Amnesty (band)

American funk band founded 1968

Amnesty

Origin| Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
Genres|

* Funk
* psychedelic soul

Years active| 1968–1973, 2002-2003
Labels| Now-Again Records

Musical artist

Amnesty was an American funk band founded in 1968. Based in Indianapolis, it consisted of lead vocalist Damon Malone, bass guitarist James "Red" Massie, drummer Kirk Alexander, guitarist Calvin Williams, trumpeter Herman Walker, saxophonist James "Gino" Johnson, keyboardist Joseph Trotter, and percussionist Raphael Barnes. The group's discography consists of the album Free Your Mind, released in 1970, and Hum-Bug b/w Everybody Who Wants To Be Free, released in 2003. The music released by the group was mostly deep funk and soul, with many songs on the records being extended jams.[1]

The group gained notability after the song "Liberty" off of the album Free Your Mind was sampled in 2018 single "Lift Yourself" by Kanye West. The sample was reportedly uncleared by West with the group.[2]

## Discography

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### Albums

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* Free Your Mind (1970)
* Hum-Bug b/w Everybody Who Wants To Be Free (2003)

### Singles

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* Everybody Who Wants To Be Free (1971)
* Three Cheers For My Baby - Lord Help Me (1973)

## Members

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* Kirk Alexander (drums)
* Raphael Barnes (percussion)
* James "Gino" Johnson (saxophone)
* Damon Malone (lead vocals)
* James "Red" Massie (bass)
* Joseph Trotter (vocals, keyboards, percussion)
* Herman Walker (trumpet)
* Calvin Williams (guitar, vocals)

## References

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1. ^ "Amnesty". Now Again Records. 2007-03-22. Retrieved 2024-08-12.
2. ^ Tracklib (2018-10-25). "Kanye West: Uncleared Samples and Trolling Drake". Tracklib. Retrieved 2024-08-12.