ADC Band -

ADC Band was an American soul-funk band from Detroit that released five albums between 1978 and 1982 on Cotillion and scored R&B hits with “Long Stroke” and “Roll With the Punches.” The band evolved from the earlier outfit Black Nasty, which made a 1973 album and a 1976 second as Nazty.

Members: Artwell Matthews, Charles Hawkins, James Maddox, John Calhoun, Kaiya Matthews, Mark Patterson, McKinley Cunningham, Michael Judkins

Background

ADC Band formed in Detroit in 1977 when drummer Artwell Matthews Jr., bassist Mark Patterson, and singer Audrey Matthews reorganized the Black Nasty/Nazty lineup with singer Debra Smith, percussionist-singer James Maddox Jr., guitarist Curtis Hobson, and keyboardist-singer Michael “Moneystone” Judkins. Producer-manager Johnnie Mae Matthews continued her decade-long role with the group after guiding its earlier Black Nasty and Nazty activity.

Artwell Matthews Jr. and Mark Patterson began the original group as teenagers in Detroit. The band played local high schools and clubs as Black Nasty and recorded the 1973 album Talking to the People for Enterprise, then modified their name to Nazty for the 1976 release I Got to Move. The revised ADC Band lineup prepared mew material in early 1978 after Woody Wilson of Detroit-based Fee Productions signed the group to a production deal. Wilson sent the tape to Cotillion executive Henry Allen, who signed the group.

Long Stroke

ADC Band released their debut album, Long Stroke, in 1978 on Cotillion.

The album frames ADC through funk, disco, soul, and reggae-accented dance material, with brass figures arranged across the two LP sides. ADC Band and Johnnie Mae Matthews arranged the album, while Johnny Allen arranged horns on seven tracks. Richard “Popcorn” Wylie arranged horns on “That’s Life.” ADC Band featured saxophonist George Benson, trombonist Don White, and trumpeters Marcus Belgrave and Maurice Davis.

“Long Stroke” grinds over sticky bass and clipped title phrases. “Fire Up” drives through a forward-leaning backbeat. “Cause I Love You” lifts a contoured lead line into upper-register vocal crests. “Baby Love” lopes through delayed accents and a rock-edged guitar figure. The album locks short refrains to hard-edged ensemble passages, with female lead peaks cutting across the heavier backbeat material.

A1. “Long Stroke” (3:48) – Artwell Matthews Jr., Audrey Matthews, Hobson, Maddox Jr., Patterson, Judkins
A2. “Fire Up” (4:12) – Patterson, Judkins
A3. “Cause I Love You” (3:45) – Hobson, Judkins
A4. “More & More Disco” (5:18) – Artwell Matthews Jr., Johnnie Mae Matthews

B1. “Reggae Disco” (4:06) – Audrey Matthews, Judkins
B2. “Baby Love” (4:53) – Moore, Murdock, Seay, Kennedy, Keck, Daniels
B3. “Just Another Song” (4:36) – Audrey Matthews, Judkins
B4. “That’s Life” (4:17) – Audrey Matthews, Judkins

Johnnie Mae Matthews produced Long Stroke for Fee Records, with Woody Wilson as co-producer and Jimmy Douglass as mixer. Cotillion credited Cloudborn Studios in Grosse Pointe, United Sound Systems in Detroit, and The Sound Suite Detroit as recording sites. Cotillion credited engineers Ken Sands, Mark Calice, and Pete Bishop on the sessions.

Long Stroke appeared with photography by Bert of AB Photo Service.

Cotillion lifted “Long Stroke” as an October 1978 single (b/w “That’s Life”), which reached No. 6 on the Billboard R&B chart.

“Fire Up” followed in January 1979 (b/w “More And More Disco”), which reached No. 72 on the Billboard R&B chart.

Long Stroke reached No. 16 on Billboard Top R&B Albums during a thirteen-week album-chart run.

