Dance Band
Exposé was initially formed in 1984 in Miami,USA, when Martineé and his Pantera Productions talent scouts hired Sandra Casanas ("Sandeé"), Aléjandra Lorenzo ("Alé"), and Laurie Miller as the group's lineup. The next year, the trio recorded "Point Of No Return" (with Lorenzo singing lead) for Pantera Records as a 12" vinyl single, which became a number one Billboard Hot Dance Club Play hit. The song helped to introduce a still-popular genre of music that became known as freestyle, which often features keyboard riffs, a sing-along chorus and break beat drum patterns in the music arrangement. The success of "Point Of No Return" quickly led Exposé to their signing with Arista Records, who promptly assumed distribution of the 12" vinyl single. A year later, Exposé recorded and released their second club/dance freestyle hit 12" vinyl single entitled "Exposed To Love" (with Lorenzo singing lead). These songs were released during the period when radio began airing continuous mixes of House/Club/Dance songs in major markets. As such, Exposé realized continued success, including a club tour to key cities. Impressed with the performance of the two singles and their unique sound, Arista granted approval for the group to record their first album.
Shortly thereafter, Casanas left the group to pursue a solo career, and Lorenzo quit to pursue other ambitions; they were replaced by Jeanette Jurado and Gioia Bruno. Before the completion of their debut album, Miller left the group due to personal and business problems and began a solo career; she was replaced by Ann Curless.
Casanas later resurfaced as a solo artist and released a solo album, which garnered the club hits "You're The One" and the Clivilles & Cole-produced bassline-heavy hit "Notice Me." Alé Lorenzo returned to the club charts with "Stop Me If I Fall In Love," while Laurie Miller evolved into a cabaret-style performer frequently showcasing her talents on luxury cruises.
Toward the end of 1986, Exposé released their debut album Exposure (which still consisted of background vocals done by the original members). Led by the huge pop/dance hit "Come Go With Me," Exposé solidified their freestyle music foundation to the masses. During the summer of 1987, a re-recorded version of "Point Of No Return" was released, with Jurado performing lead vocals. While the initial distibution of Exposure to suppliers contained the original 1984 version of that song, subsequent pressings contained the new version. "Let Me Be The One," a mid-tempo soulful track with Bruno on lead, marked interesting distinctions for the trio. First, it demonstrated that despite being a "girl group" (a term which historically identifies a single lead singer), Exposé alternated lead vocals among its members. Second, the single garnered significant R&B support, with Bruno integrating soulful inflections with her vocal delivery. Their biggest hit occurred in the winter of 1988 with the Billboard Hot 100 number one single "Seasons Change," along with that came a Soul Train Award nomination for Best New Artist, appearances on Solid Gold, Showtime At The Apollo and served as the opening act for Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam during their tour. In addition, Exposé surpassed The Beatles and The Supremes for having the most top 10 hit singles on the Billboard Hot 100 released from a single album. Exposure remains one of the most successful dance albums ever released, reaching triple platinum status.
During their peak, Exposé had to fight problems behind the scenes. Similar to the girl groups of the sixties, the members of Exposé had a restrictive contract, and there were reports in the media of backstage battles and threats of lawsuits. According to Bruno, they were only paid 200 dollars per show. [1]. Reportedly, the record label intervened to keep peace between the members and the producers.
Their second album, What You Don't Know (1989), went gold and proved to be almost as much of a success as their debut. The success of Exposé in the U.S. lead to a lot of similar girl groups being created by producers and existing ones being signed to labels, such as Company B, The Cover Girls, Sweet Sensation, Pajama Party, and Seduction. Shortly after the success of the singles "What You Don't Know" (Bruno on lead vocals), "When I Looked At Him" (Jurado on lead vocals), the release of the single "Tell Me Why" (Bruno on lead vocals) made music history for the group when they became the first girl group to have 7 back-to-back Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. "Tell Me Why" addressed the issue of street gangs and youth and rewarded the group with additional praise for its socially-conscious lyrics. "Your Baby Never Looked Good In Blue" (Jurado on lead vocals) and "Stop, Listen, Look & Think" (Curless on lead vocals) soon followed afterwards. Their continued success granted Exposé their first headlining tour and continued television appearances on Soul Train, The Pat Sajak Show and The Byron Allen Show, among others.
In August 1990, while touring with Exposé, Bruno began having throat problems - later linked to a benign tumor on her vocal cords - and which caused the group to cut the tour short. The group took time off from their schedule in hopes that she would recover. Ultimately, Bruno lost her voice and she was replaced by Kelly Moneymaker in 1992.
After Kelly Moneymaker joined Exposé, the group released their third album Exposé, which integrated more adult-contemporary material in addition to their established Freestyle, House, R&B, Pop and love ballad repertoire. It was the first album to use producers besides Martineé, with Clive Davis talking over as Executive Producer and Martinee only doing four songs. The album was aimed to demonstrate musical growth for the group as well as to compete with the success of Wilson Phillips, who had great success in 1990 with their debut album.
