A Lighter Shade of Brown
A Lighter Shade of Brown | |
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | LSOB |
| Origin | Riverside, California, United States |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Years active | 1987-2001, 2009–2016 |
| Labels | Quality, Mercury, Thump |
| Members |
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| Past members |
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| Website | www |
A Lighter Shade of Brown (LSOB) was an American hip hop duo from Riverside, California best known for their 1990 hit single "On a Sunday Afternoon", a success in the U.S., written by songwriters and musicians David Dunson and Micah Carson.
History
LSOB was formed in 1989 by One Dope Mexican (Robert Gutierrez) and Don't Try To Xerox (Bobby Ramirez).[1] They recorded demos and landed a record deal soon after with small independent label Pump. Their debut album, 1990's Brown and Proud, brought the group their lone Top 40 single in the U.S. with "On A Sunday Afternoon," which contained samples of The Young Rascals' 1967 hit "Groovin' " and Tommy James and the Shondells' 1969 hit "Crystal Blue Persuasion", and peaked at #39 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song also went to #1 for 2 weeks in New Zealand.
The duo provided songs for Latino-market movies such as Mi Vida Loca and I Like It Like That following the release of their second LP, 1992's Hip Hop Locos, which failed to chart. The success of "Sunday Afternoon" nonetheless resulted in Mercury Records signing the group and releasing their third disc, Layin' in the Cut, in 1994. The record did not sell as well as was hoped, peaking at #184 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.
LSOB went on a temporary hiatus,[1] returning in 1997 on indie with Danny "Dice" and Eric "Bajo" Thump Records. Their self-titled fourth album featured guest appearances from Rappin' 4-Tay and Dwayne Wiggins of Tony! Toni! Toné!.
1999 marked the last of their releases, including a greatest hits album and a non-charting single, "Sunny Day." That year, Gutierrez became a DJ at San Bernardino radio station KGGI and Bobby carried on touring as LSOB and working on new music. A decade later, on October 18, 2011, the album It's A Wrap was released through Illuminated Entertainment Group. The album was produced by Playalitical. Ramirez is the only one out of the group that raps on it, as sort of a one-man Lighter Shade of Brown. The album's radio single "Call Me Over" was produced by Fingazz and featured Playalitical and Zig Zag of the NB Ridaz. A music video was also filmed and released for the song.
On July 18, 2016, Don't Try To Xerox died after being in a coma for 11 days.[2]
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Release | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US [3] |
US R&B [3] | ||
| Brown & Proud | 184 | — | |
| Hip Hop Locos |
|
— | 87 |
| Layin' in the Cut |
|
169 | 54 |
| A Lighter Shade of Brown |
|
— | — |
| If You Could See Inside Me |
|
— | — |
| It's a Wrap |
|
— | — |
Compilation albums
- Greatest Hits (1999)
Singles
| Title | Release | Peak chart positions | Album | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [4] |
US R&B [5] |
US Rap |
US Dance [6] |
AUS [7] |
NZ [8] |
NED [9] |
UK [10] | |||
| "T.J. Nights" (US only) | 1990 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Brown & Proud |
| "Latin Active" | 1991 | 59 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "On a Sunday Afternoon" (featuring Shiro and Huggy Boy) | 39 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 49 | — | ||
| "T.J. Nights" (AUS/NZ only) | 1992 | — | — | — | — | — | 36 | — | — | |
| "Spill the Rhyme" | — | — | — | — | 90 | 47 | — | — | Hip Hop Locos | |
| "Homies" | 57 | 54 | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Check It Out / Latin Active" | 1993 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Hey DJ" | 1994 | 43 | 67 | 18 | 32 | 12 | 33 | — | 33 | Layin' in the Cut |
| "If You Wanna Groove" (feat. Aulsondro Emcee N.I.C.E. Hamilton) | 7[11] | — | 45 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Dip Into My Ride" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Call Me Over" (feat Playalitical & Zig Zag of NB Ridaz)" | 2011 | — | 61 | — | 20 | — | — | — | — | It's a Wrap |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||
References
- ^ a b Biography, Allmusic.com
- ^ http://www.tmz.com/2016/07/18/dttx-a-lighter-shade-of-brown-bobby-ramirez-dead/
- ^ a b Billboard, Allmusic.com
- ^ "A Lighter Shade of Brown - US Hot 100 Chart". billboard.com. Retrieved 2014-07-06.
- ^ "A Lighter Shade of Brown - US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart". billboard.com. Retrieved 2014-07-06.
- ^ "A Lighter Shade of Brown - US Dance Club Songs Chart". billboard.com. Retrieved 2014-07-06.
- ^ Australian (ARIA) peaks:
- "Hey DJ": "Discography A Lighter Shade Of Brown". australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2019-06-24.
- "Spill the Rhyme": Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 165.
- ^ "L.S.O.B. IN NEW ZEALAND CHARTS". charts.nz. Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
- ^ "A Lighter Shade of Brown - Dutch Chart". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 2014-07-06.
- ^ "The Official Charts Company - A Lighter Shade of Brown". The Official Charts Company. 6 July 2014.
- ^ "A Lighter Shade of Brown - US Hot 100 Chart". billboard.com. Retrieved 2020-07-05.
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| National | |
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