The group's biggest breakthrough came with the album Keep It Live (1982), containing the hit "Let It Whip" - which reached No. The group's next album, Let The Music Play (1981), featured the minor hit single "Knock! Knock!", reaching the Top 50. They had their first hit with "Shake It Up" in 1980.ĭazz's first album for Motown was Invitation to Love (1980), a self-produced set, whose title track, the ballad "Invitation to Love", began a string of hits for the band starting in March 1981.
The group expanded from the original quintet - Harris, Calhoun, Pettus, and the Wiley brothers - with newcomers Kevin Kendrick, Steve Cox, Eric Fearman, Pierre DeMudd, Sonny "Skip" Martin, Jerry Bell and Terry Stanton. Separately, the 20th Century Records label was closed, and the Dazz Band was signed to Motown Records. The Kinsman Dazz became the Dazz Band in 1980. They released their first single, "I Might as Well Forget About Loving You", in late 1978. Bailey would co-produce the second album, Dazz, and had a major input into the group's vocal arrangements. Harris requested and got Philip Bailey, the vocalist of Earth, Wind & Fire, to produce the group's first album, Kinsman Dazz. Owing to illness, Gaye had to back out of the duties.
The group went to Los Angeles to record for producer Marvin Gaye. Kinsman Dazz was signed to 20th Century Records by Joe Lewis in 1978. The group adopted its name before the song "Dazz" became an R&B hit for Atlanta's Brick in 1976. Each features creative fusion/funk licks, sweetened by razor sharp horns, chant vocals, and frivolous lyrics.The Dazz Band, formed in 1976, grew out of the Cleveland, Ohio, jazz fusion band Bell Telefunk, composed of Bobby harris (founder)lead guitarist/songwriter Mike Calhoun, percussionist Kenny Pettus, drummer Isaac "Ike" Wiley, Jr., and his brother bassist Michael Wiley, and the band Mother BraintreeThe group became known as Kinsman Dazz, named after both the street and the lounge where they worked as the house band: Sonny Jones' Kinsman Grill Lounge. Dazz Band's honcho Bobby Harris experiments with their sound on "On the One for Fun" and "Let It All Blow," and both sound better on CD than vinyl. "Swoop (I'm Yours)" has appeal, and some of the dance floor drawing power of "Whip." Fans of Dazz Band ballads will not have much use for this CD, only two made the disc: the ultra romantic "Invitation to Love," and the melodramatic "Knock, Knock," where lead singer Skip Martin begs like a baby. But "Party Right Here" and "Keep It Live (On the K.I.L.)" are formulaic stiffs, all flash and no substance. "Joy Stick" is as potent as Viagra with its maniac, thumping beat. Reggie Andrews produced and co-wrote the sizzling groove that was Number One on the R&B charts for five consecutive weeks, and scaled to Number Five on the Pop charts. What's not to like about the Dazz Band's highly combustible "Let It Whip"? Its funky, drum machine rhythms, and diabolical mini-Moog basslines are wicked.
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