Cameo (Band)
Cameo is a product derived from the band The New York City Players funk and rhythm-and - blues project of musician Larry Blackmon.
Band History
In 1974, the then 13 -piece band by Larry Blackmon, who was trained at the renowned Julliard School of Music in New York, was launched. Later became of the New York City Players, the music group Cameo.
The first albums Cardiac Arrest, Ugly Ego, We All Know Who We Are and Secret Omen appeared on the Casablanca Record & Filmworks sub-label Chocolate City Records and contained dance floor songs such as Rigor Mortis, I Just Want to Be and Find My Way, which was a great Diskothekenhit and can also be found on the soundtrack to Thank God It 's Friday.
As Cameosis 1980 appeared on the music market, Cameo had already attained a considerable reputation through singles like Shake Your Pants. The albums Knights of the Sound Table ( 1981) and Alligator Woman ( 1982) showed the musical diversity of the band.
The mid-1980s cameo was ready to evolve and the band was reduced to Larry Blackmon, Tomi Jenkins, Nathan Leftenant and Charles Singleton. Due to the influence of new bands that were spreading itself above all in the field of " Electronic Funk ", Larry Blackmon drove his group also in this style of music. Cutting synth sounds, angular played by the computer drum beats and precise bass lines form the basis of their style.
The outcoupling 12-inch mix of the album She's Strange was a huge success in the R & B clubs in the United States. The title song as well as the subsequent song Talkin ' Out the Side of Your Neck were less successful. Probably the most famous cameo hit Word Up! came in mid-1986 on the market ( Charles Singleton was at this time already left the band). Skilful connection between radio and pop elements they created it a danceable catchy tune, this time in the world's radio stations and club DJs up and down played; the band was hit with this superstars. The following songs Candy and Back and Forth were also a great success for the radio trio. The end of 1986 it seemed as if Word Up! was heard everywhere: on the radio, in the clubs, MTV, in the Coca-Cola advertising. Even in everyday language was Word Up! becoming more common to hear, since it became the national slogan.
Before the release of their follow-up album, the band took a break first before it two years later the plate machismo brought out, which was positively received by critics. The piece In the Night was recorded with Miles Davis. Emotional Also Violence, which was published in 1991, came with critics good, but could not remember the success of Word Up! build. This song represents one of the last big hits of the radio genre before this style had to be assigned to the hip hop. Thus, the success of Cameo ebbs slowly away again.