Mtume
Encyclopedia
Mtume was a funk
and soul
group that had several R&B
hits
in the 1980s. Its founder, percussionist James Mtume
, previously played with Miles Davis
in the 1970s. Other members of the group included Reggie Lucas
and Tawatha Agee.
s on the independent label
Third Street Records: Kawaida (1973); Alkebu-Lan (1975); and Rebirth Cycle (1977). Not finding pop
or R&B chart
success, they signed to major label Epic Records
in 1978, releasing the albums Kiss This World Goodbye
(1978), and In Search of the Rainbow Seekers
(1980), which found modest success on the R&B
chart. Their 1982 album Juicy Fruit
, however, provided Mtume with its biggest hit, when the title song reached number one for eight weeks on the U.S. R&B chart
. "Juicy Fruit
" would later be sampled
for the Notorious B.I.G song "Juicy
", from his 1994 album Ready to Die
, as well as the 2004 "Be Your Girl" remix by Teedra Moses
and Raphael Saadiq
. In 2007 it was sampled for Keyshia Cole
's single "Let It Go
", which also topped the U.S. R&B chart.
Mtume's 1984 album You, Me, and He had a #2 R&B hit with the album's title song. Their final R&B Top Ten hit was "Breathless" (1986) from their final album Theater of the Mind. They recorded with Epic Records until the late 1980s. Group member Agee went solo
in 1987.
several song
s for artists
such as Stephanie Mills
, Roberta Flack
, Lou Rawls
, Phyllis Hyman
, and Donny Hathaway
in the late 1970s and early 1980s, including the Grammy winning single "Never Knew Love Like This Before
" from Mills. James Mtume also produced Roy Ayers
, and the Bar-Kays
, and composed
the music and theme tune for the 1990s television police
drama
, New York Undercover
.
Reggie Lucas (along with Jellybean Benitez) produced the majority of Madonna
's first album, Madonna
, including the songs "Borderline
" and "Lucky Star".
James Mtume is the son of saxophonist
Jimmy Heath
. James Mtume was a percussionist with Miles Davis
from 1971 to 1975.
The 1982–86 line-up was:
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
and soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
group that had several R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
hits
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
in the 1980s. Its founder, percussionist James Mtume
James Mtume
James Mtume is a jazz and R&B musician and a radio personality. Mtume's group is perhaps best known for their 1983 R&B hit song "Juicy Fruit". The song was sampled by The Notorious B.I.G. in his song "Juicy"...
, previously played with Miles Davis
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
in the 1970s. Other members of the group included Reggie Lucas
Reggie Lucas
Reginald "Reggie" Lucas is an American musician, songwriter and record producer. Lucas is most famous for his production work with percussionist Mtume and for producing the majority of Madonna's 1983 self-titled debut album.-Biography:...
and Tawatha Agee.
History
Mtume recorded three albumAlbum
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s on the independent label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
Third Street Records: Kawaida (1973); Alkebu-Lan (1975); and Rebirth Cycle (1977). Not finding pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
or R&B chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
success, they signed to major label Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
in 1978, releasing the albums Kiss This World Goodbye
Kiss This World Goodbye
Kiss This World Goodbye is a 1978 album by R&B group Mtume. This would be their debut album on the Epic Records label as well as be the first album featuring the vocal talents of Tawatha Agee.-Track listing:...
(1978), and In Search of the Rainbow Seekers
In Search of the Rainbow Seekers
In Search Of The Rainbow Seekers is a 1980 album by R&B group Mtume. This would be their second album on the Epic Records label.-Track listing:#Give It on Up - 6:40...
(1980), which found modest success on the R&B
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart. Their 1982 album Juicy Fruit
Juicy Fruit (album)
Juicy Fruit is a 1983 album by R&B group Mtume. Contains the often sampled top 10 R&B hit, Juicy Fruit. This would be their third album on the Epic Records label.-Track listing:#"Green Light"...
, however, provided Mtume with its biggest hit, when the title song reached number one for eight weeks on the U.S. R&B chart
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
. "Juicy Fruit
Juicy Fruit (song)
"Juicy Fruit" is a funk song written by James Mtume and released as the lead-off single from Mtume's sixth album, also titled Juicy Fruit. The mid-tempo song is arguably Mtume's most well-known, proving enormously successful on R&B radio stations and nightclubs when first released...
