Monthly Archives: July 2007

Unlimited Four – Slow Down

Posted on
6

Slow Down 45

Unlimited Four – Slow Down from the Chanson 45

Aahhh the start of yet another week, and I can think of no better way than starting off the week than with some Funky Soul. Last week’s posts were all about the house band, and although I just kind of fly by the seat of my pants and pick what I’m feeling to review, I might just have to get with it and start to put some theme posts together one of these days. I want to shout out a bunch of new Flea Market Funk family, guys like Dr. Diggins and Joe Ro from On The One, who are doing it their own way. (Nice first post btw Joe!) Thanks for stopping by and welcome to the family. Also a shout out to Scholar from Souled On, who has been sending people over here to FMF by the bus load. Much obliged, and I’m hoping that they’re enjoying the ride. A quick update on the September 14th Asbury Park 45 Sessions, as we have added two guest selectors for the event, the one the only Vincent (or shall we say Soul Chef) of Fu Fu Stew fame, and a guy with some deep crates, hailing from the town of Providence, Rhode Island, DJ Save1. I know it’s a bit early to start promoting (or is it?), but I figured I’d get the ball rolling. DO NOT MISS THIS ONE!. The lineup is strong, and mix that up with the residents, it’s gonna be a heavy affair, all on 45 of course.

I’m starting the week off kinda short and sweet, with another band who I couldn’t dig much up on, but just had to share with you all. It is a double sider, one Funky Soul, and the other a Northern Soul classic. I’m gonna stick to the Funky Soul, and throw out the side I’m feeling as of late: “Slow Down” by the Unlimited Four on Chanson Records. Like I said previously, I don’t know much about this record’s history, other than Chanson was distributed by All Platinum Records. All Platinum put out bands like Willie and the Mighty Magnificents, Dave “Baby” Cortez, The Moments, and Sylvia among others. ( I swear there is a surplus of Sylvia “Pillow Talk” records in this area. They’re like mosquitoes in the summer). The beginning of this side starts off with some quick harmonizing and a scream. As I listened to it more and more, the scream sounded familiar. It reminded me of Roger Collins, of “Foxy Girl In Oakland” fame. There is an H.Collins listed on the writing credits, but I can not be sure there is a connection at all. He’s yelling to her, “Slow Down long enough to find a friend”, all the while slipping into some falsetto voice and then switching back to normal. This aural concoction has all the right ingredients a good Funky Soul dish should have: a jangley guitar driven riff, a funky as three week old broccoli bass line, plus a drum beat that not only is on time, but really out of sight. It’s a two sider too, as the flip side, “Slow Down”, is Sweet piece of Soul that will make you fall in (or out of, depending how you listen to the song) love with the record instantly. I know I did. It’s the kind of record I find out digging, and win no matter what side I drop the needle on. I’d really like to know more about this record, so if anyone has any clue as to who this band is, drop me a line so I can share it with the people. I’ll be back later on this week with some more goodness. To keep you up to speed, I have two mixes that will drop shortly. One is going to be for Vault Magazine, called “Sumptin’ Heavy”. The other is called “Get Ready”, and it’s a guest mix for Mike, aka DJ Blueprint over at This Is Tomorrow. So keep your ears open for those two mixes to drop very soon. The Vault Mix will be an exclusive mix included in an upcoming issue of the magazine, while DJ Blueprint will be celebrating his first year anniversary on the intrawebs. Big up Luxembourg! See you all on Wednesday. Keep Diggin’!

**PS: This Wednesday on your local PBS Station, set your Tivo or DVR for this:

Great Performances : Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story

Wednesday, August 1, 9:00pm

I’ve been waiting for this for a while, and it should not be missed.

Road Trippin’, More Saturday Digs

Posted on
24

Sat Digs

With the threat of rain looming hard, I decided to bypass my local digging spot and head up to a record sale in North Jersey with the one and only Devil Dick. He said he had bought a record from a guy on E Bay, who sent him an e mail about a record sale, and that he had in the neighborhood of 30,000 45s. Yeah that’s right, 30,000. He didn’t reveal that number until we got there. It’s funny because a friend e mailed me with a Craig’s List ad that coincidentally was the same sale. So at the butt crack of dawn, DD picked me up and we trucked our old asses up the Parkway to what turned out to be a really great sale. The sky looked like it would open up any time, and the guy running the sale in his back yard was ready with some tarps. At that point, when he said: “The 45s are ready”, it could have rained cats and dogs, because I found a dry spot to sit and listen near the garage. What happened next, was basically a dream day digging. There were a few people going through the 45s, but really we had the run of the boxes. I don’t know if the chance of rain really held people back, but whatever the case, it was to our advantage. We dug for well over two hours, and both came back with hand fulls of sweet Soul and gritty Funk 45s. I was so excited I didn’t take any crate pics, but I’ve enclosed a few pics of the booty I pulled home. There were a few weird record guys (besides us), most notably a guy we’ll call “The Gospel Slob”. This guy made it well known he was looking for Gospel records, on Savoy if we saw them. I threw in some non-Savoy Gospel and he had a hissy fit. He then let out a large belch in front of a few women without blinking an eye, hence the slob moniker. Then, the portable set up by the seller broke, and the Gospel Slob was trying to get his hands on mine, which wasn’t happening. Actually, a lot of people kept picking my portable up, and were a bit scared when I told them it wasn’t for sale. I mean I am in no way, shape, or form intimidating, but I do have a few tattoos (and so does DD), so maybe that put them off. It’s a 70′s child phonograph made of plastic, not a Sherman tank and these people were tossing it around like they didn’t care. At any rate, a good diggin’ experience, and I’m looking forward to getting some more of this guy’s stash of records. Below is a list of what I got for those who are interested.

Sat Digs 2

Sat Digs:

Clarence Reid – Nobody But You Babe/ Alston
Syl Johnson – Someone But You/ Hi
Moody Scott – (We Gotta) Bust Out of the Ghetto/ Sound Stage 7
Soul Sisters – I Can’t Stand It
Betty everett – I Got To Tell Somebody/ Fantasy
The Crusdaer – Greasy Spoon/ Chisa
Bad Bascomb – Bo Diddly/ Paramount
Jimmy McGriff – The Bird/ Capitol
David T. Walker – Can I Change My Mind/ Revue
Jimmy “Bo” Horne – Let Me Be Your Lover/ Sunshine Sound
Dave “Baby” Cortez – Funky Robot/ All Platinum
Lou Donaldson – Everything I Do Gohn Be Funky/ Blue Note
Bobby Byrd – Keep On Doin’ What Your Doin’/ Brownstone
Masters of Soul – I Hate You (in the Daytime and Love You at Night)/ Duke
Little Milton – Friend of Mine/ Glades
Linda Perry & Soul Express Eddie Billups – I Need Someone/ Mainstream
Lou Johnson – A Time to Love, A Time to Cry/ Big Top
Bobby Powell – Do Something For Yourself/ Whit
Syl Johnson – Same Kind of Thing/ Twinight
General Crook – Do It For Me/ Down to Earth Records
LLoyd Price – They Get Down/ GSF
Creative Funk – Funk Power/ Creative Funk
Lou Toby and His Heavies – Heavy Steppin’/ Peach-Mint
One G Plus Three – Summertime/ Paramount
Rasputin’s Stash – Your Love Is Certified/ Cotillion
Barbara & the Uniques – What’s the Use/ Arden
Carlton Moore – Soul Jamaica/ Tobin
Dorothy Norwood – Get Aboard the Soul Train/ GRC
Lou Rawls – You Made Me So Very Happy/ Capitol
Gloria Taylor – You Got to Pay The Price/ Silver Fox
Eddie Harris – Instant Death/ Atlantic
King Curtis & the Kingpins – Whole Lotta Love/ Atco
Lee Eldred – Shackin’ Baby/ Mercury

Seven Seas – Pat’s Jam

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1

Clarence Reid

Seven Seas 45

Seven Seas – Pat’s Jam from the Glades 45

Well we made it. It’s been a long week here at the FMF household, and I wanted to get a short post going for Friday. Thanks to all who commented on The Politicians, I believe they were indeed a great house band and a whole lot more. Which leads me to this band today: Seven Seas. This band is the band that backed up Clarence Reid for his TK record sessions. TK Records falls under the umbrella of the Henry Stone Empire: Glades, Alston, Cat, and the list goes on. I get into the Stone record labels more in my previous Little Beaver review. House bands were important, and even though this was their only release, it was an important one. I almost feel like Reid was throwing them a bone by putting out their side, or maybe Stone was, who knows. At any rate, it’s a great side. Let’s jump into “Pat’s Jam” by Seven Seas on the Glades label from 1975.

