Heatwave (band)
| Heatwave | |
|---|---|
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Heatwave, 1982
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| Background information | |
| Origin | London, England |
| Genres | Funk, disco |
| Years active | 1975–1984, 1988–present |
| Labels | GTO Records, Epic Records |
| Members | Keith Wilder, Napoleon Eugene Phillips, Elliot Levine, Elwarren Witherspoon, Keith Busey, Anthony Contee, Geno Myers, Ignatius Mason, Byron Byrd, Donovan Blackwood, Nathan Watson |
| Past members |
Johnnie Wilder, Jr. (deceased) Keith Wilder Rod Temperton (deceased) Mario Mantese Ernest Berger Eric Johns Roy Carter Billy Jones Derek Bramble Calvin Duke J.D. Nicholas Peter Jordan Keith Harrison |
Heatwave is an international funk/disco band formed in 1975. Its most popular lineup featured Americans Johnnie Wilder, Jr. and Keith Wilder (vocals) of Dayton, Ohio, Englishman Rod Temperton (keyboards), Swiss Mario Mantese (bass), Czechoslovak Ernest "Bilbo" Berger (drums), Jamaican Eric Johns (guitar) and Briton Roy Carter (guitar).
They were known for their singles "Boogie Nights", "Always and Forever", and "The Groove Line".
Founding member Johnnie Wilder was an American serviceman based in West Germany when he first began performing; upon his discharge from the U.S. Army, he stayed in Germany. He sang in nightclubs and taverns with an assortment of bands while still enlisted. By mid-year, he decided to relocate to the United Kingdom and through an ad placed in a local paper he linked up with songwriter/keyboardist Rod Temperton.
Touring the London nightclub circuit billed as Chicago's Heatwave during the mid-1970s allowed them to refine their sound, adding a funk groove to disco beats. In search of a fuller sound vocally, Johnnie Wilder called upon his brother Keith Wilder (who was performing in a local band in Dayton, Ohio) to join the band on vocals. The group signed to GTO Records in 1976 (Epic Records would handle GTO's releases in the states). They were paired in the studio with GTO house producer/session guitarist Barry Blue and rhythm guitarist Jesse Whitten. Rhythm guitarist Roy Carter replaced Whitten after Whitten was killed in a stabbing incident. They began creating their first album Too Hot to Handle in the fall of 1976.
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