About The Gap Band
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 in the historic Greenwood neighborhood in the brothers' hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
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. 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.
Early on, the group took on a funk sound typical of the early 1970s. 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 , 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 , and managed to secure a record deal with Mercury Records.
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 " on their album The Gap Band II. Although it did not hit the Billboard Hot 100, it soared to number 4 in the US Billboard R&B chart, and the album went gold. The song, and the band's musical output as a whole, became more P-Funk-esque, with expanded use of the synthesizers and spoken monologues within songs . The song "Steppin' " also reached the top 10 R&B.
Charlie Wilson provided background vocals on Stevie Wonder's 1980 hit "I Ain't Gonna Stand for It" from Wonder's album Hotter Than July .
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