Search - Cameo :: Cameosis

Classic 1980 Sizzlin' Slap Yo' Mama Funk!!

MUZIK4THAPEOPLE!! | Orlando, FL | 06/16/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This was Cameo's breakthrough album back

in the summer of 1980 with it's classic line-up

of original musicians and singers!

1979's "Secret Omen" had the hits "I Just Want To Be"

and "Sparkle" which opened the doors and set

the stage for this one, but "Cameosis"

took it home for them, going Platinum!



Every cut on here is bangin' from the

opening title track, "Cameosis",

to the ober-funk of "Shake Your Pants",

to the sly sexy funk of "Please You"..just perfection!

But it doesn't end there!...(Oh No!)

Then there's the smooth feel-good mid tempo

"We're Going Out Tonight" that is bouncy

and will have you singing along in no time!

It's followed by the Earth, Wind & Fire-esque

"I Care For You", which was one of those

blue-light house party bump-n-grind

slow jams that us youngstaz of that time

(I was 16), used to like to get our mack on to!

Then, the funk kicks back in with the playful

"(We're) On The One!"..which was like a funked-out

roll call, much like Graham Central Station's

1975 classic "The Jam" was!

But it wasn't over!..this was followed by one of

the tour de force R&B ballads of all time

in my opinion! Their classic re-working of a song

they first did on their 1977 album

"We All Know Who We Are"...



"Why Have I Lost You" is just one of the most

underatted slow jams of all time and should

be held right beside E,W & F's "Reasons" &

"Can't Hide Love", Heatwave's "Always & Forever"

and any of the Isley's classic ballads from the 70's!

As a young man of 16, I was feeling the sting of my first

love & loss and I played the grooves off of that song

along with E,W&F's "After The Love Is Gone" all that summer!



Another thing that made this album such a funk classic

was not only for the arrangements and precision execution

by the musicians, but for the beautiful vocals of

Tommy Jenkins, Aaron Mills and the falsetto brilliance

of the late great Wayne Cooper, whose falsetto was

almost like a female's natural soprano voice in

it's tone and texture!

He absolutely made his mark on Cameo's early sound

as a lead and background vocalist and songs like

"Why Have I Lost You", "We're Going Out Tonight"

and "We All Know Who We Are" are his testimony!



Sadly, he was one of the first wave of black openly

gay men to die from a then unnamed and unknown AIDS

about a year and a half after this album was released.

Ironically, right as Cameo was beginning to take off!

In my opinion, Wayne Cooper, Phillip Bailey

and the late great Bobby Debarge of the group Switch,

who also was claimed by AIDS, were the

purest, most expressive falsetto voices ever known!

Phillip is still doing his thing today, though diminished.

But for my money, 1980's "Cameosis" & "Feel Me",

1981's "Knights Of The Sound Table",

1982's "Alligator Woman" and 1986's "Word Up"

are their definitive offerings!

Just buy any one of those and you'll be sure

to catch a chronic case of CAMEOSIS!!---OWW!





"

NEVER GOES OUT OF STYLE!!!

Dawn Ashwood | Brooklyn, NY | 03/13/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album was pre Larry's red fish cod get up, and as far as I'm concerned, Cameo at it's absolute brilliantly best! I remember my big brother who is ten years older than I am playing this record(back then we had records y'all!!) incessantly. The cut I remember vividly was We're Going Out Tonight, which to me is one of the sexiest, sassiest cuts to date. At the tender age of nine years old, I "Shook My Pants". That cut was the jam that brought everybody out on the floor at the basement parties my older brother and sister had back in the day!! This album in my opinion epitomizes what a funk ensemble should be because everybody played with excellence and played their position. If you remember the good ole days of funk music, you should have this in your musical libray."

A Brilliant Combination Of Soul & Funk

Maria Alvarez | Stevens Point,WI USA | 06/27/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"CAMEOSIS IS THE JAM! This album was hittin' back in the summer of 1980 and to this day it is still groovin'. The music of today just can't compare. They don't make albums like this anymore! This album is among the most amazing of Cameo's career.
The Album's Sound is a Solid & Sensational mixture of Soul & Funk Styles. Song Selections vary from Sizzlin' Funk Slammers to
Sweet Slow Jams. And it's a formula that works well for Cameo on this album. It's the perfect balance of musical styles and it features such percolating jams as 'Cameosis','Shake Your Pants' & 'Please You'. It also contains the Melodic,Midtempo Dance Smash,'We're Going Out Tonight' and the emotional funk ballad,'Why Have I Lost You?'. If ever there was a Sentimental & Stunning Slow Jam,This is definately it. It's just a Classic Song,Period. Out of all the Funky Jamz & Groovez this disc has to offer,I would say that my favorite would be the Throbbin' Funk Cut,'Please You' because it's just down & dirty,Sweat Til U Drop Funk. That Joint is Raw Funk Sexuality with no shame and a Relentless Groove that's just Nasty! But seriously, if you're looking for a Classic Funk Album to Vibe to then without question this is the CD for you!"