"Bridging the Gap" by The Black Eyed Peas (2000, will.i.am music/Interscope)

"Bridging the Gap" album cover
 

             After the modest success of their 1998 debut album, "Behind The Front", Black Eyed Peas began work on their follow-up release.  On September 26, 2000, "Bridging the Gap" was released and the first official single, "Weekends" was released on October 3, 2000.  On February 26, 2001, "Request + Line" was released as the second and final single.



"Weekends" single cover

"Request + Line" single cover



 

TRACK LISTING:

1. "BEP Empire" (C. Martin, Black Eyed Peas)
2. "Weekends (feat. Esthero)" (Tony Butler, Sylvester Stewart, Black Eyed Peas)
3. "Get Original (feat. Chali2na)" (William Adams, Allan Pineda, George Pajon Jr., Chali2na, Clifford Smith, Aldane Browne)
4. "Hot (feat. Kim Hill)" (Adams, Pineda)
5. "Cali to New York (feat. De La Soul)" (Adams, Kelvin Mercer, Dave Jolicoeur, Daisey Age Pajon Jr.)
6. "Lil' Lil'" (Adams, Pineda, Pajon Jr., Michael Fratantuno)
7. "On My Own (feat. Les Nubian & Mos Def)" (Adams, Pineda, Kim Hill, Helene Faussart, Celia Faussart, Dante Smith)
8. "Release" (Black Eyed Peas)
9. "Bridging the Gaps" (Adams, Pineda, Pajon Jr., John Collins, Bill Withers)
10. "Go Go" (Adams, Pineda, Fratantuno, Arthur Baker, John Robie, Afrika Bambaata, Robert Allen, Ellis Williams, Ralf Rutter, Emil Schultz)
11. "Rap Song (feat. Wyclef Jean)" (Black Eyed Peas, Wyclef Jean, James Brown, Charles Bobbit, Bob Byrd)
12. "Bringing It Back" (Adams, Pineda)
13. "Tell Your Mama Come" (Black Eyed Peas, Pajon Jr.)
14. "Request + Line (feat. Macy Gray)" (Adams, Pineda, Fratantuno, Pajon Jr., Rhett Lawrence, Natalie Hinds)

"Oxygen" by Wild Orchid (1998, RCA)

"Oxygen" album cover

             After the modest performance of their self-titled debut album, Wild Orchid immediately began work on their follow-up.  On August 18, 1998, "Be Mine" was released as the only single off of, "Oxygen" released on September 29, 1998.  After a scrapped attempt at a comeback in 2001, Wild Orchid was dropped by RCA, and at that point Stacy Ferguson left the group, eventually joining The Black Eyed Peas as Fergie.

"Be Mine" single cover

TRACK LISTING:

1. "Be Mine" (Dave Deviller, Sean Hosein, Wild Orchid)
2. "You're No Good (But I Like It)" (Clint Ballard, Jr.)
3. "Come as You Are" (Rudy Perez)
4. "Declaration" (Manual Seal, Jr.)
5. "Wasted Love" (Sylvia Bennett-Smith, Wild Orchid)
6. "Our Lips Are Sealed" (Terry Hall, Jane Wiedlin)
7. "Tic Toc" (John Carter, Todd Chapman, Wild Orchid)
8. "Holding On" (Full Force, Wild Orchid)
9. "Take You Higher" (Ron Fair, Parental Advisory, Wild Orchid)
10. "Make It Easy for Me" (Christopher Bolden, Wild Orchid)
11. "You & Me" (Bennett-Smith, Wild Orchid)
12. "In My Room" (Bobby Sandstrom, Wild Orchid)

"Behind the Front" by The Black Eyed Peas (1998, will.i.am music/Interscope)

