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By Larry, August 14, 2012 2:09 pm

Johnny Pate

Richard Roundtree and his big stick…

Listen/Download Johnny Pate – Shaft In Africa (Addis)

Greetings all

The middle of the week is upon us, and I have something funky for your ears.

About a year ago, I embarked on one of my rare daylight digging excursions, with one of the little Corners in tow.

Now, these trips are a delicate matter, in that time must be used judiciously, with full attention paid to the fact that the child accompanying me has no interest whatsoever in Daddy’s vinyl obsession and as a result has little tolerance for what sane people often refer to as “standing around waiting”.

Fortunately for all parties, the stock in this particular digging spot was recently replenished, packed with goodness and as a result I was able to gather my rosebuds in short order, hand over my dough and exit the establishment before my son’s patience reached its expiration date.

That said, I exited the store with an armload of groovy soul jazz and one soundtrack in particular that I had been after for quite a while (which coincidentally, you see before you today), that being Johnny Pate’s music for the film ‘Shaft In Africa’.

Johnny Pate is one of those guys that had at least three or four careers while other folks were just getting off the starting line.

He got his start as a jazz bassist in Chicago in the 40s, and had a hit with the Johnny Pate Quintet with a version of the oft-recorded ‘Swinging Shepherd Blues’ in 1958.

By the early 60s he had gone to work for Chicago soul labels like Okeh and ABC/Paramount as an arranger and A&R man (working with groups like the Marvelows and the Impressions), eventually moving on to Curtom Records by the end of the decade.

Pate wrote and arranged the soundtrack for ‘Shaft In Africa’ in 1973.

Though there are many cool tracks on the album (including the vocal theme by the Four Tops) , the standout is the track you see before you today, ‘Shaft In Africa (Addis)’.

Opening with a very tasty drum and percussion break, the tune opens up into a horn-led groover. There’s some great electric piano soloing through the song, as well as the (excellently heavy) drums returning to the fore a number of times.

Oddly, my copy of the album cuts out for a short time in one of the channels at the very beginning (I have no idea why), but it is a minor inconvenience.

I hope you dig the tune, and I’ll see you all on Friday.

Keep the faith

Larry

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Also, the brand new Funky16Corners ‘Keep Calm and Stay Funky’ stickers have arrived!

The stickers are 4″ x 3″ and printed on high quality, glossy stock.

They are $2.00 each, with free shipping in the US ($2.00 per order shipping outside of the US).

Click here to go to the ordering page.

Also, make sure that you check out the links below to the Be The Match Foundation and POAC (click on the logos for more info).

If you want one of the new Funky16Corners stickers (free, of course) click here for info.

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (0)

By Larry, August 2, 2012 1:09 pm

Listen/Download James Spencer – Take This Woman Off the Corner

Greetings all.

The end of the week is here, and so it’s time for me to remind you to check out the Funky16Corners Radio Show. Join us at 9PM this and every Friday night on Viva Radio or fall by the blog over the weekend to pick yourself up an MP3 of the broadcast.

The tune I bring you this fine day is one of those things where I “knew of” a record, whether by reputation, or another collectors finds list or some such. A few years back, when I was down in DC spinning and digging, I had a very good day at the DC Record Show where I managed to bag several long time want list items, as well as a couple of other gems, one of which you see before you now.

When I got the record home, I discovered not only a very groovy, very funky tune, but also a nice, fat drumbreak opening up the whole thing.

James Spencer had a nice, raspy voice, and the arrangement – with production by Roosevelt Jamison – is very cool.
Though I don’t know anything about James Spencer (Sir Shambling lists two 45s at Deep Soul Heaven, but acknowledges that there is some controversy as to whether or not they are by the same James Spencer) but the Memphis label has an interesting story.

My first experience with the imprint was via a non-soul group, that being the New Zealand Trading Company.

On the soul tip, Memphis released sides by Ollie Nightingale, the Girls, and most importantly (at least to this story) Billy Butler and Infinity.

As it turns out, Memphis – despite the name, and the fact that some of it’s sides were in fact recorded in that city – was co-owned by Chitown giants (and brothers) Jerry Butler and Billy Butler.

In fact, Jerry Butler would team up with Gene Chandler (as Gene and Jerry) to record their own version of this song as “Ten and Two (Take This Woman Off the Corner)” for Mercury in 1971.

I hope you dig the tune, and I’ll see you all on Monday.

Keep the faith

Larry

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Also, the brand new Funky16Corners ‘Keep Calm and Stay Funky’ stickers have arrived!

The stickers are 4″ x 3″ and printed on high quality, glossy stock.

They are $2.00 each, with free shipping in the US ($2.00 per order shipping outside of the US).

Click here to go to the ordering page.

Also, make sure that you check out the links below to the Be The Match Foundation and POAC (click on the logos for more info).

If you want one of the new Funky16Corners stickers (free, of course) click here for info.

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (1)

By Larry, July 26, 2012 12:13 pm

Willie Hutch

Listen/Download Willie Hutch – Brother’s Gonna Work It Out (45 Edit)

Listen/Download Willie Hutch – Vampin’ (from The Mack OST)

Greetings all

The week is coming to a close so I’ll remind you that the Funky16Corners Radio Show will be hitting the airwaves of the interwebs Friday night at 9PM on Viva Radio. The following day you can pick up an MP3 of the show via iTunes or over at the Funky16Corners Blog.

The tunes I bring you today are prime examples of the finest sounds being made during the apex of the ‘Blaxploitation’ era.

A few years back I was down digging/spinning at the DC record show and was lucky enough to have an exceptionally good day in the stacks, walking away with several long-time wants on 45 and LP, among them, the soundtrack to the 1973 film (one of the finest of the genre) ‘The Mack’.

