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A14 PEOPLE / ARTS
Friday 6 OctOber 2023

Tony! Toni! Toné! say reuniting after 25 years ‘Feels Good’ and

they’re working on something new

By Gary Gerard Hamilton 1990 New Jack Swing-in-
Associated Press fused “Feels Good” record
NEW YORK (AP) — D’Wayne that gave the group main-
Wiggins and Timothy Chris- stream success, peaking at
tian Riley didn’t realize that No. 9 on Billboard’s Hot 100
Raphael Saadiq was plant- chart.
ing the seeds for a Tony! They released two more
Toni! Toné! reunion when studio projects together,
he arranged a photoshoot with party hits like “Let’s
earlier this year. Get Down,” featuring DJ
“He said a few times be- Quik, and timeless slow
fore, so we never paid that jams including “Whatever
much attention to it until You Want,” “It Never Rains
this fool put up a big-ass (In Southern California),”
billboard in Oakland, and “(Lay Your Head on My) Pil-
I had to see it through so- low” and “Anniversary,” a
cial media,” said vocalist standard in the Black music
and bass guitarist Wiggins, romance canon.
who wondered if the im- “I’ve always wanted a
age was Photoshopped. song like ‘Chestnuts’ like
“I thought someone was Nat King Cole, something
playing tricks, morphing our that everybody played
picture.” Saadiq, the lead at some point, and ‘An-
singer and guitarist of the D’Wayne Wiggins, from left, Raphael Saadiq and Timothy Christian Riley of Tony! Toni! Tone! pose niversary’ was that type of
beloved R&B group, gath- for a portrait on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023, in New York. The group kicked off a tour last month, song. I knew the subject
ered the trio together, free their first featuring the three original members in 25 years. (AP Photo/Gary Gerard Hamilton) matter wasn’t one that I
of any outside influence. thought was dated, but
“I didn’t tell any of the man- Tony! Toni! Toné! kicked off being together, you feel once served as a member you couldn’t tell me that it
agers or team or anybody their Raphael Saddiq Re- the energy, you feel the of Prince’s touring band. was going to be this type of
because I just wanted it to visits Tony! Toni! Tone! Just love.” “We got a lot of material song,” said Saadiq. “When
be us. … I wanted to be in a Me And You Tour 2023, the But that’s not all: the To- and now we just want to it comes on and couples
room where the only power first road trip featuring the nyies, as they call them- make sure that we put out grab each other, we know
structure was one, two and three original members in selves, are currently plan- the right energy through that it took on a whole dif-
three,” said Saadiq of his nearly 30 years. ning a new project. our music,” added Wiggins. ferent life that we couldn’t
bandmates who are also “It’s been really cool, like “There’s going to be anoth- Blending R&B, jazz and see.” The blood relatives
family: Wiggins is his broth- rehearsals and the actual er album … but I thought traces of gospel, the Oak- also couldn’t predict how
er and Riley is their cousin. shows, just playing together we need to really hone in land, California, natives their success would af-
“We have to be us first be- again on a stage,” said Ri- on what we’re doing for burst onto the music scene fect their relationship. The
fore we could talk to any- ley, who plays drums and touring and then go home with their 1988 debut al- Tonyies went their sepa-
body because that’s what keyboard. “A lot of times, and then take like two days bum, “Who?” with songs rate ways after their fourth
happened the last time.” we do production and stu- off, and then start on the like “Baby Doll” and “Little album, 1996’s platinum-
Cut to last month, when dio work. But just actually album,” said Saadiq, who Walter.” But it was their selling “House of Music.”q

‘Saturday Night Live’ returns after strike, with Pete Davidson and

Bad Bunny slated to host

Associated Press as host and musical guest. has performed on the show debut. the “SNL” cast can resume
NEW YORK (AP) — Live from While the Grammy winner before, it’ll be his hosting The entire cast from Season performing as variety shows
New York ... it’s the return 48 will return, along with operate under a different
of ‘Saturday Night Live’ one new addition: Chloe contract.
after last season was cut Troast, as a featured player. Other late-night shows like
short because of the writers Davidson had been set to “The Tonight Show Starring
strike. host May 6, alongside musi- Jimmy Fallon”, “Jimmy Kim-
The long-running sketch cal guest Lil Uzi Vert, but his mel Live!”, “Last Week To-
comedy show will premiere episode was the first to be night with John Oliver” and
Season 49 on Oct. 14, NBC cut after the writers strike “The Late Show with Ste-
announced Wednesday. started just days before. phen Colbert” have also
Former cast member Pete The writers strike was de- returned.
Davidson will host, making clared over Sept. 26 after “I’m excited to do some
good on a plan to have Writers Guild of America more ‘SNL,’” cast mem-
him host last May. The co- board members approved ber James Austin Johnson,
median will be joined by a contract agreement with known for impressions of
first-time musical guest Ice studios. Donald Trump and Joe
Spice. Pete Davidson attends the premiere of “Meet Cute,” Sept. 20, While Hollywood actors are Biden, told The Associated
The following week, Bad 2022, in New York. still on strike for most televi- Press earlier this week. “It
Bunny will pull double duty (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File) sion and theatrical work, moves quick.”q