Van McCoy - The Hustle 12" version

Van Allen Clinton McCoy (January 6, 1940 – July 6, 1979) was an accomplished musician, music producer, arranger, songwriter, and orchestra conductor. He is known best for his 1975 internationally successful song "The Hustle", which is still played in dance halls and by radio nowadays more than 30 years since his death. He has approximately 700 song copyrights to his credit and is also noted for producing songs for such recording artists as Gladys Knight and the Pips, The Stylistics, Aretha Franklin, Brenda & The Tabulations, David Ruffin, Peaches & Herb, and Stacy Lattisaw.

Biography

 Early life

Van McCoy was born on January 6, 1940, in Washington, D.C., the second child of Norman S. McCoy, Sr. and Lillian Ray. He learned to play piano at a young age and sang with the Metropolitan Baptist Church choir as a youngster. By age 12 years, he had begun writing his own songs in addition to performing in local amateur shows alongside his older brother, Norman Jr. The two brothers formed a doo-wop combo named the Starlighters with two friends while in high school. They recorded a single entitled, "The Birdland", a novelty dance record, during 1956, which gained some interest resulting in a tour with drummer Vi Burnsides. The Starlighters produced three singles for End(?label) during 1959. Marriage and other commitments would eventually cause the group to disband during the mid-1950s. Van also sang with a group called the Marylanders.
During 1961 McCoy met Kendra Spottswood to whom he became engaged. For the next five years they sang and recorded music together professionally. Their relationship ended when McCoy delayed their wedding plans because of a contract with Columbia Records company.

Career

McCoy entered Howard University to study psychology during September 1958, only to drop out after two years to relocate to Philadelphia, where he formed his own recording company, Rockin' Records, and released his first single, "Hey Mr. DJ", during 1959. This single gained the attention of Scepter Records owner Florence Greenberg, who hired McCoy as a staff writer and A&R Representative. As a writer there, McCoy composed his first success, "Stop the Music", for the female vocal group the Shirelles during 1962. He also managed the band Vando and Share and co-owned the band Maxx during the mid-1960s, supervising such artists as Gladys Knight & The Pips, Chris Bartley, and The Ad Libs. However, he really came into his own after first working for top producers Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller as a writer and then signing with the major April-Blackwood music publishing concern, connected with Columbia Records. McCoy would go on to write a string of hits as the 1960s progressed. He penned "Giving Up" for Gladys Knight & The Pips, (later a hit for Donny Hathaway), "The Sweetest Thing This Side of Heaven" for Chris Bartley, "When You're Young and in Love" for Ruby and the Romantics, "Right on the Tip of My Tongue" for Brenda & The Tabulations, "Baby I'm Yours" for Barbara Lewis, "Getting Mighty Crowded" for Betty Everett, and "I Get the Sweetest Feeling" for Jackie Wilson. He also put together the hit-making duo of Peaches & Herb, arranging and co-producing their first hit, "Let's Fall In Love", for the Columbia subsidiary Date, in 1966. The same year, McCoy recorded a solo LP for Columbia titled Night-time Is a Lonely Time, and, a year later, started his own short-lived label, Vando, as well as his own production company VMP (Van McCoy Productions).
Van wrote or produced most consistently for The Presidents ("5-10-15-20 (25 Years of Love)"), The Choice Four ("The Finger Pointers", "Come Down to Earth"), Faith, Hope & Charity ("To Each His Own" and "So Much Love") and David Ruffin ("Walk Away from Love"). In the early 1970s, McCoy began a long, acclaimed collaboration with songwriter/ producer, Charles Kipps, and arranged several hits for the soul group The Stylistics as well as releasing his own solo LP on the Buddah label, Soul Improvisations, in 1972. The album included a minor hit, "Let Me Down Easy", but it wasn't a success following poor promotion. He formed his own orchestra, Soul City Symphony and, with singers Faith, Hope and Charity, produced several albums and gave many performances.

 Television and film

Van McCoy appeared on the Mike Douglas Show and was a regular guest on the Tonight Show. He wrote and sung the theme song for the movie Sextette that starred Mae West and Timothy Dalton and even made a cameo appearance in it, playing a delegate from Africa. He also contributed some music for A Woman Called Moses, the TV classic that starred Cicely Tyson.Along with Faith Hope & Charity, Brass Construction and Johnny Dark, he appears in episode 4.20 of Don Kirshner's Rock Concert.^[4]

 Mainstream success

In 1975, McCoy released to low expectations the mostly instrumental LP Disco Baby for the Avco (later H&L) label. It should be noted, however, that the title song, "Disco Baby", was written by David Weiss and Hugo & Luigi, and performed by the Stylistics. Unexpectedly, a single called "The Hustle" from the album, written about the dance of the same name and recorded last for the album, went to the very top of both the Billboard pop and R&B charts (also #3 in Britain) and won a Grammy. The album was also Grammy nominated. McCoy, then regarded a disco hitmaker, never repeated the success of the song, although the singles "Party", "That's the Joint", and "Change with the Times" got significant airplay. The latter reached #6 in the Billboard R&B chart and was a Top 40 hit in the UK. There were no further major sellers in the USA, despite a series of follow-up albums, From Disco to Love (the 1975 reissue of Soul Improvisations), The Disco Kid (1975), The Real McCoy (1976), Rhythms of the World (1976), My Favorite Fantasy (1978), Lonely Dancer (1979), and Sweet Rhythm (1979)). However, he scored the UK top 5 again during 1977 with the instrumental success "The Shuffle".
Van also had major success with former Temptation David Ruffin's comeback LP, Who I Am, featuring "Walk Away from Love", a number 1 R&B hit (#9 pop) in the USA and a UK Top 5 success. He went on to produce the next two albums for David Ruffin, which spawned further successes. McCoy produced Gladys Knight and The Pips' Still Together LP, and for Melba Moore ("This Is It" and "Lean on Me"). He discovered Faith, Hope And Charity, whose major success in 1975, "To Each His Own", was another R&B chart-topper for him.

