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| Evelyn "Champagne" King |
| Born July 1, 1960, in the Bronx, NY, Evelyn has a show biz lineage. Her uncle was actor/singer/dancer Avon Long who first played Sportin' Life in "Porgy and Bess" and later starred in the '70s play "Bubblin’ Brown Sugar." Her father, Erik King, was a singer and often filled in or augmented the various singing groups that appeared at New York's Apollo Theater. He'd often bring his preteen daughter along to watch from the wings. By her teens, King had relocated to Philadelphia, with her mother, Johnniea. She began singing in various groups; often walking from one side of Philly to the other for the exercise and because sometimes she didn’t have bus fare. King also became interested in weight training, which strengthened her budding vocal skills. To make ends meet, King's mother and older sister became after-hours cleaning women. While working one night at Philadelphia International Records' recording base, Sigma Sound Studios, soul producer T. (Theodore) Life, a former member of the band Instant Funk, overheard some tantalizing vocals coming from a washroom. At 15, Evelyn was working, filling in for her sister, and singing "A Change Is Gonna Come." Signing the singer to a production deal with his Life's Galaxy Productions, he began gathering song material for the teenager with the grown woman's voice. Getting a deal with RCA Records, Life's first single with Evelyn "Champagne" King (nicknamed Bubbles as a baby because she blew saliva bubbles and later adopted the similarly themed nickname "Champagne") was "Dancin'"Dancin' "Dancin'," co-written by Life and Teddy Pendergrass b/w "Till I Come Off the Road." Her debut LP "Smooth Talk" was released in August 1977. But it was a song written by John Fitch and Reuben Cross called "Shame," that gave her career-launching success. The extended 12" disco mix by New York club DJs-turned-record remixers Al Garrison and David Todd began gaining radio play. Eventually it went gold, hitting number seven R&B, and number nine pop on Billboard's charts in the spring of 1978. The 12" mix is available on the 1997 RCA CD, "Club Cutz, Vol. 2." The follow-up, "I Don't Know If It's Right," also remixed by Garrison and Todd, went gold also, peaking at number seven R&B, and number twenty three pop in the fall of 1978. The 12" mix is available on "Groovin' You: Big 12 Inches" issued in May of 1999 by BMG/Buddha. The sparse ballad, "The Show Is Over," and "We're Going To A Party" received minor radio airplay. "Smooth Talk" went gold, peaking at number eight R&B, and number fourteen pop in the summer of 1978. Producer T. Life enlisted a few different players on King's sophomore set. The resulting flavor is a bit jazzier than 1977's "Smooth Talk," but also more formulaic and predictable. The fun, funky grooves are replaced here by thinner dance concoctions; and furthermore, the songs themselves aren't as substantial, lyrically or melodically. Still 1979's "Music Box" did produce two 12" singles, the pumping title tracking and the equally festive yet unsuccessful "Out There." Both of which helped the album achieve Gold status. King's strong, deep-voiced stylings and sensitive edge are the saving graces on her first album of the 1980's. Despite overall sturdy production, many of the melodies simply linger on and on and the arrangements don't have much chance to take off. Besides the sassy 12" single of "Let's Get Funky Tonight" and the warm, understated "Just A Little Bit Of Love, " there aren't any particularly memorable moments. 1980's "Call On Me" was her first release to NOT achieve at least Gold status. Whereas the previous year's "Music Box" relied on formulaic disco tracks, "Call On Me" tries to establish King in a funkier vein. Moving into the new decade she began working with former B.T. Express member Kashif as her producer. Her fourth album, "I'm In Love," is a generally excellent release that found the singer being commercially and creatively revitalized. Half of the songs were produced by Kashif associate Morrie Brown (with Kashif and Lawrence Jones serving as associate producers), while the other half were produced by Willie Lester and Rodney Brown. Either way, "I'm In Love" is King's most rewarding and commercially successful effort since "Smooth Talk," and she is undeniably inspired on gems that range from the funky title song 12" single (a major hit that Kashif wrote) and the assertive 12" single "Spirit Of The Dancer" to the ballads "Don't Hide Our Love" and "The Best Is Yet To Come." An interesting tidbit: with "I'm In Love," King temporarily dropped the "Champagne" from her name and simply went by Evelyn King. Hot off the heels of her successful comeback album, "I'm In Love," King was in her commercial prime when "Get Loose" hit the stores in 1982. One of the earliest R&B/funk female vocalists to use the music video medium (for 1981's "I'm In Love"), she was frequently on airwaves in the early 1980's with songs like the 12" singles of "Love Come Down" and the title track "Get Loose." The romantic lyrics and celestial keyboard layerings against a steady funk beat on "Love Come Down" were expertly layed down by Kashif, who would become a prominent R&B producer and artist in his own right. His stamp is also on many of the album's other cuts, though Morrie Brown is the album's actual producer. Meanwhile the title track is a colorful uptempo number that harkens back slightly to 1977's "Shame." Equally appealing are the refined "Back to Love" and "I'm Just Warmin' Up, " the album's soothing closer. King sounds fresh and stylish throughout, making "Get Loose" one of her strongest efforts. As the 1980's progressed, Evelyn "Champagne" King (by now she had reclaimed her nickname), switched producers more frequently, in an effort to keep up with the more quickly changing patterns of dance-driven R&B music. 