The flick starred Max Julien and Richard Pryor, and had the great good fortune of having its soundtrack composed by the mighty Willie Hutch.

Born in LA but raised in Texas, Willie Hutch (born William McKinley Hutchinson) returned to the West Coast in the mid-60s, eventually finding work as an writer/producer/arranger for the 5th Dimension.

He was later called in to write lyrics for the song that would become ‘I’ll Be There’ and after the song became a hit for the Jackson Five, Hutch went to work for Motown.

While at the label he recorded several albums under his own name, as well as the soundtracks for ‘The Mack’ and ‘Foxy Brown’.

The two tunes I bring you today both hail from the soundtrack to ‘The Mack’.

The first is the 45 edit/hit version (R&B Top 20 in 1973) of ‘Brother’s Gonna Work It Out’. A great feature for Hutch as both vocalist and guitarist, it’s also hard not to compare it to Curtis Mayfield’s award winning work on the ‘Superfly’ soundtrack from the previous year.
While Hutch’s production is more dense and hard-hitting than Mayfield’s, ‘Brother’s Gonna Work It Out’ has that Curtis vibe to it.

That said, it is a dynamite track, with classy strings (and harp!), wah wah guitar and a great falsetto vocal by Hutch.

The second cut, ‘Vampin’ (from the soundtrack album) is a change of pace, almost more of a musical interlude than a proper song, but a groovy one indeed. The horns almost have a touch of Norman Whitfield to them, and Hutch lays down some exceptional guitar lines throughout.

As I said, Hutch went on to record several albums for Motown, leaving Motown in 1977 to work with Norman Whitfield, then returning to the label in 1982. He eventually left the label and returned to Texas in the 1990s.

I hope you dig the tracks, and I’ll see you all back here on Monday.

Keep the faith

Larry

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Also, the brand new Funky16Corners ‘Keep Calm and Stay Funky’ stickers have arrived!

The stickers are 4″ x 3″ and printed on high quality, glossy stock.

They are $2.00 each, with free shipping in the US ($2.00 per order shipping outside of the US).

Click here to go to the ordering page.

Also, make sure that you check out the links below to the Be The Match Foundation and POAC (click on the logos for more info).

If you want one of the new Funky16Corners stickers (free, of course) click here for info.

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (3)

By Larry, July 22, 2012 1:14 pm

Ripple

Listen/Download Ripple – I Don’t Know What It Is But It Sure Is Funky

Greetings all.

Summer is here, and a new week is underway, and it behooves me to bring you something funky, and so I shall.

But first some important news!

At long last, after considerable -inexplicable- technical struggles, the Funky16Corners Radio Show is now available through iTunes.

Just go to the iTunes “store”, search for Funky16Corners Radio Show and subscribe.

Easy peasy lemon squeezy….

The tune I bring you today is something that I had only the vaguest memories of from my childhood, when a friend posted it up and I fell in love with it.

I was certainly aware of Ripple, with cuts like ‘Get Off/Git Owf’ and ‘Willie Pass the Water’, but their first and biggest hit (and in many ways their coolest song) had by and large escaped my notice (funny how these things work, is it not?).

Anyhoo… once I got my hands on their self-titled 1973 album – which is packed with goodness – I found myself replaying (and singing along with) “I Don’t Know What It Is But It Sure Is Funky” over and over again.

Ripple, who hailed from Michigan, and released a pair of albums, first for GRC and then another for Salsoul, hit the R&B charts a half dozen times between 1973 and 1978.

The group’s sound was basically funky, but with touches of rock and latin mixed in. They at times touched on the vibe of groups like War or Santana, but never so much that they lost sight of their own sound.

‘I Don’t Know What It Is But It Sure Is Funky’ which was their first hit, grazing the R&B Top 10 in the summer of 1973 is a tough, swinging number with a catchy chorus (so catchy in fact that it was sampled a couple of times). Hard enough to be danceable, but with enough groovy stuff going on for pure listening, the song will have your head nodding and your feet moving as well.

I don’t know anything about the history of the band, but after listening to their debut album I’m left wondering why they weren’t a bigger success. They had a tendency to bounce back and forth between funky numbers and mellower stuff, but so did pretty much every other band on the R&B charts at the time.

The band was tight, and the songwriting was pretty solid too.

Why they couldn’t keep it going for longer is a mystery.

That said, this is the kind of jam you ought to be flowing out of your car window on a hot night.

I hope you dig it, and I’ll see you later in the week.

Keep the faith

Larry

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Also, the brand new Funky16Corners ‘Keep Calm and Stay Funky’ stickers have arrived!

The stickers are 4″ x 3″ and printed on high quality, glossy stock.

They are $2.00 each, with free shipping in the US ($2.00 per order shipping outside of the US).

Click here to go to the ordering page.

Also, make sure that you check out the links below to the Be The Match Foundation and POAC (click on the logos for more info).

If you want one of the new Funky16Corners stickers (free, of course) click here for info.

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (1)

By Larry, July 15, 2012 12:35 pm

HEEEEEYYYYYY MOOOONA!

Listen/Download Bo Diddley – Go For Broke

Greetings all.

I hope all is well in your corner of this funky world.

The tune I bring you today is a particularly good one from the old timers get (or attempt to get) funky file (subfile: of course this is funky because why would I waste your time with an unsuccessful attempt?).

Diddley, Bo aka Elias McDaniel was not all that old when he laid down ‘Go For Broke’ in 1971 on the LP ‘Another Dimension’, thought at 43 he was a full generation beyond the vast majority of everyone else on the bench.

The old school rock and blues cats in the Chess/Checker/Cadet stable all (with the marked exception of Chuck Berry) tried to work in a more contemporary style during the late 60s/early 70s, including Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf.

