Well folks, we’ve lost another legend. Jazz trumpeter Freddie Hubbard has passed away due to complications from a heart attack he suffered in November at the age of 70. Please check out the piece on him I did here. He will definitely be missed. A Happy and Healthy New Year to You All. Keep Diggin’!
Well kids, this will be the last post of the year 2008. I hope everyone had a great holiday. This year, the holiday in the Flea Market Funk household was really great. It was nice to have some time off from work to regroup, relax, watch some football on Boxing Day, and even go and kick a football about on a 65 plus degree day in December. We’re here for the music though, and today I’m throwing out a side, that to until recently, I discovered is kind of off the beaten path. Not to be confused with Chuck Brown from the Soul Searchers or the Blues singer Charles Brown, here is Charlie Brown with “(Funky) Sunny” on Contact/ Flying Dutchman Records from 1972.
Born in North Carolina, Brown was around music early. His father was a minister, so he grew up around religious music, and by the time he was a teen, he was into it full bore. Besides religious music he was inspired by Lester Young and Illinois Jaquet. His weapon of choice was the saxophone. He moved around a bit, and while living in Connecticut, he would play with various one off groups in New York City. His day job was in an electrical assembly plant (a job he had for 18 years and eventually became foreman), focusing on his music at night. Eventually, he came to a crossroads: stay with the stability of a full time job, steady paycheck, and taking care of his family. He took a chance, went to music full time. His chance would pay off, as producer Bob Thiele would discover Brown as he played with a group at Carnegie Hall. “I was struck immediately by the force of Charlie’s style and the funky quality of his playing”, said Theile. His first record, Why Is Everybody Always Pickin’ On Me? was released on Contact/ Flying Dutchman. This 1972 release was again produced by Theile and arranged by Horace Ott. Theile would assemble an all star cast with Gordon Edwards and Gerry Jemmott on Bass, Cornell Dupress, Bert Jones and Billy Butler on Guitar, Richard Tee on Organ, Neal Creque on Piano, Ralph MacDonald on Congas, and Pretty Purdie on Drums. Let’s not forget the nightclub opening from Frankie Crocker.
“(Funky) Sunny” is a great reworking of a classic covered by everyone, including the great James Brown. Charlie Brown, while a bit obscure, shines on this cover, proving that the guy really had some talent. Often compared to Hank Crawford during those Kudu Records years, I believe that fans of Soul Jazz will be happy with this offering from another discovery by the timeless Bob Thiele. Happy New Year to everyone in the FMF extended family, I’ll see you in 2009. Thanks for a great year, for real. Keep Diggin’!
It just doesn’t seem possible that the end of 2008 is near, but alas, it is. This year has been an extremely tough one here at FMF headquarters, but as of late that tough spell has kind of turned around into something positive. I want to give a shout out to all the people who really helped me along the way this year in my personal life, those who stuck by me when times got tough. I’d also like to send a special shout out to a certain person who has shown me that it’s possible to really bounce back from some hard shit, and that sticking to your passions and dreams despite adversity only makes you stronger. To all my fellow DJ’s and diggers I came in contact with and who have shared great sides and beats with me, THANKS! Your inspiration and dedication have kept me going to try and dig deeper. So to keep it in the Holiday spirit, here’s Carla Thomas with “Gee Whiz, It’s Christmas” from the ATCO Records Lp, Soul Christmas. Merry Christmas and Keep Diggin’!
Download or Listen to The Last Poets – In Search of Knowledge from the Blue Thumb Lp At Last
Here is a final post for the week. To say that I have been burning the candle at both ends is an understatement. With a full daytime job, and 2 to 3 DJ gigs a week, plus this holiday rush, I’m ready to get on a plane once again and sit somewhere far from civilization. I’m definitely looking forward to getting some rest these next two weeks, thanks to both X-Mas and New Year’s falling late in the week. I thought tonight I’d do something a bit different, and feature some spoken word. I picked this up at a garage sale from a friend who claimed it was “beat”. I wasn’t sure if he meant the copy or content, and I figured any record by these guys couldn’t be that bad. I was right. Here’s The Last Poets with “In Search of Knowledge” off of their 1973 LP At Last on Blue Thumb Records.
