Jonzun Crew was an American electro and early funkhip 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
OriginBoston, Massachusetts, United States
GenresElectro, funk, hip hop
Years active1981–1990
LabelsTommy Boy/Warner Bros. Records
A&M Records
Critique Records
Past membersMaurice Starr
Soni Jonzun
Michael Jonzun
Gordon Worthy
Steve Thorpe

Overview

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The 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

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“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 [de] 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

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Albums

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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

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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

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  1. ^ "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.
  2. ^ Kellman, Andy. "Artist Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  3. ^ "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.
  4. ^ David Tompkins (April 1999). "Secret Vocodering". Vibe.
  5. ^ a b "The Jonzun Crew - Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 24, 2013. Retrieved January 23, 2022.
  6. ^ a b c "The Jonzun Crew Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography". Music VF. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  7. ^ "JONZUN CREW | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
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