Songoftheday 6/23/12 - Oh I never, you know I loved you, till you left me...

The Gap Band - "Early In The Morning"

from the album Gap Band IV (1982)

Billboard Hot 100 peak: #24 (two weeks)

Weeks in the top-40: 6

Today's Song of the Day is the first top-40 hit by the group of brothers from Oklahoma, The Gap Band. Lead singer Charlie, Ronnie, and Robert Wilson started the band in the mid-70s, and under a couple of small labels put out a couple of LPs and had a few minor soul hits like "Out Of The Blue" in 1977. But it wasn't until 1979, when they signed with Mercury Records, that they got their mojo, with seven consecutive top-10 R&B records that were numerically titled, and produced by Lonnie Simmons. Their first single from the first of the Mercury/Total Experience Gap Band albums, "Shake", was their first top-10 R&B hit. Their Gap Band III album gave the Wilsons their first #1 soul hit, "Burn Rubber On Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)", that signaled a change in their approach, and a much more dance-oriented tack, and became their first pop charting hit. In fact, I've considered them pioneers in fusing soul music with electro elements this early.

In 1982 the Gap Band released their Gap Band IV album, and not only was it their highest-charting album, making the top-15 albums, but the first single, the ultrafunky "Early In The Morning", became their first top-40 hit.

The song also was a three-week R&B charttopper, and made the dance club top-20 as well. It would end up being the brothers' biggest pop single.

(Click below to read more)





But it wouldn't end up being the biggest version of the song. Blue-eyed funk troubadour Robert Palmer released a faithful version of the song in 1988, and made the top-20 in the US pop chart, and even the top-40 of the rock chart.

Up tomorrow: Glenn Miller gets the "Stars On 45" treatment...