The Last Poets were formed by a bond while in jail. An ex-Army paratrooper, Jalal Mansur Nurriddin, converted to Islam while incarcerated, and upon release linked up with Omar Ben Hassan and Abiodun Oyewole. They went to Harlem and started on their poetry and spiels (early forms of rapping) and joined the East Wind Poetry Workshop. On May 16, 1969, the Last Poets were born. This was the day of Malcolm X’s birth. With their contempt for society, government, the White race and other oppressors, plus the state of the nation at the time, there was a lot of anger in their surroundings. They released their first record in 1970 after being spotted on TV performing. This record gained some momentum, charted on Billboard, and garnished them some attention. Sadly, before they could go out on tour, Oyewole was sentenced to a lengthy jail term, and replaced by percussionist Nilaja. Their second release, This Is Madness, saw the departure of Hassan, but the entrance of Suliman El-Hadi, plus their name on various government agency watch l lists. They were accused from everything to being associated with The Black Panther Party to robbing KKK members. These guys were the real deal, revolutionaries of the modern day. Their third release, Chastisement would blend their spiels and spoken word with Jazz, gaining the nickname “Jazzetry”. This particular record saw the departure of Nilaja, plus the beginning of side projects by members and ex-members. Jalal released a record called Hustlers Convention under the name Lightnin’ Rod, which is interesting. Check out the side “Sport” if you haven’t already. Spoken word over some damn good Funk. The Last Poets rounded out the 70′s with Delights of the Garden before jumping into the 80′s, influencing many politically charged Rap groups from Paris to Public Enemy to Boogie Down Productions. The band members and ex-members had a power struggle throughout these years with drugs, jail, and each other, trying to claim The Last Poets Name. Even though there was a huge struggle, the members continued to push on, writing books, performing, and spreading out from the United States to the UK. They still managed to collaborate with artists such as Bill Laswell and others.
The Last Poets, as I said earlier have been an influence on many Rap and Hip Hop performers. They’ve been sampled by a LONG list of bands, and to me, I think that their revolutionary stance and take no shit attitude has really not only struck fear into many bigoted and close minded individuals, but also opened the eyes of those who struggled with oppression. They were one of the many voices out of the Vietnam era, voices that spoke for those who couldn’t, and their fusion of Free Jazz and Poetry was most certainly revolutionary. Not to say it wasn’t done in a different way by the Beats a few decades earlier, but the fervor and seriousness of their message had not yet been seen or heard on the radio airwaves. NYC was a hotbed of Civil Rights, and these cats were pushing the envelope in activism with their words and music. We are all in search of knowledge, whether it’s 1973 in Harlem, or 2008 in Asbury Park, NJ. This post goes out to my friend Lindsey Gilmore in London, who just sent me a copy of his first published work of Poetry called Look and You Will See. Cheers mate. I will have one more post before the Holiday, so until then, Keep Diggin’!
Here we are midweek at Flea Market Funk and I’ve been feeling some Reggae as of late. I’ve been bumping the latest Dennis Brown compilation, thanks to my man SF over at The Offside Rules. It made me dig deep into my Reggae “to do” pile, and wouldn’t you know, I had this 12″ buried in it. I remember getting it at the Spot this past Summer, and it went right into that pile. Here I am 6 months later, and it jumped right out at me. It may have been snowing today in New Jersey, but I’m definitely feeling some vibes from JA with Mikey Dread and “Jumping Master/ Master Mind” from 1980 on Dread At The Controls Records.
