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 Dunning |
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Skyy (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."
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[edit] 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.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Studio albums
| Year | Album | Chart positions[1] | US certifications[2] |
Record label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B |
UK[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 | ||||||
[edit] Compilation albums
| Year | Album | Chart positions | US certifications |
Record label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B |
UK | ||||
| 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 | ||||||
[edit] Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions[4] | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B |
US Dance |
UK[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 | ||||||
[edit] 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.
