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Cameo NOTE: This page is not ready for public consumption. It is in a fragmentary state and contains even more errors than our regular pages. Proceed with caution! Reviewed on this page: We All Know Who We Are - Secret Omen - Cameosis - Knights Of The Sound Table - Style - She's Strange - Word Up! - Machismo - Emotional Violence While many funk bands went down the drain in the post-disco shift to synthesizers, Cameo soared to greater heights. Lead singer and drummer Larry Blackmon basically was the band: he wrote or co-wrote nearly all the material, produced, and led their early 80s change from horn-based to synth-based funk. His nasal vocals recall Sugarfoot Bonner, but are more mannered and uptight. (DBW) Lineup: Larry Blackmon, lead vocals, drums, bass; Greg "Doc" Johnson, keyboards; Charles Samson and Eric Durham, guitar; Nathan Leftenant, trumpet; Arnett Leftenant, sax; William Revis, bass; Tomi Jenkins, baritone vocals, and Wayne Cooper, tenor vocals. Revis left 1978, replaced by Gary Dow. Samson left 1978, replaced by Anthony Lockett. Durham left 1979. Dow left 1980, replaced by Aaron Mills. Jeryl Bright, trombone, and T.C. Campbell, keyboards, joined 1980. Charlie Singleton, keyboards, guitars, vocals, joined 1981. Mills left 1982, replaced by Michael Burnett. Lockett left, 1982. Kevin Kendrick, keyboards, joined 1983. In 1983, Johnson, Arnett Leftenant, Bright, Cooper and Campbell all left; Burnett and Kendrick remained but were not listed as band members. By 1985, Singleton was listed as a "friend" rather than a band member. In 1991, Nathan Leftenant and Burnett left, Mills returned, and Singleton and Kendrick (now Kendricks) were promoted to full band members. By 1996, Nathan Leftenant had returned, and Kendrick/Kendricks had left. Cardiac Arrest (1977) Two singles hit the R&B charts: "Funk Funk" peaked at #20, while "Rigor Mortis" went to #33. (DBW) We All Know Who We Are (1978) The near-instrumental, Brass Construction-like groove "It's Serious" went to #21 R&B. (DBW) Ugly Ego (1978) "Insane" was the single (#17 R&B). (DBW) Secret Omen (1979) Remarkably weak disco/funk, with endless repetition (the nine-minute "Find My Way"), forgettable riffs ("Energy") and aggressively stupid lyrics ("New York"). Other than that, it's okay. (DBW) Feel Me (1980) Cameosis (1980) A step up from Secret Omen, with one great bass hook (title track). But it's pretty forgettable - too bouncy to be good funk, not melodic enough to be good disco. the dance track "Shake Your Pants" and EWF-style horn ballad "We're Goin' Out Tonight" are dull, and those are the hits (#8 and #11 R&B respectively); "On The One" is a watered-down remake of Rick James's "You And I." Guitarist Anthony Lockett usually got one lead vocal per LP, and this time it's the ballad "I Care For You." (DBW) Knights of the Sound Table (1981) Nona Hendryx guests on vocals. (DBW) Alligator Woman (1982) Around this time, Lockett left for a gospel career. (DBW) Style (1983) At this point, nearly all the remaining original members left: the story is usually told that Blackmon fired everyone, though Jeryl Bright wrote me a very polite note stating that everyone quit, and Blackmon was forced to put together a new band. In any case, the new group was a synth-based four-piece. The title track was a single. (DBW) She's Strange (1984) The singles were the title track (#1 R&B, #47 Pop) and "Talkin' Out The Side Of Your Neck" (#21 R&B). (DBW) Single Life (1985) Two hit singles: "Attack Me With Your Love" (#3 R&B) and the title track (#2 R&B). Barbara Mitchell guests on vocals. (DBW) Word Up! (1986) The title track was the band's crossover breakthough: another #1 R&B that also went to #6 Pop. "Candy" also topped the R&B charts (#21 Pop), while "Back and Forth" hit #3 R&B, #50 Pop. By now Blackmon had shifted to punk-inspired haircuts and tight black leather costumes. With all the horn players gone, Blackmon brought in the Brecker Brothers and the Uptown Horns. (DBW) Machismo (1988) Guests include Little Steven, sax player Kenny Garrett, and Maceo Parker. (DBW) In 1989 Blackmon contributed to Eddie Murphy's So Happy. (DBW) Real Men Wear Black (1990) Emotional Violence (1991) (DBW) In the Face of Funk (1994) Nasty (1996) A live record. (DBW) Sexy Sweet Thing (2000) What's the word?  Main page   New additions   Pop: 00s  90s 80s 70s 60s 50s  Latin/Jazz   Top 20: DBW JA   E-mail