Michael Campbell aka Mikey Dread was born in Port Antonio, Jamaica in 1948. Dread came to prominence in the 1970′s as a Dee Jay on the Jamaican Broadcasting Company, with a 4 hour show called Dread At The Controls. Before Mikey, mostly American records would dominate the Jamaican airwaves. After Mikey, this would all change. He would showcase local talent and played the newest and latest records, some even just hours old. An expert on Jamaican music, he would often play the original songs that the latest dancehall sides used the riddim from. He was also known for jingles on his show, not just the music. These jingles were recorded at King Tubby’s Studio and were as interesting as the music he showcased. His natural progression was to record as a DeeJay on vinyl, and he released “Dread At The Controls” with Lee Perry. This would become his theme song and an anthem, if you will, for Dread. He’d release a few more singles, plus put out sides for Sonia Pottinger and The Mighty Two, before resigning due to politics at JAB in 1979. More sides would be produced for artists such as Ray I and Carlton Patterson. Dread’s next move was to start his own record company, aptly titled, you guessed it: Dread At The Controls Records. It’s first title was just that, but the Dub companion to it, African Anthem , would make a huge impact in Jamaica and in Great Britain. People were now buying records purely for their Dub sides once again. This had not happened since King Tubby ruled the dancehall with Bunny Lee a few years prior. As the 80′s got under way, Dread headed over to England to open up for The Clash’s tour. After the tour, the band and Dread went to the studio, where they recorded “Bank Robber”. The song turned out completely different than what the Clash had wanted, they wanted Ska, Dread gave them a Dub scorcher. He would record with them again with a cover of Eddie Grant’s “Police On My Back”, from Sandanista!. The Clash sessions and further scheduled sessions fizzled out, but Dread pushed on. Hooking back up with producer Carlton Patterson, DATC would release Dancehall burners from artists such as Sugar Minott and Junior Murvin, with B-Side Dub from King Tubby. DATC Records saw some success. With the release of several more records, DATC continued to prosper in JA and now in the UK. After a less than flattering attempt at a Lovers Rock record, Dread hooked up with the UK’s Channel Four to narrate the six part music series called Deep Roots, and also Rockers Road Show. The RRS’s theme “Roots and Culture” was featured on a classic MD record from 1984 Pave The Way. His record output from here on was sporadic, but none the less unenthusiastic. Even an African Anthems Revisited record failed to live up to it’s previous glory. He’d do some producing (ex G’N'R Izzy Stradlin), but mostly focused on television gigs which kept him in the public eye.
“Jumping Master/Master Mind” is one of Mikey Dread’s better known records from the early 80′s, directly after the Clash situation/ fiasco, where the Clash would return to the UK with their tails between their legs. It’s unfortunate, but they were targeted from studio to studio in JA, sending them back a bit scared, and hopefully a bit wiser. Dread’s Dub genius is evident throughout, and with the help of Steelie of Steelie and Clevie fame, makes this side a keeper. The side’s haunting piano riff and riddim keep your head nodding like my grandfather after a long day at work, but in a good way. It’s a long side, but keeps you interested no doubt! The Dread At The Controls was a massive influence on Reggae radio and television, and should be commended for his work in both medias. I will see you Friday, so until then, Keep Diggin’!
The last Asbury Park 45 Sessions of the year 2008 has come and gone. This session was a really great night. With close to about 100 in, all the DJ’s and Guest Selector Cool Hands Luke did a fantastic job. I’d say it was the best set I’ve ever seen him do. The 45 Killer played some HEAVY, HEAVY drums. M.Fasis layed down some sweet foundations to today’s Hip Hop, while Bluewater showcased his old and new Funk and Soul crates. Prime Mundo surprised the crowd with a sweet Big Daddy Kane sampled 45, and I threw down a nice little Deep Funk and Raw Soul set. We missed Larry Grogan and Jack the Ripper who were out of commission, but should be back in the saddle for the next one. In total, we saw a lot of old faces, but most certainly a huge amount of new faces, eager to check out some music that you wouldn’t normally hear on the radio, let alone in a bar on 45 rpm. The next 45 Sessions are in February 2009, which will be our two year anniversary. I’m trying to put together something really special for this one, so stay tuned. Thank You to all Guest DJs, Residents, and fans who have come through. Keep Diggin’!
