24-7 Spyz
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| 24-7 Spyz | ||
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 24-7 Spyz in 2006 - Jimi Hazel, Tobias Ralph, Rick Skatore
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| Background information | ||
| Origin |  Bronx, New York, USA |
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| Genre(s) | Rock, Soul, Hardcore Punk, Heavy Metal, Jazz, Funkcore, Reggae | |
| Years active | 1986–1998, 2003–present | |
| Website | http://www.24-7spyz.com | |
| Members | ||
| Jimi Hazel Rick Skatore Tobias Ralph |
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| Former members | ||
| P. Fluid Anthony Johnson Jeff Brodnax Joel Maitoza Tony Lewis Matt Martin Kindu Phibes |
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24-7 Spyz (pronounced "twenty-four-seven spies") are a band from the South Bronx, New York City, formed in 1986, originally consisting of Jimi Hazel (guitar), Rick Skatore (bass), Kindu Phibes (drums), and P. Fluid (real name, Peter Forrest) (vocals). The fact that they were African Americans playing variations of heavy metal and punk along with R&B, soul, and hip hop led critics to compare them to bands such as Living Colour, Bad Brains, and Follow for Now. The band is best known for mixing soul, funk, reggae, and R&B with heavy metal and punk music. Though they were pioneers in the fusion of rap and heavy metal, influencing many bands, they have never achieved substantial commercial success. The band broke up in 1998, but reformed in 2003 before releasing their first new album of original material in over a decade in 2006.
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[edit] Early Days
Upon their formation in 1986, the band immediately earned a dedicated following in New York due to the eclectic mix of their music. The band would switch gears from Motown and soul sounds with lush vocal harmonies to violent heavy metal and punk with ease, sometimes several times within the course of one song. The band was frequently compared to Living Colour, another all-African American quartet from New York City that played hard rock music. Although Living Colour's sound was more commercially accessible (a trait that led to their surge in popularity), the Spyz musical output was much more diverse, some would say to a fault, in that it contained several different styles of music and many quick tempo changes and odd time signatures. The band is also noted for its musicianship and instrumental skills.
[edit] In-Effect Records
In 1988, In-Effect Records, a subsidiary of Relativity, would sign the band, which now included new drummer Anthony Johnson, and release their debut album, the genre-hopping Harder Than You, produced by Bob Musso and Jimi Hazel in the spring of 1989. The first single was a cover of the Kool & The Gang song "Jungle Boogie." Critics and fans took notice of the band's left-wing political stance and the unique and original sound of their tight-knit, high-energy music. The album sold 300,000 units due to non-stop touring worldwide and became an underground hit. It remains a pioneering classic in the rock/funk/hip hop genre made popular by such bands as 311, Limp Bizkit, and Kid Rock. The video for "Jungle Boogie" holds the dubious distinction of being the first video on MTV to air on the specialty shows 120 Minutes, Yo! MTV Raps, Hard 60, and Headbanger's Ball.
The band's second album, 1990's Gumbo Millennium, produced by Jimi Hazel and Tom Soares, was once again released through In-Effect Records. The album was much softer than the previous effort, focusing mostly on clean guitar and lush R&B harmonies and grooves (even though it still contained elements of thrash metal and punk). The first single, "Don't Break My Heart!," while commercially viable, failed to receive radio airplay. Regardless, the album sold over 300,000 units once again due to massive amounts of touring and proved to be an underground success. It soon brought the attention of several major labels. The band were soon opening for Jane's Addiction on the "Ritual De Lo Habitual" tour. The tour brought the band to a new audience, but their growing success could not halt the sudden departure of Anthony Johnson and P. Fluid. While Johnson desired to return to school and his girlfriend, Fluid wanted to start his own band, the "P. Fluid Foundation." Fluid made the announcement of his departure during the band's live performance on the final date of the Jane's Addiction tour. Allegedly, he had not made it known to his bandmates beforehand. As a result of the departures, the band dropped out of a planned co-headlining tour with Suicidal Tendencies.
[edit] EastWest America
Despite the loss of two of the band's four members, Rick Skatore and Jimi Hazel decided to continue on. After playing with Cro-Mags and Bad Brains drummer Mackie Jayson on a temporary basis, Joel Maitoza was hired along with vocalist Jeff Brodnax. The new lineup received rave reviews and the band was soon signed to EastWest America records, a division of Atlantic Records headed by Sylvia Rhone. The company tested the marketability of the new Spyz by releasing a five-song EP entitled This is...24-7 Spyz!, produced by Jimi Hazel, 24-7 Spyz, and Bruce Calder in 1991.
In 1992, the band received their largest commercial exposure by appearing in a Budweiser television commercial that aired for the first five months of the year. Soon after, the hour-long Strength In Numbers album, produced by Terry Date and Jimi Hazel, was released and proved to be the band's most critically acclaimed release to date. The album saw the band depart from its New York hardcore roots to concentrate more on heavy metal and soul. Unfortunately, popular music was shifting away from musical dexterity and towards the simplicity of grunge music. The album's single, "Break The Chains," received radio airplay and MTV exposure but Sylvia Rhone, president of EastWest America, pulled the label's support before dropping the band in the midst of what many feel was their creative peak. To add insult to injury, the label only pressed 18,000 pieces and allotted 2,000 for press purposes, thus making the disc unavailable almost immediately.
Disillusioned, the band members began work on other projects. Hazel and Skatore looked to form a new band, Black Angus, with Follow For Now drummer Bernard "Enrique" Coley. The Black Angus sessions were eventually recorded with drummer and longtime friend Carlton Smith of the Royal Crescent Mob. Maitoza formed Shockhead with vocalist Joseph McCraw and Nixons bassist Ricky Wolking, recording one disc, entitled "Television", which was produced by Jimi Hazel. Brodnax concentrated on his band, Egypt.
