KUSH

Kush were a jazz-rock fusion band that existed from 1971 to 75 led by the flamboyant vocalist Jeff Duff (ex-New Avengers). Other members were John Santos (aka Montesante) and Colin Chapman on trumpet, Ron Anderson on piano and sax, Stephen Ball on keyboards, Tom Cowburn on guitar, harmonica and backing vocals, John Ellis on clarinet, flute and sax, Rob Matthews on bass guitar, and Graham McDonald on drums.Australian musicologist Ian McFarlane described their performance style, "they mixed appealing Blood Sweat and Tears/Chicago-styled jazz-rock with outrageous and bizarre stage antics." Those antics were largely devised by Duff, who developed various personae. McFarlane described him as "waif-like, fish-net-stocking-clad Duff would assume the role of Beelzebub himself while ripping up the Bible!"

Kush were signed with Warner Bros. in 1973. They issued their debut single, "Peter Gunn", in July, which is a cover version of Henri Mancini's 1959 original. It reached the Australian Kent Music Report singles chart top 50. Their second single, "Wait" (November), was an original written by Duff and Herzog, but it did not reach the top 100.

Kush started recording their debut album, 'Presents Snow White... and the Eight Straights' (September 1974) early in that year with the line-up of Duff, Ellis, David Herzog on guitar and Matthews, Ball, Bill Harrower (ex-Levi Smith's Clefs) on sax and flute, Ian Hellings (ex-Nova Express) on trumpet, Nick Lister on drums, John Santos on trumpet. It peaked at #24 on the Kent Music Report albums chart. Their third single, "(Livin' on) Easy Street" (October), was written by Ball, which reached the top 50. Late that year Matthews left and was replaced on bass guitar by Clive Harrison and Ellis left. Kush performed at the 1974 Sunbury Pop Festival.

Kush released a cover of "MacArthur Park" (1975), which McFarlane praised as "the best rendition ever recorded (check it out) even outstripping Harris' original 1968 hit." An album track, "Walk on the Wild Side", which is a cover of Lou Reed's 1972 single, became Duff's signature song.

Early in 1975 the Kush line-up of Duff, Ball, Harrison, Herzog, Lister and Arthur Robinson on sax, flute, clarinet and violin, recorded their second album, 'Nah, Tellus Wh't Kush Means Yer Great Sausage' (June 1975). It did not chart and the group broke up in July 1975. Duff began his solo career but in March 1977 he briefly reformed Kush with Anderson, Ellis and Santos joined by Bob Bickerton on drums, Gary Costello on bass guitar, Ted Joyner on trumpet, Dave Sterry on guitar and Peter Sullivan on keyboards. They promoted Duff's solo single, "Temptation's 'Bout to Get Me", before disbanding later that year. Duff, as Duffo, relocated to England in 1978 and continued his solo career. 

Members

Jeff Duff (vocals), John Santos (trumpet), Colin Chapman (trumpet), Ron Anderson (piano, sax), Stephen Ball (keyboards), Tom Cowburn (guitar, harmonica), John Ellis (clarinet, flute, sax), Rob Matthews (bass), Graham McDonald (drums), David Herzog (guitar), Bill Harrower (sax, flute), Ian Hellings (trumpet), Nick Lister (drums), Arthur Robinson (sax, flute, clarinet, violin), Bob Bickerton (drums), Gary Costello (bass), Ted Joyner (trumpet), Dave Sterry (guitar), Peter Sullivan (keyboards)

SINGLES 
''Peter Gunn (#43) / The Sky Is Falling'' 1973 Warner Bros. 
''Wait / Can't You Hear Me Calling'' 1973 Warner Bros 
''Easy Street (#48) / All Right In The City'' 1974 Warner Bros. 
''I'm Your Football / Out Of My Tree'' 1975 RCA
''MacArthur Park / Klue'' 1975 Warner Bros. 

ALBUMS 
'Presents Snow White... And The Eight Straights' 1974 Warner Bros. 

'Nah,Tellus Wh't Kush Means Yer Great Sausage' 1975 RCA 

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Duff

http://top100singles.blogspot.com.au/