Dazz Band ~ Let It Whip 1982 Funky Purrfection Version

Bobby Harris loved jazz music and took up the saxophone. After graduating from high school he knew he wanted a career in jazz music until he heard a jazz band that included elements of pop music and realized that it was the right path for him. Blood, Sweat & Tears became his idols and he set about putting together a band that he named Bell Telefunk. They had limited success and then found new direction when they merged with another band named Brain Tree. A new name was required and Kinsman Dazz was chosen, a group that was named in part from the Kinsman Grill in Cleveland and the Dazz was a contraction of "Danceable jazz", but had already been used by Brick whose "Dazz" meant disco jazz in 1976.Kinsman Dazz was signed to 20th Century Records and they released two albums, 1978's "Kinsman Dazz" and 1979's "Dazz" that did not make much of an impact. Their first album was arranged by jazz funk artist Patrice Rushen. The Dazz Band rose from the ashes of Kinsman Dazz, and were signed to Motown and were assigned to producers/writers Reggie Andrews and Ndugu Chancler who brought them "Let It Whip". Chancler reports that he "wanted to create a song they could make a dance out of and it needed a unique topic. Jamming on the track, they started thinking about lyrics and Reggie opined about one of the sound effects on the song, this whip sound and "Let It Whip" became the title. The members at the time were Keith Harrison, Sennie Skip Martin, Eric Fearman, Marion McClain, Kenny Pettus, Kevin Kendrick, Isaac Wiley Jr, Michael Wiley and Juan Lively. Released as a single on April 24, 1982 at #88 on the Hot100 and peaked at #5, but topped the R&B chart for five weeks and spent four weeks stuck at #2 disco for four weeks.