| Gap Band III | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
    | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | December 8, 1980 | |||
| Recorded | 1980 | |||
| Studio | Total Experience Recording Studios (Hollywood) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 44:45 | |||
| Label | 
  | |||
| Producer | Lonnie Simmons [1] | |||
| The Gap Band chronology | ||||
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The Gap Band III is the fifth studio album (contrary to the title) by American R&B band the Gap Band, released in 1980 on Mercury Records. It was produced by Lonnie Simmons. It was their first album to achieve platinum status. The album was reissued in a remastered edition by PTG Records in 2009.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating | 
| AllMusic | |
| Rolling Stone | (favorable) [3] | 
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | |
The album reached #1 on the Black Albums chart and #16 on the Billboard Hot 200. [5] The album yielded 3 charting singles: the #60 R&B song "Humpin'", "Yearning for Your Love", a #5 R&B single which peaked at #60 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the #1 R&B hit "Burn Rubber (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)", which reached #19 on the dance charts and #84 on the Hot 100. [6]
This would be the group's final release by Mercury Records (via Total Experience Productions). The Gap Band's next six albums were released on Total Experience Records.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length | 
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "When I Look in Your Eyes" | Lonnie Simmons, Rudy Taylor, Wilmer Raglin | 4:59 | 
| 2. | "Yearning for Your Love" | Oliver Scott, Ronnie Wilson | 5:42 | 
| 3. | "Burn Rubber (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)" | Charlie Wilson, Lonnie Simmons, Rudy Taylor | 5:30 | 
| 4. | "Nothin' Comes to Sleepers" | Oliver Scott, Ronnie Wilson | 5:33 | 
| 5. | "Are You Living" | Charlie Wilson, John Black | 4:23 | 
| 6. | "Sweet Caroline" | Charlie Wilson, Malvin Vice | 3:20 | 
| 7. | "Humpin'" | Charlie Wilson, Lonnie Simmons, Ronnie Wilson, Rudy Taylor | 5:13 | 
| 8. | "The Way" | Oliver Scott, Ronnie Wilson | 4:47 | 
| 9. | "Gash Gash Gash" | Robert Wilson | 5:18 | 
| 10. | "Burn Rubber (Why You Wanna Hurt Me) [Radio Version]" | Charlie Wilson, Lonnie Simmons, Rudy Taylor | 4:09 | 
| Chart (1981) | Peak position  | 
|---|---|
| Billboard Pop Albums [7] | 16 | 
| Billboard Top Soul Albums [7] | 1 | 
| Year | Single | Chart positions [8] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|  US Pop  |  US R&B  |  US Disco  | ||
| 1981 | "Burn Rubber (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)" | 84 | 1 | 19 | 
| "Yearning for Your Love" | 60 | 5 | - | |
| "Humpin'" | - | 60 | - | |