I was definitely feeling the vibe this 45 Sessions
DJ Prestige Setlist
Monica – I Don’t Know Nothing Else To Tell You But I Love You/ Toxsan
The Nite Lighters – Afro Strut/ RCA
Tony Newman – Soul Thing/ Parrot
Sugar Billy – Super Duper Love Part 1(Are You Diggin’ On Me)/ Fast Track
Lee Moses – Time and Place/ Front Page
TNT Band – The Meditation/ Cotique
Etta James & Sugar Pie DeSanto – In The Basement/ Cadet
Lou Toby and His Heavies – Heavy Steppin’/ Peach Mint
Panic Buttons – O Wow/ Chalom
The Interpretations – Soul Affection/ Bell
The Sweet Cherries – Don’t Give It Away/ T Neck
Paul Humphrey – Funky L.A./ Lizard
Lavell HArdy – Don’t Lose Your Groove/ Rojac
S.O.U.L – The Jonses (Part 1)/ Musicor
Dyke and the Blazers – Let A Woman Be A Woman Let A Man Be A Man/ Original Sound
Mighty Groove Makers – Let’s Dance Some Mo’ Part 1
Joe Quarterman & Free Soul – (I Got) So Much Trouble In My Mind/ GSF
The Lions – Jungle Struttin’/ Ubiquity
45 Killer forgot his mask!
DJ Bluewater on point as usual.
DJ Bluewater Setlist
kings go forth – one day
derobert and the half truths – fallin’ in debt
kings go forth – you’re the one
the lovations – drifting off shore
ray frazier & the shades of madness – i who have nothing
rabbits and carrots – maquina de amor
delegates of soul – ill come running back
diplomats of solid sound – plenty nasty
the soul saints orchestra – santa’s got a bag of soul
billy ray garner – i got some
gene faith – family man
the vibrettes – humpty dump
lonette – stop
mighty mo – the next message
Guest Selector Cool Hands Luke spun the set of his life!
M.Fasis is feeling it!
Prime Mundo spun that Big Daddy Kane R-A-W shit!
curtis mayfield – tripping out (rso)
james and bobby purify – i’m your puppet (bell)
willie hutch – get ready for the get down (motown)
dave & ansell collins – monkey spanner (big tree)
teresa brewer – school days (flying dutchman)
oscar toney jr. – turn on your love light (bell)
jerry washington – in my life i’ve loved (excello)
bobby powell – funky broadway ’69 (whit)
the dynamics – funkey key (black gold)
big joe hamilton – big bad john (minaret)
mickey & his mice – cracker jack (marti)
tribe – funky kingston (grenade)
little stevie wonder – monkey talk (tamla)
gloria jones – heartbeat (uptown)
dept of edu – cuban studies
I just got word that Wednesdays here in Asbury Park will never be the same. The last time I did a Wednesday night party was in Red Bank and it ended in 2000. The Soul Circuit was the first major weekly party I threw, and it was drawing people from Newark taking the train down, and all over New Jersey as well. This party will not be along the same lines, although you may here some of the very records I spun in the early days. This weekly if you will will be at The Annex Cocktail and Wine Bar at 522 Cookman Ave. in Asbury Park. I’ll be spinning Deep Funk, Jazz, Soul and Tasty Beats from 9 til 12 every Wednesday. It’s gonna be an eclectic mix of some classic stuff, and some future classics. Come on down and have some unique drinks and hang in a great atmosphere. The vibe is definitely right. No Cover. See you there. Keep Diggin’!
It’s that time again, and as the weather gets colder, the 45′s start to heat up! We’ve got all the usual suspects tonight, as well as Cool Hands Luke representing Brooklyn, NYC. Luke is a talented cat who not only knows his way around some 7″ records, but all that Hip Hop and more. We’ve had him on our stage before, and he comes back tonight bigger and badder than ever! Doors are at 9, the DJ’s will be going on around 10 or so. $5 to get in, 18 to hang out, 21+ w/ID to hang with the big kids in the bar. It’s gonna be another night of great music and all that’s funky! Keep Diggin’!
BONUS:
I’ll be spinning at Style Rocket on the boardwalk in Asbury Park from 5 to 9, for their first annual X-Mas Bash vs. The Atwater Collection. Music, Food, Drink and good times. It’s All FREE!
I’m getting another late start here due to the power being knocked out in my whole county for about 4 hours. An electrical transformer blew up and cut off the power to my area and many parts of NJ. My neighborhood was pitch black, helicopters with spot lights all over, and I was forced to read the latest Wax Poetics by flashlight. Also, my desktop looks like it shit the bed, so until I get that going on, it’ll be the laptop (Thank You for that!). FMF pushes on though, and today I thought I’d visit another one of my favorite sides. It has been written up a bunch of times, but I thought I’d show it some love anyway. Here’s Joe Quarterman & Free Soul with “(I’ve Got) So Much Trouble In My Mind” on GSF Records from 1972.