Death

McCoy died from a heart attack in Englewood, New Jersey on July 6, 1979, at the age of 39.

 Discography

 Singles

Van McCoy

• Never Trust A Friend / Mr DJ - Rock'n Records 101
• It Ain't No Big Thing / Love Can Mess Up Your Mind - Rockway Records R-711 - 1963
• Baby Don't Tease Me / Girls Are Sentimental - Rock'n REcords 1012
• I'll Wait For You / The House That Love Built - Columbia 4-43694 - 1966
• To Make My father Proud (To make My Mother Smile) / Where There’s A Heartache (There Must Be A Heart) Did My Baby Turn Bad - CGC Records 115
• Follow Your Heat / Lonely - Liberty F-55457
• I Started A Joke / Tony's Theme - Epic 10470 - 1969
• Soul Improvisations (Part 1) / Soul Improvisations (Part 2) - Buddah Records BDS 418 - 1974
• Change With The Times / Good Night, Baby - Avco Records AV 4660 - 1975
• Party / The Disco Kid - H&L Records HL-4670 - 1976
• Night Walk / Love Child - H&L Records - HL-4667 - 1975
• The Shuffle / That's The Joint - H&L REcords HL-4677 - 1976
• Soul Cha Cha / Oriental Boogie - H&L Records HL-4682 - 1976
• My Favourite Fantasy / You're So Right For Me - MCA MCA 370 - 1978
• Lonely Dancer / Decisions - MCA Records MCA 40984 - 1978 Van McCoy & The Soul City Symphony
• Killing Me Softly / Love Is The Answer - Avco Records AV-4639 - 1974
• Boogie Down / A Rainy Night In Gerogia - Avco 4648 - 1974
• The Hustle / Get Dancin' - Avco 6105 037 - 1975

 Albums

• Night Time Is Lonely Time - Columbia CL 2497 - 1966
• Soul Improvisations - Buddah BDS 5103 - 1972
• Love Is The Answer Avco AV-69002-698 - 1974
• Disco Baby - Avco AV-69006-698 - 1975
• The Disco Kid - Avco AV-69009-698 - 1975
• From Disco To Love - Buddah Records BDS 5648 - 1975
• The Real McCoy - H&L Records HL-69012-698 - 1976
• Rhythms Of The World H&L Records HL-69014-698 - 1976
• Van McCoy And His Magnificent Movie Machine - H&L Records HL-69022-698 - 1977
• My Favourite Fantasy - MCA Records MCA 3036 - 1978
• Lonely Dancer - MCA Records MCA 3071 - 1979
• Sweet Rhythm - H&L Records H&L 6467 651 - 1979 (UK)

The Hustle - Van Mccoy

This video is about the popular song The Hustle about Van Mccoy and Giorgo Moroder explain more about this excelent Disco sucess.

Claudja Barry - Boogie Woogie Dancing Shoes

Claudja Barry

Claudja Barry, (born 1952, Jamaica) was raised in Toronto, Ontario and later based in Germany, is a singer and actress who has performed in the European versions of the stage musicals Hair and Catch My Soul.

Early music career

Before she embarked on a solo career, Claudja Barry was part of the studio group Boney M from 1975 to 1976. She has had two Billboard Hot 100 entries. The first being "Dancin' Fever" which peaked at #72, off The Girl Most Likely album. The other song being "Boogie Woogie Dancin' Shoes" (R&B #37, Pop #56 in 1979) from the album I Wanna Be Loved By You, released in 1978. Both became major mainstream pop hits in Canada and Europe. In 1976 the soulful ballad "Love for the Sake of Love" got airplay, and in 1979, another single, Boogie Tonight was released off the "I Wanna..." album, received Canadian airplay and was also remixed into a 12" Disco Single.

 The 1980s

During 1980 with the release of her Feel The Fire album, Claudja's songs were becoming highly synthesized - this was her final album to feature an earthier, more horn & string approach to the production of her music. By 1981, she made a successful foray into New Wave/Hi-NRG music with the Made In Hong Kong album which is touted as her best album. It featured the lead single "Radio Action" which became a moderate club hit peaking at #57. In 1985, she appeared in the movie Rappin', starring Mario Van Peebles. The year 1985 also saw the release of the single, "Born To Love" which sounds similar to a Pet Shop Boys or Erasure song. This single was produced by New York City based Hi-NRG producer, singer and songwriter, Bobby Orlando. "Born To Love" features airy, ethereal synths and aggressive, syncopated synthesizers and a fierce lead guitar which made it a Top 20 smash, peaking at #14 on Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. Dance format radio stations in the United States did not give it major exposure since the album it was lifted from was a UK only release.
On the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, she has much more success: six Top 10 hits, including "Down and Counting," which spent a week at #1 in 1986. The song also became only the third single to chart outside of the Dance charts in the U.S., peaking at a #98 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks. Barry did not have further success on that chart despite several mid tempo and ballad songs such as "I Will Follow Him" and "If I Do It To You" which could have been hits on the chart had they been pushed on the Urban radio format in 1982. "Down and Counting" was the lead single from her album, "I, Claudja", her only record for Epic Records.

The 1990s

After her run at Epic did not result in another album, she went more quiet, focusing her music career to her fans in Canada and aboard. She still remained active recording a pair of underground club classics during the early 1990s. The singles "Love Is An Island" (1991) and "Summer of Love" (1992) are highly regarded club hits to those who know them. In 1993, the German euro-dance project General Base featured Barry as lead singer for their single "Poison", which got a greater success. "Summer of Love" was successful enough that it maintains radio airplay on some radio stations such as WMPH. Both single became major hits outside of the U.S. In Brazil, in 1996, her song "Brand New Day" was a great success. After a Christmas/Holiday Dance album titled, Disco'round The Christmas Tree was released on Radikal Records in 1995, then an extended mix compilation titled, Disco Mixes, she went quiet for the remainder of the decade because she wanted to focus on raising a family.

