Champaign

Champaign, a septet hailing from Champaign, Illinois, United States, was formed in 1981. The band consisted of Pauli Carman and Rena Jones on vocals, Michael Day and Dana Walden on keyboards, Leon Reeder on guitar, Michael Reed on bass, and Rocky Maffit on percussion and drums. Their breakthrough came with the release of their debut album Carma, which featured the hit single "How 'Bout Us". The track reached number 5 in the UK Singles Chart, number 4 on the US Billboard R&B chart, and number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. Following Reed's departure, Champaign released their second album Modern Heart in 1983, which included the R&B hit "Try Again" peaking at number 23 on the Hot 100. Subsequent releases such as Woman in Flames (1984) and Champaign IV (1991) continued to showcase their signature sound, with notable tracks including "Off and On Love" and "Party People". After Michael Day passed away on June 7, 2001, the band's lineup evolved, with Pauli Carman at the helm. Notable posthumous releases include Get Back 2 Love in 2010, which featured a remaster of "How 'Bout Us", and the single "Mercy", a remake of Marvin Gaye's hit "Mercy Mercy Me" released the same year. After an extended hiatus, the remaining members reunited to release new album Eyes of the Spirit in 2014, followed by two singles "Can't Let You Go" and "Heart" in 2022 and 2025 respectively.