Another great Soul singer starting out in the church, Quarterman earned the nickname “Sir” from his singing in a band called The Knights. His vocal styles stood out in Sir Joe and the Maidens with a few sides released earlier in the 60′s. Quarterman also shined as a trumpet player in El Corols Aka The Magnificent Seven. Consequently, this band played a gig as backing band with Garnet Mimms (who also was on GSF). JQ’s time with Jazz band Orlando Smith Quartet, morphed into his band Free Soul. This Washington, DC based band was made up of guitarist George “Jackie” Lee, jazz-trained guitarist Willie Parker, bassist Gregory Hammonds, keyboardist Karissa Freeman, drummer Charles Steptoe, and horn player Leon Rogers. After this particular single in 1973, they went on to release “This Girl of Mine (She’s Good to Me),” “I’m Gonna Get You,” and “Thanks Dad on Lloyd Price’s GSF label. Switching gears and labels, Quarterman moved over to Mercury in ’74. Unfortunately he was released after only two singles, and eventually quit the music game to become an architect.
From the opening horns, this 7″ is a GO. A little bit James Brown and with the spirit of Otis Redding, Quarterman shimmys his way through some jangly guitar, steady drum beat, and heavy bass to spread the word of what’s really going on. There is so much trouble in this man’s mine, it’s hard to be a pimp people, even if your nickname is Sir. I might even go as far to say my man Otis Day stole some of these DC moves when he was the King in Purple Rain in Minneapolis. I especially like the little Psychedelic touch midway with the echo on the vocals. Like i said earlier, so much has been written about this, I just wanted to share one of my favorite sides. SJQ is an unsung hero, and if you’re around Joe, hit me up, I wanna rap about the trouble in my mind. Keep Diggin’!
PS: Friday in Asbury Park, Come on By!
Download or Listen to Ground Hog – Bumpin’ from the Gemigo 45 from 1974
Here’s your early week post at FMF a day late. I had a full work week and two weekend DJ gigs so it’s coming a bit later than usual. I apologize to those who were looking for a Monday morning fix. I’d also like to shout out whoever has got me in the loop for Etta James, because my hits have been off the charts the last few weeks and it’s all about Etta. I’m assuming it has to do with Beyonce as well and Cadillac Records, but I thank whoever is responsible. Also, another shout out to DJ Bluewater for his most excellent and most recent mix he put out. Today’s review, while short, is definitely a great record. I picked this thing up for cheap on a record binge on E Bay like Artie Lange scoring H after a comedy gig. Here’s Ground Hog, with “Bumpin’ ” on Gemigo Records from 1974.
Ground Hog is none other than the talented Mr. Leroy Hudson. Hudson would go on to fill big shoes, as he replaced Chicago Soul royalty when he took over for Curtis Mayfield in 1971. In ’73, his solo career got off the ground. Gemigo was the name of his production company, which consequently became the label name and subsidiary of Curtom Records. Ground Hog put two 7″s out on the label, this very side and “Roll With the Punches”. They also released a few sides from Arnold Blair, the Notations, and Chuck Ray and Linda Clifford. More background on Leroy Hudson can be found here, from an earlier post I did on him. The song “Keep On Bumpin’ ” by Hudson resurfaced in 1994 on The Starsky & Hutch Movie Soundtrack.
This thing starts off with a nice little drum break, and the percussion keeps on rolling through some heavy guitar work. Hudson’s genius keyboard style can be heard throughout! Add a sweet horn section and the background singers encouraging you to “keep on bump-an”, and you’ve got a party in the back seat of your lowered out Coup Deville or dare I say Olds 88 a la Public Enemy style? Either way, this song will keep your head nodding for just under 3 minutes. I don’t know whether Hudson wanted to just hit it and quit it, or simply just didn’t want to make this a longer side, but I feel it could have gone on for a few minutes more. That’s just me, I don’t want the party to end. See you midweek. Keep Diggin’!
I got an e mail earlier this week from my man DJ Bluewater. This guy has some DEEP crates. He’s also a member of the Asbury ark 45 Sessions Crew, and an all around great guy. When not spanning the globe for his Playboy job (it’s a secret), or bringing back high tech gadgets from some far away land, he likes to collect records. Good Funk and Soul records. Here’s number 21 in his Mix series. Let’s give some credit where credit is due, Bluewater knows his shit. Sit back and relax, this is gonna be a great ride.