“Pat’s Jam” is a stone groove baby. Definitely a piece of the sound coming from Miami during the early 1970′s, rich will horns, a deep bass line and of course that funky beat. Kind of sleepy at times, the wah-wah guitar reminds you to keep that head nodding. The man’s persona changed like the wind, from Clarence Reid to Blowfly. The dude who who wrote hits for Betty Wright, Gwen McCrae, and a few for himself, sure knew how to pick a backing band. Teaming up with producer Willie Clarke, you could call them The Mighty Two of the Miami sound, they had their hands in a lot of music Henry Stone was putting out. Of course later, Reid reinvented himself into the XXX musician/ entertainer Blowfly, and the rest is history. I wasn’t trying to have a theme this week, it just worked out that way. You see, don’t sleep on the backing or house band. These guys are important. Without these guys, who were able to take it to the bridge, hit it and quit it, come back on the one, the stars would be standing there by themselves. I’m hoping you enjoyed this backing band as much as I did. Sorry for the short post, I’ll be back over the weekend with some digging stories and hopefully some new treats. Keep Diggin’!

**This cut was featured on the What It Is box set, along with a slew of other great funk sides. If you don’t have it, it comes highly recommended from FMF.

The Politicians – Free Your Mind

Posted on
10

The Politicians

Free Your Mind 45

The Policticians – Free Your Mind from the Hot Wax 45

What’s up FMF family? It’s time to get back to some Funk this Wednesday. From the amount of downloads and views Joe Gibbs & the Professionals got, I guess I should let some of that reggae I have out from under wraps out. I’m glad I’m not the only one who can appreciate some really good Reggae, as opposed to the Reggaeton bullshit that will hopefully go away sooner than later. It looks like Devil Dick got some good vinyl scores off a street corner this past week in West Philly, and I am jealous at the Black Jazz Lp you got my brother. That was a nice score. Thanks for reminding me of the “wig guy”, which I can most definitely touch upon after Saturday’s digging. I figured since I never do a theme that often, I’d continue on from the post on Monday with another house band. Now this just isn’t your run of the mill, everyday house band. These guys were on some other shit ya dig? They were the house band for the Holland Dozier Holland’s label after they parted ways with Motown, the one and only Hot Wax Records. This time we visit the Motor City with The Politicians and “Free Your Mind”.

After getting out of Motown, HDH took their legendary song writing ability and status and started Hot Wax. They featured artists such as The Honey Cone, Laura Lee (which I will visit in the future), The Flaming Ember (definitely on deck), 100 Proof Aged Soul (also in my cue..funkiest white boys in Detroit), and Warlock. Where the Honey Cone was the more successful of the groups over time, the Politicians were a band that had their hands (and ears) in a lot of releases, both on Hot Wax and Invictus. They were the house band for Invictus/ Hot Wax, and were lead by trombone player McKinley Jackson. McKinley had come over from the Funkadelic camp, so you know where this guy’s head was at. He had a hand in Funkadelic’s 1971 tune: “Back In Our Minds”, and then broke free on his own, letting the people know where the back of his mind was at: Psychedelic Funk and Soul. Fortunately, some of that gritty Funkadelic sound rubbed off on him, (it wasn’t just Little Beaver!), and Detroit was a better place. The Politicians were known for playing the club circuit in the Detroit area, and backed up many touring bands that came through the city. The band consisted of Jackson, Melvin Griffin (Sax and Electric Piano), “Peanut” Roderick Chandler (Bass and Sax), “Clay” Clarence Robinson (Organ and Trumpet), and Zachary Slater (Drums and Percussions). This band was equal parts Motown Soul, Funkadelic, and Sly Stone; all wrapped in to one fuzzed out Rock, Soul, Funk and Psychedelic package. This record was previously released on Invictus (9098-B) by The 8th Day as “It’s Instrumental To Be Free”. It’s been sampled by the likes of Profesor Griff and Nikki D.

The side itself with it’s strong bass line start, galloping organ and fuzzy guitar show the obvious Funkadelic and Sly Stone influence from the get go and just don’t let up. I’m sure played live, the middle was extended for some sweet conga and drum breaks, as well as assorted trading off of the funky stuff. I can just imagine these guys taking the stage in the Detroit area a few nights a week when they weren’t recording, and just tearing the place apart. Music like this is what’s missing today. With the exception of the Daptone, Truth and Soul, and some Melting Pot bands, the scene today is void of house bands like the Politicians. They were a band that could hold their own when not backing up another artist, and do it 7 nights a week. Maybe I just live in my little FMF bubble, but if there are some bands that can do it, I want to review them and go see them live as well. Drop me a line and I’ll do my best to spread the word. So there you have it, another house band that could do it to it. Whether it’s Jamaica or Detroit, or even Jamaica imitating Detroit (as the case was a lot of times), don’t count out the band the backs up the star. See you on Friday. Keep Diggin’!

Joe Gibbs & The Professionals – Kick To Yu Chin

Posted on
6

Gibbs Record Shop JA

Kick Yu Chin 45

Joe Gibbs & The Professionals – Kick To Yu Chin from the Belmont 45

Hanging at the Reggae Van on Saturday inspired me to start the week off with some Reggae. I do have a fair amount, and Old King Bravo hooked me up with some more good 45s from JA, and this next side is one of them. I’d like to give a shout out to Mike Schwiegert at Electric Tattoo in Bradley Beach, who hooked me up with a pair of sweet Funk and Soul script tattoos on my feet. If you’re in the Central Jersey area and in need of a tattoo, stop in, they do a mighty fine job. The record I’m gonna get into to get you grooving in your cubicle, on your bike, or while you sit in traffic is Joe Gibbs & The Professionals with “Kick To Yu Chin”, on Belmont Records.

Joe Gibbs (born Joel Gibson) started out as an electrical engineer, eventually opening a TV repair shop in Kingston, and making a progression to selling records out of the back of the shop. From there, under the tutalege of Lee “Scratch” Perry (who Gibbs hired to “oversee” his sessions) and prodding of Bunny Lee,, he would go on to form the Amalgamated record label in 1967, where he released what people may consider the very first rock steady record: “Hold Them” by Roy Shirley. When Perry took off to form the Upsetter label, apparently the split was far from a good one. Perry would go on to release “People Funny Boy”, while Gibbs would answer with “People Grudgeful Boy”. This is neither here nor there, and well, they both went on to have very successful careers and were two tremendously influential Jamaican producers that have put out many a good side. Gibbs has worked with a slew of artists including Ken Parker, Peter Tosh, Errol Dunkley, the Versatiles, the Slickers, the Pioneers, Culture, Junior Byles, Gregory Isaacs, and a host of other notables. The Professionals were Gibb’s Studio band, and featured players like bassists Lloyd Parks and Robbie Shakespeare, drummer Sly Dunbar, guitarists Earl Chinna Smith and Bingi Bunny, organist Ossie Hibbert, and various alumni from the Jets. They put out “State of Emergency” and got a bit of spark on the charts. Prior to this, Gibbs had gotten some notoriety not just in Jamaica, but in England with Culture’s “Two Seven’s Clash”. From here Gibbs went on with further success, joining forces with session leader Erol Thompson (formerly of Randy’s), and doing records with Dennis Brown, plus releasing other instrumental sides with a gaggle of other artists. The Mighty Two were hot, and would release well over a hundred hits while working together. Joe Gibbs was on top of the world, or so you might have thought. You see, there ‘s a little thing called royalties, and Joe Gibbs was not paying them, especially in the case of a Charley Pride song “Somebody Loves You,” covered by J.C. Lodge and produced by Gibbs. The legal red tape involved in the case, which Gibbs lost, would cripple him financially and force him to be out of the picture in Jamaica for a while. He eventually got back to producing in 1993, reformed the Mighty Two, and produced hits from Tanya Stevens, Alton Ellis, Lloyd Parks, and Gregory Isaacs (once again). The addition of Pioneers vocalist Sidney “Luddy” Crooks to his production team was a step in the right direction, and with the help of his son Rocky, was able to release sides and eventually compilations of his early work.

