The first black punk band was formed by three brothers in Detroit as RockFire Funk Express. In 1973 they recorded two songs for a single that was released in last year by Third Man Records because they changed name and style just after the recordings under the influence of an Alice Cooper show. The new style is called proto-punk today and the new name would be Death. The Columbia Records president implored the band to change its name, but they refused, so their first album was released in 2009. It was recorded in 1974

Their only one single was self-released before the next style and name change. In 1977 the Death transformed into a gospel-rock band: 4th Movement. (The famous black hardcore-punk band, Bad Brains was founded in same year.) Then they transformed into a reggae band. Their recordings of Death were discovered in the second half of 00’s. The band has reformed with a new guitarist (the original died in 2002) and a documentary was made about their story.

A now here are two unreleased Death songs from the after-Death era
on an 7″ vinyl by Drag City