The Dazz Band was a funk music band based in Cleveland, Ohio that enjoyed brief popularity in the United States in the early 1980s. The name of the band is a concatenation of "Danceable Jazz". The group's hits included the songs "Let it Whip" and "Joystick". Funk is a distinct style of music originated by African Americans, e. ... Nickname: The Forest City Motto: Progress and Prosperity Location in Cuyahoga County, Ohio Coordinates: Country United States State Ohio County Cuyahoga Founded 1796 Incorporated 1836 Mayor Frank G. Jackson (D) Area    - City 82. ... The 1980s decade refers to the years from 1980 to 1989, inclusive, informally sometimes including the years 1979, 1990 and 1991. ... Joystick is a 1983 hit single by the Dazz Band, one of their biggest hits The song is an euphamism for sex, since joystick is sexual slang for the human penis. ...

History

The Dazz Band grew out of fusion group Telefunk, which comprised Bobby Harris, Isaac "Ike" Wiley, Jr., his brother Michael Wiley, Michael Calhoun, and Kenny Pettus. Telefunk eventually became Kinsman Dazz, named after the street in Cleveland where Harris had grown up. The group changed its name before the unrelated song 'Dazz' became an R&B hit for Brick in 1976.

Kinsman Dazz was signed to 20th Century Records by Joe Lewis. The group went to Los Angeles to record for producer Marvin Gaye. Owing to illness, Gaye had to back out of the duties. Harris requested and got Philip Bailey, the vocalist of Earth, Wind & Fire, to produce the group's first album, Kinsman Dazz. Bailey would co-produce the second album, Dazz, and had a major input into the group's vocal arrangements. 20th Century Records was (not surprisingly) a subsidiary of film studio 20th Century Fox. ... Joe Lewis (born October 6, 1987) is an English goalkeeper who plays for Norwich City. ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... Marvin Gaye (born Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. ... Philip Bailey (born 1952 in Denver, Colorado) is an American R&B, soul and funk singer, best known as one of the founding members of Earth, Wind & Fire. ... Earth, Wind & Fire is an American funk band, formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1969. ...

The Kinsman Dazz became the Dazz Band in 1980. Separately, the 20th Century Records label was closed, and the Dazz Band was signed to Motown. The group expanded from the original quartet — Harris, Pettus, and the Wiley brothers — with newcomers Kevin Frederick, Steve Cox, Eric Fearman, Pierre DeMudd, and Sennie "Skip" Martin. Martin was vocalist for almost all the Dazz Band hits. Motown Records, Inc. ...

Dazz's first album for Motown was Invitation to Love, a self-produced set. The group's next album, Let The Music Play, featured the minor hit single "Knock! Knock!". The group's breakthrough came with Keep It Live (1982) containing the hit "Let It Whip" which reached #5 on the R&B charts and won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. They would go on to score R&B hits with 'Swoop (I'm Yours)', 'Joystick', 'Let It All Blow', and 'Party Right Here'. The Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal has been awarded since 1970. ...

After Keep It Live, Dazz Band recorded On the One, Joystick, Jukebox and Hot Spot, all for Motown. The band was known for its live performances, often proving more popular than the headlining act. In, 1985 Fearman and Frederick left the group, and were replaced by Marlon McClain and Keith Harrison. In 1986, Dazz Band recorded Wild & Free under the Geffen label, and moved to RCA shortly later. The group's commercial success was now over, and Skip Martin left to join Kool & The Gang after original lead man James "JT" Taylor left the group for a solo career. The band continues to tour. Kool & the Gang was a highly successful R&B/soul/funk/disco group. ... James JT Taylor (born in New Jersey) is an African-American singer. ...

Members

• Steve Cox - keyboards
• Pierre DeMudd - trumpet/falsetto vocals
• Eric Fearman - guitar
• Kevin Frederick - keyboards
• Bobby Harris - sax, clarinet, background vocals
• Keith Harrison - keyboards
• Skip Martin - lead vocals/trumpet
• Marlin McClain - guitar
• Kenny Pettus - percussionist/vocalist
• Isaac Wiley, Jr. - drums
• Michael Wiley - bass

Falsetto (IPA: Italian , General American , RP ) is a singing technique that produces sounds that are pitched higher than the singers normal range. ...