 1999 to present

In 1999, R&B artist Montell Jordan sampled the rhythm track from Barry's single "Love For the Sake of Love," for the hit titled, "Get It On Tonite" (#4 on the Hot 100). In May 2006, Barry returned to the Billboard charts with "I Will Stand" released on Donna Jean Records. By July the song had reached the Top 10 of the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, peaking at #4 before the end of the summer. It received moderate dance radio format airplay. Barry is working on her long awaited album.

 Discography

 Albums

• Sweet Dynamite Lollipop 1976
• The Girl Most Likely Lollipop 1977
• Claudja Salsoul 1978
• I Wanna Be Loved By You Lollipop 1978
• Feel The Fire Hot Productions 1980
• Made In Hong Kong Hot Productions 1981
• If I Do It To You Ensign (UK)1985
• I, Claudja Epic Records 1987
• The Best of Claudja Barry Hot Productions 1991

giorgio moroder i wanna rock you 1979

Giorgio Moroder - From Here To Eternity

Giorgio Moroder

Giorgio Moroder is remarkably multi-faceted. An Academy Award-winning composer, a world-recognized songwriter, a prolific producer, a stunning artist, a skillful designer, an innovative filmmaker, and entrepreneur, he is best known for his much-awarded and chart-topping music. Moroder has worked with many of the most famous names in music including Barbra Streisand, Elton John, Cher, Roger Daltrey, Janet Jackson, Freddy Mercury, David Bowie and Pat Benatar. And among his hit singles are Donna Summer's "Hot Stuff" and "I Feel Love," Kenny Loggins' "Danger Zone," Irene Cara's "Flashdance (What a Feeling!)," David Bowie's "Putting Out the Fire" and Blondie's "Call Me."

His many film scores include three Academy Award winners. The first came for his score to the powerful film Midnight Express. Next recognized was Irene Cara's inspirational hit, "Flashdance," from the film of the same title. And then the highly romantic song, "Take My Breath Away" from the film, Top Gun, brought his third Academy Award. Not surprisingly, compositions by Giorgio have also contributed to numerous other hit films such as The Never Ending Story, American Gigolo, Cat People, Superman III, Scarface, Rambo III, and Beverly Hills Cop II. And his music has attracted many other awards including four Golden Globes, two People's Choice Awards, and more than 100 Golden and Platinum discs. In February 1998, he received his third Grammy for the song "Carry On, performed by Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder.

Moroder's musical creativity has also touched the realms of sports and world peace. He wrote the songs "Reach Out" for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, "Hand in Hand" for the 1988 Seoul, Korea Olympics, and the world wide hit song "UN ESTATE ITALIANA" for the 1990 Soccer World Cup in Italy.

Always evolving as an artist, Moroder continues to find new outlets for his musical talents. The latest is the stage. He is currently involved in musical stage productions. One is inspired by Flashdance-the popular motion picture featuring Moroder's Oscar Award-winning hit song, "Flashdance (What a Feeling!).".

In recent years, Giorgio has been active in the world of art through his creations involving computer-enhanced imagery and photography. His early work involved computer-enhanced portraits of friends, such as Donna Summer, and of his wife, Francisca. In 1996, a London show focused on his images of the controversial writer/poet Charles Bukowski. This past summer, Giorgio presented an exhibit of his multimedia art creations with his brother, Ulrich Moroder, at the MUSEUM OF MODERN ART in Bolzano, Italy.

One of Giorgio's initial projects in computer art was the groundbreaking award winning film short, A Special Tree. This innovative film is composed of hundreds of photographs which he digitally reworked on his computer into a psychological mystery. And he has also been involved in other film and video projects. Giorgio produced a documentary for German television titled, The World in Which We Live, and he restored Fritz Lang's classic silent film, Metropolis, enhancing it with beautiful music in the process. In addition, Giorgio created a video titled, Metamorphosis, and an MTV-like Hi-Energy video called Vorticoso.

A special and unusual project for Giorgio was his work in the design and production of the exotic Italian supercar, the Cizeta-Moroder. This exquisite, 16-cylinder sports car set new records for Italian high-performance technology.
Originally from Val Gardena-Dolomiti, Italy, Moroder spent his early years in music touring Europe playing the bass and guitar in mostly pop-oriented ensembles. He eventually teamed up with Pete Bellotte and produced the seventeen-minute "Love to Love You Baby" performed by Donna Summer. That song is credited with starting the popular disco craze around the world.
Giorgio has also directed his creative energies toward several film and video projects
which reflect his musical and artistic perspective.