As these things go, Bo Diddley was – at least to my ears – more committed, if not always more successful than most.

The ‘Another Dimension’ LP was an odd mixed bag of uninspired contemporary cover material and interesting originals, of which today’s selection is one.

‘Go For Broke’ is notable, first and foremost for the very tasty break that opens the record, played by drummer John Berganti.

The song that follows basically absorbs the break – which keeps on rolling for almost a minute – and manages to be cool and jammy, if not incredibly distinctive.

The whole affair has a funky, slightly jazzy vibe, with touches of psychedelic guitar, and then the horns come in and ground things for a bit before the group settles into a Traffic-esque feel for the remainder of the cut.

It’s a mighty long way from the primal days of ‘Bo Diddley’ and ‘Who Do You Love’, but as fans of this period of Bo’s career can attest, it’s not at all out of character, and certainly worth hearing.

I hope you dig it and I’ll be back later in the week.

Keep the faith

Larry

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Also, the brand new Funky16Corners ‘Keep Calm and Stay Funky’ stickers have arrived!

The stickers are 4″ x 3″ and printed on high quality, glossy stock.

They are $2.00 each, with free shipping in the US ($2.00 per order shipping outside of the US).

Click here to go to the ordering page.

Also, make sure that you check out the links below to the Be The Match Foundation and POAC (click on the logos for more info).

If you want one of the new Funky16Corners stickers (free, of course) click here for info.

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (0)

By Larry, July 12, 2012 12:18 pm

Derek Martin

Listen/Download Derek Martin – Soul Power

Greetings all.

The end of another week is here, and so is your weekly helping of soulful goodness in the form of the Funky16Corners Radio Show. We take to the airwaves of the interwebs this – and every – Friday night at 9PM on Viva Radio. If you can’t be there at the time of broadcast you can always fall by the blog and grab the show (or any of the previous 100 episodes) in MP3 form.

I’ll start by assuming that as fans of soul, most of you will already be aware of the undeniable awesomeness of Derek Martin’s ‘Daddy Rolling Stone’, one of the ur documents of the mod soul sound and a dynamite record on its own merits.

Derek Martin was himself a fantastic example of the kind of journeyman soul artist that made the 60s great.

He got his start in the R&B era, recording with the Sheiks and the Pearls (both groups also featured Dave Clowney, aka Dave ‘Baby Cortez’), then the Top Notes and Jimmy Ricks and the Raves (with whom he first recorded ‘Daddy Rolling Stone’ for Atco in 1962).

He recorded his own version of Otis Blackwell’s ‘Daddy Rolling Stone’ for Crackerjack in 1963, and then spent the rest of the 60s and the early 70s bouncing from label to label, recording for Festival, Roulette, Tuba, Volt, Buttercup, Vibration and All Platinum.

Today’s selection, ‘Soul Power’ was recorded and first released for the Detroit label Tuba in 1967, and later issued on Volt.

The tune, written and produced by Teddy Randazzo, is a funky number that quotes the Parliaments ‘Testify’ in the lead-up to the chorus.

Like pretty much everything else he did (with the exception of 1965’s ‘You Better Go’ which grazed the R&B Top 20) the excellent ‘Soul Power’ did not make a dent on the charts.

I’d be very interested in seeing someone put together a multi-label retrospective of Martin’s 60s and 70s singles. What I’ve heard shows not only a lot of talent, but also somewhat adventurous tastes.

Though it’s discography was relatively brief – less than 20 singles in its catalog – Tuba was a very interesting label, releasing soul, funk (Richard’s People’s mighty ‘Yo Yo’) and garage pop (the Cartoons and Friday Night and Saturday), gospel (Clara Ward) and soul jazz (Johnny Lytle).

I hope you dig the tune, and I’ll see you all on Monday.

Keep the faith

Larry

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Also, the brand new Funky16Corners ‘Keep Calm and Stay Funky’ stickers have arrived!

The stickers are 4″ x 3″ and printed on high quality, glossy stock.

They are $2.00 each, with free shipping in the US ($2.00 per order shipping outside of the US).

Click here to go to the ordering page.

Also, make sure that you check out the links below to the Be The Match Foundation and POAC (click on the logos for more info).

If you want one of the new Funky16Corners stickers (free, of course) click here for info.

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (4)

By Larry, July 5, 2012 1:42 pm

Freddie McCoy – Gimme Some (Cobblestone)
The Peddlers – Impressions Pt3 (Philips)
Al Hirt – Harlem Hendoo (RCA)
Dorothy Ashby – Soul Vibrations (Cadet)
Eddie Harris – Silver Cycles (Atlantic)
Hampton Hawes – Josie Black (Prestige)
Johnny Pate – El Jardia Reprise (ABC)
Sergio Mendes – Coming Home Baby (Atlantic)
Gabor Szabo – Rambler (CTI)
Soul Merchants – For Wes (Weis)
Odell Brown – Come Together (Cadet)
Joe Zawinul – Soul of a Village (Vortex)
Brother Jack McDuff – Moon Rappin’ (Blue Note)
Young Holt Unlimited – Mystical Man (Paula)
Norman Whitfield – Sunrise (MCA)

Listen/Download -Funky16Corners Presents Quiet Earth – 114MB Mixed Mp3/256K

Greetings all.

I hope all is well on your end.

It’s the end of the week again, so that means it’s Funky16Corners Radio Show time, this (and every) Friday night at 9PM on Viva Radio. You can also come by this very spot on the weekend and pick yourself up an MP3 version of the show, or more than 100 previous episodes in the archive.
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Also, in other news, my man Eilon Paz, photographer and founder of the Dust and Grooves site is having a show of his vinyl portraiture (he featured yours truly back in the day) at the Tropicalia In Furs store, with an opening event this Friday night July 6th from 7-10PM.

