By the time this post is up, there will be a new addition to the FMF family. I’m talking about the birth of my son. It’s crazy when I think about it, a little version of me running around. A son to pass all these records and this music on to. There is not one artist I can think of that has had such a profound influence on my music taste than Curtis Mayfield. As a child hearing him through my dad’s records, to digging in the dust and piles of junk to unearth his beautiful records, Curtis has always been a staple in my households. Now it’s time for me to pass on the torch to this young buck once he gets tall enough to reach the turntables. Rest assured I’ll be passing on the knowledge to the kid (as well as the record collection), so he can pass it on to the next generation. I may be taking a few days off from
writing to get the future digger/ DJ situated, but best believe I’ll be back with more. Thanks for the support people. Salute!
This week’s Big Ups takes us to the Left Coast with DJ Platurn. The 45 Sessions and Oakland Faders DJ and producer has been rocking the Bay Area for more than a minute. It is our pleasure to have him in this installment of the Big Ups series.
Check out more information about DJ Platurn on his site.
A decade old mix Flea Market Treats by Spair and DJ Platurn that still bangs!
Not much more to say except: YES. THANK YOU. LONG OVERDUE. While everyone was mourning the loss of a Soul legend Whitney Houston this past weekend, Charles Bradley was busy trying to live his hard life the last 60 plus years. He was the break out Soul star in 2011 with his release No Time For Dreaming on Daptone, and his interesting story has been documented on film. This documentary will premiere at the SXSW Film Festival in March, and FMF can not wait to check it out. If you are a fan of Soul music, this is a film that should not be missed. This man’s music is incredible, and while releasing his debut record at 62, he has to be the oldest rookie since Satchel Paige took the mound. This is Soul music people: the good, the bad, the sad, and truly incredible.
Charles Bradley: Soul In America Documentary Trailer
It’s here! Flea Market Funk has partnered up with the vinyl photo blog Dust & Grooves for Wax On Film: A Photo Contest. We want to see creative photos of your vinyl collections. We have an exclusive, expert panel of judges to help determine the winners. We’re talking not just Eilon from Dust & Grooves and myself, but people like acclaimed DJ, Rich Medina, Brian Ho from Dreams in Audio, and Brian Cross aka B+ from Mochilla, all vinyl experts in their own right. The chosen winners will receive Wax On Film gift packages from Nixon, Tucker & Bloom, Rare Byrds, Listen Clothing, 101 Apparel, Tropicalia In Furs, Cultures of Soul, Hot Peas & Butta, and more!
This record was a good score for $3. It was an even better come up that it was a promo and mint, with a blank back cover. I heard it can go for a little cash, but who cares? This track smokes. Here’s Patrice Rushen with “Kickin’ Back” on Prestige Records from 1975.
Patrice Rushen is one of the world’s top Jazz pianists. From her early Jazz beginnings as a side player and solo artist to moving through the world of film and television scoring with ease, as well as Pop, Soul, Disco, and R & B, Patrice Rushen has played with and along side and recorded with most of the industry’s most well known players. With over 14 solo releases on such labels as Prestige, Arista, and GRP among others, her talent has kept her quite busy for most of her career. Her commercial success has made her name known outside DJ and record collector circles. However, it’s these early recordings like “Kickin’ Back” that speak to me.
This single (purported to be one of the first 12″ released in a batch of original 12″s) is Rushen moving away from the straight forward Jazz she exhibited on Prelusion and moving into Jazz Fusion. This is some lazy day music people, smooth and cool. Rushen (on the clavinet, piano, and synthesizer) stacked her backing band with vet players like Hubert Laws (flute), Lee Ritenour (guitar), Harvey Mason (drums), the horn section of Bohanon, Brashear, Caliman, Dumas and Nash, and finally Charles Meeks (bass). She plays the piano to a similar style of Herbie Hancock (close your eyes this tune has a Headhunters feel), and has kept it even closer to Hancock with Mason who was in the Headhunters, and Meeks who has been a Jazz journeyman in the Blue Note world as well. Patrice moves along at her pace, keeping it cool junior, real cool. This is a great find, a great record, and for me, a period in music I wish never went away. Patrice Rushen announced her exit from the Jazz world with this record, and did it with a bang. She then went on to conquer the music world in many other ways, but to me when she was kickin’ back, she was at her best.
