The Blackbyrds Soft And Easy

A new version of Last.fm is available, to keep everything running smoothly, please reload the site.

Blackbirds Music Group

The Blackbyrds are an American rhythm and blues and jazz-funk fusion group, formed in Washington, D.C., in 1973 and reformed in 2012 by Keith Killgo. 1 Contents. Soft And Easy Lyrics: (how you feeling?) / (Its good to be here, ya know?) / (Haven't seen you for a while) / You mean the world to me / Because you are the key / You mean the world to me. Discover releases, reviews, credits, songs, and more about The Blackbyrds - Action at Discogs. Complete your The Blackbyrds collection.

From The Album

Greatest Hits

7,450 listeners

Lyrics

Do you know the lyrics for this track? Add lyrics on Musixmatch

Similar Tracks

Rock Creek Park
Reggins
Paper Tiger
I Just Can't Give You Up
Hallelujah! I'm Comin' Home
Uptown Up

Rock Steady
Don't Give Up
Off the Hook
Fat City Strut
Morning Tears
Red Sails in the Sunset

From The Album

Greatest Hits

7,450 listeners

Don't want to see ads? Subscribe now

Similar Tracks

Rock Creek Park
Reggins
Paper Tiger
I Just Can't Give You Up
Hallelujah! I'm Comin' Home
Uptown Up
Rock Steady
Don't Give Up
Off the Hook
Fat City Strut
Morning Tears
Red Sails in the Sunset

Lyrics

Do you know the lyrics for this track? Add lyrics on Musixmatch

Scrobble Stats

Recent Listening Trend

Day	Listeners
1
5
4
4
3
4
2
4
3
2
3
1
2
0
6
2
3
2
5
4
2
1
2
4
2
3
3
2
2
2
3
0
2
2
3
1
3
4
4
3
1
2
1
2
0
4
1
1
3
3
1
4
3
1
5
7
1
2
6
2
6
2
3
0
2
2
5
2
2
4
1
2
5
2
2
0
2
5
1
3
6
0
7
5
2
5
0
3
1
5
1
1
0
4
1
6
4
0
3
0
2
4
2
7
2
3
3
0
4
1
2
3
3
3
0
2
4
1
2
1
0
2
2
3
2
3
4
3
2
3
1
2
5
2
1
3
1
3
2
1
2
3
3
3
4
6
2
1
3
2
3
5
4
3
2
1
1
5
2
3
6
4

External Links

Don't want to see ads? Subscribe now

About This Artist

The Blackbyrds

138,192 listeners

The Blackbyrds was a rhythm and blues and jazz-funk fusion group, formed in Washington, D.C. in 1973. The group was led by trumpeter Donald Byrd and featured some of his Howard University students: Kevin Toney (keyboards), Keith Killgo (vocals, drums), Joe Hall (bass guitar), Allan Barnes (saxophone, clarinet), and Barney Perry (guitar). Orville Saunders (guitar), and Jay Jones (flute, saxophone) were later members of the group. They signed to Fantasy Records in 1973. They are best known for their 1975 hit 'Walking in Rhythm', which received a Grammy nomination. Their 1975… read more

Pleasure
61,436 listeners
Bobbi Humphrey
114,177 listeners
Donald Byrd
282,291 listeners
Roy Ayers
316,105 listeners
Mandrill
115,156 listeners
Norman Connors
43,925 listeners

Trending Tracks

API Calls

Origin	Washington, D.C., United States
Genres	R&B, jazz-funk
Years active	1973–1981, 2012-present
Labels	Fantasy
Associated acts	KOJO
Members	Joe Hall Keith Killgo Orville Saunders
Past members	Allan Barnes Donald Byrd Barney Perry Kevin Toney Jay Jones Ray Armando Oscar Brashear Perk Jacobs David Williams Stephen Johnson

The Blackbyrds are an American rhythm and blues and jazz-funk fusion group, formed in Washington, D.C., in 1973 and reformed in 2012 by Keith Killgo.^[1]

2Discography

History[edit]

The group was inspired by trumpeterDonald Byrd and featured some of his Howard University students: Kevin Toney (keyboards), Keith Killgo (vocals, drums), Joe Hall (bass guitar), Allan Barnes (saxophone, clarinet), and Barney Perry (guitar). Orville Saunders (guitar), and Jay Jones (flute, saxophone) joined later. On 'Rock Creek Park' and 'Happy Music', Merry Clayton joined them on vocals.^[2] They signed to Fantasy Records in 1973. Their 1975 hit 'Walking in Rhythm' received a Grammy nomination and sold over one million copies by May 1975. It was later awarded a gold disc.^[3]

With eight albums released for Fantasy from 1974 to 1980, The Blackbyrds became an inspiration to late 1970s and early 1980s British jazz-funk acts such as Light of the World and Hi-Tension.^{[citation needed]}

More recently, they have made a significant impact on the hip-hop generation with Gang Starr, Da Lench Mob, and Full Forcesampling their music.^[4] In particular, their 1975 song 'Rock Creek Park' from the City Life album has been sampled numerous times by groups and artists such as MF DOOM, De La Soul, Eric B. & Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, N.W.A, Massive Attack, Ice Cube, Heavy D, Nas and Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, Tone Lōc and Wiz Khalifa.^[5]

Founding member Allan Barnes died on July 25, 2016, aged 66.^[6]

Discography[edit]

Studio albums[edit]

1974: The Blackbyrds (Fantasy)
1974: Flying Start (Fantasy)
1975: City Life (Fantasy)
1975: Cornbread, Earl and Me (Soundtrack) (Fantasy)
1976: Unfinished Business (Fantasy)
1977: Action (Fantasy)
1980: Better Days (Fantasy)
2012: Gotta Fly (K-Wes Indi Records)

