Side Effect -

Side Effect an American soul-funk vocal group from Los Angeles, formed in 1972 by producer–arranger Augie Johnson. They debuted on Canada’s G.A.S. label in 1973 and recorded four albums for Fantasy Records between 1975 and 1978. During this period, the group featured a sequence of female vocalists—Sylvia Nabors, Helen Lowe (Helen Baylor), and Sylvia St. James—each contributing to their blend of vocal harmony, funk rhythms, and jazz-influenced arrangements.

In 1979, Side Effect signed with Elektra Records, where they continued with vocalist Miki Howard, a 19-year-old singer from Chicago with gospel roots. They released three albums on Elektra between 1980 and 1982 with a more polished, post-disco sound.

Members: Augie Johnson (1972-2014), Louis Patton, Gregory Matta, Jim Gilstrap (1972-74), Sylvia Nabors (1974-76), Helen Baylor (1976-77), Sylvia St. James (1977-78), Miki Howard (1978-86)

Background

Side Effect formed in Los Angeles in May 1972 under the direction of vocalist/arranger Augie Johnson, a New Orleans native raised in Southern California. He assembled the group with vocalist Jim Gilstrap—his prior doo-wop partner in Ree Flores & the Duprells—alongside Gregory Matta, Louis Patton, and Lometta Johnson. The original lineup came together out of the city’s club circuit, eventually attracting the attention of the Toronto-based G.A.S. label after a string of local showcases.

Johnson brought jazz inflection and arranging discipline to the group, shaped by his background in harmony and vocal stack construction. Gilstrap entered with a versatile pop-soul tenor, honed through his prior roles in The Cultures and Doodletown Pipers. In 1971–72, he joined Stevie Wonder’s touring unit Wonderlove and appeared on Talking Book and Innervisions, singing the opening lines on “You Are the Sunshine of My Life.”

Effective

Side Effect debuted in 1973 with Effective, a ten-song set issued on Canada’s Avenue of America–G.A.S. Records. The album documents the group’s first phase with co-founders Augie Johnson and Jim Gilstrap sharing writing and vocal duties, and Lometta Johnson serving as lead female vocalist.

Gilstrap wrote or co-wrote the majority of the material and produced the album. Lometta Johnson co-penned three songs, while Augie Johnson contributed to “Sylvia.” The closing number, “Wash Your Troubles Away,” is the lone outside contribution, written by Allen.

The material splits between vocal-forward harmony numbers and expressive solo showcases. Gilstrap takes the spotlight on four compositions, including a spoken-word interlude (“Jim’s Wrapp”) and emotive torch songs such as “Do Your Thing” and “Tree of Love.” Lometta shares co-leads on the more upbeat “Run Run Run” and “Spend It on Love.”

A1. “Listen to the Beat of the Drum” (3:19)
A2. “Run Run Run” (2:17)
A3. “Spend It on Love” (3:20)
A4. “Do Your Thing” (4:52)
A5. “Unless You’re Wearing Your Emotions” (3:07)

B1. “Do You Believe” (3:51)
B2. “Tree of Love” (3:19)
B3. “Jim’s Wrapp” (4:28)
B4. “Sylvia” (4:12)
B5. “Wash Your Troubles Away” (4:09)

Sessions occurred in Los Angeles under the direction of producer Jim Gilstrap. Augie Johnson contributed sleeve notes.

After the album’s release, Gilstrap departed for a solo career and session work. In 1973–74, he appeared on albums by Brown Sugar, Kenny Rankin, Les McCann, and Weather Report, then debuted on Roxbury Records with the 1975 solo LP Swing Your Daddy. Johnson and Gregory Matta contributed backing vocals to Priced to Sell, a 1974 release by Prestige funk outfit Funk Inc.

By late 1974, Side Effect replaced Lometta Johnson with vocalist Sylvia Nabors and aligned with At-Home Productions, the new production unit founded by Wayne Henderson of The Crusaders.

