Lipps Inc. (/ˈlɪpsɪŋk/ LIP-sink, a pun on the phrase "lip sync") was an American disco and funk group from Minneapolis, Minnesota. The group is best known for the chart-topping 1980 worldwide hit single "Funkytown", which hit No. 1 in 28 countries and was certified as double platinum in sales.[2]
Lipps Inc. | |
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Background information | |
Origin | Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States |
Genres | |
Years active | 1979–1985 |
Labels | Casablanca Records, Phonogram, Polydor, Polyfar, PolyGram |
Past members | Cynthia Johnson Steven Greenberg Margie Cox Melanie Rosales Tom Riopelle Terry Grant David Rivkin |
Website | funkytown.com |
The group originally consisted of lead vocalist Cynthia Johnson and a changing line-up of session musicians including guitarist David Rivkin, guitarist Tom Riopelle and bassist Terry Grant. Steven Greenberg, the creator of the act, wrote and produced most of the group's music.[3]
Lipps Inc. started as a project of Steven Greenberg, at the time a wedding DJ who wanted to try his hand at writing disco songs. He had intended to use the name Lip Sync, but it was already in use by another group, so instead he chose the homophone Lipps, Inc. Greenberg was the sole member of the group until he met Cynthia Johnson while auditioning singers for his song "Rock It". Johnson subsequently joined the project and Lipps Inc. became a duo.[4]
Lipps Inc.'s first release was a 1979 single, "Rock It", on Greenberg's own Flight imprint. The act released its debut album Mouth to Mouth in late 1979.
The second single from this album, "Funkytown", spent four weeks at #1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Dance Music/Club Play charts in the United States. The 7" single sold over two million copies within a few months and was awarded a platinum record within the year of its release.[5] It reached #2 in the United Kingdom[6] and was a hit throughout the world.
Lipps Inc.'s later singles failed to match the band's initial success (the only other Hot 100 entry was "Rock It", which peaked at #64). However, more dance hits were released during the 1980s, including "How Long" in 1981 (originally a hit for Ace), which reached #4 on the U.S. dance chart. After the third album Designer Music, Johnson left the band and was replaced by Margie Cox and Melanie Rosales. Lipps Inc. released its final album, 4, in 1983, and disbanded two years later.
The 'face' of the group in the Netherlands was the British dancer Doris D (Debbie Jenner), who playbacked the song in TopPop with her dancers. Due to the success of this performance, they were also invited to perform as Lipps Inc. in other European countries, including Germany, Jenner and her dancers then had success as Doris D & The Pins in early 1981.[citation needed]
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | ||||||||||||
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US [5] |
US R&B [5] |
AUS [7] |
AUT [8] |
CAN [9] |
GER [10] |
NLD [11] |
NOR [12] |
SWE [13] | ||||||
Mouth to Mouth | 1979 | 5 | 5 | 57 | 7 | 12 | 11 | 23 | 21 | 10 | ||||
Pucker Up | 1980 | 63 | 37 | — | — | — | — | — | 40 | 46 | ||||
Designer Music | 1981 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
4 | 1983 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. |
Title | Album details |
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Funkyworld: The Best of Lipps, Inc. |
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Funkytown |
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Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |||||||||||
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US [5] |
US Dance [5] |
US R&B [5] |
AUS [7] |
CAN | GER [14] |
ITA [15] |
NLD [11] |
NOR [12] |
SWE [13] |
UK [6] | ||||
"Rock It" | 1979 | 64 | 20 | 85 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"Funkytown" | 1980 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
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"Designer Music" | — | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
"All Night Dancing" | 1981 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"How Long" | — | 4 | 29 | 44 | 42 | 32 | 6 | 30 | — | 16 | — | |||
"Jazzy" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
"There They Are" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
"Tight Pair" | 1982 | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"Addicted to the Night" | — | 8 | 78 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
"Hold Me Down" | 1983 | — | 11 | 70 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"Choir Practice" | — | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
"Hit the Deck" | — | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
"Does Anybody Know" | 1984 | — | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"Power" | 1985 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"Gossip Song" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. |
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Singles |
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National libraries | |
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