The Trammps
The Trammps were an American disco and soul band, who were based in Philadelphia and were one of the first disco bands.
The Trammps | |
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1972–present |
| Labels | Golden Fleece Records Atlantic Records Buddah Records Philadelphia International Records |
| Website | Official website |
| Past members | Ronnie Baker (deceased) Ed Cermanski John Davis Dave Dixon Jimmy Ellis (deceased) Dennis Harris Norman Harris (deceased) John Hart (deceased) Reuben Henderson Rusty Jackmon Fred Joiner Gene "Faith" Jones Steve Kelly Ron Kersey (deceased) Roger Stevens (deceased) Michael Thompson Robert Upchurch Harold "Doc" Wade Stanley Wade Harold Watkins Priestly Williams Earl Young |
The band's first major success was with their 1972 cover version of "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart". The first disco track they released was "Love Epidemic" in 1973. However, they are best known for their Grammy winning song, "Disco Inferno", originally released in 1976, becoming a UK pop hit and US R&B hit. After inclusion in the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, the song was re-released in 1978 and became a US pop hit.
History
From early 1970s to the dissolution in the early 1990s
The history of the Trammps grew from the 1960s group The Volcanos, who later became The Moods.[1] With a number of line-up changes by the early 1970s, the band membership included gospel-influenced lead singer Jimmy Ellis, drummer and singer (bass voice) Earl Young, with brothers Stanley and Harold 'Doc' Wade. Members of the Philadelphia recording band MFSB played with the group on records and on tour in the 1970s with singer Robert Upchurch joining later. The group was produced by the Philadelphia team of Ronnie Baker, Norman Harris and Young, all MFSB mainstays who played on the recording sessions and contributed songs.
Their debut chart entry came via an upbeat cover version of the standard "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart", featuring Young's bass voice, which became a Top 20 US R&B chart hit in 1972.[1][2]
Their first few recordings were released on Buddah Records, including "Hold Back The Night" which was a hit on the Billboard R&B chart in 1973, before a re-release saw it climb the UK two years later. Several R&B hits followed during a stay with Philadelphia International subsidiary, Golden Fleece (run by Baker-Harris-Young) before they signed to Atlantic Records.
Their single "Disco Inferno" (1976), which was included on the Grammy Award-winning Saturday Night Fever: The Original Movie Sound Track in 1977,[3] reached No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in May 1978.[4]
— Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981)[5]
Other major hits included "Hold Back the Night" (1975) (UK No. 5[6]) and "That's Where the Happy People Go" (1976). In late 1977, the Trammps released the song "The Night the Lights Went Out" to commemorate the electrical blackout that affected New York City on July 13–14, 1977.
Their signature song "Disco Inferno" has been covered by Tina Turner and Cyndi Lauper. In addition, Graham Parker covered "Hold Back The Night" on "The Pink Parker EP" in 1977, and reached No. 20 in the UK Singles Chart,[7] and Top 60 in the US.
Aftermath
On September 19, 2005, the group's "Disco Inferno" was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame at a ceremony held in New York. The song was part-written by Ron Kersey, a producer-arranger and a member of MFSB, who also played with Trammps in the 1970s for a time. During the ceremony, the original band members performed together for the first time in 25 years. Disco Inferno has also had a resurgence and has garnered new fans with the 2016 presidential political campaign of Bernie Sanders in the USA due to the song's refrain of burn, baby, burn (slightly altered to "Bern, baby, Bern").
Two versions of the group, with differing line-ups, currently tour the nostalgia circuit.[8]
On March 8, 2012, lead singer Jimmy Ellis died at a nursing home in Rock Hill, South Carolina (where he was born on November 15, 1937), at the age of 74. The cause of death was not immediately known but he suffered from Alzheimer's disease.[2]
Earl Young's Trammps still continue to record and as of August 2014 have recently released "Get Your Lovin While You Can" written by the Steals brothers renowned for their Philly hits such as "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love" for The Detroit Spinners.
The music journalist Ron Wynn noted: "the Trammps' prowess can't be measured by chart popularity; Ellis' booming, joyous vocals brilliantly championed the celebratory fervor and atmosphere that made disco both loved and hated among music fans."[1]
On June 30, 2019, the Trammps appeared on HBO's Big Little Lies, Season 2, episode 4 entitled "She Knows".
