vintage music saturdays: zapp & roger - computer love.

also known as the zapp band, zapp and roger, was formed by 5 brothers out of dayton, ohio back in 1978. they had a timeless hit with computer love in 1985. i didn't realize that was our girl shirley murdoch on the vocals. my goodness that woman can sang. yes sang. charlie wilson was also a member of the band. didn't know that either.

no youngins. t-pain did not invent autotune. it's likely that t-pain was inspired by the band's frontman, roger troutman, who used a talkbox and a vocoder to lay his trademark special effects on his vocals. roger's stage presence was like no other - such showmanship.

roger had another hit that i used to love: i want to be your man. remember that one? and he also popped on tupac and dr. dre's song, california love, lending his signature sound.

unfortunately, with many great performers of our time, personal and/or family drama would be their downfall. in 1999, larry troutman, the band's former percussionist and manager to his younger brother roger's career, would kill roger in an apparent murder-suicide over a business dispute. sad. very.

but check out the video below of the band, along with shirley murdoch, performing on soul train in the late 80s.


and how could i do a post on computer love and not mention the scene from menace to society? you know the one. cain cruises down the ave. bumping computer love with shiny, new rims on his mustang. straight feeling himself ...

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