Gonzalez

Gonzalez, a British R&B and funk band, was formed in 1970 by Godfrey McLean and Bobby Tench, both members of the rock band Gass. The original lineup included Tench as vocalist and guitarist, drummer Godfrey McLean, bassist Delisle Harper, and percussionist Lennox Langton. After Tench left to join The Jeff Beck Group, the band reformed with a new core membership including saxophonists Michael "Mick" Eve, Chris Mercer, Steve Gregory, Geoffrey "Bud" Beadle, keyboardist Roy Davies, and guitarist Gordon Hunte. Vocalist Lenny Zakatek joined in 1974, and their first album Gonzalez was released the same year, featuring a heavy funk sound. Their second album, Our Only Weapon Is Our Music, followed in 1975. In 1976, drummer Preston Heyman joined, and alongside Gloria Jones, they supported Bob Marley at his Hammersmith Odeon Shows. The band's breakthrough came with the single "Haven't Stopped Dancing Yet" from their 1977 album Shipwrecked, which reached number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100 and established a following amongst disco enthusiasts. A remix of the same song reached number 7 on the US Club Play chart and number 15 in the UK Singles Chart. Despite subsequent singles and their fifth album Watch Your Step (1980) not achieving similar success, Gonzalez continued to work with Pye Records and focused on live performances. Roy Davies died in 1986, leading to the band's disbandment.