Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band
| Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band | |
|---|---|
| Origin | New York, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Soul, big band, disco |
| Years active | 1976–1979 |
| Labels | RCA |
| Associated acts |
Kid Creole and the Coconuts Coati Mundi Don Armando's Second Avenue Rhumba Band |
| Past members |
Cory Daye Stony Browder Mickey Sevilla Andy Hernandez August Darnell |
Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band was a big band and swing influenced disco band, formed in the Bronx, New York. They are best known for their #1 US dance hit, "Cherchez La Femme/C'est si bon", from their self-titled debut album.
The band was conceived by half-brothers Stony Browder and Thomas "August Darnell" Browder, with the former writing music and the latter writing lyrics. They started the band in 1974 with singer Cory Daye, drummer Mickey Sevilla, and percussionist Andy Hernandez (Coati Mundi).[1] The band released three albums between 1976 and 1979. Its music blended disco beats with rhythms from genres including calypso, rumba, cha-cha-chá, and compas. The Browders, who were both multiracial, wrote songs embracing multiculturalism over instead of stories about tragic mulattos.[2] A smaller lineup known as Dr Buzzard's Savannah Band (omitting the word "original") also released a fourth album in 1984. They were frequent performers at Studio 54. Darnell and Hernandez went on to form Kid Creole and the Coconuts and Elbow Bones and the Racketeers. Daye also pursued a successful solo career.
Their 1976 song, "Sunshower", has been sampled by a number of artists, including A Tribe Called Quest, M.I.A., Ghostface Killah, De La Soul, and Doug E. Fresh.[3] It was also remixed by Japanese recording artist Fantastic Plastic Machine. The song was also remixed by Korean musical group The Green Tea. The song was also featured in the 1991 film, Boyz n the Hood. The song "Cherchez La Femme" was covered by Gloria Estefan in 1994 in her Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me album. It was also covered by rapper Ghostface Killah in 2000, as "Cherchez LaGhost" on his Supreme Clientele album.
Discography
| Releases | |
|---|---|
| ↙Studio albums | 4 |
| ↙Compilation albums | 1 |
| ↙Singles | 4 |
Studio albums
| Year | Album Information | Chart positions[4] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | ||
| 1976 | Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band
|
22 | 31 |
| 1978 | Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band Meets King Penett
|
36 | 23 |
| 1979 | Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band Goes to Washington
|
– | – |
| 1984 | Calling All Beatniks! (as Dr. Buzzard's Savannah Band)
|
– | – |
Compilation albums
- The Very Best of Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band (July 1996, RCA)
Singles
- "I'll Play The Fool" (1976) US #80,[5] US R&B #92
- "Cherchez La Femme" (1976) US #27, US R&B #31, US Dance #1
- "Sour and Sweet" (1976) US R&B #72
- "Mister Love" (1978) US Dance #22
See also
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
- Kid Creole and the Coconuts
Notes
- ↑ Shapiro 2005, p. 174.
- ↑ Shapiro 2005, p. 176.
- ↑ "Sunshower - Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band". WhoSampled. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
- ↑ "allmusic ((( Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums )))". Billboard. Retrieved 2012-01-07.
- ↑ "allmusic ((( Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles )))". Billboard. Retrieved 2012-01-07.
References
- Shapiro, Peter (2005). The Secret History of Disco: Turn the Beat Around. New York: Faber and Faber. ISBN 978-0-571-21923-0.