Listen to The IMPACT Band Playing Live
Turn it up. This is the band the way you’d hear them from the dance floor — ten pieces, live, no net.
“Word Up” — Recorded Live
Cameo — “Word Up” (The IMPACT Band, live)
Featuring the full IMPACT horn section. Press play — or open the classic Word Up listening page.
Prefer the original file? The 2003-era recording is also preserved in Windows Media Audio format: 01_Word_Up.wma (plays in Windows Media Player).
What You’re Hearing
“Word Up” is Cameo’s 1986 funk anthem — one of the band’s signature party-starters. The IMPACT arrangement features the four-piece horn section (Steve Walthius and Bill Perbetsky on trumpets, Bill Gingrich on trombone, Glenn Kuhns on sax) punching over Jeff Cox’s drums, Chuck Seay’s bass and Antonio Fountain’s guitar, with Greg Wolfgang, Jeff Falcone and Janelle Verones trading vocals.
That’s the recipe across the whole show: the band covers funk, soul and R&B from the 1970s through today — Earth, Wind & Fire, James Brown, Tower of Power, the Ohio Players, KC & the Sunshine Band, Chic, Rose Royce, all the way up through Pink, Nelly, Shaggy and Christina Aguilera. Browse the full representative song list, then book the band to hear it in person.
Explore More
The song list
Every dance-floor staple in the band’s repertoire, organized by artist.
Live pictures
See the horns, the sweat and the dance floors the music was made for.
Club dates
The band’s 2004 season schedule, preserved from the original site.