1984's "Face To Face" didn't advance her career, but it did keep her name out in the publics mind. The first two 12" singles released from the album, "Action" and "Shake Down, " are the strongest entries: the former is an assertive, well-produced jam with pop sensibilities; the latter is a midtempo funk romp with sparse production and widely spaced vocals. Indeed, King is not necessarily the "main attraction" on "Shake Down," as Andre Cymone's production is quite an integral part of the song. But, unlike the other tracks he produced on "Face To Face," it's still complementary to King and doesn't overshadow her flair. It's on caustic and overdone numbers (which Cymone also wrote) like the titlecut and the third 12" single "Teenager" that her performances seem as bored as the tracks themselves. Even on cuts handled by the production team of Leon Sylvers III, Foster Sylvers, and Joey Gallo, the "tracks"are emphasized and treated so much that they become numbing all too soon. Ultimately, besides "Action" and "Shake Down," there aren't any remotely interesting moments. On the heels of 1983's artistically and commercially disappointing "Face To Face," King served up a much more consistent follow-up with her seventh album. From the onset of the set's vivacious opener, "Show Me (Don't Tell Me)" - with a lyrical context notably similar to 1983's "Action," "So Romantic" allows King plenty of room to showcase her flair for dance music without overcrowding her with excessive electronic gimmicks. It does an impressive job of melding dancefloor beats with rock guitars and keyboards - a vein in which the singer is very at home. Whether it be the intelligently produced 12" single "Just For The Night," boasting an understated echo-chamber effect that is concentrated in the background; the straightforward and soulful "Give Me One Reason" (one of the set's most melodic tunes, along with the emotive "Till Midnight"); or the nocturnal rocker "I'm So Romantic," or the funky 12" single "Out Of Control," the overall sound is very solid with an adept mixture of live instrumentation and synthesizers. With King's bold vocals atop them, the songs on "So Romantic" make it a worthwhile album. Succumbing to computerized R&B trends of the day, King's swan song for RCA is perhaps the least impressive of her catalog for the label, spare a couple of saving moments. 1985's "A Long Time Coming (A Change Is Gonna Come)" has generic dance numbers such as the 12" singles of "High Horse" and "Slow Down" that lack any riveting melodies or arrangements. Nonetheless, King injects her usual zest into the mediocre material, turning what would be mere throwaway entries into moderately enjoyable ditties. In a sort of return to roots, there's the title track remake of Sam Cooke's "A Long Time Coming," the song King was singing when producer T. Life discovered her at Sigma Studios in 1976. This is one of the set's better moments; the others are the memorable "Chemistry of Love" and the Top Ten R&B 12" hit "Your Personal Touch." Even on the latter, however, the instrumental feel is disappointingly thin and not nearly as funky as earlier efforts. Only King completists will find this a necessary addition to their collections. King's 1988 debut EMI album, "Flirt," marked an artistically lackluster point in her career. The 12" single releases were well chosen, resulting in Top Ten R&B hits in the title track and "Hold On To What You've Got." King's second set for EMI, 1989's "The Girl Next Door," boasted a noteworthy selection of snagging urban/hip-hop jams and mellow house grooves that ultimately suffered from almost zilch promotion and got lost in the hoopla of the change of decades. Catchy gems like the titletrack and the pulsating "Magnet" are radio-friendly in their hooks and production, and would've made strong singles. Indeed, the two 12" singles released, "Day To Day" and "Do Right," have their strengths. The down-low funk and no-mess lyrics of "Do Right" are simply irresistible; and the quietly groovin' "Day To Day" exudes a peaceful musical vibe thoroughly enhanced by King's deep and husky vocal. But perhaps at least one more obvious single choice would've boosted sales of "The Girl Next Door" and prevented its follow-up album ("I'll Keep A Light On") from being shelved. Besides the aforementioned uptempo selections, the set's ballads and midtempo cuts are equally commendable. The plush, breezy "Cross Your Mind" is King's strongest slow-jam to date: not over-belted - just cool and understated, yet quite emotive. And her remake of The Isley Brothers' "Footsteps In The Dark" invokes reflections of Lalah Hathaway. It all adds up to one of her better albums. In 1995, "I'll Keep A Light On" was finally optioned and released by the U.K. label Expansion Records. The quality production featured musicians such as Larry Graham, Jeff Lorber, and Paul Jackson Jr. The album even includes a 1990's remake of "Shame." Her last recorded effort was a well-played and highly publicized 12" single, "One More Time " (1996) on King Street Sounds. Evelyn continues to perform onstage frequently. She is at home in a club atmosphere encouraging the audience to sing along and dance to her old hits and new songs. She can be seen in disco revues, events such as Sinbad's Soul Festivals, and solo club dates like her November 14, 1998 show at the legendary Apollo Theater in New York. Her most recent appearance was her interview on VH1’s "100 Greatest Dance Songs" during October 2000. |
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