Gonzalez -

Gonzalez was an English soul-funk and Latin-rock big band that released the 1974–75 albums Gonzalez and Our Only Weapon Is Our Music on EMI, followed by the 1978–80 albums Shipwrecked, Move It to the Music, and Watch Your Step on Capitol. In 1979, they scored a UK Top 20 hit with “I Haven’t Stopped Dancing Yet.” Singer Lenny Zakatek also sang with the Alan Parsons Project.

Members: Mick Eve (tenor saxophone), Roy Davies (keyboards), Ron Carthy (trumpet), Bud Beadle (flute, saxophone), Chris Mercer (tenor saxophone), Gordon Hunte (guitar), Carl Douglas (vocals, 1971-73), Lenny Zakatek (vocals), Steve Gregory (flute, saxophone), DeLisle Harper (bass), Glen LeFleur (drums), Alan Sharpe (percussion, viola), Richard Bailey (drums, percussion), Bobby John (percussion), George Chandler (vocals), Bobby Stignac (percussion), Larry Steele (bass), Robert Ahwai (guitar), Linda Taylor (vocals), Alan Marshall (vocals), Martin Drover (trumpet, flugelhorn, vocals), Tim Cansfield (guitar), Hugh Bullen (bass), Jake Jacas (trombone), Sergio Castillo (drums), Trevor Murrell (drums), Kuma Harada (bass), Max Middleton (keyboards), Bobby Tench (vocals, guitar)

Background

Gonzalez sprung from Gass, a London-based soul-rock and jazz band with singer–guitarist Bobby Tench, bassist Delisle Harper, and drummer Godfrey McLean. They cut three mid-sixties R&B singles as The Gass and served as the pit band for the UK production of Catch My Soul, the rock-musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello. After their 1970 Polydor release Juju, Tench and the rhythm section formed Gonzalez as a Latin-rock side project.

Before Gonzalez established itself, Tench jumped ship to the second Jeff Beck Group for the 1971–72 albums Rough and Ready and Jeff Beck Group (the “orange album”). In 1973, Tench and JBG colleagues Max Middleton and Clive Chaman backed Juju sessionist Junior Marvin on Now Hear This, the first of two albums by Marvin’s funk group Hanson. The three then formed Hummingbird, a jazz-funk band that ran concurrent with Gonzalez.

Of the Gass alumni, only Harper remained by the time Gonzalez hit the studio as a twelve piece band with four percussionists and five brass players, including saxophonists Michael “Mick” Eve, Chris Mercer, Steve Gregory, and Geoffrey “Bud” Beadle.

Eve played in the sixties R&B–beat groups The Wes Minster Five (a Colosseum ancestor), The Nightimers, and Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames. As Gonzalez prepared its first album, he played on 1974–75 titles by Ace, Stretch, Russ Ballard, and (along with Mercer and Gregory) Linda Lewis (Fathoms Deep) and Slade (Slade In Flames).

Mercer did stints in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (1967–68), Wynder K. Frog (1968), Juicy Lucy (1969–70), the Keef Hartley Band (1969–71), and played on 1969 albums by Martha Veléz and Locomotive. Recently, he earned credits with Bloodstone, Bryan Ferry, Hemlock, Reebop Kwaku Baah (Reebop), and (with Gregory) Stealers Wheel (Ferguslie Park).

Gregory originated in the Alan Price Set (1965–67) and played in Reading soul-mods the Amboy Dukes (not the American band). Circa 1968–69, he played on Blue Horizon titles by Fleetwood Mac, Chicken Shack, and Top Topham. Along with Beadlem, Gregory served in Ginger Baker’s Air Force and Riff-Raff and played on albums by Bell + Arc, Babe Ruth, Lindisfarne, Snafu, and Andy Fairweather Low.

Gonzalez featured rock musicianship from guitarist Gordon Hunte and Butts Band keyboardist Roy Davies. Hunte hailed from Noir, which released the 1971 soul-psych album We Had to Let You Have It on Pye-subsidiary Dawn. He appears on Reebop and the 1973 soundtrack release Super Fly T.N.T. by Osibisa.

Meanwhile, Harper moonlighted in the Olympic Runners, a studio-funk band with ex-Four Kents singer George Chandler and onetime Attack drummer Glen LeFleur, who both doubled as Gonzalez members.

Gonzalez

Gonzalez released their self-titled debut album in 1974 on EMI. The album introduces their Latin-infused funk sound with a nine-piece configuration centered on brass and percussion interplay.