[edit] The Enemy Label
When Hazel and Skatore discovered how popular the original lineup remained in Europe, they reunited with Anthony Johnson and P. Fluid, now performing as Forrest (his real last name) to release Temporarily Disconnected, produced by Jimi Hazel. The album was released exclusively in Europe by the Enemy label, and was followed by a quick tour of the continent before Johnson and Fluid left the band again.
Alternate versions of the next studio album were released in 1996. In March, 6, produced by Jimi Hazel, was released exclusively in Europe through the Enemy label. The album contains covers of The Association's "Along Comes Mary" and Love's "7 and 7 Is." The album was titled 6 due to it being the sixth release by the band, if including the This is...24-7 Spyz! EP.
In September of 1996, What Are Records released Heavy Metal Soul by the Pound, the American version of 6. The track listing would remain almost identical to 6 with the exception of the removal of "Along Comes Mary" and "7 and 7 Is" and the additions of "Earth And Sky" and "Save The World" as replacements.
Both versions of the album saw the band returning as a trio with Jimi Hazel on guitar and lead vocals, Rick Skatore on bass and Joel Maitoza returning to the drums for the first time in four years. Two tracks recorded before Maitoza's return feature guest drummer Carlton Smith of Royal Crescent Mob. Additional vocals were contributed by Doug Pinnick of King's X for the songs "Love And Peace" and "Yeah X 3".
The next release was the If I Could EP, available exclusively through their fan club and featuring remixes and live performances of several songs. In 1998, Hazel and Skatore ended the band over a disagreement.
[edit] Solo albums and Reformation
In 2000, Hazel co-wrote several songs for a band named Crime, who were using the material to shop for labels. Skatore re-emerged in 2001, playing bass in a band named Blockk 16. The band's first release, Too Brutal For Radio, would feature guest appearances by Savatage guitarist Chris Caffrey and Spread Eagle vocalist Ray West. After the release of the album, Skatore suffered from a collapsed lung. Despite prior disagreements, Hazel came to the aid of his friend by performing together as 24-7 Spyz for a benefit concert at New York City's CBGB's. Proceeds from the show went towards Skatore's medical bills.
| (1986-1987) |
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| (1988-1990) |
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| (1991-1994) |
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| (1995) |
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| (1996) |
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| (1997) |
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| (1998) |
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| (1998-2003) |
BAND SPLIT |
| (2003-2004) |
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| (2005-present) |
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In 2002, Hazel released his first solo CD, 21stCenturySouthBronxRockStar on his own label, The Gumbo Recording Company. It was followed by the formation of Maitoza's new band, Crown 10, in May of 2003. 2003 also saw Hazel and Skatore reunite for a second CBGB's performance with Tony Lewis on drums. Later that year, Hazel and Skatore would announce the official reformation of 24-7 Spyz. In 2005, the band released a limited edition DVD titled HMS4L: The Many Lives of Walter Rattamus through their website. The DVD tells the history of the band, shows the various incarnations and included commentary from Jimi Hazel and Rick Skatore.
In 2006, the band released Face The Day, with new drummer Tobias Ralph, through The Gumbo Recording Company label. The disc was produced by Jimi Hazel and Ron Thal (aka Bumblefoot) and is the first 24-7-Spyz studio album in a decade. Shortly thereafter, the band released a live concert from 1998 - one of their last before splitting up - as a digital download and CD titled Can You Hear the Sound?.
[edit] Whereabouts of Former Members
Anthony Johnson re-emerged as a drummer for Ben Folds during a tour supporting Folds' solo album, Rockin' the Suburbs. In 2005, he made an appearance on the self-titled, five song release by Lost Tricks, a band fronted by actor Trevor Oswalt.
P. Fluid and the P. Fluid Foundation played clubs in and around New York City but never released an album. Shortly after leaving 24-7 Spyz for the second time, P. Fluid, now using the name Forrest Thinner, formed Blkvampires. The band eventually released a five song EP titled The Collector's Item through the Catch A Fire website. The five songs had previously been recorded by 24-7 Spyz and released on Temporarily Disconnected. A decade after the band's formation, the New York City based band released one self titled album compiling seven old unreleased tracks as well as the five songs previously included on the The Collector's Item EP. The band remains active in 2007.
Joel Maitoza's Crown 10 lasted less than one year but managed to release a self-titled album in that time. In 2004, it was announced that Maitoza would continue playing with bassist Roz Taylor in a new and unnamed band. Maitoza also became heavily involved in session work and band management.
During Jeff Brodnax's time with Egypt, the band released two albums, Drowning in the Promised Land and Soul Hammer. The singer has since released an album titled Acoustic EP and continues to tour in support of it.
[edit] Discography
[edit] LPs
1. Harder Than You (1989)
2. Gumbo Millennium (1990)
3. Strength in Numbers (1992)
4. Temporarily Disconnected (1995)
5a. 6 (alternate version released in America as Heavy Metal Soul By the Pound) (1996)
5b. Heavy Metal Soul by the Pound (alternate version released in Europe as 6) (1996)
6. Face the Day (2006)
[edit] EPs
1. This is...24-7 Spyz! (1991)
2. If I Could (1997)
[edit] Live Albums
1. Can You Hear the Sound? (live performance recorded in 1998) (2006)
[edit] DVDs
HMS4L: The Many Lives of Walter Rattamus (2005 - band restrospective 1986-2004)
