The Legends Of Funk Music....MOTHERS FINEST Origin : Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Genres : Funk rock, hard rock, rhythm n blues, funk metal Years Active : 1972-present Members : Joyce Kennedy, Glenn Murdock, Gary Moore, John Hayes, Jerry Seay, Dion Derek Past Members : Donny Vosburgh, Mike Keck, Barry Borden, Harold Seay, Spacey T, Kerry Denton BIO : Georgia funk rock band Mothers Finest might appear to be only a blip on the radar screen of rock history, but not to any of the headlining bands theyve stolen shows from -- or any of the audiences who saw it happen. Following in the footsteps of the racially-mixed Sly & the Family Stone, Mothers Finest blended white guitarist Moses Mo and drummer B.B. Queen Borden with black vocalists Joyce Kennedy and Glenn Murdock, bassist Wyzard, and keyboardist Mike, for its 1976 self-titled debut album. Tracks like Rain and the slightly controversial Niggazz Cant Sing Rock & Roll made enough of a ripple to get the band out of Georgia clubs and into regional touring. The follow-up album Another Mother Further lived up to its title. The opening track was a cover of the Holland-Dozier-Holland songwriting teams Mickeys Monkey, made popular by Smokey Robinson. But the guitar riff was a blatant copy of Jimmy Pages from the Led Zeppelin song Custard Pie, released two years earlier. Perhaps because the song was a cover, or the fact that they stole from blues legends early in their career, Led Zeppelin never sued and the track (along with others like Piece of the Rock and Hard Rock Lover) helped make Another Mother Further the groups springboard. Mother Factor For the remainder of the 1970s, Mothers Finest became the most dangerous opening act in rock, blowing away headliners like Aerosmith, Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush, and Ted Nugent. A subpar third album, 1978s Mother Factor, took nothing away from the bands live performances, as vocalists Murdock -- and particularly the powerful Kennedy -- enthralled audiences over the funk rock backline of Mo, Wizzard, Borden, and Mike. The 1979 album Mothers Finest Live featured not only original staples like Watch My Stylin and Give You All the Love, but also Kennedy singing a stunning cover of Jefferson Airplanes Somebody to Love and the musicians shining on a rearranged version of Steppenwolfs Magic Carpet Ride. It would prove a last hurrah, for Mothers Finest didnt translate well into the 1980s and never achieved its due in the largely-white world of rock. Mo, Mike, and Borden would leave the band, the latter to go polar-opposite by joining Southern rockers Molly Hatchet, but Kennedy, Murdock and Wyzard fought on. After dabbling in dance music with several different lineups in the 1980s, the trio formed an all-African-American band in the early 90s by recruiting guitarist John Hayes and drummer Dion Derek. The angry, rocking result was the 1992 CD Black Radio Wont Play This Record, which proved prophetic despite being the bands best since its 1979 live album (yet white radio wouldnt play it either). Its now in the cut-out bins; ignored or forgotten -- much like Mothers Finest -- by all except a select few. Still active, the groups latest CD is called Not Yer Mothers Funk -- The Very Best of Mothers Finest, and features mostly material from the first two albums.- ALLMUSIC
Posted on: Sun, 28 Sep 2014 00:56:50 +0000
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