Klique -

Klique was an American soul-funk trio from Los Angeles that released four albums between 1981 and 1985 on MCA. They scored R&B hits with “Love’s Dance,” “A Woman, a Lover, a Friend,” and the 1983 chart-topper “Stop Doggin’ Me Around.”

Members: Deborah Suthers [Deborah Hunter] (vocals, percussion), Isaac Suthers (vocals, synthesizer, keyboards), Howard Huntsberry (vocals, drums, percussion)

Background

Klique formed in Los Angeles in 1979 when singer-keyboardist Isaac Suthers and singer Deborah Suthers, later Deborah Hunter, teamed with singer-drummer Howard Huntsberry.

Isaac Suthers worked for an independent record-promotion firm and sang in Los Angeles nightclubs through the late 1970s. He issued the 1978 Quan single “Love and Affection” (b/w “Only Sixteen”), which brought him into contact with manager George Murphy. Deborah Suthers sang occasionally and worked as a model and actress.

Howard Stafford Huntsberry was born March 5, 1952, in Pacoima, California. He sang and played drums on the 1975 MGM album T.U.M.E., then added background vocals to albums by D.J. Rogers (Love, Music & Life) and the Gap Band (The Gap Band, The Gap Band II).

Murphy connected Klique with Con Funk Shun through a friendship with the manager of the Vallejo band. Klique recorded new material and pursued a label contract, while Con Funk Shun members Michael Cooper and Felton Pilate assisted with production and material. Pilate gave a demo to Suthers, who developed the title song “It’s Winning Time.”

MCA signed Klique to a four-album agreement early in 1981 under co-manager George Murphy. The label scheduled “Love’s Dance” for the first week of April and the debut album It’s Winning Time for May release on MCA.

Discography: