Billy Cobham started his own band, Spectrum and signed with Atlantic Records in the mid 70s. Spectrum's debut album featured a mix of jazz, funk and rock that allowed Cobham to further experiment with percussion. In 1975, Cobham released "A Funky Thide of Sings" moving into commercial jazz exclusively. In 1977, Cobham left Atlantic and signed to CBS label which allowed him to reach the commercial success he had always wanted. Cobham focused on his opportunities as a session drummer and other side opportunities after leaving CBS, such as drumming for the Grateful Dead's side project Bobby & the Midnites. In 1988, Cobham helped start a group called 'Jazz is Dead' which reprised Grateful Dead music with jazz iterations.