A SPECIAL TREE a film by Giorgio Moroder A SPECIAL TREE is a 12 minute film created by Academy Award winner Giorgio Moroder that takes you on a journey of the senses. The film utilizes a new technique based around computer-manipulation of a series of still photographs. A full musical score and sound effects are also used to enhance the stunning images. A Special Tree is the story of a family and their mystery. Richard (Lyman Ward) is a father so in love with his daughter (Heather Paige-Kent) that he will stop at nothing when her new boyfriend (Adam Baldwin) tries to rip the family apart. The film was awarded "Best Experimental - International" and "Audience Favorite - Experimental" at the Palm Springs International Short Film Festival.
THE WORLD IN WHICH WE LIVE a film by Giorgio Moroder THE WORLD IN WHICH WE LIVE is a fast-paced 30 minute documentary with original music and images of events that have shaped our world. Events include moments in history, sports, war, religion, politics, art, entertainment, nature and the environment, as well as happy and tragic events. The film was created for German Television Channel 2 and received the German Bambi Award.
METROPOLIS World-renowned Oscar winning producer and composer Giorgio Moroder has captured the essence of Fritz Lang's legendary futuristic masterpiece, METROPOLIS, in this brilliant recreation of the 1926 silent film classic vision of tomorrow. Using his award-winning expertise, Moroder has composed an electrifying soundtrack to match the film's visionary style, performed by some of today's top rock artists, including Pat Benetar, Freddie Mercury of Queen, Loverboy, Adam Ant and more. This immense science fiction epic is a bizarre vision of the future. The year is 2026 and the inhabitants of the world are divided into two classes: an elite "ruling" class who spend their time in futile pursuits, living in luxury on the planet's surface, and the working class, who toil below ground, doomed to serve from birth to death as slaves to the monstrous machines they tend. When the son of the ruler of the great city of METROPOLIS falls in love with a woman of the lower class, the stage is set for an earthshaking confrontation. This revitalized METROPOLIS has all the immediacy and excitement of the original with the added impact of Giorgio Moroder's vibrant soundtrack, surging new power into some of the most striking and moving images ever put to film.
METAMORPHOSIS a film by Giorgio Moroder METAMORPHOSIS is a video of pictures of Giorgio's wife, Francisca, and Donna Summer with original music that at certain rhythms metamorphose into various new images.
VORTICOSO a film by Giorgio Moroder VORTICOSO is a high energy MTV like video with original music of live action scenes whose images seem to blend and interact with each other.

Over the years, Giorgio Moroder has produced countless artists, written or produced over 40 songs for films, scored 15 films (including the theme for Midnight Express which won an Academy Award), and won numerous top awards.

Artists Produced

Barbra Streisand Miami Sound Machine Janet Jackson David Bowie Graham Nash Donna Summer Sammy Hagar/Van Halen Kenny Loggins Pat Benatar Jon Anderson Limahl The Silvers Eric Martin-Mr.Big Remix Eurythmics Berlin Jermaine Jackson Cheap Trick Irene Cara Cher Chaka Khan Freddie Mercury Sparks

Adam Ant Janis Ian Phil Oakey S. S. Sputnik Olivia Newton-John Elton John In Aura Remix Bonnie Tyler Loverboy Bill Medley Roger Miller Blondie Debbie Harry Melissa Manchester Billy Squier Roger Daltrey Jennifer Rush DeBarge Asia RuPaul Gravity Kills remix

Feature Films

Feature Film Scores And Songs

Let It Ride

Fair Game

Over The Top

The Never Ending Story (Co-scored With Klaus Doldinger)

Electric Dreams

Flashdance

Scarface

Superman III

Metropolis (New Score To 1926 Silent Classic)

D.C.Cab

Another Way

American Gigolo

Cat People

Foxes

Midnight Express

Feature Film Songs

Navy Seals

The Never Ending Story

Rambo III

Beverly Hills Cops II

Top Gun

American Anthem

Quicksilver

Thief of Hearts

Thank God It's Friday (Also Produced Oscar Winning Song "Last Dance")

TELEVISION

The World in Which We Live

Awards

ACADEMY AWARDSBest Original Song TOP GUN Take My Breath Away Best Original Song FLASHDANCE Flashdance-What A Feeling Best Original Score MIDNIGHT EXPRESS		GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDSBest Original Song TOP GUN Take My Breath Away Best Original Score FLASHDANCE Best Original Song FLASHDANCE Flashdance-What A Feeling Best Original Score MIDNIGHT EXPRESS
GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINATIONSBest Original Song AMERICAN GIGOLO Call Me Best Original Score AMERICAN GIGOLO Golden globes nominations Best Original Score FLASHDANCE Best Original Score SCARFACE Best Original Score CAT PEOPLE		GRAMMY AWARDS Best Original Score FLASHDANCE Best Instrumental Song Love Theme From FLASHDANCE Best Dance Recording Carry On Giorgio Moroder and Donna Summer

Songs from Movies

Take My Breath Away	Berlin	Top Gun
Flashdance	Irene Cara	Flashdance
Call Me	Blondie	American Gigolo
Last Dance*	Donna Summer	Thank God It's Friday
The Never Ending Story	Limal	The Never Ending Story
Putting Out The Fire	David Bowie	Cat People
On The Radio	Donna Summer	Foxes
All Revved Up	Jermaine Jackson	Beverly Hills Cop II
Quicksilver	Roger Daltrey	Quicksilver
Electric Dreams	Phil Oakey	Electric Dreams
Meet Me Half Way	Kenny Loggins	Over The Top
Danger Zone	Kenny Loggins	Top Gun
Wings To Fly	Graham Nash	American Anthem
He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother*	Bill Medly	Rambo III
Love Kills	Freddie Mercury	Metropolis
Winner Takes It All	Sammy Hagar/Van Halen	Over The Top
The Chase	Giorgio Moroder	Midnight Express
No See, No Cry	Chaka Khan	Superman III
Hot Summer Nights*	Miami Sound Machine	Top Gun
Here's My Heart	Pat Benatar	Metropolis
Single Heart	DeBarge	D.C. Cab
Strike Like Lightning	Mr. Big	Navy Seals
Here She Comes	Bonnie Tyler	Metropolis
Bad Love	Cher	Fox
Turn Out The Light	Amy Holland	Scarface
They Won't Get Me	Roger Miller	Superman III
Gypsy Soul	Asia	Over The Top
I Will Be Strong	Eddie Money	Over The Top
Party Me Tonight	Stephanie Mills	D.C. Cab
Cage Of Freedom	Jon Anderson	Metropolis
Destruction	Loverboy	Metropolis
On Your Own	Billy Squier	Metropolis
What's Going On	Adam Ant	Metropolis
*Produced

Shirley and Company - Shame Shame Shame 1975.avi

"Shame, Shame, Shame" is a 1974 hit song written by Sylvia Robinson and performed by American disco band Shirley & Company. The single hit number one on the soul singles chart for one week, and number one on the disco/dance charts for four weeks..The track was one of the first international disco hits and reached number 12 on the Billboard charts. It was however the sole success of this one-hit wonder band: the song was first released and the full-length LP Shame, Shame, Shame was recorded subsequently and came out in 1975.

