UB Soul Friday: Celebrating The Impact of Full Force

This weeks “UB Soul Friday” spotlight’s a group producers, writers, singers, performers, actors, and hitmakers; Full Force.

Spotlighting artists, albums, singles and videos that left a mark in R&B and Soul music!

When it comes to the elevation of 80s music, one group that has to be mentioned in the conversation is Full Force.

Their production and distinctive sound was a cohesive glue that kept them arranging hit after hit, for themselves and a host of others.

As the original hip-hop vocal band, the Brooklyn-based group has 20 charted singles and best selling albums.

Full Force were one of the first black bands to play New York‘s legendary Danceteria.

Full Force has provided hits; from the group with the first Latin hip-hop diva, Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam to the legendary James Brown and ’90s global superstars Backstreet Boys and *N’Sync.

Full Force truly exploded onto the scene with the iconic track “I Wonder If I Take You Home,” released under Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam. The song and debut album celebrates it’s 40th Anniversary this year.

Other artists on their impressive list includes; Selena, Patti LaBelle, U.T.F.O., Samantha Fox, Monifah, Bob Dylan, Jasmine Guy, Teddy Riley, Ex Girlfriend, Cheryl Pepsii Riley and 3LW.

“Roxanne, Roxanne,” recorded by Select Records rap group UTFO was and produced by Full Force, and was one of 1984‘s hottest street records, zooming up the Billboard Black Top 20, after only six weeks on the chart and sales of $260,000 12inch singles.

According to Paul Anthony and Lou George at the time, the funny rap record was based on experiences Full Force and UTFO members had as unsuccessful suitors. “We all knew girls who were attractive but didn’t want to talk to us,” Paul stated. “Our other brother B-Fine George came up with the idea that it could be a rap that kids could relate to everyday experience. A lot of rap is political; a lot of rap is egotistical. Our original idea was to call the track ‘High On Life,’ in a more political rap style.”

Full Force had took the track, a mix of UTFO‘s nursery rhyme rapping and their vocal harmonies on the hook, to Select Records, selling “Roxanne, Roxanne” and another track, “Hangin’ Out,” via their Full Force Productions imprint. “We all thought ‘Hangin’ Out’ was the cut,” stated Lou to Billboard at the time, “but ‘Roxanne, Roxanne’ exploded.”

The name Roxanne become part of urban slang, used by teenage males to describe girls who refuse to converse with them.

Philadelphia’s Pop Art label, picking up on the original’s grass-roots impact, released the answer record, “Roxanne’s Revenge” by Roxanne Shante. That single dented the charts in the 80s.

Shante‘s rap was recorded over the original Full Force track, which led Select Records and Pop Art to negotiate an agreement where all future copies of “Roxanne’s Revenge” would feature a different track. In response to “Roxanne’s Revenge,” New York’s Nia Records released “Sparkie’s Turn” by Sparkie Dee, an answer record that defends UTFO.

For their part, Full Force produced its own answer record, “The Real Roxanne,” by The Real Roxanne. “We heard reports that people are planning ‘Roxanne’s Mother’ and ‘Roxanne’s Revenge Revenge’ records,” Paul jokingly stated to Billboard.

Full Force‘s support system started early on with the George Brothers of Full Force getting their start with their father, Lucien George, Sr., and uncle Cito, who took them to the Apollo Theater Amateur show.

Born and raised in a family that cherished creativity, each member found inspiration in their surroundings, which fostered a rich atmosphere for artistic exploration. Music was not just a pastime; it was a way of life.

Earth, Wind & Fire, Michael Jackson, and Prince were their influences, artists that shaped their understanding of rhythm, melody, and performance. The blend of soulful vocals and funky grooves can be seen in their own work, showcasing their deep homage.

They performed as a group called The Amplifiers, winning 1st prize 4 weeks in a row. The parents of the Full Force members all carried very strong parental support as they encouraged the talented group.

It was Bowlegged Lou’s college buddy and former group manager Steve Salem, who gave Full Force the idea to start producing.

Never wanting to produce for anyone but Full Force, Steve took Lou aside and explained that producing would be a way to grab the attention of the recording industry, who were, at that time overlooking Full Force.

If Full Force were successful in producing other artists, the recording industry’s attention would be on Full Force, the artists. And needless to say, he was right.

Shows with the likes of Stevie Wonder, The Temptations and The Whispers were a prelude to Full Force‘s explosion onto the recording scene.

The group secured its own recording deal with Columbia Records and quickly became chart-makers in their own right, nationally and internationally, providing audiences with a dynamic ‘live‘ show that displays their entertaining personalities, comedic antics, buff bodies and dope music.

One of the group’s early chart breakthroughs came with “Alice, I Just Want You For Me,” as Bowlegged Lou noted, “We were one of the first groups to incorporate hip-hop loops onto R&B-flavored tracks and we got a reputation for blending hip-hop and R&B early on.”

It wasn’t long before the group was adding its special touch to a slew of hit records and by the end of the ‘80s, Full Force had contributed to 7 gold albums, 4 platinum albums and 8 gold and platinum singles, with a cumulative total of over 16 million sales.

Not content with simply making great music, the group ventured into the business side of the entertainment world.

As the ’80s turned into the ’90s, Full Force switched its focus as recording artists to working with then-fledgling newly-signed pop acts.

“Honestly, we had a time when some people in the business started showing signs of amnesia,” Lou stated. “We had some folks closing doors on us but fortunately, we started doing stuff with artists like Britney, Backstreet Boys and N’Sync and having major hits on them. It was interesting to see how people starting coming back around when we had all those pop multi-million sellers….”

Artist Enhancement Group (AEG), a division Full Force, is geared to the development and enhancement of an artist’s presentation, whether the artist is a veteran or a beginner.

Full Force member B-Fine states that regardless of the genre (rap, jazz, rock, reggae, classical, blues, etc.) when an act is publicly presented “they should not look poorly prepared or inferior.”

Not to be overlooked, the George brothers, Bowlegged Lou, Paul Anthony & B-Fine, were featured in a number of film projects.

Most notable, was their roles as the three scene-stealing bullies in the comedic cult classic “House Party” movies starring Kid ‘N Play.

The film celebrated in 35th Anniversary last month, originally released March 9th, 1990.

Take A Trip Down Memory Lane on UB Soul Friday with Full Force!