Gonzalez contains one composition each by singer George Chandler (“Pack It Up”), bassist Lisle Harper (“Underground Railroad”), multi-reedist Steve Gregory (“Clapham South”), multi-saxist Chris Mercer (“Adelanto Nightride”), tenor saxist Michael Eve (“No Way”), and keyboardist Roy Davies (“Together Forever”), plus a cover of sixties Latin composer Ramon Paz (“Saoco”) and the group-written numbers “Gonzalez” and “Funky Frith Street.”

Chris Mercer plays alto and tenor saxophone and electric sax, while Bud Beadle handles soprano, baritone, and flute parts. Steve Gregory alternates between soprano, tenor, and flute. Michael Eve covers tenor exclusively, and Ron Carthy plays trumpet. Roy Davies handles piano, Fender Rhodes, and clavinet; Gordon Hunte plays lead guitar. Rhythm support comes from drummer Glenn LeFleur and timbalist Richard Bailey, with Alan Sharpe and Bobby John on congas and additional percussion.

Side A features mid-tempo showcases with melodic sax overlays and steady funk pacing. The material gains dynamic intensity on Side B. “Together Forever” builds from clavinet-driven syncopation into trumpet flourishes and polyrhythmic breaks. “Saoco” blends jazz horn voicings with Latin percussion cadences and shifting rhythmic accents. “Funky Frith Street,” the closing theme, emphasizes ensemble lockstep with a clipped rhythm guitar figure and successive horn stabs, making it a favorite among rare groove collectors.

A1. “Pack It Up” (4:28)
A2. “Clapham South” (4:04)
A3. “No Way” (3:31)
A4. “Adelanto Nightride” (3:29)
A5. “Underground Railroad” (3:54)

B1. “Gonzalez” (4:58)
B2. “Together Forever” (4:53)
B3. “Saoco” (6:47) — originated as a 1960s Latin instrumental by composer Ramon Paz, later embraced by salsa DJs for its percussion-forward structure
B4. “Funky Frith Street” (1:29) — became popular among funk collectors for its tight ensemble arrangement and urban rhythmic focus

Sessions occurred in May 1974 at Island Studios and continued in June at Abbey Road with producer Neil Harrison and engineers John Burns, Rhett Davies, and Tony Clarke.

Gonzalez features cover art by Nigel Brook with design and photography by Fin Costello.

Our Only Weapon Is Our Music

Gonzalez released their second album, Our Only Weapon Is Our Music, in 1975 on EMI.

The album refines their Latin–funk sound with more concise arrangements and a heavier emphasis on vocals, due in part to the addition of Lenny Zakatek. Guitarist Robert Ahwai joins Gordon Hunte to anchor a dual-guitar presence, while trombonist Malcolm Griffiths expands the brass section. The band shifts toward tighter structures and broader lyrical content.

Tenor saxophonists Chris Mercer and Mick Eve return alongside Bud Beadle (baritone, soprano, flute) and Steve Gregory (alto, flute). Ron Carthy remains on trumpet, with Malcolm Griffiths on trombone. Roy Davies plays keys; Ken Freeman and Lance Dixon supply synths and Moog textures. Glen LeFleur handles drums; Bobby Stignac, Alan Sharpe, and Godfrey McLean provide percussion. Bassist Larry Steele sings on select tracks, and Zakatek leads vocally with backing from Viola Wills.

The album features contributions by non-members, including guitarist Robert Ahwai (“Ahwai Five-O”), Headstone’s Jerome Rimson (“The Love You’ve Given Me”), and the Miles/Marshall team (“Got My Eye On You”). Chris Mercer closes the album with the title track. Gordon Hunte and Zakatek co-write two funk vocal cuts, and the band collectively composed the instrumental “Rissoled.”

“Got My Eye On You” opens with an assertive rhythm and syncopated horn bursts that frame Zakatek’s vocal phrasing. “Rissoled” compresses its ensemble power into a brisk 90 seconds of clipped riff cycles and percussion stabs, earning later cult status for its terse funk charge and offbeat attitude. Other tracks lean on call-and-response vocals and layered brass charts, with brief solo breaks punctuating the structure rather than extending it.

A1. “Got My Eye On You” (3:21) — upbeat funk opener by Bob Marshall and John Miles, noted for horn punches and immediate rhythmic push
A2. “Da Me La Cosa Caramba” (3:43)
A3. “The Love You’ve Given Me” (3:24)
A4. “Ain’t It Funny” (3:18)
A5. “Rissoled” (1:28) — Gonzalez instrumental that gained recognition for its crisp, risqué funk styling; later found popularity in Japan

B1. “Nothing Ever Comes That Easy” (3:57)
B2. “Ahwai Five-O” (3:35)
B3. “D.N.S.” (4:15)
B4. “Love Me, Love Me Not” (3:36)
B5. “Our Only Weapon Is Our Music” (2:49)

Sessions occurred in 1975 at Chipping Norton Studios, Oxfordshire, with additional tracking on A1 and A3 at Basing Street Studios. Mike Finesilver produced and engineered the album with assistance from Dave Grinstead and Dave Hutchings.

