Which 1978 Heatwave song became a U.S. dance-chart hit and was written by Rod Temperton?

Heatwave’s 1978 song “The Groove Line” became a U.S. dance-chart hit and was written by Rod Temperton.

Temperton, the group’s keyboardist and principal songwriter, wrote “The Groove Line” during Heatwave’s most successful period. The recording combines funk musicianship with disco’s steady pulse, creating the bright, propulsive sound that made the group popular across radio, clubs and dance charts.

The single appeared on the album Central Heating and reached the Top 10 in the United Kingdom. In the United States, it became a strong dance and R&B record, although its exact chart performance is often overshadowed by Heatwave’s better-known “Boogie Nights” and “Always and Forever.”

Rod Temperton later became famous for writing major Michael Jackson songs, including “Rock with You,” “Off the Wall” and “Thriller.” That later career can obscure his earlier role in Heatwave, where “The Groove Line” remains one of his notable disco-era compositions.