Heatwave

Heatwave - Candles (1980) {2010 Remastered & Expanded - Big Break Records CDBBR 0024}
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© 1980, 2010 Big Break Records / Cherry Red Records | CDBBR 0024
R'n'B / Disco / Soul / Funk / Quiet Storm

During their most commercially successful years, Heatwave were a band that crossed many borders, laying claim to such international hits as Boogie Nights, Too Hot To Handle, The Groove Line, Eyballin’, and Always And Forever, all having a huge impact on both sides of the Atlantic. Heatwave’s fourth album, Candles, saw Johnnie Wilder Jr take on the producers role alongside James Guthrie, best known for his work with Pink Floyd, returning to work with Heatwave since serving as an engineer on both Too Hot To Handle and Central Heating.

Heatwave - Hot Property (1979) {2010 Remastered & Expanded - Big Break Records CDBBR 0021)
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 473 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 158 Mb
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© 1979, 2010 Big Break Records / Cherry Red Records | CDBBR 0021
R'n'B / Disco / Soul / Funk / Quiet Storm

During their most commercially successful years, Heatwave were a band that crossed many borders, laying claim to such international hits as Boogie Nights , Gangsters Of The Groove, Too Hot To Handle, The Groove Line and Always And Forever, all having a huge impact on both sides of the Atlantic. The members of Heatwave hailed from all over the Globe, making this group a truly international act in every sense and contributing to their unique and highly influential sound.

Heatwave - Current (1982) {2010 Remastered & Expanded - Big Break Records CDBBR 0010}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 410 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 139 Mb
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© 1982, 2010 Big Break Records / Cherry Red Records | CDBBR 0010
R'n'B / Disco / Post Disco / Soul / Funk / Quiet Storm

With four successful albums behind them in nearly as many years, and despite the fact that they were in the beginning throes of the bitter end of the band, Heatwave brought their fifth album, Current, to bear in 1982 and scored another Top 30 U.S. hit to boot. With producer Barry Blue again at the helm and with another clutch of Rod Temperton-penned songs behind their substantial R&B chops, Heatwave was able to add one final feather to a cap that history continues to seriously underrate.

If you could use only one adjective to describe Heatwave's sound, it would be "smooth." The band's romantic ballads and slow jams were the epitome of smooth, and that adjective also describes many of their up-tempo funk grooves. This isn't to say that Heatwave's funk lacked grit — it had plenty of grit, but even so, it was an undeniably smoother style of funk than Parliament/Funkadelic, James Brown, Tower of Power, Rick James, or the Bar-Kays. In fact, when Kool & the Gang switched to a smoother, sleeker approach in 1979 and hired J.T. Taylor as its new lead vocalist, Heatwave was a big influence. The Kool & the Gang that emerged on 1979's Ladies' Night is certainly a lot more Heatwave-like than the gutbucket, down-and-dirty Kool & the Gang of "Jungle Boogie" and "Hollywood Swinging." And it isn't hard to hear the parallels between Taylor and Heatwave's Johnnie Wilder.

Heatwave’s sophomore LP CENTRAL HEATING (R&B #2/Pop #10/UK#26), released in 1977 on GTO Records, more than lived up to the group’s breakthrough album from the year before. All but two of the tracks were penned by Rod “Thriller” Temperton with the remainder from the hand of lead vocalist Johnnie Wilder. The stand out tracks include the funk smash and disco-era anthem “The Groove Line” (R&B #3/Pop #7/UK #12) and the quiet storm classic “Mind Blowing Decisions” (UK #12/R&B #49) as well as party grooves “Put Out The Word,” and “Party Poops” and the smooth soul of “Happiness Togetherness” and “The Star Of A Story,” which was later covered by George Benson on his Quincy Jones produced Give Me The Night album.

Too Hot to Handle was the debut album from the soul/funk ensemble Heatwave, and it was well received by R&B and pop fans. Their initial release was the disco anthem “Boogie Nights.” From the suspenseful, interlude-like intro to the adamant vocal delivery, the single had a lasting effect on the charts. It peaked at numbers five and two on the Billboard R&B and pop charts, respectively. The ballad “Always and Forever” was and continues to be an ageless piece. Johnnie Wilder’s vocal exhibition throughout the vamp is breathtaking. It peaked at number two on the Billboard R&B charts. These two releases were respectively certified platinum and gold singles. Heatwave did not waste any recording time. This album employs nothing but quality tracks. The moderately paced “Ain’t No Half Steppin’” was received warmly by radio, and it remains a staple.