Starting off like a Jackie Chan movie (the flip side would be Jah Grundy’s “Shaolin Disciples”), this 1978 side is right on point. Gibbs chose to start with some chimes, then into the sleepy riddim which featured the Professionals horn section, and an isolated organ keeping time with the rhythm section. For sure, this Version could back up a scene in some weeded out Kung Fu flick, and Gibbs choice of a martial arts theme was right along many records put out by Jamaican artists, even paralleling his former partner Scratch, who has put out a Kung Fu themed side of his own. The Professionals, on a whole, could challenge any other studio band of the time, and for that matter IMHO, the 70′s. The proof is in the pudding, as Gibbs was a winner throughout the whole decade, and his revolving door of musicians proved that his production could yield hits no matter who sat in and backed the artist up. I’ve got a whole case full of Jamaican 45s, and will start to get them in rotation in the future. I know my man Jah-nee Gill from MTV’s Tempo channel will be pleased. I can hear it now (Respect, Respect!). See you midweek, Keep Diggin’!

PS: Here’s a few snapshots of the Funk/ Soul tattoos I got:

Funk and Soul Feet

Hanging at the Reggae Van and Saturday Finds

Posted on
20

Reggae Van

It’s Saturday, and of course it means it’s time to go record digging. Today was pretty fruitful, as I scored some great 45s, and a handful of Reggae 45s and Lps out of what I call, The Reggae Van. About a month ago, I see this older Jamaican guy with records, so of course I stop to chat. I can not pass up some 45s straight from JA. His patois is not super thick, but he introduces himself as King Bravo, and claims he has played with the Skatalites. The first few times I bought from him, I got some Soul, and a really nice Roots full length. The van is literally filled with junk, but the records are kind of neat, and you really have to go through them. All the while there are a couple, yes a couple (he switches from one to the other) of radios and tape players blaring Soul or Reggae. As the music is playing, he’s talking about Tommy McCook, and how he himself started out in Calypso, then switched to Ska. It’s definitely interesting, but the music is so damn loud, it’s hard to sample records. The great thing about the van is that it’s almost like a Sound System, and he’s got the inside of the van doors open, speakers out, having a soundclash with the old lady cranking up smooth Jazz in the next spot. Bravo has a lot of record covers taped to the inside of the van doors, covers of Moms Mabley, various Reggae and Skatalites Lp jackets. You can see by the photos below.

King Bravo 1
King Bravo 2

This man loves his Reggae and Ska, and he will talk about it for days. He said he is having a hard time making it here, because the petrol costs him way too much to get where he needs to go. I had to dig, and I got some great records, which hopefully helped out with the petrol until next weekend. The jury is still out whether or not he has played with the Skatalites.

The usual suspects were out this weekend.. In fact, they were crowding Stinkie Steve’s table. Word has it around the spot that he has been banned from yet another flea market, so he is ever present at my spot. (The story goes is that he was banned from setting up a table, but if he paid 2 bucks he could sell in the parking lot. Well, he didn’t want to pay the 2 bucks, so he got banned for life.) In fact, it was like a stare down when I walked by his table and didn’t buy records from him. I saw “Egg Beard” (thanks Tommy for that one), who was rumored once to sell a quarter record for like 2 grand, and will try to push you out of the way, even going as far as to dig in your same crate. For me, I don’t go for that shit, and haven’t had to elbow him in the chest as a close acquaintance of mine did, but am not against a little shove if one of these record crazies gets in my personal space. I’m serious about records, but some of these guys who do it for a living get a bit wacky and will try to see how far they can get with you, even try to intimidate you, which is hilarious. It’s the flea market for God’s sake. I moved on. “Johnny No Change” only had one and a half crates, the half was nothing but Bowie records and the other mixed. I had to wait because this really annoying guy who is always digging through crates with one hand, while the other is on a cell phone to someone probably Popsiking everything in each crate. It goes a little something like this: “Urbie Green..yeah Jazz. Mott the Hoople, yeah the grey label, wait here’s a Quincy Jones”…on and friggin’ on every week. He’s next on the list. If I have to wait one more time for him, he might just get the elbow. DJ Jack the Ripper was hanging tough (I hope he got some good stuff) at Steve’s table, but honestly, there are enough records to be bought elsewhere. The process you go through to get prices, it kind of wears on you. I may eventually go back to him, but who knows. Steve is gonna miss out on my buying. I buy a lot of records every week, so it’s his wallet that’s gonna hurt. My normal dealer set me up with some great records (as always), and I was happy to get out of there in about two hours before the heat of the sun really started warping what’s for sale. Here’s a list of the 45s I got:

Seven Seas – Pat’s Jam/ Glades
Sandy Wynns – Love Belongs to Everyone/ Champion
Al Wilson – Keep On Lovin’ You
Otis Clay – This Kind of Lovin’/ Cotillion
Mary Wells – Can’t You See/ Atco
Chairman of the Board – Finder’s Keepers/ Invictus
Black Blood – A.I.E./ Mainstream
Ike & Tina Turner – Beauty Is Just Skin Deep/ Tangerine
Black Ivory – Love Won’t You Stay/ Buddah
Garnet Mimms – Stop and Check Yourself/ GSF
Renaldo Domino – Just Say the Word/ Blue Rock
Jacob Miller – All Day Til Daylight/ Jam Sounds
Flick Wilson – Keep the Troubles Down/ Ultra
Roman Stewart – Doing Fine/ Aiken
Jah Brundy – Shaolin Disciples b/w Joe Gibbs and the Professionals – Kick To Yu Chin/ Belmont

I got a couple of nice original Bob Marley records from Bravo, and some assorted sampling records from the “Old Lisp Guy”, who is happy even when it rains. I had to buy 3 records to make a buck, so I copped a Blue Magic and a George Baker Selection to round it off. All in all, not a bad day. I’d say the best score of the day was the Flick Wilson and the Seven Seas, which will definitely be reviewed sooner than later. I also picked up an old Jazz Encyclopedia for 2 bucks, plus some crazy comic book that looks like it could be good flyer material by an artist named Tom Skinner. It’s called “Up from Harlem”, and it’s a blaxploitation Christian comic, but the imagery will work for some future gig flyers. Stay tuned in the upcoming weeks for a special treat. I got an interview with a Rare Groove and Funk artist from the Louisiana area. I actually tracked him down and we spoke briefly yesterday, so that’s on the horizon. Keep Diggin’!

Mongo Santamaria – I Can’t Get Next To You

Posted on
10

Mongo!

I Can't Get Next To You 45

Mongo Santamaria – I Can’t Get Next To You from the Atlantic 45

Here we are at Friday again folks. I trust Judy Clay showed you an example of how Southern Soul does it from a female perspective (if you didn’t know already). If she didn’t do it for you, I have plenty more for you in future posts. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this weekend will be rain free, because I have an itch that needs to be scratched, that even a Rufus Thomas record couldn’t cure…ok maybe it could. A rare groove HEAVYWEIGHT has thrown his hat into the blog ring this week, and I urge you all to go pay a visit. You will most definitely learn something from one half on the “Kings of Diggin’” (as they are sometime called), but better yet, their new project Off Track should keep you wondering where these audio treats are coming from. I’m speaking none other than Kon, from the duo Kon and Amir. These guys have been an inspiration over the years, and it’s good to see them spreading some of their record love over the intra-webs. These guys are pure class, and know what they are talking about. So listen up! I started off the week with a Latin Funk/ Jazz Cover, and I’m gonna end the week with another one, Mister Ramon “Mongo” Santamaria with “I Can’t Get Next To You” on Atlantic Records. I’ve been into Mongo for a while, I was introduced to him about 10 or so years ago. I used to DJ alongside a Funk band called Brown, and the two cousin percussionists got me into him. I never pass up some Mongo, and Funky 16 Corners did a great post about him here , with his cover of “Lady Marmalade”, which I narrowly missed digging up recently. DJ Prime got it before me, but that’s ok, there’s always more Funk and Soul records out there. I don’t mind losing records to my friends, it’s the guys who I don’t know, that started infiltrating my spot, that I do mind. If I don’t give up my digging spots, forgive me, I’m not being rude, but I just want to continue to be able to dig for records in peace. Nahmean? It’s taken me almost 20 years to uncover a lot of these gems, and well, I wouldn’t have the great flea market stories to share if I didn’t keep some of my spots under my hat. That being said, let’s get to Mongo, shall we?

