Motown

Formed in the late '70s, Cleveland's Dazz Band was the union of two popular funk bands in that city and took their name from their self-styled danceable jazz. The group had some minor success through two albums on the R&B and dance charts, but had failed to have a mainstream pop hit when they signed with Motown Records.

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By the time he had formed his own band, the aptly named Raydio, in 1977, Ray Parker Jr. had already built a resume enviable to musicians twice his age. Beginning as a teenaged session guitarist, Parker had played on records by Motown legends like The Temptations, The Spinners, and Gladys Knight & The Pips. He spent several years in the early '70s touring as a member of Stevie Wonder's band and performing on classic albums including Talking Book and Innervisions.

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In the early '70s, Motown Records scored a major success with The Jackson Five. In the '80s, the label tried to dupicate that success with another family act hailing from Grand Rapids, Michigan - DeBarge. Consisting of four brothers and a sister, DeBarge formed in 1978 and released their debut album in 1981 to little fanfare.

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