René & Angela

{{Short description|American R&B duo}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2015}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = René & Angela | image = | caption = | image_size = | background = group_or_band | alias = | origin = United States | genre = {{hlist|R&B|soul|post-disco}} | years_active = 1977–1987<ref name="AllMusic1"/> | label = {{hlist|Capitol|Mercury}} | past_members = René Moore Angela Winbush | website = }}

'''René & Angela''' were an American R&B duo consisting of musical artists and producers René Moore and Angela Winbush. They formed in 1977<ref name="AllMusic1">{{cite web|last1=Erlewine|first1=Stephen Thomas|title=Biography|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ren%C3%A9-angela-mn0000888671/biography|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=16 April 2022}}</ref> and disbanded in 1987. They are most remembered for their 1985 song "I'll Be Good".

==Career== They recorded three albums for Capitol Records: their 1980 self-titled debut ''René & Angela'', the second album ''Wall to Wall'' and their final album for the label, 1983's ''Rise''.

They later moved to Mercury Records to release 1985's ''Street Called Desire''. Despite the success of the album, the duo disbanded by the end of 1986.<ref name="Angela Winbush—The Charade Is Over">{{cite news|last1=Hunt|first1=Dennis|title=Angela Winbush—The Charade Is Over|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-01-03-ca-32151-story.html|website=Los Angeles Times|access-date=2014-11-16|date=January 3, 1988|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140520191252/http://articles.latimes.com/1988-01-03/entertainment/ca-32151_1_angela-winbush|archive-date=May 20, 2014}}</ref> Disagreements and conflicts caused tension with the two singers. Moore claimed the source of tension was due to Winbush lending her songwriting and production talents to other artists – most notably, The Isley Brothers, with whom she co-wrote and produced their 1987 album ''Smooth Sailin'''.<ref name="Angela Winbush—The Charade Is Over"/><ref name="Radio Facts">{{cite web|last1=Ross|first1=Kev|title=UNSUNG REVIEW: Angela Winbush (Rene and Angela)|url=http://www.radiofacts.com/unsung-review-angela-winbush-rene-and-angela/|website=radiofacts.com|date=May 27, 2010 |publisher=Radio Facts|accessdate=2015-02-22}}</ref> However, Winbush said the demise of the group was due to Moore's violent behavior<ref name="Radio Facts"/>- including an onstage incident in Cleveland, Ohio in 1986,<ref name="Angela Winbush—The Charade Is Over"/> as well as Winbush singing sole lead on the song "Your Smile", which became a number one hit on the R&B chart.<ref name="St. Louis Post-Dispatch">{{cite web|last1=Johnson|first1=Kevin C.|title=Angela Winbush tells of career struggles, cancer battle in 'Unsung'|url=http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/music/angela-winbush-tells-of-career-struggles-cancer-battle-in-unsung/article_0e363b2f-81d3-52bd-af35-e916b93208a6.html|website=stltoday.com|date=October 24, 2010 |publisher=St. Louis Post-Dispatch|accessdate=2015-12-04}}</ref>

Winbush said of the dissolution of their partnership:

<blockquote>"It was a shame to break up just when we finally got hot. PolyGram didn't want us to break up. But there was no choice. I couldn't work with him anymore."<ref name="Angela Winbush—The Charade Is Over"/></blockquote>

The duo had a less than amicable split<ref name="Radio Facts"/><ref name="St. Louis Post-Dispatch"/> and the animosity was so intense that Moore and Winbush had to communicate through attorneys.<ref name="Angela Winbush—The Charade Is Over"/>

Moore and Winbush went on to successful solo careers as performers, songwriters, and producers. Moore lent his songwriting and production talents to Michael Jackson's 1991 ''Dangerous'' and 1995 ''HIStory'' albums and later formed Multi-Media Communications, which operated radio stations from 2008 to 2012. Winbush went on to score five top ten R&B hits as a solo artist and wrote and/or produced songs for The Isley Brothers, Sheena Easton, Stephanie Mills, and Lalah Hathaway, among others.

