Rose Royce was a soul, funk, and disco band, formed by Motown writer/producer...(More)

Rose Royce was a soul, funk, and disco band, formed by Motown writer/producer Norman Whitfield - previously most famous for his work with the Temptations - and featuring singer Gwen Dickey AKA Rose Norwalt. The backing group was composed of members of Total Concept Limited and Magic Wand, both backing bands for Motown artists such as Edwin Starr, The Undisputed Truth, and The Temptations. When Whitfield left Motown in 1975 to create Whitfield Records, he took the band members with him and Rose Royce was created. The group turned out three hit albums during the late-1970s, including the platinum-selling soundtrack to the movie Car Wash. One song, "Wishing on a Star" (from the album "Rose Royce II: In Full Bloom"), peaked at only #52 on the R&B charts and failed to chart at all on the Billboard Hot 100; despite this it has gone on to become a mainstay of the "Quiet Storm" radio format and major part of the band's repertoire. While this is in part because the song was later enlivened by acts such as Teena Marie and later the Latin freestyle music girl group Cover Girls, who scored a #9 pop hit with it in 1992, Rose Royce's version is considered definitive by most. If chart success was hit or miss for the group, they nevertheless chalked up five classics in five years: "I'm Going Down", "I Wanna Get Next To You", "Wishing On a Star", "Love Don't Live Here Anymore", and "Car Wash". "Car Wash" has become a disco and funk classic, and both "Wishing On a Star" and "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" were also popular at after-night disco clubs along with Peaches & Herb's "Reunited". Their 1979 album Rainbow Connection IV did not sell as well, but is still rated highly by disco/funk aficionados. Following 1980, and with the decline of disco in general, the group was unable to re-invent themselves and return to the charts; their 1981 album Golden Touch, featuring Richee Benson in the place of Norwalt, was not a success by any standard. The new millennium has however seen the emergence of the "Classic R&B" radio format, and with it has come a new resurgence for the group, primarily in their touring schedule. (Less)