Surface

Surface is an American music group from New Jersey, formed in 1983. The initial lineup included David "Pic" Conley on bass guitar and vocals, David Townsend on guitar, keyboards, and vocals, Everett Collins on keyboards and vocals, and Karen Copeland on vocals. In their early years, the band released several post-disco/early-1980s-style tracks under the name Surface, including "Falling in Love" (1983) and "When Your 'Ex' Wants You Back" (1984). After Karen Copeland left the group, Bernard Jackson joined as the lead vocalist. The trio moved to Los Angeles and signed with Columbia Records in 1986, releasing their self-titled debut album Surface that year. Notable singles from this period include "Happy", which reached number 2 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart, and "Lately", which peaked at number 8. The band's follow-up album, 2nd Wave (1988), featured several successful hits including "Shower Me with Your Love" and "Closer Than Friends", both of which topped the R&B chart. Their third album, 3 Deep (1990), included their biggest hit to date, "The First Time", which reached Number 1 on both the Billboard R&B and Hot 100 charts. In 1994, Jackson and Townsend left the group, leading to its disbandment. Surface reformed in 1998 and released Love Zone, but disbanded again following the death of David Townsend on October 26, 2005.