Hailing from New Orleans, the eight-piece funk group African Music Machine operated under the leadership of bassist and songwriter Louis Villery. Initially serving as the house band for the Jewel/Paula label axis, the ensemble backed artists such as Fontella Bass, Little Johnny Taylor, Roscoe Robinson, Ted Taylor, Tommie Young, and the singer/producer Bobby Patterson, among others. Between 1972 and 1974, several of their own singles appeared on Soul Power, a subsidiary owned by Patterson. A heavy James Brown influence dominated most of their output, occasionally incorporating elements of Creole music. Funk collectors later came to highly value their original 45s, such as "Black Water Gold," "Tropical," and "The Dapp," which commanded exorbitant prices; in 2000, a compilation of these singles bearing the same title Black Water Gold saw reissue. Villery formed a new iteration of African Music Machine in 2001, issuing a self-titled album via Singular.
