Cameo

An outlandish, confrontational performance style, coupled with an eccentric comedic streak and propulsive funk grooves that blurred genre lines, drew repeated early parallels between Cameo and Parliament/Funkadelic. Over time the band shed those charges of imitation by moving beyond their sources and enduring far longer than most contemporaries. Across the 1970s and 1980s the ensemble stayed current with evolving tastes, occasionally anticipating trends that later positioned them as reference points for emerging R&B and hip-hop artists. When mainstream interest tapered off toward the end of the 1980s, the group had already accumulated an array of R&B chart successes spanning greasy funk workouts, synthesized funk tracks, and lush ballads. In contrast to earlier funk outfits, Cameo lacked a diaper-clad guitarist and instead featured a lead singer known for wearing a codpiece.

That frontman was Larry Blackmon. In 1974 the former Juilliard attendee and New York club regular assembled a thirteen-piece funk ensemble called the New York City Players. Blackmon, Tomi Jenkins, and Nathan Leftenant formed the creative core. Casablanca placed the act on its Chocolate City subsidiary, after which the band adopted the name Cameo. Their strong first album, Cardiac Arrest, arrived in 1977 and spotlighted four singles; three reached the Billboard R&B chart—“Rigor Mortis” at number 33, “Funk Funk” at number 20, and “Post Mortem” at number 70. Although Parliament, Funkadelic, and the Ohio Players clearly shaped the sound, Cardiac Arrest established Cameo’s own standing within that lineage.

Seeking to maintain momentum, the band issued two further albums in 1978. Neither We All Know Who We Are nor Ugly Ego matched the debut’s consistency, yet distinctive traits grew more pronounced. The winding, horn-accented “It’s Serious” from We All Know Who We Are came close to the R&B Top 20, while “Insane” from Ugly Ego reached number 17. The stronger material from both records could have formed a compelling follow-up LP.

Secret Omen, released in 1979, included a disco-inflected revisit of Cardiac Arrest’s “Find My Way” alongside the powerfully funky and playfully eccentric “I Just Want to Be,” which peaked at number three on the R&B chart; the set also contained strong album tracks and reaffirmed Cameo’s skill with full-length projects. “Sparkle” ranked among their finest ballads and reached the Top Ten. Between 1980 and 1983 the group put out five albums—Cameosis, Feel Me, Knights of the Sound Table, Alligator Woman, and Style—that showed a modest decline in overall quality yet still supplied several Top 20 R&B singles such as “Shake Your Pants,” “We’re Goin’ Out Tonight,” “Keep It Hot,” “Freaky Dancin’,” “Just Be Yourself,” “Flirt,” and “Style.”

A notable development occurred in 1982 when the band relocated to Atlanta. Reduced to a quintet and operating in a calmer environment, Cameo gained greater local prominence; Blackmon even launched his own Atlanta Artist imprint. Its debut release, Style, signaled a sonic turn with synthesizers occupying a larger role. Commercial breakthrough arrived with 1984’s She’s Strange; the title track, a late-night, sinuous groove, topped the R&B chart and crossed into the pop Top 50, launching a three-album sequence that placed Cameo among the decade’s most successful acts. Single Life and Word Up!, issued in 1985 and 1986 respectively, sustained the run. Singles from those projects—“Attack Me With Your Love,” “Single Life,” “Word Up,” “Candy,” and “Back and Forth”—all lodged in the R&B Top Five, while “Word Up” reached number six on the pop chart, securing the group’s widest mainstream exposure.

Inevitably the upward trajectory reversed. Although “Skin I’m In” and “I Want It Now” both climbed to number five on the R&B chart, the accompanying albums Machismo and Real Men Wear Black underperformed. Following 1991’s Emotional Violence the group’s visibility diminished, though they continued occasional tours that pleased devoted listeners and some casual fans familiar mainly with “Word Up.” Blackmon also served several years in the 1990s as vice president of A&R at Warner Bros.

Cameo’s impact persisted into the early 2000s through frequent sampling and broader stylistic influence on newer producers and artists. Retrospective collections have kept the catalog accessible: Casablanca’s 1993 compilation The Best of Cameo offers a strong introduction, Mercury’s 1999 12" Collection & More highlights key dancefloor cuts, and the 2002 double-disc Anthology from Mercury surveys the band’s range comprehensively. ~ Andy Kellman