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By Larry, September 5, 2013 3:08 pm

Listen/Download The Producers – Love Is Amazing

Greetings all

The end of the week is approaching, so I will remind you once again to tune into the Funky16Corners Radio Show, Friday night at 9PM on Viva Radio. If you are otherwise occupied at airtime, you can subscribe to the show as a podcast in iTunes or grab an MP3 at the blog.

The tune I bring you today is one of my favorite Philadelphia Northern Soul 45s, with a very interesting provenance that reaches back to the Motor City.

I picke up ‘Love Is Amazing’ by the Producers back in the early digging days, after having scored the other two 45s on the short-lived Huff Puff label (by the Landslides and Ruth McFadden).

Named for Leon Huff, Huff Puff existed for a short time (1968/69), with all of it’s released produced/arranged by Gamble and Huff with the usual gang, including Thom Bell and Bobby Martin.

None of the label’s releases appear to have generated any heat on the charts (even regionally) despite their obvious quality.

The side I bring you today, ‘Love Is Amazing’ was the third and final release on the label in 1969, and features a very interesting lead singer indeed.

Mikki Farrow got her start in Detroit (she was apparently once married to the mighty Mike Terry and later on to Billy Butler!) and recorded for a variety of labels (including the Northern fave ‘Set My Heart at Ease’ for Karate) before relocating to Philadelphia.

‘Love Is Amazing’ is one of those records that has everything going for it, from top-shelf songwriting (Kenny Gamble, Farrow and Thom Bell), fantastic production (Gamble/Huff) and a fantastic lead vocal by Farrow (I suspect that Gamble is the supporting make vocalist).

The record, matching superb melody and hooks with enough rhythmic heat for the dancers, ought to have been a hit, instead of the footnote that it is.

A superb 45 to end the week.

I hope you dig it 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).

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

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By Larry, September 3, 2013 2:21 pm

The Parliaments

Listen/Download The Parliaments – Don’t Be Sore At Me

Greetings all

Here we are, mid-week, and what better time for a little bit of stylish Northern Soul to lift the spirits?

I will assume that most of you are already familiar with the pre-P-Funk years of George Clinton as leader of the Parliaments.

Though they got their start in Plainfield, NJ, by the mid-60s the Parliaments had relocated to Detroit, where Clinton was working as a songwriter/producer.

They recorded their first Detroit-based 45, the mighty ‘Heart Trouble’ for Golden World in 1965.

It was a few years later that they hit with their first 45 for Lebaron Taylor’s Revilot imprint ‘(I Wanna) Testify’(#3 R&B, #20 Pop) in the summer of 1967.

The upbeat, Northern Soul fave ‘Don’t Be Sore At Me’ appeared as the flipside of their second Revilot 45 (and second hit) “All Your Goodies Are Gone’ which reached the R&B Top 20 in the fall of 1967.

As I’ve mentioned in this space before, Clinton and the Parliaments had a habit of pairing a more mainstream sound (like ‘Don’t Be Sore at Me’) with a slightly freakier side (like ‘All Your Goodies are Gone) which allowed both sides of their sound to get exposure. All of their Revilot 45s follow this pattern, with the exception of ‘A New Day Begins’ b/w ‘I’ll Wait’ (issued on both Revilot and Atco and the final chart entry – grazing the R&B Top 40- in 1969) where both sides have a more progressive bent.

‘Don’t Be Sore At Me’ features some great (and unusual, especially in the verse) group harmonies, a great melody and a nice kick from the bass and drums. The song was co-written by Clinton, fellow-Parliament Grady Thomas and singer Pat Lewis (who would cover two Parliaments tunes, ‘Look at What I Almost Missed’ and ‘I’ll Wait’ for Solid Hit).

This is one of the harder Revilot sides to turn up, so dig the sounds and I’ll see you all on Friday.

Until then…

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).

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (4)

By Larry, September 1, 2013 10:53 am

John Bishop and his guitar, looking badass.

Listen/Download John Bishop Trio – Wade In the Water

Greetings all

I hope the new week finds you well.

The summer is finally at and end, at least the part of the summer marked by the invasion of the great horde, which tends to recede right around Labor Day, leaving the beaches to us locals for a few precious weeks.

The fam and I had the opportunity to vacate in the latter half of August, during which the wife and I had our own little getaway.

