Rose Royce
Rose Royce -- the Los Angeles-based group comprised of Henry Garner (drums); Terral "Terry" Santiel (congas); Lequeint "Duke" Jobe (bass); Michael Moore (saxophone); Gwen Dickey, performing with the group using the stage name Rose Norwalt (lead vocals); Kenny Copeland (trumpet, lead vocals); Kenji Brown (guitar, lead vocals); Freddie Dunn (trumpet); and Michael Nash (keyboards) -- were actually formed by Copeland and Garner. Both were preparing for graduation from high school, and contemplating their careers. Joined by Dunn and Moore, the two decided to go the route of the music business under the name Total Concept Unlimited (and later as Magic Wand). They auditioned for Edwin Starr, and he hired them as his backup band.
The group's association with Starr enabled them to interact with numerous music industry personalities. One in particular was Motown producer Norman Whitfield. Whitfield gradually became associated with the group by hiring it for recording sessions; the group also worked with Yvonne Fair, the Undisputed Truth, and the Temptations through Whitfield's influence. After a couple of years of seasoning, the group began production on its debut album under Whitfield's supervision. Also during this time, MCA Records was seeking an artist for the soundtrack to the movie Car Wash. Whitfield convinced executives that the band was more than competent for the job. So the material that Whitfield had assembled for the group's debut album became the soundtrack's material.
The movie Car Wash and the soundtrack were big hits, and they also propelled the group, now known as Rose Royce, into national recognition. Released in late 1976, the soundtrack featured three Billboard R&B Top Ten singles: "Car Wash," "I Wanna Get Next to You," and "I'm Going Down." The former was also a number one single on the Billboard pop charts. To offset any negative rhetoric regarding its legitimacy, the group released its follow-up album, Rose Royce II: In Full Bloom, and bloom it did. The group returned to the Top Ten with "Do Your Dance" and "Ooh Boy," silencing all critics. In 1978, they released their third album, entitled Rose Royce III: Strikes Again!, and it featured "I'm in Love (And I Love the Feeling)" and "Love Don't Live Here Anymore." Both singles cracked the Billboard R&B Top Five.
Rose Royce followed with a string of hits that roamed the charts, but never gained the chart status that their previous songs did. They became very popular in England and have remained a marquee attraction there.
© Craig Lytle /TiVo
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Back To Back: Rose Royce & Heatwave
Disco - Released by Vanilla OMP on 14 Mar 2011
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Rose Royce Greatest Hits (Live)
Soul - Released by StreamWorld Entertainment Classics on 30 Nov 2021
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Greatest Hits Live
Funk - Released by Synergie OMP on 29 Jul 2012
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Perfect Lover
Soul - Released by Expansion Records on 29 Jul 2016
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Rose Royce's I Wanna Get Next To You
R&B - Released by Charly Records on 25 Jun 2006
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Wishing On A Star (Live)
Pop - Released by Empire of Sound on 7 Mar 2019
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Car Wash (Live)
Soul - Released by Pacific Records on 31 Jan 2020
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Greatest Hits Live
Soul - Released by CLASSIC WORLD ENTERTAINMENT on 29 Jul 2012
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Is It Love You're After (Edit)
Miscellaneous - Released by Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group on 10 Jun 2022
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Love Don't Live Here Anymore (Billboard Hot 100 - No 32)
Soul - Released by Music Manager on 20 Dec 2018
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Get Down with Rose Royce (Live)
Disco - Released by Carter Lane - OMiP on 3 Nov 2013
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Best Live in Concert
Soul - Released by Plaza Mayor Company, Ltd. on 30 May 2011
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Car Wash (Billboard Hot 100 - No 01)
Soul - Released by Music Manager on 20 Dec 2018
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Magic Touch (UK Chart Top 100 - No. 43)
Soul - Released by Music Manager on 20 Dec 2018
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Live in Concert
Disco - Released by Music Manager on 16 Sep 2019
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Funky Night
Miscellaneous - Released by SendClassic on 15 Jun 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo