American Breed
Encyclopedia
The American Breed was an American
rock
band
that was formed in 1966 and disbanded in 1969, later evolving into Rufus
.
, Illinois
as Gary & The Nite Lites. The group's greatest success was the single
, "Bend Me, Shape Me
," which reached number five on the U.S.
Billboard Hot 100
chart
in 1968. The song
, written by Scott English
and Larry Weiss, was a remake
of a recording
by The Outsiders
that had been released the year before. The group also appeared on the 16 December 1967 episode of the television
show American Bandstand
, along with Pink Floyd
.
The original members of the group were Gary Loizzo
on vocals
, Charles Colbert, Jr. on bass guitar
, Al Ciner on guitar
, and Lee Graziano on drum
s. All members were from the greater Chicago
area. As Gary & The Nite Lites, they were somewhat successful in Chicago and released one single. Soon afterwards, the group underwent several changes. They moved to the Acta record label
(a subsidiary of Dot Records
, itself owned by Paramount Pictures
, whose record holdings later evolved into the Famous Music
Group) and renamed themselves The American Breed. Two new members were also added by 1968: Kevin Murphy on keyboards
and Andre Fischer on drums.
The band enjoyed its greatest success in 1967 and 1968. They released five singles that reached the charts
, including "Step Out Of Your Mind", "Green Light" and "Bend Me, Shape Me".
The latter track was their biggest seller, and sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc
. The track also peaked at #24 in the UK Singles Chart
. The group went through several more name and personnel changes, but with Ciner and Murphy remaining as core members through the changes. First was shortening the name to 'The Breed', then re-naming the band 'Smoke', before evolving to a R&B
funk
sound as 'Ask Rufus'. They added singer Paulette McWilliams, who was later replaced by Chaka Khan
, and finally became Rufus
, (former American Breed drummer Andre Fischer returned as Rufus's drummer during this period), and the band later scored their first Top 10 hit
under the Rufus name with "Tell Me Something Good" in 1974. (Rufus signed with ABC Records
, which later absorbed the Famous Music Group, and was itself sold to MCA Records
in 1979). Fischer later married
Natalie Cole
. A compilation album
, Bend Me, Shape Me: The Best of the American Breed, was released in 1994. "Bend Me, Shape Me" continues to receive occasional airplay on oldies
radio stations.
In celebration of the 2005 baseball championship of the Chicago White Sox
, the American Breed issued a CD
single entitled "Rock with the Sox." The single was produced
by Gary Loizzo
.
The American Breed appeared also on the soundtrack
to the film
s No Way to Treat a Lady
(1968) and The Brain
(1969).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
that was formed in 1966 and disbanded in 1969, later evolving into Rufus
Rufus (band)
Rufus was an American funk band from Chicago, Illinois best known for launching the career of lead singer Chaka Khan. They had several hits throughout their career, including "Tell Me Something Good," "Sweet Thing," and "Ain't Nobody."-Origins:...
.
Career
The group was formed in CiceroCicero, Illinois
Cicero is an incorporated town in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 83,891 at the 2010 census. Cicero is named for the town of Cicero, New York, which in turn was named for Marcus Tullius Cicero, the Roman statesman and orator....
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
as Gary & The Nite Lites. The group's greatest success was the single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "Bend Me, Shape Me
Bend Me, Shape Me
"Bend Me, Shape Me" is a song written by Scott English and Larry Weiss. It was first recorded by The Outsiders as a track on their album The Outsiders In in 1966...
," which reached number five on the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
in 1968. The song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
, written by Scott English
Scott English
Scott English is an American songwriter and record producer, best known as the composer of "Brandy", which became a number-one hit for Barry Manilow in 1974 under the revised title of "Mandy"...
and Larry Weiss, was a remake
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of a recording
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
by The Outsiders
The Outsiders (American band)
The Outsiders was an American rock and roll band from Cleveland, Ohio, that was founded and led by guitarist Tom King. The band is best known for its Top 5 hit "Time Won't Let Me" in early 1966, which peaked at #5 in the US, but the band had three other hit singles in 1966 and released a total of...
that had been released the year before. The group also appeared on the 16 December 1967 episode of the television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
show American Bandstand
American Bandstand
American Bandstand is an American music-performance show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989 and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as producer...
, along with Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
.
The original members of the group were Gary Loizzo
Gary Loizzo
Gary Loizzo is an American guitarist, singer, recording engineer, and record producer. He is best known for being the lead singer with The American Breed.-Biography:...
on vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, Charles Colbert, Jr. on bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, Al Ciner on guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, and Lee Graziano on drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s. All members were from the greater Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
area. As Gary & The Nite Lites, they were somewhat successful in Chicago and released one single. Soon afterwards, the group underwent several changes. They moved to the Acta record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
(a subsidiary of Dot Records
Dot Records
Dot Records was an American record label and company that was active between 1950 and 1977. It was founded by Randy Wood. In Gallatin, Tennessee, Wood had earlier started a mail order record shop, known for its radio ads on WLAC in Nashville and its R&B air personality Bill "Hoss" Allen...