Naturally, that included a little bit of record digging (doesn’t it always) which resulted in a nice fat stack of new additions to my crates, here and over at Iron Leg.

I always enjoy stepping out of my own little vinyl ecosystem and into a new one, where the ebb and flow of wax is different, the stock is new (at least to me) and not quite as picked over as what I’m used to.

There aren’t too many opportunities of that nature where I live, so it’s a gas when I get my mitts on some stuff that I haven’t seen/heard before.

Keep your eyes peeled for the results of said excavations in these pages.

The tune I bring you today is one of those great intersections of a song I love and a particularly hot performance.

‘Wade In the Water’ is a spiritual that goes back well over a century, which is why the writing credits on this version – to Sam Cooke and JW Alexander – are odd, but that is neither here nor there, especially when you consider how often people were slapping their names on public domain compositions in order to pick up a little scratch.

It has long been one of my favorite songs and I’ve gotten into the habit of picking up records with versions of it (like I do with ’Soul Makossa’) wherever I find them.

I had been on the lookout for the record you see before you today – ‘Bishop’s Whirl’ by the John Bishop Trio – for years. While it’s not particularly scarce, it eluded me nonetheless so I was happy to score a copy at a nice price.

John Bishop (born Gregory Ceurvorst) was a Chicago-based guitarist who ended up touring with Ray Charles (thus the Tangerine label) in the late 60s. He also played with Donny Hathaway, Ramsey Lewis and the Staple Singers among others.

His version of ‘Wade In the Water’ – the full album edit is included here, there is a much shorter version on 45 – is smoking, with exceptional work by Bishop on guitar and organist Newell Burton, Jr. Bishop goes into a blazing solo around the three-minute mark that explodes around 4:15.

It is an exceptional bit of hard-charging soul jazz, generating enough heat for the dancers (the 45 has a minor following with the Northern Soul crowd).

I haven’t been able to nail down whether or not this was Bishop’s touring band, or a group put together for the date. Burton was a Sacramento-based organist, and the bassist on the record, Jerry Scheff is a renowned session player who started a long stint touring with Elvis Presley around the time that this album was recorded.

That said, the rest of the album – with the exception of the soulful ‘Way Out Back’ – is fairly straight ahead jazz.

Bishop settled in Chicago, where he played with his wife in the Georgia Frances Orchestra, until his passing in 2011 at the age of 65.

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

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (3)

By Larry, August 29, 2013 9:22 am

Listen/Download The Ordells – Sippin’ a Cup of Coffee

Greetings all

The grand finale of the week is approaching, which means that it’s Funky16Corners Radio Show time again.

I come to you each and every Friday night at 9PM on Viva Radio with the best in funk, soul, jazz and rare groove, all on original vinyl.

If you can’t be there at airtime, you can always subscribe to the show as a podcast in iTunes, or grab and MP3 here at the blog.

The tune I bring you this fine day is a long time favorite and a very, very deep selection.

I first grabbed my copy of the Ordells ‘Sippin’ a Cup of Coffee’ many years ago.

What brought me to it – aside from Philly soul completism – was the grooving, organ/guitar instro ‘Big Dom’ on the flip.

It wasn’t until it had been in my crates for more than a year that I finally flipped the disc over and had my mind blown.

There, hidden on the other side of the 45, was one of the most epic pieces of sweet soul I had ever heard.

Simply referring to it as sweet soul does ‘Sippin’ a Cup of Coffee’ a disservice, since it is for more than that.

Produced by Bob Finiz and arranged by Richie Rome, the tune is a stunning piece of atmospheric, otherworldly soul.

The instrumental track is layered with piano, tremolo guitar (verging on the psychedelic) and surging waves of strings, all wrapped in beautiful harmonies.

You often see the term “lost classic’ tossed about, but in this case it is entirely fitting.

‘Sippin’ a Cup of Coffee’ isn’t some wild outlier (see the Twilights ‘Shipwreck’). It is sublimely written, produced and performed, and would – in a just world – have been a huge hit.

Yet it doesn’t appear to have even charted in Philadelphia.

The Dionn label only released 13 45s (eight of which were by their biggest hitmakers Brenda and the Tabulations) and one LP (also B & the Ts) between 1966 and 1968.