Side Effects (1975)

Side Effects released their self-titled second album in 1975 on Fantasy Records.

The album builds a layered, rhythm-heavy framework with alternating vocal arrangements, balancing uptempo ensemble numbers and more introspective tracks. It’s their only album with vocalist Sylvia Nabors, whose leads alternate with contributions from Augie Johnson, Greg Matta, and Louie Patton. The sequence moves from high-density brass textures to leaner funk patterns on side B.

Songwriting credits vary across the album. Augie Johnson co-wrote multiple selections, joined on two tracks by producer Wayne Henderson. Paul Allen composed the opener, while “I Love You So Much” is credited solely to Henderson. Former member Jim Gilstrap penned the closing track. Arthur G. Wright arranged horns and strings on two B-side cuts.

A1. “Baby Love (Love You Baby)” (3:56)
A2. “Oh Baby” (2:25)
A3. “There She Goes Again” (5:01)
A4. “What the Heck, Let’s Discotheque” (4:52)

B1. “Spend It on Love” (3:37)
B2. “Checkin’ It Out” (3:37)
B3. “I Love You So Much” (4:30)
B4. “Dancin’ Shoes” (4:00)
B5. “Tree of Love” (3:14)

Sessions occurred at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley with Wayne Henderson and Augie Johnson as producers and Eddie Bill Harris as recording engineer. Bob MacLeod Jr. mastered the album, and remixing was handled by F. Byron Clark and Henderson.

Side Effect features cover photography by Phil Bray and design elements by art director Phil Carroll and letterer Bob Simmons.

Fantasy issued “There She Goes Again” backed with “What The Heck, Let’s Discotheque” as the album’s single.

In 1975, Augie Johnson also sang backup on albums by Bill Withers (Making Music), Nancy Wilson (Come Get to This), and fellow Fantasy artists Country Joe McDonald (Paradise With an Ocean View) and Stanley Turrentine (In the Pocket). Johnson and Matta both appear on Two Sides of the Moon by Keith Moon.

What You Need

Side Effect released their third album, What You Need, in 1976 on Fantasy Records.

The album marked the arrival of Helen Lowe, who replaced Sylvia Nabors as the group’s female lead. Before joining Side Effect, Helen toured with Aretha Franklin and B.B. King, appeared in the Broadway production Hair, and released two singles on the Soultown label under the name Little Helen. Her voice anchored a tighter, more layered production, shaping the ensemble’s turn toward bright ensemble disco-funk with a sharper rhythmic focus.

Wayne Henderson wrote or co-wrote over half the tracks. Outside contributions include the charting opener “Always There,” written by Ronnie Laws, William Jeffery, and Paul Allen, and the reflective “Finally Found Someone” by Esau Joyner.

A1. “Always There” (5:04) originated as a jazz-funk instrumental on Laws’ 1975 Blue Note release Pressure Sensitive.
A2. “Keep That Same Old Feeling” (7:06) also appears as an instrumental on the 1976 Crusaders album Those Southern Knights.
A3. “Time Has No Ending” (3:55)
A4. “S.O.S.” (4:06)

B1. “Honky Tonk Scat” (3:45)
B2. “Finally Found Someone” (2:53)
B3. “Changes” (3:36)
B4. “Life Is What You Make It” (2:54)
B5. “I Know You Can” (6:21)

Sessions occurred at studios in Los Angeles (Sound Factory, Hollywood Sound) and Berkeley (Fantasy Studios) with Henderson and engineer F. Byron Clark.

The album spawned three singles. “Always There” reached No. 56 on the R&B chart and climbed to No. 2 on the Dance chart. “Finally Found Someone” and “S.O.S.” followed with lower R&B chart placements.

Augie Johnson also appeared on Laws’ concurrent Fever and 1976 albums by Boz Scaggs, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Pleasure, and (with Gregory Matta) the Atlantic release Lovelock! by conductor Gene Page.

Lowe departed Side Effect after What You Need and later sang gospel under the name Helen Baylor.