Our Only Weapon Is Our Music features photography by Eric Swayne and sleeve design by Dick Ward. Lyric insert transcriptions by Veto Galati, Jr.

Shipwrecked

Gonzalez released their third album, Shipwrecked, in 1978 on Capitol.

The album pivots further into orchestrated funk with contributions from outside producers Gloria and Richard Jones, who steer the group into slicker territory while retaining their brassy backbone. The North American issue appeared in 1979 as Haven’t Stopped Dancin’, referencing its signature track.

Roy Davies remains on keys, supported by John Giblin on bass and Richard Bailey on drums. Guitars come courtesy of Gordon Hunte and Steve Waller, who also sings backup alongside Linda Taylor. Brass includes Bud Beadle (alto, baritone, flute), Steve Gregory (soprano, flute), Chris Mercer and Mick Eve (tenor), Colin Jacas (trombone, vocals), and Martin Drover and Ron Carthy on trumpet, with Drover doubling on flugelhorn. Bobby Stignac adds congas and percussion. Lenny Zakatek sings lead on select tracks.

Paul Riser and Richard Jones arranged the majority of songs, with Gloria Jones and Davies co-arranging the hybrid classical–funk number “Rockmaninoff.” Steve Gregory and Steve Waller contribute individual compositions, while the Joneses provide multiple tracks including “Just Let It Lay” and “Haven’t Stopped Dancing Yet.”

“Just Let It Lay” opens the album with full-band thrust, blending layered horns with call-response vocals in a relentless six-minute funk pulse. “Rockmaninoff” begins and ends with classical flourishes but cycles through tight disco-funk structures in between, juxtaposing string accents with rhythmic thrust. “Oh I” drops the tempo for a vocal-led soul interlude. “Haven’t Stopped Dancing Yet” emerges in its original mid-tempo version, climbing from a clipped groove into layered brass climaxes. “Bob Gropes Blues” slides into a slower, blues-inflected zone with conversational sax phrasing and mellow rhythm guitar.

A1. “Just Let It Lay” (6:19) — written by Paul Riser with Gloria and Richard Jones; considered the album’s centerpiece for its infectious rhythm and horn interplay
A2. “Rockmaninoff” (5:03) — adapts a theme by Sergei Rachmaninoff into a jazz-disco framework with classical bookends
A3. “Oh I” (5:13) — soul ballad with tongue-in-cheek vocal phrasing and restrained brass lines
A4. “Shipwrecked” (4:48)

B1. “Haven’t Stopped Dancing Yet” (4:23) — original version of the later disco remix; a funk–soul builder that became their signature hit
B2. “Bob Gropes Blues” (4:49) — instrumental with blues-inflected sax and relaxed ensemble phrasing, reminiscent of Bob James
B3. “Tear Down The Business” (4:04)
B4. “Baby, Baby, Baby” (4:36)

Sessions occurred at Pye Studios and Scorpio Studios in London and M.R.I. Recorder’s in Los Angeles. Gloria and Richard Jones produced for Old “Eye” Productions with engineers Barney Perkins, Frank Kejmar, and Gary Ulmer.

Shipwrecked features art direction by Roy Kohara, special color effects by Daniel Catherine, and photography by Renato de Francesco.

“Haven’t Stopped Dancing Yet” reached No. 26 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 15 on the UK Singles chart. Gonzalez mimed it on the March 7, 1979, broadcast of Top of the Pops, which thrice aired the song amid spring hits by Dusty Springfield (“I’m Coming Home Again”), Gordon Giltrap (“Fear of the Dark”), M (“Pop Muzik”), Mike Oldfield (“Guilty”), The Police (“Roxanne”), and The Three Degrees (“The Runner”).

In North America, Shipwrecked reappeared in 1979 as Haven’t Stopped Dancin’.

After this album, Waller joined Manfred Mann’s Earth Band. Meanwhile, Zakatek sang on the Alan Parsons Project albums I Robot (“I Wouldn’t Want to Be Like You”), Pyramid (“One More River”), and Eve (“You Lie Down with Dogs,” “Damned If I Do”). Parsons produced Zakatek’s 1979 self-titled solo album, which climaxes with “It’s a Dancer” and “Couldn’t We Try.”

Discography: