scored the first time out with "I'm Doing Fine Now," so on the surface the group may have seemed like just a bunch of guys who got together, had a hit, and disbanded. Members
had illustrious histories in music. Brown sang with
called.
.
, had sung in countless groups around New York City.
Before
New York City, the four had recorded and gigged under the name Tri-Boro Exchange -- a city bridge that links three boroughs (it was suggested by producer
Wes Farrell). One single was released on Buddah Records. Farrell convinced Philly legend
Thom Bell to produce some tracks for the group, including "I'm Doing Fine Now," written by
Sherman Marshall and
Bell -- it went to number 17 pop in 1973.
On the strength of the hit they started making personal appearances. Backing them on the road was
the Big Apple Band, whose members included the late
Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers, who later formed
Chic. None of the follow-ups came close to repeating their initial success. "Make Me Twice the Man," written by
McQueen, stalled at number 93, while "Quick, Fast, in a Hurry" peaked at number 79. Chicago's Notations remade the
McQueen song, a ballad that suggested their deep doo wop roots. The Chelsea label released two albums and a handful of singles, and then it was all over for
New York City.
–
Andrew Hamilton, Rovi