BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS
Description: Band, USA
Known For: “Bend Me, Shape Me”.
Instruments: Bass, Guitar, Drums,Keyboard, Voice
Music Styles: Pop/Rock
Location: United States of America
BIOGRAPHICAL PROFILE
The American Breed
The American Breed was an American rock band that was formed in 1966 and disbanded in 1969, later evolving into Rufus.
The group was formed in Cicero, Illinois as Gary & The Knight Lites. The group’s greatest success was the single, “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-girl band known as the Shape and had been a hit on the British charts for the British group Amen Corner. It had also been recorded by the 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 excellent 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 original members of the group were Gary Loizzo on vocals, Charles Colbert, Jr. on bass guitar and vocals, Al Ciner on guitar and vocals, and Lee Graziano on drums and trumpet. All members were from the greater Chicago area. As Gary & The Knight Lites, they were somewhat successful in Chicago and released one single. Soon afterwards, the group underwent several changes. They moved to the Acta record label (a subsidiary of Dot Records, itself owned by Paramount Pictures, whose record holdings later evolved into the Famous Music Group) and renamed themselves The American Breed.
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”. The latter track was their biggest seller, and sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.The track also peaked at #24 in the UK Singles Chart.
Later, in 1968, Kevin Murphy joined as keyboardist and Andre Fischer replaced Lee Graziano on drums and the band briefly shortened the name to “The Breed” before renaming to “Smoke”. By 1969 they had evolved into an R&B funk sound as “Ask Rufus” (the name soon abbreviated to Rufus), adding singer Paulette McWilliams, who 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. (Rufus signed with ABC Records, which later absorbed the Famous Music Group, and was itself sold to MCA Records in 1979). Fischer later married Natalie Cole.
The original four members of the band (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.
The American Breed appeared also on the soundtrack to the films No Way to Treat a Lady (1968) and The Brain (1969).
Best known lineup
Gary Loizzo – vocals, guitar (born August 16, 1945, Chicago)
Al Ciner – guitar (born May 14, 1947, Chicago)
Kevin Murphy – keyboards (born 1947, Chicago)
Charles Colbert – bass (born August 30, 1939, Chicago)
Lee Graziano – drums (born November 9, 1943, Chicago)
Members Include
AL CINER – guitar
GARY LOIZZO – guitar – vocal
LEE GRAZIANO – drums
KEVIN MURPHY – keyboards
CHARLES COLBERT – bass
Top Singles:
STEP OUT OF MY MIND – 1967
GREEN LIGHT – 1968
BEND ME SHAPE ME – 1968