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| Chris, Patrick & Alex The Gibson Brothers |
| Real life brothers Chris, Patrick and Alex Gibson hail from Martinique, West Indies. Like many other disco stars very little is known about them before or after the disco era. We do know that around 1976 they came under the guidance of Daniel Vangarde, a music producer. They cut their first single that year with the tune "Come To America." The salsa flavored tune caught on in Europe but America was not yet ready to embrace their brand of disco music. Undaunted the brothers continued to record. The next 12" single they released, "Non-Stop Dance," was their first million seller. The song topped many European charts but eluded the American club scene. By 1977 music icon Henry Stone had caught wind of the talented brothers and their international success. He quickly licensed two tracks for release on his T.K. label. The 12" single of "Heaven" backed with "Symphony" would be their first domestic release. It did receive some club play but failed make them well known in the tough American disco market. Despite their apparent lack of American success they were enjoying the 'pop life' globally and producer Vangarde was convinced that with the right tune America would also come around. He found that tune in 1978. "Cuba" was their career-defining song. The mix of latin beats, percussion and a catchy rhythm shot the song to #-1 in several countries, top ten in America, and earned them an impressive 14 Gold records worldwide. The 12" single was released domestically on Mango records, with the dismal sales of "Heaven" Stone passed on optioning the release much to his dismay. The brothers ushered in 1979 with another smash. "Ooh What A Life" did not rack up the impressive numbers in America as "Cuba" had done, but it did have a respectable chart showing and naturally faired better in the European markets. The Mango 12" single was a promotional-only item and is still highly coveted. But 1979 was not a lost year for the brothers. They quickly rebounded with another Mango records 12" single that would rescue them from becoming a one-hit wonder act. "Que Sera Mi Vida" was equally as popular in the club scene, but radio was on the verge of disco overload and passed on it. The single also peaked at #-1 in the international club markets giving them another gold record. With the collapse of disco music in 1980 the brothers would not find an American market again. But they continued to tour and record to delighted fans around the world. Their 1987 album, "Emily," earned them a 'Group Of The Year' award in Europe. A Candian Unidisc compilation released in 1996 "The Best Of The Gibson Brothers" featured all of their American 12" singles and many of their global hits as well. A brand new release in 1997 entitled "Move On Up" was a mixture of new songs and cover versions and received critical praise. Producer Daniel Vangarde is still racking up hits most recently producing his son's band Daft Punk. |
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