B. B. & Q. Band
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B. B. & Q. Band (which stands for the Brooklyn, Bronx, and Queens Band), was an American disco/funk group, who were created in 1981 and disbanded in 1986.
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[edit] The background
The B. B. & Q. Band was a studio concept created in 1981 by the businessman, Jacques Fred Petrus. After the success with Change in 1980, and also with Macho and the Peter Jacques band in the late 1970s Petrus and his close co-worker, Italian Mauro Malavasi decided to launch a new project, named after the three boroughs in New York that the band "members" came from. Fred Petrus pulled several musicians together one of which was Kevin Robinson, who Petrus met while performing with Der Kinky Fox, in 1980.
[edit] The successful debut
The self-titled debut album on Capitol record album provided several melodies of which Malavasi wrote all except one. The biggest hit single "On the Beat", which reached #8 on Billboard's Black Single chart. Also "Time for Love" (#72 on the same chart) mixed a melody with vocals by the lead singer, Ike Floyd.
Petrus appointed Kevin Robinson, an ex-Kinky Foxx member to lead the band, who subsequently replaced all of the members from the "On the Beat" tour, which included Ike Floyd, Paris "Pee Wee" Ford, DeWayne Perdue, Melissa Morgan, and Ethal Beatty to create a self contained unit, which included Chielli Manuchi, Kevin Nance, and Tony Bridges.
[edit] Second and third albums
The second album release was 1982's All Night Long (#32 on Billboard's Black Albums chart), which included "All Night Long (She's Got the Moves I Like)" (#32 on Billboard's Club Play Singles list), "Imagination" (#21 on Billboard's Black Singles list) and "Children of the Night" (uncharted).
In 1983 Six Million Times hit the market with influences from The Time and Prince. Petrus faced serious economical problems in 1983 and Six Million Times was produced with a tiny budget during five weeks in Bologna. The album did not become a commercial success and Capitol dropped the band.
[edit] Finale
By 1985 Petrus had fixed a contract with Elektra Records and B. B. & Q. Band was back on track with their last album Genie, including minor hits like the title track and "Dreamer". Kae Williams, who was a former Breakwater member hired by Petrus, wrote all tracks and co-produced the LP in conjunction with Petrus. The album also showed early examples of Curtis Hairston's voice when Petrus invited him to be the new lead singer. The album sold rather well, especially in Europe, but in 1986 the B. B. & Q. Band disappeared forever when Petrus was murdered.
