Nazz
Formed in Philadelphia, USA in 1967, the Nazz comprised of Todd Rundgren (guitar/vocals), Carson Van Osten (bass/vocals), both ex-members of bar-band Woody's Truck Stop, Stewkey (lead vocals/keyboards) and Thom Mooney (drums). Although the quartet made its live debut supporting the Doors, manager John Kurland deliberately cultivated an air of exclusivity which ultimately hampered progress. A lucrative recording deal with publishers Screen Gems resulted in NAZZ, a synthesis of British and US pop invoking the Who, Jimi Hendrix, Buffalo Springfield and Small Faces. However, the unit's anglophilia and mod affectations proved unfashionable in the face of acid-rock which, when coupled with growing internal disharmony, sowed the seeds of their demise. NAZZ NAZZ emphasized the positive elements of its predecessor and although the same influences were still apparent, a sense of individuality was also present. Rundgren's departure for a solo career in 1970 brought the Nazz to an end, and NAZZ III, compiled from material from the NAZZ NAZZ sessions, was issued posthumously. Stewkey and Mooney were later joined by Rick Neilsen and Tom Petersson (later of Cheap Trick) in a group which took a variety of names, but only Rundgren achieved lasting success outside the Nazz. Despite negligible commercial gain, his former group's work was later lauded as the precursor to a generation of British-influenced US bands, notably the Raspberries, Stories and Sparks.