There will be photos from his various D&G features, as well as vinyl (natch) DJ sets by my man DJ Prestige and the mighty Supreme La Rock.

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As mentioned here in recent weeks, I have been stockpiling blog posts (and episodes of the radio show) so as to keep things as seamless as possible during the period my wife is undergoing treatment.

I’ve managed – thanks in large part to scrambling wildly and using every available sliver of available time (kind of like the pink slime of blogging) – to stay a few weeks ahead of the game.

Thanks to this, and an unexpected full day at home, I was able to sit down and put together a mix I’d been ruminating on for some time.

It was one of those – ‘I’m rolling a few songs with a similar feel around in my fevered brain’ – things that I eventually brought to fruition in mix form.

I also tried something different, by giving the mix a preliminary airing on Soundcloud several weeks ahead of its publication here (albeit at a lower bitrate).

What you have here is a fine example of one of my favorite kinds of mixes, that being a slightly downtempo, late night vibe, replete with a soupcon of funky beats, sampleable loops and the kind of goodness that makes your ears feel warm and happy when ensconced in headphones (or ensconcing earbuds, however you choose to roll).

There are a couple of tracks here that have either been featured individually on the blog, appeared in a differently framed mix, or in a live set here or there.

There are also more than a few very groovy tracks making their Funky16Corners debut.

That all said, I think that if you cue this one up, mix yourself a potent beverage and turn down the lights, you will be satisfied (at least musically).

I hope you dig the mix and I’ll see you all later in the week.

Keep the faith

Larry

Also, make sure that you check out the links below to the Be The Match Foundation and POAC (click on the logos for more info).

If you want one of the new Funky16Corners stickers (free, of course) click here for info.

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (1)

By Larry, July 3, 2012 1:11 pm

These Are the JBs!

Listen/Download The JBs – Hot Pants Road

Greetings all.

I don’t know about you all, but I would like to hit the middle of the week on the funky tip.

What better way to do that than a visit with out old friends, the mighty JBs.

“The JBs? Again?!” you exclaim.

Sure, sure, sure… the JBs have appeared in this space many times over the years, and I can assure you that thanks in large part to the incredible depth and quality of their discography they will do so, again and again until I have no more JBs to share with you.

They were – as a group and individually – right, tight and out of sight, with extra credit given due to the fact that they were led (much of the time) by the tromboniest of all the funky trombonists, the mighty Fred Wesley, and worked in service of the Minister of the Super Heavy Funk, James Brown, (mentioned on the label of this 45 no less than four times) backing him on all of his records and following his lead on their own.

‘Hot Pants Road’ from 1972 is worth hearing for its own powerful goodness but because it ties in with one of the more interesting footnotes in all of James Brown-dom.

Some years back (five years ago, in fact) I wrote up a very interesting 45 in this space by the AABB (Above Average Black Band), who were in fact a pseudonymous JBs recording at the behest of Soul Brother Number One who had his hot pants in a twist because he felt that the funky Scots in the AWB (Average White Band) (I see what you did there James…) were stealing his game with their hit ‘Pick Up the Pieces’.

He had the JBs go back into the studio and hit back with a tune they called ‘Pick Up the Pieces One By One’ which was for all intents and purposes a very slightly reworked version of the song you see before you today.

‘Hot Pants Road’ is by far the superior version of the tune, at least as far as the funk quotient is concerned with some extra-tight rhythm guitar and a nice organ solo right down the middle (The AABB reworking is a little lighter and disco-fied, which is cool, but not AS cool, if you know what I mean).

This isn’t to say that you oughtn’t pack a copy of each in case of a funky emergency.

I hope you dig it, and I’ll see you all on Friday.

Keep the faith

Larry

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Also, the brand new Funky16Corners ‘Keep Calm and Stay Funky’ stickers have arrived!

The stickers are 4″ x 3″ and printed on high quality, glossy stock.

They are $2.00 each, with free shipping in the US ($2.00 per order shipping outside of the US).

Click here to go to the ordering page.

Also, make sure that you check out the links below to the Be The Match Foundation and POAC (click on the logos for more info).

If you want one of the new Funky16Corners stickers (free, of course) click here for info.

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (1)

By Larry, July 1, 2012 10:57 am

Linda Lyndell

Listen/Download Linda Lyndell – What a Man

Greetings all.

Welcome to a sweltering new week here at Funky16Corners.

The track I bring to you this fine day is one you certainly know, even if you don’t know it.

Bear with me…

There are a number of 45s in my crates that I carry with me not only because they are fine records in and of themselves (as is this one) but rather because they carry with them the power of surprise.

Few things are more fun for me as a DJ than whipping something onto the turntables and having a whole dance floor full of people perk up there ears because they recognize something that is at once familiar (the song that sampled it) and strange (and the song from which it was sampled).

That portion of the box is reserved for cuts like Jimmy Bo Horne’s ‘Let Me Be Your Lover’ (the Stereo MCs ‘Connected’) and Just Brothers ‘Sliced Tomatoes’ (Fatboy Slim’s ‘Rockafella Skank).

Occasionally you get the angry crank or two who is incensed that you’re not playing the more popular/modern record, but mostly people get a kick out of it.

When I drop Linda Lyndell’s ‘What a Man’, most people’s ears start to hear Salt’n’Pepa’s 1994 hit ‘Whatta Man’.

Though Salt’n’Pepa bring the drums a little heavier, the Linda Lyndell OG is undeniably sexier.

The song is funky – yet not quite funk – with the guitar, bass and electric piano winding around each other. Lyndell’s vocal is outstanding, and the backing vocals have just a touch of gospel in them.

