Starland Vocal Band
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1975 |
| Defunct | 1981 |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. , United States |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
Starland Vocal Band was a pop ensemble from the United States, primarily recognized for their hit single "Afternoon Delight," which ranked among the best-selling tracks of 1976.
Career
Initially, the group began as Fat City, a duo consisting of spouses Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert. Together, they co-authored "I Guess He'd Rather Be in Colorado" and collaborated with John Denver on the successful "Take Me Home, Country Roads," which was officially designated as a state song of West Virginia in 2014. Between 1969 and 1974, the pair released two albums under the name Fat City and two additional albums as Bill & Taffy.
In the mid-1970s, Starland Vocal Band was established and signed to Windsong Records, owned by Denver. The group included Jon Carroll (handling keyboards, guitar, and vocals) and Margot Chapman (vocals). Carroll and Chapman married in 1978.
Their first album, Starland Vocal Band, featured the track "Afternoon Delight," which achieved number one status in the United States and charted internationally. In 1977, the band received four Grammy Award nominations, winning Best Arrangement for Voices and Best New Artist, outperforming contenders such as Boston. Their subsequent album, Rear View Mirror, reached number 104 on the Billboard 200 chart.
During the summer of 1977, the band hosted a CBS variety program titled The Starland Vocal Band Show for six weeks. Notably, David Letterman contributed as both a writer and a regular performer on this show.
The band was unable to duplicate their initial commercial success and ultimately disbanded in 1981. That same year, Carroll and Chapman ended their marriage; Danoff and Nivert divorced in 1982. Each member embarked on solo endeavors but maintained friendly relations. They briefly reunited in 1998 for concerts that included their children as supporting vocalists and appeared on a 2007 New Jersey Network special performing "Afternoon Delight."
In 2010, Billboard placed "Afternoon Delight" at number 20 on its list of the sexiest songs ever recorded. The song’s lasting appeal led to its inclusion in films such as PCU, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, and Good Will Hunting, as well as television programs like The Simpsons and South Park. Additionally, it was performed on the musical television series Glee in 2011.
Studio albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| US | ||
| 1976 | Starland Vocal Band
|
20 |
| 1977 | Rear View Mirror
|
104 |
| 1978 | Late Nite Radio
|
— |
| 1980 | 4 X 4
|
— |
| 1980 | Christmas at Home
|
— |
| "—" indicates albums that did not enter the charts. | ||
A compilation CD titled Afternoon Delight: The Best of the Starland Vocal Band was issued in 1995 by K-tel. In the same year, Collectables Records released Afternoon Delight: A Golden Classics Edition, which featured all tracks from their first two albums.
Singles
| Year | A/B-side tracks | Catalog # (Windsong) |
Highest chart rankings | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US |
AUS |
CAN |
CAN AC |
UK | ||||
| 1976 | "Afternoon Delight" / "Starland" | 10588 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 18 | Starland Vocal Band |
| "California Day" / "War Surplus Baby" | 10785 | 66 | — | — | 22 | — | ||
| "Hail! Hail! Rock and Roll!" / "Ain't It the Fall" | 10855 | 71 | — | 92 | — | — | ||
(Note: Chart data for singles released between 1977 and 1980 primarily show limited or no chart impact; only significant entries are included here.)
Grammy Awards
The Grammy Awards, bestowed each year by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, honored the group with two victories out of four total nominations.
| 1977 | Starland Vocal Band | Best New Artist | |
| "Afternoon Delight" | Record of the Year | ||
| Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals | |||
| Best Arrangement for Voices (duo, group or chorus) |
See also
External links
- [ Starland Vocal Band] at AllMusic
- Jon Carroll official website
- Bill Danoff official website