| Revision as of 09:16, 29 August 2022 editHzh (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, New page reviewers, Pending changes reviewers141,594 edits →History← Previous edit | Revision as of 09:40, 29 August 2022 edit undoHzh (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, New page reviewers, Pending changes reviewers141,594 editsNo edit summaryNext edit → | ||
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| | origin = ], United States | | origin = ], United States | ||
| | genre = ] | | genre = ] | ||
| | years_active = |
| years_active = 1961–1970 | ||
| | label = | | label = | ||
| | associated_acts = | | associated_acts = | ||
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| '''The American Breed''' was an American rock band from Chicago in the 1960s. The band was best-known for the 1967 song "]". The band broke up in 1970, and members went on to form ] after the split.<ref name="Larkin">{{cite book|title=]|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=]|date=1997|edition=Concise|isbn=1-85227-745-9|page=38}}</ref> | '''The American Breed''' was an American rock band from Chicago in the 1960s. The band were originally called Gary & The Knight Lites before adopting the name The American Breed in 1967. The band was best-known for the 1967 song "]". The band broke up in 1970, and members went on to form ] after the split.<ref name="Larkin">{{cite book|title=]|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=]|date=1997|edition=Concise|isbn=1-85227-745-9|page=38}}</ref> | ||
| ==History== | ==History== | ||
| The American Breed originated as a group formed in 1961 by Gary Loizzo in ], United States, called Gary & The Knight Lites.<ref name="Larkin"/><ref name=lyons>{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=CK0SEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT198|title= Joy and Fear: The Beatles, Chicago and the 1960s |date=2021 |isbn=9781682619339 |first=John F. |last=Lyons |publisher=Permuted Press}}</ref> Gary & The Knight Lites was influenced by ] and rhythm & blues songs, and they were joined in their first recording session by Charles "Chuck" Colbert whose father owned the recording studio |
The American Breed originated as a group formed in 1961 by Gary Loizzo in ], United States, called Gary & The Knight Lites.<ref name="Larkin"/><ref name=lyons>{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=CK0SEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT198|title= Joy and Fear: The Beatles, Chicago and the 1960s |date=2021 |isbn=9781682619339 |first=John F. |last=Lyons |publisher=Permuted Press}}</ref> Gary & The Knight Lites was influenced by ] and rhythm & blues songs, and they were joined in their first recording session by Charles "Chuck" Colbert whose father owned the recording studio. Songs they recorded included "I'm Glad She's Mine", and "Will You Go Steady". Other releases included "I Don't Need Your Help" and "I Can't Love You Anymore", also they also recorded "One, Two, Boogaloo" as The Light Nites.<ref name=lyons /> They recorded until 1966 before becoming The American Breed. The members of the group included Gary Loizzo (vocals and guitar), Charles "Chuck" Colbert, Jr. (bass guitar and vocals), Al Ciner (guitar and vocals), and Jim Michalak (drums).<ref name="Larkin"/> | ||
| On January 20, 1967, a freak snow storm that dumped twenty inches on Chicago changed the fate of Gary & The Knight Lites when ], former Senior Vice President of ], found himself stranded and met with Producer Bill Traut in his studio at Universal Recording. After Traut played Meyers some of the band's tapes, Meyers was impressed enough to sign them to his new record label, Acta (a subsidiary of ], itself owned by ], whose record holdings later evolved into the ] Group) and suggested they change their name. "They told us Gary and the Knight Lites sounded a little dated", Loizzo told ] in 1994. "So we put a bunch of names in a hat and pulled out American Breed". The band's first single was "Ï Don't Think You Know Me", written by ] and ]. | On January 20, 1967, a freak snow storm that dumped twenty inches on Chicago changed the fate of Gary & The Knight Lites when ], former Senior Vice President of ], found himself stranded and met with Producer Bill Traut in his studio at Universal Recording. After Traut played Meyers some of the band's tapes, Meyers was impressed enough to sign them to his new record label, Acta (a subsidiary of ], itself owned by ], whose record holdings later evolved into the ] Group) and suggested they change their name. "They told us Gary and the Knight Lites sounded a little dated", Loizzo told ] in 1994. "So we put a bunch of names in a hat and pulled out American Breed". The band's first single was "Ï Don't Think You Know Me", written by ] and ]. | ||
| The |
The American Breed enjoyed its greatest success in 1967 and 1968. Five of their singles reached the charts, the first being "Step Out of Your Mind", which allowed the group, originally signed for singles, to make albums and quit their daytime gigs to pursue music full-time. The band's biggest success was "]", which reached number five on the U.S. ] chart in 1968.<ref name="Larkin"/> The song, written by ] and ], had previously been recorded by an ] known as the Models and had been a hit on the ] for the British group ]. It had also been recorded by ] after they had reached the top ten with "Time Won't Let Me" in 1966. Contributing to the success of the American Breed's version of "Bend Me, Shape Me" was the arrangement of the song by the band's record producer, ], who added horns among other changes. The group also appeared on the 16 December 1967 episode of the television show '']'', along with ]. The song sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc.<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs"/> The song also peaked at No. 24 in the ],<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book | ||
