The Gap Band are an American R&B, funk and soul music group who rose to fame during the 1970s and 1980s with their heavily-charged dance anthems and their sentimental and ethereal love songs. Comprised of brothers Charlie, Ronnie and Robert Wilson, the band first formed as the Greenwood, Archer and Pine Street band in 1967 in their hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma and shortened its name to the Gap Band in 1979.
History
Early years
Growing up with a Pentecostal minister father, the Wilson brothers formed the Greenwood, Archer, and Pine Street Band in 1967, with Tuck Andress (later of Tuck and Patti). The name was derived from the streets that formed the African American business district of Tulsa, Oklahoma. They released their first record on an indie label in 1974 to little or no success. At the time, the group had up to twelve musicians. Shortening down to the three brothers and with producer Leon Russell on the helm, the group began to find success in 1978 with songs like "I'm in Love" and "Shake", The latter becoming a Top 10 R&B hit near the end of the year.
Success
By 1979, the group had changed its name to The Gap Band, and found success with the groundbreaking single "I Don't Believe You Wanna Get Up and Dance (Oops Upside Your Head)". But it was in the 1980s that the group found their biggest success, with songs like "Burn Rubber", "Humpin'", "Yearning For Your Love", "Outstanding", "You Dropped a Bomb on Me", "I Found My Baby" and "Early In the Morning" further establishing the group as icons.
Four of the band's albums, The Gap Band II, The Gap Band III, The Gap Band IV, and Gap Band V - Jammin, achieved platinum selling status, and four of their singles, "You Dropped a Bomb on Me," "Outstanding," "Oops Upside Your Head," and "Early in the Morning", reached the #1 spot on the Billboard R&B charts.
Their success dwindled at the end of 1984, although they have continued to record albums and are constantly on tour. Brother Charlie ventured into a solo career during a break from the group in the mid-80s, being featured on the 1985 hit with funk group Zapp titled "Computer Love". Wilson's powerful vocals would be credited in part for establishing the careers of Guy's Aaron Hall and R. Kelly. The band reunited in 1996, and issued The Gap Band: Live and Well, a live greatest hits album.
Ever since the 90s, the Gap Band's most famous hits have been sampled and covered by the likes of Snoop Dogg, Warren G., Blackstreet, Shaquille O'Neal, Mia X, and Mary J. Blige. "Outstanding" was even sampled for a famous 90s commercial for malt liquor.While they missed the time that black musicians recorded soundtracks for action films by a decade, they produced and recorded some songs for Keenan Ivory Wayans' 1988 hit movie, I'm Gonna Git You Sucka. Among the musicians they have inspired are R. Kelly, Keith Sweat, Ruff Endz, Guy, Blackstreet, Jagged Edge, and Aaron Hall.
While The Gap Band is still touring, Charlie is planning a release of his second solo album, being helmed by Kelly in 2005.
The Gap Band is in da hizzy!
The modern pop-culture abuse of the technique of merging suffixes like -izzle into words, such as "shizzle" for "sure", had as its advent the Gap Band recording of Frankie Smith's song Double Dutch Bus, featuring a rap break fraught with -izzle words. This was popularized by Snoop Dog, years later.