Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band
Charles Wright (* 1940 in Clarksdale , Mississippi ) & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band is a band that from today's perspective can be regarded as a pioneer of funk .
history
Although the band was already active in the 1960s, it did not become popular until the 1970s and had some top 20 R&B hits such as: B. Do your Thing and Till You Get Enough . Best known, however, is the song "Express Yourself" from 1970. This song was performed in 1988 by the group NWA , the Eazy-E , MC Ren , Dr. Dre , DJ Yella and Ice Cube were all sampled on their album Straight Outta Compton .
The band name contains a reference to the Watts district belonging to Los Angeles . You yourself describe your sound as "something in between Otis Redding and James Brown ".
Members
- Charles Wright - guitar, piano
- Al McKay - guitar
- Benorce Blackmon - guitar (successor to Al McKay)
- Gabe Flemings - piano, trumpet
- Melvin Dunlap - bass
- James Gadson - drums
- Big John Rayford - saxophone
- Bill Cannon - saxophone
- Ray Jackson - trombone
Discography
Albums
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 US
|
R&B
|
|||
| The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band | ||||
| 1968 | Together |
US140 (5 weeks) US |
R&B40 (6 weeks) R&B |
Warner Brothers 1761
|
| 1969 | In the jungle, babe |
US145 (4 weeks) US |
- |
Warner Brothers 1801
|
| Charles Wright and the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band | ||||
| 1970 | Express yourself |
US182 (10 weeks) US |
R&B27 (20 weeks) R&B |
Warner Brothers 1864
|
| 1971 | You're so beautiful |
US147 (11 weeks) US |
R&B39 (5 weeks) R&B |
Warner Brothers 1904
|
| Charles Wright (solo) | ||||
| 1973 | Doin 'What Comes Naturally | - |
R&B45 (9 weeks) R&B |
Warner Brothers
|
| 2007 | Finally Got It Wright | - |
R&B88 (6 weeks) R&B |
|
More albums
The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band
- 1967: Hot Heat and Sweet Groove (Warner Brothers 1741)
Charles Wright (solo)
- 1972: Rhythm & Poetry
- 1974: Ninety Day Cycle People
- 1975: Lil 'Encouragement
Singles
| year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
US
|
R&B
|
|||
| The Soul Runners | ||||
| 1966 | Grits' N Corn Bread |
- |
R&B33 (5 weeks) R&B |
Keymen
|
| The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band | ||||
| 1967 | Spreadin 'Honey Hot Heat and Sweet Groove |
US73 (10 weeks) US |
R&B44 (3 weeks) R&B |
Keymen K-108
B-side: Charley |
| 1968 | Do your thing together |
US11 (17 weeks) US |
R&B12 (14 weeks) R&B |
Warner Brothers 7250
B-side: A Dance, a Kiss, and a Song |
| 1969 | Till You Get Enough In the Jungle, babe |
US67 (5 weeks) US |
R&B12 (9 weeks) R&B |
Warner Brothers 7298
B-side: Light My Fire |
| Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band | ||||
| 1969 | Must Be Your Thing In the Jungle, Babe |
- |
R&B35 (2 weeks) R&B |
Warner Brothers 7338
B-side: Comment |
| 1970 | Love Land In the Jungle, babe |
US16 (17 weeks) US |
R&B23 (20 weeks) R&B |
Warner Brothers 7365
B-side: Sorry Charlie |
| Express Yourself In the Jungle, babe |
US12 (15 weeks) US |
R&B3 (13 weeks) R&B |
Warner Brothers 7417
B-side: Living On Borrowed Time |
|
| Solution For Pollution In the Jungle, Babe |
US96 (1 week) US |
- |
Warner Brothers 7451
B-side: High As Apple Pie |
|
| 1971 | Your Love (Means Everything To Me) In the Jungle, Babe |
US73 (4 weeks) US |
R&B9 (10 weeks) R&B |
Warner Brothers 7475
B-Side: What Can You Bring Me? |
| 1973 | (Well I'm) Doin 'What Cums Naturally Part 1 Doing What Comes Naturally |
- |
R&B27 (11 weeks) R&B |
Dunhill Records
|
| Charles Wright (solo) | ||||
More singles
The Soul Runners
- 1967: Chittlin 'Salad
- 1967: Last Date
The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band
- 1968: Brown Sugar / Caesar's Palace (Warner Brothers 7175)
- 1968: Bottomless / 65 Bars and a Taste Of Soul (Warner Brothers 7222)
Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band
- 1972: Nobody (Tellin 'Me' Bout My Baby) / Wine (Warner Brothers 7504)
- 1972: I Got Love / Let's Make Love Not War (Warner Brothers 7577)
Charles Wright (solo)
- 1966: Help Yourself
- 1966: (I'm Living on) Borrowed Time
- 1972: Soul Train
- 1972: You Gotta Know Whatcha Doin '
- 1975: Is It Real?
Web links
swell
- ↑ expressyourself.net ( Memento of the original from April 12, 2005 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b Chart sources: US
