Here’s a big shout out to the Flea Market Funk family on this All Hallows Eve, or Halloween as we call it. Have a safe one, and I hope it’s filled with Funk, Soul, Reggae, and Jazz, in any combination. Have a safe holiday and don’t let anyone put a spell on you: Screaming Jay, Nina, or whoever! We’ll see you in November! Keep Diggin’!
Photo Courtesy of Robert Minkin
The music world lost another great player this week with the death of Bay Area keyboardist Merle Saunders. Saunders started out in Junior High in a band with Johnny Mathis and after a stint in the Army from 1953-1957 he started on the chitlin’ circuit with players like Brother Jack McDuff and Jimmy Smith. He played with many major musicians, including Dinah Washington and Miles Davis, but became more well known for his collaboration with Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia. This unlikely pair came about after Garcia, off of tour with the Dead, would hold jam sessions at Club Matrix in 1971, and Saunders joined up with him shortly after. This unity of two different styles of music allowed both of them to expand their audiences, and eventually packing clubs. CCR member Tom Fogarty, Journey’s George Tickner, and other musicians often sat in with them to jam. The Saunders-Garcia Band backed Saunders up solo and recorded Heavy Turbulence for Fantasy Records. He continued to collaborate with Garcia, even after Garcia’s diabetic coma in 1986, helping him to get back to playing. Merle Saunders has been called “The Gentle Lion” of the San Francisco Bay area music scene. From his collaborations in Jazz, the Grateful Dead, to TV Soundtracks (Nash Bridges), Movie Soundtracks (Fritz the Cat), headlining worldwide concerts and beyond, Merle Saunders was an ambassador of music and the Hammond B-3.
In a weird coincidence, I received a press release and a copy of Rodger Collins new release Through My Eyes, who has a song called “The Drive 2 Step” (featuring Mystery Train), who features Merle Saunders, Jerry Garcia, and Tom Fogerty in what is called “a once in a lifetime session”. Merle Saunders, you will be missed. See another tribute to Saunders over at Funky 16 Corners. Keep Diggin’!
Download or Listen To Little Lenny – Gun In A Baggy from the RAS Lp Gun In A Baggy
Good Monday morning to the Flea Market Funk Family. I trust that all of you had a great weekend, and that you had some good digs as the weather here on the East Coast was good enough to get out on a Saturday and Sunday afternoon, minus the torrential downpours on Saturday night. I had a busy weekend, DJing at a new spot here in Asbury Park called Mattison Park. We’re trying to get another weekly going, a no drama, stress free Deep Funk, Soul, Reggae and Classic Hip Hop night with a name TBD. Also, big up to the Liverpool lads who lay top of the table by 3 points after beating Chelsea with a goal by Xabi Alonso (who would have thought?). Maybe next time Big Man! Today we’re gonna move forward a bit, with some conscious Dancehall from a teenage, Little Lenny, with “Gun in A Baggie” from 1990 on RAS Records.
When I found this, it looked so interesting that I couldn’t not pick it up. As I’ve said many times before, Reggae (any genre) is pretty much hard to come by at the Spot. There have been some spells where a few guys would find a few crates and they would be gone so quick. This Lp turned up in a random crate, and even though it’s only 18 years old (a year older than Little Lenny was when he made this record), I think it’s FMF worthy. Basically this song is a call to all me to watch out for the girls, because they have a gun in their baggy. The baggy being their panties, and the gun being gonorrhea. It’s as simple as that, or one would think so. This record almost wasn’t even made. They said the subject was too controversial. Little Lenny wasn’t having it. So, with the backing of the Firehouse Crew, Dave Kelly and George Miller on Drums, Danny Dennis on Bass, Paul “Wrong Move” Crosdale on Keyboards, and the programming of Anthony Kelly, a conscious hit was born. As soon as it would hit the dancehall, the side would become a hit. Immediately banned from the radio in Jamaica, it ruled the dancehall in 1989. Eventually becoming one of the top requested songs in the dancehall, the record would go on to sell over 20,000 copies initially. It became so popular that a clean version was made entitled “Healthy Body”, which went directly to number one, propelling Little Lenny into the spotlight as an overnight sensation. His bio says Little Lenny has lyrics to kill, but we really haven’t heard much from him, so possibly the overnight sensation was just a flash in the pan?