The Ordells 45 was released in 1967 and as far as I can tell they never recorded another note. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to discover that they had nothing at all to do with the instrumental, which leaves us with one, absolutely incredible performance, committed to vinyl and then largely forgotten.

I have seen several references that indicate that ‘Sippin’ a Cup of Coffee’ has similarly affected many others, and that it may have something of a lowrider following, but aside from that, it remains the property of soul collectors.

As far as I know it has never been reissued (or at least not currently), which is damn shame, since this is a record that people need to hear.

I hope you dig it, and that you have yourselves a great weekend.

See you 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).

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (2)

By Larry, August 27, 2013 11:07 am

Junior Brantley

Listen/Download Junior and the Classics – Wise Up

Listen/Download Junior and the Classics – Mix Up (A Go Go)

Greetings all, and welcome to the middle of the week.

I cannot remember when or where I picked up the 45 I bring you this fine day, but I suspect I did grab it because it was on the Magic Touch label (and how in all honesty could I pass on a record called ‘Mix Up a Go Go’???)

Magic Touch was a Milwaukee, WI based imprint operated by a cat named Lenny LaCour. Between the mid-60s and the 80s Magic Touch released a variety of sounds by groups like Harvey Scales and the Seven Sounds (the Magic Touch 45s I already had) and Marvelle and the Blue Match, in addition to the occasional garage single.

Junior and the Classics had their first (and only) hit with a raving cover of Rufus Thomas’s ‘The Dog’ on the Groove label in 1964, which was a regional hit in Milwaukee.

They released three 45s on Magic Touch (with Wise Up appearing on two of them), with the last, the funky ‘Kill the Pain’ being picked up for national distribution by Atco.

The band was led by keyboardist Robert ‘Junior’ Brantley who went on to play and record with the Fabulous Thunderbirds and Roomful of Blues.

I haven’t been able to find any pictures of the band, but some cross-referencing (and their sound) suggests to me that they were an integrated outfit, racially and stylistically.

‘Wise Up’ (from 1966) is a swinging dancer with pounding bass and rhythm guitar, augmented by handclaps, drums, combo organ and a really interesting saxophone line.

The flip, ‘Mix Up (a Go Go)’, which opens with a groovy drumbreak is one of those great numbers where all the hot dances get namechecked. I really dig the chorus as well as the piano.

If you dig the sounds, and feel the need to file some Junior and the Classics in your record box, know that they fall into that grey area of not-too-expensive b/w not-too-cheap either, running in the $25 to $50 range (with the sought after ‘Kill the Pain’, the most expensive).

I hope you dig the tunes, 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).

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (3)

By Larry, August 25, 2013 12:59 pm

Listen/Download The Exotics – Boogaloo Investigators

Greetings all

I was recently digging through my own crates to pull out some stuff for the radio show (and the blog, natch).

When I almost flipped past the record you see before you, I just shook my head.

You see, the Exotics ‘Boogaloo Investigator’ is a long, LONG time favorite and a very “early days” funk 45.

Picked up many years ago, after (if memory serves) hearing it on a mix tape, and for not a lot of scratch (though it’s a lot more expensive now), the 45 was a perennial in my funk sets, and one of those records that always gets me to kick up the volume when it comes on in the car.

Oddly enough, after all these years, I had never found any information about the group, thanks in large part to the fact that the fine folks at Excello didn’t feel it was necessary to include composer or producer credits on either side of the 45.

Fortunately for all of us, while a-Googling, I happened upon some info on Sir Shambling’s Deep Soul Heaven site.

As it turns out, the Exotics were a South Carolina group that recorded two 45s for the Nashville-based Excello organization in 1967.

‘Boogaloo Investigator’, a JB-inspired workout with a touch of novelty (re Dragnet) is a mover and a groover.

Their second 45, ‘Let’s Try to Build a Love Affair’ (you can hear it over at Deep Soul Heaven) is one of the great Otis Redding sound-alikes (by vocalist John Riley) ever committed to vinyl.

I hope you dig the sounds, and I’ll see you all 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).

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (0)

By Larry, August 22, 2013 4:10 pm

The Rivingtons Listen/Download The Rivingtons – Deep Water

The end of the week is at hand, and so is the Funky16Corners Radio Show, which rolls into your ears this and every Friday night at 9PM on Viva Radio. If you can’t dig at the time of air, you can keep up with the sounds by subscribing to the show as a podcast in iTunes or grab an MP3 from the archive here at the blog.