Talk That Stuff

ADC Band released their second album, Talk That Stuff, in 1979 on Cotillion.

ADC Band shapes the album around funk, disco, and R&B material, with extended album versions of “Stank Machine,” “Talk That Stuff,” and “ADC Is Back.” The band credited drummer Artwell Matthews Jr. and keyboardist Michael Judkins, with Audrey Matthews credited for drums on “ADC Is Back.” Johnnie Mae Matthews and Woody Wilson produced the record.

“Stank Machine” pounds through a heavy backbeat. “I Just Want to Hold You” slows into down-tempo vocal lines and broad brass replies. “Talk That Stuff” snaps Audrey Matthews–James Maddock Jr. repartee into comic response phrases. “ADC Is Back” fires bright brass accents. “At the Party” leans into a party-room refrain. The band locks bass-heavy ensemble passages to slower vocal numbers across the remaining program.

A1. “Stank Machine” (6:04) – Judkins, Burns
A2. “I Just Want to Hold You” (6:08) – Audrey Matthews, Judkins
A3. “Talk That Stuff” (5:10) – Artwell Matthews Jr., Johnnie Mae Matthews
A4. “Midnite Creeper” (4:15) – Audrey Matthews, Judkins

B1. “ADC Is Back” (5:07) – Artwell Matthews Jr., Audrey Matthews, Maddox Jr., Patterson, Judkins, Johnson
B2. “At The Party” (4:58)
B3. “Sense of Humor” (3:53)
B4. “Eaves Dropper” (6:19) – Artwell Matthews Jr., Johnnie Mae Matthews

Johnnie Mae Matthews and Woody Wilson produced Talk That Stuff. Ken Sands engineered the sessions. The sleeve features cover illustration by Todd Schorr.

Cotillion lifted “Talk That Stuff” as an August 1979 single (b/w “ADC Is Back (Instrumental)”), which reached No. 69 on the Billboard R&B chart. “Stank Machine” followed in early 1980 (b/w “I Just Want To Hold You”).

Talk That Stuff reached No. 62 on Billboard Top R&B Albums during an eight-week album-chart run.

Renaissance

ADC Band released their third album, Renaissance, in 1980 on Cotillion.

ADC Band frames Renaissance through funk, disco, and soul material. Mass Production produced the album for Pepper Production. Bassist Mark Patterson and drummer Artwell Matthews Jr. anchor the rhythm-section credits. Saxophonist Gregory McCoy joins trumpeters Demont “Dee” Knighton and James Drumgole in the horn section. Vocalists Audrey Matthews, James Maddock Jr., and Michael Judkins share the lead-vocal credits.

“In the Moonlight” glides across a female-led refrain, brisk backbeat, and short guitar/synth breaks. “Work That Body” trips through a fast, springy backbeat. “Hittin’ on Me” clops through a sparse midtempo backbeat. “Hangin’ Out” rumbles over a heavy bass figure, then opens into solo breaks. “Tripwire” taps chunky vocal lines across old-style backbeat accents.

A1. “Our Thought (New Horizons)” (1:13) – Tyrone Williams
A2. “In The Moonlight” (7:02) – Ricardo Williams
A3. “Work That Body” (5:06) – Tyrone Williams
A4. “Hittin’ On Me” (5:16) – McCoy, Drumgole

B1. “Hangin’ Out” (5:16) – Tyrone Williams
B2. “State of Shock” (4:28) – McCoy, Drumgole
B3. “Everyday” (6:18) – McCoy, Drumgole
B4. “Tripwire” (4:40) – Drumgole, Tyrone Williams

Cotillion credited Atlantic Recording Studios in New York City for recording and mixing, with Atlantic Studios credited for mastering. Bob Heimall received design and art-direction credits.

Cotillion lifted “In The Moonlight” as an April 1980 single (b/w “Everyday”), which reached No. 75 on the Billboard R&B chart. “Hangin’ Out” followed in June 1980 (b/w “Tripwire”) and reached No. 67 on the Billboard R&B chart.

