Genie – The Expanded Edition 2CD

BB & Q Band, also known as The Brooklyn, Bronx & Queens Band, was the creation of musical masterminds Jacques Fred Petrus and Mauro Malavasi. Together they founded a disco-focused production company and launched a series of studio projects, including Macho, Revanche, and others deeply inspired by the early disco scene. Their greatest success emerged when they brought together Italian musicians Davide Romani and Paolo Gianolio with American vocalists such as Luther Vandross and Jocelyn Brown for the group Change. Their follow-up project, BB & Q Band, released four albums between 1981 and 1986.

Genie, released in 1986, was only co-produced by Petrus and was written and produced by multi-instrumentalist Kae Williams II, a member of the funk-soul group Breakwater. The album features lead vocals by Curtis Hairston, with backing vocals by Ullanda McCullough, guitar by Mike Campbell, and bass by Timmy Allen. Hairston’s smooth vocal style, often compared to Luther Vandross and Peabo Bryson, later led to solo success with his self-titled 1986 album.

The track “Genie” is a mid-tempo boogie track with that signature 80s 808 sound and became a dancefloor classic that inspired many releases of the era. “(I’m A) Dreamer”, titled simply “Dreamer” on European editions, became the album’s biggest single, thanks in part to the extended vocal remix by Shep Pettibone, whose work with artists like Madonna shaped the sound of modern dance music.

Now, BB & Q Band’s Genie is reissued, with pristine mastering by Ben Liebrand, celebrating its 40th anniversary as an expanded 2CD edition. The original 1986 album is included in full, alongside a rich selection of bonus material, including the remixes by Michael Gray, Ben Liebrand, Dr Packer and legendary Shep Pettibone.

It includes also a special version of the upcoming remix of “On The Shelf”, remixed by Ben Liebrand.