, itself owned by Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
, whose record holdings later evolved into the Famous Music
Famous Music
Famous Music was the worldwide music publishing division of Paramount Pictures, a division of Viacom since 1994. Its copyright holdings span several decades and includes music from such Academy Award-winning motion pictures as The Godfather and Forrest Gump...
Group) and renamed themselves The American Breed. Two new members were also added by 1968: Kevin Murphy on keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
and Andre Fischer on drums.
The band enjoyed its greatest success in 1967 and 1968. They released five singles that reached the charts
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
, including "Step Out Of Your Mind", "Green Light" and "Bend Me, Shape Me".
The latter track was their biggest seller, and sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
. The track also peaked at #24 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. The group went through several more name and personnel changes, but with Ciner and Murphy remaining as core members through the changes. First was shortening the name to 'The Breed', then re-naming the band 'Smoke', before evolving to a R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
sound as 'Ask Rufus'. They added singer Paulette McWilliams, who was later replaced by Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan , frequently known as the Queen of Funk, is a 10-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career...
, and finally became Rufus
Rufus (band)
Rufus was an American funk band from Chicago, Illinois best known for launching the career of lead singer Chaka Khan. They had several hits throughout their career, including "Tell Me Something Good," "Sweet Thing," and "Ain't Nobody."-Origins:...
, (former American Breed drummer Andre Fischer returned as Rufus's drummer during this period), and the band later scored their first Top 10 hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
under the Rufus name with "Tell Me Something Good" in 1974. (Rufus signed with ABC Records
ABC Records
ABC Records was an American record label, founded in New York City in 1955 as ABC-Paramount Records. It originated as the main popular music label operated the Am-Par Record Corporation, the music subsidiary of the American Broadcasting Company . ABC-Paramount Records' first president was Samuel H....
, which later absorbed the Famous Music Group, and was itself sold to MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
in 1979). Fischer later married
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
Natalie Cole
Natalie Cole
Natalie Maria Cole , is an American singer, songwriter and performer. The daughter of jazz legend Nat King Cole, Cole rode to musical success in the mid-1970s as an R&B artist with the hits "This Will Be ", "Inseparable" and "Our Love"...
. A compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
, Bend Me, Shape Me: The Best of the American Breed, was released in 1994. "Bend Me, Shape Me" continues to receive occasional airplay on oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
radio stations.
In celebration of the 2005 baseball championship of the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
, the American Breed issued a CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
single entitled "Rock with the Sox." The single was produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by Gary Loizzo
Gary Loizzo
Gary Loizzo is an American guitarist, singer, recording engineer, and record producer. He is best known for being the lead singer with The American Breed.-Biography:...
.
The American Breed appeared also on the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
to the film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
s No Way to Treat a Lady
No Way to Treat a Lady
No Way to Treat a Lady is a darkly comic thriller directed by Jack Smight, with a screenplay by John Gay adapted from William Goldman's novel of the same name. The film starred Rod Steiger, Lee Remick, George Segal and Eileen Heckart...
(1968) and The Brain
Le Cerveau
The Brain is a 1969 French comedy film directed by Gérard Oury, about a second train robbery by the brains of the Great Train Robbery.-Plot:...
(1969).
Best known lineup
- Gary Loizzo - vocals, guitar (born August 16 1945, Chicago)
- Al CinerAl CinerAl Ciner is an American guitarist best known for playing guitar for The American Breed from 1966 to 1969. He was also the guitarist for Gary & the Knight Lites...
- guitar (born May 14 1947, Chicago) - Kevin MurphyKevin Murphy (musician)Kevin Murphy is an American keyboardist. He has played with The American Breed and was a founder of Rufus .-References:...
- keyboards (born 1947, Chicago) - Charles Colbert - bass (born August 30 1939, Chicago)
- Lee Graziano - drums (born November 9 1943, Chicago)
Albums
- 1967: The American BreedThe American Breed (album)-External links:* at Discogs...
- 1968: Bend Me, Shape MeBend Me, Shape Me (album)Bend Me, Shape Me is the second album from the 1960s jazz–rock group The American Breed, released in February 1968. The album peaked at #99 on Billboards pop albums chart, and the title song became the group's only Top 10 hit, reaching #5 on Billboard's pop singles chart in February 1968...
- 1968: Pumpkin, Powder, Scarlet & Green
- 1968: Lonely Side of the City
Singles
- "Don't Forget About Me" / "Short Skirts" (1966) (GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
) - "Step Out of Your Mind" / "Same Old Thing" (1967) (US)
- "Bend Me, Shape Me" / "Mindrocker" (1967) (US)
- "Green Light" / "Don't It Make You Cry" (1968) (US)
- "Ready, Willing and Able" / "Take Me if You Want Me" (1968) (US)
- "Keep The Faith" / "Private Zoo" (1968) (US)
External links
- The American Breed web site
- Episode summary for The American Breed's appearance on American Bandstand at TV.comTV.comTV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...
- Musicmatch guide web page on The American Breed
- Acta records history including The American Breed