“Splashdown” is a great funk tune from Breakwater’s similarly titled swansong album.

Breakwater was formed by Kae Williams, Jr. in Philadelphia in 1971. Veteran record executive Clive Davis - in the news these days because of his public row with Kelly Clarkson about the quality of the songs on her new album - had just started Arista Records, and Breakwater was the first black act to be signed to that label in 1977.

They only released two albums throughout their career, “Breakwater” in 1978 and “Splashdown” in 1980, but they were renowned for being one of the best live acts in the Philadelphia area.

After a futuristic space intro with really annoying synth noises and robot voices, “Splashdown” moves into a seriously groovy landscape with a big, fat horn section (they brought in Quincy Jones regulars Jerry Hey, Gary Grant and Bill Reichenbach to flesh out the sound) and a great production - EW&F, Brothers Johnson, Ohio Players and Kool & the Gang come to mind. At about 4:00 they even set off into a cool soul-jazz groove. The lyrics are as silly as the album cover photo - they’re in the “atmosphere of pleasure” - it’s party-time in space!

The science fiction theme and their freaky costumes was probably inspired by George Clinton and Parliament, but then again, who wasn’t on that wave in the late 1970s?

The “Splashdown” album was produced by frontman Williams, Jr. and Rick Chertoff - Chertoff who, of all things, produced AIR SUPPLY’s “Lost in Love” at the same time! Now that’s versatility!

Among the other cuts on the album is “Release the Beast”, which Daft Punk sampled in their song “Robot Rock” in 2004.

It seems that Breakwater was all about the talents of mr. Kae Williams, Jr. He was the founder and leader of the band, he was the songwriter, arranger, producer, keyboardist, and vocalist. His father, Kae “Loudmouth” Williams, Sr., was a radio personality and a record producer in Philadelphia in the 1950s and 1960s. Kae’s godfather was B.B. King, which of course must be a great start for a young aspiring musician.

After Breakwater split up in the early 1980s, Williams was a member of Change, an Italian/American R&B group where Luther Vandross was also briefly involved. According to his website (nice layout, Kae!), he worked under the Philadelphia-based producer Nick Martinelli for a while and did sessions, production work and writing for acts like U.K.’s Loose Ends and their mid 1980s hit “Hanging on a String”,  BB&Q Band for which he wrote “Imagination”, and he also worked for Bootsie Collins, George Howard, Cyndi Lauper, Pia Zadora and Stevie Nicks (!)

His site further informs us that his career as a producer hit its peak with The Pretty Poison’s crossover hit “Catch Me I’m Falling” in 1988. According to Billboard, it peaked at #104.

I tried to find out, but I really don’t know what he’s been up to in the past 20 years.

Breakwater consisted of Williams, Jr., Gene Robinson (lead vocals/trumpet), James Gee Jones (drums), Linc Gilmore (guitar), Steve Green (bass), Vince Garnell (woodwinds), Greg Scott (woodwinds) and John ‘Dutch’ Braddock (percussion).