Who Remembers Mandrill and its bassist, Fudgie Kae?

[Dr. Cheese]

I was an old issue of Waxpoetics at the start of Christmas break, and it had a cover article on Mandrill, a seventies funk group. Mandrill was a group a I dug as a kid, but I never bought any of their records (they were records back then.) After reading the article, I decided to go over to University City and buy some of their CDs in a store that I knew had them today. Man, does this stuff bring memories! I remember these guys on Don Kirshner's Rock Concert looking all wild, and laying down the rythmn. I also remember their pretty square looking lead guitarist rip it up like Carlos Santana. It seems that the guitar and organ were what really struck me about them, but listening now, I realize what a bad man their bassist, the late Fudgie Kae (Fred Solomon) was. As much as I hate flats, this music makes me want to get a P-bass and string it up with some LaBellas and get down!

[jerry]

I loved them back in the day, saw them in NYC a few times too....good times, good times. They are still out there doing it with a couple of the original guys, BET-J runs a concert of them from time to time.

[Boss Bass]

I remember Mandrill very well. I played along to their music for hours on end with each LP of theirs my sisters brought home. I saw them live back in the day, an awesome live band. I'm forever grateful for their music.
I guess to answer your question, I'd say yes, I remember Fudgie Kae. He was a very strong influence on my early bass playing years. Thanks for bringing up his name. He is missed by many.

http://www.mandrillis.com/web/index.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandrill_%28band%29

[pyrohr]

Mandrill! Yes another funk band out of Brooklyn N.Y. Mandrill laid the ground work for up and coming bassplayer's (including myself) as well has REAL HORN PLAYER'S. Probably one of the first funk bands not to play in E minor! Probably one of the first bands with a drummer that didn't play straight foward beats. Listen to "Fencewalk" and you'll hear where Ricardo Wellman (orignally my brothers drummer for a group out of New Jersey) got the heavy footwork for Chuck Brown's " bustin Loose"! A group that featured all of it's members in it's recordings as they took turns soloing! Not a week link to be found!!! Boy i'm glad I grew up when I did!

[Dr. Cheese]

I think Mandrill was actually the first funk band to actually make an impact on the charts. I think they beat Kool and the Gang by a year or so.

[JAUQO III-X]

Oh yes, Mandrill was definitely the funk Those were the days.

http://members.tripod.com/~KingRhythm/id115.htm

[WRBass]

I'm listening to "Rollin' On" now. This is great stuff! It's got it all; jazz, latin, funk, some gospel, rock and great bass lines.

[rulyøngo]

can you guys recommend a cd?

[Dr. Cheese]

Originally Posted by rulyøngo

can you guys recommend a cd?

I picked up two on Christmas Eve: The Best of Mandrill and Composite Truth. Composite Truth is on Collectibles and The Best of Mandrill is on Polydor.

[Lorenzini]

Fencewalk!!!!!

My old bandleader loved that song so much he named his horn band after it.

[keyboardguy]

Hi.

I never really listened to them. Boy, they ARE Funky!
I found a couple songs on youtube....



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKgLDwxbkPI


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ju8WoTeVVk


Mike

[Dr. Cheese]

Originally Posted by keyboardguy

Hi.

I never really listened to them. Boy, they ARE Funky!
I found a couple songs on youtube....



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKgLDwxbkPI


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ju8WoTeVVk


Mike

Those are the same clips I saw of them as a kid! They were the first Seventies style funk band I can remember.

[jerry]

Originally Posted by rulyøngo

can you guys recommend a cd?

I have Fencewalk, a two disc set that covers a lot of their early material. Cool thread....now anybody remember Osibisa?
They were another multicultural band I used to go see as kid.

[K2000]

What's the name of the Mandrill song that Public Enemy sampled for "By the Time I Get to Arizona"... anybody know?

[JimK]

As a young teen, I definitely recall holding their album covers in my hand (cool covers, I thought); funding for me was extremely limited, so it was Led Zep, Grand Funk, Alice Cooper, et al. ;-)
...bought the cds a few years back as they became available.
I think www.dustygroove.com had them.

Everyone knows about Santana, EW&F, & War; back in the day, they OPENED for Mandrill...it's in the liner notes to Fencewalk.

[MichaelVee]

In high school, I had a friend, Rusty Mullins, who had a copy of "Mandrill IS". I made him play it quite often.

It was trippy funk indeed. "Ape is High", "Cohelo", "Universal Rhythms"..


(from Amazon.com)

I did eventually buy a copy of the LP. I'll break it out and listen after I get back in from family stuff this week.

[scarekrow]

Mandrill was bada$$. Essential listening for the groove foundation.

[Hoover]

I don't remember Fudgie, and I probably couldn't name a single Mandrill tune, but I definitely remember the band -- probably saw that same Don Kirshner's appearance! I definitely remember the bari sax player wore this huge floppy hat.

For some reason whenever I think of Mandrill I then think of Osibisa. Something about those 1970's funk bands gives me the warm & fuzzies.

[Dr. Cheese]

Originally Posted by Hoover

I don't remember Fudgie, and I probably couldn't name a single Mandrill tune, but I definitely remember the band -- probably saw that same Don Kirshner's appearance! I definitely remember the bari sax player wore this huge floppy hat.

For some reason whenever I think of Mandrill I then think of Osibisa. Something about those 1970's funk bands gives me the warm & fuzzies.

The wild thing is that the sax player was finishing medical school at the time Mandrill really got big! He would literally do a round as an intern, get in the limo, and do a Mandrill gig!

[The Owl]

Fencewalk, right here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ju8WoTeVVk