JAZZ

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

THE STYLISTICS
The Stylistics were one of the sweetest and smoothest groups of their era, with 12 straight Top Ten hits: “You Are Everything” “Betcha by Golly, Wow” “I’m Stone in Love With You” “Break Up to Make Up” and “You Make Me Feel Brand New”.

BLOODSTONE
Bloodstone was a key group in creating the shift from the R&B and soul group concepts of the ‘50s and ’60s to the funk and black rock ideas of the ’70s and afterward. They teamed up with Mike Vernon, founder of the Blue Horizon label, who’d made his bones producing an album with the great Chicago pianist Otis Spann; white blues acts like Fleetwood Mac and Savoy Brown; and early Euro-rock with Focus. Vernon took Bloodstone into the studio and by early 1973, its debut single, “Natural High,” had cracked the R&B and pop Top Ten, becoming the group’s defining song. Vernon produced the first five Bloodstone albums, which garnered seven Top 20 R&B singles, almost all of which made the pop Top 40. The group was a big concert draw, and its album sold well, if not spectacularly.

HEATWAVE
Heatwave remains one of the most beloved groups of the 70s. That they even made it as far and as long as they did was the result of an amazing ability to overcome horrific obstacles, including the death of one member and two incidents that left other members paralyzed or severely injured. Formed in the early 70s by a group of US servicemen stationed in Germany, the band went though various changes in personnel, finally settling in England as a septet featuring vocalist brothers Johnny and Keith Wilder and keyboardist/songwriter Rod Temperton. It became the first true international dance group, with members from the US, England, Czechoslovakia and Spain. Their single “Boogie Nights,” became an international #1 hit and one of the definitive songs of the disco era. After breaking up in the 1980s, Keith Wilder re-formed Heatwave with some old and some new members in the early 90s, and the group has toured regularly in multi-act 70s shows.

INTRUDERS
As the first group to score hits with the songwriting/production team of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, the Intruders played a major role in the rise of Philadelphia soul. The Intruders were originally formed as a doo wop group in 1960. Hits include Cowboys to Girls: a template for what would become Philly soul’s trademark sound, topped the R&B charts and climbed to number six on the pop side, giving the group their biggest hit. The follow-up, ""(Love Is Like A) Baseball Game scored the group yet another Top 40 pop hit.

BLUE MAGIC
R&B vocal quintet, Blue Magic was formed in Philadelphia and signed to Atlantic Records in 1973. They hit the Top 40 of the R&B singles chart with their first three 45s before breaking through and crossing over with “Sideshow” released in April 1974. The song went gold, topped the R&B charts, and became a Top Ten pop hit. Their next single, “Three Ring Circus” made the R&B Top Ten and the pop Top 40. Over the next 3 years Blue Magic became known mostly for their smooth ballads, and the group stayed high on the Soul charts with “Stop to Start” and “Chasing Rainbows” before landing a big hit with the dance tune “Magic of the Blue.” They returned with R&B chart singles in 1981 and 1983 and made their comeback album, From Out of the Blue, in 1989.