Renaissance reached No. 69 on Billboard Top R&B Albums during a seven-week chart run.

Brother Luck

ADC Band released their fourth album, Brother Luck, in 1981 on Cotillion.

Mass Production produced Brother Luck for Pepper Production, with Ed A. Ellerbe as executive producer. Cotillion credits bassist Mark Patterson and drummer Artwell Matthews Jr. in the rhythm section. Saxophonist Gregory McCoy appears with trumpeters Al Harrison and James “Otiste” Drumgole in the horn section. Keyboardist Michael Judkins and rhythm guitarist Pervis “P.J.” Johnson appear in the band credits.

“Brother Luck” churns through a bass-snapped backbeat and female-wailed lead phrases. “Celebrate” pounds through buoyant rolling accents. “Waiting for You” jolts across a very slow cadence. “Hot Box” jogs through jagged brass responses. “Nuclear Funk-Out” jabs staccato chant lines into a fast backbeat.

A1. “Brother Luck” (4:46) – Redding, Drumgole
A2. “Celebrate” (3:48) – Douglas, Ricardo Williams
A3. “Waiting for You” (4:10) – Ricardo Williams
A4. “Nothing You Can Do” (3:08) – Bryant, Drumgole, Marshall

B1. “Super Freak” (5:38) – Ricardo Williams, Tyrone Williams
B2. “Hot Box” (4:33) – McCoy, Drumgole
B3. “Nuclear Funk-Out” (3:19) – Ricardo Williams, Tyrone Williams
B4. “Our Thought (Lovers & Friends)” (2:12) – McCoy

Robert Giusti illustrated the sleeve. Jim Houghton photographed the back cover under art director Sandi Young.

Cotillion lifted “Brother Luck” as a May 1981 single (b/w “Nothing You Can Do”).

Roll With the Punches

ADC Band released their fifth album, Roll With the Punches, in March 1982 on Cotillion.

ADC Band frames Roll With the Punches around funk and soul material. Bill Curtis and Gerry Thomas produced the album, with ADC Band as co-producer and Johnnie Mae Matthews as executive producer. Curtis and Thomas arranged the album. Thomas also received keyboard and percussion credits.

“Roll With the Punches” coils around a steady backbeat and intensifying title refrain. “U-Funk-Ula” loosens a similar low-end line into a more open chant. “Girls” trucks through staccato chant phrases. “A Little Taste of Love” rolls through vocal interplay and jittery accents. “So Good” jolts repeated phrases through electronic-treated vocal effects. “Funk on Fire” struts at a rushed clip. “Give It Up” wails over a brisk, sprung backbeat.

A1. “Roll With the Punches” (5:22) – Artwell Matthews Jr., Johnnie Mae Matthews
A2. “U-Funk-Ula” (5:25) – Michael Judkins, Previs Johnson
A3. “Funk on Fire” (3:58) – Audrey Matthews, Carey, Judkins
A4. “So Good” (5:10) – Artwell Matthews Jr., Audrey Matthews

B1. “Girls” (5:21) – Audrey Matthews, Johnnie Mae Matthews, Patterson
B2. “Give It Up” (4:24) – Maddox Jr., Johnnie Mae Matthews
B3. “You Are My Angel” (4:22) – Banks, Raymond Johnson
B4. “A Little Taste of Love” (6:10) – Horton, Sinkler

Roll With the Punches features art direction by Atlantic Records art-department head Bob Defrin, whose 1982/83 credits also included Atlantic and Cotillion sleeves by Chic, Kleeer, Sister Sledge, Stacy Lattisaw, Mass Production, Laura Branigan, Chris Mancini, and Jean-Luc Ponty.

Cotillion lifted “Roll With the Punches” as a February 1982 single (b/w “Funk on Fire”), which reached No. 46 on the Billboard R&B chart. “So Good” followed in May 1982 (b/w “Give It Up”).

Discography: