Wikipedia

Lipps Inc.

Lipps Inc.(/ˈlɪpsɪŋk/LIP-sink,a pun on the phrase "lip sync") was an Americandiscoandfunkgroup from Minneapolis, Minnesota. The group is best known for thechart-topping1980 worldwide hit single "Funkytown",which hit No. 1 in 28 countries and was certified as doubleplatinumin sales.[2]

Lipps Inc.
Background information
OriginMinneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Genres
Years active1979–1985
LabelsCasablanca Records,Phonogram,Polydor,Polyfar,PolyGram,DreamWorks
Past membersCynthia Johnson
Steven Greenberg
Margie Cox
Melanie Rosales
Tom Riopelle
Terry Grant
David Rivkin
Websitefunkytown.com

The group originally consisted of lead vocalistCynthia Johnsonand a changing line-up ofsession musiciansincluding guitaristDavid 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]

History

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Lipps Inc. started as a project of Steven Greenberg when he was 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 in use by another group, so instead he chose thehomophoneLipps Inc. Greenberg was the sole member of the group until he met Cynthia Johnson while auditioning singers for his song "Rock It". Johnson joined the project, and Lipps Inc. became a duo.[4]

Lipps Inc.'s first release was the 1979 single "Rock It" on Greenberg's Flight imprint. The act released its debut albumMouth to Mouthin late 1979.

With the release of the album, "Funkytown",became the second single fromMouth to Mouthand spent four weeks at #1 on both theBillboardHot 100andHot Dance Music/Club Playcharts in the United States; the previously released “Rock It” was also on the album with a slightly different mix. The 7 "single of" Funkytown "sold over 2 million copies within a few months, and it was awarded aplatinum recordwithin the year of its release.[5]It reached #2 in theUnited 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 forAce), which reached #4 on the U.S. dance chart. AfterDesigner Music,the group's third album, Johnson left the band and was replaced byMargie Coxand Melanie Rosales. Lipps Inc. released4,its final album, in 1983, and disbanded two years later.

Europe

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The 'face' of the group in the Netherlands was the British dancerDoris D(Debbie Jenner), who playbacked the song inTopPopwith her dancers. Due to the success of this performance, they were 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]

Awards and recognitions

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  • Platinum and Double-Platinum Status with Funkytown
  • Inductee into Minnesota Music Hall of Fame

Discography

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Studio albums

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Title Year Peak chart positions
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.

Compilation albums

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Title Album details
Funkyworld: The Best of Lipps, Inc.
Funkytown

Singles

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List of singles with year of release and chart positions
Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications
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 — — — — — — — — — — —
"Funkytown" 1980 1 1 2 1 1 1 5 1 1 2 2
"Rock It" 64 20 85 — — — — — — — —
"How Long" — 4 29 44 42 32 6 30 — 16 —
"Hold Me Down" 1981 — 11 70 — — — — — — — —
"Addicted to the Night" 1983 — 8 78 — — — — — — — —
"Does Anybody Know Me" / "Hit The Deck" 1985 — 32 — — — — — — — — —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

See also

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References

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  1. ^abHuey, Steve."Lipps, Inc. – Artist Biography".AllMusic.All Media Network.RetrievedJune 26,2013.
  2. ^"Cynthia Johnson - Bio".Cynthiajohnson.net.Archived fromthe originalon September 16, 2017.RetrievedSeptember 16,2018.
  3. ^"The Official Funkytown Website".Archived fromthe originalon December 10, 2005.RetrievedJanuary 2,2019.
  4. ^Swensson, Andrea."Steven Greenberg talks about creating Lipps Inc. and writing 'Funkytown'".Minnesota Public Radio.RetrievedNovember 18,2019.
  5. ^abcdef"Lipps, Inc. - Awards".AllMusic.Archived fromthe originalon September 12, 2012.
  6. ^ab"LIPPS INC | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company".www.officialcharts.com.RetrievedAugust 8,2018.
  7. ^abKent, David(1993).Australian Chart Book 1970–1992(illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 178.ISBN0-646-11917-6.
  8. ^"Discographie Lipps, Inc".austriancharts.at.(in German).RetrievedAugust 10,2013.
  9. ^"RPM Top 100 Albums - August 12, 1980"(PDF).
  10. ^"Suche nach" Lipps, Inc. "(Album)".charts.de(in German).RetrievedAugust 10,2013.[dead link‍]
  11. ^ab"Discografie Lipps, Inc".dutchcharts.nl(in Dutch).RetrievedAugust 10,2013.
  12. ^ab"Discography Lipps, Inc".norwegiancharts.com.RetrievedAugust 10,2013.
  13. ^ab"Discography Lipps, Inc".swedishcharts.com.RetrievedAugust 10,2013.
  14. ^Suche nach "Lipps, Inc." (Single)[dead link‍](in German). charts.de. Accessed on August 10, 2013.
  15. ^"Classifiche".Musica e dischi(in Italian).RetrievedJune 5,2022.Select "Album" in the "Tipo" field, type "Lipps Inc." in the "Titolo" field and press "cerca".
  16. ^"Lipps Inc. - Funky Town".bpi.co.uk.RetrievedSeptember 29,2024.
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