‘What a Man’ made it all the way to #50 R&B in August of 1968.

The rest of Lyndell’s story, though short, is extremely interesting.

Growing up in Florida, singing gospel in both white and black churches, Lindell was brought to the attention of Isaac Hayes and David Porter at Stax by DJ Dave Crawford (who wrote this song).

Despite the production credit going to Crawford, ‘What a Man’ was recorded in Memphis, a fact underlined by those undeniable Memphis horns.

Lydell recorded two 45s for Volt, then, beset by threats from both whites (including the KKK) and blacks upset about her place as a white singer of black music, she left the music business and went on with her life, not singing professionally again until 2003 at the opening of the Stax Museum in Memphis. It was there that she performed ‘What a Man’ live for the very first time.

I hope you dig the cut, and I’ll be back on Wednesday.

Keep the faith

Larry

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Also, the brand new Funky16Corners ‘Keep Calm and Stay Funky’ stickers have arrived!

The stickers are 4″ x 3″ and printed on high quality, glossy stock.

They are $2.00 each, with free shipping in the US ($2.00 per order shipping outside of the US).

Click here to go to the ordering page.

Also, make sure that you check out the links below to the Be The Match Foundation and POAC (click on the logos for more info).

If you want one of the new Funky16Corners stickers (free, of course) click here for info.

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (0)

By Larry, June 24, 2012 2:10 pm

Babatunde Olatunji (bottom center) and friends

Listen/Download Olatunji – Soul Makossa (LP Edit)

Greetings all.

Welcome back to the blog-o-riffic polygon with the sixteen funky corners.

I must first and foremost offer my hearty and sincere thanks to all of you that made the 2012 Pledge Drive/Allnighter a big success.

Props to all the selectors who dipped into their crates to whip up some new, tasty mixes for you all, and then double super props to all of you that dipped into your wallets and dropped some cash into the virtual tip cup.

As has been the case over the past six Pledge Drives, all were generous, and some of you exceptionally so.

I am always humbled when my yearly request for funding yields such an enthusiastic response from those of you that read/participate in the discussion at Funky16Corners.

Many of you sent along notes of praise and encouragement and I am here to say that those mean a great deal to me.

Funky16Corners has always been a labor of love, and when some of that comes back my way, it provides the fuel that keeps things going.

So, once again, major, MAJOR thanks to you all!

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The tune I bring to you this fine day, is yet another iteration in what might be termed the great Soul Makossa wars of 1973.

As has been mentioned in this space before, when imported records of Manu Dibango’s mighty ‘Soul Makossa’ began to set fires to the dance floors of America (first in NYC where David Mancuso first spun it at Loft parties after finding a copy in a Jamaican record shop in Brooklyn), the OG by the Lion of Cameroon was only available on a French pressing on Fiesta.

The song was so popular, that a wave of imitation Soul Makossas began to build, with countless versions recorded and pressed for the US market to take advantage of the consumer demand that Dibango and Atlantic records had yet to address.

There were recordings by Afrique (released at the same time as Dibango’s and chasing it on the R&B and Pop charts), Simon Kenyatta Troupe, Mighty Tom Cats, Grupo Guerra 78, Lafayette Afro Rock Band, Johnny Zamot and many others. Even Doc Severinson recorded a version!

The song was a huge worldwide hit with more than half a dozen versions charting simultaneously through 1973.

One of the many ‘copycat’ recordings – in my opinion the best by far – was by the mighty Babatunde Olatunji.

Recorded for his 1973 Paramount LP of the same name, Olatunji’s ‘Soul Makossa’ clocks in at a dance-floor-friendly 6:51. Loaded – as might be expected – with lots of African percussion as well as his own vocalizations, the Olatunji version is a killer.

While I’d go as far to say that none of the cover versions have the sharp kick of Manu Dibango’s OG, Olatunji acquits himself very nicely indeed.

Where many of the other versions were relatively quick, single-length rip-offs of the OG, Olatunji takes the time to dig deep and stretch out, accenting the percussion (natch…) and meeting Manu Dibango toe to toe.

The rest of the album is quite good as well (the track is also available as a two-part 45).

I hope you dig the tune, and I’ll see you all later in the week.

Keep the faith

Larry

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Also, the brand new Funky16Corners ‘Keep Calm and Stay Funky’ stickers have arrived!

The stickers are 4″ x 3″ and printed on high quality, glossy stock.

They are $2.00 each, with free shipping in the US ($2.00 per order shipping outside of the US).

Click here to go to the ordering page.

Also, make sure that you check out the links below to the Be The Match Foundation and POAC (click on the logos for more info).

If you want one of the new Funky16Corners stickers (free, of course) click here for info.

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (8)

By Larry, June 17, 2012 4:24 pm

Greetings all.

Welcome to the third annual Funky16Corners Pledge Drive/Allnighter!

Though we’ve been doing the Pledge Drive thing since2006, the Allnighter concept first rolled out in 2010, with several hours of mixes by some of the finest selectors I know.

This year we have most of the usual suspects, including several Asbury Park 45 Sessions alumni, as well as my man Tony C from the UK and Tarik Thornton.

The sounds run the gamut of classic soul, funk, reggae, rock steady, old school Hammond 45s and all connective points in between.

If you read the blog on the reg you already know that the past year has been an exceptionally challenging one here.
It wouldn’t be reaching to state that keeping Funky16Corners (and Iron Leg) up and running had a lot to do with maintaining my sanity over the last eight months.

There’s something to be said for keeping a small island of creative stability afloat during a crisis, and that’s what the blog has been.