Goin’ Bananas

Side Effect released their fourth album, Goin’ Bananas, in 1977 on Fantasy Records.

The album introduced vocalist Sylvia St. James, Lowe’s replacement who sang beforehand on George Duke’s 1975 album The Aura Will Prevail. She brought a bright, theatrical edge to the group’s rhythm-forward sound. The album mixed dancefloor disco with jazz-leaning interludes and uptempo soul, unified under a tongue-in-cheek banana motif.

Wayne Henderson produced and co-wrote multiple songs across the album. The charting single “It’s All In Your Mind” was written outside the core group, while the set closes with a version of the jazz vocal standard “Cloudburst,” the only non-original on the record.

A1. “Goin’ Bananas” (5:40)
A2. “Open Up Your Heart” (3:08)
A3. “Watching Life” (4:38)
A4. “Keep On Keepin’ On” (7:10)

B1. “It’s All In Your Mind” (4:24)
B2. “Private World” (3:46)
B3. “Mr. Monday” (3:07)
B4. “Never Be The Same” (4:42)
B5. “Back In Time” (3:43)
B6. “Cloudburst” (2:04) – First recorded in 1954 by Claude Cloud & His Thunderclaps and revived by the Pointer Sisters on their 1973 debut album.

Sessions occurred at Total Experience in Hollywood, Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, and ABC Studios in Los Angeles with Wayne Henderson producing.

The title features artwork that pictures Sylvia St. James styled in a Carmen Miranda–inspired outfit. Fantasy also issued the album on yellow vinyl to match the banana motif.

“It’s All In Your Mind” became the album’s breakout single, reaching No. 18 on the R&B chart.

Rainbow Visions

Side Effect released their fifth album, Rainbow Visions, in 1978 on Fantasy Records. This marked their second and final release with vocalist Sylvia St. James and closed their four-album run with the label.

Rainbow Visions continued the group’s blend of jazz, soul, and dance-forward arrangements, with more expansive production and orchestration than prior records. St. James remained a strong vocal presence across the album, which shifted between string-laden midtempo pieces and brisker dance cuts.

Augie Johnson contributed to the majority of the album’s writing, often with Sylvia, Louie Patton, and Gregory Matta, who lone-wrote “I Like Dreaming.” They also record songs by Allspice singer Esau Joyner (“She’s a Lady”) and Wayne Henderson, who co-wrote the title track with Gradney.

A1. “Peace Of Mind” (4:35)
A2. “Disco Junction” (3:30)
A3. “She’s A Lady” (4:07)
A4. “Illee, Illee, Oh I Know” (6:45)

B1. “Rainbow Visions” (4:10)
B2. “Falling In Love Again” (3:45)
B3. “I Like Dreaming” (4:38)
B4. “I’m A Winner” (4:10)

Sessions occurred at Oceanway Studios in Santa Monica Canyon, Total Experience and ABC Recording Studios in Los Angeles, with string recording at United Western Recorders. Wayne Henderson and Augie Johnson produced, with Allen Sides, Reggie Dozier, and Ty Blair engineering across locations. Allen Sides handled final mixes.

The title features artwork directed by Phil Carroll, with design by Lucinda Cowell and photography by Phil Bray.

In 1979, Side Effect moved to Elektra Records, which also signed Sylvia St. James as a solo artist. She debuted with the 1980 album Magic while Side Effect continued with Alicia Michelle “Miki” Howard, a nineteen-year-old Chicago native whose parents (both gospel singers) held social events attended by numerous R&B and jazz singers (Mavis Staples, Dinah Washington, Billy Preston).

After the Rain

Side Effect released their sixth album, After the Rain, in 1980 on Elektra. This was their first of three albums with singer Miki Howard, their fifth female vocalist. She joins co-founders Augie Johnson, Gregory Matta, and Louie Patton.

