Mtume
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1978 |
| Founder | James Mtume |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Funk, soul music |
Mtume (pronounced em-tu-may) was a notable American ensemble specializing in funk and soul, achieving prominence in the early 1980s with multiple hits in the R&B genre. The group was created by former percussionist James Mtume, who had toured with jazz legend Miles Davis during the early 1970s. Key members included Reggie Lucas, Philip Field, and lead singer Tawatha Agee. Mtume is best remembered for their hit "Juicy Fruit," a track extensively sampled by hip-hop musicians, most famously by Notorious B.I.G. in his 1994 chart-topper "Juicy."
History
At the outset of their career, Mtume released three albums: Alkebu-Lan- The Land of the Blacks (1972) under Strata-East Records, followed by Kawaida (1973), another Alkebu-Lan (1975), and Rebirth Cycle (1977) through the independent label Third Street Records. Although these records did not achieve significant pop or R&B chart success, the band signed with major label Epic Records in 1978. Under Epic, they issued Kiss This World Goodbye (1978) and In Search of the Rainbow Seekers (1980), both garnering moderate attention on R&B charts.
Their 1983 release, Juicy Fruit, marked their peak commercial achievement; its title track dominated the U.S. R&B chart for eight consecutive weeks and received gold certification from the RIAA, despite only reaching number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100. The subsequent album, You, Me, and He (1984), also saw success, with its title song climbing to number two on the R&B chart. The group’s last top ten R&B single was "Breathless" from their 1986 album Theater of the Mind. Mtume remained active with Epic Records through the late 1980s, while Tawatha Agee embarked on her solo career beginning in 1987.
Other success
Beyond Mtume's active years as a band, James Mtume developed a distinguished career as a producer and songwriter. Together with fellow band member Reggie Lucas, he co-wrote Stephanie Mills' Top Ten hit Never Knew Love Like This Before, which earned them a Grammy Award for Best R&B Songwriting and Production. Their songwriting portfolio also includes acclaimed tracks for Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway such as The Closer I Get to You and Back Together Again.
Following Mtume's disbandment, James Mtume contributed to R. Kelly's Freak Tonight, featured on the soundtrack for A Thin Line Between Love and Hate, and co-produced Mary J. Blige’s album Share My World. His production credits extend to artists like Roy Ayers and the Bar-Kays, as well as composing the theme music for the 1990s television police series New York Undercover.
Reggie Lucas collaborated with Jellybean Benitez to produce much of Madonna’s debut album, including notable hits such as Borderline and Lucky Star.
Tawatha Agee shifted towards providing backing vocals, lending her voice to Steely Dan’s 2003 album Everything Must Go, Empire of the Sun’s 2013 release Ice on the Dune, and Lenny Kravitz’s 2014 album Strut.
Philip Field continued his work as a producer and songwriter for artists including Gwen Guthrie, Tyrone Brunson, the Bar-Kays, and Charles Earland. He co-wrote and co-produced Roy Ayers' album You Might Be Surprised, along with Toni Braxton's hit single How Many Ways from her self-titled debut album.
Members
Past members
- James Mtume – vocals, percussion, keyboards (1978–1995; deceased 2022)
- Hubert Eaves III – keyboards (1978–1980)
- Tawatha Agee – vocals (1978–1986)
- Reggie Lucas – guitar (1978–1980; deceased 2018)
- Basil Fearrington – bass guitar (1978–1980)
- Howard King – drums (1978–1980)
- Philip Field – keyboards, synthesizer programming, vocals (1982–1995)
- Ed "Tree" Moore – guitar (1982–1986)
- Raymond Jackson – bass guitar (1982–1986)
- Leslie Ming – drums (1982–1995)
Studio albums
| Year | Album | Highest chart positions | Certifications | Label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 |
US R&B |
UK Albums Chart | ||||
| 1978 | Kiss This World Goodbye | — | — | — | Epic | |
| 1980 | In Search of the Rainbow Seekers | 119 | 30 | — | ||
| 1983 | Juicy Fruit | 26 | 3 | — |
| |
| 1984 | You, Me and He | 77 | 5 | 85 | ||
| 1986 | Theater of the Mind | 135 | 23 | — | ||
Compilation albums
- The Best of Mtume & Lucas featuring Reggie Lucas (Expansion, 2004)
- Juicy (Sony BMG, 2005)
- Prime Time: The Epic Anthology (SoulMusic, 2017)
Singles
| Year | Single | Highest chart rankings | Certifications | Album | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 |
US R&B |
US Dance |
UK | |||||||||||
| 1978 | "Just Funnin'" | — | 93 | — | — | Kiss This World Goodbye | ||||||||
| "Funky Constellation" | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| 1980 | "Give It on Up (If You Want To)" | — | 26 | 30 | — | In Search of the Rainbow Seekers | ||||||||
| "So You Wanna Be a Star" | — | 60 | 52 | — | ||||||||||
| 1983 | "Juicy Fruit" | 45 | 1 | 30 | 34 |
|
Juicy Fruit | |||||||
| "Would You Like To (Fool Around)" | — | 11 | — | — | ||||||||||
| "Green Light" | — | 66 | — | — | ||||||||||
| 1984 | "You, Me and He" | 83 | 2 | — | — | You, Me and He | ||||||||
| "Prime Time" | — | — | — | 57 | ||||||||||
| "C.O.D. (I'll Deliver)" | — | 20 | — | — | ||||||||||
| "I Simply Like" | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| 1986 | "Breathless" | — | 9 | — | — | Theater of the Mind | ||||||||
| "P.O.P. (Pursuits of Pleasure) Generation" | — | 39 | — | — | ||||||||||
| "Body & Soul (Take Me)" | — | 71 | — | — | ||||||||||
"—" indicates a release that did not enter the charts. | ||||||||||||||