates Carol Williams, Double Exposure, Instant Funk, and Joe Bataan in New York City. [12]
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Record label | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [4] | US R&B [4] | NZ [13] | UK [14] | |||||||||||
| 1979 | Skyy | 117 | 40 | — | — | Salsoul | ||||||||
| 1980 | Skyway | 61 | 17 | — | — | |||||||||
| Skyyport | 85 | 16 | 40 | — | ||||||||||
| 1981 | Skyy Line | 18 | 1 | — | — | |||||||||
| 1982 | Skyyjammer | 81 | 22 | — | — | |||||||||
| 1983 | Skyylight | 183 | 44 | — | — | |||||||||
| 1984 | Inner City | — | — | — | — | |||||||||
| 1986 | From the Left Side | — | 33 | — | 85 | Capitol | ||||||||
| 1989 | Start of a Romance | 155 | 16 | — | — | Atlantic | ||||||||
| 1992 | Nearer to You | — | 52 | — | — | |||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [4] | US R&B [4] | US Dan [4] | CAN [16] | NLD [17] | UK [1] | |||||||||
| 1979 | "First Time Around" | — | 20 | 50 | 49 | — | — | Skyy | ||||||
| "Let's Turn It Out" | — | 65 | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| "This Groove Is Bad" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| 1980 | "High" | 102 | 13 | 26 | — | — | — | Skyway | ||||||
| "Skyyzoo" | — | 32 | 41 | — | — | — | ||||||||
| "Here's to You" | — | 23 | 24 | — | — | — | Skyyport | |||||||
| 1981 | "Superlove" | — | 31 | — | — | — | — | |||||||
| "For the First Time" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| "Call Me" | 26 | 1 | 3 | — | 34 | — | Skyy Line | |||||||
| 1982 | "Let's Celebrate" | — | 16 | — | — | — | 67 | |||||||
| "When You Touch Me" | — | 43 | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| "Movin' Violation" | — | 26 | — | — | — | — | Skyyjammer | |||||||
| 1983 | "Let Love Shine" | — | 39 | 41 | — | — | — | |||||||
| "Bad Boy" | — | 33 | — | — | — | — | Skyylight | |||||||
| "Show Me the Way" | — | 35 | 10 | — | — | 97 | ||||||||
| "Married Man" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| 1984 | "Dancin' to Be Dancin'" | — | 49 | — | — | — | — | Inner City | ||||||
| 1986 | "Givin' It (To You)" | — | 8 | 42 | — | — | 83 | From the Left Side | ||||||
| "Non-Stop" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| "Love Illogical" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| 1989 | "Start of a Romance" | — | 1 | 41 | — | — | — | Start of a Romance | ||||||
| "Love All the Way" | — | 47 | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| "Real Love" | 47 | 1 | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| 1992 | "Up and Over (Stronger and Better)" | — | 16 | — | — | — | — | Nearer to You | ||||||
| "Nearer to You" | — | 73 | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| 2014 | "Top of the World" (Solidisco featuring Skyy) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
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