This record was recorded 10 years in on Reggae powerhouse RAS (Real Authentic Sound), who were founded by Doctor Dread in 1979, and rubs elbows with such Reggae luminaries as Black Uhuru, Don Carlos, Inner Circle, Culture, Junior Reid, Yellowman, J.C. Lodge and Freddie McGregor. RAS has always been well known for being the real deal, and breaking musical boundaries with over 300 releases by a who’s who of Reggae. Throw Little Lenny in this mix with this “burning sensation” of a Dancehall record. See you midweek after a NY Red Bull player party. Stories, photos, and shenanigans to follow. Keep Diggin’!
Download or Listen To Funk Factory – Rien Ne Va Plus from the ATCO Lp
Here is a record that I have been sitting on for a while. When I got my hands on it, at first I was a bit suspect, but then I started to get intrigued before even putting the needle on the record. It was one of those records that at first glance could go either way. It could be this tepid terd with “Funk”in the group name, or a really great record. It turned out to be the latter. Someone else’s junk is my treasure, and Funk Factory with “Rien Ne Va Plus” on ATCO Records from 1975 is a dusty gem.
Funk Factory is Funk Fusion band that was headed up by Polish music legends Michal Urbaniak and Urszula Dudziak, plus a heavy dose of American studio musicians. These included drummers like Steve Gadd and Gerald Brown, who both kept up the beat throughout the record on different tracks. Along with these American players, there were even more European cats, who meshed perfectly with their American Funk brothers and sisters. Throughout the whole record, there is a great fusion of Funk, Soul, and even a hint of some psychedelic sounds, as the keyboards are for lack of a better word “trippy”. This track is the shining star, as you might notice that the Dust Brothers pretty much killed it when they used this on the Beastie Boys Paul’s Boutique record. This track was sampled on “Car Thief”. On the whole, the record is definitely a keeper, with all sorts of great samples to be picked clean, and this side just oozes a fat joint, a bottle of wine, and some headphones. Keep Diggin’.
While going through some records today, I stumbled upon this copy of Winter In America. I remember when I got it, it was beat up, but for half a dollar, I mean how could I really pass up Gil? I had always been familiar with Revolution of course and Whitey’s On the Moon, and even The Bottle. Now I could have grabbed something from Bridges, as it has been sampled by Talib Kweli and Mos Def on the Black Star record, but as my man Scholar always encourages you to do, I dug deeper . I figured this time I’d visit a not so well known side, something really smooth and mellow. i think I found it all in this side. Here’s Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson with “Back Home” off of the Strata East Records Winter in America from 1974.
Born on April Fools Day, April 1st in 1949 in Chicago, Illinois to an ex-professional footballer (Glasgow Celtic) and a librarian mother, Scott-Heron would move from Chi-town to Lincoln, Tennessee to the Bronx, NYC. It was here that he would amass his first volume of poetry at age 13, and these experiences would be the basis of his racial fueled spoken word. Scott-Heron attended Lincoln College for less than a year, but then dropped out. His short time in college would not be a waste, as he would meet his future partner in music Brian Jackson. He was later encouraged by uber producer Bob Theile to record his spoken word, and would release his debut record Small Talk at 125th Street and Lenox in 1970. Gaining accolades for his book The Vulture and Small Talk , Theile had a vision for Gil, and gathered some Funk and Jazz musicians (Ron Carter, Pretty Purdie, Eddie Knowles, Hubert Laws and others) to record behind the artists spoken word on the Flying Dutchman label. The result was nothing less than genius, and the classic “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” would come out of those sessions. Scott-Heron would gain the reputation as a revolutionary, angry and ready to tell it like it is. He went on to record two more for that label, before moving to Strata for this record, and then to be the first artist to sign on Clive Davis’s new label, Arista. He would continue with Arista, before being dropped in 1984, and release 11 records (including one greatest hits package). Along the way, Gil stayed political and on edge, tackling such subjects as nuclear power plants ( We Almost Lost Detroit), drugs (Angel Dust), Presidents, (Re-Ron), and Apartheid (Let Me See Your ID). Pianist and collaborator Jackson was with Scott-Heron up until 1978, where he would go on as a session man after that. Scott-Heron would still make music after he left Arista, challenging the rap musicians of the day to make a change than rather perpetuate a sterotype with his 1993 song “Message to the Messengers” off of Spirits on TVT Records. He would find himself in trouble from 2001 on, going in and out of jail for cocaine possession several times, making a few musical comebacks, and even guesting on the Blackalicious record Blazing Arrow in 2002. He is HIV positive (allegedly because the treatment center he was in stopped giving him his medication), out of jail, and still performing to this day. Truly one of the great political voices and activist musicians of our time. It’s a shame that he veered off of the path of success he was on, but if it’s any indication of the way the hardships he encountered in his life shaped his previous work, Gil Scott-Heron still has more great work to give us. Strata East as a label, was founded by Stanley Cowell and Charles Tolliver in 1971. Releasing over 60 records from such artists as Shirley Scott, Pharoah Sanders, and Clifford Jordan, this New York based label put out Afro-Jazz, Spiritual Jazz, and Post Bop records. It definitely has a cult following, and this is one of the only SE Lps I have seen in the field.