The tune I bring you today is one of those surprising b-sides that we all love so much (at least I do). I had been on the lookout for a copy of the Rivingtons 1962 epic ‘Papa Oom Mow Mow’ (the ur document that wrought the Trashmen’s ‘Surfin’ Bird’) for a while, and was quite pleased when I finally filed a copy, my sons and I ‘Papa Oom Mow Mow’-ing all  over the house for at least a week.

So, anyway…I set to digimatizing and flip the platter over to check out the b-side, and get knocked right on my ass, and not in the way I expected. The Rivington’s stock in trade was wild R&B/soul madness, so when I dropped the needle on ‘Deep Water’ I was – as they say’ taken aback.

There, on the flipside of one of the funniest/fun-nest records ever put to wax, was a deep, deep, epic lament. ‘Deep Water’ – written by the group members – is a heart-wrenching bridge between classic group harmony and early soul, and the group vocal is without exaggeration, positively spellbinding.

Listening to the lyrics, one can imagine ‘Deep Water’ having started out as a tongue-in-cheek tale of woe, but in this case it’s all about the delivery, sounding here like a guy that’s made it all the way to the edge of hopelessness and is about to ask directions to suicide. No matter how many times you listen to it, the juxtaposition between ‘Deep Water’ and ‘Papa Oom Mow Mow’ never gets any less stark or shocking.

I love this record, and I hope you do too.

Have yourselves a great weekend, 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).   PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

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By Larry, August 20, 2013 7:25 pm

Peaches and Herb

Listen/Download Peaches and Herb – I Need Your Love So Desperately

Greetings all

Welcome to the middle of the week here at the Corners.

The track I bring you today is one of those ‘I know the name but not the song’ numbers.

Outside of dedicated soulies. Most of you will only know Peaches and Herb via their 1970s hits like ‘Shake Your Groove Thing’ (R&B #4 1978) and ‘Reunited’(R&B and Pop #1 1979).

I wouldn’t discover until many years later, that the duo (with interchangeable Peaches-es) had a recording career that went back to the mid-60s.

Formed in Washington, DC by Herb Fame (nee Feemster) and Francine ‘Peaches’ Barker, the duo had their first hit with ‘Let’s Fall In Love’ in 1966.

The tune I bring you today appeared as the B-side to their 1967 R&B Top 10 hit ‘For Your Love’, a cover of Ed Townsend’s 1958 hit.

Though that tune has a late night slow dance/make out session appel to it, you really need to flip the disc over for a little high octane, Northern Soul dance floor heat.

‘I Need Your Love So Desperately’ is a fast moving, melodic feature with a propulsive horn section and great back and forth between Fame and Barker.

The duo went on to chart steadily through 1970 (with Marlene Mack replacing Barker in 1968) and then, with Linda Green in the ‘Peaches’ spot, started up again in 1977.

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).

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (0)

By Larry, August 18, 2013 2:46 pm

Effie Smith

Listen/Download Effie Smith – Teenage World Pts 1&2

Listen/Download Effie Smith – Harper Valley PTA Gossip

Greetings all

I hope the new week finds you well.

The tunes I bring you today are artifacts of (the end of) a time when an artist could settle themselves in a niche and ride it for all it was worth.

I picked up Effie Smith’s ‘Harper Valley PTA Gossip’ years ago (pre-portable) and when I got it home I was pleasantly surprised to discover a sassy old lady engaged in a telephone conversation. The rap was based (see title…) on Jeannie C Riley’s 1968 mega-hit ‘Harper Valley PTA’, and it was groovy in an ‘Aunt Esther goes funky’ way.

Flash forward about half a decade, and I’m down in DC spinning (and digging, natch) at a record show and what do I turn up but a whole album of Effie Smith telephone raps!

The thought of a performer working a gag so thoroughly hasn’t been in vogue since the crest of the Bill Seluga ‘You Can Call me Ray’ wave, and I had to admire her persistence.

As it turns out, Effie Smith had been working it out in the world of jazz and R&B since the 1930s (?!?), working with Lionel Hampton, Benny Carter and Johnny Otis.

It is important to note that Effie was also mother to the one and only producer/songwriter Fred Smith, a very familiar name to fans of LA soul.

