BB & Q Band

The background

The B. B. & Q. Band was a studio concept created in 1981 by the businessman, Jacques Fred Petrus. After the success with Change in 1980, and also with Macho and the Peter Jacques band in the late 1970s Petrus and his close co-worker, Italian Mauro Malavasi decided to launch a new project, named after the three boroughs in New York that the band "members" came from. Fred Petrus pulled several musicians together of which NYC session bassist Paris Ford(credited as Peewee Ford) and his musicians became the band.

[edit] The successful debut

The self-titled debut album on Capitol record album provided several melodies of which Malavasi wrote all except one. The biggest hit single "On the Beat", which reached #8 on Billboard's Black Single chart. Also "Time for Love" (#72 on the same chart) mixed a melody with vocals by the lead singer, Ike Floyd.

After the debut Petrus invited guitarist Kevin Robinson, an ex Der Kinky Fox member that he had met already in 1980, to take over to lead the band. The new line-up included Chielli Minucci, Kevin Nance, and Tony Bridges and for the first time B. B. & Q. band had a more defined role as a band.

[edit] Second and third albums

The second album release was 1982's All Night Long (#32 on Billboard's Black Albums chart), which included "All Night Long (She's Got the Moves I Like)" (#32 on Billboard's Club Play Singles list), "Imagination" (#21 on Billboard's Black Singles list) and "Children of the Night" (uncharted).

In 1983 Six Million Times hit the market with influences from The Time and Prince. Petrus faced serious economical problems in 1983 and Six Million Times was produced with a tiny budget during five weeks in Bologna. The album did not become a commercial success and Capitol dropped the band.

[edit] Finale

By 1985 Petrus had fixed a contract with Elektra Records and B. B. & Q. Band was back on track with their last album Genie, including minor hits like the title track "Genie" and "Dreamer". Kae Williams, a former Breakwater member hired by Petrus, wrote all tracks and co-produced the LP in conjunction with Petrus. The album also showed early examples of Curtis Hairston's fine voice when Petrus invited him to be the new lead singer. The album sold rather well, especially in Europe, but in 1987 the B. B. & Q. Band disappeared forever when Petrus was murdered.