MusicObituaryRobert Wilson obituary
Guitarist behind the Gap Band's pumping, dynamic basslinesThe Gap Band's bass player Robert Wilson, who has died of a heart attack aged 53, began playing music with his brothers Charlie and Ronnie as long ago as 1967. Frequently underestimated by critics, the Gap Band served a long apprenticeship before achieving major chart success in the late 70s. Although their influence waned in the 90s, the group enjoyed a further lease of life when their music was covered or sampled by numerous high-profile hip-hop and R&B artists.
The three Wilson brothers grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and were cousins of Bootsy Collins. Bootsy would become a star with Parliament-Funkadelic during the 70s, and indeed the P-Funk influence would become easily identifiable in the Gap Band's sound. They had originally called themselves the Greenwood, Archer and Pine Streets Band, after three streets in their neighbourhood. For much of the 70s, they survived as backing musicians or support for visiting acts, including the Rolling Stones and Willie Nelson.
In 1974, they were spotted by the session musician turned solo star Leon Russell, who recruited them as his backing band and signed them to his label Shelter. "Leon heard us one night and snatched up the whole band," Robert Wilson recalled. "He basically removed his band and installed us." They recorded an album, Magician's Holiday (1974), for Shelter, but it went nowhere. This led to them recording some sessions with A&M, and then to Tattoo/RCA, where they cut a second album which sold poorly.
It took a move to Los Angeles to bring the group to prominence. With the assistance of the producer Lonnie Simmons, whose label Total Experience had wide distribution through Mercury/Polygram, they recorded the album The Gap Band (1979), which produced the R&B hit Shake. Then they reached No 4 on the R&B charts with the tongue-in-cheek track I Don't Believe You Want to Get Up and Dance, a song from the album The Gap Band II which became better known for its repeated phrase "Oops Upside Your Head". A second track from the album, Steppin' (Out), reached No 10.
The Gap Band III (1980) powered the group to further heights, crossing over onto the Billboard Top 20 and generating an R&B chart-topper in Burn Rubber (Why You Wanna Hurt Me). Gap Band IV (1982) went bigger still, generating three smashes in Outstanding, Early in the Morning and the band's best-remembered hit, You Dropped a Bomb On Me. The latter has subsequently been frequently sampled, and it cropped up in the computer game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
With their stetson hats and glittery satin outfits, the Gap Band were becoming flamboyant flag-wavers for the funk-R&B boom. Wilson's pumping, dynamic basslines had become one of the most identifiable components of the group's distinctive sound, earning him the sobriquet "the Godfather of the bass". "I don't like players whose main goal is to show that they're technical wizards," he commented. "Bass is all about creating a mood."
The album Gap Band V: Jammin' (1983) won a gold disc and brought the hit single Party Train. Gap Band VI (1985) topped the R&B charts as well as providing a clutch of hit singles, yet the Gap Band's career had embarked upon a gentle downward curve. Gap Band VII (1986) reached only 159 on the Billboard charts. They derived some encouragement from a big hit in the UK with Big Fun, from Gap Band 8 (1987), but Straight from the Heart the next year was their swansong for Total Experience.
The band moved to Capitol Records, where their single All of My Love gave them an immediate R&B chart-topper. Despite that, they left Capitol the following year, and released no new material for five years. Changing musical tastes, and Charlie Wilson's problems with drugs and alcohol, were significant factors in the band's decline. Of the five albums they released in the 1990s, only Live & Well (1996) made it into the charts, though the group could still command healthy live audiences.
In the new millennium, the Gap Band's influence has been seen mainly through its impact on newer artists, with Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Notorious BIG, Shaquille O'Neal and Mary J Blige all recording or adapting their work. In 2009, Robert Wilson signed a solo deal with Lucky 7 Records, and was planning to release a solo album in 2010.
He is survived by his wife, Brenda, and daughters, Robin and Latina.
Robert Wilson, bass guitarist, born 1956; died 15 August 2010
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