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Record label | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [9] |
US R&B [9] |
AUS [10] |
CAN [11] |
SWE [12] | ||||||||||
| 1975 | The Legendary Zing Album | — | — | — | — | — | Buddah | |||||||
| Trammps | 159 | 30 | — | — | — | Golden Fleece | ||||||||
| 1976 | Where the Happy People Go | 50 | 13 | — | 65 | 42 | Atlantic | |||||||
| Disco Inferno | 46 | 16 | 65 | — | 27 | |||||||||
| 1977 | The Trammps III | 85 | 27 | — | 64 | — | ||||||||
| 1979 | The Whole World's Dancing | 184 | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| 1980 | Mixin' It Up | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Slipping Out | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||
| 1984 | This One Is for the Party | — | — | — | — | — | Injection | |||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
Compilation albums
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Record label | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [9] |
US R&B [9] |
NLD [14] | ||||||||||||
| 1975 | The Best of the Trammps featuring: MFSB & The Three Degrees | — | — | 14 | Philadelphia International | |||||||||
| 1976 | The Best of the Trammps | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| 1977 | Disco Champs | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| 1978 | The Best of the Trammps | 139 | 57 | 49 | Atlantic | |||||||||
| 1991 | The Collection | — | — | 42 | Arcade | |||||||||
| 1992 | Golden Classics | — | — | — | Collectables | |||||||||
| 1994 | This Is Where the Happy People Go: The Best of the Trammps | — | — | — | Rhino | |||||||||
| 2001 | All The Hits & the "Disco Inferno" | — | — | — | Goldenlane | |||||||||
| 2012 | The Definitive Collection | — | — | — | Music Club Deluxe/Rhino | |||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
Singles
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [9] |
US R&B [9] |
US Dan [9] |
AUS [10] |
CAN [11] |
IRE [15] |
NLD [14] |
NZ [16] |
UK [17] | ||||||
| 1972 | "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart" | 64 | 17 | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | 29 | The Legendary Zing Album | |||
| "Sixty Minute Man" | 108 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 40 | |||||
| 1973 | "Pray All You Sinners" | — | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "Love Epidemic" | — | 75 | — | — | — | — | 11 | — | — | Trammps | ||||
| 1974 | "Where Do We Go from Here" | — | 44 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "Trusting Heart" | 101 | 72 | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 1975 | "Shout" | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | ||||
| "Stop and Think" | — | — | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Save a Place" | — | — | — | — | — | — | 36 | — | — | |||||
| "Hooked for Life" | — | 70 | 6 | — | — | — | 28 | — | — | Where the Happy People Go | ||||
| "Hold Back the Night" | 35 | 10 | — | — | — | — | 11 | 29 | 5 | The Legendary Zing Album | ||||
| 1976 | "That's Where the Happy People Go" | 27 | 12 | 1 | — | 56 | — | — | — | 35 | Where the Happy People Go | |||
| "Disco Party" | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Soul Searchin' Time" | — | 67 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 42 | |||||
| "Ninety-Nine and a Half" | 105 | 76 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Disco Inferno" | 53 | 9 | 1 | — | 70 | — | — | — | 16 | Disco Inferno | ||||
| "Starvin'" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "Body Contact Contract" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1977 | "I Feel Like I've Been Livin' (On the Dark Side of the Moon)" | 105 | 52 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "The Night the Lights Went Out" | 104 | 80 | 6 | — | — | — | 10 | — | — | The Trammps III | ||||
| 1978 | "Disco Inferno" (re-release) | 11 | — | — | 32 | 6 | — | — | 13 | — | Disco Inferno | |||
| "Seasons for the Girls" | — | 50 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Trammps III | ||||
| "Soul Bones" | — | 91 | 31 | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Whole World's Dancing | ||||
| 1979 | "Teaser" | — | — | 75 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1980 | "Hard Rock and Disco" | — | — | 76 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Mixin' It Up | |||
