Afro Soul Keys of the Budos Band.

To say that the first night of the 4th & Kingsley Soul Club was a success is a severe understatement. The Budos Band brought down their very own brand of Afro Soul with the spirit of Fela Kuti and the JB’s wrapped together with the Ethiopiques in a way the Asbury Lanes has not seen since it’s inception. The night started out with Larry Grogan, DJ Bluewater and myself laying down the vibe with a variety of Deep Funk and Soul 45s. When Bluewater started of his set with the Poets of Rhythm’s “Santa’s Got A Bag of Soul”, you just knew it was going to be a great night. It’s funny, when the band sound checked early, people stopped in their tracks, whether they were eating, bowling, drinking, I mean literally stopped, because the Shaolin Afro Soul these cats have going on is that good. I did see a lot of new faces, many old faces, and I will tell you that I appreciate it greatly. It’s vital to keep a scene like this alive here in Asbury Park. Bands like the Budos are keepers of the flame of real music, of analog tape machines and 2 inch tape splicing, all that may sound obscure to you, but are necessary in this otherwise digital world of processed garbage we call music. The band played a solid, non stop one hour set, covering ground from both of their records Up From the South and Budos II. A highlight was a cover song from an Egyptian band, which was something new they added to their show. ( Dan Foder hit me up with a set list, I forgot to grab one!) The crowd, who took a bit longer to get down and dance to the music, eventually got their groove back and by the time “Up From the South” was finished, I believe they wanted more. They did get more (good music that is) as Larry and I got back behind the turntables and played a variety of Sweet and Northern, plus some Heavy Funk that kept the heads nodding until last call. I honestly could have kept spinning until 5 am, but last call was at 2, and when you have to go, well you have to go. That leaves more for next time.

The mighty Budos bring their Sound to the Asbury Lanes

Here’s my set list from the show, all 45s:

Marvin Holmes & the Uptights – Ooh Ooh the Dragon/ Uni
Hank Johnston – You Lost Your Thing/ Sex Machine
Jesse Fisher – Little John/ Way Out
Mickey & the Soul Generation – Iron Leg/ Maxwell
TNT Band – The Meditation/ Cotique
Brenda & the Tabulations – Scuse Uz Y’all/ Top & Bottom
Sugar Billy – Super Duper Love/ Fast Track
James Carr – Stronger Than Love/ Gold Wax
GiGi – Daddy Love/ Sweet
Tom and Jerrio – Boo-Ga-Loo/ ABC Paramount
JJ Barnes – Chains of Love/ Groovesville
The Esquires – Get On Up/ Bunky
Little Hooks w/ Ray Nato & the Kings – Give the Drummer Some More/ Enjay
Dyke & the Blazers – Let A Woman Be A Woman/ Original Sound
Lou Courtney – Do the Thing/ Riverside
Sidney Pinchback & the Schiller Street Gang – Soul Strokes/ Twinight
Dawn And Sunset – Move In A Room/ Luv N’ Haight
Monica – I Don’t Know Nothing Else To Tell You But I Love You/ Toxsan
Little Beaver – Party Down/ Cat

Band Break

Seven Seas – Pat’s Jam/ Glades
Lee Moses – Time and Place/ Front Page
Mighty Groove Makers – Let’s Dance Some Mo’ Part 1/ Peanut Country
The Village Choir – The Switch/ Paramount
The Sweet Cherries – Don’t Give It Away/ T Neck
Kay Robinson – The Lord Will Make A Way Somehow/ KIng
The Undisputed Truth – California Soul/ Gordy
Barbara & the Uniques – What’s the Use/ Arden
Crosstown Express – Just Keep the Funk/ Pee Zee
Thelma Jones – The House That Jack Built/ Barry!
Soul Sisters – I Can’t Stand It/ Sue
The Omystics – (Crab Grass) Digitaria/ Castle
Unlimited Four – Slow Down/ Chanson
Billy LaMont – Sweet Thang/ 20th Century
Willie Hobbs – My Goodness Yes/ Silver Fox
Dorothy Moore – Here It Is/ Malaco
The Ambers – Soul in Room #401/ Jean
The Ethics – They’ll Still Be A Sweet Tomorrow/ Vent
The Webs – This Thing Called Love/ Popside