Covers

• Linda Fields & The Funky Boys covered a nearly identical sounding version, released as a single (7") in 1975. Rereleased in 1983 as a 12" EP. This version appears on several disco compilations and is often confused with the original.
• Henri Salvador recorded a French version of the song, with the title "J'aime tes g'noux".
• Polish-Swedish singer Izabella Scorupco recorded a cover version of the song in 1992 which was a charted hit in a number of European countries. It appears on an extended version of her 1991 album Iza.
• The male vocalist on "Shame, Shame Shame" is Jesus Alvarez^.
• The song was covered by American singer Sinitta in 1992. It was released as a single, which peaked at number twenty-eight in the United Kingdom. It was later included on her third studio album Naughty Naughty (1995).
• A*Teens recorded a cover of the song for their album "New Arrival" (2003).

BETTY WRIGHT-TONIGHT IS THE NIGHT,LIVE 1975

Betty Wright (born December 21, 1953)is a Grammy winning Miami-based soul and R&B singer who influenced a generation of female singer-songwriters and the world of hip hop, which has sampled some of her material. She should not be confused with the wife of gospel singer Rev. Timothy Wright who was also called Betty Wright.

Career

From singing gospel with the family group, the Echoes of Joy, Wright began a switch to R&B music in 1965 when she was eleven years old. In 1967, she discovered singers George and Gwen McCrae, and helped them sign to Henry Stone's Alston record label. In 1968, she released her first album, My First Time Around, at the age of 15, and scored her first hit single, "Girls Can't Do What Guys Can Do" on the Alston label, part of Henry Stone's TK studio and record company in Florida. But it was not until the end of 1971 that the most successful phase of her career began.
The song "Clean Up Woman" became a major pop and R&B hit, remaining at #2 for eight weeks on the R&B chart and reaching #6 on the pop listing. "Clean Up Woman" was written by Steve Alaimo and stayed for 14 weeks in the Billboard Hot 100 chart.It sold over a million copies with the R.I.A.A. gold disc award on 30 December 1971. and would later influence a remix of Mary J. Blige's "Real Love" single with the sample of its guitar riffs; R&B girl trio SWV's "I'm So Into You" also featured a sample from "Clean Up Woman," as did Afrika Bambaataa's song "Zulu War Chant", and Sublime's "Get Out!" remix. Beyoncé has sampled "Girls Can't Do What The Guys Do" for her hit "Upgrade U".
In 1978, Wright scored with a re-worked "live" version of a song she had written with producer Willie Clarke, "Tonight Is The Night" (about a real-life love affair that happened when Wright was a teenager). The original version had done reasonably well three years earlier but the new, much longer version (which was simulated and performed in a studio to sound like a live performance along with a set of other tunes for the album Betty Wright Live which used canned audience tracks) climbed to #11 on the R&B charts. This was later sampled by both Candyman for his one-hit wonder "Knockin' Boots" and Sheek Louch's single, "Good Love." Another single, "Where is the Love" which was written and produced by Harry Wayne Casey (KC & The Sunshine Band), Richard Finch, Willie Clarke, and Betty Wright. The song won her a Grammy for Best R&B Song in 1975.
In 1978, Wright sang a duet called "No Tricks" with Alice Cooper. In late 1979, she appeared as the opening act for several Survival Tour concerts by Bob Marley.
After experiencing a brief slump in the early 1980s, she rebounded to set up her own record label called Ms. B Records, and in 1988 she made music history by being the first woman to have a gold record on her own label, with the release of Mother Wit. The album featured two of her biggest hits in several years, "No Pain No Gain" and "After The Pain." On both songs, Wright displayed her upper register capabilities and her ability to sing in the seventh octave. Wright also charted in a 1990 duet with Grayson Hugh on a remake of the 1981 Champaign hit "How 'Bout Us", and sang on fellow Miami vocalist Gloria Estefan's 1991 chart-topper "Coming Out of the Dark."
When the R&B group Color Me Badd released their hit, "I Wanna Sex You Up", in 1991, it generated controversy because the sample from "Tonight is the Night" had not been cleared; Wright took the band to court for royalties and was awarded 35 percent of royalties for writing the song. DJ Quik used a sample of "Tonight is The Night" on his first single " Tonite".
Her cover of the song, "Shoorah! Shoorah!", which she recorded in 1974, was used in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy movie. The song, which was written by Allen Toussaint and first recorded by Frankie Miller, also appears on the soundtrack to the second series of the UK Channel 4 comedy drama, No Angels.
In 2001, a compilation album, The Very Best of Betty Wright, was released, along with her first studio album for several years, Fit for a King.In 2002, the underground Hip-Hop artist RJD2 used a sample from Wright's song "Secretary" in his most commercially successful track, "Ghostwriter". "Ghostwriter" has since gone on to be used in multiple advertisements and commercials.
In 2006, Wright appeared on the TV show Making the Band as a vocal coach, appointed by Sean Combs, for new female group Danity Kane. She now mentors several young singers and has done vocal production for such artists as Gloria Estefan, Jennifer Lopez and Joss Stone.

 Personal life

On 24 December 2005, her 21-year-old son Patrick Parker was shot and killed after a dispute at a Christmas party in Opa-locka, a Miami suburb.
Wright currently resides in her hometown of Miami.

