Kinsman Dazz was signed to 20th Century Records by Joe Lewis in 1978. The group went to Los Angeles to record for producer Marvin Gaye. Owing to illness, Gaye had to back out of the duties. Harris requested and got Philip Bailey, the vocalist of Earth, Wind & Fire, to produce the group's first album, Kinsman Dazz. Bailey would co-produce the second album, Dazz, and had a major input into the group's vocal arrangements. They released their first single, "I Might as Well Forget About Loving You", in late 1978. "Catchin' Up on You" followed in 1979.
The Kinsman Dazz became the Dazz Band in 1980. Separately, the 20th Century Records label was closed, and the Dazz Band was signed to Motown Records. The group expanded from the original quintet — Harris, Calhoun, Pettus, and the Wiley brothers — with newcomers Kevin Kendrick, Steve Cox, Eric Fearman, Pierre DeMudd, Sonny "Skip" Martin, Jerry Bell and Terry Stanton. They had their first hit with "Shake It Up" in 1980.
Dazz's first album for Motown was Invitation to Love (1980), a self-produced set, whose title track, the ballad "Invitation to Love", began a string of hits for the band starting in March 1981. The group's next album, Let The Music Play (1981), featured the minor hit single "Knock! Knock!", reaching the Top 50. The group's biggest breakthrough came with the album Keep It Live (1982), containing the hit "Let It Whip" — which reached No. 1 on the R&B charts and won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. They would go on to score R&B hits with the songs "Party Right Here" (1983), "Joystick" (1984), and "Let It All Blow" (which was also their biggest UK single, peaking at #12) (1984).
After Keep It Live, the band recorded the albums On the One, Joystick, Jukebox and Hot Spot, all for Motown. The band was known for its live performances, often proving more popular than the headlining act. In 1985, Fearman left the group and were replaced by Marlon McClain and Keith Harrison. In 1986, Dazz Band recorded Wild & Free for Geffen Records, and moved to RCA Records.
[edit] 1990s revival
The popularity of classic funk/R&B/soul acts performing in the US and abroad started to expand in the mid-1990s on events like the awarded Sinbad's Summer Jam: '70s Soul Music Festival. Bobby Harris decided to form a tribute band with members from the Bar-Kays, Con Funk Shun, the Gap Band and the SOS Band, called the United We Funk All-Stars. A studio album followed, including a tribute to the late Roger Troutman, who performs on the album as well. Other artists from the genre who contributed to the album were the late Rick James and The System. The concept was a great success, and was captured on a live CD, presented and promoted by radio jockey Tom Joyner, who made the announcements on the UWF-All Stars shows.
Current members
* Bobby Harris - saxophone, clarinet, background vocals
* Sennie Skip Martin - trumpet, vocals
* Marlon McClain - vocals and guitar
Past members
* Jerry Bell (Lead Vocals, Background Vocals)
* Juan Lively(Lead Vocals, Background Vocals)
* Michael Calhoun(Lead Guitar)
* Steve Cox - (keyboards)
* Pierre DeMudd - (trumpet, flugelhorn, vocals)
* Eric Fearman - (lead guitar, songwriter)
* Keith Harrison - (keyboards)
* Kenny Pettus -( percussion, vocals)
* Terry Stanton - (lead vocals R.I.P.)
* Michael Wiley - bass (R.I.P.)
* Isaac Wiley, Jr. - (drums, percussion, background vocals)
Discography
Albums
Year Title Peak chart positions Label
US 200 US R&B
1980 Invitation to Love - - Motown
1981 Let the Music Play 154 36 Motown
1982 Keep It Live 14 1 Motown
1983 Joystick 73 12 Motown
1983 On the One 59 12 Motown
1984 Jukebox 84 18 Motown
1984 Greatest Hits - - Motown
1985 Hot Spot 114 24 Motown
1986 Wild & Free 178 37 Geffen
1988 Rock the Room - 91 RCA
1996 Under the Streetlights - 42 LKY
1997 Double Exposure - - Intersound
1998 Here We Go Again - 99 Intersound
2001 Time Traveler - - Eagle Music Group
Singles
Year Title Chart positions Album
US Hot 100 US R&B US Dance
1980 "Shake It Up" - 65 - Invitation to Love
1981 "Invitation to Love" 109 51 - Invitation to Love
1981 "Knock Knock" - 44 - Let the Music Play
1982 "Let It Whip" 5 1 - Keep It Live
1982 "Keep It Live (On the K.I.L)" - 20 - Keep It Live
1983 "On The One For Fun" - 9 52 On the One
1983 "Cheek To Cheek" - 76 - On the One
1983 "Party Right Here" - 63 - On the One
1983 "Joystick" 61 9 - Joystick
1984 "Swoop (I'm Yours)" - 12 - Joystick
1984 "Let It all Blow" 84 9 - Jukebox
1985 "Heartbeat" 110 12 - Jukebox
1985 "Hot Spot" - 21 33 Hot Spot
1986 "L.O.V.E. M.I.A." - 48 - Wild & Free
1986 "Wild and Free" - 44 - Wild & Free
1988 "Anticipation" - 38 - Rock the Room
1988 "Single Girls" - 19 38 Rock the Room
1988 "Open Sesame" - 83 - Rock the Room
1998 "Ain't Nothin' but a Jam Y'all" - 58 -
1998 "Girl Got Body" - 81 - Here We Go Again
No Parking
Dazz Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're standing still in a no parking zone
You don't get a move on that body
I'll be forced to give you a ticket
So get with it
There's a party tonight, you're in a red light zone
If you don't want a ticket you better move on
Ain't much better if you play it by the rules
Cause it's so easy, it's so right
It's so easy to rock it with your body, baby
It's so easy, it's so right
It's so easy if you drive it all night
No parking, baby
No parking on the dance floor
No parking, baby
No parking on the dance floor
Let me hear you blow your horn
