Switch ( band ) - wikipedia Switch ( band ) Switch Also known as White Heat, Hot Ice Origin Mansfield, Ohio, United States Genres R&B, funk Years active 1975 -- present Labels RCA, Polydor, Gordy ( Motown ), Total Experience Website reverbnation.com/originalswitch Members Gregory Williams Eddie Fluellen Phillip Ingram Michael McGloiry Akili Nickson James Strong Michael Norfleet Derek Organ Past members Bobby DeBarge ( deceased ) Tommy DeBarge Jody Sims Attala Giles Renard Gallo Gonzales Ozen Howie Carbaugh Christopher Hawkins Anthony Watters Switch is an R&B / funk band that found fame recording for the Gordy label in the late 1970s, releasing hit songs such as `` There 'll Never Be '', `` I Call Your Name '' and `` Love Over & Over Again ''. Switch influenced bands such as DeBarge, which featured the siblings of Switch band members Bobby and Tommy DeBarge. Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Early years 1.2 Success years 1.3 Later years 2 Personnel 3 Discography 3.1 Studio albums 3.2 Compilations 3.3 Singles 4 References 5 Further reading 6 External links Biography Early years The group was formed in Mansfield, Ohio, around 1976 by Gregory Williams. They recorded a demo tape in Columbus, Ohio with the financial assistance of Bernd Lichters. Switch included Gregory Williams, brothers Tommy DeBarge and Bobby DeBarge, all from Grand Rapids, Michigan, along with Akron, Ohio natives Phillip Ingram ( brother of James Ingram ), Eddie Fluellen, and Jody Sims ( originally from Steubenville, Ohio ). Williams, Bobby DeBarge, and Sims had been members of White Heat, which released a self - titled album on RCA in 1975, but the band 's producer, Barry White, soon shuttered his Soul Unlimited production company and dropped all the acts on the roster. Frye, then living in Kent OH, decided to form his own band. Success years The new group would become Switch due to their ability to switch to different lead vocalist and instruments during a song. Williams and Sims met and got the attention of Jermaine Jackson, former member of the Jackson 5 and husband of Hazel Gordy ( daughter of Motown Chief Berry Gordy, Jr. ), who heard the group 's demo tape. Within weeks, the group was signed to the Motown Records subsidiary label, Gordy. They recorded and released their self titled debut album some 18 months later in 1978, which featured their first Top 10 R&B hit single, entitled `` There 'll Never Be ''. The song also proved to be their biggest success on the Billboard Hot 100, where it was a Top 40 hit ( their only one ), peaking at # 36. Their songs were written by Williams, Bobby DeBarge and Sims, often in collaboration with Jermaine Jackson. Though they never managed to achieve significant crossover success into the pop singles chart, they were a consistent presence on the R&B charts through the late 1970s with albums such as Switch II from 1979 ( their second release ), This Is My Dream and Reaching For Tomorrow in 1980. Their final release on Gordy was Switch V, released in 1981. Songs such as `` I Wanna Be Closer '', `` We Like to Party '', `` I Call Your Name '', `` Best Beat in Town '' and `` Love me Over and Over Again '' also became hits for the group. Later years Shortly after the DeBarge brothers left Switch to mentor their younger siblings in the group DeBarge, and lead singer Ingram left to pursue a solo career, Switch took on new vocalist and musicians : singer Renard Gallo, Gonzales Ozen and bassist Phil Upchurch Jr. This configuration of Switch signed with Total Experience ( well known home of their contemporaries the Gap Band ) and recorded a final album Am I Still Your Boyfriend in 1984, breaking up later that year. In 1991, Motown released a greatest hits compilation album by the band. A similar version on the 20th Century Masters series released more recently is all that remains in print of this band. Former lead singer Bobby DeBarge died of AIDS - related complications in Grand Rapids, Michigan on August 16, 1995 at age 39. Switch has since reunited, featuring original members founder / leader Williams, Fluellen, Ingram, original sessions / on stage guitarist Michael McGloiry, and new lead vocalist Akili Nickson. Personnel Gregory Williams ( 1976 -- present ) : vocals, keyboards, trumpet Eddie Fluellen ( 1977 -- present ) : keyboards, trombone, vocals