Leroy Burgess is another of music history’s backroom stars, a vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer who quietly exerted a significant influence during the decade-long transition from disco to boogie to electro funk and into house music. He not only produced a gorgeous body of uplifting, dance-floor targeted songs, many of which are still DJ staples, but also played an important role in revitalising R’n’B following the commercial excesses and over-saturation of the late-disco period.
Inspired by the soft, light-touch vocal approach of singers like Eddie Kendricks and Smokey Robinson, in 1968 Burgess formed the vocal trio The Mellow Souls, which became Black Ivory, with whom he made a handful of high end soul albums before leaving in ’77. Through his work as a producer, vocalist, instrumentalist and organising force behind numerous groups and studio projects including Logg, Universal Robot Band, Inner Life, The Fantastic Aleems, Convertion and more, Burgess slowed the tempo and the temperature on the dance floor, restoring a high bar for quality that had been abandoned by late-period commercial disco. Burgess was one of the pioneers of integrating synth bass and drum machines into the sonic language of R’n’B, laying down the groundwork for the early/mid 80s electro funk / mainstream soul sound, and his chugging 4/4 rhythm tracks and uplifting piano riffs were a direct influence on the development of house music too. The combination of Burgess’ characteristic songwriting — full of clever, unexpected chord progressions and absolutely packed with euphoric hooks — together with his studio innovations, resulted in a highly distinctive, influential, and genuinely uplifting sound.
Leroy Burgess is still touring today, while the continuing presence on dance floors the world over of songs like Fonda Rae’s “Over Like A Fat Rat,” Universal Robot Band’s “Barely Breaking Even,” Logg’s “I Know You Will, You’re My Number One” from Change, The Fantastic Aleems’ “Release Yourself,” Black Ivory’s peerless “Mainline,” and lesser known boogie gems from Dazzle, Convertion, Phreek, High Frequency, Sympho State and many more is testament to the longevity and quality of his work.