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BLACK MERDA! THE LEGENDARY FIRST BLACK ROCK BAND!
This is the story of a group of musicians, songwriters and producers, Anthony Hawkins, VC L. Veasey and Tyrone Hite, (later joined by Anthony's brother, Charles) who were popular as a local and national backup band under various names, Impact, The Fabulous Impacs and the Soul Agents before stepping out on their own to blaze a new trail in music! They provided the on stage Oomph for Motown recording artists Edwin Starr, The Spinners as well as for Chicago’s Brunswick Recording artists Gene Chandler, The Artistics, Billy Butler and The Chilites.
VC L. Veasey and Anthony Hawkins (also known as Wolf) met in the spring of 1960 when they both were just budding blues guitarists and had been like brothers socially and musically ever since. VC knew how to play five Mississippi blues songs his father, George, taught him and Anthony knew a to play the hook line of the popular instrumental of the day “Honky Tonk” by Bill Doggett. Anthony met Tyrone Hite at Western High School in Detroit, introduced him to VC and they all became a musical and social family.
After plying their craft for a few years they gain local fame as a tight, talented, young rhythm section and were soon called upon to do recording session by local producers and record companies like Don Davis, Fortune Records, Bob and Chico Hamilton producers for Golden World Studios among others. During a recording date at Golden World they met and performed on session for Charles Hatcher, known as “Edwin Starr” Veasey played bass and Hawkins guitar on Starr’s breakout hit “Agent Double O Soul” in 1963. They subsequently toured with Starr to support that record and later his hit’s “Twenty Five Miles” and “War! What is it Good For?”
Through a series of fortuitous occurrences they became aware of the budding Psychedelic and hippie movement after, Veasey (then known as Roosevelt Veasey), who was stationed at Fort Lewis Washington, in early 1966, saw a write-up and a picture of budding new artist, Jimi Hendrix, in a Seattle newspaper entitled “Hometown Boy Makes Good!” Initially thinking “this guy looks like a clown!” Veasey laughed at the picture but, related the incident to his fellow band mates after leaving the Army and rejoining them as the ‘Soul Agents” in late 1966. They all had good laugh out loud after hearing story as well.
During a stop on a West coast tour with Chicago’s Brunswick recording artist Gene Chandler (“The Duke Of Earl”, “A Man Temptation”), in 1967, the Soul Agents, VC L. Veasey, Anthony Hawkins, Tyrone Hite, Victor Stubblefield and Gus Hawkins (not related) went into a local record store to check out the new records on sale, when a lone copy of Hendrix’s “Are You Experienced?” caught Veasey’s eye. He immediately pointed the album out to Hawkins and Hite who excitedly looked in the direction he was pointing! Hite, the drummer, laughing excitedly and seeing a picture of the “clown” on the album’s cover suggested they buy it so we can play it and laugh at him! They all laughed in agreement.
They didn’t play the album until they finished the tour and returned to Detroit where they lived and had access to a record player. They camped out at Hite’s house, lit up a few joints and put the record on prepared to have a good belly laugh! But instead of laughing their mind were blown. When they heard, the then unheard of, searing, emotionally, penetrating guitar, groove and sound of Hendrix’s “ Foxy Lady”.
They were stunned! They couldn’t believe it! The screaming rock guitar sound that’s taken for granted today was a new thing then! The intensity of Hendrix’s playing, the emotion, the feedback, the creativity of his songs, his look! All made sense now! And they weren’t laughing at “the clown” now except at how great he was! They were fascinated! They didn’t stop playing the album for days, days and days on end.
From that point on Veasey, Hawkins and Hite decided that they were going to dive into this new style of music and dress that Hendrix exemplified but, with their own original twist on it! They grow their hair long, wore big Afros and dressed in flamboyant, colorful but stylish Psychedelic clothes! Up to that point they had been a five-piece Soul-Jazz band with a three-piece rhythm and two-piece horn section! They decided to dump the horn section and became a three-piece rock guitar band. They had been a successful backing band for national acts! That they could give it all up just like that! Shows the momentous, radical change in consciousness they had experienced and their love and commitment to the new style of music!
Gus Hawkins and Victor Stubblefield weren’t part of that metamorphosis. They lived in Ohio and had only met the three budding musical pioneers, who had been friends since their early teens, later in their careers and weren’t part of their inner circle.
