Heatwave

Formed in London in 1975, Heatwave immediately brought together musicians from several countries around the American brothers Johnnie Wilder Jr. and Keith Wilder, who were from Dayton, Ohio, the English keyboardist and composer Rod Temperton, the Swiss bassist Mario Mantese and the Czechoslovak drummer Ernest Berger. Heatwave developed a sound at the crossroads of funk, R&B, soul and disco, characterized by pronounced rhythms, tight vocal arrangements and melodic writing that alternates between dance tracks and ballads. After a notable run on the London club circuit, Heatwave recorded Too Hot to Handle in 1976, then Central Heating in 1978, featuring songs that became central to their repertoire such as “Boogie Nights”, “Always and Forever” and “The Groove Line”. Rod Temperton played an important role in Heatwave’s musical identity before leaving the group at the end of the 1970s, although he continued to write for them on several records thereafter. Despite numerous lineup changes and the accidents that befell Johnnie Wilder Jr. and Mario Mantese, Heatwave continued with Hot Property in 1979, Candles in 1980, Current in 1982 and The Fire in 1988. Since then Heatwave has existed in various stage incarnations, between the 1970s soul‑funk legacy and an ongoing live continuity.