The Pulse of Entertainment: Calloway Releases Remix of Hit ‘I Want
To Be Rich' in Celebration of 35-Years; Calloway Hit Remixed by Grammy Nominated Darius Barnes
(December 27, 2024) - "One morning we were
getting ready...and Melvin Gentry was humming ‘I want to be rich'," said Billboard Chart-Topper Reggie
Calloway, founder of the group Midnight Star, about how the Calloway single "I Want To Be Rich"
(Spiral Galaxy Entertainment/Symphonic) was birth. "I said that could be song. I was working on ‘Freak-a-Zoid'
(single) but put it aside. Halfway through I realized it (‘I Want To Be Rich') was meant to be. We knew we had a good
song....passed up producing for Whitney Houston! Everything changed."
Reggie and his brother Vincent Calloway were talking to me about the re-release of their
hit single "I Want To Be Rich" remixed by Grammy nominated producer Darius "Phonix" Barnes (J. Cole, The
Game, Trey Songz, Eminem and 50 Cent).
"It had to be now...where
we are as a country. People are stuck mentally," Reggie pointed out. "We want to show two brothers...getting to
the next level. That the fun is in the climb."
The Calloway
brothers said they picked a current producer already making hits and then moved out his way.
"In 1982 we had been together for six years at that point. Had three albums prior and was
still waiting on that hit record," Reggie continued. "Most artists don't last for four albums by Dick Griffin (SOLAR
Records) believed in us."
Reggie (trumpeter) and Vincent (trombonist)
Calloway founded Disco/R&B group Midnight Star in college in 1976, along with Melvin Gentry (guitarist, drummer, vocalist)
and Belinda Lipscomb (vocalist). Other members included Kenneth Gant (bass), Bill Simmons (instrumentalist), Bo Watson (keyboard),
and Jeff Cooper (keyboardist/guitarist). Vincent Calloway was added later.
"We were in a 5th grade talent show...the girls were screaming...I said this (career) will work," Reggie
laughed a little while telling me about their humble beginnings.
"We
were on the road with our high school band and decided to go to college...formed Midnight Star in college," explained
Vincent. "We credit our mother. She played a big part...she was manager of Midnight Star back in the day."
"We practiced eight hours a day...toured the world," Vincent added about
their experiences. "Then we started producing for other artists.
They
signed to SOLAR Records as Midnight Star. During their third album on the label titled "Victory" Reggie took over
as producer and the group garnered their first chart listing. In 1989 they added Bobby Lovelace as drummer. Their 4th album
"No Parking on the Dance Floor" was the group's breakout project reaching #2 on Billboard's Top Black Album Chart
and it went double-platinum. This first single from this album "Freak-a-Zoid" reached #2 on Billboard's Black Singles
Chart. Because of creative differences in 1987 Reggie and Vincent Calloway left Midnight Star and formed the duo Calloway
(Epic Records). As Calloway they released the hit single "I Want to Be Rich." The Midnight Star group disbanded
in 1990 but came back together in 2000 and are still touring today.
The
Calloway single "I Want To Be Rich" was the third single off their debut album "All The Way." It reach
#2 on Billboard's Hot 100 Chart and #5 on Billboard's Black Hot Singles Chart. The single became a hit all over the world
(UK, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand) and reached Gold status.
The
brothers' talents come naturally, their father was a trumpet player, their uncle played keyboards, and their aunt was an opera
singer. Reggie created hits for Klymaxx ("Meeting in the Lady's Room"), The Deele ("Body Talk"), Levert
("Casanova"), and along with Vincent created the Teddy Pendergrass hit "Joy", Gladys Knight's hit "Love
Overboard", and Natalie Coles' "Jump Start."
"We
have been on lots of different levels," said Vincent Calloway about their long career in the music business. "We
keep it humble."
"The small victories...keep you from
giving up," Reggie told me when I asked as our interview ended. "We are blessed." www.CallowayOfficial.com
You can see the Calloway brothers perform their hits January 23, 2024
at the Vibrato Grill Jazz Club in Los Angeles. The release of the remix to "I Want to Be Rich" is in celebration
of 35 years that the world has been playing the hit record. www.CallowayOfficial.com
SYNDICATED
COLUMN: Dr. Eunice Moseley has an estimated weekly readership of over one million with The
Pulse of Entertainment. She is also a Public Relations and Business Management Strategist and Consultant at
Freelance Associates, and is Promotions Director (at-large) for The Baltimore Times. www.ThePulseofEntertainment.com EVENTS: "Uplifting Minds II" Entertainment Conference (ULMII),
founded by Eunice in 1999, is into its 25th year. Next events are coming to Baltimore via Zoom Saturday
April 20, 2024, presented by Security Square Mall and The Baltimore Times, and Los
Angeles via Zoom Saturday, November 9 2024. The ULMII event is a free entertainment conference
offering a Professional Industry Panel Q&A Session, a Professional Talent Showcase and National
Talent Competition (vocal, songwriting, dance and acting) where aspiring artists have a chance to receive over $19,000
valued in prizes/product/services. Log onto www.UpliftingMinds2.comor to RSVP for Zoom Access at EventBrite.com or email info@ThePulseofEntertainment.com.