Compilations[edit]

1978: Night Grooves (Fantasy)
1989: Greatest Hits (Fantasy)
2007: Happy Music: The Best of The Blackbyrds (Fantasy FCD-30194-2)

Singles[edit]

'Do It, Fluid' (1974) - R&B #23, Pop #69
'Walking in Rhythm' (1975) - R&B #4, Pop #6, Easy Listening #5, UK #23
'Flyin' High' (1975) - R&B #22, Pop #70, Easy Listening #25
'Happy Music' (1976) - R&B #3, Pop #19
'Rock Creek Park' (1976) - R&B #37, Pop #93
'Time Is Movin' (1977) - R&B #15, Pop #95
'Party Land' (1977) - R&B #30
'Soft And Easy' (1977) - R&B #20
'Supernatural Feeling' (1978) - R&B #19
'What We Have Is Right' (1980) - R&B #38
'Love Don't Strike Twice' (1981) - R&B #52
'Dancin' Dancin' (1981) - Dance #59

All singles released on the Fantasy label.

References[edit]

^'The Blackbyrds'. Discogs. Retrieved 2016-12-06.
^ {{cite news |url=https://www.songfacts.com/facts/the-blackbyrds/rock-creek-park://www.songfacts.com/facts/the-blackbyrds/rock-creek-park
^Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 354. ISBN0-214-20512-6.
^'The Blackbyrds: Talking In Rhythm'. Bluesandsoul.com. Retrieved 2016-07-28.
^Thompson, Dave (2001). Funk. Backbeat Books. p. 81. ISBN0-87930-629-7
^Stryker, Mark (July 29, 2016). 'Allan Barnes, soulful Detroit saxophonist, dies at 66'. Detroit Free Press.

External links[edit]

The Blackbyrds at AllMusic
D’Angelo, Enrico (June 2, 2003). 'The Blackbyrds'. The Harbus. Retrieved on October 27, 2007.

Blackbirds Music Group

Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Blackbyrds&oldid=899988423'

Day	Listeners
1
5
4
4
3
4
2
4
3
2
3
1
2
0
6
2
3
2
5
4
2
1
2
4
2
3
3
2
2
2
3
0
2
2
3
1
3
4
4
3
1
2
1
2
0
4
1
1
3
3
1
4
3
1
5
7
1
2
6
2
6
2
3
0
2
2
5
2
2
4
1
2
5
2
2
0
2
5
1
3
6
0
7
5
2
5
0
3
1
5
1
1
0
4
1
6
4
0
3
0
2
4
2
7
2
3
3
0
4
1
2
3
3
3
0
2
4
1
2
1
0
2
2
3
2
3
4
3
2
3
1
2
5
2
1
3
1
3
2
1
2
3
3
3
4
6
2
1
3
2
3
5
4
3
2
1
1
5
2
3
6
4

Day	Listeners
1
5
4
4
3
4
2
4
3
2
3
1
2
0
6
2
3
2
5
4
2
1
2
4
2
3
3
2
2
2
3
0
2
2
3
1
3
4
4
3
1
2
1
2
0
4
1
1
3
3
1
4
3
1
5
7
1
2
6
2
6
2
3
0
2
2
5
2
2
4
1
2
5
2
2
0
2
5
1
3
6
0
7
5
2
5
0
3
1
5
1
1
0
4
1
6
4
0
3
0
2
4
2
7
2
3
3
0
4
1
2
3
3
3
0
2
4
1
2
1
0
2
2
3
2
3
4
3
2
3
1
2
5
2
1
3
1
3
2
1
2
3
3
3
4
6
2
1
3
2
3
5
4
3
2
1
1
5
2
3
6
4

From The Album

Greatest Hits

Lyrics

Similar Tracks

Rock Creek Park

Reggins

Paper Tiger

I Just Can't Give You Up

Hallelujah! I'm Comin' Home

Uptown Up

Rock Steady

Don't Give Up

Off the Hook

Fat City Strut

Morning Tears

Red Sails in the Sunset

From The Album

Greatest Hits

Similar Tracks

Rock Creek Park

Reggins

Paper Tiger

I Just Can't Give You Up

Hallelujah! I'm Comin' Home

Uptown Up

Rock Steady

Don't Give Up

Off the Hook

Fat City Strut

Morning Tears

Red Sails in the Sunset

Lyrics

Scrobble Stats

Recent Listening Trend

External Links

About This Artist

The Blackbyrds

Pleasure

Bobbi Humphrey

Donald Byrd

Roy Ayers

Mandrill

Norman Connors

Trending Tracks

API Calls

History[edit]

Discography[edit]

Studio albums[edit]

Compilations[edit]

Singles[edit]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

Blackbirds Music Group

Day	Listeners
1
5
4
4
3
4
2
4
3
2
3
1
2
0
6
2
3
2
5
4
2
1
2
4
2
3
3
2
2
2
3
0
2
2
3
1
3
4
4
3
1
2
1
2
0
4
1
1
3
3
1
4
3
1
5
7
1
2
6
2
6
2
3
0
2
2
5
2
2
4
1
2
5
2
2
0
2
5
1
3
6
0
7
5
2
5
0
3
1
5
1
1
0
4
1
6
4
0
3
0
2
4
2
7
2
3
3
0
4
1
2
3
3
3
0
2
4
1
2
1
0
2
2
3
2
3
4
3
2
3
1
2
5
2
1
3
1
3
2
1
2
3
3
3
4
6
2
1
3
2
3
5
4
3
2
1
1
5
2
3
6
4