B.T. Express -

B.T. Express was an American soul-funk band from N.Y.C. that released the album Do It ‘Til You’re Satisfied on Scepter Records in 1974, followed by Non-Stop on Roadshow in 1975. The band released four albums on Columbia between 1976 and 1980, followed by a seventh and final album on Coast to Coast in 1982.

Members: Bill Risbrook (saxophone, vocals), Dennis Rowe (percussion), Rick Thompson (guitar), Carlos Ward (saxophone, flute), Kashif (keyboards), Pike (guitar, vocals), Leslie Ming (drums), Louis Risbrook (bass, organ, vocals), Barbara Joyce (vocals), Terrell Wood (drums)

B.T. Express evolved from the King Davis House Rockers, a Brooklyn R&B combo that included guitarist Richard “Rick” Thompson and saxophonist Bill Risbrook. In 1967, the House Rockers issued the Verve single “Baby You Satisfy Me” (b/w “We All Make Mistakes Sometimes”). They underwent a sequence of mutations before issuing the 1972 small-press single “Holiday In Love” (b/w “Rum Punch”) as The Visitors. Both sides were co-written by Risbrook and Panamanian reedist Carlos Ward (b. 1940), who backed German bandleader Karl Berger during the 1960s.

Thompson, Risbrook, and Ward subsequently formed Madison Street Express with bassist Louis Risbrook (aka Jamal Rasool), percussionist Dennis Rowe, drummer Terrell Wood, and vocalist Barbara Joyce Lomas, who cut the two-part single “Together” with Dwight Jones in 1971.

In 1974, the septet linked with producer Jeff Lane, who had them record the song “Do It (‘Til You’re Satisfied)” by songwriter Billy Nichols. After shopping the recording to several labels, they were signed to Scepter Records, which insisted they change their name to the Brooklyn Transit Express, hence B.T. Express. That August, the song became their debut single (R&B #1, Pop #2).

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