I used be a partner in a way before it’s time store called Soul Sauce. I’ve spoken about it from time to time. We sold clothing, graff supplies, skateboards, records, magazines, books and anything else we were into. Skaters, DJs, writers, rappers, musicians and tons of others rolled through. We had turntables in the back of the store where everyone who spun could get on. One young buck who was a regular was this white cat named Double L (LL). He was a young dude, and on any day he’d show up wearing a leather eight ball jacket, doo rag, Tims, whatever was hot at the time (Mecca, Ecko, Girbaud, etc.), straight thuggin’ and all business. He would also bring records and a mic. He would get on the turntables and just kill it while rapping over instrumentals (my man had a stutter but still had a silky flow). He just played underground Hip Hop, and repped it all day every day. My dude would also make mixtapes to sell (complete with home made xeroxed covers). He’d put together nonstop mixes of The Best of OC, plus The Best of Double L (complete with his own raps)! It was a great time in music and just a great time in general in my life. I wish I had saved the photos When Double L wasn’t cutting up two copies of OC, he would work in groups like Rawkotics, and of course one of his favorites, Lamont Coleman aka Big L and the DITC crew. At the time, Big L was still alive, and his music was a topic that people would talk about in our lounge while listening to others DJ. I always dug Big L’s flow, and when news came through that he had been killed, it was a sad day at the Sauce. It especially hit Double L hard. Good things really never last, and by 2003 we had shut down the store, I moved on to touring nationally as a DJ, and I never heard from Double L again. I do remember though, Double L bringing in cassettes, specifically home made Stretch and Bobbito tapes that we would all listen to during store hours. Here’s one that I can remember LL bringing in, and one that was revisited by Chairman Mao, Stretch, and Bobbito a few weeks ago in San Francisco at a Red Bull Music Academy Lecture.
If Biggie didn’t die, would fast rapping Jay Z aka Jaz been as big as he is now? That’s for another post, but in 1995, Big L straight killed this freestyle on the Stretch and Bobbito show. Jay’s flow is quick, and nice, but it’s Big L that steals the show. Rest in Power Big L, who knows where you would have been if you were still alive? Probably competing as one of the greatest rappers of all time (no disrespect to Big Daddy Kane on this one).
Big L Freestyle on the Stretch and Bobbito Show 02.23.95
My fave line is still: “I’m so ahead of my time, my parents haven’t met yet…….”
A while back I put out the 45 shirt design, but just couldn’t get a collaboration that was quite right. However, as like minded individuals seem to always get together, the collaboration between Flea Market Funk and Listen Clothing begins. I have been a fan and supporting this company since their inception, and when I was on tour a few years back, my man Renz sent me a box of Listen stuff that has been worn on countless gigs, tours, and the like. Listen Clothing has been preserving the music, culture, and quality artists for over 10 years through their clothing and accessory lines. I am proud to announce the first (of many hopefully) Limited Edition tee shirt collaborations between Flea Market Funk and Listen: The 45 shirt.
Here’s a shirt that all you 45 heads have been fiending for: a nod to graphic design and typography combined with some great Funk and Soul 45 bands. There are some easy finds on here as well as some Holy Grails. We all have some of them, we all want some of them, but the bottom line is that these records are appreciated. I wanted to help preserve these artists in one of the most creative ways I could think of, the tee. We’re also working on some limited edition prints as well. After all, it’s “The Way We Live”.
Stay tuned for more details about buying this design in shirt and print form.
