Not to be confused with the rock group, this
Fantasy was among the numerous R&B/disco/funk groups to be heavily influenced by
Chic.
Fantasy had a
Chic-like image -- two women (Tamm E. Hunt,
Carolyn Edwards) and two men (
Ken Robertson, Rufus Jackson) wearing very upscale disco attire -- and this self-titled LP even employs
Chic alumnae
Luci Martin and
Norma Jean Wright as background vocalists. But despite all that, it would be wrong to think of
Fantasy as
Chic clones. True, the
Chic influence is impossible to miss on "Love Explosion" and the single "You're Too Late." But a more
Shalamar-influenced approach prevails on "(Hey Who's Gotta) Funky Song," and the harmonies on "Read Between the Lines" are closer to
the Emotions than
Chic. Meanwhile, the sentimental "Now That I Have Everything" successfully blends disco, doo wop, and Afro-Caribbean music. Not a gem, but definitely pleasing,
Fantasy is far from the work of knee-
Chic clones -- even though
Chic's influence is among the useful tools in the group's arsenal.