"Behind the Front" album cover

             In 1987, William Adams (will.i.am), Allan Pineda (apl.de.ap) and Dante Santiago formed Atban Klann, however Will's stage name at the time was Will 1X.  In 1992, they signed with Ruthless Records and despite delays released, "Puddles of H2O" as their debut single in 1994.  In 1995, their debut album, "Grass Roots" was cancelled and they were dropped from Ruthless; at that point Santiago left the group.  However not long after, new friend Jaime Gomez (Taboo) joined the group, and Will 1X changed his stage name to will.i.am alongside the group's name changing to Black Eyed Pods.  In 1997, they changed it again to Black Eyed Peas upon signing with Interscope Records, and the founding of will.i.am music group. 
             On June 30, 1998, they released their debut album, "Behind the Front" and on November 9, 1998 they released, "Joints & Jam" as the first official single off of the album.  On April 6, 1999, the second and final single, "Karma" was released.



"Joints & Jam" single cover

"Karma" single cover
 

TRACK LISTING:

1. "Fallin' Up" (Kevin Feyen, Brian Lapin, Black Eyed Peas)
2. "Clap Your Hands" (Z. Modeliste, A. Neville, L. Nocentelli, G. Porter, Black Eyed Peas)
3. "Joints & Jam" (Paul Poli, G. Phillinganes, B. Gibb, T. Smith, Black Eyed Peas)
4. "The Way U Make Me Feel" (C. Guaico, Kim Hill, William Adams)
5. "Movement" (Fratantuno, T. Yoshiaka, Feyen, Lapin, Black Eyed Peas)
6. "Karma" (N. Harrison, Debbie Harry, Adams, Allan Pineda)
7. "Be Free" (T. Stahl, J. Goldberg, Adams, Pineda)
8. "Say Goodbye" (M. Oliver, Feyen, Lapin, Black Eyed Peas)
9. "Duet" (S.K. Gordy, Lapin, Feyen, Black Eyed Peas)
10. "Communication" (Adams, Pineda, Fratantuno, Feyen, Yoshiaka)
11. "What It Is" (T. Browne, Smith, Fratantuno, Adams, Pineda)
12. "Que Dices?" (Feyen, Lapin, Black Eyed Peas)
13. "A8" (Feyen, Fratantuno, Black Eyed Peas)
14. "Love Won't Wait" (Adams, Pineda, Feyen, Lapin, Macy Gray)
15. "Head Bobs" (Feyen, Lapin, Black Eyed Peas)
16. "Positivity" (Feyen, Lapin, Fratantuno, Black Eyed Peas)

"Wild Orchid" by Wild Orchid (1997, RCA)



               "Wild Orchid" album cover



              In 1990, four young friends Heather Holyoak, Stefanie Ridel, Stacy Ferguson (Fergie) and Renee Sands formed girl group NRG.  In 1991, Holyoak dropped out of the group to pursue college and was replaced by Micki Duran, and in 1992, they changed their name to Wild Orchid.  In 1994, Duran left the group shortly before they were signed to RCA Records. 

             On September 3, 1996, "At Night I Pray" was released as the lead single, and on January 7, 1997, "Talk to Me" followed as their second single.  The self-titled debut album was released on March 23, 1997, and included the third and final single, "Supernatural" released on August 5, 1997.



"At Night I Pray" single cover




"Talk to Me" single cover

"Supernatural" single cover
 

 TRACK LISTING:

1. "At Night I Pray" (Micki Duran, Bobby Sandstrom, Wild Orchid)
2. "Supernatural" (Evan Rogers, Carl Sturken, Wild Orchid)
3. "I Won't Play the Fool" (Sylvia Bennett-Smith)
4. "Talk to Me" (Antonina Armato, Junior Vasquez)
5. "The River" (Bennett-Smith)
6. "You Don't Own Me" (Ron Fair, Wild Orchid, Matthew Wilder)
7. "My Tambourine" (Sandstrom, Wild Orchid)
8. "Follow Me" (Bennett-Smith, Wild Orchid)
9. "He's Alright" (Fabian Cook, Fair, Sandstrom, Wild Orchid)
10. "Love Will Wait" (Clif Magness, Wild Orchid)
11. "Life" (Fair, Stefanie Ridel)