Baby Baba Boogie / Burn Rubber On Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)

Released in 1980 by Mercury Records, this 7-inch single features two tracks from the Gap Band's commercially successful album, 'Gap Band II'. Emerging from the vibrant Tulsa sound of the late 1970s and early 1980s, the tracks were produced by Lonnie Simmons at Total Experience Studios. The group, led by brothers Charlie, Ronnie, and Robert Wilson, was pivotal in bridging the gap between traditional rhythm and blues and the emerging funk and R&B styles of the era.

The A-side, 'Burn Rubber On Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)', was written by Charlie Wilson, Lonnie Simmons, and Rudy Taylor. It became one of the band's signature hits, reaching the top of the Billboard R&B charts and showcasing their tight, synthesizer-driven funk production. The release solidified the group's reputation for high-energy dance floor anthems, and the record's crisp, driving sound remains a staple in collections documenting the evolution of post-disco funk.