The Fatback Band
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Biography
Formed in 1970 in New York City, The Fatback Band was founded by drummer Bill âFatbackâ Curtis. While known as a funk and disco band, the groupâs 1979 single âKing Tim III (Personality Jock)â is acknowledged as the first commercially released hip-hop single. The groupâs line-up has changed throughout the years, but early members included Johnny King (guitar), Johnny Flippin (bass), George Williams (trumpet), Earl Shelton (saxophone), Gerry Thomas (keyboards), and George Adams (flute). The groupâs sound incorporated elements of the âfatbackâ jazz beat from New Orleans, along with West Indian and Caribbean rhythms. They soon began to incorporate dance, funk, soul, rap, and R&B music into the mix. The Fatback Band released their debut album, Letâs Do It Again, in 1972 and a series of singles that charted on the R&B Singles chart but didnât achieve commercial success until the release of their 1975 album Raising Hell, which charted in the Top 40 on Billboards R&B Albums chart and charted in the Top 20 in Australia and the Top 40 in the UK. The album featured the hit singles â(Are You Ready) Do the Bus Stopâ and â(Do the) Spanish Hustle.â Fully embracing disco music, The Fatback Band shortened their name to Fatback by the time they released their album Fired Up âNâ Kickin in 1978, their most successful album up to that point. Their next album â Fatback XII (1979) â included the single âKing Tim III (Personality Jock),â which was later acknowledged to be the first commercially released hip-hop single. More hit albums followed including Hot Box (1980), 14 Karat (1980), and Tasty Jam (1981). By the end of the 1980s, Fatbackâs string of hits had dried up and the groupâs career slowed down. With only Bill Curtis remaining from the original line up, Fatback continued to play occasional dates and released an album and a single in the 2000s but kept a low profile. In 2025, a remix of their song âSnakeâ â originally from their 1978 album Fired Up âNâ Kickin â became a surprise underground hit in dance clubs.
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Albums
Top Tracks
- Track Popularity
- Keep Your Fingers Out The Jam by The Fatback Band
- (Are You Ready) Do The Bus Stop
- Soul March
- To Be with You
- Soul Man
- Want To Dance by The Fatback Band
- If You Could Turn Into Me
- Yum Yum (Gimme Some)
- Spanish Hustle
- So Delicious
- Keep On Brother Keep On by Johnny King
- Let Me Take You Higher (Warmup)
- Let The Drums Speak by The Fatback Band
- I Found Lovin'
- Give Me One More Chance
- Goin' to See My Baby
- Street Dance
- Feeling Mellow
- Three Dimensional World
- Meet Me over My House
- Peace, Love Not War by Johnny King
- Kool Whip by The Fatback Band
- Nija Walk
- Open House (Partay)
