Jonzun Crew was an American electro and early funk–hip hop group that was active in the 1980s.[1] The group was led by Michael Jonzun, his brothers Maurice Starr and Soni Jonzun, and Carl (Captain Fingers).
Jonzun Crew | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Boston, Massachusetts, United States |
| Genres | Electro, funk, hip hop |
| Years active | 1981–1990 |
| Labels | Tommy Boy/Warner Bros. Records A&M Records Critique Records |
| Past members | Maurice Starr Soni Jonzun Michael Jonzun Gordon Worthy Steve Thorpe |
Overview
editThe Jonzun Crew was formed by Florida-born brothers Michael, Soni, and Larry Johnson (also known as Maurice Starr) in Boston in 1981, with Gordy Worthy and Steve Thorpe filling out the lineup. The group carried its spin on Parliament-Funkadelic's loopy sci-fi themes of Afro-futurism throughout the 1980s and early 1990s for several albums.[2]
The group's most famous tracks, “Pack Jam (Look out for the OVC),” “Space is the Place,” and “Space Cowboy” were featured on the group's debut album, Lost in Space (1983). Other notable tracks included “We Are the Jonzun Crew” and “Ground Control.” All of the synthesizer parts were played live as opposed to sequenced, and despite using drum-machine hits in its tracks, most of the group's songs used a live drummer as the main drum track, giving its songs a unique groove and swing compared with most electro music of the era.[3]
In 1986, Michael Jonzun left the group.
Cultural impact
edit“Pack Jam (Look out for the OVC)” was often played in the background while the rundown of top hits in Germany were counted on the German-language Top Hits show Formel Eins during the 1980s.
By 1987, the Berlin Wall featured a block long graffiti mural immortalizing Jonzun Crew.[4]
In 1998, Tommy Boy Records issued a remix of "Pack Jam" by Grooverider as part of its Greatest Beats Remix series.
Discography
editAlbums
edit| Year | Album | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [5] |
US R&B [5] | |||
| 1983 | Lost in Space | 66 | 17 | |
| 1984 | Down to Earth | — | — | |
| 1990 | Cosmic Love | — | — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | ||||
Singles
edit| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Dance [6] |
US R&B [6] |
US Pop [6] |
UK [7] |
GER | ||
| 1982 | "Pack Jam" | 36 | 13 | 108 | ― | 19 |
| 1983 | "Space Cowboy" | — | 12 | ― | 88 | ― |
| "Space Is the Place" | 63 | 31 | ― | ― | — | |
| "We Are the Jonzun Crew" | ― | 37 | ― | ― | ― | |
| 1984 | "Time Is Running Out" | — | 66 | ― | ― | — |
| 1985 | "Lovin'" | — | 40 | ― | ― | — |
| "Tonight's the Night" | — | — | ― | ― | — | |
| 1991 | "Cosmic Love" | — | 62 | ― | ― | — |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||||||
References
edit- ^ "Jonzun Crew, Space is the Place, Lost In Space, Pack Jam". Smack-dynamik.com. Archived from the original on February 18, 2012. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
- ^ Kellman, Andy. "Artist Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
- ^ "Jonzun Crew – We Are The Jonzun Crew + Pack Jam | 80s Electro Funk". Cold Crush. Archived from the original on March 10, 2011. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
- ^ David Tompkins (April 1999). "Secret Vocodering". Vibe.
- ^ a b "The Jonzun Crew - Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 24, 2013. Retrieved January 23, 2022.
- ^ a b c "The Jonzun Crew Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography". Music VF. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
- ^ "JONZUN CREW | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
External links
edit- Discography at Discogs.