Discography

• 1980 - Invitation to Love (Motown)
• 1981 - Let the Music Play (Motown)
• 1982 - Keep it Live (Motown)
• 1982 - On the One (Motown)
• 1983 - Joystick (Motown)
• 1984 - Jukebox (Motown)
• 1985 - Hot Spot (Motown))
• 1986 - Wild & Free (Geffen)
• 1988 - Rock the Room (RCA)
• 1995 - Under the Streetlights (LKY)
• 1997 - Double Exposure (Intersound)
• 1998 - Here We Go Again (Intersound)
• 2001 - Time Traveler (Eagle Music Group)

Motown Records, Inc. ... Motown Records, Inc. ... Motown Records, Inc. ... Motown Records, Inc. ... Motown Records, Inc. ... Motown Records, Inc. ... Motown Records, Inc. ... Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group. ... For other uses, see RCA (disambiguation). ...

Singles

The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. ... Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, formerly known as Top Soul Singles, Top Black Singles, and Top R&B Singles (before the hip-hop term was added in the late 1990s), is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. ... Billboards Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart is a weekly national survey of what songs are most popular in U.S. dance clubs. ... // Events January 15 - K.C. and the Sunshine Bands Harry Wayne Casey is seriously injured in an automobile accident in Miami, Florida. ... See also: 1983 in music, other events of 1984, 1985 in music, 1980s in music and the list of years in music // Events January 21 - Relax by Frankie Goes To Hollywood reaches number one in the UK singles chart: it spends a total of forty-two weeks in the Top... See also: 1983 in music, other events of 1984, 1985 in music, 1980s in music and the list of years in music // Events January 21 - Relax by Frankie Goes To Hollywood reaches number one in the UK singles chart: it spends a total of forty-two weeks in the Top... See also: 1984 in music, other events of 1985, 1986 in music, 1980s in music and the list of years in music // Events January 28 - Various artists, including Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Michael Jackson, Billy Joel, Cyndi Lauper, Willie Nelson, Lionel Richie, Smokey Robinson, Kenny Rogers, Diana Ross, Paul Simon... See also: 1984 in music, other events of 1985, 1986 in music, 1980s in music and the list of years in music // Events January 28 - Various artists, including Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Michael Jackson, Billy Joel, Cyndi Lauper, Willie Nelson, Lionel Richie, Smokey Robinson, Kenny Rogers, Diana Ross, Paul Simon... See also: 1985 in music, other events of 1986, 1987 in music, 1980s in music and the list of years in music // Events January 23 - The first induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (Chuck Berry, James Brown, Ray Charles, Fats Domino, Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee... See also: 1985 in music, other events of 1986, 1987 in music, 1980s in music and the list of years in music // Events January 23 - The first induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (Chuck Berry, James Brown, Ray Charles, Fats Domino, Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee... See also: 1987 in music, other events of 1988, 1989 in music, 1980s in music and the list of years in music // Events Peter Ruzicka becomes director of the Hamburg State Opera and State Philharmonic Orchestra. ... See also: 1987 in music, other events of 1988, 1989 in music, 1980s in music and the list of years in music // Events Peter Ruzicka becomes director of the Hamburg State Opera and State Philharmonic Orchestra. ... See also: 1987 in music, other events of 1988, 1989 in music, 1980s in music and the list of years in music // Events Peter Ruzicka becomes director of the Hamburg State Opera and State Philharmonic Orchestra. ... See also: 1997 in music, other events of 1998, 1999 in music, 1990s in music and the list of years in music // Events February 15 - Sir Edward Elgars unfinished third symphony, completed by Anthony Payne is performed for the first time at the Royal Festival Hall. ...

Albums