Cameo

Cameo - Word Up (1986)

Love the gloves & jock straps! in this footage, the soundman had trouble with Larry's microphone, I've boosted mid-range audio to recover it. The song "Word Up!" hit the radio airwaves in mid-1986. Critically acclaimed with large amounts of club and radio airtime, the resulting album Word Up! turned Cameo into superstars.

In 1974, Cameo started out with 23 members created by former Juilliard student and New York-area clubgoer Larry Blackmon (shown) (late of Black Ivory), called the New York City Players. Signed by Casablanca Records to their Chocolate City imprint in 1976, the group soon changed its name to Cameo after concerns that "New York City Players" might cause confusion between them and the funk band Ohio Players. Prior to this, Blackmon, keyboardist Gregory Johnson, and the late Gwen Guthrie formed the band East Coast, together with James Wheeler (alto saxophone), Melvin Whay (bass), Michael Harris (percussion), and Pat Grant (trombone). They released one self-titled album in 1973 on the independent label Encounter.

Cameo started with a deep, funky sound, but it was obvious from the start their sights were set on the dance floor. Their first albums Cardiac Arrest, Ugly Ego, We All Know Who We Are, and Secret Omen contained dance floor songs such as "Rigor Mortis", "I Just Want To Be" and "Find My Way," the latter which was a major disco smash and was included on the soundtrack to Thank God It's Friday.