The album was not as commercially successful as their previous albums, and several singles fared better on the adult-contemporary charts. They did manage to crack the U.S. Top 40 pop chart with "I Wish The Phone Would Ring" and "I'll Never Get Over You (Getting Over Me)," which also reached #1 on the adult-contemporary chart (Jurado performing lead vocals). Subsequent releases "As Long As I Can Dream" and "In Walked Love" featured Curless in the lead vocal spotlight. A final, club-marketed single saw the release of the group's first remake. "I Specialize In Love" featured Jurado on lead with Curless and Moneymaker each supporting lead vocals towards the song's conclusion. The original version was performed by Sharon Brown.
In 1995, Exposé recorded the Diane Warren-penned song "I'll Say Good-Bye For The Two Of Us" for the soundtrack of the film Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home with Jurado performing lead vocals; that same year, the song was issued on their Greatest Hits. The song is distinctive for the group as Jurado performs solo without backing vocals.
Toward the end of 1995, Arista dropped the group, and the members disbanded at the beginning of 1996 to pursue their own projects. However, over time, BMG has released two other variations of Greatest Hits collections, as well as a collection of popular remixes from their 12-inch singles, including the extended versions of the original "Point Of No Return" (Lorenzo on lead vocals) and "Exposed To Love."
After the group disbanded, Jurado performed in the stage play "Mad Hattan," supplied vocals for Jazz artist Nils, and later Carl Ferris of Safe Sax; Moneymaker married soap opera actor Peter Reckell and released two solo albums (Like A Blackbird and Through These Basement Walls); Curless engaged in song writing, supplied vocals to several club/dance projects and provided academic instruction on music and the music business. Eventually, both Jurado and Curless married and had children, temporarily retiring from performing.
In 1997, Bruno fully recovered from her throat tumor and began singing again. After a small stint with the band Wet, she worked on a solo career focused mostly on dance-oriented material. Her first album, Expose This, was released in the spring of 2004.
On August 1, 2003, the lineup of Curless, Jurado, and Moneymaker reunited briefly for a reunion concert at the Mid State Fair in Paso Robles, CA. Members of Safe Sax, including Carl Ferris on saxophone, were part of the live band Exposé used.
On August 12, 2006, Jurado announced on MySpace they had signed with a major booking agency, and have added their first concert date since 2003. Then on August 19, 2006, Bruno announced she was back with Exposé for the first time in 15 years.
On October 21, 2006, Exposé performed for the first time since August 1, 2003 at the AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami for the "Freestyle Explosion" concert. This performance also featured the official return of Bruno to the group.
On November 29, 2006 at the Potawatomi Casino's Northern Lights Theatre in Milwaukee, WI, Exposé performed a 16 song show with a full band, marking their first full concert together with Bruno since 1990.
Currently (as of 2007), the group is undertaking a tour. Moneymaker will be showing up for some of the shows, either to fill in for any member who many not be available, or to just be with the group on special occasions.
Japanese band
Expose was a short lived japanese punk/noisecore band from around 1997. They play music similar to Confuse, Gai, and Dust Noise. They released one 3-song ep and 2 songs on a compilation album under the name Expose 82.
Tell Me Why
Expose Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why this prison, if we're all alike
Look around you, look at all your friends
Tell me, are they, just what they pretend
Listen to my story, if you have the time
Yes, we'll make a difference, if you really try
Listen everybody and start to make it right
Tell me why
It echoes every night
Why we fight
Just to find who's wrong or right
Don't let it slide
You can't run and hide
Tell me why
Oh, won't you please tell me why
Give me a reason, for this senseless crime
We can change it, why'd they have to die
Think of the children, tomorrow's their future
Don't make them feel it's just another day
Tell me anybody, why can't we live together
End all the fighting, erase it all forever
Listen for this reason, before it gets too late
Soon there will be no one, no one left to hate
Tell me why
It echoes every night
Why we fight
Just to find who's wrong or right
Don't let it slide
You can't run and hide
Tell me why
Oh, won't you please tell me why
[Oh oh oh oh]
Won't you tell me, tell me why
[Oh oh oh oh]
Tell me why we fight
[Oh oh oh oh]
Tell me, tell me why
[Oh oh oh oh]
Won't you tell me why we fight
So tell me anybody, why can't we live together
End all the fighting, erase it all forever
Listen for this reason, before it gets too late
Soon there will be no one, no one left to hate
So tell me [tell me why]
[It echoes every night]
It echoes every night
[Why we fight]
So tell me why we fight
[Just to find who's wrong or right]
Just to find who's wrong or right
[Don't let it slide]
Don't let it slide
[You can't run and hide]
Can't run and hide
[Tell me why]
Oh, won't you please tell me why
Tell me [tell me why]
[It echoes every night]
Why it echoes every night
[Why we fight]
So tell me why we fight
[Just to find who's wrong or right]
Just to find who'w wrong or right
[Don't let it slide]
Don't let it slide
[You can't run and hide]
Don't let it slide
[Tell me why]
Oh, won't you please tell me why
Game's are not where it's at
Give it up no time for that
Imagine people hand in hand
No more fighting in this land
Red, yellow, black or white
Color's don't make up what's right
Come with me and see the light
We can start the peace tonight
Let the music fill your life
Now's the time to realize
Don't be livin' in a lie,
Can't you hear the people's cry?
