Switch

Switch was an American R&B and funk ensemble formed in Ohio, most notable for their tenure on the Gordy (Motown) label between 1978 and 1981. Discovered by Jermaine Jackson, the group served as a critical evolutionary link in the Motown sound, moving away from the traditional soul of the 60s toward a more tech-forward, synth-integrated R&B.

The group's core identity was built around the prodigious talents of Bobby and Tommy DeBarge alongside Phillip Ingram. Their sound identity is characterized by 'multi-lead' vocal arrangements where singers would 'switch' instruments and vocal parts mid-performance, hence the name. Critically, they are recognized for pioneering the high-register falsetto lead style that would become the hallmark of the 1980s R&B aesthetic. Their career arc saw massive early success with 'There'll Never Be' before the DeBarge brothers departed to mentor their younger siblings in the group DeBarge. Switch remains a 'musician's band,' highly sampled in hip-hop and cited as a primary influence by vocalists seeking to master complex harmony and falsetto control.