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By Larry, April 30, 2013 12:13 pm

Listen/Download Delores Riley – Hey Boy!

Greetings all

Welcome once again to the point where all sixteen corners of the musical universe intersect.

One of the busiest corners therein is located in the great city of New Orleans.

I have certainly made mention in this space before of the ‘high end’ of the Instant Records discography.

Instant, which ran from 1961 to 1972 released records by many of the big names in New Orleans soul and funk, from Chris Kenner (their biggest hitmaker) to Ernie K Doe and Huey ‘Piano’ Smith.

Though the overall quality of their roster was excellent, if you were looking for the funky stuff, you’d want to start browsing up around number 3300 in the catalog.

There are of course exceptions – especially Larry Darnell’s ‘Son of a Son of a Slave’ and Curley Moore’s ‘Sophisticated Sissy’ – but before, though quite groovy, things were mostly soulful.

Once that Rubicon is crossed, all bets are off, processes change to naturals and in comes the funk.

Though I have chased many of these post-3300 sides over the years (and caught a bunch), there are a few that still elude me, as well as a number that I’ve never heard.

One of these – at least until a few years ago – was the record you see before you today, Delores Riley’s ‘Hey Boy!’.
I had never heard the record before when a friend suggested I check it out.

It was a nice, hard-driving funky 45, so I set out find myself a copy, and got one in short order (for not a lot of dough).

I have not been able to find anything out about Riley, or the writer of the song Justin James. I don’t see any evidence that she recorded anything else, for Instant or any other NOLA label.

The one familiar name on the label is that of Earl Stanley, of Earl Stanley and the Stereos, aka Roger and the Gypsies.

The production on ‘Hey Boy’ is pretty tight, with a great horn section, some groovy wah-wah guitar and even a little bit of electric sitar in the mix.

The most distinctive part of the gumbo (aside from Delores’s singing) , is – as is often the case – the drums. Whoever was manning the kit was hitting hard that day.

The style is a little bit rough, but full of verve. I’d love to know who it was.

That said, should it tickle your fancy, you ought to be able to grab yourself a copy of this one to stuff into your crates for well under fifty clams.

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).

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (1)

By Larry, April 28, 2013 2:19 pm

Dave Hamilton

Listen/Download Dave Hamilton and His Peppers – Beatle Walk

Greetings all

Welcome to another week here at the Corners.

The tune I bring you today is – once you get past the title – a cool one.

Dave Hamilton (accompanied here by his Peppers) is a name that should be familiar to both fans of Detroit soul, but also of funky instrumentals like ‘Cracklin’ Bread’.

Hamilton, who was born in Georgia in 1920 (!?!) relocated to Detroit, where he started to record R&B and blues in the late 40s.

Though he started out playing vibes and the xylophone, the guitar eventually became his bread and butter.

Over the years he released 45s for labels like Chess. Fortune and Hi-Q, before eventually starting his own Tempo, Topper and TCB imprints.

Hamilton was one of the original Funk Brothers, but a strong independent streak caused him to part ways with Motown and work on his own.

He produced and arranged for a wide variety of Detroit acts like Little Ann, OC Tolbert and Sugar Billy Garner.

‘Beatle Walk’ which was released in 1964, yet sounds like it could have been waxed half a decade earlier, has a title that was an obvious (if wholly dishonest) stab at the charts.

I’m not saying that the Fabs themselves wouldn’t have dug ‘Beatle Walk’ but rather that the vast majority of their audience, some of whom might have purchased this 45 because of the title, would have flipped out.

You can just imagine some teenybopper in her maryjanes picking this up at the local record store, coming home, slapping it on the Victrola and passing out.

Instead of the jangly guitars, yeah yeah yeahs and moptops, what you get here is the kind of straight-ahead R&B you’d hear cranking out of any urban strip club or tavern. The production on the sax and the drums is plenty raw, and the guitar has a lot of bite as well.

Plus, you get that classic Fortune Records label design.

It’s a nice, gritty workout, and I hope you dig it.

See you 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, April 25, 2013 11:16 am

Bob Theile, Steve Allen and Oliver Nelson

Listen/Download Steve Allen/Oliver Nelson – Son of Preacher Man

Greetings all

The end of the week is coming up fast, which means that the Funky16Corners Radio Show is too. You can tune in this and every Friday night at 9PM on Viva Radio, or subscribe to the show as a podcast in iTunes, or grab an MP3 at the blog.

Now,I hope that those of you old enough to remember who Steve Allen was are still here. Any familiarity with the late funnyman might have been enough to scare you away, but I assure that once you pull down the ones and zeros, you’ll be happy you stayed.

Steve Allen was a funny dude, in many ways the precursor to guys like David Letterman.

He was also an accomplished songwriter and musician.

Along with arranger Oliver Nelson (who can probably be credited with any musical power herein), Allen recorded three volumes of ‘Soulful Brass’ LPs for Bob Theile’s Flying Dutchman label, with the initial volume being the first LP released by the label.

I sought out ‘Soulful Brass Volume 2’ because I’d heard that it contained a groovy version of ‘California Soul’ (which it did) but was also very pleased to see that it also included covers of ‘Soulful Strut’ and today’s selection, ‘Son of a Preacher Man’.

Allen’s main contribution to the efforts here seem to be a combination of (mostly) name recognition and the occasional electric piano solo.

‘Son of a Preacher Man’ is an excellent, funky, brass-driven take on the Dusty Springfield hit, with hard-hitting drums by Jim Gordon, funky bass by Max Bennett and guitar by David Cohen.

The brass arrangements by Nelson are – of course – top notch.

The combined results make this the only Steve Allen record you ever need to buy.

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

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.

Comments (1)

By Larry, April 21, 2013 2:58 pm

Vince Montana

Listen/Download The Volcanos – Storm Warning

Listen/Download The Ethics – Think About Tomorrow

Listen/Download Georgie Woods – Potato Salad Pt1

Listen/Download Brothers of Hope – Nickol Nickol

Listen/Download The Family – Family Affair

Listen/Download Montana Sextet – Heavy Vibes

Listen/Download Montana Sextet – Heavy Vibes (Club Mix)

Greetings all

It was with great sadness that I heard last week of the passing of the mighty Vincent Montana Jr.

Unless you’re a Philly soul or disco head, that name might not be familiar, but the music he helped to make over a career that lasted more than 50 years most certainly is.

Montana, known first and formost as a vibraphonist, but also a busy arranger and percussionist was one of the most important instrumentalists in the history of Philadelphia soul and funk.

Though he got his start backing local artists like Frankie Avalon, Montana went on to be one of the core members of the Philly “house band” that would become better known as MFSB.

His vibes stand out on countless Philly soul records from the mid-60s on, and his arrangers credit appeared on many of those record’s labels.

Montana’s work is all over various and sundry smaller local labels (and recorded under various band names) as well as just about every major Philadelphia International session.

Montana was also key in the formation of the Salsoul Orchestra, and through the disco era recorded with his own groups the Montana Sextet and Goody Goody.

The tracks I’ve selected really just scratch the surface of Montana’s catalog, but all touch on some important point.

The first is one of the greatest 60s soul 45s to come out of Philadelphia, and the first place I ever noticed Vince Montana coming through the mix as a sideman. ‘Storm Warning’ by the Volcanos is beloved by fans of classic soul, and Vince Montana’s vibes have a lot to do with that. Vibes are – at least to my ears – one of the key sonic elements in Northern Soul, along with the baritone sax, and Montana’s playing on ‘Storm Warning’ manages to keep driving the song forward while adding bright accents.

The Ethics are another great Philly vocal group. ‘Think About Tomorrow’, arranged by Montana, was a local hit in 1968. Give this one a couple of close listens and dig how Montana uses the strings, horns and vibes to frame the rhythm section. It’s an exquisite example of the kind of classy record that would come to represent the Philly sound.

