“Give Up The Funk (Let’s Dance)" By B.T. Express

At the dawn of the 1980s, Brooklyn groove outfit B.T. Express was still going hard in the paint with its exciting brand of disco-funk, dropping bumpin’ party jams like “Give Up The Funk (Let’s Dance).” This sizzling dance groove has the classic B.T. Express sound: phat bass, superb horn charts, powerful beat, funky rhythm guitar licks and catchy party chants. Also, the smooth keyboard work adds some extra flavor to the groove. With this track, the band showed that it could still throw down when it came to creating irresistible dance floor-ready funk grooves.

The song was written by saxophonist/flutist Carlos Ward, an original member of B.T. Express. The players on the track were Jamal Rasool (bass), Tyrone “Turkey” Govane (drums), Bill Risbrook (tenor saxophone), Rick Thompson (guitar), John Adams (keyboards), Wesley “Pike” Hall, Jr. (guitar), Dennis Rowe (percussion) and Carlos Ward (alto saxophone). Ward was also responsible for the track’s terrific horn arrangement. Vocals were provided by Thompson, Rasool, Rowe and Hall.

“Give Up The Funk (Let’s Dance)” was a single from B.T. Express’s sixth studio album 1980, which was produced by Morrie Brown and released on Columbia Records. The song had a solid showing on the charts, peaking at #24 on the U.S. R&B singles chart and #22 on the dance chart. It was the band’s last song to crack the top 40.

In 1974, B.T. Express made a big splash in the music game with the crossover disco-funk smashes "Do It ('Til You're Satisfied)” and “Express.” The band continued to score R&B and dance hits during that decade and is considered one of the pivotal music acts of the disco-funk movement.

"Give Up The Funk (Let's Dance) at Amazon

Related blog entry: B.T. Express Kept Dance Floors Packed With Smash "Do It ('Til You're Satisfied)"