Keith Wilder (December 20, 1951 – October 29, 2017) – Too Hot To Handle (1976)
Johnnie Wilder Jr.'s brother Keith was Heatwave's co-lead singer, and sang lead on the super funky Rod Temperton-penned title track to their debut album.
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The great singer Keith Wilder was a co-founding member of the international funk group Heatwave and one of the group’s lead singers alongside his brother Johnnie. He sang lead on some of their biggest hits including “Boogie Nights” and “The Groove Line.”
Keith Edward Wilder was born in Dayton, Ohio. After his brother Johnnie put Heatwave together in London in 1975, he joined the group as its co-lead singer. See our earlier post on Johnnie Wilder Jr. for more on Heatwave’s musical history and the tragedies they endured.
Their debut album Too Hot To Handle was recorded during late 1975 and early 1976 and released in the UK on June 15, 1976. Keith sang lead on its breakout hit “Boogie Nights” which became the group’s signature song. Issued as the album’s third UK single in March, 1977, it hit #2 on both the UK singles charts and Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. (and #5 R&B) when the single came out there in June.
Keith also sang lead on the LP’s sensational title track. It was put out as the international follow up single to “Boogie Nights” and went to #15 in the UK. In the U.S., it was included as the B-side to “Boogie Nights” on 12” singles only, and was not released as a single itself.
The group performed an epic, extended version of the track to close out their set during their first appearance on the German television program Musikladen in 1976, an amazing live performance that showed off the energetic stage routines they became famous for. They also shot promotional videos for both “Boogie Nights,” and “Too Hot To Handle.”
For their second LP Central Heating, released in the UK in April, 1977, Keith sang lead on the group’s second-ever biggest hit, “The Groove Line.” Issued as a U.S. single in March, 1978, it hit #3 R&B and #7 on the Hot 100.
In late 1978, they recorded the stellar Rod Temperton and Barry Blue-penned song “Keep Tomorrow For Me” for the soundtrack to the British adventure film Escape From Athena (1979) starring Roger Moore. It played during the film’s final scene and its closing credits, but the film’s soundtrack was only released on vinyl in Japan and the song itself never appeared on any Heatwave singles or LP’s.
By their third album Hot Property, recorded during 1978-79 and released on April 27, 1979, Rod Temperton had left the group but continued to write all nearly of their songs. Johnnie and Keith each sang lead on half the tracks. Keith’s leads included the album’s lead single “Eyeballin’” (#30 R&B); the funky cut “One Night Tan” which they performed on Soul Train and was also released as a single but did not chart; the beautiful tale of a washed up love affair “All Talked Out,” and the album’s masterpiece, the epic dancefloor journey “Therm Warfare,” another non-charting single.
Two months before Hot Property’s release, Johnnie was in his hometown of Dayton, Ohio on February 4, 1979 when tragedy struck. His car was hit by a van and he nearly died. The accident left him paralyzed from the neck down. Bravely, he returned to the studio and recorded vocals for the group’s fourth album Candles (1980). The group added new member James Dean “J.D.” Nicholas, who served as Johnnie’s replacement during live performances, sharing lead vocals with Keith.
Heatwave released their final LP Current in 1982 before disbanding. Keith and guitarist Roy Carter tried to reassemble the band in the mid-80s for a tour of British US Air Force bases, but it didn’t happen. Keith also recorded one additional album credited to Heatwave, The Fire (1988), but featuring all new musicians save for guitarist Billy Jones, who had replaced original guitarist Eric Johns in 1978. Jones produced the album and wrote most of it.
When the group’s Unsung episode aired on TV One on September 27, 2010, Keith joined Twitter and live tweeted the event. It was the only night he ever used his account. He died suddenly in Dayton, Ohio two days before Halloween in 2017, gone too soon at age 65.
Happy Birthday in Heaven to the great Keith Wilder.
Further info:
“Keith Wilder interview” by Turk Logan, The Funk Chronicles, April 1, 2015.
“Keith Wilder of funk band Heatwave dies,” obituary, Dayton.com, October 30, 2017.
“Keith Wilder,” obituary, Kalamazoo Gazette, October 31, 2017.
“Heatwave Singer Keith Wilder's Family Puzzled by Death,” TMZ.com, November 4, 2017.
#soul #funk #disco #Heatwave #KeithWilder