Georgie Woods “The Guy With the Goods’ was a Philadelphia radio legend, who decided in the late 60s (like so many of his radio brethren around the country) to dip his toe into the world of recording. ‘Potato Salad’ – also arranged by Vince Montana – is an ‘adaptation’ of vibraphone legend Lionel Hampton’s ‘Greasy Greens’. You not only get to hear Woods laying down his rap, but also plenty of Montana’s vibes working their way through the mix.

The players that would form the core of MFSB would make records under a number of different names in the late 60s and early 70s. If you collect funk 45s, you’ve heard bands like the Interpretations, Hidden Cost, Daley’s Diggers, the Alliance, the Electric Indian and many more, all basically played by the same set of brilliant musicians, including Vince Montana.

My favorite of these pseudonymous 45s is ‘Nickol Nickol’ by the Brothers of Hope. One of the great, mid-tempo funk 45s of all time, ‘Nickol Nickol’ features Montana’s vibes throughout, but especially at the end where he lays down the ‘Eleanor Rigby’ quote in the run-off groove. This one was slept on for a long time, but the price has gone up considerably in the last few years.

The Family – Family Affair, acetate and North Bay 45

Though I’m not featuring any MFSB ‘proper’ in this post, the Family’s cover of Sly and the Family Stone’s ‘Family Affair’, which was first released on the North Bay label, is basically an edited version of the track that would appear on the first MFSB LP.

Vince Montana was – for most fo his career – a ‘background’ player, working behind the scenes, but in 1982 he had a dance hit in the US and the UK with the track ‘Heavy Vibes’. ‘Heavy Vibes’ is a sophisticated, jazzy/funky bit of disco, with plenty of vibes (naturally…). Here you get to check out both the edit and the extended club mix – both worth hearing.

Vince Montana was a master, and though he was more involved than most, he was a very solid example of the importance of the unseen/unheralded musicians that provide the backing for the music we love. People will do lip service to the house bands of labels like Stax, ensembles like the Funk Brothers or the Muscle Shoals group, but only the people with their heads (and ears) deep in the game know who the individual components of those outfits were, and that’s a shame.

The next time you hear the vibes ring through one of those great Philly records, elbow the cat next to you and say ‘That’s Vince Montana.’

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, April 18, 2013 11:19 am

Brenda and the Tabulations

Listen/Download Brenda and the Tabulations – God Only Knows

Greetings all

The end of the week is here, so I will once again remind you to spin the dial on your wireless sets to Viva Radio, this and every Friday night at 9PM so that you might dig the Funky16Corners Radio Show. If you can’t be there at airtime, you can always subscribe to the show as a podcast in iTunes, or grab an MP3 at the blog.

The tune I bring you todayis yet another one of those “right under my nose” surprises that I unearthed in the Funky16Corners record vault.

I was digging around, looking for something else (naturally) when I happened upon Brenda and the Tabulations 1967 LP “Dry Your Eyes’.

It occurred to me that I had wanted to record ‘The Wash’, which had oddly enough turned up in a TV advert in the last few months, but while I was looking over the jacket I realized (perhaps for the first time) that the group had also recorded a cover version of the Beach Boys ‘God Only Knows’.

I flipped the disc onto the turntable, gave it a spin and realized that it was not only excellent but would make a much more interesting entry here at the blog, so I recorded it.

Originally recorded for the Beach Boys legendary 1966 LP ’Pet Sounds’, ‘God Only Knows’ is widely regarded (here as well) as one of the finest songs that Brian Wilson (with Tony Asher)every wrote.

There aren’t a great many soul versions of Beach Boys tunes – though Freddy McCoy’s soul jazz take on ‘Pet Sounds’ is transcendant – so when I saw that Brenda and the Tabulations had recorded it my interest was piqued.

The group had only come together and recorded for the first time in 1966, havin their first major hit, ‘Dry Your Eyes’ (Top 10 R&B/Top 20 Pop) in early 1967.