| 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",<ref>"Bend Me, Shape Me" also reached number 9 in the German charts; Ehnert, Günter (ed.): ''Hit Bilanz. Deutsche Chart Singles 1956–1980''. Hamburg: Taurus Press, 1990, p. 15</ref> | |||
| the last of which was their biggest seller, selling over one million copies and awarded a gold disc.<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs"/> The track also peaked at No. 24 in the ].<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book | |||
| | first= David | | first= David | ||
| | last= Roberts | | last= Roberts | ||
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| | location= London | | location= London | ||
| | isbn= 1-904994-10-5 | | isbn= 1-904994-10-5 | ||
| | page= 22}}</ref> and number 9 in the German charts.<ref>Ehnert, Günter (ed.): ''Hit Bilanz. Deutsche Chart Singles 1956–1980''. Hamburg: Taurus Press, 1990, p. 15</ref> Other hit songs included "Green Light". | |||
| | page= 22}}</ref> | |||
| The band also found themselves in high demand in the lucrative radio jingles market, recording commercials for ], the ], and ], among others. Their television commercial for ] ("Fly the American Way") was also a big success in the top twenty TV markets and their songs were also featured on the soundtrack to the films '']'' (1968) and '']'' (1969). | |||
| In 1968, the band appeared three times on '']'' and later that same year, Kevin Murphy joined as keyboardist and the band briefly altered the name to "THE American BREED" before shortening to "The Breed". Their next single, "Keep the Faith", failed to make the charts and singer ] was added in 1969 in a move towards a more R&B funk sound on their next single "Hunky Funky", which "bubbled under" at No. 107. But the band was for all intents and purposes finished by then, though Loizzo briefly tried to keep the name afloat in 1970 with one last single, "Can't Make it Without You", which went nowhere. | In 1968, the band appeared three times on '']'' and later that same year, Kevin Murphy joined as keyboardist and the band briefly altered the name to "THE American BREED" before shortening to "The Breed". Their next single, "Keep the Faith", failed to make the charts and singer ] was added in 1969 in a move towards a more R&B funk sound on their next single "Hunky Funky", which "bubbled under" at No. 107. But the band was for all intents and purposes finished by then, though Loizzo briefly tried to keep the name afloat in 1970 with one last single, "Can't Make it Without You", which went nowhere. | ||
Revision as of 09:40, 29 August 2022
American music group For the breed of cattle, see American Breed. For professional wrestling tag team once called American Breed, see American Force. | This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "The American Breed" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (September 2008) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| The American Breed | |
|---|---|
 The American Breed in 1968. L to R: Gary Loizzo, Lee Graziano, Charles Colbert, Jr., Al Ciner | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Brookfield, Illinois, United States |
| Genres | Rock |
| Years active | 1961–1970 |
| Past members | Gary Loizzo Al Ciner Charles "Chuck" Colbert Jim Michalak Lee Graziano Kevin Murphy Brian Parkinson |
The American Breed was an American rock band from Chicago in the 1960s. The band were originally called Gary & The Knight Lites before adopting the name The American Breed in 1967. The band was best-known for the 1967 song "Bend Me, Shape Me". The band broke up in 1970, and members went on to form Rufus after the split.
History
The American Breed originated as a group formed in 1961 by Gary Loizzo in Cicero, Illinois, United States, called Gary & The Knight Lites. Gary & The Knight Lites was influenced by The Everly Brothers and rhythm & blues songs, and they were joined in their first recording session by Charles "Chuck" Colbert whose father owned the recording studio. Songs they recorded included "I'm Glad She's Mine", and "Will You Go Steady". Other releases included "I Don't Need Your Help" and "I Can't Love You Anymore", also they also recorded "One, Two, Boogaloo" as The Light Nites. They recorded until 1966 before becoming The American Breed. The members of the group included Gary Loizzo (vocals and guitar), Charles "Chuck" Colbert, Jr. (bass guitar and vocals), Al Ciner (guitar and vocals), and Jim Michalak (drums).
On January 20, 1967, a freak snow storm that dumped twenty inches on Chicago changed the fate of Gary & The Knight Lites when Kenny Myers, former Senior Vice President of Mercury Records, found himself stranded and met with Producer Bill Traut in his studio at Universal Recording. After Traut played Meyers some of the band's tapes, Meyers was impressed enough to sign them to his new record label, Acta (a subsidiary of Dot Records, itself owned by Paramount Pictures, whose record holdings later evolved into the Famous Music Group) and suggested they change their name. "They told us Gary and the Knight Lites sounded a little dated", Loizzo told Chicago Tribune in 1994. "So we put a bunch of names in a hat and pulled out American Breed". The band's first single was "Ï Don't Think You Know Me", written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin.