| "Music Freek" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Looking for You" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Slipping Out | ||||
| 1981 | "Breathtaking View" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1983 | "Up on the Hill (Mt. U)" | — | 79 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N/A | |||
| 1984 | "Move" | — | — | — | — | — | — | 37 | — | — | This One Is for the Party | |||
| "Twenty-Five Miles" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "I Will Be Here for You" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 1986 | "Let's Go Crazy" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N/A | |||
| 1992 | "Hold Back the Night" (with KWS) | — | — | — | — | — | 20 | — | — | 30 | KWS | |||
| 1997 | "Mighty High" (with Gloria Gaynor) | — | — | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Answer | |||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
Band members
- Ronnie Baker (1947–1990) - bass, vocals
- Ed Cermanski - keyboards
- John Davis - saxophone
- Jimmy Ellis (1937–2012)[18] - lead vocals
- Dennis Harris - guitar
- Norman Harris (1947–1987) - guitar, vocals
- John Hart (1941–2008)[19] - organ
- Reuben Henderson - saxophone
- Rusty Jackmon - bass
- Fred Joiner - trombone
- Gene Jones (a.k.a. Gene Faith) - original lead vocalist
- Steve Kelly - vocals
- Ron Kersey b. Tyrone G. Kersey (1945–2005) - keyboards
- Barrington McDonald (1942–2007) - guitar
- Cubby St Charles - vocals
- Roger Stevens - trumpet
- Michael Thompson - drums (stopped 1995)
- Robert Upchurch - vocals
- Harold "Doc" Wade - guitar, vocals
- Stanley Wade - bass, vocals
- Harold Watkins - trombone
- Priestly Williams - trumpet
- Earl Young (b. 1940) - drums, vocals
Later members
- Jerry Collins - vocals
- Jimmy Williams - lead vocals[20]
- Van Fields - vocals
- Lafayette Gamble - vocals
- Michael Natalini - drums 1995 to present
Stan & Doc Wade & Robert Upchurch Trammps (original) the now touring group
- Ed Cermanski - keyboards
- Harold "Doc" Wade - vocals
- Robert Upchurch - vocals
- Fred Vesci - keyboards
- Lafayette Gamble - vocals
- David Nobles - vocals
- Van Fields - vocals
- Mike Natalini - drums 1985–present
- Rusty Stone - bass
- David Rue - guitar
- Dennis Harris - guitar
- "Don't Mess With Bill" Hosbach, Jr. - Trumpet
- George Bussey - saxophone
- Carmen Tornambe - Trumpet
See also
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
- Ron Kersey, a one-time band member and songwriter
- "Hate It or Love It", a single by The Game sampling "Rubber Band"
References
- "Biography by Ron Wynn". Allmusic.com. Retrieved February 23, 2011.
- Dys, Andrew (March 8, 2012). "'Disco Inferno' singer Jimmy Ellis of Rock Hill dies at 74". The Herald. Rock Hill, SC. Retrieved March 9, 2012.
- Allmusic.com / Grammy Awards
- "Charts & Awards / Billboard Singles". Allmusic.com. Retrieved February 23, 2011.
- Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: T". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 16, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 564. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 417. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- Biography at Soultracks.com - accessed February 2011
- "US Charts > The Trammps". Billboard. Retrieved 2015-03-03.
- David Kent (1993). Australian Charts Book 1970—1992. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- "CAN Charts > The Trammps". RPM. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-03.
- "SWE Charts > The Trammps". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 2015-03-03.
- "US Certifications > The Trammps". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2015-03-03.
- "NLD Charts > The Trammps". MegaCharts. Retrieved 2014-08-08.
- "IRE Charts Search > The Trammps". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 2012-05-05.
- "NZ Charts > The Trammps". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved 2012-05-05.
- "UK Charts > The Trammps". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2015-03-03.
- "Jimmy Ellis Dies at 74; Lead Singer in Dance Band Trammps". www.nytimes.com. March 8, 2012. Retrieved March 9, 2012.
- article.wn.com John Hart Jr., 67, an original Trammp
- Lyrics Vault Trammps
External links
- Official website
- Trammps Biography
- The Trammps Fan Page
- The Trammps Live in Europe
- Trammps page on Soulwalking website
- Soulful Kinda Music, Trammps Discography
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