They went on to have 17 R&B chart hits over the next ten years, moving from Dionn records to Top & Bottom, Epic and Chocolate City.

Their version of ‘God Only Knows’ is a fairly reverent take, opening (like the original) with French horns, strings and a lovely lead vocal by Brenda Payton. The band does kick up the tempo a bit, and there are some really unusual – vaguely trippy – backing vocals.

It’s an unusual, and excellent version of a very well known song.

I hope you all 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.

Comments (3)

By Larry, April 16, 2013 11:39 am

The Meters

Listen/Download The Meters – Good Old Funky Music

Greetings all

How about something heavy from the Meters?

Now – and I agree completely – there are those among you that would say that there ain’t nothing un-heavy in the Meters bag, but I would also say that there’s heavy, and then there’s HEAVY, and the tune I bring you today is HEAVY.

Though amongst the world of funk 45 (and other formats, natch) collectors, the Meters are held up as one of the cornerstones of the sound, I think it would be safe to say that a lot of folks take these titans for granted.

On the outside, i.e. among the straights, the chart-riders and such, the Meters were just another instro band, akin to Booker T and the MGs, albeit with less chart success.

To the collectorati, the Meters are a veritable mountain of cheap 45s (and much more expensive LPs) that are encountered on any decent dig.

To those of us who revel in the sound of some of the most rhythmically innovative funk ever made, the Meters stand astride the landscape like giants.

No matter how many times I’m asked “what is the funkiest record ever made” I always find my way back to ‘Cardova’, four and a half minutes of bad-assitude that cuts many a multi-hundred-dollar disc to shreds with ease.

The law firm of Nocentelli, Neville, Porter and Modeliste were the very definition of unfuckwithable, and ‘Good old Funky Music’ is one of my personal favorites in their oeuvre.

Released in 1971 as a non-LP 45, ‘Good Old Funky Music’ sees our friends from New Orleans throwing down on the wah-wah pedal, whilst turning up the funk dial considerably.

‘Good Old Funky Music’ was the last 45 Josie released by the Meters before they moved to Reprise in early 1972.

I would end – as I often do – by hoping that you all dig the record as much as I do, but in this case at least, that ought to be a foregone conclusion.

See you 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 (7)

By Larry, April 14, 2013 10:03 am

Brian Auger (Top left) and the Trinity

Listen/Download Brian Auger and the Trinity – I Wanna Take You Higher

Listen/Download Brian Auger and the Trinity – Listen Here

Greetings all

Welcome to yet another week in which the digital artifacts of the analog age are unearthed and put on display for the edification (and edumacation) of all involved.

If you were following the coming and going hereabouts you will have noted that the Funky16Corners fam vacated for a short time, in which we went in search of rest, relaxation, and in my case, records.

I was very lucky indeed, having been tipped off to an excellent digging spot or two by a friend.

Though I had never visited Pittsburgh before (odd, I know) I was aware that the good people of the region had excellent taste in music, especially where R&B and soul were concerned. I figured that it must follow (and it did) that records of that ilk must be available thereabouts.

The first spot I hit gave up the goods (if only I’d had 10 or 15 more hours, and the cash that would have required), with yours truly exiting the store with a nice fat stack of funk, soul and all kinds of Iron Leg ish (the popsike and what not).

One of the disks I was most pleased to have encountered is the one you see before you today.

I have had the ‘Befour’ LP (1970) by Brian Auger and the Trinity for years, but had no idea that there were any 45s (or the edits there-on) released from the album, which is why finding the 7” with versions of ‘I Wanna Take You Higher’ and ‘Listen Here’ was such a groove.

Auger was in the top rank of UK Hammond wranglers, first in the Steampacket, then alongside the mighty Julie Driscoll , then onward with the Trinity and the Oblivion Express, getting progressively jazz-funkier as he went on.