" would later be sampled
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
for the Notorious B.I.G song "Juicy
Juicy (The Notorious B.I.G. song)
"Juicy" is a song by hip hop artist The Notorious B.I.G. and his solo debut single from his 1994 debut album Ready to Die. It was produced by Poke of Trackmasters & Sean "Puffy" Combs. Its melody is sampled from Mtume's "Juicy Fruit", and has an alternative chorus sung by R&B girl group Total...
", from his 1994 album Ready to Die
Ready to Die
Ready to Die is the debut album of American rapper The Notorious B.I.G., released September 13, 1994 on Bad Boy Records. The first release on the label, it features production by record producer and Bad Boy founder Sean "Puffy" Combs, Easy Mo Bee, Chucky Thompson, DJ Premier, and Lord Finesse,...
, as well as the 2004 "Be Your Girl" remix by Teedra Moses
Teedra Moses
Teedra Moses is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter.-Biography:Teedra Moses was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, to a gospel singing mother, Shirley Moses. She later moved to California with her mother and three siblings after her parents' separation...
and Raphael Saadiq
Raphael Saadiq
Raphael Saadiq is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. Saadiq has been a standard bearer for "old school" R&B since his early days as a member of the multiplatinum group Tony! Toni! Toné! He also produced songs of such artists as TLC, Joss Stone, D'Angelo, Mary J...
. In 2007 it was sampled for Keyshia Cole
Keyshia Cole
Keyshia Myeshia Cole Gibson born October 15, 1981) is an American singer–songwriter and actress. She gained nationwide acclaim when her 2005 debut album, The Way It Is went platinum. Her sophomore album Just Like You went into production shortly after that and was released in September 2007...
's single "Let It Go
Let It Go (Keyshia Cole song)
"Let It Go" is a song by R&B singer Keyshia Cole released as the lead single from her second album Just like You. It features rappers Lil' Kim and Missy Elliott. Elliott also produced the song, which samples "Juicy Fruit" by Mtume, and "Don't Stop the Music" by Yarbrough and Peoples...
", which also topped the U.S. R&B chart.
Mtume's 1984 album You, Me, and He had a #2 R&B hit with the album's title song. Their final R&B Top Ten hit was "Breathless" (1986) from their final album Theater of the Mind. They recorded with Epic Records until the late 1980s. Group member Agee went solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
in 1987.
Other success
The group producedRecord producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
several song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s for artists
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
such as Stephanie Mills
Stephanie Mills
Stephanie Dorthea Mills is an American R&B and soul singer, and a former Broadway star.-Career:Mills began her career appearing in her first play at the age of nine. Two years later, Mills won Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater a record six times...
, Roberta Flack
Roberta Flack
Roberta Flack is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who is notable for jazz, soul, R&B, and folk music...
, Lou Rawls
Lou Rawls
Louis Allen "Lou" Rawls was an American soul, jazz, and blues singer. He was known for his smooth vocal style: Frank Sinatra once said that Rawls had "the classiest singing and silkiest chops in the singing game"...
, Phyllis Hyman
Phyllis Hyman
Phyllis Linda Hyman was an American soul singer and actress.-Early years:Phyllis Hyman was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and grew up in the St. Clair Village, the South Hills section of Pittsburgh...
, and Donny Hathaway
Donny Hathaway
Donny Edward Hathaway was an American soul singer-songwriter and musician. Hathaway contracted with Atlantic Records in 1969 and with his first single for the Atco label, "The Ghetto, Part I" in early 1970, Rolling Stone magazine "marked him as a major new force in soul music."His collaborations...
in the late 1970s and early 1980s, including the Grammy winning single "Never Knew Love Like This Before
Never Knew Love Like This Before
"Never Knew Love Like This Before" is a song by American R&B singer Stephanie Mills. The song is the second and final single from Mills' 1980 album, Sweet Sensation. The single was released in August 1979 and became a huge hit in 1980....