{Beep-beep, beep-beep, beep-beep} Shake it, baby
{Beep-beep, beep-beep, beep-beep}
{Beep-beep, beep-beep, beep-beep} Rock it, baby
{Beep-beep, beep-beep, beep-beep}
Movin' violations are easy to fix
Just tell the deejay to fix it in the mix
Shake it up and shake it on down
Let me feel you movin', you gotta get down
Cause it's so easy, it's so right
It's so easy to rock it with your body, baby
It's so easy, it's so right
It's so easy if you drive it all night
No parking, baby
No parking on the dance floor
(I want to say it again)
No parking, baby
No parking on the dance floor {Ah...}
Shake it, baby
{Beep-beep, beep-beep, beep-beep}
{Beep-beep, beep-beep, beep-beep} Rock it, baby
{Beep-beep, beep-beep, beep-beep}
Rock it
Work it
Shake it
Don't drive it
Baby, baby, baby
Don't park your booty, don't park your can
It's time to party, it's time to jam
Don't park your booty, don't park your can
It's time to party, it's time to jam
Don't park your booty, don't park your can
It's time to party, it's time to jam
Don't park your booty, don't park your can
It's time to party, it's time to jam
No parking, baby
No parking on the dance floor (No, no)
No parking, baby
No parking on the dance floor (Ah...)
No parking, baby
No parking on the dance floor
No parking, baby
No parking on the dance floor
No parking, baby
No parking on the dance floor
No parking, baby
No parking on the dance floor
No parking, baby
No parking on the dance floor
No parking, baby
The lyrics of Dazz Band's song "No Parking" seem to be a warning or an invitation to party-goers to keep the dance floor clear and the music flowing without interruptions. It starts by addressing someone who is standing still in a "no parking zone," signaling that they need to move their body or face the consequences of getting a "ticket." The song then emphasizes the importance of staying on the dance floor with lines like "No parking on the dance floor" and "Don't park your booty, don't park your can, it's time to party, it's time to jam." The song goes on to describe the energy and excitement of a party, stating that "it's so easy to rock it with your body, baby" and encouraging people to "shake it up and shake it on down."
The song's use of car metaphors and driving references, such as "driving all night" and "movin' violations" suggests that dancing is like cruising around in a car, and that just as there are rules and regulations on the road, there are also expectations of how people should behave on the dance floor. The repeated refrain of "No parking" represents the idea that people shouldn't stop or block the natural flow of the dance floor.
Overall, the message of the song is clear: let loose, get your groove on, and keep things moving to keep the party going. With its catchy beat and driving rhythm, "No Parking" has become a classic dance anthem that still gets people moving today.
Line by Line Meaning
Excuse me, madam
The singer is politely asking a woman to move from a no parking zone
You're standing still in a no parking zone
The woman is currently situated in a zone where vehicles are prohibited to park
You don't get a move on that body
If the woman doesn't move from the no parking zone, the singer implies that she should start dancing to get in the mood
I'll be forced to give you a ticket
If the woman doesn't respond, the artist will issue a fine to her
So get with it
The person is encouraging the woman to start dancing and follow the groove
There's a party tonight, you're in a red light zone
The party is taking place in a lively area where people have to obey traffic signals
If you don't want a ticket you better move on
The singer urges the listener to move away from the red light zone if they don't want to get into trouble
If you break the law you gotta pay your dues
The artist warns of the consequences of breaking traffic laws
Ain't much better if you play it by the rules
Even if one follows the law, there still might not be easy answers when it comes to dancing with your body
Cause it's so easy, it's so right
It's so easy to rock it with your body, baby
It's so easy, it's so right
It's so easy if you drive it all night
Dancing is very easy and just as pleasurable as driving through the night
No parking, baby
No parking on the dance floor
Cars are forbidden to park on the dance floor
Let me hear you blow your horn
{Beep-beep, beep-beep, beep-beep} Shake it, baby
{Beep-beep, beep-beep, beep-beep}
{Beep-beep, beep-beep, beep-beep} Rock it, baby
{Beep-beep, beep-beep, beep-beep}
The artist encourages the listener to honk their horn and dance to the music
Movin' violations are easy to fix
Just tell the deejay to fix it in the mix
If there's a moving violation or if you're having trouble dancing, one can simply ask the DJ to help mix things up
Shake it up and shake it on down
Let me feel you movin', you gotta get down
The singer is urging the listener to get down and party, having a great time
Don't park your booty, don't park your can
It's time to party, it's time to jam
The singer reiterates that people should avoid parking their bodies in one place and just dance to the music
No parking, baby
No parking on the dance floor (No, no)
The artist is reminding the listener that there is no excuse for parking their car or standing still on the dance floor
Writer(s): Vincent Calloway, Bobby Lovelace, Bill Simmons
Contributed by Miles N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.