Eruption (band)
| Eruption | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Jamaica, Ghana, Curaçao, Guyana |
| Genres | Pop, disco, dance-pop, R&B |
| Years active | 1974–1985 |
| Labels | Hansa, Jupiter |
Eruption were a popular disco, R&B and soul band in the 1970s and 1980s. They are best known for their covers of Ann Peebles's "I Can't Stand the Rain" and Neil Sedaka's "One Way Ticket", which were big disco hits in 1978 and 1979, respectively.
History
The band was formed in 1974 in the United Kingdom as Silent Eruption, and consisted of musicians of African and Caribbean origins.[1] In 1975, they won the Soul Search contest and their first single "Let Me Take You Back in Time" was released.[2] Finding their success quickly> lead singer Lindel Leslie (sometimes referred to as Leslie Johnson) left the group, and the then backing singer Precious Wilson stepped forward to front the band. They went on the road in Germany where Frank Farian, the producer of Boney M., heard about them due to the success of their live shows. Farian signed the group with the Germany-based Hansa Records and the band was the backing band and the support act for Boney M's first european tour.
After their single "Party, Party", their cover of "I Can't Stand the Rain" was an international hit, reaching #5 in the UK Singles Chart and #18 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Both songs were included in their first album, released in December 1977. It was followed by their second album titled Leave a Light, launched towards the end of 1978. The first single off the album, "Leave a Light", delivered the second single, "One Way Ticket" (a cover of Neil Sedaka's song written by Jack Keller and Hank Hunter), catapulted them to the top of the charts (a UK #9 hit).
In 1979, Eruption and Boney M. were both featured in the 1979 German film Disco Fever. Precious Wilson left the group in the same year to pursue a solo career and was replaced by singer Kim Davis. The group enjoyed their third German top 10 hit with "Go Johnnie Go" from the third album Fight Fight Fight. Shortly after, a tragedy hit when Davis succumbed to a brain hemorrhage, although some sources claim she died in a car accident.[3] The band decided to continue and singer Jane Jochen stepped in. A new recording, a cover of Del Shannon's "Runaway" was released in December 1980, and peaked at #21 in the German charts. After a compilation album in the spring of 1981 and the single release of "You (You Are My Soul)" from Fight Fight Fight, the band signed to Ralph Siegel's Jupiter Records.
By now, without the lead vocals of Precious Wilson, success was drastically diminishing, and the singles from their fourth album Our Way received little notice. In 1983, the drummer Eric Kingsley left Eruption, and Andi Weekes Barbados joined the group to play drums during last two years of the band's activity. In 1985, Eruption disbanded. In 1988, a new version of "I Can't Stand the Rain" was released. In 1994, Farian released the CD Gold – 20 Super Hits which featured seven remixed Eruption titles and 16 tracks from Precious Wilson's solo album. The new version of "One Way Ticket" was released as a single in the same year to promote the compilation. In 1997, Wilson became the legal owner of the trademark Eruption. She continues to tour promoting her solo projects, and also as Eruption with her new group, but none of the band's original members perform in the latest line-ups.
Band members
- Greg Perrineau (guitar)
- Morgan Perrineau (bass)
- Gerry Williams (keyboards)
- Eric Kingsley (drums)
- Lindel Leslie (Leslie Johnson) (lead singer 1974–75)
- Precious Wilson (lead singer 1974–79)
- Kim Davis (lead singer 1980)
- Jane Jochen (lead singer 1980–85)
- Andi Weekes Barbados (drums 1983--85)
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOR [4] |
SWE [5] |
USA [6] | ||
| 1977 | Eruption | — | 25 | 133 |
| 1979 | Leave a Light | 19 | — | — |
| 1980 | Fight Fight Fight | — | — | — |
| 1983 | Our Way | — | — | — |
Compilations
- 1981: The Best of Eruption
- 1994: Gold – 20 Super Hits (Precious Wilson + Eruption)
- 1995: I Can't Stand the Rain
- 2006: "Best of the best" (Precious Wilson + Eruption)
- 2007: Greatest Hits (Precious Wilson + Eruption)
Singles
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [7] |
AUT [8] |
BEL [9] |
GER [10] |
IRE [11] |
NLD [12] |
NOR [4] |
SWE [5] |
SWI [13] |
USA [6] | |||
| 1975 | "Let Me Take You Back in Time" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N/A |
| 1977 | "Party, Party" | — | — | 19 | — | — | 16 | — | — | — | — | Eruption |
| "I Can't Stand the Rain" | 5 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 18 | ||
| 1978 | "Computer Love" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Love Is a Feelin'" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N/A | |
| "Leave a Light" | — | — | — | 43 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Leave a Light | |
| 1979 | "One Way Ticket" | 9 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 13 | 5 | — | 8 | 1 | — | |
| 1980 | "Go Johnnie Go" | — | 12 | — | 8 | — | — | — | — | 10 | — | Fight Fight Fight |
| "Runaway" | — | — | — | 21 | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Best of Eruption | |
| 1981 | "You (You Are My Soul)" | — | — | — | 65 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "In a 1000 Years" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Our Way | |
| 1982 | "Up and Away" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N/A |
| "Joy to the World" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Our Way | |
| 1983 | "I Can't Help Myself" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Sophisticated Lady" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N/A | |
| 1985 | "Where Do I Begin" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1988 | "I Can't Stand the Rain 88" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1994 | "One Way Ticket (Remix '94)" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Gold – 20 Super Hits |
References
- ↑ Yuri German. "Eruption Biography AllMusic". AllMusic. www.allmusic.com. Retrieved 2014-06-10.
- ↑ Lindel Leslie. "History". www.shoetownmusicproductions.com. Retrieved 2014-06-10.
- ↑ Roger Smith. "Kim Davis – 13/12/2011". www.readysteadygone.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-06-10.
- 1 2 "Discography Eruption". norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved 2014-06-10.
- 1 2 "Discography Eruption". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 2014-06-10.
- 1 2 "Eruption Awards AllMusic". www.allmusic.com. Retrieved 2014-06-10.
- ↑ "ERUPTION Artist Official Charts". Official Charts Company. www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2014-06-10.
- ↑ "Discographie Eruption" (in German). www.austriancharts.at. Retrieved 2014-06-10.
- ↑ "Discografie Eruption" (in Dutch). www.ultratop.be. Retrieved 2014-06-10.
- ↑ "Eruption Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). www.musicline.de. Retrieved 2014-06-10.
- ↑ "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". www.irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 2014-06-10.
- ↑ "Discografie Eruption" (in Dutch). dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 2014-06-10.
- ↑ "Discographie Eruption" (in German). hitparade.ch. Retrieved 2014-06-10.