Demon Fuzz, an afro-rock band that was formed in 1968 and disbanded in 1972, was known as Demon Fuzz. The members of the group were all Commonwealth citizens who had immigrated to Britain. The name of the band means “devil’s children or bad copsmen”. Their original style was soul. However, they changed their sound to include funk, psychedelic and jazz elements. Their album Afreaka! It has been a favorite source of sampling. They have been given sporadic airplay on BBC radio by Gideon Coe and Huey Morgan since 2008. The band was promoted by an agency in London called The Red Bus Company, which also handled “Mungo Jerry, Mike Cooper, Titus Groan and Wildmouth” which arranged for them to appear at a concert incongruously named the “Hollywood Music Festival,” in May 1970 at a Leycett farm near Newcastle-under-Lyme. They performed at the Phun City Festival in Worthing, which was “a major concert event.” The band performed a series called “A Penny Concert” in November 1970 with Comus, Titus Groan and Heron. The Marquee Club was one of the ten venues where performances were held. The Marquee Club was one of the ten places where the performers appeared on BBC TV’s Disco 2, which was produced by Stephen Clive Turner. Turner had offered them 25 pounds, but they declined. He was fired after he disclosed the incident to BBC management. The News of the World published a story on the incident. They signed with Dawn Records, a division of Pye Records. Under Dawn Records they released Afreaka! (catalog number DNLS-3013) and a maxi single featuring the songs I Put a Spell on You (written by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins), Message to Mankind, and Fuzz Oriental Blues. Both albums were released in 1970. Demon Fuzz’s cover version of I Put A Spell On You appeared on the 1971 sampler album The Dawn Take-Away Concert (catalog no DNLB 3024). The LP was 99 pence and featured songs by Mungo Jerry (comus), The Trio, Herons, Paul Brett’s Sages, Mike Cooper, Mike Cooper, Atlantic Bridges, Jackie McAuleys, John Surman, John McLaughlins, Dave Hollands, Stu Martins, Karl Berger, and the Be-Bop Preservation Society. Nippon Columbia published a Demon Fuzz maxi single in 1971. Later, the maxi-single became available on CD Afreaka. Janus Records distributed the album in the United States (catalog number JLS3028). It was a Billboard “4STAR” selection in June 1971. Their song “Hymn To Mother Earth” was featured on the WDASFM Black Rock compilation album in 1971. Their second album Roots and Offshoots was self-published in 1976 by Paco Media Inc. after the band disbanded. The 1999 compilation CD From Calypso to Disco. The Roots of Black Britain also features Demon Fuzz’s recording of Message to Mankind. Harmless Records’ 2002 compilation CD includes their performance of Mercy (also available as a double-LP set), Paint It Black: Kaleidoscopicfunk Collision. The 2003 vinyl reissue of The Dawn Take-Away Concert was done in Italy by Get Away (catalog number GET 646). Janus made another pressing of The Dawn Take-Away Concert on vinyl in the 21st century, using the same catalog number that the 1971 edition. From Wikipedia