The American Breed enjoyed its greatest success in 1967 and 1968. Five of their singles reached the charts, the first being "Step Out of Your Mind", which allowed the group, originally signed for singles, to make albums and quit their daytime gigs to pursue music full-time. The band's biggest success was "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, had previously been recorded by an all-female band known as the Models and had been a hit on the UK Singles Chart for the British group Amen Corner. It had also been recorded by The Outsiders after they had reached the top ten with "Time Won't Let Me" in 1966. Contributing to the success of the American Breed's version of "Bend Me, Shape Me" was the arrangement of the song by the band's record producer, Bill Traut, who added horns among other changes. The group also appeared on the 16 December 1967 episode of the television show American Bandstand, along with Pink Floyd. The song sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc. The song also peaked at No. 24 in the UK Singles Chart, and number 9 in the German charts. Other hit songs included "Green Light".
The band also found themselves in high demand in the lucrative radio jingles market, recording commercials for Coca-Cola, the United States Navy, and Bell Telephone, among others. Their television commercial for American Airlines ("Fly the American Way") was also a big success in the top twenty TV markets and their songs were also featured on the soundtrack to the films No Way to Treat a Lady (1968) and The Brain (1969).
In 1968, the band appeared three times on American Bandstand and later that same year, Kevin Murphy joined as keyboardist and the band briefly altered the name to "THE American BREED" before shortening to "The Breed". Their next single, "Keep the Faith", failed to make the charts and singer Paulette McWilliams was added in 1969 in a move towards a more R&B funk sound on their next single "Hunky Funky", which "bubbled under" at No. 107. But the band was for all intents and purposes finished by then, though Loizzo briefly tried to keep the name afloat in 1970 with one last single, "Can't Make it Without You", which went nowhere.
Loizzo went on to open his own recording studio, "Pumpkin", where he worked on producing commercials and other groups, eventually receiving a Grammy nomination for his work with Styx. Colbert, Graziano, McWilliams, and Murphy (after a brief stint in the military) regrouped as "Smoke" and then "Äsk Rufus" (the name soon abbreviated to Rufus). McWilliams was later replaced by Chaka Khan and the band later scored their first Top 10 hit under the Rufus name with "Tell Me Something Good" in 1974.
The four members of "The American Breed" (Ciner, Loizzo, Colbert, and Graziano) briefly reunited in 1986 and recorded the album Once Again, featuring a new version of "Bend Me, Shape Me".
A compilation album, Bend Me, Shape Me: The Best of the American Breed, was released in 1994. "Bend Me, Shape Me" continues to receive 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.
Since that first regrouping in 1986, the band has continued to make periodic reunion appearances at shows and fairs, mostly in and around their native Chicago.
Their lead singer, Gary Loizzo, died of pancreatic cancer on January 16, 2016, aged 70.
Personnel
- Gary Loizzo – vocals, guitar (August 16, 1945 – January 16, 2016)
- Al Ciner – guitar, vocals (born May 14, 1947, Chicago)
- Charles "Chuck" Colbert – bass, vocals (born August 30, 1939, Chicago)
- Jim Michalak – drums {"Gary & The Knight Lites"} (October 29, 1941 – December 21, 2017)
- Lee Graziano – {"The American Breed"} drums, trumpet, vocals (born November 9, 1943, Chicago)
- Kevin Murphy - keyboards
Albums
| Year | Album | Billboard 200 | Record Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | The American Breed | – | Acta Records |
| 1968 | Bend Me, Shape Me | 99 | |
| Pumpkin, Powder, Scarlet & Green | – | ||
| Lonely Side of the City | – | ||
| 1986 | Once Again | – | ABM Records |
Singles
| Year | Title | US | Can | UK | Record Label | B-side | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | "Step Out of Your Mind" | 24 | 26 | — | Acta Records | "Short Skirts" | The American Breed |
| "Don't Forget About Me" | 107 | — | — | "Same Old Thing" | |||
| "Bend Me, Shape Me" | 5 | 7 | 24 | "Mindrocker" | Bend Me, Shape Me | ||
| 1968 | "Green Light" | 39 | 29 | — | "Don't It Make You Cry" | ||
| "Ready, Willing and Able" | 84 | — | — | "Take Me if You Want Me" | Pumpkin, Powder, Scarlet & Green | ||
| "Anyway That You Want Me" | 88 | — | — | "Master of My Fate" | |||
| 1969 | "Hunky Funky" | 107 | — | — | "Enter Her Majesty" |
References
- ^ Colin Larkin, ed. (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music (Concise ed.). Virgin Books. p. 38. ISBN 1-85227-745-9.
- ^ Lyons, John F. (2021). Joy and Fear: The Beatles, Chicago and the 1960s. Permuted Press. ISBN 9781682619339.
- ^ Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 215. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
- Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 22. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- Ehnert, Günter (ed.): Hit Bilanz. Deutsche Chart Singles 1956–1980. Hamburg: Taurus Press, 1990, p. 15
- American Breed- Once Again @Discogs.com Retrieved 5-26-2014.
- Lounges, Tom (2005). "White Sox Glory Put To Song…". Midwest Beat Magazine. Retrieved 2007-06-18.
- "Gary Loizzo Obituary – Orland Park, Illinois". Obitsforlife.com. 1945-08-16. Archived from the original on 2016-01-19. Retrieved 2016-01-17.
External links
- The Official "The American Breed" website
- The American Breed web site
- Acta records history including The American Breed
| The American Breed | |
|---|---|
| Studio albums | |
| Singles | |
| Cover Songs | |