Hawkins and Veasey had been writing songs since they first met at age 14. Almost from the time they first picked up their guitars! Being of a spiritual, philosophical, turn of mind, the lyrical content of their songs was always insightful, thought provoking and original. They now individually and as a songwriting duo turned their well-honed writing skills, innate musical intelligence and talent on the turbulent and unjust social and racial issues of the late 1960s and early 70s.
For a year or so the three friends emulated the three-piece lineup of The Jimi Hendrix experience but decided that they need an additional instrument in the band to make their sound fuller. Anthony wanted a piano player as the new instrument but VC was adamant about keeping the band a rock guitar band instead! So the search for another guitarist began! But it couldn’t be just anyone. It had to be someone who was versatile. Who could play funk and Rock and liked it. After a short search Hite suggested Hawkins’ younger brother, Charles, for the position. Veasey knew Charles had some playing experience but wasn’t sure if he could handle the job or be into a playing a more Rock style music since, the primary forms of music Black musicians played at that time was Soul, Blues or Jazz.
At Hite’s urging, Veasey set up a meeting with Charles, whom he had known since he was about eight years old to see what he thought of his playing ability. Charles played a few tunes for Veasey. Veasey was impressed with the energy and fire Charles put into his playing. And thought it would be a good blend with Anthony’s slightly more laid-back style of playing. But he wanted to know if the younger Hawkins was willing to become part of the new style of music, dress and lifestyle they were committed to following. Charles said he was. Veasey wanting to make doubly sure Charles knew just what he would be getting himself into asked if he were willing to play music similar to Hendrix, Lead Zeppelin that would be a blend of Rock and funk. And in addition if he were willing to dress in the freaked-out psychedelic-type clothes they were now wearing. The younger Hawkins stated he was willing to do both.
Initially Anthony didn’t want his little brother in the band citing the good rapport he and Veasey had playing as a duo since when they first started playing and how he preferred Veasey rhythm guitar playing to his younger brother’s style backing his leads. But now Veasey was playing bass and they needed another guitarist, so Hite and Veasey over ruled him and the final configuration of the band was made.
They needed a new name to go with their more dynamic sound and look. The foursome was riding in a car in 1968 on their way to a gig when Veasey suggested they come up with a new name for the band, stating that the Soul Agents just doesn’t fit anymore, that they needed something more dynamic to go along with our new dynamic sound and look. They all nodded in agreement. They were contemplating the idea when Charles Hawkins suggested the name, “Murder Incorporated”. They’d heard him. But no one said anything as they contemplated his words. Veasey thought name sounded too much like the infamous criminal organization. Hite and Anthony Hawkins agreed. They all contemplated the issue again.
Visions of Black people being killed by the police in, locally in Detroit, especially young Black men, by the Klan and others, nationally at that time, flashed through Veasey’s mind, and how a name that reflected that tragic situation would be a shocking reminder to the public of how bad that situation really was. How that name could be a double entendre, not only focusing the spotlight on what he saw as the unjust killing of Black people, but that their music was so dynamic and socially meaningful that it just “killed” you when you heard it. Veasey suggested they name the band “Black Murder”. They all agreed. They like the sound of it. It was dynamic. It fit their new image. And from that point on they were “Black Murder”.
After using “Murder” for a while, the spelling was changed to “Merda” as a being more original and hipper than “Murder” and having less of the negative impact than “Murder” on the public’s imagination! But it was still pronounced “Murder” and meant “Murder” and was a double entendre for the way their live performances affected those who experienced them.
They were still in demand as a backing band for various locally and nationally known acts. Edwin Starr whom they had worked with in the past came calling for their services for upcoming tour with Motown recording artist “The Temptations” in late 1969. (As mentioned earlier Veasey and Anthony Hawkins had played on Starr’s breakout hit “Agent Double-O-Soul”, a take off on the James Bond craze of that time and toured with him as Edwin Starr and the Soul Agents). They agreed to do the tour but only as a four-piece guitar rock band.
Starr thinking that their new psychedelic look and sound would add to his stage appeal because, many young people around the country were into that type of music at that time, agreed to their terms and they boarded the Temptations tour bus and toured the New England states with their four-piece guitar band, their psychedelic look and sound while “The Temptations” performed with an orchestra. The Temptations were impressed with the sound the four young men, playing through huge amps and speakers, were getting on stage as well as the camaraderie they shared off stage and would come to their dressing room after shows to join in the fun, laughing, singing and joking around engaged by the young men.
