Stretch/Margaret Singana – Why Did You Do It
Stretch
Margaret Singana
Listen/Download – Stretch – Why Did You Do It MP3
Listen/Download – Margaret Singana – Why Did You Do It MP3
Greetings all.
As has been said here many a time before, one must keep their ears peeled and open at all times if the flow of interesting music is to continue into one’s crates. The reords you see before you today at a testament to that very thing.
A while back I was immersed in a viewing of ‘Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels’ when a funky song popped up on the soundtrack that got my ears perked right up.
A dash of Googling and IMDB-ing led me to the track ‘Why Did You Do It’ by Stretch.
I had never heard of the band or the song, but dug it a lot, so I started looking around and discovered the the tune was a UK Top 20 and dance floor hit in 1975.
The group was led by Elmer Gantry (aka Dave Terry) former lead singer of UK psych group Elmer Gantry’s Velvet Opera and former Curved Air member Graham ‘Kirby’ Gregory.
They released the 45 on the UK Anchor label also home to Ace, and (for some odd reason) all of the UK versions of Alice Cooper’s albums.
The original Stretch version of ‘Why Did You Do It’ is a very groovy piece of funky rock with a solid backbeat and bass combo that butts right up against disco without trading too heavily on that territory, and a fantastic vocal by Gantry.
The other version I bring you today was recorded a few years later by South African vocalist Margaret Singana.
Her take on the song, from her ‘Tribal Fence’ album was released here in the US on the Casablanca label.
Singana’s album is a mix of traditional African sounds, soul and disco, and featured production and guitar work from future Yes member Trevor Rabin (also a native South African).
The production on Singana’s version is a little slicker (with a very nice guitar solo by Rabin) , but her excellent voice features heavily. Her album also contains a nice version of James Brown’s ‘It’s a Man’s Man’s World’.
I hope you dig both versions of the tune, and I’ll see you all next week.
Also, make sure to follow Funky16Corners on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
Keep the faith
Larry
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Hey Larry, do you have a remastered version of Margaret Singana’s “Why Did You Do It”? I downloaded this song via your current link, but the volume level is extremely low. I would be so grateful if you could upload a re-mastered / louder 320kpbs or FLAC version of this song. Thank you in advance!
David – I upped the volume and ripped the track at 320. The new version is in the old link. – Larry