Demon Fuzz

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Demon Fuzz
Origin England
Genres Afro-rock, psychedelic rock
Years active 1968-1972
Labels Dawn Records
Associated acts Blue Rivers and the Maroons
Past members Former members

Demon Fuzz was an afro-rock group which formed in 1968 and broke up in 1972. Its members had all immigrated to Britain from Commonwealth countries. The band's name means "devil's children or bad policemen."[1] They originally played soul, but the music they heard during a trip to Morocco caused a change in their style[2] to one that has been described as a blend of funk, psychedelic rock, jazz and African music. Their album Afreaka! has become a popular source for sampling.[citation needed] Since 2008, they have received sporadic airplay by BBC radio presenters Huey Morgan and Gideon Coe.[3]

Performances

The band was promoted by an agency in London called The Red Bus Company, which also handled "Mungo Jerry, Mike Cooper, Titus Groan and Wildmouth"[4] which arranged for them to appear at a concert incongruously named the "Hollywood Music Festival," in May 1970 at a Leycett farm near Newcastle-under-Lyme.[5]

They played at the Phun City Festival, "a major concert event in Worthing."[6]

In November of 1970, the band played a series of concerts called "A Penny Concert" along with Titus Groan, Heron and Comus.[7]Among the ten places where the performances were held was the Marquee Club.

They appeared on the BBC television show Disco 2 produced by Stephen Clive[8] Turner, who had been offered (but did not take) 25 pounds for having them on the program. After he told BBC management about the incident, he was fired. Subsequently, the News of the World ran a story about the event.[9]

Discography

They signed with the Dawn Records division of Pye Records, under which they released two recordings: the studio album Afreaka! (catalog number DNLS 3013) and a maxi-single with the songs I Put A Spell On You (written by Screamin' Jay Hawkins), Message To Mankind and Fuzz Oriental Blues, both released in 1970.[10]

Demon Fuzz's cover of I Put A Spell On You was included in the 1971 sampler album The Dawn Take-Away Concert (catalog number DNLB 3024). Priced at 99 pence, the LP also had songs by Mungo Jerry, Comus, The Trio, Heron, Paul Brett's Sage, Mike Cooper, Atlantic Bridge, Jackie McAuley, Bronx Cheer, John Surman, John McLaughlin, Dave Holland, Stu Martin, Karl Berger and the Be-Bop Preservation Society.

A Demon Fuzz maxi-single was published by Nippon Columbia around 1971[11] The maxi-single was later made available as a CD[12]

Afreaka! was distributed in the United States by Janus Records (catalog number JLS 3028)[10][13] It was a Billboard "4-STAR" selection in June of 1971. [14]

Around 1971, their song "Hymn to Mother Earth" was included in the WDAS-FM Black Rock compilation album.[15]

In 1976, after the band dissolved, their second album, Roots and Offshoots, was self-published under the Paco Media Inc. label.[16]

The 1999 compilation CD From Calypso to Disco: The Roots of Black Britain includes Demon Fuzz' recording of Message to Mankind.[17]

Their performance of Mercy is included in Harmless Records' 2002 compilation CD (also published as a double-LP set) Paint It Black: Kaleidoscopic Funk Collision.[18]

In 2003, the Get Away label did a vinyl reissue in Italy of The Dawn Take-Away Concert (catalog number GET 626).

In the 21st Century, another pressing on vinyl was made by Janus under the same catalog number as the 1971 edition.[10]

Members


  • Ray Rhoden, piano and organ
  • Sleepy Jack Joseph, bass
  • Smokey Adams, vocals
  • Steven John, drums
  • W. (Winston) Raphael Joseph, guitar
  • Clarence Crosdale, trombone[19]
  • Ayinde Folarin: credited for "additional congas" on Afreaka!

See also

  • Corbett, John. "Afreaka!: Demon Fuzz" Down Beat 71. 1 (Jan 2004): 18.
  • Thompson, Ben. "Pop: Demon Fuzz: Afreaka!", The Sunday Telegraph 8 Jan 2006: p. 36.

References

  1. ↑ "Demon Fuzz". Wax Poetics. 2010-07-12. Retrieved 2013-01-30. 
  2. ↑ Demon Fuzz (93). Beat Instrumental & International Recording. 1971-01-05. p. 18. Retrieved 2013-02-01. 
  3. ↑ "Music - Demon Fuzz". BBC. Retrieved 2013-02-03. 
  4. ↑ Amusement Business 82 (1). Billboard Publications. 1970. ISSN 0003-2344. LCCN 63057670. 
  5. ↑ "Hollywood Music Festival 1970". Ukrockfestivals.com. Retrieved 2013-02-03. 
  6. ↑ David A. Carson (2006). Grit, Noise, & Revolution: The Birth of Detroit Rock 'n' Roll. p. 251. ISBN 0472031902. 
  7. ↑ "Heron - Music Biography, Credits and Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-02-03. 
  8. ↑ "Three in England Fined $250 Each in Payola Case". Billboard (Vol. 86, No. 22): 42. 1974-06-01. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 2013-02-02. 
  9. ↑ Michael Cable (1977). The pop industry inside out,. Allen. p. 108. ISBN 9780491023818. LCCN 78304025. "[...]to accept money—albeit only a miserable ₤25—for featuring a group called Demon Fuzz on his BBC 2 show Disco 2. Turner—who had already confessed this to the BBC and been fired before the News of the World exposé was published—never actually took the money although the group did indeed appear on[...] But it nevertheless remained a fact that Demon Fuzz had been carefully selected by the News of the World specifically because[...] Even more important in minimising the impact of the News of the World's payola revelations was the inevitable[...]" 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 "Demon Fuzz - Afreaka! (Vinyl, LP, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2013-02-03. 
  11. ↑ International News Reports from the Music Capitals of the World. Billboard. 1971-06-19. p. 51. Retrieved 2013-01-31. 
  12. ↑ http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wvk0TEv5xSQ/T7-RBQBB7SI/AAAAAAAADb4/3OH_Nz-8E1I/s1600/Demon+Fuzz+-+Bonus+Single+Front.jpg
  13. ↑ New LP/Tape Releases. Billboard. 1971-06-26. p. 52. Retrieved 2013-01-31. 
  14. ↑ 4-STAR. Billboard. 1971-06-26. p. 51. Retrieved 2013-01-31. 
  15. ↑ Simpson, Kim (2011-08-04). "EARLY '70S RADIO: The WDAS-FM Black Rock LP". Early70sradio.com. Retrieved 2013-01-31. 
  16. ↑ "Demon Fuzz". sputnikmusic. Retrieved 2013-01-30. 
  17. ↑ Thompson, Dave (1999-05-11). "From Calypso to Disco: The Roots of Black Britain - Various Artists : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-02-03. 
  18. ↑ "Paint It Black - Kaleidoscopic Funk Collision Dble LP. Buy Cheap from the Freak Emporium". the Freak Emporium. Retrieved 2013-02-03. 
  19. ↑ What's all the fuzz about?. Melody Maker. 1972-11-21. Retrieved 2013-02-01. 

External links

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