Switch | |
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Also known as | White Heat, Hot Ice |
Origin | Mansfield, Ohio, United States |
Genres | R&B, funk |
Years active | 1975–present |
Labels | RCA, Polydor, Gordy (Motown), Total Experience |
Members | Gregory Williams Eddie Fluellen Phillip Ingram Michael McGloiry Akili Nickson Tefere Hazy |
Past members | Bobby DeBarge Tommy DeBarge Jody Sims Attala Giles Renard Gallo Gonzales Ozen Christopher Hawkins Anthony Watters Howie Carbaugh Charles Meyers |
Switch is an American R&B/funk band that recorded for the Gordy label in the late 1970s, releasing songs such as "There'll Never Be", "I Call Your Name", and "Love Over & Over Again". Switch influenced bands such as DeBarge, which featured the siblings of Switch band members Bobby and Tommy DeBarge. [1] [2] [3]
The group was formed in Mansfield, Ohio, in December 1976 by Gregory Williams. They recorded a demo tape in Columbus, Ohio, with the financial assistance of Bernd Lichters. Switch included Gregory Williams, brothers Tommy DeBarge and Bobby DeBarge, all from Grand Rapids, Michigan, along with Akron, Ohio natives Phillip Ingram (brother of James Ingram), Eddie Fluellen, and Jody Sims (originally from Steubenville, Ohio). Williams, Bobby DeBarge, and Sims had been members of White Heat, which released a self-titled album on RCA in 1975, but the band's producer, Barry White, soon shuttered his Soul Unlimited production company and dropped all the acts on the roster. [4] Williams, then living in Akron, decided to form his own band.
The new group would become Switch due to their ability to switch to different lead vocalists and instruments during a song. After a demo was recorded by the newly formed, unnamed band, Williams and Sims flew to Los Angeles and by sheer coincidence got the attention of Jermaine Jackson, former member of the Jackson 5, [5] and Hazel Gordy Jackson (Jermaine's then-wife and daughter of Motown chief Berry Gordy Jr.), who heard the group's demo tape. Within weeks, the group was signed to the Motown Records Gordy subsidiary label. They recorded and released their self-titled debut album some 18 months later in 1978, which featured their first Top 10 R&B hit single, entitled "There'll Never Be". The song also proved to be their biggest success on the Billboard Hot 100, where it was a Top 40 hit (their only one), peaking at number 36. [6]
Their songs were written by Williams, Bobby DeBarge and Sims, sometimes in collaboration with Jermaine Jackson. [7] Though they never managed to achieve significant crossover success into the pop singles chart, they were a consistent presence on the R&B charts through the late 1970s with albums such as Switch II from 1979 (their second release), This Is My Dream and Reaching For Tomorrow in 1980. [8] [9] Their final release on Gordy was Switch V, released in 1981. Songs such as "I Wanna Be Closer", "We Like to Party", "I Call Your Name", "Best Beat in Town", and "Love Over and Over Again" also became hits for the group. [4]
Shortly after the DeBarge brothers left Switch to mentor their younger siblings in the group DeBarge, and lead singer Ingram left to pursue a solo career, Switch took on new vocalists and musicians: singer Renard Gallo, Gonzales Ozen, and bassist Phil Upchurch Jr. This configuration of Switch signed with Total Experience (home of their contemporaries the Gap Band) and recorded a final album Am I Still Your Boyfriend in 1984, breaking up later that year.
In 1985, Switch reformed with Williams and all new members, getting little traction.
In 1991, Motown released a greatest hits compilation album by the band. A similar version on the 20th Century Masters series released more recently is all that remains in print of this band.
Former lead singer Bobby DeBarge died of AIDS-related complications in Grand Rapids, Michigan on August 16, 1995, at the age of 39.
Switch has since reunited, featuring original members founder/leader Williams, Fluellen, Ingram, original sessions/on-stage guitarist Michael McGloiry, new lead vocalist Akili Nickson and drummer Tefere Hazy.
Former bass guitar player and backup singer Tommy DeBarge died on October 21, 2021, at age 64. [10]
Year | Album | Peak chart positions | Record label | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [11] | US R&B [11] | CAN [12] | ||||||||||||
1978 | Switch | 37 | 6 | 72 | Gordy | |||||||||
1979 | Switch II | 37 | 8 | 84 | ||||||||||
1980 | Reaching for Tomorrow | 57 | 23 | — | ||||||||||
This Is My Dream | 85 | 21 | — | |||||||||||
1981 | Switch V | 174 | 38 | — | ||||||||||
1984 | Am I Still Your Boyfriend? | — | 63 | — | Total Experience | |||||||||
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [11] | US R&B [11] | US Dan [11] | CAN | UK [13] | ||||||||||
1978 | "There'll Never Be" | 36 | 6 | — | 60 [14] | — | Switch | |||||||
1979 | "I Wanna Be Closer" | — | 22 | — | — | — | ||||||||
"Best Beat in Town" | 69 | 16 | 65 | — | — | Switch II | ||||||||
"I Call Your Name" | 83 | 8 | — | — | — | |||||||||
1980 | "Don't Take My Love Away" | — | 41 | — | — | — | Reaching for Tomorrow | |||||||
"Love Over and Over Again" | — | 9 | — | — | — | This Is My Dream | ||||||||
1981 | "You and I" | — | 57 | — | — | — | ||||||||
"I Do Love You" | — | 73 | — | — | — | Switch V | ||||||||
1982 | "Call on Me" | — | 70 | — | — | — | ||||||||
1984 | "Switch It Baby" | — | 55 | — | — | — | Am I Still Your Boyfriend? | |||||||
"Keeping Secrets" | — | 28 | — | — | 61 | |||||||||
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
Jermaine LaJuane Jackson is an American singer, songwriter and bassist. He is known for being a member of the Jackson family. From 1964 to 1975, Jermaine was second vocalist after his brother Michael of the Jackson 5, and played bass guitar. In 1983, he rejoined the group, which had been renamed the Jacksons; he then consistently played in the group's performances and recordings until he left the group again in 2020.