 Discography

 Albums

• My First Time Around (1968)
• I Love The Way You Love (1972)
• Hard To Stop (1973)
• Danger High Voltage (1974)
• Explosion! (1976)
• This Time For Real (1977)
• Live (1978)
• Travelin' In The Wright Circle (1979)
• Betty Wright (1981)
• Wright Back At You (1983)
• Sevens (1987)
• Mother Wit (1988)
• 4u2njoy (1989)
• Passion & Compassion (1990)
• B-Attitudes (1994)
• Fit for A King (2001)

 Singles

• 1966: "Thank You Baby"no way
• 1966: "Paralyzed"
• 1968: "Girls Can't Do What Guys Do" (#33 U.S., #15 R&B)
• 1970: "Pure Love" (#40 R&B)
• 1971: "Clean Up Woman" (#6 U.S., #2 R&B)
• 1972: "Baby Sitter" (#46 U.S., #6 R&B)
• 1972: "Is It You, Girl?" (#18 R&B)
• 1972: "I'm Gettin' Tired Baby" (#42 R&B)
• 1973: "It's Hard to Stop (Doing Something When It's Good to You)" (#72 U.S., #11 R&B)
• 1973: "Let Me Be Your Lovemaker" (#55 U.S., #10 R&B)
• 1973: "It's Bad for Me to See You" (#66 R&B)
• 1974: "Secretary" (#62 U.S., #12 R&B)
• 1975: "Where is the Love?" (#96 U.S., #15 R&B, #2 Disco, #2 Club Play, #25 UK)
• 1975: "Tonight is the Night" (#28 R&B)
• 1975: " Shoorah! Shoorah!" (#28 R&B, #27 UK)
• 1976: "Slip and Do It" (#21 R&B)
• 1976: "If I Ever Do Wrong" (#23 R&B)
• 1977: "Life" (#64 R&B)
• 1977: "You Can't See for Lookin'" (#73 R&B)
• 1978: "Tonight is the Night, Pts. 1 & 2 (live)" (#11 R&B)
• 1979: "Lovin' Is Really My Game" (#68 R&B)
• 1979: "My Love Is" (#48 R&B)
• 1981: "What Are You Gonna Do With It?" (#42 R&B, #61 Dance)
• 1986: "Pain" (#42 UK)
• 1988: "No Pain, No Gain" (#14 R&B)
• 1988: "After the Pain" (#57 R&B)
• 1989: "From Pain to Joy" (#39 R&B)
• 1989: "Quiet Storm" (#88 R&B)
• 1989: "Keep Love New" (#71 R&B)
• 2007: "Baby" (with Angie Stone) (#22 R&B, #3 Dance)

The Pointer Sisters

The Pointer Sisters are an American pop/R&B recording act from Oakland, California that achieved mainstream success during the 1970s and 1980s. Spanning over three decades, their repertoire has included such diverse genres as pop, disco, jazz, bebop, blues, soul, funk, dance, country and rock.

The group had its early origins when sisters June and Bonnie Pointer began performing in 1969 (without a record deal) as "Pointers, a Pair". The line-up grew to a quartet when Anita Pointer joined, followed by Ruth, who joined in December, 1972, right before they recorded their debut album. They achieved their greatest commercial success later as a trio consisting of Anita, June, and Ruth, after Bonnie left the group to commence a solo career in 1978.

History

 Early days

As children in West Oakland, California, the Pointer sisters and brothers were encouraged to listen to and sing gospel music by their parents Reverend Elton and Mrs Sarah Pointer. However, they were told rock and roll and the blues were "the devil's music", and it was only when they were away from their watchful parents that they could sing these styles. They regularly sang at the Church Of God in West Oakland, but as the sisters grew older their love of other styles of music began to grow. When June brought home a copy of the Elvis Presley record All Shook Up, she was surprised that her mother allowed her to play it, until discovering that her mother had been pacified by the song "Crying in the Chapel" on the "B" side of the record.
After leaving school Ruth was already married with two children Faun (born 1965) and Malik (born 1966), Anita also was married with a child Jada. Bonnie and June sought a show business career and they formed a duo, "Pointers, A Pair". Later, Anita quit her job to join the group. They began touring and performing and provided backing vocals for artists such as Grace Slick, Sylvester James, Boz Scaggs and Elvin Bishop, and it was while supporting Bishop at a nightclub appearance in 1971, that the sisters were signed to a recording deal with Atlantic Records. The resulting singles that came from their Atlantic tenure failed to become hits but nevertheless, the sisters were enjoying their newfound recording career. The temptation to join them finally overwhelmed Ruth and in December 1972, she joined the group. The quartet signed to Blue Thumb Records and began to record their first full-fledged album.
Upon signing, they agreed that they did not want to follow the current trend of pop music, but wanted to create an original sound that combined jazz, scat and be-bop music. In searching of a visual style for their act, they remembered the poverty of their childhood and their mother's ability to improvise, and used their experience to assemble a collection of vintage 1940s clothes from thrift shops, that would comprise their costumes and give them the distinctive look they were searching for.
In 1972, they were asked to record Pinball Number Count a series of educational cartoons, teaching kids how to count. It made its debut on Sesame Street in 1977 and was a feature on Sesame Street for many years.
They made their debut performance at the Troubador nightclub in Los Angeles in May 1973, and the reaction from the crowd was enthusiastic. Shortly after, they made their television debut on The Helen Reddy Show.

 First success as recording artists

The Pointer Sisters on the cover of their debut album, which was released in 1973 and yielded the hit "Yes We Can Can".

