Fusion 45

Born in suburban Chicago in 1966 as Gary and The Nite-Lites, the American Breed were best known for their 1968 Top 10 single, Bend Me, Shape Me. Written by Scott English and Larry Weiss (who later wrote Rhinestone Cowboy), Bend Me was actually a new version of the song, originally released by the Outsiders the year before. It was also a hit for a UK band called Amen Corner, famous for having been the temporary home of Brit session boffin Andy Fairweather-Low.

On the flipside of Bend Me is this little nugget, a c’mon-get-happy number with lots of sunny vocals and happy horns, sounding a little like The First Edition combined with the Partridge Family and a touch of the Four Seasons. Arguably as fun as Bend Me, this tune is now out of print, though you can find the vinyl all over the internet (including Amazon).

American Breed - Mindrocker

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