War

Latin funk group that started life in the early 1970s in Southern California. They formed out of the ashes of an earlier R&B covers group, The Creators (opens in a new tab) (who also recorded as The Romeos (opens in a new tab) and Señor Soul), initially naming themselves Nightshift before producer Jerry Goldstein discovered them and gave them a more distinctive name. Goldstein also brought them into contact with former Animals frontman and vocalist Eric Burdon and harmonica player Lee Oskar Levitin. As such they became Eric Burdon & War and recorded their first album Eric Burdon Declares "War" (US 1970) (opens in a new tab). Another (double) album followed in 1970, upon which Burdon left.
The band then signed to United Artists and began releasing material on their own. Their first album was not a big success but their popularity was growing and later albums were very successful. They peaked commercially in the mid-1970s with their number 1 hit Low Rider. Things started to go downhill for the group in the late 1970s when bassist B.B. Dickerson left and another member, Charles Miller, was murdered. Various line-up changes followed but the group were not as successful, eventually becoming just a touring act.
A new generation has since discovered the music of War as they have been heavily sampled by hip-hop artists. The band continues to tour, although with only one of the original members. Four members of the classic lineup from the 1970s have formed a new band (for legal reasons) called Lowrider Band. However due to legal restrictions they are not even allowed to advertise themselves as former members of the band War.