I dig both his earlier and later stuff, and ‘Befour’ is an excellent example of the latter, as well as being fairly easy to find on the cheap.

The excellent version of Sly and the Family Stone’s ‘I Wanna Take You Higher’ runs the same 5:00 on the 45 as on the album, with some excellent organ and guitar.

The version of ‘Listen Here’ is what makes this 45 worth grabbing.

‘Listen Here’, written and originally recorded by the great Eddie Harris is one of the true ‘standards’ of the soul jazz genre, recorded in many ways, by many people and having appeared in this space a time or two over the years.

The LP version of ‘Listen Here’ runs almost nine and a half minutes, substantial portion of which is devoted to a long (way too long) drum solo by Clive Thacker. It’s not that old Clive wasn’t up to the task, but – and I say this as a drummer – the hippie era drum solo was one of the more unfortunate musical traditions, thankfully gone by the wayside.

The 45 edit of the song truncates the percussion breakdown to a tasteful 27 seconds, keeping the forward momentum of the musical enterprise intact, while also giving the drummer his oft requested “some”.

It is a groovy disc indeed, and well worth grabbing should you come across a copy of your own.

I hope you dig it 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, April 11, 2013 12:28 pm

Earl Cosby aka Jackie Lee aka Earl Nelson

Listen/Download Earl Cosby – Ooh Honey Baby

Greetings all

The end of the week is here, and that means it’s Funky16Corners Radio Show time again. We take to the airwaves of the interwebs every Friday night at 9PM on Viva Radio. If your ears aren’t available then, you can always subscribe to the show as a podcast in iTunes, or grab an MP3 out of the archive here at the blog.

The tune I bring you today is yet another example of the talents of the mighty Earl Nelson, aka Jackie Lee, aka Earl Cosby.

While I have never gotten to the bottom of why Nelson recorded in so many guises during the 60s, I can say with confidence that the sounds he made were always very groovy.

If West Coast Northern Soul is your bag, you already know that Nelson recorded certified classics as part of Bob and Earl (‘Harlem Shuffle’) and as Jackie Lee (‘The Duck’).

The tune I bring you today is a fairy recent addition to my crates. I knew of the Earl Nelson recordings for years, but only found a copy of this particular 45 in the last few months.

‘Ooh Honey Baby’ b/w ‘Land of 1000 Dances’ was released in 1965 on the storied Mira label, then again (with the sides reversed, on Mirwood this time) in 1966.

Despite the record’s obvious charms – it’s a hard charging dance floor killer – it failed to make a mark on the charts either time. It’s got all the hallmarks of top quality Northern Soul, from the driving beat, vibes, classy horns and hooks a plenty.

Released under the name Jackie Lee, ‘The Duck’ was a Top 10 R&B hit in 1965, and it’s possible that the ‘Earl Cosby’ persona fell by the wayside as a result.

That said, both side of this disc are excellent, and well worth seeking out to add to your crates.

I hope you dig the sounds, and I’ll be back 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 (5)

By Larry, April 9, 2013 11:26 am

Ike and Tina Turner

Listen/Download Ike and Tina Turner – Ooh Poop A Doo

Greetings all

How’s about a little Ike and Tina to get you through the middle of the week?

This is an especially groovy one, because you get some of that soulful action, delivered in the form of one of the classic New Orleans R&B numbers.

Released in 1964 on the flipside of the epic ‘Merry Christmas Baby’, Ike and Tina’s version of Jesse Hill’s ‘Ooh Poop A Doo’ (spelling of title will vary from artist to artist) has the rough and ready sound of a ‘live in studio’ joint.

While I’m not positive, I think this might be the same version that appeared on the ‘Ike and Tina Show Live’ LP in 1965.

There’s a decidedly lo-fi vibe to the proceedings, but Tina and the Ikettes are – as always – in rare form (dig the call and response at the beginning).

Hill’s OG was an R&B Top 5 hit (Pop Top 30) in 1960, and it seems that every act of the time, rock and soul alike either recorded it or made it a staple of their live sets.

