Ten City (derived from intensity) is an American, Chicago, Illinois-based R&B and house music act, that enjoyed a number of club hits and Urban radio hits in the late 1980s and early 1990s and was one of the first exponents of deep house.[2]
Ten City | |
|---|---|
.jpg) (left to right): Burke, Stingily, Lawson (1994) | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Ragtyme |
| Origin | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Genres | House, R&B |
| Years active | 1987–1996; 2021-present |
| Labels | Atlantic, EastWest Records America, Columbia, Ultra Music[1] |
| Members | Byron Stingily Marshall Jefferson |
| Past members | Byron Burke Herb Lawson |
Biography
Formerly known as Ragtyme, the group comprised vocalist Byron Stingily, guitarist Herb Lawson and keyboardist Byron Burke and were augmented by producer Marshall Jefferson.[3] The group was signed by Atlantic Records and released the album Foundation[3] in 1989, which became the group's only album to cross over, peaking at No. 49 on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[4]
Ten City is best known for the singles "Devotion", "Right Back to You" and "That's the Way Love Is,"[2] which hit No. 1 on the US dance chart and No. 8 on the UK Top 40 in 1989.[5] Stingily, who left the group and became a successful solo artist, re-recorded the song and brought it back to No. 1 on the US dance chart in 1999.
In 2021, Stingily teamed up with producer Marshall Jefferson to release "Be Free" on Ultra Music,[6] the first single in 25 years to be credited to Ten City.[7][8][9][10] Its parent album, Judgment, was nominated for a Grammy Award that year in the category of Best Dance/Electronic Album.[11]
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Album | Label | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US R&B [4] | UK [5] | ||||
| 1989 | Foundation | Atlantic Records | 49 | 22 | |
| 1990 | State of Mind | — | — | ||
| 1992 | No House Big Enough | EastWest Records America | — | — | |
| 1994 | That Was Then, This Is Now | Columbia Records | — | — | |
| 2021 | Judgment | Ultra Records | — | — | |
| 2023 | Love Is Love | Helix Records | — | — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | |||||
Compilation albums
- The Best of Ten City (Ibadan, 2001)
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Dance [13] | US R&B [13] | UK [5] | IRE [14] | ||
| 1987 | "Devotion" | — | — | — | — |
| 1988 | "Right Back to You" | 8 | — | 80 | — |
| 1989 | "Funny Love" | — | ― | — | — |
| "That's the Way Love Is" | 1 | 12 | 8 | 11 | |
| "Devotion" (re-release) | 17 | — | 29 | 22 | |
| "Where Do We Go?" | 28 | 34 | 60 | — | |
| "Suspicious" | — | — | — | — | |
| 1990 | "Whatever Makes You Happy" | 16 | 53 | 60 | — |
| "Superficial People" | 22 | — | 96 | — | |
| "I Should Learn to Love You" | ― | — | ― | — | |
| 1992 | "Only Time Will Tell" / "My Peace of Heaven" | 2 | ― | 63 | — |
| 1993 | "Fantasy" | 20 | ― | 45 | — |
| 1994 | "The Way You Make Me Feel" | — | ― | — | — |
| "Goin' Up in Smoke" | 21 | ― | ― | — | |
| 1996 | "Nothing's Changed" | — | ― | — | — |
| "All Loved Out" | ― | ― | ― | — | |
| 2021 | "Be Free" | ― | ― | ― | — |
| "On It" | ― | ― | ― | — | |
| 2022 | "Piece of My Heart" | ― | ― | ― | — |
| "A Girl Named Phil" | ― | ― | ― | — | |
| "Love Is Love" | ― | ― | ― | — | |
| 2023 | "I Love Me" | ― | ― | ― | — |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | |||||
