Chapter 8 (band)

Chapter 8
Chapter 8
Origin	Detroit, Michigan
Genres	Detroit soul
Years active	1970s-1980s
Labels	Ariola; Beverly Glen; Capitol
Members	Derek Dirckson; Michael J.Powell; Gerald Lyles; David Washington; Van Cephus; Gary Bubash; Courtlen Hale; Scott Guthre; Alan Nance; Valerie Pinkston
Past members	Anita Baker; Vernon Fails; Martin V. Stuart

Chapter 8 was a Detroit soul group of the 1970s and 1980s formed by Derek Dirckson, Michael J. Powell and David Washington. Anita Baker was featured as lead vocalist on their first, self-titled album on Ariola in 1979, produced by Michael and Derek. ^{[citation needed]}

History edit

The group was started in Detroit in the late 1970s. Derek Dirckson became the band leader after James Mitchell asked Derek to play drums with Chapter 8, who were at the time the backup Band for the Detroit Emeralds. In 1979, Dirckson and Michael J. Powell produced the first album expanding the groups roster to include Anita Baker, Gerald Lyles, David Washington, Van Cephus, Courtlen Hale, Scott Guthre, and Allen Nance. In 1985, Valerie Pinkston replaced Baker as the lead vocalist and was featured on "This Love's For Real"^{[citation needed]}

As Chapter 8 was the launching pad for Baker, so was it for Michael J. Powell who went on to produce Baker's "Rapture", "Giving You The Best That I Got", and "Compositions" albums. Many of the Chapter 8 group members can be found performing on these 1980s recording masterpieces.^{[citation needed]}

Ariola was merged with the Bertelsmann Music Group (the same company that owned Arista Records, the longtime home of Baker's main rival Whitney Houston) in 1987, and Baker would end a ten-year hiatus in 2004, when she released "My Everything" under Capitol's Blue Note Records sub-label.^{[citation needed]}

Derek Dirckson went on to discover, manage and produce, Fred Hammond, Commissioned, The Winans, John P. Kee, Mary, Mary, and the great gospel plays, "Momma Don't", "Wicked", "Come Out of The Rain", and many more. In 1999, Dirckson opened the Blackstage Pass Recording Studio in Detroit, Michigan. Dirckson recorded his first solo CD entitled "Dirckson". The CD features Evangelist Ella Worthington and Minister Noah I. Brown on lead vocals.^{[citation needed]}

Discography edit

Extended plays edit

1979: Chapter 8 (EP, Ariola)^[1]
1985: This Love's For Real (Beverly Glen Records)
1988: Forever (Capitol Records)

References edit

^ David Nathan The Soulful Divas: Personal Portraits of Over a Dozen Divine Divas New York: Billboard Books, 1999. p.348 "The group's first self-titled album hit the streets in the fall of 1979 and yielded two R&B chart singles, "Ready for Your Love" and "l Just Want to Be Your Girl." Even though "l Just Want to Be Your Girl" did poorly on the charts at the time, the tune would go on to become something of a classic among R&B music collectors. Certainly, the song gave listeners a first real taste of Anita's sultry, velvet-toned, smoky alto sound even though it didn't exactly set the world on fire in terms of airplay or sales. "

[1] David Nathan The Soulful Divas: Personal Portraits of Over a Dozen Divine Divas New York: Billboard Books, 1999. p.348 "The group's first self-titled album hit the streets in the fall of 1979 and yielded two R&B chart singles, "Ready for Your Love" and "l Just Want to Be Your Girl." Even though "l Just Want to Be Your Girl" did poorly on the charts at the time, the tune would go on to become something of a classic among R&B music collectors. Certainly, the song gave listeners a first real taste of Anita's sultry, velvet-toned, smoky alto sound even though it didn't exactly set the world on fire in terms of airplay or sales. "

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