Unified Tribe has released a jazzy R&B/Big Band-style version of the holiday classic ‘Sleigh Ride.’ They’ve furnished the tune to select radio stations around the country and it’s available for download on their web site.
Now sure, plenty of bands have given away free copies of their music, especially when they aren’t that well known. But Unified Tribe is taking it a step above and beyond. To make sure that everything is legitimate, the group is actually paying the mechanical licensing on the song so that the writers of the classic still get their just deserts, even though they stand to make no money from the release.
“It’s our holiday gift to our fans,” says band member Baby, “They have been so supportive and dedicated, they deserve a thank you.” Magic, the group’s lead singer and producer says, “It’s about getting back to why we started making music. If we could afford it, all our music would be free.” The group has the goods to back it up; their debut album, ‘Listen To This’ has been free for download at near CD quality MP3 since their follow-up album ‘Mixed Messages’ was released in 2003. And there is promise of still more free music to come as they plan on gifting a double single to their fans for Valentine’s Day, as well as the first single off their upcoming album, ‘Based On A True Story.’ The album is due in the spring of 2005 and is sure to be well received by a very pampered fan base.
About Unified Tribe
Unified Tribe is an Austin-based band with New York and L.A. roots. With 12 principal members, they are a throwback in both size and sound to the days of big bands like Earth, Wind & Fire and Sly & The Family Stone. Though they are big, their lyrics and energy have a decidedly personal nature.
It’s the true musicality of their records that first draws in most fans. It’s an element that is missing from so many industry-formulated artists these days. The Tribe is anything but industry-formulated. With a core that’s been together for almost 24 years, they’ve grown up together and it’s on top of their strong relationships that they build strong music.
Their parent production company, Magic Muzik Productions, Inc., which consists entirely of the band, has produced and worked with such R&B and Jazz veterans as Earth, Wind & Fire, The Whispers, The Manhattans, Phil Perry, The Rippingtons and others.
Though the group has received some of their biggest musical breaks through production, concerts are where they really shine. Fans and industry aficionados alike often comment on the live show as far surpassing any expectations (however high) set by the albums. Their shows are as visual as they are aural, with dancing, great inter-member interaction, audience participation, and musicians constantly switching instruments. You have to see it three or four times just to integrate it all.
Driven by personal tragedy (the loss of Magic and Starr’s son to Leukemia in the early nineties) and an overwhelming air of social consciousness within the group, Unified Tribe takes every opportunity for involvement in charitable and philanthropic causes. They have also become a voice for independent media, through their immersion in community radio in the form of KAZI 88.7 FM in Austin, Texas.