Follow up albums We All Know Who We Are, Ugly Ego, and Secret Omen contained dance floor songs such as 'I Just Want To Be' and “It’s Serious”, the latter of which was used for a dance contest scene in the 1978 film Thank God It's Friday. Their first album was Cardiac Arrest which featured its first hit single, ' Rigor Mortis'. They released one self-titled album in 1973 on the independent label Encounter.Ĭameo started with a deep, funk sound, but it was obvious from the start their sights were set on the dance floor. Prior to this, Blackmon, keyboardist Gregory Johnson, and the late Gwen Guthrie formed the band East Coast, together with James Wheeler (alto saxophone), Melvin Whay (bass), Michael Harris (percussion), and Haras Fyre (also known as Pat Grant) on trombone. The name Cameo was derived from a brand of cigarettes sold in Canada that the band saw during a visit to that country.

However, according to original band member Nathan Leftenant, the group soon changed its name after the threat of legal action by Mercury Records due to the name “The Players” being too similar to Ohio Players, who recorded for Mercury at the time. Cameo topped the R&B charts for more than a decade, has sold more than 18 million albums and is considered one of the most popular funk bands of its era.īackground 1974–1979: Formation and early years įormed by Larry Blackmon in 1974 as the New York City Players the band was signed by Casablanca Records to its Chocolate City imprint in 1975 as “The Players”. On February 20, 2019, Larry Blackmon of Cameo announced 'El Passo', the first new single from the band in 19 years. In 2015, Cameo announced a new residency show at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino, opening in March 2016. Two other original members were hired by the hip hop group Outkast. Cameo was initially a 14-member group known as the New York City Players this name was later changed to Cameo.Īs of the first half of 2009, some of the original members continued to perform together. Cameo is an American funk band that formed in 1974.

Cameo we all know who we are