"How 'Bout Us" is the most successful single released by R&B music group Champaign. Composed by band keyboardist Dana Walden and originally released on the band's debut album How 'Bout Us, the title track peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. A romantic ballad, the song was released on Valentine's Day, 1981.[1]
Song information
The song was originally released in 1975 by an earlier incarnation of the group, then called the Water Brothers Band.[2] It was released as the B side of their single, "Have You Ever Been Lonely?" on Sky Records NR6668. The band at the time of recording was made up of Dana Walden on keyboards & vocals, Howard "Leon" Reeder on vocals, lead & rhythm guitars, Keith Harden on vocals, lead & rhythm guitars, Scott Karlstrom on bass, and Bobby Carlin on drums.[3][4]
It was re-recorded by Champaign, and it was Champaign's version that became a hit single. "How 'Bout Us" peaked at number 4 on the soul chart and was one of three releases to make the Top 10 on the soul chart.[5] It was on the Hot 100 chart for 23 weeks, peaking at number 12 on June 6, 1981, and also reached the top of the Adult Contemporary chart for two weeks.[6]Jet magazine listed the song in its "Soul Brothers Top 20 Singles" list for May and June 1981.[7]
Champaign's membership included former Water Brothers members, Walden, Reeder and Day.[3][4]
Casey Kasem played a portion of the Champaign version on his American Top 40 show. He then played the entire version of the Water Brothers release. This was broadcast on June 6, 1981.[8]
The song has been covered as a duet between blue-eyed soul singer Grayson Hugh and R&B singer Betty Wright; their version, from the soundtrack of the 1989 film True Love, peaked at number 30 on Billboard's R&B chart, crossing over to number 67 on the pop singles chart and number 15 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
