BB and Q Band

BB and Q Band

    B. B. & Q. Band (which stands for the Brooklyn, Bronx, and Queens Band), was an disco/funk group created in 1981 and disbanded in 1986.

    The B. B. & Q. Band was a studio concept created in 1981 by the businessman, Jacques Fred Petrus. After the success with Change in 1980, and also with Macho and the Peter Jacques band in the late 1970s Petrus and his close co-worker, Italian Mauro Malavasi, decided to launch a new project, named after the three boroughs in New York that the band "members" came from. One of the key figures was Pee Wee Ford (aka Paris Ford) who was appointed by Petrus to assemble the band.

    The self-titled debut album on Capitol provided several hits. The biggest single, "On the Beat," reached #8 on Billboard's Black Single chart. Also "Time for Love" (#72 on the same chart) mixed a melody with vocals by the lead singer, Ike Floyd.

    After the success Paris Ford left for other engagements, and Petrus appointed Kevin Robinson, an ex-Kinky Foxx member, to lead the band.

    The second album release was 1982's All Night Long (#32 on Billboard's Black Albums chart), which included "All Night Long (She's Got the Moves I Like)" (#32 on Billboard's Club Play Singles list), "Imagination" (#21 on Billboard's Black Singles list) and "Children of the Night" (uncharted).

    In 1983 Six Million Times hit the market with influences from The Time and Prince. Petrus faced serious financial problems in 1983 and Six Million Times was produced with a tiny budget during five weeks in Bologna. The album did not become a commercial success and Capitol dropped the band.

    By 1985 Petrus had inked a contract with Elektra Records and B. B. & Q. Band was back on track with their last album Genie, including minor hits in the title track and "Dreamer". Kae Williams, who was a former Breakwater member hired by Petrus, wrote all tracks and co-produced the LP in conjunction with Petrus. The album also showed early examples of Curtis Hairston's voice when Petrus invited him to be the new lead singer. The album sold rather well, especially in Europe.

    Petrus died in 1986, and that spelled the end of the B. B. & Q. Band.

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