Much of that has – as always – come from the interchange with the readers, listeners, fellow vinyl travelers, and DJs. Your contributions, whether informational, conversational, sometimes monetary or sometimes all of the above, have kept Funky16Corners rolling along.

This November will mark the 8th anniversary of the blog (something akin to 800 internet years!) and creating and running the blog has become a big part of my life. Through it I’ve learned a great deal, met many incredibly cool people and gotten to DJ in many, many cool places.

The Pledge Drive aspect of this yearly event is an important one.

Funky16Corners – all of the text, graphics and sound files – resides on paid server space, a bill that comes due around this time every year. Your donations help pay for that.

Blogging has always been an ephemeral pursuit, partly because not everyone has the interest in keeping one going for very long, but also because it rarely rises above the level of a casual pursuit for most people. They start a blog, post most files temporarily and depart as soon as their interest wanes.

Funky16Corners may very well have gone the way of most blogs (I don’t know the actual percentage of music blogs that last more than a year, but anecdotally I’d guess that it’s below 10%) but after getting it rolling (with a slightly different format) in 2004, and changing platforms twice (finally ending up with the self-hosting WordPress model) I think we have at long last settled into lasting form.

The basic format of how I communicate with the audience through the blog has always remained fairly constant, with a pictures and labels (what the vinyl nerds of the world know as record porn) and some written context to tie it all together.

Along the way, the Funky16Corners Radio Podcast mixes worked their way into the flow, then the actual Funky16Corners Radio Show (Friday nights at 9PM on Viva Radio and then archived here) and then in 2010 the Funky16Corners Soul Club/Allnighters so I could present mixes by other selectors.

What we have now, in the middle of 2012 is –including this year’s Allnighter mixes – close to 150 mixes and another 110 episodes of the radio show on-line for your (and my) listening pleasure.

And my friends, pleasure is what it’s all about; the pleasure that great music, some rare, some not so rare, can bring to those willing to open their ears.

That’s why I do it, and as always, I hope you dig it.

If you do, and you can afford to, please click on the Paypal link and drop a few coins in the basket.

There’ll be stickers for everyone that donates.

So, I’ll offer you my thanks once again, and hopefully we’ll all be together again this time next year for more of the same.

Keep the Faith
Larry

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CLICK HERE TO DONATE!

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Funky16Corners Presents: Tear It Up
Billy Wade and the 3rd Degrees – Tear It UP Pt1 (ABC)
Alvin Cash and the Scott Bros Orchestra – Keep On Dancing Pt2 (Toddlin’ Town)
Jerry-O – Funky Four Corners (White Whale)
Gunga Din – Snake Pit (Valise)
Lou Donaldson – Say It Loud (Blue Note)
James Young and the Housewreckers – Barking Up the Wrong Tree (Jet Stream)
Rex Garvin and the Mighty Cravers – Raw Funky (Tower)
Syl Johnson – Annie Got Hot Pants Power Pt2 (Twinight)
African Echoes – Big Time (Phil LA of Soul)
Bill Cosby – I Luv Myself Better Than I Luv Myself (Capitol)
Bobby Byrd – Keep On Doin’ What You’re Doin’ (Brownstone)
Lonnie Youngblood – African Twist Pt1 (Loma)
Little Sonny – Sonny’s Bag (Revilot)
Jimmy ‘Mr Motion’ Lynch – There Was a Time Pt1 (La Val)
Juggy – Buttered Popcorn (Sue)
Creative Funk – Funk Power (Creative Funk)
Freddy King – Funky (Cotillion)
Billy Wade and the 3rd Degrees – Tear It Up Pt2 (ABC)

Listen/Download Funky16Corners – Tear It Up!
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DJ Bluewater – Merritones
The Zodiacs Walk On By
The Ethiopians Miss Nora
Merritone Singers House Upon The Hill
The Renegades Mr. Hops
Don Henry As Long As I Live
Joe Higgs You Hurt My Soul
The Untouchables I Do Love You
The Renegades Big And Fine
Henry Buckley If I Am Right
The Untouchables Mackie Mackie
The Dynamites If You Did Love Me
Roland Alphonso Sounds Of Silence
Lyn Taitt and The Jets Why Am I Treated So Bad
Roland Alphonso Stranger For Durango
Henry Buckley Thank You Girl
The Tartans It’s Not Right
Eddie Perkins I’m Coming Home
Hopeton Lewis Everybody Rocking
Tomorrow’s Children Bang Bang Rock Steady
The Tartans Rolling Rolling

Listen/Download DJ Bluewater – The Merritone Hour
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DJ Prestige – Hotter Fire

Big Youth – Hotter Fire/Negusa Negast Records
Tapper Zukie – Woman Ah No Me Trouble/ Mobiliser
Success All Stars – Doctor Satan Echo Chamber/ Striker Lee
Augustus Pablo – Fat Girl/ Echo Records
Winston Groovy – Dancing Shoes/ Pioneer International
Barrington Levy – Time Hard/ Puff Records
Gregory Isaacs – Night Nurse/ African Museum (Disco 45)
Marcia Griffiths – Feel Like Jumping/ High Note
Joy White – Tribulation/ Joe Gibbs International
Dennis Brown – Jah Can Do It/ Joe Gibbs International
Jackie Mittoo – Revolting Rockers/ Third World Records
Rockers All Stars – Fire Dub/ Rockers International

