30/10/2024
In 1979, shortly before recording Never Knew and Mister Love, First Approach Band booked studio time at Nickel Recording in Hartford, CT. The aim was to lay down some original material and, as a result, a composition entitled Dance was created. Below is the remarkable series of events that led to this unreleased recording being later stolen and sampled in Deee-Lite’s Groove Is In The Heart.
At the time, the group was being managed by Sam Byrd; a well connected figure in the music industry, known for securing up-and-coming acts as support slots for major artists. He knew how to get through doors, and that attracted young talent.
Byrd loved First Approach Band’s style and sound, and was keen to have them work for him as songwriters. However, once the group expressed their sole desire to become recording artists, he suggested they book studio time instead.
Not long after this session, the group returned to the studio to have Dance mixed and mastered, only to find their multitrack reel was no longer there. Assuming he was part of the band, the studio had let Byrd take the tape after he paid the bill. He then took the reel to Casablanca Records in Los Angeles, and sold Dance to Vernon Burch who used it for his song Get Up. The only additional parts added to the song were vocals, keyboard and horns. The whole rhythm section, including the now famous slide-whistle, synth drum and percussion, were performed by Edward Henderson & Larry Graham during the First Approach Band session.
Whilst they still had the flow and energy, they decided to get straight back into the studio to record Never Knew & Mister Love. These were then privately pressed and released by the group in 1980. They would later find out that others under Byrd’s wing had experienced the exact same circumstances, with original recordings being unknowingly sold off to established artists.
Pictures of the original First Approach Band lineup have been difficult to track down. The first three included here feature members of the proto-version of the group called Good Vibes Band from the mid seventies, with the final image being of their second lineup in 1982.
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