I came across this article in the San Francisco Weekly by Phillip Mlynar stating that “Instrumental Hip Hop Sucks. Ban It Forever”. Now if you have been a follower of Flea Market Funk, you know that not only do we promote the vinyl from original artists that fuel instrumental Hip Hop, but support today’s producers and artists that make quality music. Some of them are strictly instrumental Hip Hop. In his article, Mr. Mlynar rips the entire genre (except DJ Shadow, for some reason he gets a pass and “is exonerated from the crime of instrumental hip-hop by virtue of his music being more correctly in the lineage of Steinski’s witty cut-and-paste experiments.”). He goes on to bash artists like DOOM, Diplo, RJD2, and Dilla. While this is America, and of course just an opinion of Mr. Mylnar, I am really offended, and appalled that a writer for a national weekly was allowed to publish such trash. What came across was an ill informed, horribly researched, personal witch hunt on music he doesn’t like. If you look back on the articles he wrote in 2011, they ranged from “The World’s Most Regrettable Hip Hop Tattoos” (oh wait I saw an ice cream cone on a guy’s face!) to multiple articles on Kreayshawn, some *surprise*, DJ Shadow, and a whole lot of lists that look like something ego trip list would publish. Let’s break down why this article doesn’t make sense.
“It’s music without a start or end, without peaks and momentum — it’s hip-hop without a money shot. Tragically, it also forgets what makes hip-hop so invigorating in the first place.”:
Obviously, there is no research in the this at all. Way before DOOM or Madlib released the instrumentals, way before he was on DJ Shadow’s dick (I’m surprised he didn’t refer to him as “Josh” in the article), there were instrumentals. DJ’s cut up the breaks, extended the groove, and made people dance. We all are aware of that. Let’s take it back to mid-80′s, when Delicious Vinyl was not yet started (although it was a concept without the label really), and the Dust Brothers were making instrumental Hip Hop. These guys made sample based instrumental records and played them way before they even had a record label off the ground. People danced to this on the weekly at clubs like Power Tools, where their originals were mixed in with Funk, Disco, Heavy Metal, and underground Hip Hop of the day. These instrumentals would become the back bone for one of the best sample based record ever, the Beastie Boys Paul’s Boutique. Were these mid 80′s tracks, played in the LA club scene way before the Beasties or Tone Loc or Def Jef rhymed over them without a money shot? If you think there is not one money shot in any of the songs on Paul’s Boutique, you’re nuts. They were some of the most creative instrumentals made, and were filled with more money shots than a Swedish Erotica Johnny Wad film. You can’t tell me that a record like DJ Z-Trip’s Shifting Gears, primarily an instrumental record (with a bit of rapping) has no money shot, or Cut Chemist’s The Audience Is Listening is a boring repetitive effort akin to “Chinese water torture”. What about newer producers like Tall Black Guy, Odisee, 14 KT, Small Professor, or vets like Price Paul and Jake One? There is no way you can even state that their music is boring and can only be understood by consuming massive amounts of weed. This is rubbish, and I haven’t even mentioned Jay Dee yet.
Going further, he states “that quaint, nostalgia-saturated scene has nothing to do with the modern idea of instrumental hip-hop”.
How does this have nothing to do with instrumental Hip Hop? It’s the backbone of it. It applies the same technique: sample based music. A reinterpretation of the music, chopped, cut and made into a different product. Highlighting (obvious or not) the original artist (sample) and using their creative artistic freedom to make a song of their own. It’s a natural progression from early Hip Hop, where rhyming over the beat had turned into another genre. OK, Hip Hop gave born to Trip Hop which then birthed Instrumental Hip Hop. What’s wrong with that? Like I said it’s a natural progression, a maturation of the raw, infancy of classic Hip Hop, into IMHO, a polished genre with no rhyming. Why did DJ Shadow get a pass because his record was more like Steinski’s cut and paste style? He’s not the only one who was influenced by him, but maybe the first who was vocal about it. Shadow has made a lot of instrumental Hip Hop, and just because Endtroducing (which is definitely championed here at FMF) was done more in the style of “The Lesson” type records, doesn’t mean his samples and beats aren’t repetitive. It also doesn’t necessarily mean that Madlib or DOOM, or artists like RJD2 or even Cut Chemist are not relevant. Both RJD2 and Cut Chemist have made records that give respect to the pioneers while creatively sampling records, obscure or not. Cut has transformed sides using Brazilian records that take you on a beat filled journey of ebbs and flows that you don’t need to get high to enjoy. RJD2 has sampled everyone from Elliot Smith to Sophy (Check out “1976″ to hear this gem), and is far from boring. These artists have pushed the envelope of IHH and done it with some beautiful creativity.