Listen/Download DJ Prestige – Hotter Fire
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Tony C – 45 Heaven
Queen City Soul Band-True Patron Of The Arts-Pow
Freddie Scott-I’ll Be Gone-Shout
Betty Everett-Too Hot To Hold-Veejay
Fred Hughes-I Keep Tryin’-Ex
Little Flint-Pain-Beast
Larry Williams-Boss Lovin’-Smash
Garnett Mimms-Prove It To Me-U.A
Gene Chandler-Mr Bigshot-Constellation
Otis Williams-Aint Gonna Walk Your Dog No More-Okeh
Wilson Pickett-Baby Call On Me-Double L
Moss Tolbert-Money In My Pocket-Veejay
Jimmy Ricks-Daddy Rollin’ Stone-Atco
Georgie Fame-Green Onions-Columbia
Solomon Burke-Peepin’-Atlantic
JJ Barnes-Wont You Let Me Know-Rich
Pearl Woods-Right Now-Charge
Jackie Wilson/Linda Hopkins-Say I do-Brunswick
Big Boy Myles-She’s So Fine-V.Tone
B.B.King-Heartbreaker-Bluesway
Peppermint Harris-Wait Until It Happens To You-Jewel
James Duncan-Too Hot To Hold-King
Anna King-Mamas Got A Bag Of Her Own-End
Little Oscar-Two Foot Drag-Toddlin Town
Seven Souls-Groove In-Venture
Patriza&Jimmy-Trust Your Child-ALA
Smokey Brooks-Spin Jig It-Now
Rodger Collins-Foxy Girls In Oakland-Galaxy
Al Reed-94/44/100 Pure Love-Axe
Roland Alphonso-Hip Hug Her-JJ
Eddie Holland-Gotta Have Your Love-Motown
Little Willie John-You’re Welcome To Try-V.R.C
Grady Tate-All Around The World-Skye

Listen/Download Tony C – 45 Heaven

A word from Tony: This is my third year of supplying a mix for the pledge drive and as always it is an honour and a pleasure to be asked by Larry to particiipate.Especially with the great line up of DJ’s sharing their quality tunes.”45 Heaven” is a collection of 45s ,with the exception of one LP track that I have aquired over the last year or so.I have tried to include a bit of everything that I enjoy listening to. Hope you do too.

Cheers TonyC.
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Tarik Thornton – Getting the Corners
1.Sweet Delights- Baby Be Mine – ATCO
2.Jay Rhythm- Soul Emotion- Leo
3.T.S.U. Tornados- The Goose- Atlantic
4.Syl Johnson- I Feel The Urge – Twinight
5.Dell Ingrid – Try It You’ll Like It- Ultra-Class
6.Johnnie Mae Matthews – Momma Didn’t Lie- Big Hit
7.Maurice Mckinnies and the Fabulous Champions – Sock – A – Poo Poo Pt.2 – Black & Proud
8.Count Rockin Sidney – Do You Stuff – Gold Band
9. Ernest Thomas – Soul Time- International
10.Boogie Kings- Do Em All- Pic 1
11.Bobby Rush- Let All Hang Out- Salem
12.Dennis Lee- Do The Funky Penguin- Jenmark
13.O.D. Williams – Funky Belly- Bar Bare
14.Isaac Clark- Do The Dog Funk- Miro
15.Willie Tee- Funky Funky Twist- Gatur
16.George Holmes- Panama- Carol
17.Hamilton Movement – Having A Set- Look- Out
18.Louis Villery- Black Water Gold- Soul Power
19.Jesse Green – Flip- Red Bus Tempo
20.Donald Byrd- Change- Blue Note
21 Young & Holt Unlimited – Black & White- Cotillion

Listen/Download Tarik Thornton – Getting the Corners
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DJ Prime Mundo – Prime Cuts
gene harris/the three sounds – hey girl (blue note)
melvin sparks – if you want my love (westbound)
johnnie taylor – love in the streets (stax)
jackie edwards – oh manio (direction)
rhetta hughes – sooky (tetragrammaton)
john gibbs & the unlimited sound of steel orchestra – shaft (makossa)
gabor szabo – gypsy ’66 (impulse)
jon lucien – would you believe in me (rca)
osibisa – kotoku (warner bros)
the festivals – checkin’ out (blue rock/mercury)
shall we dance – somebody’s baby (hoctor)
freddy king – funky (cotillion)
giorgio – lord releaseme (dunhill)
delegation – oh honey (state)

Listen/Download DJ Prime Mundo – Prime Cuts
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M-Fasis: ROUND TRIP TICKET: excursions into funk, soul, rock and back’…
1)Paul Revere- Beastie Boys ‘MCA R.I.P. (Def Jam)
2)Down in Black Bottom- Cannonball Adderley Quintet (Capitol)
3)Scuze Uz Y’all- Brenda & The Tabulations (Top and Bottom)
4)Mean Black Snake- J.W. Alexander (Thursh)
5)L.C. Funk- Lee Williams (Rapda)
6)Midnight Flower- The Four Tops (Dunhill)
7)Sweetback- Viola Wills (Supreme)
8)Ready or Not- Delfonics (Bell)
9)Mississippi Foxhole- Midnight Movers (Buddah)
10)You’re the Fool- Three Degrees (Roulette)
11)It’s Amazing- Johnny Taylor (Stax)
12)The Stretch- Detroit Sex Machines (Soul Track)
13)Synthetic Substitution- Melvin Bliss (Sunburst)
14)Too Hot To Hold- Tina Turner (Pompeii)
15)I’m Unconscious- Sugarcane Harris (Epic)
16)Down to the Nightclub- Tower of Power (Warner)
17)Wish you’d Never Been Born- Jodo (Decca)
18)Hard Times- Zoo (Riviera)
19)You Made Me a Believer- Ruby Andrews (Zodiac)
20)What Time It Is- General Crook (Down to Earth)
21)Light My Fire- Rhetta Hughes (Tetragrammaton)
22)El Paso County Jail- The Happenings (Jubilee)
23)And Then There Was…- Cozy Powell (RAK)
24)Utica Club Natural Carbonation Band- Natural Carbonation (RCA)
25)Vitamin C- Can (UA)
26)Keep Him- Barbara Mason (Artic)
27)You Can’t Blame Me- Johnson, Hawkins, Tatum… (Capsoul)
28)Fire and Rain- Ice (Cindri)
29)Un Sueno- Los Terricolas (Discolando)
30)Piu Nessuno Al Campo- Gli Uh! (Kansas)
31)All This- Barbara Jean English (Alithia)

