The Gap Band III is the fifth studio album (contrary to the title) by American R&B band the Gap Band, released in 1980 on Mercury Records. It was produced by Lonnie Simmons. It was their first album to achieve platinum status. The album was remastered by PTG Records in 2009 including the radio edit of "Burn Rubber On Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)".
| Gap Band III | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | December 8, 1980 | |||
| Recorded | 1980 | |||
| Studio | Total Experience Recording Studios (Hollywood, California) | |||
| Genre | Soul, funk | |||
| Length | 44:45 | |||
| Label | Mercury PTG Records | |||
| Producer | Lonnie Simmons[1] | |||
| The Gap Band chronology | ||||
| ||||
Reception edit
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Rolling Stone | (favorable)[3] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide |  [4] |
The album reached #1 on the Black Albums chart and #16 on the Billboard Hot 200.[5] The album yielded 3 charting singles: the #60 R&B song "Humpin'", "Yearning for Your Love", a #5 R&B single which peaked at #60 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the #1 R&B hit "Burn Rubber (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)", which reached #19 on the dance charts and #84 on the Hot 100.[6]
This would be the group's final release by Mercury Records (via Total Experience Productions). The Gap Band's next six albums were released on Total Experience Records.
Track listing edit
| # | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | When I Look in Your Eyes | Lonnie Simmons, Rudy Taylor, Wilmer Raglin | 4:59 |
| 2. | Yearning for Your Love | Oliver Scott, Ronnie Wilson | 5:42 |
| 3. | Burn Rubber (Why You Wanna Hurt Me) | Charlie Wilson, Lonnie Simmons, Rudy Taylor | 5:30 |
| 4. | Nothin' Comes to Sleepers | Oliver Scott, Ronnie Wilson | 5:33 |
| 5. | Are You Living | Charlie Wilson, John Black | 4:23 |
| 6. | Sweet Caroline | Charlie Wilson, Malvin Vice | 3:20 |
| 7. | Humpin' | Charlie Wilson, Lonnie Simmons, Ronnie Wilson, Rudy Taylor | 5:13 |
| 8. | The Way | Oliver Scott, Ronnie Wilson | 4:47 |
| 9. | Gash Gash Gash | Robert Wilson | 5:18 |
| 10. | Burn Rubber (Why You Wanna Hurt Me) [Radio Version] | Charlie Wilson, Lonnie Simmons, Rudy Taylor | 4:09 |
Personnel edit
- Charlie Wilson - Keyboards, Synthesizer, Percussion, Lead and Backing Vocals
- Ronnie Wilson - Trumpet, Keyboards, Backing Vocals
- Robert Wilson - Bass, Backing Vocals (Lead vocals on "Gash Gash Gash")
- Oliver Scott - Horns, Keyboards, Synthesizer, Backing Vocals
- Raymond Calhoun - Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals
- Melvin Webb, Ronnie Kaufman - Drums
- John Black - Keyboards, Backing Vocals
- Malvin "Dino" Vice - String Arrangements, Backing Vocals
- Cavin Yarbrough - Synthesizer
- Robert "Goodie" Whitfield - Keyboards
- Fred Jenkins - Guitar
- Glen Nightingale - Guitar
- Marlo Henderson - Guitar
- Wilmer Raglin- Horns, Backing Vocals
- Earl Roberson - Horns
- Katie Kilpatrick - Harp
- The Gap Band, Howard Huntsberry, Jonah Ellis, Marva King, Maxanne Lewis, Rudy Taylor, Val Young, Lonnie Simmons, Malvin "Dino" Vice - Backing Vocals
Charts edit
| Chart (1981) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Billboard Pop Albums[7] | 16 |
| Billboard Top Soul Albums[7] | 1 |
Singles edit
| Year | Single | Chart positions[8] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Pop |
US R&B |
US Disco | ||
| 1981 | "Burn Rubber (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)" | 84 | 1 | 19 |
| "Yearning for Your Love" | 60 | 5 | - | |
| "Humpin'" | - | 60 | - | |
See also edit
References edit
- ^ Credits
- ^ Henderson, Alex. The Gap Band: The Gap Band III > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
- ^ "The 80 Greatest Albums of 1980". Rolling Stone. 11 November 2020.
- ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. pp. 271, 272.
- ^ Album Charts and Awards at Allmusic
- ^ Singles Charts and Awards at Allmusic
- ^ a b "The Gap Band US albums chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-09-11.
- ^ "The Gap Band US singles chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-09-11.