Detroit funk unit the
Fabulous Counts formed in 1968, uniting keyboardist
Mose Davis, guitarist
Leroy Emanuel, alto saxophonist
Demo Cates, tenor saxophonist Jim White, and drummer Raoul Keith Mangrum. Earning local notice as both headliners and a jack-of-all-trades backing band for national touring acts, the group eventually teamed with noted producer Richard "Popcorn" Wylie, recording the cult classic "Jan, Jan" for the Motor City label Moira in late 1968. Distinguished by
Davis' banshee-wail Hammond organ, and the dueling saxophones of White and
Cates, the instrumental fell just shy of the national R&B Top 40 charts in early 1969. Noted for its scorching White solo, the
Fabulous Counts' sophomore effort, "Dirty Red," further solidified their edgy urban funk sound, although commercial interest was negligible. The group's third single, "Get Down People," proved their biggest hit -- complete with vocals, conga drums, and a deeply soulful
Emanuel guitar solo; it spent nine weeks on the R&B charts in 1970 and highlighted the
Fabulous Counts' lone LP,
Jan, Jan, produced by Detroit legend
Ollie McLaughlin and issued on Cotillion. They left the label the following year for local imprint Westbound, swapping out a few members and continuing as simply
the Counts. ~ Jason Ankeny