Into the Groove

Recorded in New York City during the Word Up! sessions at Quad Recording, Counter Point, Power Station, and Sound Ideas, with Larry Blackmon producing. Michael Brecker contributed the saxophone solo, and the single drew on the same late-1986 album sessions as Cameo’s other Word Up! tracks. Released as the second single from Word Up!, it became one of Cameo’s biggest crossover hits and helped define the band’s mid-1980s synth-funk pop sound. It reached No. 1 on the R&B chart and No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song remains one of Cameo’s best-known recordings and has been sampled and referenced by later artists, including Will Smith and Mariah Carey. Its snare sound and hook have stayed part of the group’s lasting signature.