The Gap Band was an American R&B and funk band that rose to fame during the 1970s and 1980s. The band consisted of three brothers: Charlie, Ronnie, and Robert Wilson, along with other members; it was named after streets (Greenwood, Archer, and Pine)[1][2] in the historic Greenwood neighborhood in the brothers' hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma.[3]
History
Early years
The band formed in Tulsa in 1967, based around the three Wilson brothers, but often included other musicians as well. The name "Greenwood, Archer, and Pine Band" originally started as a joke, reflecting the band's origins, and was shortened to GAP Band later.[4] The band received its first big break by being the back up band for fellow Oklahoman Leon Russell's Stop All That Jazz album released in 1974.[5][6]
Early on, the group took on a funk sound typical of the early 1970s.[7] This style failed to catch on, and their first two LP's, 1974's Magicians Holiday which was recorded at Leon Russell's historic The Church Studio and 1977's The Gap Band (not to be confused with their 1979 album), failed to chart or produce any charting singles. Afterwards, they were introduced to Los Angeles producer Lonnie Simmons, who signed them to his production company, Total Experience Productions (named after his successful Crenshaw Boulevard nightclub), and managed to secure a record deal with Mercury Records.
Success
On their first album with Simmons, The Gap Band, they found chart success with songs such as "I'm in Love" and "Shake"; the latter became a Top 10 R&B hit in 1979.
Later that year, the group released "I Don't Believe You Want to Get Up and Dance (Oops!)" on their album The Gap Band II.[3] Although it did not hit the Billboard Hot 100, it soared to number 4 in the US BillboardR&Bchart, and the album went gold. The song, and the band's musical output as a whole, became more P-Funk-esque,[8] with expanded use of the synthesizers and spoken monologues within songs (see audio sample). The song "Steppin' (Out)" also reached the top 10 R&B.[9]
The band reached a whole new level of fame in 1980 with the release of the number 1 R&B and number 16 Billboard 200 hit, The Gap Band III. That album had soul ballads such as the number 5 R&B song "Yearning for Your Love", and funk songs such as the R&B chart-topper "Burn Rubber (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)" and "Humpin'".[10] They repeated this formula on the number 1 R&B album Gap Band IV in 1982 (the first album released on Simmons' newly launched Total Experience Records), which resulted in three hit singles: "Early in the Morning" (number 1 R&B, number 13 Dance, number 24 Hot 100), "You Dropped a Bomb on Me" (number 2 R&B, number 31 Hot 100, number 39 Dance), and "Outstanding" (number 1 R&B, number 24 Dance). It was during this time that former Brides of Funkenstein singer Dawn Silva joined them on tour.
Their 1983 album, Gap Band V: Jammin', went gold, but was not quite as successful as the previous works, peaking at number 2 R&B and number 28 on the Billboard 200. The single "Party Train" peaked at number 3 R&B, and the song "Jam the Motha'" peaked at number 16 R&B, but neither made it onto the Hot 100. The album's closer "Someday" (a loose cover of Donny Hathaway's "Someday We'll All Be Free") featured Stevie Wonder as a guest vocalist.[11]
Their next work, Gap Band VI brought them back to number 1 R&B in 1985, but the album sold fewer copies and did not go gold. "Beep a Freak" hit number 2 R&B, "I Found My Baby" peaked at number 8 on the R&B charts, and "Disrespect" peaked at number 18. That year, lead singer Charlie Wilson and singer Shirley Murdock provided backing vocals on Zapp & Roger's number 8 R&B "Computer Love".[12]
Later years
While their 1986 cover of "Going in Circles" went to number 2 on the R&B charts, and the album it was released on, Gap Band VII, hit number 6 R&B, the album almost became their first in years to miss the Billboard 200, peaking at number 159.
While they were beginning to struggle stateside, the group found their greatest success in the UK when their 1986 single "Big Fun" from Gap Band 8 reached number 4 in the UK Singles Chart.[13] 1988's Straight from the Heart was their last studio album with Total Experience.
The Gap Band caught a small break in 1988 with the Keenen Ivory Wayans film, I'm Gonna Git You Sucka.[3] They contributed the non-charting "You're So Cute" and the number 14 R&B title track to the film (The first was not on the soundtrack, but was used in the film).[14] Their first song on their new label, Capitol Records, 1989's "All of My Love" (from their album Round Trip), is, to date, their last number 1 R&B hit. The album also produced the number 8 R&B "Addicted to Your Love" and the number 18 R&B ""We Can Make it Alright." They left Capitol Records the next year and went on a five-year hiatus from producing new material.
During the 1990s, the band released three non-charting studio albums and two live albums.
Legacy
In 1992, Charlie ventured into a solo career and has since had several moderate R&B hits on his own. Wilson's vocals were credited in part for inspiring the vocal style of new jack swing artists Guy, Aaron Hall, Jodeci, Keith Sweat, and R. Kelly. The band reunited in 1996, and issued The Gap Band: Live and Well, a live greatest hits album.
On August 26, 2005, The Gap Band was honored as a BMI Icon at the 57th annual BMI Urban Awards. The honor is given to a creator who has been "a unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers". "Outstanding" alone remains one of the most sampled songs in history and has, astonishingly, been used by over 150 artists.[15]
Producer Heavy D sampled "Outstanding" for "Every Little Thing", a 1995 hit single by his boy band prodigies Soul for Real,[20] which reached number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100. Ten years later, Polish rappers Red and Spinache sampled "Outstanding" for "Wczoraj", from their album 7 Rano.[21]
