Song:Let It Whip
Album:20th Century Masters: The Millenium Collection: The Best of the Dazz Band
The Dazz Band were one of the most popular funk groups of the 80s. They were fixtures on the R & B and Dance charts but Let It Whip was their only top ten pop hit in 1982. The group was a merger of two Cleveland funk bands Bell Telefunk and Mother Braintree. The leaders of the group were lead singer and sax player Bobby Harris and lead guitarist and main songwriter Mike Calhoun. The concept was to do "danceable jazz" called Dazz. They played at the Cleveland club Kinsman Grill Lounge so the band name was Kinsman Dazz. Other band members were Skip Martin III & Pierre DeMudd on horns, Eric Fearman on guitar, Michael Wiley on bass, Isaac Wiley on drums, Kevin Frederick on keyboards and Kenny Pettus on percussion. Kinsman Dazz recorded two albums for 20th Century Records including one produced by Earth, Wind & Fire lead vocalist Philip Bailey. The albums didn't sell and 20th Century closed. So the band name was changed to Dazz Band and they signed with Motown in 1980. They also changed direction to a more hard edged funk sound. Let It Whip is from their 1982 album Keep It Live and it reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the R & B Singles chart and they won a Grammy for Best Performance by an R & B Vocal Duo or Group. The Dazz Band would have several more R & B hits through the 80s. They left Motown for Geffen in 1986 and also recorded for RCA until they split up in 1988. This budget comp is a great intro to their music. In the mid-90s, Bobby Harris formed the United We Funk All Stars funk tribute band and also reformed Dazz Band in 1998 and recorded a couple of albums for Intersound. Here's the video for Let It Whip by Dazz Band.
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