DJ Bluewater – Kings and Aces Tracklisting
Kings Go Forth – One Day
DeRobert & The Half Truths – Fallin’ In Debt
Groove Merchants – There’s Got To Be Someone For Me
James Brown – Shhhhhhhh For A Little While
Slim and The Soulful Saints – Fish Head
Eddie Warner – Brutus Drums
National Soul Review – Get Me Back On Time
Rene Costy – Scrabble
Rabbits & Carrots – Expresate
Lonette – Stop
The Nu Trons – Beat
Mighty Mo and The Winchester Seven – The Next Message
Mighty Dogcatchers – It’s Gonna Be A Mess Pt. 2
Gene Faith – Family Man
Ray Bryant – Up Above The Rock
Carol Jones – Don’t Destroy Me
Black Bishop – Hard Times
Menahan Street Band – Tired Of Fighting
Count Yates – At The Soul In Pt. 1
Willie & The Mighty Magnificients – Make Me Your Slave
Download or Listen to DJ Bluewater – Kings and Aces Mix
Keep Diggin’!
Hey guys, I just wanted to apologize (even though it wasn’t my fault), About FMF being down most of the day yesterday. Apparently, the system at WordPress for some reason, thought I was violating the Terms of Service. Many E Mails later, we are back up and running and friends once more. I will be doing some research to prevent this from ever happening again, a “mistake” according to Mark from WP. Details to follow. Thanks for understanding. Keep Diggin’!
Download or Listen to Gary Bartz – Music Is My Sanctuary from the Capitol Lp Music Is My Sanctuary
It’s midweek already, and I can’t believe December is here. This year has gone by so quick, my life has changed (for the better), and we’re approaching TWO years of Flea Market Funk. I think 2009 is going to be an even more exciting year, and I look forward to doing more gigs, meeting more of you, and bringing FMF to the next level. I’ve made a few changes to this site in the past week or so. I have reconnected some broken links (The Supreme La Rock and COOP Guest Mixes), and added some more mixes to my personal website. Also, for those of you unaware, there is another Asbury Park 45 Sessions on December 12th at 9PM, at the World Famous Asbury Lanes. This month’s Guest Selector is family people, it’s none other than Cool Hands Luke out of Brooklyn. Luke is a great friend, and a terrific DJ. So if you’re around on the 12th, stop by. There is also a bonus gig the same day from 5PM to 9PM at StyleRocket’s flagship store on the boardwalk in Asbury. It’s a Holiday party for Atwater Collection and Style Rocket. There will be free food, drinks, and I will be providing the beats, so let’s see you out! Ok, now that all the news is out of the way, let’s get into some music, shall we? Today we have Gary Bartz with “Music Is My Sanctuary” off of the same titled Lp on Capitol Records from 1977.
Alto Saxophonist Gary Bartz was born in Baltimore, MD in 1940. He attended Julliard, and from 1962-64 he was a part of the Charles Mingus Jazz Workshop. Here he’d run into and make contact with McCoy Tyner and Eric Dolphy. Bartz went on to be a sideman for greats such as Art Blakey (with the Jazz Messengers), Max Roach and Abbey Lincoln. From there he’d hook back up with Tyner in 1968 in Tyner’s Expansions band. He was a busy guy, as a sideman for Max Roach, Miles Davis (Live Evil) , and formed NTU Troop. This is where I was introduced to Gary Bartz. NTU Troop was a collaboration of Soul, Funk, African music, Hard Bop and Jazz. The tune, was “Celestial Blues” and I highly recommend it. I think Pharrell from the Neptunes was all jazzed up on it recently, but it has been a favorite of mine for years. 7 minutes of the sweet shit. NTU Troop recorded from 1970-73, and released some great music. Records such as Harlem Bush Music, Juju Street Songs, and Taifa combined his influences of Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis, Rassan Roland Kirk, and Pharoah Sanders into a diverse style of playing. Bartz would not stop there. He’d keep on trucking and release Music Is My Sanctuary, Another Earth, Home, and I’ve Known Rivers and Other Bodies to round out the 70′s. Throughout the 80′s Bartz was around, but his greatest release during that era was Reflections on Monk. Although known by Diggers and DJ’s alike, Bartz may be one of the more under appreciated altos around.