Their self titled first album, was released in 1973 and received positive reviews, with the group being lauded for their versatility and originality. The group was backed up at this time by Bay Area stalwarts, the Hoodoo Rhythm Devils. The first single from this album, "Yes We Can Can", reached number 11 on the pop charts, and would go on to establish itself as an R&B classic. The Allen Toussaint penned song had been a small R&B hit for Lee Dorsey in 1970. The album's second single was a cover of Willie Dixon's Blues stomper "Wang Dang Doodle". It reached the R&B top 40 and the group's thrift shop style began to catch on with fans, many of whom would attend their shows in similar attire.
The following year they released their second album titled That's a Plenty. It continued in the jazz and be-bop style of its predecessor but provided one exception that caused a great deal of interest. The song "Fairytale", written by Anita and Bonnie, was a country song that reached #13 on the pop charts, and #37 on the country charts. Based on this success, the group was invited to Nashville, Tennessee where they achieved the rare distinction of becoming the first black female singers to perform at the Grand Ole Opry. In 1975, the quartet won a Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for "Fairytale". Anita and Bonnie were also nominated as songwriters for the Grammy Award for Best Country Song. The song would later be covered by Elvis Presley.
Their fourth album, Steppin' was released in 1975. Steppin' produced their Grammy-nominated number one R&B single, "How Long (Betcha' Got a Chick on the Side)", which was later sampled by female rap icons Salt-N-Pepa a decade later. The Pointer Sisters also scored another R&B hit from the album with "Going Down Slowly", a further Allen Toussaint cover, and in 1976 appeared in the classic blaxploitation film Car Wash. Their song from the movie, "You Gotta Believe", made the R&B top 20 in early 1977.
They were featured on the 1977 album Saffo Music by Italian R&B singer Lara Saint Paul and produced by Leon Ware, with bass by Chuck Rainey, guitar by Ray Parker Jr. and mixed by Bill Conti. It was released in Italy under LASAPA records.
Their last album as a quartet was the Jazz/Funk album Having a Party, released in 1977. The album didn't produce any major hits and didn't have strong sales, but it featured the Bonnie led "Don't It Drive You Crazy", which would become a cult hit in the UK as part of the Rare Groove phenomenon.

 The quartet becomes a trio

The Pointer Sisters on the cover of their 1978 album, Energy, which revived their popularity with their cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Fire".

By 1977, both June and Bonnie had left the group. June wanted to take a break and Bonnie left to start a solo career. Bonnie married Motown Records producer Jeffrey Bowen in 1978. She subsequently signed a contract with Motown and this led to a brief moderately successful solo career. Her first self-titled album produced the disco song "Heaven Must Have Sent You". The album was produced by Jeffrey Bowen (her husband at the time) and Berry Gordy. The song became a top 20 pop hit in September 1979.
On January 22, 1978, Ruth had given birth to her second daughter and, now a duo, Ruth and Anita cut back their schedules and concentrated on raising their families. They began talking about the future of the group and what direction it should take. They agreed to dispense with the 1940s nostalgia and go in a contemporary direction. Later in July of that year, June married William Oliver Whitmore II.
The two sisters now signed a deal with producer Richard Perry's Planet Records, which was distributed by Elektra Records. After contributing guest vocals on the group's cover of Sly Stone's "Everybody Is A Star", June was convinced to return to the group, making it a trio. With Perry, the trio began working on an album of west coast soft rock which was released in 1978 with the title Energy. The first single, a cover version of Bruce Springsteen's "Fire" climbed to #2 on the US singles charts in early 1979, and a third Allen Toussaint cover, "Happiness", also charted.
In 1979 they released an album with a harder edged rock sound entitled Priority, and while it was not a huge commercial success, it received very positive critical reviews and further strengthened the group's reputation for being versatile.

 The height of their success

Over the next few years they achieved their greatest commercial success and continued to demonstrate their versatility. In 1980 the soulful pop single, "He's So Shy", reached number three on the charts, and the following year a slow, sultry ballad, "Slow Hand", reached number two. The follow-up, "Should I Do It" was classic girl-group. Perry switched distribution of Planet to RCA in 1982. The first release from this new union was "American Music", a patriotic themed modernised take on the girl-group sound while "I'm So Excited" was an influential frenetic dance track. All these singles were significant hits in the US and were also successful in Australia, where all but "American Music" reached the Top 20.

The Pointer Sisters on the cover of their landmark release, Break Out. Released in 1983, the album would go on to become the group's biggest seller to date.

In 1983, the Pointer Sisters released what became their biggest-selling album ever with Break Out. In 1983 Ruth had also become a grandmother for the first time. With the advent of MTV the sisters were able to exploit their visual style and extend their audience. In 1984 they achieved four Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles in a row. "Automatic" reached #5; "Jump (for My Love)" reached #3; a remix of "I'm So Excited" was added to the album almost a year into its shelf life and reached #9; and another single from the album, "Neutron Dance", also featured on the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack, reached #6.
"I Need You" had been the lead single from the album, and was a significant R&B hit, peaking at #13 on the Black Singles charts. The album's last single, "Baby Come And Get It," did well on the Black Singles charts too but missed cracking the pop Top 40 by a hair. (It would be brought to life again in the next millennium through its use in Burger King television commercials.) They received Grammy Awards for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for "Jump (For My Love)", and Best Vocal Arrangement for Two or More Voices for "Automatic". These songs also followed "Slow Hand" into the UK Top 10, with "Automatic" peaking at number 2 in that country.
These Planet singles marked the end of their run of Top 10 hits in the US, with their subsequent RCA releases "Dare Me" in 1985 (the Sisters' last Australian Top 10 hit), and "Goldmine" in 1986, reaching numbers 11 and 33 respectively. In 1985 Ruth had become a grandmother for the second time.
The sisters eventually left RCA Records to record for Motown and SBK, releasing several group albums and individual solo albums along the way, but these projects did not achieve the level of success they had earlier attained.

