Biography
In 1975 Ricky Bailey launched Delegation, a British trio whose membership rotated often yet kept him as its sole enduring presence. A Jamaican by birth, Bailey had arrived in Britain as a teenager with his family and made his home in Birmingham, where he had earlier assembled the Five Star Cadets. That short-lived act supplied useful seasoning that later aided him in forming Delegation alongside Len Coley and Roddy Harris. Songwriter and producer Ken Gold, the architect of the Real Thing, noticed the group and secured a contract with State Records. Their debut single, “The Promise of Love,” appeared in 1976 and failed commercially despite strong notices and radio support. A follow-up, “Where Is the Love,” entered the charts and prompted the members to tour Europe without pause. Another success, “You’ve Been Doing Me Wrong,” arrived before Harris departed and Ray Patterson stepped in.
The period spanning 1978 and 1979 brought further momentum. A cover of Ray Parker’s “Honey I’m Rich” and the track “Oh Honey” both registered, while the band issued its first album, The Promise of Love. Coley exited soon afterward and Bruce Dunbar took his place. Although activity slowed in Britain, “Oh Honey” climbed to number five on the American R&B chart in 1979 and crossed into the pop listings as well. A move to Ariola yielded Eau de Vie, which sold well across Europe. The self-titled Delegation followed in 1981 and produced two additional hits; a third album, Deuces High, surfaced the next year.
Lineup shifts persisted when Dunbar left and Kathy Bryant became the group’s first female member. After switching labels, the band placed It’s Your Turn with Epic, yet the release succeeded only in France. The Mix, a segue collection of five signature tracks, then appeared on Scorpio Records. Delegation maintained activity into the early 1990s. Sampling of “Oh Honey” by rap acts Coolio and the Ghetto Boys helped sustain interest in the group. Bailey and Gold later established Euro-Jam Records to reissue Delegation material and to develop new artists.
The period spanning 1978 and 1979 brought further momentum. A cover of Ray Parker’s “Honey I’m Rich” and the track “Oh Honey” both registered, while the band issued its first album, The Promise of Love. Coley exited soon afterward and Bruce Dunbar took his place. Although activity slowed in Britain, “Oh Honey” climbed to number five on the American R&B chart in 1979 and crossed into the pop listings as well. A move to Ariola yielded Eau de Vie, which sold well across Europe. The self-titled Delegation followed in 1981 and produced two additional hits; a third album, Deuces High, surfaced the next year.
Lineup shifts persisted when Dunbar left and Kathy Bryant became the group’s first female member. After switching labels, the band placed It’s Your Turn with Epic, yet the release succeeded only in France. The Mix, a segue collection of five signature tracks, then appeared on Scorpio Records. Delegation maintained activity into the early 1990s. Sampling of “Oh Honey” by rap acts Coolio and the Ghetto Boys helped sustain interest in the group. Bailey and Gold later established Euro-Jam Records to reissue Delegation material and to develop new artists.
Albums
Essential 80's Black Funky
2024
I Surrender
2020
Put A Little Love On Me - EP
2012
Delegation Selected Hits Vol. 1
2006
Delegation - Collection
2000
Someone Oughta Write a Song (about You Baby) / Mr. Heartbreak
1978
The Promise of Love / Soul Trippin' / Oh Honey
1978
Honey I'm Rich
1978
Singles
