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Faze-O | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Dayton, Ohio, U.S. |
| Genres | R&B, funk |
| Labels | She Records |
Faze-O was a late 1970s funk group based in Dayton, Ohio [1] and produced by Clarence Satchell of the Ohio Players, for whom it was the front band during many live performances. [2] Their 1977 song "Riding High" has been sampled by hip hop artists. [3] [4]
The roots of the band lie in the predecessor group, Faze 3, a trio that included bassist Tyrone "Flye" Crum. Additional members gradually joined or replaced earlier members, eventually augmenting the group to a five-piece band that evolved into Faze-O. In addition to bassist Crum, the original members of the group that officially took the name "Faze-O" were Ralph "Love" Aikens (guitar/vocals), Roger Parker (drums), Robert "Bip" Neal (lead vocals/percussion), and Keith Harrison (lead vocals/keyboards). This self-contained unit began writing songs as a group, with individual members contributing various elements, and honing arrangements that suited the feel/style of one member or another. [5] By 1977, the band had completed recording their debut album, with contributions and production from members of the Ohio Players, releasing Riding High that year. This album's title track, featuring Harrison's tenor lead vocals complemented by Neal's bass vocal parts, [5] became an immediate hit, reaching the top 10 on the R&B chart.
The group went on to release two subsequent albums- Good Thang and Breakin' the Funk in 1978 and 1979, respectively, with the title tracks for both albums being released as singles. However, further success proved elusive. By the dawn of the 1980s, the band had effectively dissolved, with several members moving on to other groups. Harrison joined the group Heatwave in the studio for their 1980 Candles album (becoming an official bandmember soon thereafter), before going on to a long stint with the Dazz Band, beginning with their 1983 On the One album. He continues as a current member of Dazz Band, as of 2024. Meanwhile, Parker became a member of Slave in time for their Show Time album before splintering from the group with Slave frontman/fellow drummer Steve Arrington for the latter's "Steve Arrington's Hall of Fame" project. [6]
Since their dissolution, the band has reunited in various incarnations to perform. In 2011, the group performed in a line-up featuring original members Keith Harrison, Robert "Bip" Neal, and Ralph Aikens at Island Park in Dayton, Ohio. [7]
All five original members reunited on December 17, 2015 at DATV Studios in Dayton to discuss their music and reminisce about their time as a band, as part of a series of interviews conducted by local deejay Stan "The Man" Brooks to commemorate the opening of Dayton's Funk Music Hall of Fame and Exhibition Center. [5]
Original vocalist/percussionist Robert "Bip" Neal, Jr. died on April 13, 2021. [8] [9] Original drummer Roger Parker died on March 5, 2023. [6]
The Dazz Band is an American R&B/funk band most popular in the early 1980s. Emerging from Cleveland, Ohio, the group's biggest hit songs include "Let It Whip" (1982), "Joystick" (1983), and "Let It All Blow" (1984). The name of the band is a portmanteau of the description "danceable jazz".
The J.B.'s was James Brown's band from 1970 through the early 1980s. On records the band was sometimes billed under alternate names such as Fred Wesley and the JBs, The James Brown Soul Train, Maceo and the Macks, A.A.B.B., Fred Wesley and the New JBs, The First Family, and The Last Word. In addition to backing Brown, the J.B.'s played behind Bobby Byrd, Lyn Collins, and other singers associated with the James Brown Revue, and performed and recorded as a self-contained group. In 2015, they were nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame but failed to be inducted and can be considered for Musical Excellence in the future. They have been eligible since 1995.
KC Ten is the tenth studio album by the funk and disco group KC and the Sunshine Band. The album was produced by Harry Wayne Casey, Robert Walker, and Ron Taylor and was released in December 1983 on the Meca label.
Dayton was a post-disco funk band, formed in Dayton, Ohio, United States by Chris Jones from the band Sun and Shawn Sandridge from Over Night Low. Derrick Armstrong (vocals), Kevin Hurt, Jenny Douglas (vocals) and Rachel Beavers (vocals) completed the line up. Former Sun member Dean Hummons played the keyboards on the first two Dayton albums.
Steven Ralph Arrington is an American singer, songwriter, drummer, record producer, engineer and minister, who grew up in Dayton, Ohio.
Next Friday (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album to Steve Carr's 2000 comedy film Next Friday. It was released on December 14, 1999, through Priority Records and consisted of hip hop and R&B music.
Brick is an American band that created a successful merger of funk and jazz in the 1970s. Their most popular single was "Dazz", which was released in 1976.
Jass-Ay-Lay-Dee is the eleventh studio album by the Ohio Players. It was the 8th and last album they would record for Mercury. The title is a unique spelling of the term "jazzy lady." Unlike their last two efforts, the group remained with the nine-man roster that they had with Mr. Mean.
Ohio Players is an American funk band, most popular in the 1970s. They are best known for their songs "Fire" and "Love Rollercoaster", and for their erotic album covers that featured nude or nearly nude women. Many of the women were models featured in Playboy.
The Gap Band II is the fourth studio album by the Gap Band, released in 1979 on Mercury Records. It is their second major label release, and produced by Lonnie Simmons.
Rough Riders is the third album by the American band Lakeside. Released in 1979 on the SOLAR Records label, it was produced by Dick Griffey, Lakeside, and Leon Sylvers III. "Pull My Strings" was a hit.
Riding High is the first album by the Dayton, Ohio funk band Faze-O. Released in 1977 on Atlantic Records subsidiary label, She Records, it was produced by the Ohio Players. They would chart in 1978 with the top ten R&B single, "Riding High".
Good Thang is the second album by the American funk band Faze-O, released in 1978.
Breakin' the Funk is the third album by American funk band Faze-O. It was released in 1979 on She Records, a subsidiary of Atlantic Records. The album was produced by Clarence Satchell.
Sun Power is the second album by Dayton, Ohio funk band Sun
Sunburn is the third album by Dayton, Ohio funk band Sun.
Destination: Sun is the fourth album by Dayton, Ohio funk band Sun
Heatwave was a disco-funk band formed in London, England in 1975. Its most popular line-up featured Americans Johnnie Wilder Jr. and Keith Wilder (vocals) of Dayton, Ohio; Englishmen Rod Temperton (keyboards) and Roy Carter (guitar); Swiss Mario Mantese (bass); Czechoslovak Ernest "Bilbo" Berger (drums); and Jamaican Eric Johns (guitar).
Dazz is a 1979 album by R&B band Kinsman Dazz released on 20th Century Records. The album reached No. 62 on the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart.
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