The American Breed "New Games to Play"

The American Breed Lonely Side of the Street LP (Acta Records, 1968)

Gap had this ad several years ago for stretch jeans with a song that sounded a bit like The Troggs crossed with Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass. I mean, the singer reminded me strongly of The Troggs' primary vocalist Reg Presley, but I was pretty sure it wasn't him, as the music was horn-driven pop. Back then, Gap's website had info on the music they used in tv commercials, so I clicked around and discovered it was "Bend Me, Shape Me," by a group called The American Breed. I checked Amazon and found there was a CD collection from 1994, Bend Me, Shape Me: The Best of The American Breed, but it was out-of-print and selling for close to $100 at the time; I decided to pass on it. Not too long after, a new new & used CD store opened a few miles from our house, and I, of course, was compelled to check it out. After a perusal of the bins, I walked out $8.56 poorer but holding a copy of said CD. From the CD booklet, I gleaned that they'd released four albums and a brace of singles in their lifespan. Today's song is from their fourth and final album, Lonely Side of the Street, a rather mellower affair than the album that preceded it, Pumpkin, Powder, Scarlet & Green. I still haven't gotten the first two, so I cannot comment upon them, other than to say the songs from them on the aforementioned CD are pretty killer. Interestingly, after they split, they reunited, minus vocalist/guitarist Gary Loizzo, as Ask Rufus, who became Rufus, and then Rufus featuring Chaka Khan, when Chaka escaped the Land of the Lost, and replaced their original singer. So, they get the before they were famous tag for that, even though they had several hit singles. Plus, even though I was alive when they were releasing records, I hain't never heard of 'em 'afore.