The Gap Band
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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The Gap Band are a U.S. R&B, funk and soul music group who rose to fame during the 1970s and 1980s with their heavily-charged dance anthems and their sentimental and ethereal love songs. Comprising brothers Charlie, Ronnie and Robert Wilson, the band first formed as the Greenwood, Archer and Pine Street Band in 1967 in their hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma and shortened its name to the Gap Band in 1979.
Legacy
In 1992, Charlie ventured into a solo career and had several minor hits on his own. Wilson's vocals were credited in part for establishing the careers of Guy, Aaron Hall, Keith Sweat, and R. Kelly. The band reunited in 1996, and issued The Gap Band: Live and Well, a live greatest hits album.
Robert Wilson died of a heart attack at his home in Palmdale, California on August 15, 2010.
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | US Dance | UK | |||
| 1977 | "Out of the Blue (Can You Feel It)" | — | 42 | — | — | The Gap Band (1977) |
| "Not Guilty" | — | 77 | — | — | ||
| "Little Bit of Love" | — | 95 | — | — | ||
| 1979 | "Shake" | 101 | 4 | 48 | — | The Gap Band (1979) |
| "Open Up Your Mind (Wide)" | — | 13 | — | — | ||
| "Steppin' (Out)" | 103 | 10 | — | — | The Gap Band II | |
| 1980 | "I Don't Believe You Want to Get Up and Dance (Oops!)" | 102 | 4 | 52 | 6 | |
| "Party Lights" | — | 36 | — | 30 | ||
| "Burn Rubber on Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)" | 84 | 1 | 19 | 22 | The Gap Band III | |
| 1981 | "Humpin'" | — | 60 | 19 | 36 | |
| "Yearning for Your Love" | 60 | 5 | — | 47 | ||
| 1982 | "Early in the Morning" | 24 | 1 | 13 | 55 | Gap Band IV |
| "You Dropped a Bomb on Me" | 31 | 2 | 39 | — | ||
| "Outstanding" | 51 | 1 | 24 | 68 | ||
| 1983 | "Party Train" | 101 | 3 | — | — | Gap Band V: Jammin' |
| "Jam the Motha'" | — | 16 | — | — | ||
| 1984 | "Someday" (feat. Stevie Wonder) | — | — | — | 17 | |
| "I'm Ready (If You're Ready)" | — | 74 | — | 87 | Gap Band V: Jammin' | |
| "Jammin' in America" | — | — | — | 64 | ||
| "Beep a Freak" | 103 | 2 | 66 | — | Gap Band VI | |
| 1985 | "I Found My Baby" | — | 8 | — | — | |
| "Disrespect" | — | 18 | — | — | ||
| "Desire" | — | 46 | — | — | Gap Band VII | |
| 1986 | "Going in Circles" | — | 2 | — | — | |
| "Automatic Brain" | — | 78 | — | — | ||
| "Big Fun" | — | 8 | — | 4 | Gap Band 8 | |
| 1987 | "How Music Came About" | — | — | — | 61 | |
| "Zibble, Zibble (Get the Money)" | — | 15 | — | — | ||
| "Sweeter Than Candy" | — | 40 | — | — | Penitentiary III | |
| "Oops Upside Your Head" ('87 Mix) | — | — | — | 20 | Non-album single | |
| 1988 | "Straight from the Heart" | — | 36 | — | — | Straight from the Heart |
| "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka" | — | 14 | 35 | 63 | I'm Gonna Git You Sucka | |
| 1989 | "All of My Love" | — | 1 | — | 88 | Round Trip |
| 1990 | "Addicted to Your Love" | — | 8 | — | — | |
| "We Can Make It Alright" | — | 18 | — | — | ||
| 1995 | "First Lover" | — | 59 | 36 | — | Ain't Nothin' But a Party |
| "Got It Goin' On" | — | 75 | — | — | ||
| 2004 | "Oops Upside Your Head" (with DJ Casper) | — | — | — | 16 | Non-album single |
| "—" denotes the single failed to chart | ||||||
Sampling
Since the 1990s, many The Gap Band hits have been sampled and covered by R&B and Hip-Hop artists such as Nas, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Jermaine Dupri, Da Brat, Notorious B.I.G., II D Extreme, Blackstreet, Shaquille O'Neal, Mia X, and Mary J. Blige. "Outstanding" was sampled for a 1990s commercial for malt liquor. Musicians inspired by The Gap Band include R. Kelly, Keith Sweat, Ruff Endz, Guy, Blackstreet, II D Extreme, Mint Condition, Jagged Edge, D'Extra Wiley, and Aaron Hall.
"You Dropped a Bomb on Me" was featured in the hit 2004 videogame Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, playing on the fictional funk radio station Bounce FM.
