Formed by DJ/record producer Jimmy Gray in Richmond, VA, and following in the footsteps of other influential black-owned independent labels like Strata-East and Tribe, the foundation of Black Fire coincided with saxophonist James "Plunky" Branch returning to Richmond from New York to form Oneness Of Juju. The band's African Rhythms album in 1975 was the perfect fusion of jazz, deep African polyrhythms and empowering lyrics. The album set the tone for a series of landmark releases on the label including Oneness Of Juju's Space Jungle Luv (1976) and debuts from soulman Wayne Davis (1976) and early go go pioneers Experience Unlimited (1977). Due to personal and cashflow issues, many releases had to be canned and only surfaced subsequently on CD releases during the early ‘90s. Strut present the definitive edition of a 1977 classic, Plunky & Oneness Of Juju's Make A Change album featuring the international hit "Every Way But Loose" and five previously unheard studio takes.