Born in Havana, Cuba in 1922, this legendary percussionist paid his dues at the Tropicana Club, before making the trek to New York City in 1950. Starting off with Perez Prado, he cut his teeth in the greatest music city in the world. His skills as a conguero grew to be well respected amongst his peers, and soon he played sideman to the legends like Tito Puente, and one of my favorite Latin Jazz cats, vibraphonist Cal Tjadar. Santamaria caught the public’s ear in 1963, with a cover of Herbie Hancock’s “Watermelon Man”, which for it’s time was pretty damn good. (also rumored to be out of a jam session with Hancock showing the band his new song, then so good, Santamaria got whisked away to the studio to get it down) Considering it was early in the Funk and Soul game, Mongo layed down the foundation of what was to come in the next 10 years or so from him musically. Recording sides for Fantasy, Battle, Vaya, Riverside, CBS, Buddah, Concord Picante, and even some live stuff on Pablo, his long career has made him one of the most well known Cuban musicians in the world. His ability to fuse Latin Jazz with Funk, Afro-Soul, Rock, R & B, and even straight ahead Jazz, made him not only a great musician, but a premier band leader as well. His ability to transform the popular music of the time into Latin flavored goodness was a contributing factor to his career long success. He continued to perform and record up until his death following a stroke in 2003 in Miami, FL.

This cover of The Temptation’s 1969 smash hit “I Can’t Get Next To You” is some funky Latin Soul here kids. Starting off h-e-a-v-y on the drums and percussion (would you expect anything else?), the horn section wastes no time in belting out the lyrics, and we’re on our way. It’s all upbeat Latin Funk from here, finally coming to a crashing halt, only for a second, and then the drum break (or should I say percussion break?), which builds a bit and then goes out in a blaze of Latin Jazz Funk history. Of course this is on Atlantic, who I never have doubted to be one of, if not the greatest record label of all time. It’s from the full length “Feelin’ Alright”, and is one of the more successful commercial Mongo records. For some reason, I am drawn to every Mongo Santamaria record I see. From straight ahead Latin Jazz, to his Funk, Afro-Soul and the like, I can’t really get enough of the man, and I urge you to get into him as well. I haven’t had a hard time finding his stuff in the field, although I’m not actively seeking it, some side of his always turns up, and not really for a lot of dough either. Last week’s find of “Stone Soul” is a definite keeper. Tomorrow is digging day (actually I’m headed out with my neice and nephews on Sunday as well), so of course I will give you the weekend digging report. For all of you in the Asbury Park area tonight, Friday the 20th of July, there is a James Brown Documentary at 7 PM being played at the Baronet Theater entitled: Get on the Good Foot: James Brown: The Man, The Music, The Message. It’s part of the 33rd Newark Black Film Festival, and promises to be a good one. I will be there for sure. Keep Diggin’!

Judy Clay – You Busted My Mind

Posted on
1

Judy Clay

You Busted My Mind 45

Judy Clay – You Busted My Mind from the Scepter 45

Good midweek to the FMF family. I trust you got your Latin Jazz Funk on, and Pucho Brown showed you how to do a cover right with the last post. I’m still taking in all the latest vinyl scores I got over the weekend, and also a nice little package I got from DJ Save1 out of Rhode Island. He hooked me up with a few sweet sides: The Hidden Cost “Bo Did It” on Marmaduke, The Dynamic Corvettes “Key to My Happiness” on Abet, and The Detroit Night Riders with “Getting Funky” on Mutt. Good looking out my man. I’m trying to arrange him to come down to be a Asbury Park 45 Sessions guest, so look out for that in the future. Speaking of that, it looks like Vincent from FuFu Stew will be making an appearance at the Sept. 14 installment of the Sessions. **Not to be missed, as Vince’s quiver of 45 gems is heavy. While I’m on the subject, the new flyer for Sept. will be designed by SF artist Alex Valdez, which is exciting as well. Ok, that being said, let’s travel to North Carolina via Brooklyn and Harlem, NY, with Judy Clay and “You Busted My Mind” on Sceptor records.

Judy (Guions) Clay was born in St. Paul, North Carolina, relocating to Brooklyn, NY in her teens. As with many of these soon to be Soul singers, she got her start in the church. Adopted by Lee Drinkard (the sister of Cissy Houston and mother of Dionne Warwick) while singing in a Harlem choir, she soon was a part to the Drinkard Singers of Gospel fame. Three records were released, and in 1961 she went solo, putting out the side “More Than You Know” on Ember. In fact, she would go on to do sides for Lavette, Scepter, Stax, and Atlantic. She was part of the first male/female interracial duet, a song with Billy Vera, (“Storybook Children”) to ever appear on a major label. She never really charted well with all her singles (there were a few that did actually chart), but was said to have possessed one of the greatest Soul voices, reminiscent of the great Mahalia Jackson. After releasing a string of records on Scepter (home to her sibling Warwick), she was let go on her contract and snatched up by Atlantic producer Jerry Wrexler to Stax for the aforementioned duet with Billy Vera. As groundbreaking as that duet was, the times got the best of the situation, and executives from major television stations refused to air their appearance at the famed Apollo theater. Another blow to this woman’s career, which seemed like she could never really get a break. Her next move was a duet with famed Stax man William Bell, which yielded Clay the best hit of her career (finally!), “Private Number”, in 1968. Known to not take any BS from anyone, her fiery disposition was an object that stood in the way of her success. A reunion with Vera was thwarted when she refused to do another Apollo appearance over money, and it seemed like that jump start the duet with Bell gave her career was fading fast. She continued to tour and record (there is a great Muscle Shoals solo project she did) until the late 70′s. She became a back up singer and has singing credits with the following artists: Donny Hathaway, Patti LaBelle, Wilson Pickett, Booker T. & the MG’s, Ray Charles, Mongo Santamaria, Eddie Harris and Les McCann and Yusef Lateef, among others. In 1979 Clay had an operation to remove a brain tumor shortly after that, and vowed never to sing secular songs again, returning to her native North Carolina and the church.

“You Busted My Mind” is a sweet little piece of Southern Soul. The horns play a major part in this scorcher, as a response to Clay’s calls of a scorned woman. This side is upbeat, and the beat itself reminds me of a faster rhythm of “Knock on Wood” by Eddie Floyd. She’d been hurt (maybe this song mirrored what was going on in her life at the time?), and her beautiful voice was telling everyone that would listen. The song was arranged and produced by Tommy Kaye who’s produced stuff by The Shirelles, ? and the Mysterians,Three Dog Night, Link Wray, Jay and the Americans ,and many others in his long sordid career. Kaye was head of A & R at Scepter at the ripe age of eighteen, where he went on to lead a hard life in the music biz which left him broke and hurting, finally passing away in Upstate New York in 1994. It’s hard for me to comprehend why a woman with such great talent, a superb voice, and a decent career, just couldn’t make it. Maybe it was the times, an ignorant nation caught up with the color of someone’s skin mixed in with a woman burnt by the shady side of the music business that contributed to Clay not staying in the spotlight. Who knows? What I do know is that the music she’s left us is a definite reminder of what Soul music is supposed to be. I’ll finish up with a quote from her son. “It was raw and effortless,” Leo Gatewood says of his mother’s singing. “She was pure Soul. You can call the music what you want, but she was probably the most soulful person I’ve ever known–because my definition of Soul is not just singing on the off-note. It’s singing from the soul, and that’s what she did.” Keep Diggin’!

