In 1978, Clarence, Jr. teamed up with New York-based producer Alex Masucci to form the group The Invisible Man's Band.
One of the many fusion styles of the 70s was a camp, tongue-in-cheek dance music catering for an audience who enjoyed versatility. It was a part of the club and Disco and Gay culture. Bands like Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band, Kid Creole & The Coconuts, the early incarnation of the Pointer Sisters were all examples of this style, and so was The Invisible Man's Band.
The band was a revamp of the Five Stairsteps (the ones who did O-o-h Child years before). Their debut is an uneven affair, confused as to which way to go, and while the entire album is carefully planned and executed, not all the songs are immediate winners. Two songs are jewels, though, which shouldn't be missed by any one who loves good dance music.
The opener Full Moon is a stroke of luck: a mixture of African shouts, Cuban percussion and harmonies, rather advanced acoustic piano chords, brass and multi-layered vocals evoking an exotic mood formerly unheard of - five stars for this song! After this highlight, the LP continues in a much more conventional way. All Night Thing was a hit in the Disco/Funk circuit, and there's a couple of rather uninteresting Disco/Funk tracks to be missed. 9X's out of 10 harks back at the style of the Stairsteps' 2nd Resurrection, Rent Strike is a nice Funk tune, and by now one becomes aware of the band's maturity.
The last track Love Can't Come/Love Has Come is the second outstanding song. It's disco yet keeps the dancer entertained by its unusual arrangement, jazzy solos and exotic mood.
At the tail end of the disco era, in 1979, Invisible Man's Band alias The Five Stairsteps released a funk and disco album that was too exotic for its time and thus dismissed by the public, but it's a substantial production, something that becomes apparent only after repeated listening. Invisible Man's Band has aged well with time. You may find Invisible Man's Band ridiculously cheap in thrift shops - grab it, by all means!
The band was a revamp of the Five Stairsteps (the ones who did O-o-h Child years before). Their debut is an uneven affair, confused as to which way to go, and while the entire album is carefully planned and executed, not all the songs are immediate winners. Two songs are jewels, though, which shouldn't be missed by any one who loves good dance music.
The opener Full Moon is a stroke of luck: a mixture of African shouts, Cuban percussion and harmonies, rather advanced acoustic piano chords, brass and multi-layered vocals evoking an exotic mood formerly unheard of - five stars for this song! After this highlight, the LP continues in a much more conventional way. All Night Thing was a hit in the Disco/Funk circuit, and there's a couple of rather uninteresting Disco/Funk tracks to be missed. 9X's out of 10 harks back at the style of the Stairsteps' 2nd Resurrection, Rent Strike is a nice Funk tune, and by now one becomes aware of the band's maturity.
The last track Love Can't Come/Love Has Come is the second outstanding song. It's disco yet keeps the dancer entertained by its unusual arrangement, jazzy solos and exotic mood.
At the tail end of the disco era, in 1979, Invisible Man's Band alias The Five Stairsteps released a funk and disco album that was too exotic for its time and thus dismissed by the public, but it's a substantial production, something that becomes apparent only after repeated listening. Invisible Man's Band has aged well with time. You may find Invisible Man's Band ridiculously cheap in thrift shops - grab it, by all means!
Not interested in recording without his brothers, Clarence convinced Keni, James, and Dennis, along with keyboardist Dean Gant and drummer Steve Ferrone, to come to New York City's Brill building to record an album under the Invisible Man's Band moniker.
The group's self-titled debut, produced by Masucci and Clarence, Jr. and released in 1980 by Mango/Island Records, featured the heavily disco-styled hit "All Night Thing", which returned the Burke brothers to the top ten on the R&B chart. The tune also reached number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Track listing
A1. Full Moon - 4:53
A2. All Night Thing - 6:20
A3. X Country - 6:19
B1. 9 X's Out Of Ten - 5:52
B2. Rent Strike - 6:54
B3. Love Can't Come / Love Has Come - 8:03
Companies, etc.
- Record Company – Island Records Inc.
- Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Island Records Inc.
- Copyright © – Island Records Inc.
- Published By – Island Music
- Published By – Clarence Burke Publishing
- Published By – St. Judas Publishing
- Recorded At – Soundmixers, New York City
- Mixed At – Latin Sound Studios
- Mixed At – Compass Point Studios
- Mastered At – Masterdisk
- Lacquer Cut At – Sterling
- Pressed By – Columbia Records Pressing Plant, Pitman
Credits
- Arranged By [All Rhythm Arranged By] – Chris White, Clarence Burke
- Arranged By [All Synthesizers Arranged By] – Clarence Burke, Dean Gant
- Art Direction, Design – Jane Walsh-Ronayne
- Backing Vocals [Background Vocals] – Alex Masucci (tracks: A3), Ben Taylor (tracks: A3), Brenda Madison, Gerald Jackson, Janice Burke, Pete Jackson, The Burkes, Vernon Stuart, Yvonne Wright
- Banjo – John Weisenburg
- Bass – Keni Burke
- Creative Director [Creative Advisor] – Dean Gant
- Drums – Steve Ferrone
- Engineer – Ben Taylor
- Engineer [Mixing Engineer] – Alfredo Li (tracks: A1, A3, B2, B3)
- Executive-Producer – Chris Blackwell
- Guitar – Greg Fowler
- Harmonica – Lee Jaffe
- Lead Guitar, Acoustic Guitar – Clarence Burke
- Management – Alex Masucci
- Mixed By – Seduction Productions (tracks: A1, A3, B2, B3)
- Other [Model] – Maggie Hahn
- Percussion [Latin And Vocal Percussion] – Carlos Sanchez, Totico Sanchez
- Percussion [Latin Percussion] – Ricardo Marrero
- Photography By, Design – Mark Ledzian
- Producer – Alex Masucci, Clarence Burke
- Rhythm Guitar – Dennis Burke
- Saxophone [Sax], Flute – Don Myrick
- Synthesizer, Keyboards – Dean Gant
- Trombone – Louis "Vibes" Satterfield
- Trumpet [Lead Trumpet] – Bob Bryant
- Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Soloist [All solos] – Rahm Lee
- Vocals – James Burke
Notes
Release: 1980
Recorded at: Soundmixers, NYC
Mixed At: Latin Sound Studios, NYC
ALL NIGHT THING - Mixing Engineer: Steven Stanley, Compass Point Studios; Edited by Jonathan Fearing
9 X's OUT OF 10 - Mixing Engineer: Jim Douglas
ALL OTHER SONGS MIXED BY Seduction Productions; Mixing engineer: Alfredo Li, Latin Sound Studios
Genre: Funk / Soul
Length: 36:09
Label - Mango
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