The first track I bring you today will be familiar to those of you that listen to the Funky16Corners Radio Show, from my use of a drop from ‘Teenage World Pts 1&2’ (1965). The voice of the husband was provided by Effie’s real life spouse,  John Criner.

The second track is the aforementioned ‘Harper Valley PTA Gossip’, which grazed the R&B Top 40 in November of 1968.

Effie Smith passed away in 1977 at the age of 63.

I hope you dig the tracks, and I’ll see you all 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).

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (1)

By Larry, August 13, 2013 11:48 am

The Astors

Listen/Download The Astors – Candy

Greetings all

Hows about something for the middle of the week that is, to borrow a phrase from the mighty Emperor of Vout, Slim Gaillard, is mellow as a cello?

The Astors were a Memphis-based group that recorded several 45s for Stax between 1961 and 1967.

Formed as the Chips, the group included Curtis Johnson, Eliehue Stanback, Sam Jones, Richard Harris, and Richard Griffin. That line-up recorded one single for Stax as the Chips.

After Griffin left the group, they changed their name to the Astors.

‘Candy’ – which borrows part of its melody from Ferde Grofe’s  ‘On the Trail’ from his ‘Grand Canyon Suite’ – was the group’s only hit, almost making it into the R&B Top 10 in the summer of 1965.

Written by Steve Cropper and Isaac Hayes, and featuring sweet group harmonies and a hard-hitting Stax rhythm section (listen to those drums) ‘Candy’ has enough pop for the radio and more than enough heat for the dancers.

The flip side, ‘I Found Out’ is also very cool.

I hope you dig the cut, and I’ll see you all back here 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).

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (0)

By Larry, August 11, 2013 3:32 pm

The Spencer Davis Group

Listen/Download The Spencer Davis Group – Trampoline

Greetings all

Welcome to another groovy week here at the Corners.

I thought I’d get things started this week by dipping into the Hammond crates for something cool.

Oddly enough, I dug up this German Fontana pressing of the Spencer Davis Group’s ‘Trampoline’ right around the corner from my crib here in Central NJ.

I was unfamiliar with either of the tunes on the 45, and since it was a dollar (and I really dig the SDG) I grabbed it and took it home.

Good thing too, because in addition to the cool ‘When I Come Home’ (co-written by Jackie Edwards and Stevie Winwood), you get the very swinging bit of Mod soul on the flip.

Released in 1966, ‘Trampoline’ sees our boy Stevie working it out on the organ and piano with enough groove grease for the dancers.

The 45 fell in between their big British hits ‘Somebody Help Me’ and ‘Gimme Some Lovin’ and grazed the UK Top 10.

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

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (0)

By Larry, August 8, 2013 1:24 pm

The Popular Five

Listen/Download The Popular Five – I’m a Love Maker

Greetings all

The end of the week is here, and so is some more soul.

But first, I should remindyou that the Funky16Corners Radio Show will be on the air this and every Friday night at 9PM on Viva Radio. You can also subscribe to the show as a podcast in iTunes or grab and MP3 from the archive here at the blog.

I grabbed the 45 you see before you today a while back at a record show.

Though I had never heard anything by the Popular Five, I had seen ‘I’m a Love Maker’ pop up on countless lists, and since I’m a sucker for Minit soul 45s, I grabbed it and took it home.

What I ended up with was a superb two-sider, with a hard-charging cover of Thurston Harris and the Sharps ‘Little Bitty Pretty One’ on the b-side (heard in one of my 2013 Allnighter mixes, Everybody Dance Now) and today’s selection on the topside.

As it turns out, the Popular Five, who released a number of 45s between 1967 and 1970 on labels like Rae Cox, Minit and Mr Chand had roots that went way back into the early days of doowop and one of that genres biggest hits.

Thanks to tenor singer Jimmy Keyes, the Popular Five are connected to the Chords, the Bronx, NY group that had a huge hit with ‘Sh-boom’ in 1954.

The group changed members (and names) over the years, and by 1967, when they made their first record as the Popular Five, the members were Warren Wilson, Keyes, Jessie Huddleston, Arthur Dicks and Demetrius Clare.

‘I’m a Love Maker’ is a great slice of funky soul (dig that bass line). The group’s harmony singing roots are evident in the solid wall of voices in the chorus.

As I mentioned before, the flipside is a killer, so make sure to check it out if you haven’t already.

As always, 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).

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.