But at that point the foursome viewed the elder Temptations and other Motown acts as passé and not part of the new cutting edge music that the more adventurous young acts, like Jimi Hendrix and themselves were experimenting with at that time. Still when Temptations member, Eddie Kendricks, expressed an interest in producing them, they did start meeting with him once they returned home to Detroit. And he lived in the same neighborhood as Veasey and the Hawkins brothers.
It was through Kendricks that they met Ellington Jordan also know as “Fugi”. Kendricks said he knew a guy who was something like them that they might like to meet. They agreed to meet Jordan. A meeting arranged to be held at Motown Studios also known as “Hitsville USA”. The night of the meeting the members of Black Merda were heading up the walkway toward the front door of Motown when a car drives up, abruptly stops, the driver’s swings open, out jumps Jordan shouting he knew it was them because, it couldn’t be anyone else but them looking the way they looked.
From that point on, after hearing Merda perform live, Jordan was constantly trying to get them to let him be in the band, which they constantly wouldn’t allow him to do. Jordan just thought they were the greatest. In his mind they were on the same level as Hendrix, Sly and The Family Stone and the Beatles. He stated he emulated Veasey and Anthony Hawkins’s songwriting style (the main writers of the band at that time), which was raw, funky and socially conscientious. Before meeting the members of Black Merda, Jordan was writing R&B songs like his much popularized authorship of Soul Crooner Et ta James’ “I’d Rather Go Blind”
Jordan had recorded an earlier version of his classic “Mary Don’t Take Me On No Bad Trip” and played it for Merda. They didn’t think too much of. Veasey spontaneously started playing the now classic groove and bass line of the song and the Hawkins brothers and Hite spontaneously jumped in with their parts on as they often did. That’s how most of the tracks they subsequently created for Jordan came about. After hearing the low down Rock and Funk groove they were laying down, Jordan immediately ditched his version and pleaded with them to let him use their version, which they did but weren’t credited for their contribution when the song was released on Chess records Cadet label under Jordan’s alias “Fugi”. From then on Jordan only wanted Black Merda to create the tracks that he would later write lyrics and add vocals to.
Jordan was an unabashed fan of Black Merda’s music and socially conscientious writing style. So much so he brought them to the attention of Marshall Chess, then president of Chess Records, after “Mary” became a huge local hit in Detroit. Black Merda recorded one album for Chess their classic self-titled “Black Merda” and one for GRT on the Janus label the classic “ Long Burn The fire” (both now available on the CD: "The Folks From Mother's Mixer") though not successful in their original outings both albums have since attained legendary status among collectors and a growing number of international fans as prime examples of the talent of a four pioneering young black men in the much under appreciated Genre of Black, Psychedelic, Funk, Rock!
Black Merda has recently performed at the Detroit Motown Winter Blast Festival in 2005 and 2006, The Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland and other venues to rave reviews from fans, the media and other interested observers who say that Black Merda still has the fire and musical magic.
Not copyrighted
Mills, Fred. 2004. The Merda Files, The Detroit Metro times. http://www.metrotimes.com/editorial/story.asp?id=7042
Edmonds, Ben. 2005. What A Blast! 70s PSYCH-FUNK Outfit BLACK MERDA Will Take Detroit Stage For The First Time In 30 Years! The Detroit Free Press, Jan 21. Record Number: 0411922205
Edmonds, Ben. 2005. My Soul Has Been Psychedelicised! Special "Psychedelic!" issue Mojo Magazine, Feb 15.
Perlich, Tim. 2005. Perlich Picks! NOW Magazine Online Edition March. http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/2005-03-24/music_perlichspicks_p.html
Fricke, David. 2005. Review of Black Merda’s “Folks From Mother’s Mixer”. Rolling Stone Magazine, Nov 28. http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/_/id/6965691
Mills, Fred. 2005. It's A Detroit Rock Thing! Harp Magazine, Nov. http://harpmagazine.com/articles/detail.cfm?article_id=3541
Churnus, Matthew. 2006. BLACK MERDA! The Cleveland Scene, Jan 24. http://www.clevescene.com/issues/2006-01-18/music/nightwatch2.html?src=default_rss
Niesel, Jeff. 2006. Funkadelic Relic: Black Merda's First Show Outside Of Detroit In 30 years! Cleveland FreeTimes, Jan 23. http://www.freetimes.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=2988&POSTNUKESID=78378e3b9064976a63cbbb13519543d2
The First Black Rock Band! Black Merda! http://www.blackmerda.com