“DJs and producers seemed to decide that they were on a pre-ordained artistic mission to conjure up — ahem! — “atmospheric soundscapes” instead of getting on with their jobs and making rap tracks that bang.”
Webster’s Dictionary defines artist as the following:
art·ist
noun \ˈär-tist\
Definition of ARTIST
1
one skilled or versed in learned arts
2
one who professes and practices an imaginative art b : a person skilled in one of the fine arts
3
a skilled performer; especially : artiste
4
one who is adept at something
At last glance, all of these artists are skilled, and adept at something, in this case making beats aka instrumental Hip Hop. Why are any of these people less of a performer because they don’t have music that sounds like Wiz Khalifa or Kreayshawn? Who made the rule that there has to be some snappy lyrics to accentuate the beat? I know that I’m not the only person who shares the idea of ridiculous lyrics about flossing bling take away from a good beat. Could it be possible that theses artists’ “atmospheric soundscapes” appeal to a different audience than the aforementioned rappers? What is the definition of banger? Does it have to be accepted by a Top 40 audience, win a Grammy (something Wiz didn’t win last night thankfully), or be played to death in every sporting arena, Hot 97 playlist, or by celebrity DJ to be considered a banger? A banger is a tune or beat that, well, bangs. It may or may not be repetitive, I mean most instrumentals are. Most songs are for that matter, aren’t they? An IHH beat is quite different than the latest Top 40 garbage because it’s creative. Why is a repeated and beat into the public’s head “so called banger”, that makes the public feel like “this is what music should be” because it has lyrics, better than an IHH song? IHH is filled with creativity, something the lemmings that follow Top 40 lack.
“ When Shadow addressed the issue in “Why Hip Hop Sucks in ’96″, he was not just letting the listener know how bad Hip Hop was at that moment, but contributing to the foundation of a new genre in instrumental Hip Hop. ”
I guarantee that many people could not tell you who Dilla was, or understand the creativity he had. I’m sure many Hip Hop fans today know more about Weezy than Dilla’s contribution to music. Besides being one of, if not the best producer of all time, his legacy and style has influenced a whole new generation of producers. Do your research son. His contribution to classics from ATCQ, the Pharcyde, and more weren’t just rhyming over a banger, the beat stood out by itself. Technically it banged. It could be played on it’s own and still get a great reaction. Dilla’s beats did repeat, but who cares? They were some of the most creative beats out there. What about Pete Rock? Pete Rock has released a slew of instrumentals (Petestramentals anyone?), and DJ producer vets like DJ Cam, DJ Honda, and DJ Krush have made long lasting careers out of IHH. Who said that their job was to just make songs than bang? They’re artists, creative in their own right, who can make any music they want. They’re respected and like I said, have made long lasting careers out of doing things their own way, most times without lyrics.
In conclusion, I have to say that Mr. Mlynar is way off base with his article. He is entitled to his opinion, but I really think that he should have kept it to himself in this situation. Just because you don’t like IHH, this is no reason to say it should be banned. Producers like DJ Premier, if they never made another lyrical Hip Hop song again, could live on the strength of the instrumental. When you hear a Premier beat, you know it’s Premier. People listen to the music not to get high to (although it does goes on), but most do it because they appreciate the music and hard work that goes into making this music. IHH is an art, an art that has evolved through the evolution of Hip Hop itself via sampling, production and the further refining of the art by people like DJ Shadow, Premier, Dilla, Alchemist, Jake Uno, Cut Chemist, Prince Paul, Pete Rock, RJD2, Diplo, and many others. IHH is growing every day, and with such sites like Soundcloud, bandcamp, and others, will no doubt grow larger through the momentum in gains from people refining the art of beat making. Just because you don’t like some genre of music, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not good. When Shadow addressed the issue in “Why Hip Hop Sucks in ’96″, he was not just letting the listener know how bad Hip Hop was at that moment, but contributing to the foundation of a new genre in instrumental Hip Hop. Since that time, many artists and producers have built on that foundation to creatively solidify a faction of a genre that continues to knock down sonic barriers and leave a lasting footprint in this life we call Hip Hop. “The banal, meandering stepchild of Hip-Hop” has reared it’s ugly head and declared it’s here to stay.
