Odyssey (band)

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Odyssey was a New York based, dance music band. It grew out of the talent of the Virgin Islands born Lopez sisters: Lillian Lopez (born 16 November 1945), Louise Lopez (born 22 February 1943), and Carmen Lopez who later dropped out of the group.

[edit] Career

Filipino singer Tony Reynolds was added, at which point the band became known as Odyssey. The group was known for its December 1977 hit "Native New Yorker", which reached #21 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was also covered by Frankie Valli. Although a string of albums and singles followed, the group managed only one other R&B smash, the Slave-produced "Inside Out", which was in all actuality, Slave's hit "Watching You", with new lyrics and some orchestration added, and which peaked at #12 in 1982. Reynolds, for unknown reasons, left after the first album and was replaced by Fayetteville, North Carolina native William "Bill" McEachern, who remained with the group throughout the remainder of its RCA record label output.

In the United Kingdom, the band with its gentle Caribbean style had more success, totalling five Top Ten hits between 1977 and 1982. One of them, "Use It Up and Wear It Out", reached number one in the UK Singles Chart for two weeks in 1980. Odyssey thus became the third U.S. act of the year (after Fern Kinney and M.A.S.H.) to reach Number one in the UK, despite failing to chart in their home country.

[edit] Discography

Year	Song	U.S. Hot 100	U.S. R&B	U.S. Dance	UK singles
1977	"Native New Yorker"	21	6	3	5
1977	"Weekend Lover"	57	37	-	-
1980	"If You're Lookin' For a Way Out"	-	-	-	6
1980	"Don't Tell Me, Tell Her"	105	44	6	-
1980	"Use It Up and Wear It Out"	-	-	6	1
1981	"Hang Together"	-	-	6	36
1981	"Going Back to My Roots"	-	68	55	4
1981	"It Will Be Alright"	-	-	-	43
1982	"Inside Out"	104	12	25	3
1982	"Magic Touch"	-	-	-	41
1985	"(Joy) I Know It"	-	-	-	51