“Back Home” starts off with a great piano riff. Scott-Heron is longing to leave the city of which I can only assume is NYC, to get back to “home”. Home could be anywhere, but more than likely is Tennessee, where he lived before arriving in the Bronx. Shouting out his Uncle Henry, it’s almost as if he reverts back to a child (lost as an adult on the city streets), wanting to get back to the place where his people love him, there are collard greens and cornbread at Sunday dinner, and he will get back there, someday. Let’s hope he gets back to a good place sometime soon. There has been talk about a new record, a new book, etc. from this man in 2008 (which is almost over). The lineup for this “opus” record as it has been called, was Gil Scott-Heron on electric piano and vocals, Brian Jackson on electric piano, acoustic piano and vocals, Danny Bowens on fender Bass, and Bob Adams on the Drums. I think that it’s a great example of how well Jackson and Scott-Heron worked together, and how really, all of us, at one time or another, just want to get back home. Keep Diggin’!
R.I.P. to Rudy Ray Moore aka the Disco Godfather, Dolemite, The Human Tornado. This all time pimp was 81 and living in a nursing home. That’s no way to go out. Come on man, I’d let him call me a “rat soup eatin’, honky, motherfucker” any day. More to follow.
Is this the same Lee Williams from the Cymbals? If you know, pass it on.
Download or Listen To Lee Williams & the Cymbals – Shing-A-Ling U.S.A. from the Carnival Records 45
I apologize for the late Friday post, but those who stopped back later on in the day got a treat from Mr. Fantastic and his Soundtrack to a Bank Job Mix. Kudos to my man Justin for laying down a really smooth ass mix. It’s just what we like here at FMF. What I have here today is a slice of Funky Soul pie, courtesy of Lee Williams & the Cymbals on Carnival Records from 1967.
Being a musician in the 1960′s wasn’t easy. It may seem like there was some trick to being in any band, but let’s face it. Back then (and even now if I may be so bold), for the most part, you did it for the love of the music. That’s why there were so many basement and back yard bands popping up, doing regional covers of James Brown, Sly and the Family Stone, and even covers of covers of their local Funk and Soul heroes. Lee Williams and the Cymbals were just that band. Discovered while practicing in their backyard of 127th St. in Harlem by Carnival Records owner Joe Evans, this band was signed on the spot and immediately thrust into the Carnival rotation in Newark, NJ. Their first record was the Ronnie McCoy (of the Topics) penned “She’s So Fine”. This record was primarily an East Coast record, gaining popularity in Philly, Baltimore, and Washington, but also gaining the band some notoriety in Cleveland and Chicago. Although this record did climb the charts, it narrowly missed as a Top 40 hit. McCoy wrote another song for them “Peeping Through the Window”, which didn’t chart as high, but would be their second largest selling record. They would go on to release four more singles for Carnival, including this side. Once again, records like this, without proper promotion would only garner local attention, and would get lost in the sea of 45′s, artists, and hopefuls in NYC and all over the East Coast. They would move from Carnival to small labels like Pittsburgh’s Black Circle (Get It Together) and Rapda (IC Funk was the side on this label), only to fade out into obscurity. But did Lee Williams? Upon digging further into this man’s life, I turned up a bunch of info on Lee Williams and the Spiritual QC’s. A man who very closely resembles Williams is fronting a tight ass Gospel band, and is all over YouTube. If anyone can confirm this, I’d appreciate it. Possibly he had his roots in Gospel, did the secular music thing, and went back to the roots once again.
