You grow organically and don’t try to force a square peg in a round hole.” “It was like cooking biscuits from scratch and I cook biscuits from scratch,” he said. If Harris started the Dazz Band today, he said he would “change nothing.” “He’s a young cat with great energy,” Harris said. Sykes’ vocals, said Harris, “brings another dimension to what we’re doing.” We concentrated on being relevant and relevant means having a great show.” “You can spend all your time looking for that and miss all the other stuff that can keep you in the game. “It can be like the Holy Grail,” he said. Harris realized quickly that “Let it Whip” was special - “It’s a fun song and easy to sing, so people can sing it” - and chasing the brass ring at the same level would be futile. We learned a lot from Rick about getting the audience involved in your show.” While the national shows helped the visibility, it was the business acumen of Rick James that provided industry insight, Harris said. “That was really great for him to say that,” Harris said. Off camera, Clark “paid us a helluva compliment,” Harris said, remembering he was back-stage in the makeup chair when the late host told Harris “you have a great look glad to have you on the show.” “That helped us tremendously,” Harris said, with “Let it Whip” getting kicked up to No. The music was catchy and appearances on Soul Train, Solid Gold and American Bandstand helped catapult the group nationally.Īn American Bandstand appearance in 1982 and interview with Dick Clark “was monstrous” in promoting the group, Harris said, after the Dazz Band had already appeared on Soul Train.Īn estimated 40 million watched the Bandstand appearance. And “Dazz” was born, combining “dance” and “jazz.” He “stepped up” with singing and intricate horn arrangements after catching a Blood, Sweat & Tears concert. Raised on jazz sax, Harris got into playing funk in his late 20s. Vocalist Donny Sykes of Los Angeles joined the two in 2015. “We never got to the point where we didn’t want it, where we couldn’t make a living,” said Harris, with original member Skip Martin still at his side. Not bad for a band that survived the industry for four decades. “We never did stop performing,” Harris said, laughing that he avoided “sitting on a corner with a tin cup in hand.”īack in the 1980s, that meant 70 dates, hitting the road for seven, maybe eight months. 1 on the R&B charts and finds itself connecting with today’s fans via Sirius XM radio. Not when people still want to hear, “Let it Whip,” the funky 1982 hit that reached No. With bands that cover four decades, there’s typically extended dark periods.
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