Rose Royce

Rose Royce is an American soul and R&B group. They are best known for several hit singles during the 1970s including “Car Wash”, “I Wanna Get Next to You”, “I’m Going Down”, “Wishing on a Star”, and “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore” The Los Angeles-based group originally comprised Henry Garner (drums), Terral “Terry” Santiel (congas), Lequeint “Duke” Jobe (bass), Michael Moore (saxophone), Kenny Copeland (trumpet, lead vocals), Kenji Brown (guitar, lead vocals), Freddie Dunn (trumpet), and Victor Nix (keyboards). 

The group began in the early 1970s, when members of several backup bands from the Watts and Inglewood areas of Los Angeles united under the name Total Concept Unlimited. In 1973, this collective toured England and Japan behind Motown soul star Edwin Starr. 

Starr introduced them to Norman Whitfield, Motown’s ‘psychedelic shaman’ who was responsible for bringing a progressive funk-rock slant to the company, via such productions as Starr’s “War”, The Undisputed Truth’s “Smiling Faces Sometimes” and The Temptations’ “Papa Was A Rolling Stone”. 

The group’s follow-up album, Rose Royce II: In Full Bloom, produced two Top Ten singles, “Do Your Dance” and “Ooh Boy”. It also included “Wishing on a Star”, which for Rose Royce was a top-10 hit only in the UK; it became notable elsewhere through its cover versions, including The Cover Girls’ Top Ten single in 1992. 

During 1978, they released their third album, entitled Rose Royce III: Strikes Again!, and it featured “I’m in Love (And I Love the Feeling)” and “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore”.

Both singles entered the Billboard R&B Top Five. “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore” was a #2 smash hit in the UK, and would later gain greater exposure through its cover versions, most notably by Madonna in 1984 and 1995.