Cashing in on the Shing-a-ling craze of the 60′s, Williams and company illustrate the dance, where it came from, and why it’s so damn good. I’ll tell you why it’s good. It’s funky as hell. Anything that can upset the boogaloo is ok in my book. Bottom line: The band is tight and out of sight, Williams is on point, and I can’t get enough of those drums! Listen closely and the bass line really kills it as well. See you midweek and Keep Diggin’!
Hot off the heels of my Guest DJ Mix Series here at FMF came an e mail from Mr. Fantastic. He said he liked Flea Market Funk so much, and was appreciative of the downloads and mixes I put on here, that he wanted to contribute. How can I say no to that? What he brought to the table, no pun intended, is no less than fantastic! If my fave Brit gangster movie maker Guy Richie made Bank Job movies (Oh wait he did!) and movies not about his tarty soon to be ex-wife flailing away on the Italian shores, any of these songs would fit in. In fact, they are all from great movies and have fit in perfectly before. I have to say, I really appreciate someone taking the time to put together such a great mix for me here at FMF. I’m glad someone appreciates all that goes into this site and wants to give back. Thanks Mr. Fantastic! Please enjoy and give him a shout out, he deserves it!
Soundtrack To A Bank Job Track List
Alan Tew – Road Runner
Orchestre Tany Turens – Autoroute A Peage
John Gregory – Kojak
Lalo Schifrin – Bullitt
Ralph Carmichael – Switchblade Theme
Mikis Theodorakis – On The Streets (arr. Bob James)
Isaac Hayes – Pursuit of the Pimpmobile
J.J. Johnson – Willie Chase
Blackbyrds – One Gun Salute
Rhythm Heritage – Theme from S.W.A.T
Les Baxter – Hogin Machine
Les Baxter – Hot Wind
Isaac Hayes – Run Fay Run
Johnny Pate – You Can’t Even Walk In The Park
Johnny Pate – Shaft In Africa
Quincey Jones – Money Runner
Dennis Coffey – Theme from Blackbelt Jones
Badder Than Evil – Hot Wheels
Don Julian – Theme From Savage
Alan Tew – The Heist
Geoff Love – Three Days of the Condor
Download or Listen To Mr. Fantastic – Soundtrack To A Bank Job, A Guest Mix for Flea Market Funk
PS: For all of you who are trying to access my mixes in the Downloads Section, I apologize. Z Share has been down for a few days. If this continues, I may pull all of them off of there and get them on my server. Thanks for the patience.
I’ve been a bit busy this week, pulling out records for a Guest Mix at Double K’s new makeover of Parkdale Funk. I also went to check out comedian Lewis Black in NYC. If you guys aren’t down with him, I’d say: get familiar. Black’s intense, honest, and cutting criticism of politics and life are incredible. This paired up with some good food at Da Silvano in the West Village, made for an enjoyable night and day off. It was while I was getting the records together for Double K, that I pulled out this very record. I know it’s a bit of a change, but come on, who doesn’t like some Latin music? Here’s the Los Angeles Negros with “Sombras De Tu Recerdo” from the UA Latino Lp Con Todo Mi Amor from 1973.
Formed in 1968 in Chile, the members Germaín de la Fuente, Mario Gutiérrez, Cristian Blasser, Federico Blasser, and Sergio Rojas would go on to win a radio contest. The result of winning that contest was their first record, ¿Por Qué Te Quiero?. This first set of The Black Angels released a few more records, including this one and Y Volvere. The band itself has been sampled by The Beastie Boys, Busta Rhymes, Sage Francis, The Beat Nuts, and more. Apparently, during the mid 70′s, Nicolás Oliva retained the name Los Angeles Negros after the band kind of fizzled out. He revived the name and the band (with different members) and went on to release a string of records up until the present day.
The original band itself, was know to be funky at times, and for their combinaton of traditional Bolero music and Psychedelic Funk and Soul. “Sombras De Tu Recerdo”. This song starts out with some great traditional guitar, but soon drops into a psychedelic style bass line and a steady drum beat. While the traditional guitar fades a bit, it soon returns as this side chugs along. It’s not a dark tune, but the guitar part is what really caught my attention. It has a unique sound to me, and I’m a bit obsessed with it at the moment. I will be including this tune on the Parkdale Funk mix i’m doing, as well as some other stuff you may or may not be familiar with. I hope you dug this off the beaten path Latin gem I dusted off for a Wednesday. Keep Diggin’!
