Heatwave

Heatwave stood out as one of the disco period's most groove-oriented dance ensembles, drawing on an array of worldwide musical influences. American servicemen Johnnie Wilder and Keith Wilder, stationed in Germany, started performing together there, and after leaving the Army they decided to remain in the country. The two vocalists continued appearing in clubs and bars with a variety of groups throughout their enlistment. Eager to broaden their scope, they shifted to the U.K. partway through the year to join forces with Rod Temperton, who handled songwriting and keyboards.

The fledgling Heatwave soon took shape once Spanish bassist Mario Mantese, Czechoslovakian drummer Emest Berger, and American guitarists Jesse Whittens and Eric Johns came aboard. The diverse musical backgrounds of the members naturally led them to cultivate a refined style that Temperton would harness to set the group apart from contemporaries.

Extensive jamming and relentless appearances on the London club scene enabled Heatwave to shape and polish their music, moving beyond pure disco rhythms to incorporate a substantial funk foundation. Their persistence resulted in a deal with the U.K. label GTO, issued as Epic in the U.S., after which they began work on their debut album in fall 1976. GTO house producer and session guitarist Barry Blue, already known for early-'70s singles such as "Dancing on a Saturday Night" and "Do You Wanna Dance," guided the sessions.

Tragedy struck before recording commenced when Whittens was murdered, forcing the band to bring in rhythm guitarist Roy Carter. Singles "Ain't No Half Steppin'" and "Super Soul Sister" surfaced by the close of 1976, followed in January 1977 by the rousing "Boogie Nights."

The latter climbed to number two on the British pop charts and, later that summer, reached the U.S. Top Five. Heatwave's debut album, Too Hot to Handle, finally arrived in late spring 1977, attaining number 11 on the U.S. pop listings and number five on the R&B charts; the tender soul ballad "Always and Forever" then became a number two U.S. hit in December.

Produced once more by Blue, Central Heating appeared in April 1978. Its success rested largely on the powerful dance track "The Groove Line," which surged up the charts, while the graceful ballad "Mind Blowing Decisions" received comparatively little attention.

Despite their apparent momentum, Heatwave encountered setbacks in 1978 when Johns and then Temperton departed. Temperton continued supplying material for the group but soon gained wider recognition for outside work, crafting acclaimed songs for funk stalwarts such as Rufus and the Brothers Johnson. He also wrote for Herbie Hancock and Quincy Jones, yet his most celebrated collaboration came with Michael Jackson, for whom he composed "Rock with You" and "Off the Wall" on the 1979 album Off the Wall; three additional tracks, including the title song, followed on Jackson's 1982 Thriller LP.

Undeterred, Heatwave prepared to re-enter the studio until Mantese was stabbed by his girlfriend, leaving him clinically dead for several minutes and ultimately paralyzed, compelling his exit. Derek Bramble took his place. After adding guitarist William Jones and keyboardist Calvin Duke, and switching to producer Phil Ramone, the band recorded Hot Property.

Issued in May 1979, the set contained nine tracks written by Temperton yet stalled just inside the U.S. Top 40. Singles "Therm Warfare," "Razzle Dazzle," "One Night Tan," and "Eyeballin'" made little impact, with only the last reaching the R&B Top 30.

Carter soon left to pursue production, later achieving notable success with Linx in the early '80s; keyboardist Keith Harrison filled the vacancy. Just as stability seemed possible, founder Johnnie Wilder suffered a severe car accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down.

Wilder stayed involved with studio activities, and in 1980 Heatwave completed the Candles album, again relying on Temperton's songs while enlisting James Dean "JD" Nichols for live vocals.

The November single "Gangsters of the Groove" proved the band's final pop hit, peaking at number 21 in the U.S. and number 20 in the U.K. early the next year, though the album itself reached only number 71 on the U.S. pop chart in December 1980. Follow-up singles "Jitterbuggin'" and "Where Did I Go Wrong" charted in 1981, while "Posin' til Closin'" and "Turn Around" fared worse.

Current, released in 1982 and again produced by Blue, managed only number 156 on the U.S. pop listings but yielded a number 21 R&B hit; the Temperton-penned "Lettin' It Loose" became a minor hit that August.

Bramble departed at the end of 1982 to focus on production, later contributing to David Bowie's 1984 Tonight LP and guiding Jaki Graham's rise. Nichols left to replace Lionel Richie in the Commodores. With these successive exits, the remaining members effectively ended Heatwave's run, rendering the group inactive.

After falling silent in early 1983, the Wilder brothers returned in 1989 with Sound of Soul on Blatent. Johnnie Wilder issued the solo spiritual set My Goals on Light the following year. Neither release achieved strong sales, yet Heatwave resurfaced in 1991 when a remix of "Mind Blowing Decisions" charted in the U.K. By the mid-1990s Keith Wilder had reconstituted the band with bassist Dave Williamson, keyboardists Kevin Sutherland and Byron Byrd, and guitarist Bill Jones. The revived lineup toured the U.S., releasing the live album Live at the Greek Theater in 1997. Longtime favorites on the retro dance circuit, Heatwave fans also received a new extended club remix of "Boogie Nights" in 2002.