Eruption (British band)
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1969 (as Silent Eruption) |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Products | Music recordings, singles, albums |
Eruption was a British ensemble specializing in disco, R&B, and soul genres during the 1970s and 1980s. They are primarily recognized for their successful renditions of Ann Peebles' I Can't Stand the Rain and Neil Sedaka's One Way Ticket, both of which became prominent disco chart-toppers in 1978 and 1979.
History
Originally established in 1969 under the name Silent Eruption by Caribbean-descended musicians, the group adopted the name Eruption in 1974. That same year, Precious Wilson joined as a backing vocalist and was elevated to lead singer after winning the RCA Soul Search competition in 1975. This victory paved the way for their debut single, Let Me Take You Back in Time. The band secured performance engagements in Germany, where talent scout Hans-Jörg Mayer, associated with producer Frank Farian, discovered them. Subsequently, they signed with Hansa Records and served as the supporting act for Boney M.'s initial European tour.
Eruption’s first major success arrived with the 1977 release of "Party, Party," followed by their rendition of I Can't Stand the Rain, which reached number one in Belgium and Australia, climbed to No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart, and attained No. 18 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Both songs were included on their self-titled debut album released in December of that year. Their sophomore album, Leave a Light (1978), featured the popular cover "One Way Ticket," which peaked at No. 9 in the UK.
In 1979, Eruption appeared with Boney M. in the German motion picture Disco Fever. That year marked Precious Wilson’s departure to launch a solo career; she was succeeded by Kim Davis as lead vocalist. The band achieved another German top 10 charting with "Go Johnnie Go" from their third album, Fight Fight Fight. After Kim Davis passed away due to a brain hemorrhage, Jane Jochen took over vocal duties. Their cover of Del Shannon's "Runaway" (1980) reached No. 21 on German charts. Following a compilation release and additional singles, Eruption signed with Jupiter Records under Ralph Siegel’s direction.
Without Wilson’s distinctive voice, their commercial momentum diminished; singles from their fourth studio album Our Way experienced minimal chart presence. In 1983, drummer Eric Kingsley exited and was replaced by Andi Weekes Barbados. The band ultimately dissolved in 1985. Remixed editions of their hits were issued in 1988 and again in 1994 to promote compilations produced by Farian. Precious Wilson obtained the rights to the Eruption name in 1997 and continues to perform under this banner with new members, although none of the original lineup remain active.
Band members
- Greg Perrineau (guitar)
- Morgan Perrineau (bass)
- Gerry Williams (keyboards) (1975–1985) (deceased 14 May 2020)
- Eric Kingsley (drums)
- Lindel Leslie (lead vocals 1975–1976) (deceased August 2015)
- Precious Wilson (lead vocals 1974–1979)
- Kim Davis (lead vocals 1980) (deceased 1980)
- Jane Jochen (lead vocals 1980–1985)
- Andi Weekes Barbados (drums 1983–1985)
Studio albums
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | NOR | SWE | US | US R&B | ||
| 1977 | Eruption | 14 | — | 25 | 133 | 44 |
| 1979 | Leave a Light | 42 | 19 | — | — | — |
| 1980 | Fight Fight Fight | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1983 | Our Way | — | — | — | — | — |
Compilations
Hansa
- 1981: The Best of Eruption (features selections from Precious Wilson's solo projects alongside Eruption tracks)
- 1994: Gold – 20 Super Hits (comprises songs from both Precious Wilson's solo albums and Eruption)
- 1995: I Can't Stand the Rain
Sony Music
- 2006: Best of the Best (reissue of Gold, containing tracks from Precious Wilson's solo career and Eruption)
- 2007: Greatest Hits (another release of the Gold compilation)
Big Break Records
- 2017: The Best of Eruption (reissue of the 1981 album with an additional five bonus tracks, CD format, CDBBRX0365)
Singles
rowSpan=2 1980 Go Johnnie Go — — 12 — 8 — — — — 10 — — — Fight Fight Fight Runaway — — — — 21 — — — — — — — — The Best of Eruption rowSpan=2 1981 You (You Are My Soul) — — — — 65 — — — — — — — — In a 1000 Years — — — — — — — — — — — Our Way rowSpan=2 1982 Up and Away — — — — — — — — — — — Joy to the World ————— Our Way rowSpan=2 1983 I Can't Help Myself ——————— Sophisticated Lady ——————— 1985 1988 1994 colspan=17 style=text-aling:centre; font-size:9pt; "|—" indicates singles that did not enter the charts.| Year | Title | Highest chart rankings | Certifications | Album | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | AUS | AUT | BEL | GER | IRE | NLD | NOR | SWE | SWI | US | US R&B | US Dance | ||||
| 1975 | "Let Me Take You Back in Time" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1977 | "Party, Party" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | rowspan=3Eruption | |
| "I Can't Stand the Rain" | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 18 | 30 | 6 |
| ||
| 1978 | "Computer Love" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | style="text-align=center">— | ||
| "Party, Party" (re-release) | — | — | — | 19 | — | — | 16 | — | — | — | — | — |
rowspan=2 data-sort-value="" style="background: var(--background-color-interactive, #ececec); color: var(--color-base, inherit); vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | — | |||
| "Love Is a Feelin'" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Leave a Light" | — | — | — | — | 43 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
rowspan=2 Leave a Light | ||
| "One Way Ticket" | style =" text - align : center " 9
10 1 2 7 13 5 — — — — — — BPI: Silver | |||||||||||||||
| "Where Do I Begin" | ||||||||||||||||
| "I Can't Stand the Rain 88" | ||||||||||||||||
| "One Way Ticket (Remix '94)" |
Gold – 20 Super Hits | |||||||||||||||