Whistle

Originally a rap group that occasionally sang, and then predominantly a singing group, Whistle placed a dozen singles on Billboard's R&B chart during the late '80s and early '90s. Rickford Bennett, Garvin Dublin, and Brian Faust launched the group from New York City's Brooklyn borough with "(Nothing Serious) Just Buggin'." Produced by the Kangol Kid and Howie Tee and released on Select, the playful, go-go-inflected single debuted on Billboard's Hot Black Singles chart in February 1986 and peaked at number 17. Later in the year, it appeared on the group's self-titled album, which also featured their second charting single. Whistle subsequently became an R&B-oriented group that alternated between new jack swing-flavored club material, slow jams, and comparatively traditional ballads. After the release of second album Transformation, Kenny Hodge was added to the lineup, and Dublin departed, replaced by Tarek Stevens. A cover of Heatwave's "Always and Forever," from the album of the same title, took Whistle to the R&B Top Ten. Down to a trio, the group released their fourth and final album, Get the Love, in 1992. ~ Andy Kellman, Rovi