There is so much music out there these days, sometimes it’s hard to keep up. I’ve got my head so far into the Funk, Soul, Jazz, Reggae and Hip Hop that I like to peek my head outside the genre and see what else is poppin’. Don’t get it twisted, I’m open minded and maybe I’m blasting some Bad Brains while I’m writing just as easy as turning up the volume on some Art Pepper. So when I get a message from the good people over at Kat Records touting the upcoming Neil Diablo Edits on the label, my ears perk up. For those not in the know, Neil Scott aka Neil Diablo runs the famous El Diablo Social Club in Manchester, is one of the city’s top DJs (and now remixer). His DJ night has been a staple in Manchester nightlife and if it’s dancing you want to do, El Diablo Social Club plays the stuff that moves your feet: Italo, Cosmic, House, and the like. Who doesn’t enjoy an evening at a social? Neil has released some edits via Kat, and I believe you will find these interpretations quite tasty. “For Your Love” by Fat Gaines Band ft. Zorina, “Behind Bars” by Christina Debs, and two others: “Cannae Believe” and “Disco Special” get the Diablo touch. These tracks are not for head nodders people, get up out of your seat poindexter and dance. “Cannae Believe” has got the ill synth stabs while “Disco” is a slow burner that builds with some damn Soul Claps. “For Your Love” is some 80′s Soul with a bass line that will make your neck snap, a great horn section, and deep, soulful vocals, while “Bars” (produced originally by Don Was) slowly churns as Diablo’s re-lick of this Nu-Wave Disco gem transports you to the LES via Detroit circa ’84. This is definitely an end of the night joint if I ever heard one. Kat are always pushing the envelope of different genres of music. Whether it be Soul, Funk, Psych or Disco tracks, these guys have a stable of producers and remixers who get the job done proper. Look for these re-edits at better record shops in your area, or contact them here.
Test pressing for The Darling Dears Great nod to the old Flower City label by COS
I had been hearing a lot about this Holy Grail Soul record for a long time, and when Jeff over at Cultures of Soul send me a message that they were reissuing it and asked if I wanted a test pressing, well, how could I say no? The original record, for those of you who are into this type of thing, has fetched upwards of three thousand bucks and more on online auctions. With only about 1000 45′s pressed up in originally, this record has been on many a want list (and apparently a dude found 50 copies in the remains of the Fine Records Studio in Rochester). The Rochester, NY band is backed up by fellow Flower City mates Funky Heavy on this track (which was originally done by the band Rock Candy) for some really sweet, beautiful, Soul. It seems that COS hooked up with the Darling Dears themselves, as well as long time music promoter Alvin (Lawrence) Lofton and the rest they say, is history. A reissue of some of the sweetest girl group Soul you will ever hear is getting put out for all to consume, and not for $3K.
If that’s not enough, it seems that Now Again with help from NY Funk and Soul researcher and archivist David Griffith have teamed up to also release this record through their Orivious Records label. It looks like both parties have done their homework and released it through the proper channels. Props to both of these great labels for making sure these artists get paid. This is something I like to see here at FMF. Now for all you collectors, diggers, DJs, and Soul lovers, you can go over to Cultures of Soul and get your “special limited edition issue of this 45 licensed courtesy of Alvin Lofton and the Darling Dears. Limited to 500 copies and fully remastered with a special replica label of the original issue. The first 50 pre-orders will also receive a reprinted photo of the group.” That’s the photo used above. Hot damn for some sweet Soul.
