Fugi

Fugi emerged in the late 1960s as a psychedelic soul-funk outfit on the Cadet imprint, itself a Chess subsidiary. The project essentially belonged to Ellington Jordan alone. Jordan’s writing drew especially from the acid-rock leanings of Jimi Hendrix, producing a sound that echoed the hazy, guitar-heavy soul of early Funkadelic. The sole album, Mary, Don't Take Me on No Bad Trip, appeared in 1968, after which its title track gained cult status among collectors. Detroit’s Black Merda supplied the backing on that release; Fugi’s endorsement had helped the Motor City band secure its own deal with Chess, which issued Black Merda’s self-titled debut in 1967. Jordan later relocated to the West Coast, issuing the 1970 singles “Revelations” and “I'd Rather Be a Blind Man” before disappearing from the scene. Renewed interest in both Fugi and Black Merda prompted his return to the stage in the mid-2000s, making a reunion viable.