Gaston -

Gaston was an American soul-funk band from Atlanta that released the 1978 album My Queen on Hotlanta. The band morphed into Sunshine People for a tax-scam release of new and repeat material in 1980, followed by a second name-change to The Pied Piper of Funkingham for a third one-off in 1982, the same year that a second Gaston album appeared on Chocolate Cholly’s.

Members: William Fewell, Jerry Reid, Quincy Huitt, Randy Hudson, Valentino Burroughs, Virginia Gaskins, Gregory Thompson

Inception

Gaston coalesced in 1977 as a septet around bassist–singer Gregory Thompson, drummer William Fewell, guitarist Quincy Huitt, pianist Jerry Reid, keyboardist Valentino Burroughs, and vocalists Randy Hudson and Virginia Gaskin. Their name derived from Gastonia in Gaston County, North Carolina.

My Queen

Gaston released their debut album, My Queen, on October 3, 1978, on Hotlanta.

“Magnificent Choo Choo” glides on electric-piano figures across an even dance pattern. “Clock In” rides the same keyboard-led surface with shorter, tighter phrasing. “Fantasy Garden” drops the lead vocal and lets the instrumental line carry the cut.

“Clap Song” also runs without a lead vocal and extends the record’s instrumental side. “My Dreams” eases into a medium tempo with a softened lead. “Love And Affection” lingers in the same medium register with a smoother vocal line.

A1. “Magnificent Choo Choo” (4:59)
A2. “Fantasy Garden” (4:00)
A3. “Clock In” (2:57)
A4. “My Dreams” (4:21)

B1. “My Queen” (3:15)
B2. “Clap Song” (9:58)
B3. “Love And Affection” (5:05)

My Queen features singer Virginia Gaskin, bassist-singer Gregory Thompson, drummer William Fewell, backing vocalist Rose Hall, and multi-instrumentalists Quincy Huitt (guitar, vocals, string synthesizer), Jerry Reid (guitar, piano, flute), and Valentino Burroughs (organ, piano, string synthesizer, backing vocals, percussion). Producer Charles Howe adds percussion alongside backing vocalists Randy Hudson, Brodus Jackson, and Robert Fluid.

Hotlanta issued “Clock In” as a single (b/w “My Queen”), followed by a 12″ of “Clap Song” with the full-length version backed with an edit (5:59).

Sunshine People

Gaston issued their second album, Sunshine People, under the Sunshine People name in 1980 on Album Globe Distribution Co.

The album combines new Sunshine People material with two songs from My Queen, “My Dreams” and “Love and Affection.”

Sunshine People retains eight My Queen players: Virginia Gaskin, William Fewell, Jerry Reid, Valentino Burroughs, Randy Hudson, Brodus Jackson, Robert Fluid, and Charles Howe.

A1. “Sunshine People”
A2. “My Dreams”
A3. “Too Hot to Trot”
A4. “Lovin’, Livin’ and Givin’”
A5. “Stomp”

B1. “Love and Affection”
B2. “The Closer I Get to You”
B3. “Is It Love That We Are Missing”
B4. “Who Are You”

The album appeared as a tax-scam release with a stock seaside cover. Charles Howe produced Sunshine People in sequence with I’ll Give My Heart To You, a 1980 released on the AGD-linked Chantilly label by Carl Marshall & The S.D.’s.

Gaston

Gaston released their second album under the Gaston name in 1982 on Chocolate Cholly’s (CC4).

Gaston retains five performers from My Queen: drummer William Fewell, keyboardist Valentino Burroughs (Rhodes, piano, clavinet, ARP/Cat/Roland synthesizers, string machine), and multi-instrumentalists Quincy Huitt (guitar, bass, vocoder, percussion, lead vocals, backing vocals, saxophone), Jerry Reid (bass, saxophone, flute), and Randy Hudson (lead vocals, backing vocals, trombone, percussion). The album adds percussionist Kenny Frazelle and singer-trumpeter Richard Butler.

“Mind Sticker” snaps through a brisk pattern with synthesized vocal color. “Broken Record” rides the faster side of the program. “We Come To Take Control” charges through the same dance-floor lane. “You Don’t Love Me” drops into a slow vocal cut. “Love Is Gonna Getcha” lingers in the same low-lit register.

A1. “Mind Sticker” (4:44) – Richard Butter
A2. “You Don’t Love Me” (4:15) – J. Reid
A3. “Broken Record” (3:55)
A4. “You Turn Me On” (5:07)

B1. “Benny Hill” (5:00)
B2. “Here a Funk There a Funk Everywhere a Funk Funk” (4:30)
B3. “Love Is Gonna Getcha” (3:48) – C. Howe, V. Burroughs
B4. “We Come To Take Control” (5:26)

Sessions occurred at the Sound Shop in Nashville, produced by phantom label head Chocolate Cholly. Jerry dedicated the album in memory of his father, Walker Reid, Sr.

Gaston appeared shortly after The Pied Piper of Funkingham (CC2), recorded with five overlapping members.

“We Come to Take Control” first appeared as a 1981 single, backed with the Pied Piper track “I Wanna Play.”

Cholly followed with the 1982 singles “Here a Funk There a Funk Everywhere a Funk Funk” (b/w ‘disco’ version) and “Tell Me You Don’t Love Me” (b/w instrumental).

In 1983, Gaston issued the blue-vinyl standalone single “The Japanese Smurf” (b/w “The Smurfette”). They concluded with the 1985 single “The Hound,” written and produced by Quincy Huitt.

Discography: