Fugi

Fugi was a psychedelic soul-funk band signed to Chess subsidiary Cadet in the late '60s. Basically the work of one man, Ellington Jordan, their music was influenced particularly by the acid rock side of Jimi Hendrix, and bore a resemblance to the druggy, guitar-driven soul of early Funkadelic. Their lone LP, Mary, Don't Take Me on No Bad Trip, was released in 1968, and the title cut later became a cult collector's item. Fugi's backing band on the record was Black Merda, a Detroit group who were also signed to Chess (thanks to Fugi) and recorded a self-titled debut album for Chess in 1967. Fugi then moved to the West Coast, and went on to release a couple of singles in 1970 -- "Revelations" and "I'd Rather Be a Blind Man" -- before fading from view. He returned to live performing in the mid-2000s when wider interest in both Fugi and Black Merda made a reunion feasible. ~ Steve Huey & John Bush