Maze (band)
| Maze | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania / San Francisco Bay Area, United States |
| Genres | R&B, soul, funk |
| Years active | 1976–present |
| Labels | Capitol, Warner Bros. |
| Members |
Frankie Beverly Roame Lowry Carl Wheeler Larry Kimpel Vance Taylor Jubu Smith Calvin Napper |
| Past members | McKinley "Bug" Williams (deceased) Sam Porter (deceased) Robin Duhe Wuane Thomas Joe Provost Ahaguna Sun Ron Smith Billy Johnson Phillip Woo Wayne "Ziggy" Lindsay Vernon "Ice" Black William Bryant Michael White Anthony Beverly Chris Johnson Road Manager: Calvin "VJ" Jones Stage Manager: Michael Burton Light Director: Michael Lowry |
Maze are an American soul / quiet storm band, also known alternately as Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly and Frankie Beverly & Maze, was established in San Francisco, California in the late 1970s.
Frankie Beverly started the group as Raw Soul in 1970. They recorded a couple of singles on the small Gregar label, but without any major hits. With a few personnel changes, a relocation from Philadelphia to the San Francisco Bay Area in California in 1971, and an introduction to Marvin Gaye, the group became an immediate success. Gaye took the group on the road with him as one of his opening acts, and in 1976, he suggested that they change their name from Raw Soul to Maze.
Maze signed a recording contract with Capitol Records in 1976, and released their debut album, Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, in 1977. From that album, the hit singles included "Happy Feelin's", "While I'm Alone", and "Lady of Magic", ultimately giving them their first gold record and earning Maze a devoted following. They also had success with the albums Golden Time of Day (1978), Inspiration (1979) and Joy and Pain (1980).
Their next recording was Live in New Orleans, three quarters of which was recorded at the Saenger Theatre, on November 14–15, 1980. Three of those songs got into the US R&B chart, including "Running Away", "Before I Let Go", and "We Need Love To Live". By that time, the band had both a reputation in America and also enjoyed a following in the United Kingdom with promotional support from the British DJ Robbie Vincent. In May 1985, Maze sold out eight nights at the Hammersmith Odeon.
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