Ranked #197 in the Soul Strut 200

Pleasure rose from the ashes of Portland, OR funk bands Rated X and Franchise in the mid 70s catching the eye of producer / jazz musician Wayne Henderson (formerly of the Jazz Crusaders).  Henderson shrink wrapped the band with a sophisticated blend of soul, funk, jazz, and disco.   With funky disco classics like "Let's Dance" and "Bouncy Lady" , Pleasure had the songs and they had the sound.  Unfortunately, they only enjoyed modest success compared to R&B contemporaries like Kool and the Gang and Earth, Wind, and Fire.

Their 3rd album Joyous is the apex of their sophisticated, matured sound thanks to the energized funk instrumental "Joyous."  The tune is a mind altering voyage through spiritual jazz funk to hi-octane horn-driven dance floor madness.  A true DJ classic.  Other tracks like "Let Me Be The One" and "Dance To The Music" revisit their signature formula of slick, warm disco funk while the last track "Selim" is a jazz fusion musical showcase.

The band peaked here adapting their sound to the late slap bass happy 70s / early 80s funk sound on later releases (even having a hit with "Glide"), but it was 1977's Joyous that embodied the true sound of Pleasure.

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