Pauli Carman and CHAMPAIGN
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Pauli Carman and CHAMPAIGN

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"How 'Bout That Festival"

How 'bout that Celebration? Mayor, Vince Vance and
Champaign get Decatur's annual street fest started
By HUEY FREEMAN - H&R Staff Writer


DECATUR - In the first real test of his short mayoral service, Michael Carrigan stumbled a little bit, but ultimately came through.
"Let the Celebration begin," Carrigan bellowed to the hundreds of people who were waiting for the speeches to end so they could hear the party music of Vince Vance & the Valiants.
"We appreciate the hard work that goes into this," Carrigan said, adding that 1,500 volunteers were serving in the street festival's 23rd
incarnation. "It's hard to keep anything going for 23 years."
Those who came downtown to really party found the right place at the corner of Main and Main streets. Decatur native Pauli Carman and his resurrected Champaign band belted out a spirited mixture of golden oldie love songs, funky dance music and a few rap numbers, fronted by a few of his young proteges.
Dressed in a royal blue silk kung fu outfit and wearing a trademark broad-brimmed straw hat, Carman's sexy performance of "Try Again,"
Champaign's megahit of the early 1980s, had the audience swooning and dancing.
As the crowd applauded wildly at the end of the song, Carman handed out roses to ladies at the front of the stage.
"It's good to be here, y'all," Carman called out. "I'm from here."
The crowd, composed of a mix of middle-age folks, who appeared dazed during the rap songs, and some young people, who were animated by them, seemed satisfied at the apparent end of the set.
But Carman, who must have known there were some hard-core Champaign fans out there, asked if they wanted to hear one more.
Shouts of "How 'Bout Us" came from various points on the street, leading to a thrilling conclusion, with Carman and his eight-piece band pouring their hearts and souls into the hit that propelled the Central Illinois group into national prominence.
Nora Taylor, who grew up hearing Carman sing in their neighborhood, caught a rose he threw to the crowd. She was wearing a 5,000-watt smile after the show.
"I remember when he first made 'How 'Bout Us,' " said Taylor, who was glad she got the weekend off specially to see this show. "It's good to know someone from Decatur is still going strong and doing great. I'm proud of him."
Taylor added that she appreciates that Carman is just as down to earth as he ever was, despite his years of musical success.
Phil Vinson, a DJ who plays Champaign songs at weddings and school dances, said the group still sounds great.
His wife, Laura, who was dancing to the music, said, "I love that song ('How 'Bout Us'). It brings back memories."
Carman, who still has two brothers in Decatur, grew up in a family of seven boys and three girls, at 1021 S. Main St., near the lake.
"We were poor, but we were happy," Carman said, adding that everyone in his family sang, played an instrument or danced.
The only member of the original band, Carman recently has assembled a group of top-notch professionals to work as Champaign, including Sam Hankins, a horn player who has backed up James Brown and Aretha Franklin.
Carman, who released a CD, "Champaign," with his new band, is taking a break from his day job, working with developmentally disabled people in Champaign. He has a song named after his old Decatur home address on his CD.
"I get a lot of rewards out of that myself," Carman said. "It's all about giving back."
Huey Freeman can be reached at hfreeman@herald-review.com or 421-6985. - Decatur Herald Review


"Pauli Carman and Champaign Sign With New Management And Release New CD"

The Florida based entertainment company JEDi Communications has signed an exclusive personal management agreement with Pauli Carman and Champaign. Champaign is the multi-platinum group that recorded the unforgettable R&B/smooth jazz classics "How 'Bout Us" and "Maybe We Can Try Again". According to Pauli, "How 'Bout Us" became a platinum hit and certified gold while the group was touring overseas. CBS decided to release the album that was followed by "Modern Heart" featuring "Try Again" and then "Woman in Flames" containing the hit "Off and On Love".
Althoug the group left the charts by the 90's, Pauli has continued to pursue...his major passions, music. The other is his love for working with disabled youth. He indulged both of his passions at the recent Urbana Sweet Corn Festival in Illinois after opening for the rock group Foghat. Right after the concert he was told a group of youth from an area rehabilitation center had traveled to see him. He sent word for them to be brought backstaged and he spent major time taking pictures, signing autographs and just hanging out being Pauli. - Beatzone (Ed. No. 15 Oct 2008)


"NEW CD CARMA has some gems"

Can't everybody sing AND I LOVE HER but Pauli nailed it! I also loved the acapello piece NEIGHBORHOOD CATS and the gospel piece PRAISE BE. - Stan THE MAN Wilson, WGBB 1240 AM, New York


"Johnny Mathis Praises Pauli"

The legendary vocalist Johnny Mathis praised Pauli recently when asked about his selection of the Champaign song for his latest CD, A NIGHT TO REMEMBER: Oh, I love Pauli's original version of HOW'BOUT US. His voice is just fantastic! - Gary O'Brien & Friends WDWS AM 1400


"Berry Gordy a CHAMPAIGN Fan"

CHAMPAIGN, glad you're back. Love your music! - Berry Gordy commenting to Pauli at recent Apollo performance


Discography

LPs:
Champaign
Modern Heart
Woman in Flames
Dial My Number
It's Time
Champaign IV
CARMA

HIT SINGLES:
#1 How 'Bout Us
#3 Try Again
#10 Off and On Love
#10 Dial My Number
#12 In The Heat of The Night
#43 This Time
#64 Trials of The Heart

Photos

Bio

Lead vocalist and Platinum recording artist Pauli Carman has re-tooled CHAMPAIGN and is back on the music scene. He has taken a more active role in writing and producing his material and still exudes the audience appeal that was captured on stage as far back as his Midwest performance days with his original band COAL KITCHEN.

After the break-up of Coal Kitchen, Pauli was lead singer and one of the original members making up the hit group CHAMPAIGN. Pauli Carman and Champaign scored heavy on the platinum charts with their first release “HOW ‘BOUT US”. Champaign has topped both Billboard’s pop and soul charts soaring to Number One on the Adult Contemporary charts. As a testament to their international appeal “How ‘Bout Us” shot to Number One in England and earned a platinum disc certification. In Holland, Belgium, and Asia, both the single and the LP produced two platinum discs.

The potent follow-up to the group’s debut album HOW ‘BOUT US was MODERN HEART, featuring the hit single “TRY AGAIN”… co-produced by George Massenburg, best known as engineer for artists as diverse as EARTH, WIND, and FIRE and LITTLE FEAT. TRY AGAIN also climbed to the top of the Billboard charts earning Number One status.

With the success of the first two releases, Champaign exploded again onto the charts a third time with the release of the hit single OFF AND ON LOVE from the album WOMAN IN FLAMES.

The last group album, CHAMPAIGN IV was released under Malaco Records featuring the singles TEARDROPS FALL and TRIALS OF THE HEART.

As a solo artist, Pauli Carman scored again with the singles IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT and DIAL MY NUMBER. Pauli has worked with numerous artists including Sly Stone, the Funkadelics, and Stevie Wonder.