# Three Black Guys Playing Proto-Punk in 1973 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 25, 2013, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-black-guys-playing-proto-punk-in-1973/661883 "2013-06-25T16:43:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2013, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-black-guys-playing-proto-punk-in-1973/661883/1 "2013-06-25T16:43:49Z")
I give you [Death](https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=OwehxN2ipCU). Well anyway, I hadn’t heard of these guys before. Is it accurate to describe it as proto-punk in your opinion? Some of the music seems a little dramatic, but the voicing and basic spare instrumention in some sections do sound punk-ish to me. ETA: And the very beginning, with the guitar hitting just the first downbeat in each measure, is certainly reminiscent of something in the ska/reggae era, which to my understanding is connected with the early punk movement so there’s that. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2013, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-black-guys-playing-proto-punk-in-1973/661883/2 "2013-06-25T16:49:06Z")
Here’s [another](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSXTLYBNJSc) song. Whatever you want to call it, this is clearly great music! Sorry. [one more](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2qi-YAR7m8). The most clearcut case of punk I’ve heard yet from the trio. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2013, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-black-guys-playing-proto-punk-in-1973/661883/3 "2013-06-25T17:44:06Z")
Have to agree. Here is a column I wrote up on them in the old _Teemings_ SDMB Newsletter: [http://www.teemings.net/series\_2/issue\_03/death.html](http://www.teemings.net/series_2/issue_03/death.html) Very cool music. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2013, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-black-guys-playing-proto-punk-in-1973/661883/4 "2013-06-25T19:39:16Z")
FYI, They’re doing an AMA on [Reddit](http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/)on 6/28. ---
**Author:** ![BurnMeUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@BurnMeUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BurnMeUp)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2013, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-black-guys-playing-proto-punk-in-1973/661883/5 "2013-06-25T22:24:12Z")
I have heard a few songs of theirs in the past and I agree totally proto-punk and I think early descendants of Bad Brains and Fishbone. Very enjoyable. ---
**Author:** ![mcgato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@mcgato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcgato)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2013, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-black-guys-playing-proto-punk-in-1973/661883/6 "2013-06-25T23:24:12Z")
Is this just a thread to promote a [new movie coming out](http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/a_band_called_death_2013/)? ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2013, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-black-guys-playing-proto-punk-in-1973/661883/7 "2013-06-26T01:53:46Z")
Well, I have mentioned this on the board before, but not only does this totally sound like punk, from 19 **6** 6, but two of the key band member were black as well: [7 and 7 is](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc_LzMHIbYg). ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2013, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-black-guys-playing-proto-punk-in-1973/661883/8 "2013-06-26T02:51:28Z")
> [@mcgato](#): > > Is this just a thread to promote a [new movie coming out](http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/a_band_called_death_2013/)? Was that just a post to promote a new movie coming out? ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2013, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-black-guys-playing-proto-punk-in-1973/661883/9 "2013-06-30T22:33:57Z")
Reddit thread: [Reddit - Dive into anything](http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1h9avs/we_are_death_from_detroit_we_were_punk_before/)