Listen/Download M-Fasis – Round Trip Ticket
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Funky16Corners Presents: Greasy Spoon
The Poets – Devil’s Den Pt1 (Try Me)
Freddie Roach – Next Time You See Me (Blue Note)
David Rockingham Trio – Bee Dee (Josie)
Bill Doggett – Afternoon Jump (King)
Freddy Robinson and Tall Paul Hankins – The Buzzard (Queen)
Gene Ludwig – Mr Fink Pt2 (La Vere)
Delegates – Pigmy Pt1 (Pacific Jazz)
Johnny Hammond Smith – The Stinger (Prestige)
Hank Marr – The Greasy Spoon (Federal)
Russell Evans and the Nite Hawks – The Bold (Atco)
Timmy Thomas – Liquid Mood (Goldwax)
Charlie Nesbit Organ Trio – Triple-O-Soul (Salvador)
Groove Holmes – Groove’s Groove (Prestige)
Baby Face Willette – Roll’em Pete (Argo)
Beverly Pitts – Just Some Soul (Soul Shot)
Butch Cornell Trio – Here ‘Tis Now (Ru-Jac)
James Brown – Shades of Brown (King)
Jimmy McGriff – MG Blues (Sue)
Larry Young Jr Quartette – Groove Street Pt1 (Prestige)
Merl Saunders – I Pity the Fool (Galaxy)
Shirley Scott – Sister Sadie Pt1 (Prestige)
Tall Paul Hankins – My Boo-Ga-Loo (Pop Up)

Listen/Download Funky16Corners – The Greasy Spoon – Hammond organ 45s from the old school
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Also, make sure that you check out the links below to the Be The Match Foundation and POAC (click on the logos for more info).

If you want one of the new Funky16Corners stickers (free, of course) click here for info.

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (3)

By Larry, June 14, 2012 11:50 am

Lonnie Mack

Listen/Download Lonnie Mack – Too Much Trouble

Greetings all.

The end of another week is here, and so is your weekly helping of soulful goodness in the form of the Funky16Corners Radio Show. We take to the airwaves of the interwebs this – and every – Friday night at 9PM on Viva Radio. If you can’t be there at the time of broadcast you can always fall by the blog and grab the show (or any of the previous 100 episodes) in MP3 form.

Also, make sure you fall by on Monday when the 2012 Funky16Corners Pledge Drive/Allnighter hits. You’ll get eight new, excellent mixes from some of the finest selectors I know. You won’t want to miss it.

The tune I bring you today is something cool from the rock side of the tracks.

I don’t doubt that many among you are aware of the work of Mr Lonnie Mack, but I don’t think you imagined him doing something quite this funky.

Mack is know to most for his 1963 hits ‘Memphis’ which managed to make it into the Top 5 on the R&B and Pop charts and ‘Wham’ (which grazed the Pop Top 20).

He recorded a wide variety of blues and R&B-based covers and originals (influencing countless young guitarists), recording for Fraternity from 1963 to 1967.

Mack was also an excellent soulful vocalist, as seen in tracks like ‘Where There’s a Will There’s a Way’ and ‘Why’.

His career slowed somewhat after his early hits and he spent a lot of the 60s as a session guitarist, working on session for King/Federal artists like Freddy King and James Brown and singers like Joe Simon.

When Mack signed with Elektra records in 1968 he had been largely absent from the charts for a few years. He recorded three albums for the label over the next few years, and Elektra also reissued his early Fraternity hits on the ‘For Collectors Only’ comp.

The track I bring you today, the funky ‘Too Much Trouble’ appeared on his 1969 Elektra debut ‘Glad I’m In the Band’.

‘Too Much Trouble’ is one of those late-60s tracks that seems to have emerged from the same musical swamp as efforts by cats like Joe South and Tony Joe White, musicians who wove together elements of rock, soul, country and blues into something new and groovy.

Mack’s vocals are a little rougher/wilder than his early sides, but his guitar wails and the backing band (organ, bass and drums) are spot on.

The track was co-written by Mack’s bass player Tim Drummond, who had played in James Brown’s band.

If you can find the album grab it as is features an excellent cover of Ted Taylor’s ‘Stay Away From My Baby’ and remakes of Mack’s own ‘Why’ and a new version of ‘Memphis’.

Interestingly, during his time at Elektra, mack continued to work as a session player, playing guitar and bass on the Doors ‘Morrison Hotel’ LP (he is rumored to have played lead guitar on ‘Roadhouse Blues’) and producing Dorothy Combs Morrison’s sides for the label.

Mack spent most of the 70s recording in a country style, moving back to blues and R&B by the 80s.

He’s still playing today.

I hope you dig the tune, and that you’ll join me on Monday for the 2012 Allnighter.

Keep the faith

Larry

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Also, the brand new Funky16Corners ‘Keep Calm and Stay Funky’ stickers have arrived!

The stickers are 4″ x 3″ and printed on high quality, glossy stock.

They are $2.00 each, with free shipping in the US ($2.00 per order shipping outside of the US).

Click here to go to the ordering page.

Also, make sure that you check out the links below to the Be The Match Foundation and POAC (click on the logos for more info).

If you want one of the new Funky16Corners stickers (free, of course) click here for info.

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.