Midnight Star
Midnight Star is a synth - funk band from the 1980s with R&B influences.
Band history
The group was formed in 1976 at Kentucky State University by Reginald Calloway (trumpet), his brother Vincent (trombone) and singer Belinda Lipscomb. Her first album The Beginning was released in 1980 by RCA Records . The studio band of the record company took part. In 1981, the second album Standing Together made it to number 54 on the US R&B charts. In 1982 Midnight Star moved to the Solar Records label , under which the third studio album Victory was released. At that time the trio had already built up into a complete band. She included Melvin Gentry (guitar), Kenneth Gant (bass), Bobby Lovelace (drums), multi-instrumentalist Bill Simmons and keyboardist Bo Watson.
As the Calloways were adept at producing , it wasn't long before Midnight Star was successful with African American audiences and successfully entered the R&B charts with the singles Hot Spot and I've Been Watching You . The fourth album No Parking on the Dance Floor came out in 1983. Both the album and the release Freak-a-Zoid made it to number 2 on the R&B charts and brought the album platinum status. The single Operator from the fifth album Planetary Invasion finally reached number 1 on the R&B charts and was the group's biggest single success, the LP itself made it to number 7.
1986 the last album followed, on which the Calloways participated. It was called Headlines and also made it to number 7 on the R&B charts. The Calloways left the band in 1988 and formed the duo Calloway . In the same year the album Midnight Star was released , which only came to number 14 on the R&B charts. After the last record, Work It Out from 1990, which was comparatively unsuccessful at number 41 in the R&B hit list, the formation temporarily disbanded in 1990. The reunion followed in 2000, and a new CD two years later. The band still performs live today.
Discography
Studio albums
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 DE
|
 UK
|
 US
|
R&B
|
|||
| 1981 | Standing Together | - | - | - |
R&B54 (5 weeks) R&B |
First published: September 1981
Producer: Leon Sylvers III, Midnight Star |
| 1982 | Victory | - | - | - |
R&B58 (11 weeks) R&B |
First published: August 1982
Producers: Midnight Star, Reginald Calloway |
| 1983 | No Parking on the Dance Floor | - | - |
US30th  × 2
(96 weeks)US |
R&B2 (80 weeks) R&B |
First published: June 1983
Producer: Reginald Calloway |
| 1984 | Planetary Invasion | - |
UK85 (2 weeks) UK |
US32  (32 weeks)US |
R&B7 (36 weeks) R&B |
First published: November 1984
Producer: Reginald Calloway |
| 1986 | Headlines | - |
UK42 (4 weeks) UK |
US56 (27 weeks)US |
R&B7 (33 weeks) R&B |
First published: May 1986
Producers: Midnight Star, Reginald Calloway |
| 1988 | Midnight Star | - | - |
US96 (15 weeks) US |
R&B14 (29 weeks) R&B |
First published: October 1988
Producer: Midnight Star |
| 1990 | Work it out | - | - | - |
R&B41 (20 weeks) R&B |
First published: June 1990
Producer: Midnight Star |
More studio albums
- 1980: The Beginning
- 2002: 15th Avenue
swell
- ↑ Chart sources: Singles Albums UK US
- ^ Joel Whitburn : Top R&B Albums 1965–1998, ISBN 0-89820-134-9 .
Web links
- Official website of Midnight Star (English)
- Midnight Star at Allmusic (English)
- Midnight Star at Discogs (English)