Full Force

Full Force first gained traction during the mid-'80s by crafting and helming R&B successes for Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam, after which the ensemble pursued its own modestly profitable path as recording artists before circling back to behind-the-scenes work. The Brooklyn-born sextet—Paul Anthony, Bowlegged Lou, B-Fine, Baby Gerry, Shy Shy, and Curt-t-t—had connected with manager Steve Salem in the borough during the late '70s. Despite evident ability and professional guidance, the collective spent the early '80s searching in vain for a record contract, although it did issue the independent single "Turn You On."

The turning point arrived when Full Force supplied U.T.F.O. with the rap track "Roxanne Roxanne," whose notoriety grew through multiple response records; by early 1985 the song had reached number ten on Billboard’s R&B chart. Attention then shifted to another Brooklyn project, the dance-pop outfit Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam fronted by sixteen-year-old Lisa Velez. After Velez auditioned, the producers cut "I Wonder If I Take You Home" and issued it on the local Personal label under the billing Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam with Full Force. The track first caught on abroad, then, following heavy New York club play as an import, Columbia picked it up domestically; within months it topped the dance chart and climbed to number six on the R&B chart by summer 1985.

Bolstered by that momentum, Full Force secured its own Columbia deal. While singles such as "Temporary Love Thing," "Unfaithful So Much," and "All in My Mind" registered minor R&B airplay, the group’s most enduring impact remained its productions for Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam, among them "All Cried Out," "Head to Toe," and "Lost in Emotion." In 1988 the team oversaw James Brown’s album I’m Real, delivering a major hit via the title track, and extended its reach to additional late-'80s dance-pop acts including Jasmine Guy, Cheryl Pepsii Riley, and Samantha Fox. After a period of relative inactivity through the early and middle '90s, Full Force resurfaced with further R&B-inflected pop successes for Selena, the Backstreet Boys, and LFO.

The 2001 release Still Standing paired newly recorded tracks featuring Gerald Levert, Method Man, Scarface, and Raekwon with earlier Full Force favorites. Songs originally made with Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam later resurfaced in versions by Kylie Minogue ("Secret [Take You Home]") and Nina Sky ("Move Ya Body"). Sporadic performances and sessions marked the late 2000s and early 2010s. TV One’s Unsung devoted an episode to the group’s story in 2012. Two years afterward, With Love from Our Friends appeared on Sony’s Legacy imprint, boasting contributions from Raphael Saadiq, Shanice, Faith Evans, U.T.F.O., and Roxanne Shanté. Conceived as a tribute to Paul Anthony’s victory over cancer, the set contained both new material and refreshed renditions of "All Cried Out" and "Roxanne Roxanne."