Bend Me, Shape Me - The American Breed 1968

“Bend Me, Shape Me“ by 1960s jazz--rock group, The American Breed, became the group’s only Top 10 hit on Billboard Hot 100 chart at #5 in 1968. The song went gold and remains the group’s biggest selling single. Contributing to the success of The American Breed’s version was an excellent arrangement of the song that included horns among other changes. All from the southwest Chicago-land area, the band started out as Gary & the Nite Lites. After gaining some recognition locally, they became The American Breed after drawing the name from a hat with other suggestions. After sending out demo films of their performances, they gained even more notice along with other Chicago-area bands that were on the rise, such as the Ides of March, the Buckinghams, and Chicago Transit Authority. The American Breed members disbanded in 1969 and move onto other recording ventures.