Ike and Tina released the song at least two more times, in 1971 and 1974 (on the flips of ‘I Want To Take You Higher’ and ‘Nutbush City Limits’), so you know they dug it.

Though it seems to jump across a few different labels, I’d love to see someone assemble Ike and Tina’s live recordings from the 60s into some kind of comp. Ike always had a hot band going, and of course with Tina and the Ikettes out in front they could do no wrong.

I hope you dig the cut, and I’ll be back on Friday with some more soul.
.

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, April 7, 2013 1:14 pm

The Drifters

Listen/Download The Drifters – If You Don’t Come Back

Greetings all

I have something very cool to get the week started.

To repeat a story that has been told here many times (in many ways) before, I first encountered the song I bring you today in a much different form.

Thanks to my time as part of the 80s mod/garage scene, and due to the fact that I had friends with xcellent musical taste and healthy record collections, I first heard a grip of R&B and soul songs as filtered through the prism of the British Invasion (R&B, beat, mod etc).

More often than not, the distance between the original presentation and the cover was fairly small, i.e. white acts trying to replicate the sounds they heard on imported 45s and LPs as closely as possible.

Occasionally, that distance was expanded considerably.

The first time I heard ‘If You Don’t Come Back’ it was via the 1968 psyched out cover version by Gary Walker and the Rain.

The Rain was Gary Walker’s band following the dissolution of the Walker Brothers, and included in its ranks guitarist Joey Molland who would later go on to join Badfinger.

Their sole LP ‘Album #1’ – only ever legitimately released in Japan, but heavily bootlegged – is one of the truly great psych albums of the day.

That said, I always dug ‘If You Don’t Come Back’ but it was years before I discovered that it was a cover of a record originally recorded by the Drifters in 1963.

Written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, and recorded not long after they started working with the Drifters, ‘If You Don’t Come Back’ has lyrical echoes of the kind of tunes the pair had been recording with the Coasters.

Leiber and Stoller manage to take a song that would have worked in a more humorous setting with the Coasters, and tone it down a little, giving the Drifters record (with a lead vocal by Johnny Moore) a bit of an edge.

It’s one of the rougher, more soulful things the Drifters ever laid down, with a great guitar/horn riff repeated in the verse and some cool group harmonies in the chorus. The lyrics are brilliant.

“Well a noise woke me up this morning
I looked through the venetian blind
The car was gone and you were gone
And I almost lost my mind

If you don’t come back
If you don’t come back today baby, well
They can call up the people from the crazy house
And take this crazy man away

I threw myself up against the wall now
I tore my clothes and I sobbed
I ran out on the street in my stockinged feet
Calling “Police, I been robbed!”

Chorus

Mrs Brown been talking about me
To the people way across the street
Said “I cooked that boy a bucket of stew
But the poor thing just won’t eat”

Chorus

Well the doctor came up to see me
Check me with a fine tooth comb
You ain’t sick, but you’re gonna die
If you don’t get your baby back home

Interestingly, there’s a fantastic version of the song by an earlier British group. The Undertakers (featuring Jackie Lomax) recorded a blistering cover of ‘If You Don’t Come Back’ (billed as the ‘Takers) in 1964. Whether or not this was the version that inspired Gary Walker and the Rain, I cannot say, but it is certainly worth hearing.

I hope you dig the track, and I’ll see you all on Wednesday.

Keep the faith

Larry

PS Please to forgive the roughness of this 45. The person that sold it to me had an odd way of grading records…
___________________________________________________________________________________________

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, April 4, 2013 11:34 am

Ingfried Hoffman aka Memphis Black aka The Memphis Soul Band

Listen/Download Memphis Soul Band – That’s Me Boy

Listen/Download Memphis Soul Band – Mrs Robinson

Greetings all

The end of the week is here, and that means it’s Funky16Corners Radio Show time again. We take to the airwaves of the interwebs every Friday night at 9PM on Viva Radio. If your ears aren’t available then, you can always subscribe to the show as a podcast in iTunes, or grab an MP3 out of the archive here at the blog.

The tracks I bring you today are yet another example of the pseudonymous work of Teutonic Hammond wrangler Ingfried Hoffman.

You have already sampled his work when I posted ‘Why Don’t You Play the Organ Man’ by Memphis Black a few years ago.

Hoffman, who worked in the band of saxophonist Klaus Doldinger before creating the Memphis Black persona (one 45 and an LP under that name) recorded the tunes you see before you today under the name of the Memphis Soul Band in 1969.

Working again – as he did as Memphis Black – with expat guitarist/vocalist Joe Quick, Hoffman laid down some very groovy covers of contemporary soul material, as well as two originals in the same basic style.

Hoffman went on to record a number of library titles, and the Memphis Soul Band sides bear the same, hard charging, au go go vibe as much of the UK-based material in the same vein, such as the Mohawks (or any Hawkshaw related jams) or the New London Rhythm and Blues Band.

The first cut, ‘That’s Me Boy’ opens with a spoken intro by Quick, which doesn’t make a whole lot of sense no matter how many times I listen/re-listen to it. That said, once Hoffman drops in the band kicks into a very cool groove (the horns are especially nice).

The second cut, a cover of Simon and Garfunkel’s ‘Mrs Robinson’ hews pretty closely to the Booker T and the MGs take on the song but kicks up the tempo a notch. This is one of those tracks that seems purpose built for the Mod dance floor.

If you desire to place any of Hoffman’s vinyl in your own crates, the Memphis Soul Band LP is probably the most affordable option running 30 or 40 bucks in good shape. The Memphis Black 45 on Ascot is much harder to grab, hovering in the$100 range, with the German issued Memphis Black LP (on Sunset) grabbing $50 more than that (though it has been reissued).

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

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).

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (3)

By Larry, April 1, 2013 7:53 pm

Funky16Corners Presents: Light It Up for World Autism Awareness Day

Kool and the Gang – Who’s Gonna Take the Weight (Deelight)
Sir Joe Quaterman and Free Soul – I Got So Much Trouble In My Mind (GSF)
Aretha Franklin – Save Me (Atlantic)
Marvelettes – I’ll Keep Holding On (Tamla)
Ikettes – Don’t Feel Sorry For Me (Modern)
Donald Height- Life Is Free (You Can Be What You Wanna Be) (Hurdy Gurdy)
Lyn Collins – Things Got To Get Better (Get Together) (People)
Lee Dorsey – Who’s Gonna Help Brother Get Further (Polydor)
Johnny Otis Show – Keep the Faith Pt1 (Eldo)
James Brown – Get Up Get Into It Get Involved (King)
Isley Brothers – Fight the Power (T-Neck)
Billy Butler – Right Track (Okeh)
Etta James – I’m So Glad (Chess)
Gladys Knight and the Pips – Thank You (Fallettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) (Motown)

Listen/Download -Funky16Corners Presents Light It Up for World Autism Awareness Day – 80MB Mixed MP3/256K

Greetings all.

The mix you see before you – though it contains music that should be familiar to readers of Funky16Corners – is a departure of sorts.

I’ve been writing the Funky16Corners blog for almost a decade. Over the years, in addition to the music and the history behind it, I’ve written (to varying degrees) about the events of my life.

Though I haven’t gone into great detail on the subject, I have made references in the past to that fact that autism has made an impact on our family (in case you were wondering about that link in the sidebar…).

Both of our sons – now 6 and 9 – have a diagnosis on the autism spectrum, and as a result, I have – for the last four years – been a stay-at-home-dad.

Even though being a single-income household comes with its own challenges, having a full-time parent at home to coordinate multiple therapies, meetings and the various and sundry unplanned/unexpected challenges that come with having children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) made a tremendous amount of sense.

Back in 2008, when our sons were initially diagnosed, we had already spent a considerable amount of time dealing with issues that we did not understand.

