The Chi-Lites, Heatwave, The Stylistics, Joe Bataan, The Delfonics, Little Willie G & Thee Midnighters, Eddie Holman, et MKY

Originally performing under the name Hi-Lites, the band released a few singles through local labels. With a departure from Johnson in 1964 and after discovering that the name Hi-Lites was already in existence, the band reworked their name to also pay homage to their home town Chicago, becoming known as The Chi-Lites. In 1969 they released their debut album “Give It Away” through Brunswick Records and charted in Billboard’s Top Soul LP’s at number 16. Featuring the title single as well as “Let Me Be the Man My Daddy Was” and “24 Hours of Sadness”, it also included three Mo-town covers.

The 1971 single “Have You Seen Her” marked the start of the band’s climb to success as it peaked at number three in the Billboard charts and was smashed the following year with their number one single “Oh Girl” from the album “A Lonely Man”, which became their highest charting album at number five and saw the band go global. After the release of the 1977 album “The Fantastic Chi-Lites”, communication broke down between members and consequently forced the band to go on a brief break.

Returning in 1980 full force with Record, Thompson, Lester and Jones in the line-up, they released the album “Heavenly Body” featuring the title track and the single “The Only One For Me (One in a Million)”. Subsequent years would bring a string of unfortunate events which would once again impact the final line-up leaving it with Marshall Thompson, his wife Tara and Fred Simpson to continue the Chi-Lites legacy. With a number of hit singles and a repertoire spanning over five decades has seen The Chi-Lites recognised not only through Grammy nominations but sworn into the R&B Hall of Fame in 2013.

The band came together initially when two American serviceman brothers, Jennie Wilder and Keith Wilder, who were based in Germany, began performing together. After they were discharged, they moved to London, UK in 1975 to team up with songwriter/keyboardist Rod Temperton. They then fleshed out the lineup with Spaniard Mario Mantese (bass), Czechoslovakian Ernest Berger (drums) and Americans Jesse Whitens (guitar) and Eric Johns (guitar). With the multicultural nature of the group, they managed to create an eclectic sound that pushed their music well ahead of their peers, becoming pioneers in their genre.

After touring the London club circuit, they gained the attention of GTO Records, with their simple disco beats and heavy funk grooves. They began recording their debut album but the tragic murder of Jesse Whitens set them back. However, finding a replacement in Roy Carter, they began recording again, releasing a string of singles culminating in the hit disco anthem, 1977’s “Boogie Nights.” The song hit number two in the UK charts and also became a top five hit in America. Their debut album appeared later that year, titled “Too Hot to Handle,” peaking at number five in the R&B charts. By the end of the year, they had also gained a number two hit in the US with their soul ballad, “Always and Forever.”

Success followed them into their next album, “Central Heating,” in 1978, featuring the hit, “The Groove Line,” which scaled the top of the charts. However, lineup instability followed shortly after, with both Johns and Temperton leaving the band. Further tragedy hit after Mantese was stabbed by his girlfriend and was left paralysed, forcing his retirement. In 1979, Heatwave had recuperated to record their third album, “Hot Property,” which despite its strong collection of songs, failed to make much of an impression in the charts.

Bad luck seemed to follow the members of Heatwave, with Jonnie Wilder suffering a paralysing car crash in 1980. His brother continued to lead the group, releasing “Candles,” which featured the top 40 single, “Gangsters of the Groove.” Heatwave continued to be a powerful presence in the world of disco ad funk, but in 1983, they brought the group to a close after several lineup difficulties. However in 1989, the Wilder brothers returned, with “Sound of Soul,” which led to the group to continue to tour in the UK and America, releasing a live album in 1997, titled “Live at the Greek Theater.” Their classic hit, “Boogie Nights” was reimagined in 2002, through an extended club remix which helped to spread Heatwave’s music to a whole new generation of dance fans. Jonnie Wilder sadly passed away in his sleep at his home in Ohio, US, in 2006.

Forming out of two Philadelphia groups, they wasted no time in recording the song “You’re a Big Girl Now”, which was written by their tour manager Marty Bryant with Robert Douglas. It became a hit single for the band making it to number 7 on the Billboard R&B chart in 1971. The Stylistics had arrived.

They signed to a label called Avco who approached Thom Bell to work with the group. Unimpressed at first, he saw a lot of potential in Russell Thompkins Jr’s nasal voice. Bell had creative control over the Stylistics, and would give all of the solos to Thompkins. The first collaborative single “Stop, Look, Listen” released on March 4th 1971 made it to number 25 in the UK Singles Chart. It was this era that they released a slew of hits including “Betcha by Golly, Wow” which peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. “You Make Me Feel Brand New” gave the group their biggest hit maintaining the number 2 spot for two weeks. The single was certified Gold.

Unfortunately Bell ceased working with the Stylistics in 1974, which made it very difficult for the band to cut it in the US, as Bell was the driving force behind the band. Fortunately the band stumbled across producers Hugo & Luigi who after two singles that made the Top 40 gave the band their first UK number 1 in 1975 with the song “Can’t Give You Anything”. This made them one of the first US acts to achieve two chart topping greatest hits albums across the pond in the UK.

They reunited with Thom Bell and signed to Philadelphia International Records in 1980 and released the single “Hurry Up This Way Again” which peaked at number 18 in the R&B chart.

In October 2009, the band featured on the BBC One show, Friday Night with Jonathan Ross.

Formed of the two brothers, William and Wilbert Hart, along with their high school friend, Randy Cain, the vocal trio began singing doo-wop at their school events, before gradually building up local fame for their dynamic and well-synced harmonic talent. The band initially caught the attention of the Cameo-Parkway record label, although they were not to find success with these early releases. However, the group did attract the attention of producer/arranger Thom Bell, who brought them over to his soul label, Philly Groove, which went on to become one of the most influential record labels in the soul genre.

Bell’s production style took away the grit and edge of the sound of Stax in Memphis and Muscle Shoals in Alabama, instead creating a smooth, orchestral soul that had a light, airy feel. For The Delfonics, this was to bring them immediate success, with “La-La (Means I Love You),” in 1968, which was followed by a string hits, releasing five albums with Bell as producer. They received a Grammy Award for the song “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time),” which went on to sell a million copies and be certified Gold by the R.I.A.A. However, this immediate success was not to continue and the trio failed to create any more major hits, with the group disbanding in 1975, after Major Harris, who replaced Cain in 1971, left to pursue a solo career.

The band’s music lived on well into the 90s, finding their songs being sampled extensively by hip-hop artists, such as The Wu-Tang Clan and The Notorious B.I.G. A version of the band returned, featuring William Hart, Harris and Frank Washington, to appear on GhostFace Killah’s “After the Smoke Has Cleared.”Quentin Tarantino’s “Jackie Brown” featured Delfonics songs heavily in the soundtrack, helping to create the mood of the 70s.

Towards the end of the 90s, The Delfonics, led by William Hart, released a new record “Forever New,” helping to revive the group. Various forms of the group continued to perform throughout the decade although they did not record any new material until producer Adrian Younge persuaded Hart to record a new album project, which became “Adrian Younge Presents the Delfonics,” which was released on Wax Poetics in 2013.