Download or Listen to Charmels – Sea Shell from the Volt Records 45
Here’s an October Holiday edition of Flea Market Funk for you. Some of you may have off, others have to keep pressing on here in the daily drudgery. Whatever the case is, I have some Monday morning Soul for your ears, plus a little record dealer news that some may find a bit interesting. This is from a reliable source, and when I get some more details, I will for sure fill you all in. Apparently, Stinkie Steve has once again wore out his welcome at another prominent digging spot. The story goes that he pissed another vendor off (imagine that), said vendor called the 5-0 on him, and the Powers that Be that control the spot thought it might be best if Steve was no longer a member of that establishment. This could explain a Restricted phone call I got on my cell phone a few weeks back from a caller who did not identify himself asking if I had 45′s to sell. I immediately recognized his voice and when I said I was a buyer, not a seller, he said he would contact me when he was in the area. I never got a call again, perhaps this was the calm before the storm. Mind you, I gave him my number 2 Summers ago, and he said: “I was going through my Rolodex, and I found your number.” I wrote the damn thing on a napkin. Such is the saga on the Stinkie One, moving from flea market to flea market, successfully getting kicked out due to his crazy and sometimes sociopathic ways. At any rate, I’ve got some all girl Soul for you today. This weekend was gorgeous, and it inspired me to try and get a bit more beach time in, walking along the shore near my house and a small road trip to another beach town resort to get my fill of a true Jersey boardwalk. It didn’t help that I walked smack dab in the middle of a Columbus Day parade, which just added to the chaos. Here are the Charmels with “Sea Shell” on the Volt Records 45.
Starting out as the Dixiebelles in the early 1960′s, this trio of ladies put out sides on Sound Stage 7, and also as the Tonettes. The group was comprised of Shirley Thomas, Mary Hunt and Mildred Pratchett. The Tonettes really weren’t making much noise, dropping a few singles on Volt: “Please Don’t Go” and “Stolen Angel” and various early sides on Ace Records. However, it wasn’t until 1966, when Black Moses himself, Isaac Hayes would take the band under his wing. He did add another member, Barbara McCoy, which I’m sure didn’t matter, I mean look who was going to make them stars. Now at the time, I’m sure these three ladies we thrilled to say the least, when Ike was willing to put them to work, so to speak. The result was four sides, which included this 7 incher and the now $100 plus 45 that RZA used to make Wu Tang’s anthem C.R.E.A.M., “As Long As I’ve Got You”. That is a song I can not get enough of, or work doubles to at live gigs.
This side is some really Sweet Soul, with some great back up harmonies. Produced of course by Hayes and David Porter, I feel this is an under appreciated side IMHO. I particularly like the back up horn section, who just add this great element to the already perfect piano, drum beat, and bass line. Listen a little deeper though, and you can picture this being recorded: Maybe Isaac Hayes at the piano directing the band, the ladies giving this record their all, and the rest of the players recording this at 926 East McLemore Avenue while civil unrest was unfolding around Memphis. Perhaps this side was more about their record careers than it was about a woman trying to figure out whether she is the only girl in a guy’s life. I’d like to think a little bit of both. This was the last side released by the Charmels according to the Stax discography. Here’s to enjoying and savoring a bit of the Summer in October, and listening to what the future predicts through a sea shell. It worked for the Charmels. Keep Diggin’!
Is this the end of Stinkie Steve? We shall see.
Download or Listen To Crosstown Express – Just Keep The Funk from the Pee Zee 45
Here’s a little bit of midweek Funk for all of you. Once again I wanted to thank all the DJ’s, residents, and especially The 45 Killer for coming out to the 45 Sessions in Asbury Park on last Friday. I’ll also let you know that we’re doing it all again on the 12th of December, so mark up your calendar please. This midweek I bring to you a little piece of Disco Funk. Here’s some Crosstown Express with “Just Keep the Funk” on Pee Zee Records.
Not much to really find out about this record out there other than the fact that it was the brainchild of three producers: Leo Price, Mike Ziruolo, and Delorise Milton. I can gather that the Pee Zee came from two out of the three last names (the first letter of each sounded out). The publishers were Damp Publishing Company, and it’s kind of interesting that they have two addresses: one in Jersey City, NJ, and another one in Washington DC. Bottom line, this side is some great Disco Funk straight from the East Coast. I don’t know if they were writing their Senators in DC to petition to Keep the Funk from succumbing to the Disco movement, or just plain wanted to keep the Funk in their own records. Whatever the case, it’s a great record. If anyone has some info about the record, the players, or the three producers, feel free to drop me a line here at FMF. Keep Diggin’!
