Heatwave

Encapsulating all the energy and excitement of the dancefloor, Heatwave's 1977 earworm "Boogie Nights" became one of the best-loved tracks of the disco era. The song was written by keyboardist Rod Temperton and was featured on the international funk-disco group's debut 1976 album, Too Hot to Handle, produced by Barry Blue. Certified platinum in the US, "Boogie Nights" made it to Number 2 in the UK and became of the most recognizable disco tracks by a UK-based group. Heatwave's next single from Too Hot to Handle, the slow soul jam "Always and Forever", also became a timeless classic that has been covered by numerous artists throughout the years. Heatwave released their second album Central Heating in 1978, also produced by Blue and featuring the single "The Groove Line". The track became another canonical favorite, sampled by Public Enemy in 1987. Founded by American servicemen brothers Johnnie Wilder Jr. (born in Dayton, Ohio on July 3, 1949) and Keith Wilder in Germany, the pair joined forces with songwriter and keyboardist Rod Temperton after relocating to the UK. Spanish bassist Mario Mantese, Czechoslovakian drummer Emest Berger and American guitarists Jesse Whittens and Eric Johns were later welcomed into the fold and Heatwave was born. The band released third album Current in 1982, but a string of departures effectively rendered the group inactive after that. Fourth album The Fire arrived in 1988, but the only original member featured on the LP was Keith Wilder. In addition to weathering lineup changes over the years, tragedy struck on more than one occasion for Heatwave; Mantese was left blind, mute and paralyzed after being stabbed by his girlfriend. In 1979, Johnnie Wilder, Jr., suffered injuries in a car accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down. Johnnie Wilder died in Dayton, Ohio on May 13, 2006, Temperton died in London in 2016, and Keith Wilder died in October 2017.

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