B.T. Express comprised (at varying times) of:
Bill Risbrook (b. 14th January, New York City, U.S.A. - saxophone, flute, vocals)
his brother:
Louis Risbrook (26th June, New York City, U.S.A. - bass, vocals)
Carlos Ward (b. 1st May, Panama. - saxophone, flute, piccolo, woodwind)
Richard Thompson (b. 6th January, Fairfax, South Carolina, U.S.A. - lead guitar, vocals)
Dennis Rowe (b. 23rd October, St. Louis, Missourri, U.S.A. - congas, timbales, bongo's, percussion)
Leslie Ming (17th November, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A. - drums)
Terrell Woods (drums)
Jamal Rasool (bass, lead vocals)
Wesley 'Pike' Hall (lead guitar, vocals) (b. 1952, U.S.A. d. May 2020, U.S.A.)
Michael Jones (26th December, New York City, U.S.A. - clavinet, moog, organ, fender rhodes, vocals)
Kashif(keyboards)
and
Barbara Joyce Lomas (b. 19th May, Bessemer, Alabama, U.S.A. - tambourine, vocals)
The original incarnation of B.T. Express were known as the King Davis House Rockers in 1972.
This Brooklyn-based group underwent several name changes, including the Madison Street Express and the Brothers Trucking, before finally settling on B.T. Express.
jeff lane 1976
B.T. standing for Brooklyn Transit and were formed by Jeff Lane.
B.T. Express scored two gold discs with their first hits, 'Do It ('Til You're Satisfied)', in 1974 and 'Express', the following year for the Roadshow label.
The album 'Non Stop' followed in 1975, which was also recorded for the same label.
In 1976, a CBS Columbia 45 entitled 'Can't Stop Groovin' Now, Wanna Do It Some More' was released, which was followed by a parent album entitled 'Energy To Burn'.
Produced by Jeff Lane, with string arrangement input from Brass Construction member, Randy Muller, this set proved popular upon the U.K. dancefloors.
In 1977 the group released 'Function At The Junction', a set followed in 1978 by the album 'Shout!'.
The album '1980', contained the track 'Does It Feel Good', that has recently become sampled on a pop chart hit for the Ibiza set.
The track 'Give Up The Funk' proved popular on the dancefloors at the time and reached the Top 40 at number 24.
One final album arrived on the Coast To Coast imprint, entitled 'Keep It Up'.
Although the group enjoyed chart success, they suffered from the anonymity that followed many funk and disco outfits.
Their final releases came in the mid 1980's on labels including Record Shack, Earthtone, and King Davis with 12" singles, in a house music style, including 'Uptown Express'.
B.T. Express featured in their ranks, Kashif.
He became a respected singer / songwriter through the eighties and nineties, producing albums for artists Evelyn King, Melba Moore and Kenny G.
Albums:
Do It (Til You're Satisfied) (Roadshow Records 1974)
Non-Stop (Roadshow Records 1975)
Energy To Burn (Columbia Records 1976)
Function At The Junction (Columbia Records 1977)
Shout! (Columbia Records 1978)
B.T. Express 1980 (Columbia Records 1980)
Keep It Up (Coast To Coast Records 1982)
B.T. Express (Harmless Records 2007)
