Krystol

Krystol’s work as a mid-’80s female R&B quartet never produced an outright blockbuster, yet it helped open doors for later acts such as Exposé and En Vogue. Beyond forging a recognizable ensemble identity, every member proved able to carry lead parts convincingly. Leon Sylvers III’s fresh R&B/funk approach supplied the period’s forward-looking touch. The quartet itself grew out of several predecessor lineups that had operated under slightly different names during the preceding decade. In mid-’70s Los Angeles, teenagers Robyrda Stiger—who would later spell her first name Roberta—Tina Scott, and Karon Floyd launched Crystal Blue, a local outfit that found steady club work at venues including Total Experience and Maverick’s Flats. The trio dissolved toward the end of the decade, though its members stayed involved in music. After hearing of an audition from someone connected to Solar funk group Lakeside, Stiger joined Alton McClain & Destiny as its third voice. Motown veteran Frank Wilson and composer John Footman selected her to complete the lineup, which cut three albums for Polydor from 1978 to 1981 and scored an international disco success with “It Must Be Love.” Once McClain began a solo career, Stiger and D’Marie Warren kept their partnership intact. Stiger also continued songwriting with former Crystal Blue colleague Tina Scott; one result, “Simple Things,” appeared on Destiny’s album Gonna Tell the World. An introduction to producer Leon Sylvers III, then at the height of his influence, led to a placement with his Silverspoon Productions. Sylvers responded strongly to the pair’s writing and to their demo vocals on “Don’t Try to Change Me,” a track he added to Shalamar’s 1982 album Friends. Through Silverspoon’s connection with Epic, Stiger, Scott, Warren, and Floyd—now recording as Krystol—secured a contract in 1983. Their debut, Gettin’ Ready, arrived the following year. Although the album itself stirred limited R&B-chart response, “After the Dance Is Through” became a European club favorite and the ballad “Same Place, Same Time” gained quiet-storm traction in the States. As one of the decade’s notable Black female groups, Krystol stood out for distributing lead vocals among all four members and for crediting writing contributions from each. Despite personnel shifts at Epic, the same collective input shaped the 1985 follow-up, Talk of the Town. In February of that year, Warren died in a car accident shortly before the album was finished; her upbeat outlook helped the others complete the project. The set was introduced by a cover of the Supremes’ “Love Is Like an Itchin’ in My Heart,” yet commercial results again proved modest. For the third album, 1986’s Passion From a Woman, Epic altered the group’s course. Robbie Danzie, first brought in as a temporary replacement for Floyd during her 1985 maternity leave, became the sole lead singer, and a broader roster of producers was enlisted. After giving birth, Floyd chose not to rejoin, leaving Krystol a trio. The new configuration finally yielded tangible airplay and sales: both “Passion From a Woman” and “Precious, Precious” reached the R&B Top 30, prompting television spots and the group’s first video. Label complications nevertheless curtailed further momentum; the third single from the album received minimal support, and nearly three years passed before I Suggest U Don’t Let Go appeared. When that release also underperformed, Epic dropped the act. Krystol continued working, however, touring internationally and maintaining their songwriting activity. Danzie issued the solo album (Love) Undeniable in England—later issued in the U.S. as Only You—and joined Masters of Funk for a Japan release in the late ’90s.