Pucho & Latin Soul Bros. – Freddie’s Dead

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Pucho Brown

Freddie's Dead

Pucho & Latin Soul Bros. – Freddie’s Dead from the Zanzee 45

Well, we made it through another weekend, and damn if the summer isn’t flying past us. There were lots of great records to be dug up this weekend, first from my local spot, and also at the Asbury Lanes Vinyl Swap. My digs from that will be at the bottom of this post. Even though I have a que of older records, I’m gonna push this one right to the top, as I have been looking around for it, and it popped up this weekend. It was a toss up between Mongo Santamaria doing “I Can’t Get Next To You” on Atlantic, and Pucho and His Latin Soul Bros. with “Freddie’s Dead” on Zanzee Records. Pucho wins out this week, we’ll save Mongo for another post, although he is connected to Pucho Brown musically. Now I know what you’re thinking, another cover of Curtis Mayfield. No one is ever going to top the original. That may be true. Fishbone’s, (yes, I’m referring to the hardest working, most under rated funk ska band that should have made it in the 80′s and 90′s) version is outstanding. Pucho & His Latin Soul Brothers is different, and a great cover in it’s own way.

Henry “Pucho” Brown grew up in Harlem, NY. Brown grew up listening to the Latin sounds of Mambo, R & B, and of course jazz. He is a timbale player, and started out with Los Lobos Diablos early on, before being a member of Joe Panama’s band. That band broke up in 1959, and Pucho went on to form his own group. There is a common misconception about Pucho, that he is Latino; however he is not. He is of African American descent, which goes to show you that music transcends cultures, boundaries, and these things that so many people in today’s world get hung up on. His reputation as a band leader and musician was building, and it wasn’t long before guys like Mongo Santamaria and Wille Bobo were recruiting his band members from him left and right. One player that would be lured away would be none other than a young Chick Corea. That’s another whole story entirely. Pucho had some requiremnts for musicians to be in his band, which has carried over to modern times as well. “A piano player and a bass player in my band has to play three types of music, ” he says. “He has to play jazz, he has to play funk, and he has to play Latin, just as a good jazz musician, just as a good funk musician, just as a good Latin musician . . . those cats are hard to find!” When he did, this unit was as tight and in the pocket as any band in all three of the genres. In 1966 he signed to the Prestige label. He had a nice stretch on the on the label, and became known for doing unique covers of Funk, Soul Jazz, and the like as well as originals. Pucho and all the Latin Soul Bros. we’re doing it they’re own way. He was a pioneer of the term Latin Boogaloo, and was known for his sound and touring prowess on the Chitlin’ Circuit. The stand out factor was the percussion section of the band, which of course featured Pucho on the timbales. This was what kept him a step above the rest. Then, in the early 1970′s, things started to dry up. Brown split up the band, and was on an almost 20 year hiatus of sorts playing at resort hotels in the Upstate Catskill region of New York state. Then in the 1990′s, something happened. The acid jazz crowd in England started to generate an interest in his older songs. This lead to him doing recordings on the Ace label, and finally going with Ubiquity off shoot Cu Bop. I first discovered Pucho in the 90′s as well, and can remember playing “Hot Barbecue” over and over and over. It was CuBop where I discovered him (and coincidentally he was rediscovered by a whole new fan base), so any of his back catalog to me was like a bonus at the time.

This song was from the 1972 Zanzee record “Superfreak”. Originally this track was a part of a 15 minute plus medley and included “Pusherman” and “Super Fly”. The 45 however, is just “Freddie’s Dead”. This full length was kind of snubbed by the critics because it was a distant cry from Pucho’s original Latin sound (the straight ahead Latin Jazz was now replaced by Psychedelic heavy organ Soul). I believe that if it wasn’t for his exploration into another genre, the future discovery (and sampling) of Pucho Brown wouldn’t have occurred, possible leaving him in a lifetime of gigs where the audience was all over 70 and went to bed at 7 PM. Thankfully, this was not the case. The tune starts off with a funky bass groove and a load of percussion. The vocals are replaced with the psychedelic organ, and a horn section. I did say a load of percussion, because this track is heavy through and through, combining a funky Latin style and psychedelic organ style which work well together. The flute and horn solos alone keep this Mayfield classic fresh. I mean there have been a lot of covers of Curtis, and IMHO, this version is a great take on a song you really can’t improve. Keep an eye out for a review of the Mongo Santamaria record coming in the future.

The Asbury Park Vinyl Swap/ Sale was definitely a good time today, here’s a list of some records I dug up:

45s:
Edwin Starr – Agent Double 0-Soul/ Ric Tic
Jesse Gresham Plus 3 – Shootin’ the Grease/ Head
Ron Holden – I Need Ya/ NOW…thanks Larry for finding this one for me.
Elvin Bishop – Slick Titty Boom/ Capricorn

Lps:
King Hannibal – Truth/ Aware
Idris Muhammad – Power of Soul/ Kudu
Grover Washington Jr. – Inner City Blues/ Kudu
Jerry Butler – The Soul Goes On/ Mercury

Flea Market Characters and Saturday Finds

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Super Mario Record Dealer

Saturdays are always a good day for me. I get to go digging. Sometimes with my wife, sometimes not. She is really good at sniffing out records and doesn’t mind waiting while I dig/ listen. She also hates getting up early though, so today I went at it alone, but met my 45 Session compadre Jack the Ripper and his friend Glen. I knew that my record guy had some stuff for me, so since it was the butt crack of dawn, we went straight to him. I was able to dig out some good finds, which of course I’ll list at the end of the post. I wanted to speak on a few more of the characters I deal with, and today we’ll focus on a guy who tries to keep up with the big boys, but can’t, and ends up half assing it all the way. After my Stinkie Steve fiasco last week, I’ve decided not to get any more records from him for a while, because he thinks guys like me are below dealers, and don’t deserve to find good records. He was just pissed that someone got good records before he did. You gotta get up early to really beat me to the vinyl, I’m just saying. At any rate, we have a guy we call Mario Brothers. He’s a short, chunky Italian guy who looks like either one of the Mario Brothers from the Nintendo game. He’s been selling for a few years, but I can honestly say the best thing I ever bought from him was a Black Heat record. Most of his stuff is straight up garbage, 45s without sleeves, totally rinked or scratched up, and every now and again he gets something worthwhile. For the most part he’s selling scratched up Doo Wop and Jazz, and whatever mangey photos, audio equipment, movie posters, and stuff he picked from the garbage. He always ends his sentences with: “I have some original Beatles records, they’re authentic.” The man is no record dealer, however, the sun shine’s on a dog’s ass every once in a while. Last week was just that occasion. He had a copy of the Soul Tornadoes “Funky Thang” on Burt. When I asked him how much, he said: “Not For Sale. I have to do research on it.” I offered him 20 bucks on the spot (which was probably a bit high, but I wanted the record. I went home to research it as well, mint it only goes for no more than $20. His copy was probably VG.) He said another guy wanted it, but whoever came to him first he would sell it to. Fair enough. When I came back today, he was like, here’s your record, it’s $20 bucks. I said “the $20 offer was last week. Did you research it? ” He replied: “You’re doing bad business, I held the record for you.” I said, “No, you held the record to see if you could get more money from anyone. I know what the record is worth, and it’s not worth 20 bucks.” I do admit I got a bit loud, which is always fun at the Flea Market, because seriously, we’re buying junk. It burns me up though, because you would think that these guys were selling me a copy of “Hercules” by Aaron Neville. I just hate guys who think that E Bay is an excuse to inflate record prices, especially when they have no business selling them in the first place. I did get reasonable with him (and bought a few other records), but not after I said my piece, which was basically don’t advertise if your not selling. I think I got my point across.

