COVERSTORY: "SURFACE"    [Home]

Click here to listen to "You're The One" (Columbia, 1990, 5:56)

Click here to listen to "Love Zone" (Sony, 1998, 5:43)

This 80's soft soul vocal trio was formed in New Jersey, USA. They are known for great ballads like "Closer Than Friends" and the million-selling single "Shower Me With Your Love". The #1 pop hit "The First Time" was their first charting record since they signed to Salsoul Records. 

Surface is David "Pic" Conley, David Townsend and Bernard Jackson. Townsend and Conley had known each other already for more than 10 years before they started recording with Jackson as Surface. Before that they were staff writers for EMI. While using the name Surface they moved to Los Angeles.

Their songs "Falling In Love" in 1983 and "When Your X Wants You Back" in 1984 were more uptempo. The only thing in common with their later songs was the use of the flute.
"Falling In Love" made it to #84 in the summer of 1983 and the UK pop charts. 

Their song "Let's Try Again" was brought to the attention of Larkin Arnold of Columbia Records. He signed them to Columbia and that song became their first single, charted #80 in 1986.

Their songs were covered by New Edition ('Let's Be Friends' from their 1985 MCA LP "All for Love" and Sister Sledge's "You're So Fine".

The debut album "Surface" included the smooth and sweet "Happy" which hit #2 R&B for two weeks in early 1987, "Lately" (#8 R&B) and the reissued "Let's Try Again".

The next LP, "2nd Wave" (1988) featured "I Missed" (#3 R&B), "Closer Than Friends" (# 1 R&B for two weeks in early 1989), the wedding standard "Shower Me With Your Love" (gold, # 1 R&B / # 5 pop), "You Are My Everything" (# 1 R&B for two weeks), and "Can We Spend Some Time" (# 5 R&B).

Jackson brought the sheet music to a song he had written in 1986 to his friend, songwriter Brian Simpson, who had a recording studio in his garage. After listening to the finished demo tape, Jackson thought that he had a hit. Hiring a mobile 24-track recording studio truck to capture his vocal in the best professional conditions, Jackson sang "The First Time" in Simpson's house. "The First Time" was the first single from Surface's "3 Deep" (1990) album and went gold hitting number # 1R&B and holding the # 1 pop for two weeks in early 1991. While "The First Time" was topping the charts, Surface were one of the presenters at the American Music Awards and were enthusiastically congratulated.

The hits continued with "All I Want Is You" (# 8 R&B, early 1991) and "Never Gonna Let You Down". "You're the One" billed as Surface featuring Bernard Jackson made it to # 24 R&B, summer 1991.

Surface's last charting single was "A Nice Time for Lovin" included on their 1991 greatest hits LP "The Best Surface: A Nice Time for Loving".

After a few "Best Of" Albums, in 1998 they continued with the album "Love Zone". The title track brings back great memories.

ALBUMS:
Surface (Columbia 1986/1987)
2nd Wave (Columbia 1988)
3 Deep (Columbia 1990)
The First Time (Collection, Sony 1991)
A Nice Time for Lovin' (Collection, Sony 1992)
Love Zone (Import 1998)
Perfect 10 (Collection, Sony 1998)