==Discography== ===Studio albums=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2"| Year ! rowspan="2"| Album ! colspan="2"| Peak chart positions ! rowspan="2"| Certifications ! rowspan="2"| Record label |- style="font-size:smaller;" ! width="35"| US <ref name="allmusic">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/rené-angela-mn0000888671/awards|title=US Charts > René & Angela|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=2012-10-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150915034519/https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ren%C3%A9-angela-mn0000888671/awards|archive-date=September 15, 2015}}</ref> ! width="35"| US R&B <ref name="allmusic"/> |- | rowspan="1"|1980 | align="left"| ''René & Angela'' | — | — | | rowspan="3"| Capitol |- | rowspan="1"|1981 | align="left"| ''Wall to Wall'' | 100 | 15 | |- | rowspan="1"|1983 | align="left"| ''Rise'' | — | 33 | |- | rowspan="1"|1985 | align="left"| ''Street Called Desire'' | 64 | 5 | * RIAA: Gold<ref name=riaa>{{cite certification|region=United States|artist=Rene & Angela|access-date=September 20, 2021}}</ref> | rowspan="1"| Mercury |- | colspan="6" style="text-align:center; font-size:9pt;"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. |}

===Compilation albums=== *''The Best of René & Angela: Come My Way'' (1996, Capitol) *''Classic Masters'' (2002, Capitol)

===Singles=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2"| Year ! rowspan="2"| Title ! colspan="6"| Peak chart Positions ! rowspan="2"| Album |- style="font-size:smaller;" ! width="35"| US <ref name="allmusic"/> ! width="35"| US R&B <ref name="allmusic"/> ! width="35"| US Dan <ref name="allmusic"/> ! width="35"| BEL (FL) <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ultratop.be/nl/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Ren%E9+and+Angela|title=Ultratop > René and Angela in Ultratop Vlaanderen|language=nl|publisher=Hung Medien|access-date=2022-05-05}}</ref> ! width="35"| NLD <ref name="nld">{{cite web|url=http://dutchcharts.nl/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Ren%E9+And+Angela|title=NLD Charts > René & Angela|publisher=MegaCharts|accessdate=2012-10-21}}</ref> ! width="35"| UK <ref name="uk">{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/22594/rene-and-angela/|title=UK Charts > René & Angela|publisher=Official Charts Company|accessdate=2012-10-21}}</ref> |- | rowspan="2"| 1980 | align="left"| "Do You Really Love Me" | — | 43 | — | — | — | — | align=left rowspan="2"| ''René & Angela'' |- | align="left"| "Everything We Do" | — | 39 | — | — | — | — |- | rowspan="2"| 1981 | align="left"| "I Love You More" | — | 14 | 31 | — | — | — | align=left rowspan="3"| ''Wall to Wall'' |- | align="left"| "Wall to Wall" | — | 37 | — | — | — | — |- | rowspan="1"| 1982 | align="left"| "Imaginary Playmates" | — | 26 | — | — | — | — |- | rowspan="2"| 1983 | align="left"| "Banging the Boogie" | — | 33 | — | 23 | — | — | align=left rowspan="2"| ''Rise'' |- | align="left"| "My First Love" | — | 12 | — | — | — | — |- | rowspan="4"| 1985 | align="left"| "Save Your Love (For #1)" | 101 | 1 | 3 | — | 17 | 66 | align=left rowspan="2"| ''Street Called Desire'' |- | align="left"| "I'll Be Good" | 47 | 4 | 7 | — | 21 | 22 |- | align="left"| "Secret Rendezvous" | — | — | — | — | — | 54 | align=left rowspan="1"| ''Wall to Wall'' |- | align="left"| "Your Smile" | 62 | 1 | 47 | — | — | — | align=left rowspan="3"| ''Street Called Desire'' |- | rowspan="2"| 1986 | align="left"| "You Don't Have to Cry" | 75 | 2 | — | — | — | — |- | align="left"| "No How – No Way" | — | 29 | — | — | — | — |- | colspan="9" style="text-align:center; font-size:9pt;"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *{{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p5252|label=René & Angela}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rene and Angela}} Category:African-American musical duos Category:American contemporary R&B musical groups Category:American soul musical groups Category:Musical groups established in 1977 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1986 Category:Male–female musical duos Category:Capitol Records artists Category:Mercury Records artists