I Have 20 Thousand Records

The next guy, who isn’t a dealer, but is a guy who claims to have over 20,000 records (Mostly Funk, Soul, and Jazz), and is, according to his story, an old boy from the music scene. We call him POW Record Guy. He totally bullshitted DJ Prime into thinking he was gonna sell him records, which lead to me getting bullshitted as well. I finally put two and two together one winter morning, while I was freezing, and digging. I knew he had no idea what he was talking about when we were sifting through crates side by side and I picked out a Curtis Mayfield “Live!” record and he was like: “Is that good?” He’s also claimed he was a POW in Iran and Iraq for 10 years. He doesn’t really walk around, nor does he wheel around in a wheel chair. He’s got this kind of walker/ bench thing with wheels that he pushes backwards while sitting down. Half of the flea market is dirt! I have no idea how he makes it from table to table. Well, there you have it: two of the characters I deal with on a weekly basis. They are sometimes the source of my frustration, although these days it’s more like my entertainment. I’ll be back early in the week with a review of one of my new finds. Until then, here’s a list of some of the records I dug up:

Mongo Santamaria – Feelin’ Alright b/w I Can’t Get Next Tou You/ Atlantic
The Broadways – Goin’ Goin’ Gone/ MGM
Larry Williams – Wake Up/ Venture
Pucho & Latin Soul Bros. – Freddie’s Dead/ Zanzee
The Fans – Ballad of Dr. J/ Gold
The Hesitations – Is This A Way To Treat A Girl/ GWP
Soul Tornadoes – Funky Thang/ Burt
The Winstons – Amen Brother/ Metromedia
Toussant McCall – The Touissant Shuffle/ Ronn
The Politicians – Free Your Mind/ Hot Wax
The Gaslight – I’m Only A Man/ Grand Junction
Gene Burks – You Got It/ Calla
Rose Davis – Yes I’ve Been Crying/ Excello
Chris Clark – I Want To Go Back There Again/ V.I.P.
Unlimited Four – Walk Away Lover/ Chanson
Judy Clay – You Busted My Mind/ Scepter
James Brown – Soul Power/ King
The Chevelles – The Gallop/ Flaming Arrow
Deodato – Watusi Strut/ MCA
Charles Wright – You Threw It All Away/ Dunhill
Ernie Andrews and the Fuzzy Kane Trio – Something/ Phil L.A. of Soul
Johnny K. – I Got Bills To Pay/ Buddah
The Van Dykes – You’re Shakin’ Me Up/ Mala

**PS: Tomorrow is the vinyl swap at Asbury Lanes from Noon til 5. There will be a bunch of us there, so if you can make it, there’s some good records to be dug up. See you there.

Monica – I Don’t Know Nothing Else To Tell You, But I Love You

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Monica 45

Monica – I Don’t Know Nothing Else To Tell You, But I Love You from the Toxsan 45

Well, we made it through the week. I hope you were nodding your head to “The Bus Stop” from the mid week post. I know I was. There was a bit of confusion with the link for Oliver Sain, so I apologize. I have no idea why it disappeared, but at any rate it was back up a short while after that. I was definitely busy this week, managing to finish up my exclusive mix for an upcoming issue of Vault Magazine, and do a guest editorial for REVOLT Magazine. It’s out NOW, so go to here and check it out. If you have been following this blog, you know I’ve been on a Soul kick, and this song today I can not get enough of. I was lucky to pick up an original copy from DJ Bluewater’s never ending, bottomless doubles 45 box, otherwise known as: “a way to make DJ Prestige broke”, or “how I spent my lunch money on Soul 45s”. Let me get right into this piece of dynamite Soul: “I Don’t Know Nothing Else To Tell You, But I Love You” by Monica on Toxsan Records.

I do not know a lot about this record, and had even less luck digging up information about the parties involved in this slice of Soul heaven. What I do know, is that Toxsan Records is a Philadelphia label (which released Funk, Soul, and Disco), championed by one Wally-O (Wally Osbourne). This man was responsible for the Toxan and Womar record labels throughout the 60′s and early 70′s. He went on to produce and put out some mighty fine Funk and Soul in his day. Try getting your hands on The Herb Johnson Settlement’s “Damph F’Aint” on Toxsan (ok better yet get the reissue, the OG might set you back a few) to see what I mean. The Monica record was written by composer and saxophonist Morris Bailey, Jr. A native of Philadelphia, his songs were recorded by some of music’s greatest R&B artists spanning 3 decades. He wrote songs for Blue Magic, The Spinners, Patti LaBelle, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, The Stylistics, and Nina Simone among others. It was produced by Wally-O, and the backing band was a band called The Impacts, who coincidentally, Herb Johnston recorded with as well. This band was around before Herb, and had released a few sides on the Marmaduke label, most notably “Thunder Chicken” (which has a cool Go Go Gophers looking Indian on the record label). They continued to record with a variety of different members, and were the Toxsan house band. That’s all I could dig up until I sent an e mail to Larry Grogan inquiring more about this record. He was in touch with a reputable collector, Haim Kenig , who was able to shed some light on this mysterious Soul singer for me. Apparently her last name is Burrus. So Monica Burrus, or Monica Pege as she was known later on, went on to be a back up singer for Barry Manilow’s all girl band Lady Flash. She was a featured vocalist on Name that Tune, and tried her hand at acting as well in the 1980′s, landing parts in a variety of television shows and movies. She also put out the ultra rare record “Chaueffer”, which Hiam sent a scan of.

Chauffeur 45
Record Scan Courtesy of Haim Kenig

I’d love to hear from Monica herself, and get her side of this record’s story. So if you stumble upon this, please send me an e mail and shed some light on the subject, maybe even a photo from that era so my readers can put a face to the name.

“I Don’t Know” starts off fairly slow, with Monica cooing some acapella sweet nothings. What happens next is nothing short of a perfect Soul song. The Impacts as a backing band are tight, and the bass line is quite nice. (Reminds me of a Tighten Up style, a bit slower, and more Soulful). There are some subtle horn stabs along with some funky guitar, but the highlight is Monica’s voice. It’s some sweet stuff (we still do not know if she was a Philly girl or not) , but it sounds like it’s coming right off a Philly street corner. This upbeat Soul number does not disappoint, I can assure you. The guy she is singing to is a lucky man. This sweet Soul Sister’s voice never grows tiresome. If she knows nothing else to tell you, and wants to sing about it all day, I can live with that. Play this thing often and play it loud. It’s in HEAVY rotation in the FMF household, and until my wife screams to turn it off , it’s staying there. Before I sign off, I’d like to give a shout out to a huge supporter of the Asbury Park 45 Sessions, Bob Shannon, (husband of resident DJ Connie T. Empress). Congratulations to him and WCBS 101.1, as they are back on the air, playing all the Funk and Soul we love. Good Luck!

Keep Diggin’!

** This record will be on the Vault Magazine Mix by DJ Prestige, available through mail order from them in the UK in about a month or so. To get some instant gratification (as if the MP3 wasn’t enough) the mighty Funky 16 Corners included this in his Bold Soul Sisters Mix . Thanks again to Larry Grogan and Haim Kenig for sharing their record knowledge on this piece.

Oliver Sain – Bus Stop

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Oliver Sain

Oliver Sain Bust Stop 45

Oliver Sain – Bus Stop from the Abet 45

Good midweek to all the FMF family. Let me welcome a real head aboard this week, the Soul Man himself, Phil Most Chill He’s started a new blog over at That Real Schitt . For those who don’t know (or have yet to find out), the Soul Man was killing it with his “World of Beats” series of mixtapes, recreating well known beats, and spreading some drum love to New York, Kakalack and Compton. This man knows his stuff, and we’re glad he’s back in the blog game repping the City of Brotherly Love. Check him out, and if you’re not careful, you might learn something. This time we’re gonna travel to St. Louis, MO, by way of Mississippi and Chicago, IL. We’re even gonna travel there by bus, but first we have to wait at the “Bus Stop”, courtesy of one Oliver Sain and Abet Records.