The album retained the group’s layered vocal arrangements while adopting a smoother blend of soul and disco, with brighter tempos and polished instrumental backdrops. It includes a disco take on “Eleanor Rigby” and a blues-based miniature (“Pretty Baby”), alongside romantic ballads and dancefloor tracks.

Augie Johnson served as primary songwriter, contributing to all but three tracks, often collaborating with Matta, Patton, and lyrical associate Paul Allen. Outside contributions include songs by Toto (“Georgy Porgy”), The Beatles “Eleanor Rigby”), and Boppers bassist Ed Reddick (“The Thrill Is Gone”)

A1. “Take a Chance ‘N’ Dance” (5:17)
A2. “The Thrill Is Gone” (3:07)
A3. “Georgy Porgy” (4:52)
A4. “Close to Me” (3:31)
A5. “I Feel It’s Real” (2:42)

B1. “Black Beauty” (4:36)
B2. “Pretty Baby” (1:22)
B3. “Catch It ‘Fore It Falls” (3:36)
B4. “Eleanor Rigby” (4:03)
B5. “Superwoman” (5:53)

Sessions occurred at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, Kendun Recorders in Burbank, and Ocean Way Recording in Los Angeles. Augie Johnson and Wayne Henderson co-produced the album, with engineering by Reggie Dozier and Allen Sides.

The singles “Superwoman” and “Georgy Porgy” charted on Billboard’s R&B chart, peaking at 64 and 77 respectively. After the Rain reached No. 70 on the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart.

Portraits

Side Effect released their seventh album, Portraits, in 1981 on Elektra.

The album continued the group’s turn toward refined studio soul with clipped dance rhythms and spotlight turns for vocalist Miki Howard, who takes the lead on “I Can’t Play” and “Midnight Lover.” Ballads and mid-tempo numbers appear alongside uptempo cuts, structured with lean arrangements and multiple vocal shifts.

Augie Johnson served as the album’s sole credited producer and primary songwriter. The tracklist includes no outside contributions, with all songs internally written by group members.

A1. “I Can’t Play” (3:33)
A2. “Do It” (4:16)
A3. “Make You Mine” (4:14)
A4. “I Need Your Lovin'” (3:52)
A5. “Midnight Lover” (4:46)

B1. “It’s Got to Be Love” (3:54)
B2. “Reggae Dancin'” (4:58)
B3. “If You Believe” (2:47)
B4. “The Loneliest Man in Town” (4:05)
B5. “The Lord’s Prayer” (1:51)

Sessions occurred at Total Experience Recording Studios in Hollywood, produced by Augie Johnson.

The single “Make You Mine” reached No. 26 on Billboard’s R&B chart and No. 73 on the Dance chart. Portraits peaked at No. 52 on Billboard’s Top R&B Albums chart.

All Aboard

Side Effect released their eighth album, All Aboard, in May 1982 on Elektra.

The album marked the end of the group’s recorded output with Miki Howard and continued their blend of clipped rhythms, bright textures, and harmony-based arrangements.

Augie Johnson wrote or co-wrote five of the album’s nine tracks. Additional contributions came from Louis Patton and Greg Matta, as well as outside writers such as Gerald Lee and Marti Sharron (“Music Is My Way of Life”), Smokey Thomas (“You Can Do It”), and Jim Gilstrap (“Attitudes”).

A1. “I’m Likin’ What You Do to Me” (4:17)
A2. “Scatman” (4:23)
A3. “Music Is My Way of Life” (3:46)
A4. “Forever My Love” (4:21)
A5. “You Can Do It” (3:41)

B1. “Attitudes” (4:05)
B2. “Take Me As I Am” (4:13)
B3. “My Way” (5:18)
B4. “I Want To…” (5:12)

Sessions occurred at Total Experience Studios in Hollywood, Kendun Recorders in Burbank, and Ocean Way Recording in Los Angeles. Augie Johnson produced the album and co-mixed it with engineer Mike Evans.

All Aboard features artwork directed by Ron Coro with photography by Ron Slenzak.

Discography: