D’Angelo, Enrico (June 2, 2003). "The Blackbyrds". The Harbus. Retrieved on October 27, 2007.
January 01, 1970
blackbyrds, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, july, 2016, lea. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources The Blackbyrds news newspapers books scholar JSTOR July 2016 Learn how and when to remove this message The Blackbyrds are an American rhythm and blues and jazz funk fusion group formed in Washington D C in 1973 and reformed in 2012 by Keith Killgo 1 The BlackbyrdsOriginWashington D C United StatesGenresJazz fusion jazz funk jazz smooth jazzYears active1973 1981 2012 presentLabelsFantasyMembersJoe HallKeith KillgoOrville SaundersPast membersAllan BarnesDonald ByrdBarney PerryKevin ToneyJay JonesRay ArmandoOscar BrashearPerk JacobsDavid WilliamsWesley JacksonStephen JohnsonGary Hart Contents 1 History 2 Sampling of Blackbyrds music 3 Discography 3 1 Studio albums 3 2 Compilations 3 3 Singles 4 References 5 External linksHistory editThe group was inspired by trumpeter Donald Byrd 2 and featured some of his Howard University students Kevin Toney keyboards Keith Killgo vocals drums Joe Hall bass guitar Allan Barnes saxophone clarinet and Barney Perry guitar Orville Saunders guitar and Jay Jones flute saxophone joined later Merry Clayton joined them to sing on Rock Creek Park and Happy Music 3 The band signed with Fantasy Records in 1973 Their 1975 hit Walking in Rhythm received a Grammy nomination and sold over one million copies by May 1975 It was later awarded a gold disc 4 Founding member Allan Barnes died on July 25 2016 at the age of 66 5 Pianist Kevin Toney died from cancer on March 18 2024 at the age of 70 6 Sampling of Blackbyrds music editThe Blackbyrds have influenced the hip hop generation with Tupac Shakur Gang Starr Da Lench Mob and Full Force sampling their music 7 Their song Happy Music was issued on 45 rpm 12 inch single as the first club mix release by Fantasy Records in November 1975 to enable club deejays to drop sequences into a mix 8 In particular their 1975 song Rock Creek Park from the City Life album has been sampled by groups and artists such as MF Doom De La Soul Eric B amp Rakim Massive Attack Heavy D Nas Grandmaster Flash amp the Furious Five Tone Lōc Mac Dre and Wiz Khalifa 9 Discography editStudio albums edit Year Album Chart positions Label US 10 US R amp B 10 US Jazz 10 1974 The Blackbyrds 96 14 6 Fantasy Flying Start 30 5 2 1975 Cornbread Earl and Me Soundtrack 150 19 39 City Life 16 3 1 1976 Unfinished Business 34 6 5 1977 Action 43 8 1980 Better Days 133 40 2012 Gotta Fly K Wes Indi Records denotes releases that did not chart Compilations edit 1978 Night Grooves Fantasy 1989 Greatest Hits Fantasy 2007 Happy Music The Best of The Blackbyrds Fantasy FCD 30194 2 Singles edit Year Title Peak chart positions US 10 US R amp B 10 US Disco 10 US A C 10 UK 11 1974 Do It Fluid 69 23 Gut Level 9 1975 Walking in Rhythm 6 4 9 5 23 Future Children Future Hopes 3 Flyin High 70 22 City Life 4 1976 Happy Music 19 3 6 Rock Creek Park 93 37 Unfinished Business 14 Time Is Movin 95 15 Party Land 30 1977 Soft and Easy 20 Supernatural Feeling 19 Street Games 1980 Don t know what you say What We Have Is Right 38 Love Don t Strike Twice 52 Dancin Dancin 59 2002 Mysterious Vibes remix originally released in 1977 97 denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory References edit The Blackbyrds Discogs Retrieved December 6 2016 Blackbyrds walking in rhythm song Retrieved 19 February 2024 The Blackbyrds Rock Creek Park Songfacts com Retrieved October 16 2019 Murrells Joseph 1978 The Book of Golden Discs 2nd ed London Barrie and Jenkins Ltd p 354 ISBN 0 214 20512 6 Stryker Mark July 29 2016 Allan Barnes soulful Detroit saxophonist dies at 66 Detroit Free Press Jazz and Soul great Kevin Toney dies at age 70 Soul Tracks March 21 2024 Retrieved March 21 2024 The Blackbyrds Talking In Rhythm Bluesandsoul com Retrieved July 28 2016 Niebur Louis 2022 Menergy San Francisco s Gay Disco Sound Oxford University Press p 49 ISBN 9780197511077 Thompson Dave 2001 Funk Backbeat Books p 81 ISBN 0 87930 629 7 a b c d e f g The Blackbyrds Awards AllMusic Archived from the original on October 21 2014 Retrieved January 28 2023 BLACKBYRDS full Official Chart History Official Charts Company Official Charts External links editThe Blackbyrds at AllMusic The Blackbyrds discography at Discogs nbsp The Blackbyrds at IMDb D Angelo Enrico June 2 2003 The Blackbyrds The Harbus Retrieved on October 27 2007 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Blackbyrds amp oldid 1215449502, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
