Paddy Corea is a multi-instrumentalist who was a founding member of the band Demon Fuzz. Their 1970 rare groove cult-classic album, Afreaka!, demonstrated their groundbreaking concoction of psychedelic soul, dub-heavy funk, progressive rock, Afro-jazz, and black acid rock. Afreaka! eventually became amongst the most bootlegged and sampled albums from the early 70s British underground.
In a just world, Demon Fuzz would have been very successful–sadly, however, the only real success they enjoyed is the fact that many club DJs now use their samples frequently. Although the band played most of the British underground festivals in the early seventies, Demon Fuzz were simply too way-out to make a significant impact on the college crowd, and as a result they broke up after only 18 months on the scene.
On this episode, we are joined by Paddy Corea to walk us through his story, from his humble beginnings in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; to his emigration to England where he played and recorded with a variety of bands; and ultimately, the formation (and dissolution) of Demon Fuzz. As Allmusic wrote of Afreaka!: “Most tracks run in the eight- and nine-minute range and get down with tough drums at the core, with rhythmic shifts happening on a grooved dime. Killer horns, Hammond B-3s, electric guitars, and deep tough slinky funky bass all wind together to create a mix so utterly intoxicating and fluid that it’s difficult to take in one listen. This is the real deal — solid, freaky-deaky, and groove-centric. Not to be missed.”
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