DeBarge was an American musical recording group composed of several members of the DeBarge family. In addition to various solo projects completed by members of the family, DeBarge was active between 1979 and 1989. The group originally consisted of El, Mark, Randy, and Bunny. James joined the group a year later for their 1982 second album. Bobby joined in 1987, following the departures of Bunny and El.
"Who's Lovin' You" is a Motown soul song, written in 1960 by William "Smokey" Robinson. The song has been recorded by many different artists including The Miracles, who recorded the 1960 original version, The Temptations, The Supremes, Terence Trent D'arby, Brenda and The Tabulations, John Farnham, Human Nature, En Vogue, Michael Bublé and Giorgia Todrani and Jessica Mauboy. The most famous version is attributed to The Jackson 5. Shaheen Jafargholi, then twelve years old, performed the song at Michael Jackson's public memorial service in July 2009.
Eldra "El" Patrick DeBarge is an American singer, songwriter and musician. He was the focal point and primary lead singer of the family group DeBarge. Popular songs led by El DeBarge include "Time Will Reveal", "Who's Holding Donna Now", "Stay with Me", "All This Love", and "Rhythm of the Night". As a solo artist, he is best known for his unique high tenor register, strong falsetto and hits like "Who's Johnny" and "Love Always". He has also collaborated with artists such as Dionne Warwick, Al Green, Lalah Hathaway, Tone Loc, Babyface, Faith Evans, Quincy Jones, Fourplay, and DJ Quik.
"The Love You Save" is a song recorded by the Jackson 5 for Motown Records. It was released as a single on May 13, 1970, and held the number-one spot on the soul singles chart in the US for six weeks and the number-one position on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for two weeks, from June 27 to July 4, 1970 and sold over 2 million copies in the United States. In the UK top 40 chart, it peaked at number 7 in August 1970. The song is the third of the four-in-a-row Jackson 5 number-ones released. Billboard ranked the record as the No. 16 song of 1970, one place behind the Jackson 5's "ABC".
Etterlene "Bunny" DeBarge is an American soul singer–songwriter and the lone female sibling of the Motown family group DeBarge. She was the lead vocalist on the R&B ballad "A Dream", from the group's In a Special Way album, and is also the co-writer of the group's 1982 breakthrough hit, "I Like It" and the number-one hit, "Time Will Reveal".
Robert Louis DeBarge Jr. was an American musician. He was the lead singer of the Motown R&B/soul vocal group Switch and was noted for his falsetto vocals. Later on, he served as both mentor and a co-producer of his siblings' band, DeBarge, eventually joining them to fill in for departing members El and Bunny. Personal problems, including substance abuse which eventually led to drug trafficking charges in 1988, plagued DeBarge in later years, taking focus away from his musical career. He contracted HIV in the 1980s, and died of AIDS complications in 1995 at age 39.
Rhythm of the Night is the fourth studio album by DeBarge, released by Gordy Records on March 14, 1985. It reached #19 on the Billboard 200 and #3 on the R&B Album Chart. The album was also certified Gold by the RIAA.
"I Like It" is a R&B/Soul song by American family band DeBarge. Released on August 20, 1982 by Motown Records (Gordy), it was the second single from their second studio album, All This Love (1982).
"Time Will Reveal" is a single by DeBarge and released in September 1983 as the first single off the group's third album, In a Special Way on the Gordy label. It was also the group's biggest hit prior to the group's 1985 hit, "Rhythm of the Night".
All This Love is the second studio album by DeBarge, released by Gordy Records on July 22, 1982.
In a Special Way is the third studio album by American R&B group DeBarge, released by Gordy Records on September 23, 1983. It was recorded at Kendun Records in Burbank and Westlake Audio in West Hollywood; written and produced by lead vocalist El DeBarge with additional writing by Mark, James and Bunny DeBarge.
William Randall DeBarge is an American R&B/soul singer and bass guitarist, best known for being one of the original members of the popular Motown singing family group DeBarge. Randy is also known for singing co-lead and penning lyrics with brother El on the group's first hit, "I Like It" (1982).
Switch is the first album by R&B band, Switch, released in 1978. It is also their first on the Motown subsidiary Gordy. After recording as White Heat and Hot Ice, this gave them the commercial breakthrough they desired with hits like "There'll Never Be" and "I Wanna Be Closer".
Switch II is the second album by the R&B group Switch, released in 1979. Included on the album is one of the band's biggest and most often-sampled hits "I Call Your Name".
This Is My Dream is the fourth album by R&B group Switch. It was released in 1980. This is also the only album during their tenure with Motown not to feature input from Jermaine Jackson; they produced this album themselves.
Reaching for Tomorrow is the third album by R&B/funk band Switch, released in 1980 by Gordy Records. The album reached No. 23 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart.
The DeBarge family is a family of rhythm and blues artists from Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The DeBarges is the debut album of DeBarge, released by Gordy Records on April 6, 1981. It saw limited success and stalled on the charts; the group felt it was not properly promoted. As a result, they revisited The DeBarges by including two songs on their subsequent recordings: "Queen of My Heart" was included on their third album, In a Special Way, while "Share My World" would be included on their fourth, Rhythm of the Night.
Phillip Ingram is an American musician. He is perhaps best known as one of the founding members of the Motown Group Switch and is the younger brother of James Ingram.