Amnesty

Amensty -- Funky soul band. Amnesty was an Indianapolis band in the early '70s. The group performed some in the '80s. The members were Kirk Alexander (drums), Rafael Barnes (percussion), James "Gino" Johnson (saxophone), Damon Malone (lead vocals and percussion), James "Red" Massie (bass), Joe Trotter (keyboards, percussion, and vocals), Herman Walker (Trumpet and vocals), and Calvin Williams (vocals and guitar). The group was known for its three-part vocal harmonies, hot horn section, and driving funk. Amnesty locally released two 45s: "Everybody Wants to be Free" (parts 1 and 2) on Lamp in 1971 and "Lord Help Me/Three Cheers for My Baby" on 700 West Records in 1973. In 2007, the band climbed out of complete obscurity when Now Again Records in California released Free Your Mind, a complete album of ten songs (including the two previously released) from the 700 West sessions in 1973. The album is still available on CD and vinyl, and its tracks are popular on YouTube. The last track entitled "Liberty" (see below) was sampled in Kanye West's "Lift Yourself."