One Bartz’s greatest and most well known songs, but by far not his greatest, “Music Is My Sanctuary” is definitely some Jazz Fusion: fusing everything from Disco to Rock to Jazz to Funk and Soul. It weaves a tale, which is true, about the many faces of music. I feel the same way when I hear certain songs. Music definitely is a huge part of my life, and it can affect many people in different ways. I believe Bartz was on the same level. By this time in his career, his level as a musician and leader could get players like James Gadsen, Larry Mizell, David T. Walker, Wa Wa Washington, Eddie Henderson, Ray Brown, and a whole gang of others to record with him. On a whole, this song and Lp are to me, down right funky and feel good music. It’s how music should make you feel. See you at the end of the week. Keep Diggin’!
Good Monday morning FMF family. After a long (and I do mean long and much needed) holiday weekend, we’re back with a bang. In the hustle and bustle of traveling, the holiday here in the states, and my scattered brain, I forgot to post about the Asbury Lanes Record swap and garage sale on Nov. 30th. Fortunately, word spread like wild fire, and everyone was at the swap. I saw Larry fron Funky 16 Corners, Greg from Highland park, Rabid Rob the Hip Hop Slob, Jack the Ripper, Psych Dave, and get ready for this: EGGBEARD. Unbelievable. I managed to get a few great pieces from Psych Dave, which I will list at the bottom of the post. For now, let’s get into a side that DJ Skills turned me onto a while ago, and I picked it up shortly after. Here’s Willie Hutch and “Tell Me Why Has Our Love Turned Cold from the Motown Lp Fully Exposed from 1973.
Born in Los Angeles, CA in 1946, Willie McKinley Hutchinson grew up in Dallas, TX. As a younger man he was a song writer and a member of The Ambassadors. His song writing continued and in 1964 he’d release a solo effort entitled “Love Has Put Me Down”. This little slice of Soul would go on to attract some artists, and soon he was writing songs for The 5th Dimension, and eventually by request from producer Hal Davis wrote “I’ll Be There” for The Jackson Five. This, as you all know went on to be a hit, and soon Hutch was writing for The Chairman of the Board (not Sinatra), Berry Gordy, for artists on the Motown label. His production for such acts as Smokey Robinson and Michael Jackson for the Motown label would lead to his own records: The Mark of the Beast, Color Her Sunshine, and Concert in Blues . While these solo releases were received warmly, it was his soundtrack to The Mack and contribution to Foxy Brown with Roy Ayers that would give him further recognition. Willie Hutch took a break from Motown for a bit in the late 70′s to record for Norman Whitfield, but eventually would go on to return to Motown, where he recorded solo releases, did production, and wrote lyrics up until the early 2000′s.
“Tell Me Why Has Our Love Turned Cold” is a sweet piece of funky Soul that could easily have been on one of Hutch’s efforts on a Blaxploitation soundtrack. He is begging and pleading for an answer of why the relationship has failed, and I can just see Pam Grier laying her Mack down on some poor sap if that were the case. Hutch lined up some great musicians including Slim and Tim (Bass and Guitar respectively), Tommy Myles (Flute and Saxophone), Fred White (Drums), King Errisson & Sam Clayton (Congas), Joe Sample (Piano), Gene & Allen Estes (Percussion) Hutch himself (Guitar), and a gaggle of harpist, violinists and back up singers. Let’s face it, Motown had all these players at their disposal. This tune straight smokes people, so much that The Three 6 Mafia sampled it for their hit “Stay Fly”. You guys stay fly too, and I’ll see you mid week. Keep Diggin’!
Asbury Park Record Swap Finds
Shirley Scott Trio – Great Scott!/ Impulse
Augustus Pablo – East of the River Nile/ Message
T.Swift & the Electric Bag – Are You Experienced?/ Custom
Not much but quality over quantity rules!
Bonus: DJ Prestige meets up with ex-Sex Pistol Steve Jones in LA@ the Hollywood United Football Club vs. Champion’s United Charity Football match.