The latest edition of the Asbury Park 45 Sessions kind of creeped up on us, and like that, it was gone. However, that’s not to say that it wasn’t a good night. We had a great guest set played by The 45 Killer, who played African Funk that was just plain ridiculous. We had the Devil Dick throwing out an all 45 Hip Hop set and finishing up with the 2 Live Crew. We had Larry from Funky 16 Corners hitting hard with some Soul and drum breaks. We had Prime Mundo making them dance, M.Fasis working a great Carol King cover with the original to start his set, Lou Bluewater killing it from end to end with the new and old Funk, and I played some Rock breaks and finished up with some fun Funky stuff. This night has really turned into something special, and I thank all who came out, Djed, and all who have patient with the non returned phone calls and e mails throughout the last couple of months. I appreciate the understanding. That being said, here are some photos of the night, as well as the set lists. More sets as they come in. Keep Diggin’!
DJ Prestige Set List
ROCK SET
Black Sabbath – Changes/ WB
Mountain – Mississippi Queen/ Windfall
Thin Lizzy – Jailbreak ’74/ Mercury
Quiet Riot – Cum On Feel The Noize/ Pasha
Billy Squier – The Big Beat/ Capitol
The Rolling Stones – Honky Tonk Woman/ London
Aerosmith – Dream On/ Columbia
Led Zeppelin – Black Dog/ Atlantic
Van Halen – You Really Got Me/ WB
FUNK & SOUL SET
Cannonball Adderly Quintet – Walk Tall/ Capitol
Delores Ealy – Delores is Back with Jerome and his Band/ Rejoint
Tom Jones – Looking Out My Window/ Parrot
James Brown – Make It Funky Part 1./ Polydor
Detroit Sex Machines – Rap It Together/ Soul Track
Hugh Boynton – Funky Grasshopper/ Lanor
Sugar Billy – Super Duper Love Part 1/ Fast Track
Lee Moses – Time and Place/ Front Page
Smoove – Big Balls/ RK45
Little Hooks with Ray Nato and the Kings – Give the Drummer Some More/ Enjay
Mad Dog & the Pups – Funkey Monkey/ Magic City
Nu-Sound Express – Ain’t It Good Enough/ Silver Dollar x2
Marvin Holmes & the Uptights – Ooh Ooh the Dragon/ Uni
Billy LaMont – Sweet Thing/ 20th Century
The Maskman & the Agents – Love Bandito/ Dynamo
The Magnificent Freedom – Fuck Off and Leave Me Alone/ Our Label
The Latin Souls – The Party Is Over/ Kapp
Funky 16 Corners Set List
Mighty Hannibal – Jerkin’ the Dog (Shurfine)
Don Covay – Sookie Sookie (Atlantic)
Lee Moses – Day Tripper (Musicor)
Eddie Holland – Leaving Here (Motown)
Henry Lumpkin – Soul Is Takin’ Over (Buddah)
Billy Davis – Stanky Get Funky (Cobblestone)
Chuck Bernard – Indian Giver (Satellite)
Woody Carr – Peace Dance (Jerden)
Bill Sha-Rae – Let’s Do It Again (Triple B)
Jerry O – The Funky Chicken Yoke (Boo-Ga-Loo)
Rex Garvin & the Mighty Cravers – I Gotta Go Now (Up On the Floor) (Like)
Roy Lee Johnson – Boogaloo #3 (Josie)
Shadows of Knight – Shake (Team)
Barbara Banks – River of Tears (Veep)
Marvelettes – I’ll Keep On Holding On (Tamla)
Jean Wells – With My Love and What You’ve Got (Calla)
R. Dean Taylor- There’s a Ghost In My House (VIP)
Darrell Banks – Our Love Is In the Pocket (Revilot)
Lee Dorsey – Four Corners Pt1 (Amy)
NY Jets – The Funky Chicken (Tamboo)
Exotics – Boogaloo Investigator (Excello)
Roger & the Gypsies – Pass the Hatchet Pt1 (Seven B)
DJ M.Fasis Set List
DJ Bluewater Set
Soul Excitement – Stay Together – (Kay-Dee)
Slim and The Soulful Saints – Fish Head – (CAL)
Eddie Warner – Brutus Drums – (Fat City)
James Brown – Shhhhhhhh For A Little While – (Delta)
Groove Merchants – There’s Got To Be Someone For Me – (Suemi)
Rene Costy – Scrabble – (Dynamite Soul)
Rabbits & Carrots – Expresate – (Vampisoul)
Mighty Dogcatchers – It’s Gonna Be A Mess Pt. 1 – (Tramp)
The Nu Trons – Beat – (Eldee)
