The group was part of the "Brooklyn sound" of the early 1970s, formed from three players of the group King Davis House Rockers. The House Rockers were a local dance band who had released a couple of obscure singles (1967's "We All Make Mistakes Sometimes" on Verve Records, 1972's "Rum Punch") The three players (guitarist Richard Thompson, tenor sax player Bill Risbrook, and alto sax player Carlos Ward) formed Madison Street Express along with bassist Louis Risbrook (later Muslim-monickered Jamal Rasool), percussionist Dennis Rowe, drummer Terrell Wood, and vocalist Barbara Wood. They along with producer Jeff Lane signed with production company Roadshow Records to record writer Billy Nichols "Do It ('Til You're Satisfied)." The record was shopped around to major labels until it was accepted at Scepter Records. Scepter suggested the group change its name from Madison Street Express, hence the Brooklyn Transit Express. The single was released in August 1974, and reached the top 10. Lane took the group back into the studios at that point to record a second single and pitch a full album to the label. Scepter agreed to the LP and to Roadshow Records having its own label within Scepter Records.
The first two singles were hits, both number 1 R&B releases and both Top 5 pop singles in the US. The album hit number 1 on the R&B album chart and number 5 on the Pop album chart of the US. These recordings were also hits in the spreading disco culture, "Do It" peaking on club playlists before Billboard started a separate disco chart, but the follow-up single sat for five weeks at number 1. They were certified gold releases.
BT Express released an album per year through 1978. With the third album, Leslie Ming was brought in as drummer and keyboardist Michael Jones was added as keyboardist. Jamal, who had converted to the Muslim faith, gave Jones the name Kashif Saleem, which he used after departing the group, in 1979, to pursue producing ("Mighty M Productions" with Morrie Brown and Paul Laurence Jones) and solo recording ventures. That year songwriter Billy Nichols and drummer Leslie Ming also departed the group. In 1976 Scepter records was experiencing business difficulties that soon ended the company, and BT Express was given a distribution deal with Columbia Records, which, though it gave them greater exposure, resulted in less attention being paid to their production, since they had so many acts to concentrate on. The group did not achieve the level of radio or sales success on Columbia that they had on the more nurturing but by-then defunct Scepter. They stayed with Columbia for five years, with Lane producing through 1978, then Nichols producing their fifth album before he departed for solo work, and Morrie Brown producing the sixth LP and several follow-up tracks. The group switched labels to Coast To Coast Records for the 1982 LP, to Earthtone Records for a later 1982 single, and to manager King Davis' own label in 1985.
I Want You With Me
B.T. Express Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I don't know how to dance at all
Will you still dance with me
I promise to always let you lead
Give my hand to you
Show me a thing or two
The lyrics to B.T. Express's song "I Want You With Me" convey a sense of vulnerability and openness. The singer expresses a desire to connect with someone else through the act of dancing, but admits they don't know how to dance at all. This admission of lack of skill could be seen as a metaphor for a lack of experience or confidence in forming a romantic connection. Despite this, the singer asks the other person if they will still dance with them, promising to let them lead. This shows a willingness to be vulnerable and trust in the other person's guidance.
The final line, "Show me a thing or two," can also be interpreted in a broader sense as the singer expressing a desire to learn and grow in their connection with the other person. The act of dancing together becomes a metaphor for an emotional connection and an openness to learning from one another.
Overall, the lyrics to "I Want You With Me" express a desire for connection, vulnerability, and an openness to growth and learning in a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
I wanna dance with you
I desire to dance with you
But I don't know how to dance at all
I don't know how to dance, unfortunately
Will you still dance with me
Would you still like to dance with me?
I promise to always let you lead
I assure you that I will always follow your lead
Give my hand to you
I offer you my hand
Show me a thing or two
Teach me some dance moves
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: ebed moreno
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind