Raydio
| Company type | Vocal ensemble |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1977 |
| Founder | Ray Parker Jr. |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | United States, United Kingdom |
| Products | Funk and R&B music |
Raydio is a vocal ensemble from the United States known for their contributions to the funk and R&B genres. Established in 1977 by Ray Parker Jr., the original lineup included Vincent Bonham, Jerry Knight, and Arnell Carmichael. The group expanded in 1978 with the addition of Charles Julian Fearing, Larry "Fatback" Tolbert, and Darren Carmichael.
Formation and Success in the 1970s
Following their contract with Arista Records, Raydio gained significant attention in early 1978 with the release of "Jack and Jill," a track from their self-titled debut album. This single climbed to No. 8 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and reached No. 11 on the UK Singles Chart, securing a gold certification. Another notable UK chart entry was "Is This a Love Thing," which peaked at No. 27 in August of the same year. Their subsequent single, "You Can't Change That," featured on the 1979 album Rock On, attained a No. 9 position on the Billboard chart. In that year, Raydio also participated in an anti-nuclear event at Madison Square Garden, where their performance of "You Can't Change That" was included on the No Nukes compilation.
Transition into the 1980s as "Ray Parker Jr. and Raydio"
By late 1980, after Jerry Knight left to pursue solo endeavors, the band adopted the name Ray Parker Jr. and Raydio. Under this new branding, they released two albums: Two Places at the Same Time (1980) and A Woman Needs Love (1981). These albums yielded additional top 40 hits such as "Two Places at the Same Time" (No. 30) and "That Old Song" (No. 21). Their most successful track during this period was "A Woman Needs Love (Just Like You Do)," which peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1981.
With Ray Parker Jr.'s decision to embark on a solo career, the group quietly dissolved in 1981.
Individual Pursuits
During the 1980s, Parker initiated his solo career, achieving six singles within the top 40, including "The Other Woman," which reached No. 4 on pop charts, and the iconic theme song for the film Ghostbusters. The latter dominated the Billboard Hot 100 for three consecutive weeks in 1984.
Jerry Knight also ventured into solo work before forming Ollie & Jerry alongside session drummer Ollie E. Brown. Their prominent successes were soundtrack singles: "Breakin'... There's No Stopping Us" attained No. 9 on the Hot 100 and topped the Hot Dance Club Play chart; "Electric Boogaloo" reached No. 43 on dance charts.
In 2014, original members Arnell Carmichael and Vincent Bonham reassembled Raydio, incorporating James Carmichael (formerly of Arista's Q.T. Hush) and vocalist Giovanni Rogers into the lineup. This incarnation toured with prominent groups including Average White Band, War, Switch, and DeBarge.
Vincent Bonham died in March 2024 at age 67.
Discography
The albums and singles listed below were all released through Arista Records. For works by Ray Parker Jr. as a solo artist, refer to Ray Parker Jr. discography.
Studio albums
| Year | Title | Highest Chart Positions | Certifications (sales thresholds) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Pop | US R&B |
AUS | CAN | SWE | |||||
| 1978 | Raydio | 27 | 8 | 43 | 29 | — |
| ||
| 1979 | Rock On | 45 | 4 | 65 | 42 | — |
| ||
| 1980 | Two Places at the Same Time | 33 | 6 | — | — | 40 |
| ||
| 1981 | A Woman Needs Love | 13 | 1 | — | — | — |
| ||
| "—" indicates releases that did not chart or were unavailable in that region. | |||||||||
Singles
| Year | Song Title | Highest Chart Rankings | Album | Certifications | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Pop | US R&B | US A/C | US Dance | AUS | BEL | CAN | IRE | NLD | NZ | UK | ||||
| 1978 | "Jack and Jill" | 8 | 5 | — | — | 4 | 14 | 5 | — | 24 | 4 | 11 | Raydio |
|
| "Is This a Love Thing" | — | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | 17 | — | — | 27 | |||
| "Honey I'm Rich" | — | 43 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1979 | "You Can't Change That" | 9 | 3 | 25 | — | 6 | 17 | 9 | — | 12 | 12 | — | Rock On | |
| "More Than One Way to Love a Woman" | — | 25 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1980 | "Two Places at the Same Time" | 30 | 6 | 34 | — | — | — | 93 | — | — | — | — | Two Places at the Same Time | |
| "For Those Who Like to Groove" | — | 14 | — | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "Can't Keep You from Cryin'" | — | 57 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1981 | "A Woman Needs Love (Just Like You Do)" | 4 | 1 | 11 | — | 47 | 16 | 8 | — | 9 | 10 | — | A Woman Needs Love | |
| "Still in the Groove" | — | — | — | 35 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "That Old Song" | 21 | 26 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "It's Your Night" | — | 73 | ||||||||||||