It was the year 1977 and Earth Wind and Fire were ruling the charts (and to this day there still on the charts), and other bands like Cameo, Confunkshun, The Barkays, “Midwest music funksters” Slave, The Ohio Players, etc, etc,  were trying to get that coveted spot. This little known band from Norfolk, Virginia by the name of Mass Production had just released their debut vinyl album titled “Welcome to our world” which had a couple of minor hits like “Wine Flow Disco", "I Like To Dance", and "Fun In The Sun”. At one time, they were being compared to Brass Construction. Not because it rhymed but because listeners couldn't’t tell the difference in the name.

Their second release titled “Believe” which had other funk hits like “Free And Happy" & "People Get Up”, which ruled the dance floor. They also had a couple of slow grooves “Being There", and "Keep My Heart Together”. The groove continued on this album and there was no turning back at this point.Their labelmate Slave was already thumping the party groove “Stellar Funk”, which brought back Steve Arrington on drums.

1978-79was my last year in high school. Charles had stopped wearing that candy necklace and bracelet that ran colors down his neck and wrist when he sweated, and he stopped eating powered kool-aid from a straw (ya’ll remember those). "Three Miles High" (cd cover art above), the third album from Mass Production, was a testament to a groove that stayed consistent even though it didn't do well on the charts. But at a house party & the roller rink on Saturday night - it was on! When “slow bump” came on, most of us had to find Charles a girl to slow bump to.

The album was loaded with jams that basically paved the way for the jam of the year, which is now considered a classic of old school funk. Aptly released just around 4^th of July, Mass Production dropped “Firecracker/Love You", the jam of the summer. Everywhere you went, you heard this song, and that song shot straight up the charts. Still didn't make no.1, but close to it. At that time though, Slave was getting ready to drop “Just A Touch Of Love” along with the Gap Band’s “I Don’t Believe You Wanna Get Up And Dance”

Mass production kept the groove going but not to the point where there were anymore chart toppers. Their next album “Massterpiece” boasted jams “Come Back Hot", "Your Love", and "Nature Lover” with my Favorite line“Camping Out With yoooooouuuuuuuuu”.... Charles used to use that line at every party and a few took him up on it...., after he got rid of that pacer of course. But for the jazz fans, Mass Production always had a grooving instrumental. On this album it was Eknuf/Shante (Eknuf was the intro/shante was the jam).

Mass Production released three more albums: “Turn Up The Music", "In A City Groove", and "83”, which marked the end of a groove. It is a shame that in the 80's, most of Mass Production’s Cotillion catalog went out of print. And by year 2000, none of Mass Productions work has been reissued on cd. The only memory of Mass Production is Rhino’s best of. It has been 26 years since we have heard or seen members of Mass Production, even though their music lives on. They will be remembered for keeping the funk equalized throughout the eighties.

Band Members:

Mass Production: Ricardo "Ricky" Williams (vocals, keyboards, drums, log drum, electronic percussion, chimes, background vocals); Agnes "Tiny"Kelly (vocals, log drum, background vocals); Larry "Rockstarr" Marshall(vocals, background vocals); Rodney "Bunny" Phelps (guitar); Gregory McCoy (saxophone, keyboards, vibraharp); James "Otiste" Drumgole (trumpet, flugelhorn, claves, background vocals); Tyrone Williams(keyboards, vocoder, cowbells); Kevin "D'No" Douglas (keyboards, bassguitar, cowbells, background vocals); Samuel The Banger (drums, percussion); Emmanuel "Joe Rock" Redding (percussion).

Albums:

Welcome To Our World (Cotillion LP, 1976)

Believe (Cotillion LP, 1977)

Three Miles High (Atlantic LP, 1978)

In The Purest Form (Cotillion LP, 1979)

Masterpiece (Cotillion LP, 1980)

Turn Up The Music (Cotillion LP, 1981)

In A City Groove (Cotillion LP, 1982   

83 (Cotillion LP, 1983)

If any of our readers know where members of Mass Production are, please let us know!

Here is probably the only video I could find featuring the music of Mass Production:

If you look closely, at the 1:37 mark, you will see Charles, our staff writer, dancing to “Sky High” on Soul Train!

Marv D

The Urban Music Scene