Count Yates – At The Soul In Pt. 1 – (New Bag)
Ray Bryant – Up Above The Rock – (Cadet)
Menahan Street Band – Tired Of Fighting – (Dunham)
Illusions – It’s Just An Illusion – (Tramp)
Devil Dick Set List
Intro-Chase – Open Up Wide – Epic
Kurtis Blow – The Breaks – Mercury
Rob Base & D.J. E-Z Rock – It Takes Two – Profile
J.J. Fad – Supersonic – Ruthless
Beastie Boys – Paul Revere – Def Jam
Run DMC – Mary Mary – Profile
Ice-T – Colors – Warner Brothers
L.L. Cool J – Going Back to Cali – Def Jam
Biz Markie – Just a Friend – Cold Chillin’
Salt-N-Pepper – Push It – Next Plateau
Newcleus – Jam on It – Sunnyview
Luke featuring 2 Live Crew – Banned in the U.S.A. – Luke Records
Guest Selector 45 Killer dropped some massive African Funk records
DJ Prime Mundo reps Cuba lovely
Girls, Girls, Girls, Girls
DD, The JJB, and Jack the Ripper lounging.
Come on out tonight! We have a bunch of secret selectors plus the AP 45 Crew spinning lots of great Deep Funk, Raw Soul, Reggae, and some surprises…..ALL ON 7″! Who says seven inches isn’t enough! Don’t miss this edition of the 45 Sessions. See you on the dance floor! Keep Diggin!
Here’s a midweek piece of dusty goodness for you over at Flea Market Funk. It’s been a song that I had always dug due to the use of it by Thes One of People Under the Stairs for their song “San Francisco Knights”. When it showed up at the spot, I couldn’t really pass it up at all. As a matter of fact, at first I didn’t realize it it was the record because the track isn’t even listed on the back of the record. The very psychy font style and photo on the front made it hard to resist. Here’s Gabor Szabo & the California Dreamers and “San Franciscan Nights” from the Impulse! Lp Wind, Sky, and Diamonds.
Gabor Szabo was born in 1936 in Budapest, Hungary. Mostly a self taught guitar player, he burst onto the scene as early as 14 in Hungary, playing out at bars and dinner clubs before eventually escaping at age 20 to the United States. Before joining Chico Hamilton’s band, he studied at Berklee College for two years. His experience with Hamilton (who helped shape his free flowing sound) paved the way for him for stints with Charles Lloyd and Gary McFarland. Breaking out and going solo in 1966, he would release Spellbinder, that produced the tune Gypsy Queen (later made popular by Santana). Moving forward Szabo experimented with feedback (although not always successful) and even released a few commercial records in the 1970′s, but of course was known for his unique sound and also as a band leader of his Quintet. At times, his many influences which would include that of his homeland, plus Indian and Asian sounds would occasionally rear it’s head. Szabo played throughout the 1970′s, but unfortunately would die in 1982 after one of his visits back to Hungary at age 46.
This particular record, a cover of the Eric Burden original, is a bit dreamy, but has always kept my attention as a beautiful song none the less. It may not be all together funky, but it’s definitely a great side. On the whole, Szabo had assembled a great cast of players including Tom Scott on sax, Louis Morell and Dennis Budimer on guitars, Carol Kaye on Bass, Mike Melvoin on piano and harpischord, Emil Richards playing percussion, John Guerin on drums, and Bill Plummer on sitar. Another gem produced by Bob Theile, the Lp on the whole, is chock full of interpretations of Beatles, Jefferson Airplane, Movie Themes, classic Samba and other West Coast artist songs. Like I said, it’s dreamy, and Gabor’s unique guitar style shines through on every track. See you Friday where we will have another installment of the 45 Sessions in Asbury Park. Keep Diggin’!
