The Deele

Biography

The Deele are best-known as the group that brought Babyface (b. Kenny Edmonds) and L.A. Reid (b. Mark Rooney) to prominence. Based in Indianapolis, IN, Bobby G. Summers and L.A. Reid formed the Deele in the early '80s with lead vocalist Carlos "Satin" Greene, Darnell "Dee" Bristol, Stanley Burke, and Kevin Roberson. Prior to joining the Deele Babyface had been a member of Manchild, who had a minor R&B hit with "Especially for You" in 1977.

The Deele had their first hit in late 1983, when "Body Talk" began climbing the R&B charts. Though the song only reached 77 on the pop charts, it reached number three on the R&B charts, helping the group's debut album Street Beat crack the Top 100. Two subsequent singles from the record, "Just My Luck," and "Surrender," dented the R&B charts, but the group's second album Material Thangz, was a disappointment, launching only one hit R&B single with the number 14 title track.

Between the release of Material Thangz and 1988's Eyes of a Stranger, Babyface and L.A. Reid began making a name for themselves as urban producers and songwriters, with their work for Pebbles ("Girlfriend") and the Whispers ("Rock Steady") becoming hits. In the wake of Babyface and Reid's new-found success, Eyes of a Stranger became a hit, going gold and launching the Top Ten pop and R&B hit, "Two Occasions," as well as the number ten R&B hit "Shoot 'Em Up Movies." Following the release of Eyes of a Stranger, the group went on hiatus, with Babyface and L.A. Reid continuing their successful production and songwriting work.

The Deele reunited without Babyface and Reid in 1993 to release Invitation to Love, which failed to earn much attention. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine & Al Campbell, All Music Guide