West Street Mob
{{short description|American boogie and electro band}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = West Street Mob
| image =
| caption =
| origin = United States
| genre = {{hlist|Hip-hop|boogie|funk|electro}}
| years_active = 1981–1984
| label = Sugar Hill
| associated_acts =
| instruments = {{hlist|Vocoders|vocals}}
| current_members =
| past_members = Joey Robinson, Jr. (deceased)
Warren Moore
Sabrina Gillison
}}
West Street Mob were an American boogie and electro band, active between 1981 and 1984,{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/West-Street-Mob-Break-Dance-Electric-Boogie-Parts-12/master/81949|title=West Street Mob at Discogs|year=1983 |publisher=discogs|accessdate=2011-08-28}} best known for their 1983 song "Break Dance — Electric Boogie." The band comprised Joey Robinson, Jr., Warren Moore and singer Sabrina Gillison.
History
In 1981, West Street Mob recorded their eponymous album, which peaked at No. 57 on the Billboard Black Albums chart.{{cite journal|date=Dec 26, 1981|journal=Billboard/Nielsen Business Media, Inc.|volume=93|page=67|title=Billboard (r) Soul LPs (tm)|issn=0006-2510}} The single "Let's Dance" peaked at No. 18 on the Black Singles chart and No. 22 on the Dance chart.
In 1983. the band released its second album, Break Dance – Electric Boogie.{{cite book|title=The Virgin Encyclopedia of Dance Music|editor=Colin Larkin|publisher=Virgin Books|date=1998|edition=First|isbn=0-7535-0252-6|page=365}} The title track contains a sample of Incredible Bongo Band's 1973 recording of "Apache," written by Jerry Lordan.
West Street Mob also recorded two singles that were not included on either of their two albums, "Ooh Baby" and "Sing a Simple Song."
The band is well known for "Break Dance – Electric Boogie" being featured in the first of Judson Laipply's Evolution of Dance videos.
Joseph "Joey" Robinson Jr., son of Sugar Hill Records founder Sylvia Robinson, died of cancer on July 11, 2015, in Tenafly, New Jersey, at the age of 53.{{cite web|author= Linda Moss |url=http://www.northjersey.com/news/keeper-of-the-sugar-hill-records-flame-dies-at-53-1.1373050|title= Keeper of the Sugar Hill Records flame dies at 53|website=NorthJersey.com|date= July 12, 2015|accessdate = February 22, 2016}}
Discography
=Studio albums=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |
| rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Album ! rowspan="2"| Record ! colspan="3"| Chart positions |
|---|
| style="font-size:smaller;"
! width="40"| US ! width="40"| US ! width="40"| UK |
| rowspan="1"| 1981
| align="left"| West Street Mob | Sugar Hill | — | #56 | — |
| rowspan="1"| 1983
| align="left"| Break Dance – Electric Boogie | Sugar Hill | — | — | — |
- "—" denotes the single failed to chart
=Singles=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |
| rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Single ! rowspan="2"| Record ! colspan="4"| Chart positions{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/west-street-mob-p278767/charts-awards/billboard-singles|title=West Street Mob- Singles (discography)|publisher=Allmusic, Billboard|accessdate=2011-08-28}}{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artists/|title=West Street Mob (on The Official Charts Company)|publisher=Official Charts Company|accessdate=2011-08-28}} |
|---|
| style="font-size:smaller;"
! width="40"| US ! width="40"| US ! width="40"| US ! width="40"| UK |
| rowspan="2"|1981
| align="left"|"Let's Dance (Make Your Body Move)" C | Sugar Hill | #88 | #18 | #22 | — |
| align="left"|"Got To Give It Up"
| Sugar Hill | — | — | — | — |
| rowspan="2"|1982
| align="left"|"Ooh Baby" | Sugar Hill | — | #55 | — | — |
| align="left"|"Sing a Simple Song"
| Sugar Hill | #89 | #44 | — | — |
| rowspan="2"|1983
| align="left"|"Break Dance – Electric Boogie" | Sugar Hill | — | #37 | #52 | #64 |
| align="left"|"Mosquito"
| Sugar Hill | — | — | — | — |
- "—" denotes the single failed to chart
- C also peaked at #95 on the Cashbox pop chart.{{cite web|url=http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/80s_files/19811031.html|title=CASH BOX Top 100 Singles|publisher=Cashbox|accessdate=2011-08-28}}