RTM LTD - ROSTER OF ARTISTS
Change Change have been storming the UK over the past 2 years with sell-out shows nationwide, including ten dates in London alone at The Jazz Cafe, Koko, Fairfield Halls and Electric Brixton. The group which launched the career of Luther Vandross and now includes original singer Rick Brennan. Change was originally a studio project, masterminded by Guadaloupean business man, Jacques Fred Petrus. Petrus emerged on the late-70s disco scene with several successful outfits such as Macho, Revanche and Peter Jacques Band, all recorded with Italian musicians and New York session singers. With the arrival of the 80s, Petrus and his musical partner Mauro Malavasi moved away from the pounding disco sound into a more soulful pop-R&B-oriented sound. Together with bassist Davide Romani and guitar player Paolo Gianolio, they laid down a number of Chic-inspired grooves in Bologna, Italy, in December 1979, and took the tapes to New York to look out for suitable vocalists. They found Jocelyn Brown (at the time known as Jocelyn Shaw), already a hot session singer and lead vocalist of disco group Inner Life, and equally in-demand singer Luther Vandross. Released in April 1980, The Glow of Love soared to the Top 10 on the Billboard Disco Charts, yielding the hit singles "A Lover's Holiday / The End", "The Glow of Love / Searching". It even became Billboard's #1 Disco Album of 1980. The second album Miracles emerged in March 1981. Jocelyn Brown chose to focus on Inner Life, and Luther Vandross - intended to become the official lead singer - disagreed on the fee offered by Petrus. Yet both of them continued as backing vocalists on the project alongside Ullanda McCullough, Fonzi Thornton and Kristal Davis. Vandross soon after enjoyed his first solo hit with "Never Too Much". Instead, Diva Gray and James Robinson took over the lead vocals. With the singles "Paradise" and "Hold Tight" becoming big club hits, Miracles was another smash and topped the Billboard Disco Charts while Chic - as Change was constantly compared to - ironically was far from the same heights, struggling commercially at the same time.
When Malavasi and lead singer James Robinson went solo, Petrus was forced to look for new musical partners to keep Change going. The salvation came with Jam & Lewis, already with hits such as S.O.S. Band's "Just Be Good To Me" to their credit. Change of Heart was the resulting fifth album, 1984, which yielded a Top 10 R&B hit single with the title track. Unfortunately, the lucky strike didn't continue in 1985 with Turn On Your Radio, mainly written & produced by Timmy Allen. It didn't perform well, and when Petrus himself was murdered by the mafia in 1986, Change ceased to be as a recording group. But Rick Brennan was always known as the main face of Change, for he never stopped performing worldwide while others had all moved on to other projects.
Change was formed 1980, Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy Members Jocelyn Brown (lead vocals, 1980), Luther Vandross (lead vocals, 1980), Diva Gray (lead vocals, 1981), James Robinson (lead vocals, 1981-83), Gordon Grody (vocals, 1981), Mauro Malavasi (piano, synthesizer, 1980-83), Davide Romani (bass, keyboards, 1980-82, 1985), Paolo Gianolio (guitar, 1980-83), Rudy Trevisi (saxophone, 1980-83), Doc Powell (guitar), Terry Silverlight (drums, 1981-82), Onaje Allan Gumbs (keyboards, 1981), Maurizio Biancani (synthesizer, 1981), Deborah "Debra" Cooper (lead vocals, 1982-85), Timmy Allen (bass, keyboards, lead vocals, 1982-85), Michael Campbell (guitar, 1982-85), Jeff Bova (keyboards, 1982-83), Toby Johnson (drums, 1983-84), Vincent Henry (guitar, saxophone, 1982-85), Jeff Bova (synthesizer, keyboards, 1982-84), Rick Galwey (percussion, 1982), Rick Brennan (lead vocals & Percussion, 1983-85) he was with the BB & Q Band first...
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