Can't you hear the people's cry?
The lyrics of Expose's song Tell Me Why is a poignant call for peace and unity. The song highlights the futility of fighting over petty differences and the need for society to come together as one. The opening lines, “Echoes thunder almost every night, Why this prison if we're all alike” are a clear reference to the recurring violence and conflicts that society faces. The chorus repeatedly asks the question, “Tell me why” as the singer wonders about the reasons for strife and why people cannot work towards a common goal of peace. The lyrics also touch on the idea of not letting hatred consume us and the importance of thinking about future generations to end the cycle of violence.
The verse, “Give me a reason for this senseless crime, We can change it why'd they have to die, Think of the children tomorrow's their future” showcases the senselessness of violence and how it harms not only the current generation but also future generations. The song ends with a hopeful message that we can choose to end this cycle of violence, come together in unity, and make peace.
Line by Line Meaning
Echoes thunder, almost every night
Every night, the sound of conflict and violence can be heard everywhere.
Why this prison, if we're all alike
Why are we stuck in this cycle of hate and division when we are all fundamentally the same?
Look around you, look at all your friends
Take a good look at the people around you - friends, family, acquaintances.
Tell me, are they, just what they pretend
Are the people around you genuinely kind and compassionate or are they pretending to be who they are not?
Listen to my story, if you have the time
Take a moment to listen to my experience and insight if you are willing to spare the time.
Yes, we'll make a difference, if you really try
It is possible to make a positive change if we truly put in the effort.
Listen everybody and start to make it right
Everyone needs to tune in and begin to make things better.
One and all together, you feel it from inside
Everyone needs to unite and the desire to do so needs to come from within.
Give me a reason, for this senseless crime
What could be the reason for all this pointless and irrational violence?
We can change it, why'd they have to die
It is within our power to make things better, so why do people have to die in order for us to realize this?
Think of the children, tomorrow's their future
We need to consider the future of our children when making decisions in the present.
Don't make them feel it's just another day
We need to work towards a better tomorrow so that our children do not feel that violence and conflict are just a part of life.
Tell me anybody, why can't we live together
Is there a reason why we cannot coexist in peace and harmony?
End all the fighting, erase it all forever
We need to put an end to all this conflict and eradicate it from society once and for all.
Listen for this reason, before it gets too late
We need to hear and listen to the call for peace and unity before it is too late.
Soon there will be no one, no one left to hate
If we do not act now, there will be no one left to hate because they will all be gone.
Games are not where it's at
Conflict and competition are not the answer to our problems.
Give it up no time for that
We need to let go of the need for competition and instead focus on working together.
Imagine people hand in hand
Picture a world in which everyone stands side by side and cooperates with one another.
No more fighting in this land
There should be no more fighting or violence in this world.
Red, yellow, black or white
The color of one's skin does not determine their worth or value as a human being.
Color's don't make up what's right
One's race should not determine what is right or wrong in society.
Come with me and see the light
Join me in promoting peace and harmony.
We can start the peace tonight
We can take the first step towards a better future by promoting peace starting today.
Let the music fill your life
Use music as a way to bring people together and promote positivity.
Now's the time to realize
The time to recognize the need for unity and peace is now.
Don't be livin' in a lie
We need to be truthful about what is going on in the world and make changes accordingly.
Can't you hear the people's cry?
The people are asking for change and it is up to us to listen and act.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LEWIS A MARTINEE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@100domathon
I love this song from Expose. It stands out. Their other songs are about break-ups and romance. But this one is singing against gang violence and a good message.
@sarahpalin4196
One of the best from a multi talented music group ahead of their time 🎵
@JACK.DEATH-Sariel
It's more than gang violence they are single about, if you actually paid attention. They are talking about people of all races hating each other and how it has to stop before we all die.
@AveFenix700
And to think there is more violence in these times
@vincepreston9304
@@AveFenix700 it actually isn't it just seems like it is. Remember , there's nothing new under the sun!🙏
@simontumilowicz5742
It was better when Paul Dakeyne at DMC got hold of the track and jazzed it up a bit with a four to the floor house beat. It took on a whole new life as a massive house music anthem too. I remember dancing to it in Rave clubs back in 1990. Great memories
@DrRiddlez2015
This song peaked at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1990
@moemore1129
I love Expose. I am 38 yrs old Black American , I can say that the music back in the days had some sense to it. You can relate to what they were saying it has a catchy beat.. I love 80's alternative , soft rock, pop, classical music.
@3x157
I agree music back then actually had a message.
@marcussmith3934
Giola Bruno's voice is magnificent!!!