- Skyy (band)
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Skyy Origin New York, United States Genres R&B, funk, boogie Labels SalSoul, Capitol, Atlantic Past members Randy Muller
Solomon Roberts, Jr.
Denise Dunning
Delores Dunning
Bonne DunningSkyy (a.k.a New York Skyy) was an American R&B/funk/disco band based in New York. They are perhaps best known for their 1982 hit, "Call Me," as well as their 1989 "comeback" hits, "Start of a Romance" and "Real Love."
Contents
Career
The seeds for Skyy were sown in Brooklyn, New York in 1973, when sisters Denise, Delores, and Bonne Dunning first met musician Solomon Roberts, Jr. The record producer/keyboardist Randy Muller (who was also a member Brass Construction and an arranger for B.T. Express) soon became involved with the project. By 1976, the Skyy lineup of the three Dunning sisters as vocalists, Roberts as the male vocalist/guitarist, Anibal Anthony Sierra on guitars and keyboards, Larry Greenberg on keyboards, Gerald Lebon on bass, and Tommy McConnell on drums had solidified.
In the late 1970s, Skyy signed to Salsoul Records. After several albums that saw moderate success in the R&B market, the group crossed over to the mainstream in a big way with the release of the Skyy Line album in late 1981. Featured on this album was the single "Call Me," which gave the group their first (and only, to date) top 40 hit on the pop charts, peaking at #26 in 1982. It also became the first of several #1 R&B hits for Skyy. Meanwhile, the group continued to record for the Salsoul label up through the release of their 1984 Inner City album (Salsoul would fold in 1985), scoring several additional hits on the R&B chart during that time.
In the mid-1980s, the group signed with Capitol Records and released their next album, From the Left Side in 1986. Apart from the top ten R&B single, "Givin' It (to You)," the album saw limited success, and the group left Capitol soon thereafter.
Things were looking rather bleak for the band by the late 1980s. However, after signing to Atlantic Records, Skyy launched a major comeback in 1989 with the release of their successful Start of a Romance album. This release spun off two #1 R&B singles, with both the title track ("Start of a Romance") and the Quiet Storm classic, "Real Love" claiming the top spot. "Real Love" also became the group's second and final crossover pop hit peaking at #47 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in early 1990. The second single released from the album (between the title track and "Real Love"), "Love All the Way" also cracked the R&B top 50. By the release of the Nearer to You album in 1992, the hits had again dried up, and the band has not released a new studio album since then.
Discography
Studio albums
Year Album Chart positions[1] US
certifications[2]Record label US US
R&BUK[3] 1979 Skyy 117 40 — — Salsoul 1980 Skyway 61 17 — — Skyyport 85 16 — — 1981 Skyy Line 18 1 — Gold 1982 Skyyjammer 81 22 — — 1983 Skyylight 183 44 — — 1984 Inner City — — — — 1986 From the Left Side — 33 85 — Capitol 1989 Start of a Romance 155 16 — — Atlantic 1992 Nearer to You — 52 — — "—" denotes the album failed to chart or was not certified Compilation albums
Year Album Chart positions US
certificationsRecord label US US
R&BUK 1982 Skyy Flyy — — — — Salsoul 1984 Skyy High — — — — Rams Horn Records 1987 New York Skyy - Greatest Hits — — — — Street Sounds 1995 Best Of Skyy — — — — ZYX 1996 Greatest Hits — — — — Capitol 1998 Greatest Hits — — — — Unidisc 1999 The Best Of Skyy — — — — Charly 2003 The Best — — — — Toshiba EMI 2006 The Anthology — — — — Salsoul "—" denotes the album failed to chart or was not certified Singles
Year Single Chart positions[4] Album US US
R&BUS
DanceUK[5] 1979 "First Time Around" — 20 50 — Skyy "Let's Turn It On" — 65 — — 1980 "High" 102 13 26 — Skyway "Skyyzoo" — 32 41 — "Here's to You" — 23 24 — Skyyport 1981 "Superlove" — 31 — — "Call Me" 26 1 3 — Skyy Line 1982 "Let's Celebrate" — 16 67 "When You Touch Me" — 43 — "Movin' Violation" — 26 — — Skyyjammer 1983 "Let Love Shine" — 39 41 — "Bad Boy" — 33 — — Skyylight "Show Me the Way" — 35 10 97 1984 "Dancin' to Be Dancin'" — 49 — — Inner City 1986 "Givin' It (To You)" — 8 42 83 From the Left Side 1989 "Start of a Romance" — 1 41 — Start of a Romance "Love All the Way" — 47 — — "Real Love" 47 1 — — 1992 "Up and Over (Stronger and Better)" — 16 — — Nearer to You "Nearer to You" — 73 — — "—" denotes the single failed to chart References
- Dewhirst, Ian. Liner notes from The Anthology (Salsa CD 030), 2006.
- ^ "Skyy US albums chart history". allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p20578. Retrieved 2010-05-25.
- ^ "Skyy US certification history". riaa.com. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS&artist=Skyy&format=Album&go=Search&perPage=25. Retrieved 2010-05-25.
- ^ "Skyy UK albums chart history". chartstats.com. http://www.chartstats.com/artistinfo.php?id=11913. Retrieved 2010-05-25.
- ^ "Skyy US singles chart history". allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p20578. Retrieved 2010-05-25.
- ^ "Skyy UK singles chart history". chartstats.com. http://www.chartstats.com/artistinfo.php?id=3549. Retrieved 2010-05-25.
External links
Categories:- American rhythm and blues musical groups
- American funk musical groups
- American dance music groups
- Boogie musicians
- Salsoul Records artists
- Musical groups from New York
- Musical groups established in 1976
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