| The
Pointer Sisters, versatile Ruth,
Anita, June, and Bonnie Pointer
regularly scored pop and soul hits
throughout the '70s and '80s in a
chameleonic variety of styles. Formed in
Oakland, with their first successes for
Blue Thumb Records blending funky
rhythms with a novel nostalgic attitude
(beginning with their 1973 revival of
Allen Toussaint's "Yes We Can Can"),
leading up to their first number one R&B
item in 1975, "How Long (Betcha' Got a
Chick on the Side)." Bonnie signed with
Motown in 1978 and kicked off her own
string of R&B hits with "Free Me From My
Freedom/Tie Me to a Tree (Handcuff Me)."
(June and Anita also tried the solo
route during the '80s, without leaving
the fold.)
By 1979, when the remaining trio
covered Bruce Springsteen's "Fire," the
Pointers were headed in a more
contemporary direction on the Planet
label, and "He's So Shy" (1980), "Slow
Hand" (1981), "Automatic," and the
anthem "Jump (For My Love)" (the last
two both 1984) were savvy ditties that
blazed trails across the R&B and pop
charts. However, the group's success
declined during the late '80s, as their
records began to sound more formulaic.
The Pointer Sisters lost their
major-label record contract in the early
'90s, and the group began performing on
oldies circuits occasionally. In 1995,
the trio made a tentative return to the
spotlight when they joined a revival
performance of the Fats Waller musical
Ain't Misbehavin', yet the accompanying
soundtrack album failed to gain much
attention. |
