Stargard (band)
| Stargard (band) | |
|---|---|
| Origin | United States |
| Genres | Funk, disco, R&B, soul |
| Years active | 1976–1983 |
| Labels |
MCA Records Warner Bros. Records |
| Past members |
Rochelle Runnells Debra Anderson Janice Williams |
Stargard (in the Pomeranian/Kashubian language the term means Old Town, Old City or Old Fortified Settlement; the name can be also phonetically read as star guard) was an American three-piece female funk band, consisting of original members Rochelle Runnells, Debra Anderson, and Janice Williams. Stargard was best known for their 1977 Norman Whitfield-penned hit song "Theme Song from 'Which Way Is Up'" which served as a theme for the movie of the same name starring Richard Pryor. The single, which also anchored the band's 1978 self-titled debut album for MCA Records, charted at #1 on the Billboard R&B chart.[1] The Whitfield-penned title track of their follow up album What You Waitin' For was also a Top 10 R&B hit. The group's last hit came after switching to the Warner Bros. Records label and releasing The Changing Of The Gard, and its standout single "Wear It Out", co-produced by Verdine White of Earth, Wind, & Fire.[2][3]
Anderson left the group shortly after The Changing of the Gard album. The remaining members stayed together to release two more albums; Back 2 Back (Warner Bros., 1980) and Nine Lives (MCA, 1982).
Outside of their recorded output, Stargard appeared as 'the Diamonds' in the 1978 film Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Record label | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [4] |
US R&B [4] |
CAN [5] | ||||||||||||
| 1978 | Stargard | 26 | 12 | 25 | MCA | |||||||||
| What You Waitin' For | 206 | 50 | — | |||||||||||
| 1979 | The Changing of the Gard | — | 57 | — | Warner Bros. | |||||||||
| 1981 | Back 2 Back | 186 | — | — | ||||||||||
| 1982 | Nine Lives | — | — | — | MCA | |||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [4] |
US R&B [4] |
US Dan [4] |
AUS [6] |
CAN [5] |
NLD [7] |
NZ [8] |
UK [9] | |||||||
| 1977 | "Theme Song from 'Which Way Is Up'" | 21 | 1 | 12 | 79 | 24 | 20 | 7 | 19 | Stargard | ||||
| 1978 | "Disco Rufus" | 88 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Love Is So Easy" | — | 75 | — | — | — | — | — | 45 | ||||||
| "What You Waitin' For" | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | 39 | What You Waitin' For | |||||
| "Sensuous Woman" | — | 81 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1979 | "Wear It Out" | — | 43 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | The Changing of the Gard | ||||
| "Runnin' from the Law" | — | 61 | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||
| 1981 | "High on the Boogie" | — | 70 | 59 | — | — | — | — | — | Back 2 Back | ||||
| "Back to the Funk" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1982 | "True Love" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Nine Lives | ||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
References
- ↑ Stargard Biography at AllMusic
- ↑ Stargard Chart History at AllMusic
- ↑ Stargard Albums & Singles on Discogs
- 1 2 3 4 5 "US Charts > Stargard". Billboard. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
- 1 2 "CAN Charts > Stargard". RPM. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
- ↑ David Kent (1993). Australian Charts Book 1970—1992. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ↑ "NLD Charts > Stargard". MegaCharts. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
- ↑ "NZ Charts > Stargard". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
- ↑ "UK Charts > Stargard". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2013-08-16.