[ Subsequent years

In recent years they have maintained a lower public profile but have continued to perform. Anita had become a grandmother for the first time in 1990 to a girl named Roxie. Roxie is from Anita's only child Jada. On September 8, 1990 Ruth married a man named Michael Sayles (Born 1957). The sisters entertained US troops in the Persian Gulf in 1991 with Bob Hope. By 1991, June Pointer had ended her thirteen year marriage to William Oliver Whitmore II. In August, 1993 at age 47 Ruth Pointer gave birth to twins Ali and Conor Sayles. In 1994 the Pointer Sisters were honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and began touring with a production of the Fats Waller-based musical Ain't Misbehavin'. In 1995 Pointer Sisters recorded "Feel for the Physical" as a duet with Thomas Anders (of Modern Talking fame) for his album Souled. They were also one of the featured acts at the closing ceremonies of the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics. In 2004, June Pointer had to leave due to health problems; she was replaced by Ruth's daughter, Issa, and the group continues to perform. They made a 2005 holiday recording Christmas In New York, featured on YMC Records' Smooth & Soulful Christmas Collection, which peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard AC Charts. The sisters were inducted to the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2005.
In recent years many Pointer Sisters songs were covered by contemporary artists, such as "Jump (for My Love)" by Girls Aloud, which reached number two at the UK singles chart in 2003, "Dare Me" was turned into the dance smash "Stupidisco" by Belgian DJ Junior Jack, indie band Le Tigre covered in 2004 "I'm So Excited" on their third album This Island, and French DJ Muttonheads sampled "Back In My Arms" on his 2005 club hit "I'll Be There". Most recently in 2007, Tommy Boy recording artist Ultra Naté has released a dance-pop cover of "Automatic" that reached #1 at the US Hot Dance Music/Club Play charts. In 2005, "Pinball Number Count" was re-edited for Coldcut's Ninja Tune label, becoming a surprise dance hit. The same song has also been remixed by Venetian Snares of the Planet Mu record label.
The band is currently experiencing a successful revival in Europe due to their performance at the annual Night of the Proms, a highly successful series of concerts combining pop and classical music, taking place in the Benelux, France and Germany. The group received the highest audience ratings of all participating Night of the Proms acts in 2002. In addition, their collaboration with Belgian pop star Natalia on "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves," placed them on the charts in Europe (the single peaked at #2 in the Belgian charts) and resulted in ten sold out dates in Antwerp in January 2006 with the "Natalia Meets The Pointer Sister" concerts, selling out 130.000 tickets for the 10 date concert run.
On June 7, 2006 Anita guest-starred on Celebrity Duets singing with Olympic gymnast Carly Patterson on "I'm So Excited".
Since August 2009 Ruth, Anita and Bonnie have reunited. On August 4, 2009 they stopped by The Kibitz Room at Canter's in LA and jammed with the band and Ruth's son Malik Pointer. They sang Fire, Yes We Can Can and Going Down Slowly. On November 4, 2009, The Pointer Sisters played "I'm So Excited" and "The Neutron Dance" on CBS morning show The Early Show with Ruth's granddaughter, Sadako Johnson.
Also a fan campaign has begun to get The Sister's honored at The 2011 Bet Awards to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award

 Vice City Dance

In Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, The Malibu club in the game featured a Village people tribute in which they danced to "Automatic". This dance involved the dancers crossing the hands by their knees for two beats then raising the roof for another two. This has subsequently gained a cult following.

 Tragedy and Controversy

In November 2000, the sisters lost their mother Sarah; in 2003, sister Anita lost her only child Jada to cancer. Jada was the subject of The Pointer Sisters 1973 song "Jada". On April 11, 2006, June Pointer died of lung cancer at UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica, California. According to an official family statement she was surrounded by her sisters Ruth and Anita as well as brothers Aaron Pointer and Fritz. On May 4, 2006, sister Bonnie appeared on Entertainment Tonight saying the other sisters had not fulfilled the burial wishes for June, instead having her cremated because it was cheaper. Bonnie also stated the sisters had not let her ride in the family car at the funeral. Anita and Ruth responded that Bonnie had demanded to be let back in the group and was upset that she had not been allowed to, and that June had left no instructions for her burial. The sisters seemed estranged from Bonnie until she joined Anita Pointer on the Idol Radio Show in 2007

Discography

Main article: The Pointer Sisters discography

 Top Twenty singles

The following singles reached the Top Twenty on either the United States Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart or the United Kingdom UK Singles Chart.

• 1973: "Yes We Can Can" (US #11)
• 1974: "Fairytale" (US #13)
• 1975: "How Long (Betcha Got a Chick on the Side)" (US #20)
• 1978: "Fire" (US #2)
• 1980: "He's So Shy" (US #3)
• 1981: "Slow Hand" (US #2; UK #10)
• 1982: "Should I Do It" (US #13)
• 1982: "American Music" (US #16)
• 1984: "Automatic" (US #5; UK #2)
• 1984: "Jump (For My Love)" (US #3; UK #6)
• 1984: "I'm So Excited" (remix) (US #9; UK #11)
• 1984: "Neutron Dance" (US #6)
• 1985: "Dare Me" (US #11; UK #17)

 US and UK Top 40 albums

The following albums reached the Top Forty on either the United States Billboard 200 pop albums chart or the United Kingdom UK Albums Chart.

• 1973: The Pointer Sisters (US #13)
• 1975: Steppin' (US #22)
• 1978: Energy (US #13)
• 1980: Special Things (US #34)
• 1981: Black & White (US #12; UK #21)
• 1982: So Excited! (#24 R&B)
• 1983: Break Out (US #8; UK #9)
• 1985: Contact (US #25; UK #34)
• 1989: Jump: The Best of the Pointer Sisters (UK #11)