Larry Grogan Set
Early Set – Mostly Soul

Don & the Goodtimes – Turn On (Wand)
Roy Lee Johnson – Boogaloo #3 (Josie)
Hank Marr – White House Party (Wingate)
Irma Thomas – What are You Trying To Do (Imperial)
Eddie Holman – Eddie’s My Name (Parkway)
Four Gents – Soul Sister (HBR)
Solomon Burke – Keep Looking (Atlantic)
Little Bob & the Lollipops- I Got Loaded (La Louisianne)
Perry & the Harmonics – Do the Monkey With James (Mercury)
Billy Wade & the 3rd Degrees – Tear It Up Pt1 (ABC)
Gene Waiters – Shake & Shingaling Pt1 (Fairmount)
Albert Collins – Cookin’ Catfish (20th Century)
Lewis Clark (Ain’t a Man’s Best Friend)– Dog (Brent)
Bobby Freeman – C’mon & Swim Pt1 (Autumn)
Denise Lasalle – Keep It Coming (Westbound)
Martha & the Vandellas – Wild One (Gordy)
Sons of Champlin – Fat City (Verve)
Gayletts – Son of a Preacherman (Steady)
East Bay Soul Brass – The Panther (Rampart)
Rufus Thomas – Sister’s Got a Boyfriend (Stax)
Rufus Thomas – Do the Funky Penguin Pt1 (Stax)
Banana Splits – Doin’ the Banana Split (Kelloggs)
Ike Turner & the Kings of Rhythm – New Breed Pt1 (Sue)
Frank Frost – My Back Scratcher (Jewel)
Ann Peebles – I Can’t Stand the Rain (Hi)
Little Milton – More and More (Checker)
John Williams & the Tick Tocks – Do Me Like You Do Me (Sansu)
George Conedy – El Nino Del Tambor (Kent Gospel)
Peggy Scott & Jo Jo Benson – Soulshake (SSS Intl)

Late Set – More Funky with a Northern Finish

Louis Chechere – The Hen Pt1 (Paula)
Communicators & Black Experiences Band – Is It Funky Enough (Duplex)
Johnny Griffith – Do It (Triple B)
The Different Strokes – Sing a Simple Song (Okeh)
Lou Courtney – Hot Butter’n’All (Hurdy Gurdy)
Lou Courtney – Hey Joyce (Popside)
Eddie Bo – Hook and Sling Pt1 (Scram)
King Coleman – The Boo Bo Song Pt2 (King)
Bill Cosby – Hikky Burr Pt1 (UNI)
James Brown – Hot Pants Pt1 (People)
Laura Lee – What a Man (Cotillion)
Eddie Bo & Inez Cheatham – Lover and a Friend (Capitol)
War – Me and Baby Brother (UA)
Chuck Carbo – Can I Be Your Squeeze (Canyon)
Nancy Wilson – The Power of Love (Capitol)
Dramatics – Get Up and Get Down (Volt)
Syl Johnson – Dresses Too Short (Twinight)
Isley Brothers – Keep On Doin’ (T Neck)
Cyril Neville – Gossip (Josie)
Brother Jack McDuff – Hunk of Funk (Blue Note)
The Impressions – We’re a Winner (ABC)
Erma Franklin – Baby What You Want Me To Do (Shout)
Bob & Earl – Harlem Shuffle (Marc)
Flirtations – Nothing But a Heartache (Deram)
Lorraine Ellison – Call Me Anytime You Need Some Loving (Mercury)

I want to give a shout out to all that came through, to the band for laying it down hard, and to Larry and Lou who DJed inbetween the bands set. I also want to give props to Dan from the Budos who brought some great 45s in, and it looks like there might be a joint mix collaboration in the near future as well. I’ll be back on Monday with the last X-Mas Funk and Soul nugget before the holiday. Keep Diggin!