Herbs (band)

Herbs
Herbs live on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, February 2009.
Background information
Origin	New Zealand
Genres	Pacific reggae
Years active	1979–present
Website	http://www.glenmoffatt.com/herbs.htm
Members	Dilworth Karaka Tama Lundon Thom Nepia Tama Renata Walter Bianco Leyton Greening Kaitapu Monga
Past members	Toni Fonoti Spencer Fusimalohi Fred Faleauto Dave Pou John Berkley Phil Toms Morrie Watene Alan Foulkes Carl Perkins Jack Allen Willie Hona Charlie Tumahai Gordon Joll Joe Walsh Kristen Hapi Juanito Muzzio Grant Pukeroa Max Hohepa Walter Bianco Leyton Greening Lionel Nelson Ned Webster Ryan Monga

Herbs are a multi-cultural New Zealand reggae vocal group which had Samoans, Tongans, Cook Islanders and Maori in the band. 11th inductee into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame, they formed in 1979, and were once described as "New Zealand's most soulful, heartfelt and consistent contemporary musical voice". It has been said their debut EP Whats' Be Happen? "set a standard for Pacific reggae which has arguably never been surpassed".

The band has always been political, with links to the Polynesian Panthers and the cover of Whats' Be Happen (released during the 1981 Springbok tour) being an aerial photo of police action at Bastion Point in 1978. As well as race relations, the band took a strong stance on nuclear weapons in the pacific with "French Letter".

Herbs produced a stream of reggae hits with some of the country's top talent. In the 1980s and the first half of the '90s, Herbs had 10 top 20 singles hits. Herbs also worked alongside UB40,Taj Mahal, Tina Turner, Neil Young, George Benson and Stevie Wonder.

Though upbeat, Herbs' music is clear in its messages. Their 1982 New Zealand hit "French Letter", which spent 11 weeks on the charts, came to express New Zealand's anti-nuclear stance. Fourteen years later, it was re-recorded to garner support for the prevention of nuclear testing at Mururoa. Similarly, "No Nukes (The Second Letter)", "Nuclear Waste" and "Light of the Pacific" expressed much the same sentiment.

Herbs' third release and first full album Long Ago, which featured the 1984 single of the same name, was produced by well-known New Zealand bass player Billy Kristian. In 1986, former Be-Bop Deluxe bassist/vocalist Charlie Tumahai joined the group, having been a session musician for various international acts.