Lipps, Inc.

Minneapolis, Minnesota
Lipps, Inc. was a funk/disco band from the United States featuring [a=Cynthia Johnson] on lead vocals best known for the 1980 worldwide chart-topping hit "Funkytown".

The name "Lipps, Inc." is a play on the words "Lip Sync". Cynthia Johnson was the group´s lead vocalist and saxophonist, who co-wrote also some of the band´s songs. The rest of the group consisted of a changing lineup of session musicians, including guitarist David Rivkin, guitarist Tom Riopelle or bassist Terry Grant.. [a=Steven Greenberg] wrote and produced most of the group's music.

Lipps Inc.'s first release was a 1979 single, "Rock It". The act released its debut album "Mouth to Mouth" in late 1979. The second single from this album, "Funkytown", spent four weeks at #1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play charts in the United States. The 7" single sold over two million copies within a few months and was awarded a platinum record within the same year of its release, soon after followed by Double-Platinum. "Funkytown" hit thanks to Johnson´s unmistakable lead vocals #1 in 28 different countries around the world. Even till today, Funkytown´s pervasive influence on popular culture continues to hold its own from the movie screen (e.g. Shrek 2) to the Olympic stadium and all stops in-between.
Lipps Inc.'s later singles couldn´t top the band's initial success (another Hot 100 entry was "Rock It", which peaked at #64); however, more dance hits were released throughout the 1980s, including "How Long?" in 1981 (originally a hit for Ace) reaching #4 on the U.S. dance chart.

In 1983, after the third album "Designer Music" Johnson discontinued to appear under the band name Lipps, Inc. Instead [a=Margie Cox], better known as [a=Ta Mara] of [a114973], and [a=Melanie Rosales] tried to replace Johnson and released another, final album "4" in 1983 under the band´s name. But neither of them couldn´t replace the remarkable voice of Cynthia Johnson and shortly after the absence of success lead to the disbandment of the group.