Wee was the late-70s musical brainchild of Norman Whiteside, alongside musicians Spanky Jones, Victor Martin, Benji Harris, and Bimbo Brown, based out of Columbus, Ohio.

In the summer of 1976, a 22-year-old Whiteside led a collective of musicians into Owl Studios in Columbus. Under his direction, the group known as “Wee” composed their sole studio LP, You Can Fly On My Aeroplane, released in 1977 by the indie label OWL.

Norman Whiteside was the Frank Ocean of the 1970s.
— Rob Sevier (Numero Group), Dazed Digital, 2018.

Despite the album’s limited success in the 1970s, You Can Fly On My Aeroplane has demonstrated its impact on the musical landscape through samples by many hip-hop and R&B artists of the 21st century, including Frank Ocean, Kanye West, Rick Ross, and others.

Following its debut in the winter of 1977, Wee’s You Can Fly On My Aeroplane gained notoriety throughout Columbus but failed to garner much attention beyond the metropolitan area. Whiteside received auditions from multiple record labels, including Atlantic, Mercury, Motown, and Stax, but was rejected by all. Despite his talent, determination, and passion, Whiteside felt disappointed by the music industry. As a young man facing poverty and despair, he ultimately resorted to crime to survive. In 1985, Whiteside was sent to prison for his involvement in a gang dispute.

In 2008, while in prison, Whiteside was approached by Numero Group, a reissue label dedicated to reviving black music that failed to find a mass audience in its day. After partnering up with Whiteside, the Numero Group reissued Wee’s You Can Fly On My Aeroplane on CD, vinyl, and music streaming services, introducing the album to another generation.

Websites:

• Numero Group – You Can Fly On My Aeroplane by Wee.
• Bandcamp – You Can Fly On My Aeroplane by Wee.