Phillip Ingram ( 1976 -- 82 ; present ) : vocals, keyboards, percussion Bobby DeBarge ( 1977 -- 81 ) : vocals, piano / keyboards, drums Tommy DeBarge ( 1976 -- 81 ) : vocals, bass guitar Jody Sims ( 1976 -- 84 ) : vocals, drums Michael McGloiry ( original session guitarist ) ( 1978 - ? ? ; present ) : guitar Attala Giles ( 1981 -- 84 ) : guitar, bass, keyboards Renard Gallo ( 1982 -- 84 ) : vocals, percussion Gonzales Ozen ( 1982 -- 84 ) : vocals, percussion Akili Nickson ( 2003 -- present ) : lead vocals Discography Studio albums Year Album Peak chart positions Record label US US R&B CAN White Heat -- -- -- RCA 1977 Pall Mall Groove -- -- -- Polydor 1978 Switch 37 6 72 Gordy 1979 Switch II 37 8 84 1980 Reaching for Tomorrow 57 23 -- This Is My Dream 85 21 -- 1981 Switch V 174 48 -- 1984 Am I Still Your Boyfriend ? -- -- -- Total Experience `` -- '' denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. Credited to White Heat. Credited to Hot - Ice. Compilations The Best of Switch ( 1991, Motown ) 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection : The Best of Switch ( 2001, Motown ) Singles Year Title Peak chart positions Album US US R&B US Dan CAN UK `` If That 's the Way You Feel ( Then Let 's Fall in Love ) '' -- -- -- -- -- White Heat `` What a Groove '' -- -- -- -- -- 1978 `` There 'll Never Be '' 36 6 -- 60 -- Switch 1979 `` I Wanna Be Closer '' -- 22 -- -- -- `` Best Beat in Town '' 69 16 65 -- -- Switch II `` I Call Your Name '' 83 8 -- -- -- 1980 `` Do n't Take My Love Away '' -- 41 -- -- -- Reaching for Tomorrow `` Love Over and Over Again '' -- 9 -- -- -- This Is My Dream 1981 `` You and I '' -- 57 -- -- -- `` I Do Love You '' -- 73 -- -- -- Switch V 1982 `` Call On Me '' -- 70 -- -- -- 1984 `` Switch It Baby '' -- 55 -- -- -- Am I Still Your Boyfriend ? `` Keeping Secrets '' -- -- -- -- 61 `` -- '' denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. References Jump up ^ Vibe Magazine. October 2007. p. 110. Jump up ^ All music guide to soul : the definitive guide to R&B and soul. 2003. p. 660. Jump up ^ `` The DeBarge Family ''. Unsung. TV One. 2008. Retrieved March 2012. Check date values in : access - date = ( help ) Jump up ^ `` Music Interviews : DeBarge Family Recounts Rocky Musical Journey ''. NPR. 2008. Retrieved March 012. Check date values in : access - date = ( help ) Jump up ^ http://www.billboard.com/artist/1540254/switch/chart ^ Jump up to : `` US Charts > Switch ''. Billboard. Retrieved 2012 - 12 - 21. ^ Jump up to : `` CAN Charts > Switch ''. RPM. Retrieved 2012 - 12 - 21. Jump up ^ `` UK Charts > Switch ''. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2012 - 12 - 21. Further reading Gonzales, Michael A. ( October 2007 ). `` Broken Dreams ''. Vibe. pp. 108 -- 115. Bogdanov, Vladimir ; Woodstra, Chris ; Erlewine, Stephen Thomas ( August 1, 2003 ). All Music Guide to Soul : The Definitive Guide to R&B and Soul. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978 - 0 - 87930 - 744 - 8. External links Switch at AllMusic Switch ( band ) on ReverbNation DeBarge Bunny DeBarge Bobby DeBarge Randy DeBarge Marty DeBarge El DeBarge James DeBarge Chico DeBarge Studio albums The DeBarges All This Love In a Special Way Rhythm of the Night Bad Boys Compilation albums Greatest Hits Ultimate Collection The Definitive Collection Singles `` Stop ! Do n't Tease Me '' `` I Like It '' `` All This Love '' `` Time Will Reveal '' `` Love Me in a Special Way '' `` Rhythm of the Night '' `` Who 's Holding Donna Now '' `` You Wear It Well '' `` The Heart Is Not So Smart '' `` Dance All Night '' `` You Babe '' Related topics DeBarge family Etterlene DeBarge Kristinia DeBarge Switch Motown Discography Book Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Switch_(band)&oldid=814928163 '' Categories : African - American musical groups American funk musical groups Musical groups established in 1975 Musical groups disestablished in 1984 American soul musical groups Musical groups from Ohio Motown artists DeBarge family Hidden categories : CS1 errors : dates Articles with hCards Pages using Template : Infobox musical artist with unknown parameters Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 11 December 2017, at 18 : 53. 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Question: what year did the group switch come out
Answer: 1975