Rose Royce

So why is a group represented by a picture of a carwash?


The group was originally formed under the name Total Concept Unlimited by Kenny Copeland (vocals and trumpet) and Henry Garner (drums) while graduating from high school. They were hired as backing band by Edwin Starr They then became involved with ex-Motown producer and songwriter Norman Whitfield and signed with his Whitfield Records label. They was renamed Magic Wand and performed as backing musicians with several different artists such asYvonne Fair, the Undisputed Truth, and the Temptations.


During a tour stop in Miami, Undisputed Truth leader Joe Harris came upon a singer Gwen Dickey, a member of a local group called The Jewels. Dickey was flown to Los Angeles to audition for Whitfield.  He gave her the stage name Rose Norwalt and she was added to Magic Wand who now prepared their debut album.


Film director Michael Schultz offered Whitfield the opportunity to score his next picture Car Wash. Whitfield saw the film as an opportunity to launch his new group and the music for the soundtrack was written as the picture was been filmed. The band's name was also changed to Rose Royce to  reflect the movie's car theme, but also the name of the new singer.


On the back of the release of the film, the single Car Wash made the top 10 in the UK. Since the band were still in the US, the band were represented on the Top of the Pops countdown by the picture above of a car wash.

TOTP 1976 - Why "Legs & Co" ?

The dancers performing to Lalo Schifrin's Theme From Jaws, 28/10/76

So here you are dancing on Top Of The Pops in 1976, the men of Ruby Flipper have been ditched along with the name after less than six months and you are going to have a new name thought up by a member of the public. For three weeks you have been cleverly credited as ??????, there being 6 dancers. There are lots of entries so there has to be at least one good name amongst them. But the name that is chosen is "Legs & Co". It must have been such a disappointment. There are accountancy firms with better names than that. Pans People was a much better name in comparison even if it was a very Sixties name. If that was the best entry what were the other entries like? At least the BBC has managed to wipe the edition were the name was announced. I guess the name reflects the poor taste of the mid-Seventies.

Top Of The Pops dance troupes:
Dec 1964 - May 1968   GoJos
May 1968 - Apr 1976    Pan's People
May 1976 - Oct 1976    Ruby Flipper
Oct 1976 - May 1981    Legs & Co
Nov 1981 - Sep 1983    Zoo

From Pan's People onwards, the choreographer was Flick Colby. The Go-Jos created by Jo Cook and Pan's People formed by Flick Colby existed before appearing on the show but the other troupes were created for the show.

Two acts at number 11 in the same chart, Top of the Pops 1976

On the episode of Top of the Pops 1976 (21 October 1976 edition) shown on Thursday, there were two no.11s. After Elvis Presley at 13 came The Real Thing at 11 and Smokie at 11. This was not a mistake but a rare case of tied places in the chart.