A Jamaican singer named Ricky Bailey was a co-founder of the band in the 1975. Their first single record, "The Promise of Love", became available in the summer of 1976. The second single, "Where is the Love We Used to Know", became a hit in Britain. The members of the band kept changing over the years, but Bailey was a constant, as was Ken Gold who produced several of their albums. Delegation always had deep roots in the United Kingdom. Its guitarist, Robert Ahwai, and drummer, Graham Jarvis, were both British, and the album "Eau de Vie" was largely recorded at Roundhouse Studios and Sarm Studios, both located in London. In 1979, "Oh Honey" reached #5 on the United States R&B chart. The album "Eau de Vie" was released in 1979 by Ariola Records, one year after the release of their album "The Promise of Love".
Delegation as a group lasted until the early 1990s, then reformed years later. Their mellow disco single "I Surrender" reached number 4 on the UK Soul chart in 2021 and is a high-class production with Chic-style rhythm guitar work. They began working on additional new material in the studio and performing live concerts across Europe. Bailey is still the leader of the group as of 2022.
Classic Songs:
1976: The Promise of Love, Where is the Love (We Used to Know)
1977: You've Been Doing Me Wrong, Oh Honey
1978: Honey I'm Rich
1979: Heartache No. 9, Darlin' (I Think About You)
1981: In the Night, I Wantcha' Back
1982: What Took You So Long
1983: It's Your Turn
1993: Wanna Be the Winner
2020: I Surrender
Albums:
This 10-track album featured the soul classics "You've Been Doing Me Wrong" and "Oh Honey" and the disco tunes "Back Door Love", "Soul Trippin'", "The Promise of Love", and "Where is the Love We Used to Know".
Eau de Vie (1979)
This is an excellent collection of songs with a romantic theme. "Heartache No. 9", "Darlin' (I Think about You)", and "Stand Up (Reach For The Sky)" are great disco dance numbers with great basslines and strings. "Heartache No. 9" is a funny song about eight bad romantic experiences that the lead singer has had in the past, with a warning about the ninth disaster that is about to arrive and will surely do him in. "Darlin'" is a classic love song lasting almost 4 minutes in which the singers exclaim that they want to spend time around their darling girl all the time, and wish to know what she wants. One of the slower songs on the album is "Blue Girl", which is very relaxing. Another soft ballad is "Welcome to My World". The rest of the songs may be classified as general R&B typical of the late 1970s. The songs are upbeat and wonderfully performed. All in all, a high-class effort. "Heartache No. 9" reached #57 on the American Disco chart in the summer of 1980 and reached #66 on the American R&B chart. Best tracks: One More Step to Take, Darlin' (I Think About You), You and I.
"In the Night" is a mellow disco song with Lynton Naiff arranging the strings and Jon Plotel playing the bass. "Dance, Prance, Boogie" is funk-dance. "Singing" is a Caribbean jazz-funk song. "12th House" is a ballad. Also includes "I Wantcha' Back" which the CD producer Big Break Records describes as a "low tempo, funky bass line driven" song.
Delegation Compilations:
Other Noteworthy Compilations:
Miscellaneous:
Delegation-Influenced Songs:
Covers of Delegation Songs:
| CD TITLE | Merchant 1 | Merchant 2 | Merchant 3 | Merchant 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Promise of Love | Amazon.com | ||||
| Eau de Vie | Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | |||
| Delegation II | Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | |||
| Deuces High | Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | |||
| Golden Classics | Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk |
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