Sain was born in Dundee, MS. Now being from Mississippi, you know this man’s background was deeply rooted in the Delta Blues. He grew up not too far from Blues legends Robert Johnson and Son House’s abodes. Sain tried a variety of instruments, before settling on the saxophone after his return from serving with Uncle Sam in Korea. Before his settling, however he did drum behind bands fronted by legends Sonny Boy Williamson and Howlin’ Wolf. Upon his return from military service, Sain jumped right back into the music scene (this time in Chicago), playing with such notables as Little Milton (rumor has it he started his career), Howlin’ Wolf (again), and the iconic Bluesman Elmore James. He even sat in (although not as often as he probably would have liked to, with this man’s disposition), with Ike Turner and the Kings of Rhythm), as he relocated once again to his what would be his final home, St. Louis, MO. Little Milton is an important figure, as it was him who asked him to be a part of his band at the Club Manhattan in East St. Louis, a place that Sain would call home up until his death in 2003 from cancer. Along the way Sain would found his own record label (Vanessa), his own recording studio (Archway), discover singers (Fontella Bass and Bobby McClure), and remain a staple in the St. Louis and national music scene, performing up until the night before he passed. Some sampling from Diddy was a half assed attempt on the part of the artist formerly known as Puff Daddy to keep his legacy going, or was it just an attempt to exploit another artist so he could make more money? IMHO, there is great sampling (see any Pete Rock or Preemo project), and bad sampling, which I would attribute to Puffy. That’s for another post, as I’d like to keep this on topic. This song, “Bus Stop”, licensed to Abet in 1974 is a definite keeper. To me, the beat and rhythm remind me of an instrumental version of Aretha Franklin’s “Rock Steady”. Sain’s saxophone starts hot and heavy and does not let up through the whole track. James Brown may have been the hardest working man in showbiz, but Oliver Sain was the hardest working saxophone in St. Louis. Throw in a whistle, and sho’ nuff funky bass line and get out on the dance floor. This tune was the first in line of a couple of funk dance floor stompers, and Sain knew how to churn out them out. After this tune he released another dance floor killer: “Booty Bumpin” from the same full length. Whether Oliver Sain was indirectly competing with Ike Turner, releasing jazz fusion records, discovering Soul singers, playing with great Bluesmen, or releasing dance floor killers such as “Bus Stop”, he did it all with style. His style can and will go on to be discovered by the diggers after me; in the dusty flea markets and yard sales, Oliver Sain and his saxophone will still be hip for years to come. Keep Diggin’!

Asbury Park 45 Sessions 07.06.07 Recap

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The fourth installment of the Asbury Park 45 Sessions went down this past Friday night and once again it was one helluva time. A lot of heat was dropped, with newcomer DJ Devil Dick and returning guest Cool Hands Luke having a strong showing. They both brought some great records that were appreciated by the people who were in the audience listening as well as the group of resident DJs. I enjoyed playing a Soul heavy set late, and definitely enjoyed the visuals courtesy of Cool Hands Luke and Dave the Spazz’s “Spazz TV”. Devil Dick opened up with a hearty helping of Soul and some Deep Funk records that made some jaws drop and run to the turntables. Jack the Ripper really stole the show early, DJing in a bondage mask and being lead in by a leggy young lady, ultimately to rip his outfit off with a knife while simaltaniously gyrating to a cover of Led Zepplin’s “Moby Dick”. How could anyone follow that? Well, Connie T. Empress did and brought her signature Empire State Soul to Asbury Park, finishing her set off by dancing on the monitor. M.Fasis was up next and paid tribute to our nations birthday through records. From Rock to Soul to really great drum breaks, Lady Liberty would have been really proud. Funky 16 Corners himself was nothing less than spectacular, dropping his signature heavy Funk, and ending up with the original version of “Louie Louie”. Cool Hands Luke had the spotlight for the night and dropped some great Soul and a healthy portion of breaks, at one point working two copies of “Cramp Your Style” (to the groans of one DJ Bluewater screaming: “Is that the original Blue Candle copy…? NOOOOOOOOO!) and every other break you can think of. DJ Prime threw out some breaks and even some Spoonie G to the mesmerized crowd who stuck around to close up the bar. All in all, it was a great night. Good People, Good Music, Good Times. Thank You to all who were involved in the night.

Fast forward to Saturday morning, Cool Hands Luke and I are digging at the spot, where I incited a riot at the table after I purchased a very large collection of Northern Soul, Funk, and other 45s before a certain dealer (Stinkie Steve) got there. These records were exclusively for me, and since I left the guy scraps, he launched into a tirade (which I only heard about) that confirmed, if anyone ever had a doubt, that the man is certifiably crazy. At one point, and this is hearsay from a witness, he said that people who aren’t dealers are beneath the dealers and we aren’t worth getting the good records. My guy stuck up for me, and basically told him off, then walked away. Steve then proceeded to yell at a stool when no one was there for ten minutes. I wish I could have caught the audio, which I will try to do next time, because I heard it was one of the all time tirades at the digging spot. People were actually moving away from the guy before he snapped and went further off the deep end. I scored a lot of good records, but so far out of the ones I have sat down and listened to, I am digging Honey and the Bees “Why Do You Hurt the One That Loves You” on Arctic records. A lot more to come. Check over at Funky 16 Corners for everyone’s set lists.

Yours Truly DJ Prestige
DJ Prestige

Here’s my set from 07.06.07

Thomas East – Funky Music Part 1/ MGM
The Inner Drive – Smell the Funk/ Zodiac
Little Hooks w/ Ray Nato and the Kings – Give the Drummer Some More/ Enjay
Lee Moses – Time and Place/ Front Page
General Crook – Gimme Some Part 1/ Down To Earth
Johnny Hammond – Shifting Gears/ Milestone
400 Years of What – Get Down People (Undercover Brother Edit)/ Dope Brother
Moonlion – Laid Back/P.I.P
Binky Griptite & the Mellowmatics – Mellowmatic Mood/ Daptone
Magnificent Freedom – Fuck Off and Leave Me Alone/ Our Label
Jerry O – Soul Lover/ White Whale
The Persuaders – Love Gonna Pack Up (and Walk Out)/ Win or Lose
Pamoja – Oooh Baby/ Lotus Land
Thelma Jones – Souvenirs of a Heartbreak/ Barry!
Roy “C” – Got to Get Enough (of Your Sweet Love)/ Alaga
Billy Sha-Rae – Do It/ Spectrum
Mike & the Censations – Don’t Mess with Me/ Highland
Etta James & Sugar Pie DeSanto – In the Basement/ Cadet
Don Gardner – My Baby Likes to Boogaloo/ Tru-Glo-Town
Johnny Griffith, Inc. – Grand Central Shuttle
The Harvey Averne Band – Stand/ Fania
The First Edition - Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)/ Reprise
Sharon Jones – I Just Dropped In To See What Condition My Condition Is In/ Daptone
Monica – I Don’t Know Nothing Else To Tell You But I Love You/ Toxsan
Menham Street Band – Make the Road By Walking/ Dunham

Devil Dick
Devil Dick
Jack the Ripper, Showman of Asbury Lanes with Master Heather
Slave the Ripper
Slave the Ripper 2
JTR Feelin It
JTR Strips
JTR Done

Connie T. Empress dancing again!
Connie T. Empress Dances!

M.Fasis gave a tribute to America with 45 Records
Mfasis

Funky 16 Corners Larry Grogan shimmies with his “Iron Leg”
Iron Leg Grogan

Cool Hands Luke repping Brooklyn to the fullest
Cool Hands Luke

DJ Prime feelin’ it.
DJ Prime

The Artistics – I’m Gonna Miss You

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The Artistics

Artistics Im Gonna Miss You 45

The Artistics – I’m Gonna Miss You on the Brunswick 45

I trust everyone has recovered fully from the celebration of the birth of our nation, and if you weren’t celebrating it, I’m hoping you’re recovering from whatever celebration you decided to partake in. It’s now time to get back to business with a Friday edition of FMF. The 4th was a welcoming day off from my daily grind, and I enjoyed myself watching our ghetto rendition of a parade, then strolling the sleepy seaside town of Ocean Grove. The OG is kind of like Twin Peaks, complete with a guy who isn’t a cop but will try to direct traffic, a man who sweeps the streets and has nothing to do with the town (but carries a 2 way radio and talks to “headquarters”), and a variety of displaced people from a closed mental hospital and half way houses walking around in their own world. Did I mention that the summer brings a huge amount of Methodists, who live in tents with air conditioners? No lie, this is the strange truth about this sleepy town. I have managed to turn up a few good records there, but it’s definitely hit or miss.

