Soul singer Bobby Thurston was a native of Washington, D.C., and got his start singing and playing congas with a group called Spectrum Ltd. in his high school years. He caught his break when writers/producers Willie Lester and Rodney Brown heard him sing live, and signed him as part of their attempt to forge a stable of artists in the vein of Philadelphia International. Thurston's subsequent recordings for Prelude were more consistently disco-oriented, starting with 1980's double-sided 12" club smash "You Got What It Takes"/"Check Out the Groove." The accompanying LP, You Got What It Takes, became his biggest seller.