" from Mills. James Mtume also produced Roy Ayers
Roy Ayers
Roy Ayers is an American funk, soul, and jazz composer and vibraphone player. Ayers began his career as a post-bop jazz artist, releasing several albums with Atlantic Records, before his tenure at Polydor Records beginning in the 1970s, during which he helped pioneer jazz-funk .- Biography :Ayers...
, and the Bar-Kays
Bar-Kays
The Bar-Kays are a popular soul, R&B, and funk group who began performing in 1966 and continue to perform today, although with only one original member. The group had dozens of charting singles from the 1960s to the 1980s, including "Soul Finger" The Bar-Kays are a popular soul, R&B, and funk group...
, and composed
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
the music and theme tune for the 1990s television police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
, New York Undercover
New York Undercover
New York Undercover is an American police drama that aired on the FOX television network from 1994 to 1998. The series starred Malik Yoba as Detective J.C. Williams and Michael DeLorenzo as Detective Eddie Torres, two undercover detectives in New York City's 4th Precinct who were assigned to...
.
Reggie Lucas (along with Jellybean Benitez) produced the majority of Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
's first album, Madonna
Madonna (Madonna album)
Madonna is the self-titled debut album of American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on July 27, 1983 by Sire Records. The album was re-released in 1985 for the European market and re-packaged as Madonna – The First Album...
, including the songs "Borderline
Borderline (song)
"Borderline" is a song by American pop singer Madonna from her self-titled debut album. It was released on February 15, 1984 as the fifth single from the album, by Sire Records. Written and composed by producer Reggie Lucas, the song received remix treatment from Madonna's then boyfriend John...
" and "Lucky Star".
James Mtume is the son of saxophonist
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
Jimmy Heath
Jimmy Heath
James Edward Heath , nicknamed Little Bird, is an American jazz saxophonist, composer and arranger. He is the brother of bassist Percy Heath and drummer Albert Heath.-Biography:...
. James Mtume was a percussionist with Miles Davis
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
from 1971 to 1975.
Line-ups
The 1978–80 line-up was:- James Mtume (vocals, percussion, keyboards)
- Hubert Eaves IIIHubert Eaves IIIHubert Eaves III is a keyboardist, songwriter and record producer. He worked on all of the hits by the influential dance act D-Train in the early 1980s. He also did session work with Mtume. Eaves was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he was taught piano by his father.-References:...
(keyboards) - Tawatha Agee (vocals)
- Reggie LucasReggie LucasReginald "Reggie" Lucas is an American musician, songwriter and record producer. Lucas is most famous for his production work with percussionist Mtume and for producing the majority of Madonna's 1983 self-titled debut album.-Biography:...
(guitars) - Basil Fearington (bass)
- Howard King (drums)
The 1982–86 line-up was:
- James Mtume (vocals, keyboards)
- Tawatha Agee (vocals)
- Raymond Jackson (bass)
- Philip Field (keyboards)
- Ed "Tree" Moore (guitars)
- Leslie Ming (drums)
Albums
- Rebirth Cycle (1977)
- Kiss This World GoodbyeKiss This World GoodbyeKiss This World Goodbye is a 1978 album by R&B group Mtume. This would be their debut album on the Epic Records label as well as be the first album featuring the vocal talents of Tawatha Agee.-Track listing:...
(1978) - In Search of the Rainbow SeekersIn Search of the Rainbow SeekersIn Search Of The Rainbow Seekers is a 1980 album by R&B group Mtume. This would be their second album on the Epic Records label.-Track listing:#Give It on Up - 6:40...
(1980) - Juicy FruitJuicy Fruit (album)Juicy Fruit is a 1983 album by R&B group Mtume. Contains the often sampled top 10 R&B hit, Juicy Fruit. This would be their third album on the Epic Records label.-Track listing:#"Green Light"...
(1983) - You, Me and HeYou, Me and He (album)You, Me and He is a 1984 album by R&B group Mtume. This would be their fourth album on the Epic Records label.-Track listing:#C.O.D...
(1984) - Theater of the Mind (1986)
External links
- Soulwalking Page
- Mtume at WhoSampled