Yahoo LAUNCHCAST Song Of The Day-War

Artist:War

Song:All Day Music

Album:Anthology (1970-1994)

With their mix of R & B, funk & latin grooves, War was one of the most popular groups of the 70s. They started out as a backup band but All Day Music was their first big hit to launch them to stardom. The group began in 1962 as The Creators by guitarist Howard Scott & drummer Harold Brown while attending high school in Compton, CA. Keyboardist Lonnie Jordan, bassist B.B. Dickerson & sax player Charles Miller all joined the group. They were mostly a backup band and were renamed Nightshift in 1968 because Brown worked at night. Percussionist Papa Dee Allen joined the group. While backing up LA Rams football player Deacon Jones, they were spotted by veteran record producer Jerry Goldstein. Goldstein had been looking for a backup band for former Animals lead singer Eric Burdon. He brought harmonica player Lee Oskar with him. Burdon changed the group name to War and they were very successful for a couple of years especially with the hit Spill The Wine. War signed a seperate recording contract with United Artists in 1971. They recorded their first album and Burdon quit the group. All Day Music was the first single from their second album. It was their first top 40 pop hit and still holds up very well today. War would have several much bigger hits in the 70s and this 2CD comp Anthology has them all. As the 70s progressed, the onslaught of disco dimmed War's star but they continued to record into the 80s. Lonnie Jordan still leads a version of War today and Howard Scott, B.B. Dickerson, Lee Oskar & Harold Brown have a group called The Lowrider Band. Charles Miller was murdered in 1980 and Papa Dee Allen died of a heart attack in 1988. War was always a great live band and here they are performing The Cisco Kid on Don Kirschner's Rock Concert in 1973.