“Outstanding” by The Gap Band

The Gap Band’s 1982 hit “Outstanding” is one of those songs that listeners can always rely on to lift their spirits and put them in a chill, relaxed mood. It has a familiar, reassuring quality, like that close friend who can always make you smile no matter how down you feel. The elegant R&B anthem is exquisitely performed and arranged, seamlessly melding soul, jazz, and funk. Charlie Wilson delivers a rich, soulful vocal performance, complemented by the splendid background vocals. He expresses his deep love and admiration for his lady and how fortunate he is to have her. The musicianship on this track is first-class, with a cool, jazzy bass line, breezy horns, smooth keyboards, and a funky beat. It also features a brilliant chorus. 

“Outstanding” was written and arranged by Gap Band drummer and percussionist Raymond Calhoun. He said that his one-year-old daughter inspired the song. He discussed the song’s conception during an interview on the Can We Talk R&B? podcast, which aired on September 14, 2026: 

My daughter was on the couch playing…my daughter Mika, and I was looking at her, and I was playing these chords [on a Fender Rhodes electric piano]. And I was looking at my daughter. I said, “Man, she’s so outstanding.” I was so proud of my daughter. The song was initially written about my daughter. The inspiration came from my daughter.

Calhoun said that he “flipped the lyrics” to make the song more commercial, changing the theme from love and pride for his infant daughter to grown-up romance. He said he played the drums, percussion, bass, and all the keyboard parts on the track. The only instruments he didn’t play were the horns and guitar. 

“Outstanding” was the third single from the Gap Band’s platinum-selling sixth album, Gap Band IV, released May 17, 1982, on Total Experience Records. The song was released in November 1982. It topped Billboard’s R&B singles chart, peaked at #51 on the Billboard Hot 100, and climbed to #24 on Billboard’s Dance Club Songs chart. And it reached #68 on the UK singles chart. 

“Outstanding” is one of the Gap Band’s biggest hits and an enduring R&B standard. It’s a staple on classic R&B, soul, and Quiet Storm radio stations and can be heard blasting at countless cookouts and family get-togethers. And it has been embraced by the hip-hop community and sampled on 154 songs, including “Happy” by Ashanti, featuring Ja Rule and “Da B Side” by Da Brat, featuring the Notorious B.I.G. and Jermaine Dupri. It was featured on the film soundtracks La Haine (1995), The Firm (2009), and Aloha (2015). The song has also been featured in several TV series. 

The personnel for Gap Band IV was Charlie Wilson (lead and backing vocals, keyboards, synthesizer, percussion), Robert Wilson (bass, percussion, lead and backing vocals), Ronnie Wilson (trumpet, flugelhorn, keyboards, synthesizer, percussion, and backing vocals), Raymond Calhoun (drums, percussion, keyboards, and synthesizer), Dionne Oliver (bass), Ronnie Kaufman (percussion), guitar (Fred Jenkins, Glen Nightingale, Jimi Macon), keyboards (Luis Cabaza, Oliver Scott, and Robert "Goodie" Whitfield), horns (Andy Ward, Earl Roberson, Larry Stone, and Oliver Scott), synthesizer (Luis Cabaza, Oliver Scott, Robert "Goodie" Whitfield), and backing vocals (Alisa Peoples, Cavin Yarbrough, David Drew, Sheila Young Lonnie Simmons, Marva King, Maxayne Lewis, Rudy Taylor, and Val Young). Lonnie Simmons produced the album.

The Gap Band performing "Outstanding" live in Houston, Texas in 1983

The Gap Band performing "Outstanding" live sometime in the 1990s

"Outstanding" is available at Amazon