The group was founded by guitarist and main songwriter Todd Rundgren and bassist Carson Van Osten.

[6][4][7] There also exists a 1952 monologue, "The Nazz", by the American Beatnik comedian Lord Buckley,[8] but Rundgren has said that none of the band members were aware of this.

After hearing them play in their space above the record shop, Kurland bargained with Warfield and Bartoff to buy the Nazz out.

[5] Kurland and his assistant Michael Friedman marketed the Nazz in a teen magazine along with bands like the Monkees.

[5] An attempt at recording in England in January 1969 was cut short when the Musicians' Union found they had not obtained proper permission to record in the country, though before returning to the United States the Nazz did a shopping spree to update their wardrobe, building their definitive look.

The Nazz then played a few shows as a trio, with temporary bassists filling Van Osten's slot, before Rundgren quit as well.

[3] Much of what was cut was piano-based Rundgren material, influenced by singer/songwriter Laura Nyro - a far cry from the group's original Beatles-Who-Yardbirds-Cream derived sound.

[3] For a short time the Nazz continued as a duo, touring with support musicians now covering for both Rundgren and Van Osten, before formally dissolving.

Van Osten largely dropped out of music, and worked for decades with The Walt Disney Company producing comic books and other media.

[17] They gained wider recognition thanks to the inclusion of "Open My Eyes" on Nuggets (1972), an anthology of American 1960s garage punk and psychedelia compiled by musician Lenny Kaye.

The three Nazz LPs were reissued by Rhino Records on LP in 1983 and subsequently on CD with bonus demo and outtake tracks.

The next year, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard also recorded a cover of the song, for the Nuggets: Antipodean Interpolations Of The First Psychedelic Era compilation.