The Darling Dears – I Don’t Think I’ll Ever Love Another on Flower City Records
I am starting up the Guest Mix Series again over here at FMF. Last time I had a great bunch of mixes from everyone from Funky 16 Corners to the artist COOP to Jason Perlmutter to Supreme La Rock and more. This time I’ve reached out to some different DJs to put together a mix of whatever they like, not necessarily Funk and Soul. I’m doing this for two reasons: one, I want to have some Big Ups people give you some great mixes, and two, I wanted to start a sort of pledge drive here at FMF. I do not make money on FMF, everything is out of pocket and done for the love of the music. However, as my server costs are rising, it’s getting more expensive on the monthly. I’m asking you, the FMF readers, the faithful who have been here since the beginning, to donate.
You can donate by clicking this link and following the instructions on the page. Any little bit helps. Thank you for your continued support on FMF!
That being said, the first mix is from my man DJ Andy Smith out of London. Known for his genre smashing classic Document mix series as well as label specific vault digging mixes (Greensleeves, Trojan) and let’s not forget his Jam Up Twist party that plays all over the UK, Andy took some time to make a mix that will be up on FMF for a month exclusively before going public. It changes styles like Son of Bazerk, it’s fresh, and I’m hoping you are going to dig it as much as I did. More Guest Mixes to come. Stay tuned.
DJ Andy Smith Many Styles Mix
1) Let’s Rock – Feel (Vista Sounds)
2) Dyin’ To Be Dancin – Empress (Prelude)
3) Chill Out – Free expression (Vanguard)
4) The Art Of Drums – Macattack (Baad!)
5) Brooklyns In The House – Cut Master D.C (Be Bop & Fresh)
6) One For The Treble (Fresh) – Davy DMX (CBS/Tuff City)
7) The Party Scene – The Russell Brothers (Portrait)
8) Oily – Juggy (Sue)
9) Tutti Fruiti – Lee Austin (Polydor)
10) Egg Roll – (Unknown artist) – (Funk 45)
11) Move To Something Funky – BLVD Mosse (Scorpio)
12) Paper Chase – Krown Rulers (Soo Deff/Warlock)
13) I Aint Wid Dat (Inst) – Funk Master Wizzard Wiz (Tuff City)
14) Soupy – Maggie Threat (Dyno Voice)
15) Hard To Road To Hoe – Otis Lee (Soul Magic)
16) You Got To Have Money – The Exits (Gemini)
17) I Got A Woman – Ray Charles (Atlantic)
18) You Had A Woman – Geneva Vallier(Cash)
19) Love Bandit – The Cadets (Modern)
20) Bloodshot Eyes – Wynonie Harris (King)
21) Soon You’ll Be Gone – The Blues Busters (BRA)
I told you I was upping the ante this year, and if you thought last week’s Big Ups was dope, then you’re in for another treat. This week we have one of the hardest working DJs/ producers out there, Uncle NU, aka DJ Nu-Mark. Uncle Nu is known for not just being a dope DJ, but a producer and solo artist who pushes the envelope in his live shows. His last tour experimented with toys and toy instruments, and he constructed a live set around these toys. Always innovating and forging new trails as a DJ, we’re stoked to have DJ Nu-Mark in this week’s Big Ups.
Straight out of Rennes, France comes Stereophonk Records. Headed up by DJ Deheb and DJ Marrrtin, this French label is releasing some scorching Funk, Soul, and Hip Hop 45s. Funky Bijou’s “Funky Bijou Anthem” is their first, with a run of 800 which sold out immediately. I can completely understand why. A perfect B-Boy anthem: a sad guitar loop, some tabla and Indian percussion, funky flute, plus some drums of death which make this rocker complete that keeps all the dancers uprocking all night long. These guys have a facebook page where you can check out more videos and information on the Stereophonk posse. This particular track has been adopted as a B-Boy anthem, recently played at the Redbull BC One in Moscow in 2011:
It’s a scorcher, reminiscent of “The Baden Persuader” from Starla Records and one of my favorite sitar break records, “Mather” by the Dave Pike Set. They’ve also got some pretty great remixes too, a funk filled remix of “Ooh Baby” from Smokey Robinson , and Patti Drew’s “Tell Him” (for the romantic B-Boy in you!). The promo videos they have created for each track are a great collage and just like putting sliced truffles under the skin of game fowl, it’s a nice pairing to say the least. They’re tagline at Stereophonk is: French Groove Recordings, and they more than live up to their name. Keep an eye and ear out from this crew, as they will stay on your radar after you hear some of these sides and remixes.