In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve been on a Soul kick lately, and I thought I’d stay with it to end the week. As I said in a previous post, I’ve gotten a lot of Soul as of late, and since I now have all my Soul 45s in one place and in alphabetical order, ( what I refer to as my Big Box of Soul, not to be confused with F16′s “Daddy’s medicine) I’ll be sprinkling in a lot more of the sweet stuff week to week. While out digging recently, I came across not one, but two records from this band on Brunswick. Now I had gotten a great side recently on this label by The Lost Generation that I put on my Carry Out Soul Mix, and also scored some Barbara Acklin as well. I hadn’t found any records by these guys while digging ( I can’t figure out why), and their side which became a Northern Soul record: “I’m Gonna Miss You”, by The Artistics.

Formed in 1958 in Chicago, they were discovered by Major Lance, who brought them to the Okeh label and signed by producer Carl Davis. They were first recorded as an imitation Motown act, as you know everyone wanted to sound like Berry and his empire (except the family at Stax, they were perfecting their own sound). They put out sides such as “This Heart of Mine” and “Get My Hands on Some Lovin’ “. The original lineup was Robert Dobyne (who was later replaced by Marvin Smith of The El Dorados) Aaron Floyd, Curt Thomas, Laurence Johnson, and Jesse Bolian. Their full length release on Brunswick of the same name as this very single was released in 1966, and coincidentally, this record being reviewed was their biggest hit. I can understand why. Smith left the group in 1967. But alas, as many with many of these great groups, they couldn’t stay successful, changing leads a few more times, and finally calling it quits in 1973.

The song itself is a dream. The great vocal harmonizing and string arrangement in the beginning of the track set the tone for this slice of sweet Soul and it doesn’t disappoint throughout the rest of the track. I mentioned earlier how these guys were signed as a Motown imitation band, and they easily could have passed for for one. They were close to Detroit originally, I mean Chicago is close enough, and came up as the vocal groups were popular. It seems like to me, they modeled their singing style on those groups. They pull it off well. “I’m Gonna Miss You”, on the whole, is a really great example of Soul. This record was a popular on the Northern Soul scene and I can just see a bunch of kids really grooving all night and working it out when this came over the PA. I mean from the time I put the needle on the record after I got it, I just wanted to move. I couldn’t keep nodding my head or stop singing the chorus. I think this a good Friday song, and a little listen as to what I may be spinning tonight at the Asbury Park 45 Sessions. I’m thinking of doing a whole night dedicated to Soul, and calling it the 4th & Kingsley Soul Club. I want to do a full night of Soul, with some modern Soul bands and DJs spinning Soul all night. It’s in it’s infant stages, so we’ll see how that goes. Enjoy your weekend, and if you are in the area (or want to be), we’ll be throwing down once again in Asbury Park here:

AP 45 Sessions July

Keep Diggin’!

The First Edition/ Sharon Jones – Just Dropped In to See What Condition My Condition Was In

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First Edition

First Edition Condition

The First Edition – I Just Dropped In To See What Condition My Condition Was In from the Reprise 45

Happy 4th of July all. I hope you all got your fill of Soul in my last post. I have part two in the works, but first I have to do a mix for the good people at Vault Magazine . I’m looking forward to doing that mix, and have also done an interview which will be running in the upcoming months.

When I first heard this song, it was actually the version done by Miss Sharon Jones, which coincidentally, if you scroll down, you can hear. I had no idea of who had done the original (nor did I care) at the time, and I grooved to the cover version over and over. Fast forward to this past year. I’m out in the field and I come across this record. There is no way I could pass it up. When I found out the history of the band, it made it all that sweeter. A big thanks to the great folks at Daptone , who were so kind to hook me up with the Sharon Jones version this past week. That’s right people, both versions of the song in this post. So here we have “I Just Dropped In To See What Condition My Condition Was In” by The First Edition on Reprise Records in 1968, and then an updated version by Sharon Jones on Daptone more recently.

The First Edition stemmed from the New Christy Minstrels and included a man who went on to be the Gambler himself, Kenny Rogers. Yes that’s correct folks, the Country legend Kenny Rogers was an integral part of this psychedelic (to label it lightly, psychedelic was their intention) sounding record. Their previous record only brought about some minor attention, but this record was the one people took notice of. Comprised of Rogers, Thelma Camacho ( later replaced by Mary Arnold), Mike Settle, Terry Williams, and Mickey Jones the First Edition put out a few singles. They were known primarily for “Ruby”, this song, and other than “Burning Sensation” in 1970, the FE had their share of songs that weren’t hits. “I Just Dropped In”, IMHO, after I found out it was Kenny Rogers singing it, made me giggle a little, but the song grew on me. The chorus of “Yeah, Yeah, Oh Yeeeeeeeah….”, kept getting stuck in my head. The guitar intro was Glen Campbell ( apparently playing the guitar backwards), and the psychedelic sound they’re going for (sounds provided by one Mike Deasy) is almost laughable, but like I said, it grows on you. Had I not known who Kenny Rogers was, I probably would have thought: “Well, it’s just another so-so psyche record” and just passed on by. To know that Rogers had a hand in it, growing his hair long and being a major hippie after this record was done, peaked my interest to give it another listen. I mean everyone has a history, and this single being pre-Gambler Country or sappy Western duo stuff, makes it sweeter. It’s nice to know Kenny was down with the pyschedelics if you know what I mean. Eventually the First Edition split up and Kenny Rogers went solo, rocking the Country and Western scene along with opening up a string of franchise fried chicken joints.

Sharon
Photo Courtesy of Daptone Records

Sharon Jones Condition

Sharon Jones – I Just Dropped In To See What Condition My Condition Is In from the Daptone 45

Now let’s get on to the Sharon Jones cover. I will not go into a background history of Sharon Jones, but for those who want a little info on her you can go here. For those who do not know who she is (and I’m hoping many of you do know), she’s the closest thing we have to a true Funk Diva and or Soul Sister No. 1 in the modern sense. In other words, this talented singer sings it like they used to, but in modern times. Along with the Dap Kings, she single handedly pioneered the retro Funk sound. I’ve been hooked since her work with Desco Records, and as the Soul Strut massive have been known to say, I’d “ride for her” any day. She changed the title a bit (adding the I and chnging the was to is), but these are minor things. From the opening horn stabs, this Funk cover blows away the original by more than a country mile. Sharon’s voice echoes the days when bands producing sounds like hers worked hard on the Chitlin’ Circuit, playing juke joints and small clubs to crowds that lived and breathed the lyrics of each song on a daily basis. A place where people could go and forget about the everyday struggle and be absorbed by heartfelt Funk and Soul bands who traveled the country and sang like it was their last show every night on stage. It’s as upbeat as you can get (much more upbeat that the original), and doesn’t stop to take a breath or even let you breath the entire time. Missing are the psychedelic sounds, replaced by a horn and rhythm section that are both tight and outta sight. I have to say I’m ok with that. I am always open to other kinds of music, but I think this is clearly a case of the cover being better than the original. It just so happens to be done in a funky style, and think that Jones and Company do the song a hell of a justice. There is not much that they touch that isn’t good, and if you don’t own anything by them, I urge you to hit up one of these Daptone links and get yourself some Funk that sounds like it was made in 1969 or 1970. No I also want to throw in that Soul Brutha Dave B pointed me in the direction of the Betty LaVette version, and my man Mike from This Is Tomorrow hooked me up with an mp3 to listen to. They are both right, it does seem like the blueprints were laid down by LaVette, and carried on home by Miss Jones. Thank you guys so much for the input.

That being said, I have yet to really plug the Asbury Park 45 Sessions this Friday July 6th at the Asbury Lanes. We have the usual residents plus two guests: Cool Hands Luke and Devil Dick . It’s going to be a great time.

Come on down and make sure you introduce yourself! Keep Diggin’!

July 2007 45 Sessions

**Here’s a Bonus Video, because a psychedelic bed is bad ass: