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**Bio: Manzel** Manzel was a very obscure instrumental funk group that emerged in the mid-'70s, consisting of Manzel Bush (keyboards), John L. Van Dyke (guitar), and Steve Garner (drums). Based in Lexington, KY, the group recorded their sessions at Cincinnati, OH's first state-of-the-art recording studio, Counterpart Creative Studios, established by Shad O'Shea in 1976. Their first release was "Space Funk" b/w "Jump Street," which came out on Fraternity Records in 1977. Two years later, they released "Midnight Theme" b/w "Sugar Dreams." Unfortunately, after these two 45 rpm singles, Manzel disbanded as Bush was called to military duty in Germany and subsequently left music behind to raise a family. Despite their limited output, Manzel gained significant fame in the '90s when the drum intro from "Midnight Theme" was sampled by numerous hip-hop producers, including Prince Paul, DJ Muggs, and RZA. Their music became highly sought after by breakbeat collectors, leading to a resurgence of interest in their work. In 2004, with the help of Kenny Dope and the Undercover Brother, Manzel's complete recordings were remastered and reissued under the title "Midnight Theme." This release included previously unreleased material and a 7" vinyl single featuring "Midnight Theme" and "Space Funk," complete with a

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