A few years ago I was in a hurry to leave my local digging spot. I was supposed to make an appointment, and as usual I was neck deep in vinyl. Knowing I was really late, I was jogging to my car when I saw this box. It was a giant washing machine detergent box overflowing with 45s. I mean 7″s were on the ground, in the sand and tumbling out of this box. I tried to make a quick $10 dollar ploy for this monstrosity to the seller, a total dick record dealer, but the guy wouldn’t budge. He said $20, I said “bet” (and I still do), and off I went. I was driving home and digging through this box while driving. One eye on the road, one hand on the wheel, the other eye and hand on and in the box. What was in the box of goodness I found out, was a lot of rinked up, semi-playable, unsleeved 45s. At a light I pulled out Mickey and the Soul Generation’s “Iron Leg” on Maxwell. $20 well spent, and I was pumped. However, later on,, I got rid of all the garbage records when I was finally able to go through the box properly. The others I put in a bin, and kind of forgot about them for a few years. There were roughly 200 45s in the box, so that’s 10¢ a piece (plus the score of M&TSG). Yesterday, for no particular reason, I felt like looking in the box. The result is the mix you have before you. I wish I had done this before, but I didn’t. I was smart enough, however, to put all the James Brown and James Brown Production stuff on the top, and here’s what I came up with:
FMF presents: The $1 JB 45 Mix.
Let A Man Come In and Do The Popcorn Part 1.
Superbad, Superslick, Part 1
Escapism Part 1
Brother Rapp Part 1
It’s A New Day Part 1
Give It Up Or Turn It Loose
Mother Popcorn
Ain’t That A Groove
Bodyheat Part 1
Down and Out in New York City
10 JB tunes for a $1. Done in one take, live, and with some pops, clicks, and a skip or two. It’s JB and I got them for a buck. Nothing special, just the Godfather, the Minister of the New New Super Heavy Funk, and Soul Brother Number 1 on King, People, and Polydor. Enjoy.
I woke up yesterday shocked to hear of the passing of Soul Train legend Don Cornelius. Even more shocked that it was from a self inflicted gun shot wound, an apparent suicide. Seriously? Very sad indeed. Don Cornelius introduced me to so many different artists as a child. I mean, I watched the damn show with my family, and continued to check it out always as I was growing up. I watched it for the music, not the fashion (although quite funny) and of course that Soul Train line. As I got older and started digging, I always came across the Soul Train compilations, which were important to an up and coming DJ like myself. Highlighting people I was familiar with: Isaac Hayes, Curtis Mayfield, The Spinners and the Dells (my dad’s favorite), I also got exposed to bands like the Natural Four, Bobby Blue Bland, and The Moments. This video highlights a lot of the great artists I got exposed to. Check out James Gadsen on the drums behind Bill Withers, and a gang of other great Funk, Soul, and Hip Hop artists that graced the Soul Train stage. Even Rosie Perez makes an appearance on the Soul Train line if you don’t blink.
Quest Love has spoken out on the passing of Don Cornelius. This is a really great, heartfelt article from a talented musician/ music historian. I am very sad that we’ve lost this legend. It seems like we’re losing a lot of them these days: Etta James, Jimmy Castor, and now Don Cornelius. A true innovator of television, human rights, and a music revolutionary. He changed the way we see music on tv, and exposed the world to some of the best artists we have ever known. We may not have Don Cornelius anymore, but we still have the thousands of clips all over the net of past episodes of Soul Train. You can also get a Soul Train like experience when you go to a Hot Peas and Butta DJ night, as Skeme Richards and company not only replicate the music, but play loads of Soul Train footage behind you as you dance the night away. Rest In Power Don, Peace and Soul forever.
