Hamilton Bohannon
Hamilton Bohannon | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Hamilton Frederick Bohannon |
| Also known as | Bohannon |
| Born | March 7, 1942 Newnan, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | April 24, 2020 (aged 78) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Genres | [1] |
| Occupation(s) | |
| Instrument(s) | |
| Years active | 1964–1990 |
| Labels | Motown Dakar/Brunswick Records Mercury Records |
Hamilton Frederick Bohannon (March 7, 1942 – April 24, 2020),band leader, songwriter, arranger, and record producer, who was one of the leading figures in 1970s funk and disco music.[3] He worked with Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, the Temptations, Wah Wah Watson, Ray Parker Jr., the Counts and Carolyn Crawford.
Life and career
He was born in
When Motown moved from Detroit to
UK Singles Chart. This was followed up in 1975 by "Foot Stompin Music" – his only record to reach the US Billboard Hot 100 – and "Disco Stomp", his biggest hit in the UK where it reached number 6, and was later cited by Johnny Marr as a major influence on the Smiths’ song “How Soon Is Now?”[7][8]
In 1976, Bohannon signed with
R&B chart[7] and no. 7 on the disco chart.[9] "Let's Start the Dance" featured singer Carolyn Crawford, whose subsequent albums Bohannon went on to produce. In 1981, a new mix of "Let's Start the Dance" was successful on the dance chart.[3] In 1980, he established Phase II Records,[6] and continued to have minor hits on the R&B chart for the next three years, using new vocalists Liz Lands and Altrinna Grayson.[7] He signed with MCA Records in 1984 and released several more albums.[3] His last album, It's Time to Jam, was issued on the South Bound label in 1990.[6]
Much of his music has been widely
Jay Z, Digable Planets, and Snoop Dogg. His name was also repeatedly invoked in the Tom Tom Club song "Genius of Love." His composition "Ooh!" was included on Mary J. Blige's album Love & Life in 2003.[4]
In later years Bohannon produced a new singer, Governor, on Atlantic Records, as well as working on material with his son, Hamilton Bohannon II, and publishing an audiobook memoir of his early years in the music business, Bohannon Speaks from the Beginning.[4][6]
Bohannon was a devout Christian[4] and dedicated his album Dance Your Ass Off to "God, my master, savior and Jesus Christ". The album also included a disclaimer that "Dance Your Ass Off is not used in the sense of profanity."
In 2017, Peachtree Street in Newnan was renamed Bohannon Drive by the city council in his honor.[10]
He died on April 24, 2020, at his home in Atlanta at the age of 78.[2][11]
Discography
Studio albums
| Label | Year | Title | Catalog # | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Pop [12] |
US R&B [12] |
CAN [13] | ||||
| Dakar Records | 1973 | Stop & Go | DK 76903 | — | — | — |
| 1974 | Keep On Dancin' | DK 76910 | — | 49 | — | |
| 1975 | Insides Out | DK 76916 | — | 28 | — | |
| Bohannon | DK 76917 | — | 21 | — | ||
| 1976 | Dance Your Ass Off | DK 76919 | — | 47 | — | |
| Gittin' Off | DK 76921 | — | — | — | ||
| Mercury Records | 1977 | Phase II | SRM-1-1159 | — | 46 | — |
| 1978 | On My Way | SRM-1-3710 | — | — | — | |
| Summertime Groove | SRM-1-3728 | 58 | 14 | 2 | ||
| 1979 | Cut Loose | SRM-1-3762 | — | 34 | — | |
| Too Hot to Hold | SRM-1-3778 | — | — | — | ||
| 1980 | Music in the Air | SRM-1-3813 | — | 72 | — | |
| Phase II Records | 1980 | One Step Ahead | JW 36867 | — | — | — |
| 1981 | Going for Another One | JW 37076 | — | — | — | |
| Alive | JW 37699 | — | — | — | ||
| 1982 | Bohannon Fever | JW 38113 | — | — | — | |
| Compleat Records | 1983 | Make Your Body Move | CPL-1-1003 | — | — | — |
| The Bohanon Drive | CPL-1-1005 | — | — | — | ||
| MCA Records | 1989 | Here Comes Bohannon | MCA 42310 | — | — | — |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||||||
Compilation albums
| Label | Year | Title | Catalog # |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southbound | 1990 | It's Time to Jam | SEW 033 |
Alternate name album releases
| Label | Year | Title | Catalog # | Original title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brunswick Records | 1974 | South African Man | 640 050 | Keep On Dancin' |
| 1975 | The Mighty Bohannon | 840 073 | Bohannon |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Pop [14] |
US R&B [7] |
CAN D.U. [15] |
UK
[8] | ||
| 1973 | "Stop & Go" | — | — | — | — |
| 1974 | "South African Man" | — | 78 | — | 22 |
| 1975 | "Foot Stompin Music" | 98 | 39 | — | 23 |
| "Disco Stomp" | — | 62 | — | 6 | |
| "Happy Feeling" | — | — | — | 49 | |
| 1976 | "Bohannon's Beat" | — | 65 | — | 58[A] |
| 1977 | "Bohannon Disco Symphony" | — | 67 | — | — |
| 1978 | "Let's Start the Dance" | 101 | 9 | 1 | 56 |
| 1979 | "Me and the Gang" | — | 82 | — | — |
| "Cut Loose" | — | 43 | — | — | |
| "The Groove Machine" | — | 60 | — | — | |
| 1980 | "Baby I'm for Real" | — | 54 | — | — |
| "Throw Down the Groove" | — | 59 | — | — | |
| "Dance, Dance, Dance All Night" | — | 76 | — | — | |
| 1981 | "Don't Be Ashame to Call My Name" | — | 54 | — | — |
| "Goin' for Another One" | — | 91 | — | — | |
| "Let's Start II Dance Again" feat. Dr. Perri Johnson |
— | 41 | — | 49 | |
| 1982 | "I've Got the Dance Fever" | — | 72 | — | — |
| "The Party Train" | — | 69 | — | — | |
| 1983 | "Make Your Body Move" | — | 63 | — | — |
| "Wake Up" | — | 87 | — | — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | |||||
References
- ^ Chart position is from the official UK "Breakers List".
- ^ Hamilton Bohhanon the guardian.com. Retrieved 8 February 2023
- ^ a b Neely, Clay. "Music legend Bohannon passes". Newnan Times-Herald. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e Wynn, Ron. "Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e "Official biography at HNA Records". Archived from the original on April 5, 2009. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
- ^ a b Smallwood, David E. (January 26, 1978). "Bohannon emerges as disco heavyweight". Jet. pp. 62 & 65. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
- ^ a b c d "Biography". Soulwalking.com. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
- ^ ISBN 0-89820-115-2.
- ^ ISBN 0-00-717931-6.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Record Research. p. 38.
- ^ "Peachtree Street becomes Hamilton Bohannon Drive this week". Newnan Times-Herald. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
- ^ Daniel E., Slotnik (May 2, 2020). "Hamilton Bohannon, Driving Disco Drummer, Dies at 78". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 3, 2020. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
- ^ a b "Hamilton Bohannon - Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on April 22, 2016. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
- ^ "RPM Top 15 Dance Albums - September 23, 1978" (PDF).
- ISBN 0-89820-155-1.
- ^ "RPM Disco 30 - October 28, 1978" (PDF).
External links
- Hamilton Bohannon discography at Discogs
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