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The lost album by Rodney Stepp’s Rapture ensemble. Unreleased Sweet Soul and Disco Funk from mid-70s Indianapolis, featuring members of Amnesty, Midnight Star, and The Spinners.
Rapture’s story told in great detail in liner notes written by Naptown historian Kyle Long.
A photo in Rodney Stepp’s scrapbook sums this period in his life in music.
It’s 1974, The Spinners were headliners at the “Zaire 74” music festival, a sideshow to Muhammad Ali’s fabled “Rumble in the Jungle” fight with George Foreman. Among the faded snapshots, there’s a picture of Stepp backstage posing arm in arm with Ali; another image shows The Greatest seated at Stepp’s Fender Rhodes alongside vocalist Etta James.
It was all a dream for this Naptown Wunderkind, who had previously recorded for Herb Miller’s LAMP Records as the Diplomatics and had issued the sweet soul killer “Young Girl” as Jazzie Cazzie and the Eight Sounds on a rare Knaptown 45.
But as exciting as his rise out of those local status was, as exciting as it was to headline festivals and arenas and appear on late night talk shows, Stepp grew restless with the mechanical routine of being a sideman.
He grew tired of playing the same charts night after night.
He was hungry for a creative outlet that mimicked his earliest days in recorded music. So, in 1978, Stepp left The Spinners and returned to Indianapolis, where he established an all-star group of musicians – including members of Jazzie Cazzie and the fabled Amnesty – and he named the band Rapture.
They inspired countless others. They recorded an album’s worth of material. This is the first time it is seeing the light of day, a triumphant, late career moment for Stepp and a cause for celebration of those intrigued by deep, sweet soul and disco funk.
Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds:
“Rodney was the guy that played with The Spinners. He was one of the musicians that had made it out of Indianapolis. Rodney was a step ahead of us because of that. The group that started to rise above everyone was Rapture. They started to take over.
When I look at my journey, and Rodney’s journey, I see two guys from the same town that took two different routes…. in one sense Rodney is every bit as successful as I am. Because he’s been able to make a living with music. He’s been able to play with people that he respects and he’s played with major artists everywhere. Most importantly, he’s been able to do what he loves.”
Tracklist:
1. In My Life
2. Playing Around
3. Do You Wanna
4. Turn On Your Funk-A-Phizor
5. The Beat Won’t Leave You Hangin’
6. On the Way to the World
7. Happiness Is
8. Send My Love
9. Oh I Love You So
10. Down at the Disco
11. Let Me Put It In Your Ear
12. Errol Flynn
Personnel:
All songs written by Rodney Stepp, with contributions on select tracks by Lonnie Williams, Rodney Vorhis and Harry Eaton.
Published by Brooks Street Music, ASCAP.
Harry Eaton: Drums
Tony Hayes: Percussion and Lead Vocals
Lonnie Williams: Guitar and Lead Vocals
Rodney Vorhis: Bass and Vocals
Alphonso Surrett: Vocals
Rodney Stepp: Keys and Lead Vocals
Original sessions produced by Rodney Stepp, with horn and string arrangements by Rodney Stepp and Jesus Wayne.
Recorded by Rob Bennett and Jim Duncan in 1977 at Mantra Recording Studio, Chicago IL.
Produced for issue by Eothen Alapatt, with associate production – and liner notes – by Kyle Long.
Production coordination by Tanner McCrary.
Tape transfers by Jeff Gardner and Eothen Alapatt.
Restoration and remastering by Jason Bitner.
Art direction by Errol F. Richardson
LP, Digital. 2025. NA5285.