When we finally managed to weather the batteries of tests, doctor visits and paperwork, and identified the issues at hand, we found ourselves at the end of one journey and the beginning of much longer one.

A diagnosis of autism is a singularly difficult thing for any parent to deal with.

I recall at the time feeling a mixture of relief, in that we finally had a framework to deal with the problems our sons had been having, but also trepidation about finding ways to deal with them going forward.

What kinds of therapies would the boys need, and how would we arrange for them?

How would we work with the professionals in our local schools to make sure that they got the proper education?

As daunting as these questions might seem, they were just the beginning.

The next few years were like navigating an especially challenging maze, in which every turn could reveal either a new way forward – with opportunities to educate ourselves about how to do the best for our children – or another dead end where we would have to push aside our disappointment, regroup and reset the course.

The biggest challenge that every parent of an ASD child has to meet, is when you realize that there are no easy answers. This is the point when it becomes apparent that most progress will be incremental at best, and that you’re dealing with the “long game”.

It has always seemed appropriate to me that one of the public symbols of autism has been the puzzle piece.

Not only does it represent the unique nature of every child, but also that once a parent – or any family member – has begun to deal with the emotional and practical ramifications of an autism diagnosis (and there are many), they have to begin to assemble what amounts to a huge puzzle, laid out before them.

Aside from the obvious things like therapy and school, there are all of the underlying issues that have to be dealt with, such as insurance, work (and time away from it), socialization, and behavioral training inside and outside the home.

In many of these things our family has been extraordinarily lucky.

We were able to get both of our sons diagnosed fairly early – which in the case of our youngest, who was experiencing developmental delays, was incredibly important – and we were fortunate enough to have health insurance.

Though some families can take this kind of foundation for granted, many cannot.

Parents often struggle to find treatment for their children. If and when they do, they are often met with a new set of hurdles, whether complications with insurance, uncooperative/poorly prepared school districts, and/or friends and family that do not fully grasp the nature of the problem.

I mention all of this because April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day.

This is a day first set aside by the United Nations in 1989 to spread the word about Autism spectrum disorders, the children and families that deal with them every day, and the organizations that study them and work toward a cure.

The mix above is in my own small way an attempt to convey an impression of the struggles, joys and rewards of raising children with autism.

While there aren’t – as far as I know – any soul or funk songs that deal directly with issues of autism, there are certainly a wide variety of tunes that deal with the palette of emotions that children with ASD and their families encounter every single day.

One need only look to the titles of the songs in the playlist above to get a feeling for what kinds of things we go through in our lives.

Parents need to deal with assessment (Who’s Gonna Take the Weight), emotional turmoil (I Got So Much Trouble In My Mind), self pity (Save Me), perseverance (I’ll Keep On Holding On), strength (Don’t Feel Sorry For Me), possibility (Life Is Free You Can Be What You Want To Be), optimism (Things Got To Get Better), reaching out for help (Who’s Gonna Help Brother Get Further), steadfastness (Keep The Faith), doing what you can to spread the word (Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved), taking on the system when necessary (Fight the Power), assuring yourself that you’re doing the right things (Right Track), taking the time to cherish your kids in their uniqueness (I’m So Glad) and in the end, being thankful for what you’ve got (Thank You Fallettinme Be Mice Elf Agin).

I became a fan of soul music so many years ago, and eventually started writing about it because I find it to be uniquely powerful and transcendent. Though it’s true about any good music, soul music has touched me, and many of the people that read Funky16Corners deeply.

My feelings about great records, and spinning them, are that the best of them carry in their grooves a sort of magic.

Whether it’s that a song effects the listener specifically, i.e. connects them to a memory, or in a general sense where their emotions are stirred and they feel compelled to get up and dance, when I dip into my record box and pull out a particularly powerful 45 (or post one here at the blog, or on the radio show) I get to facilitate that process.

Having children is one of the most amazing, challenging, sometimes frustrating, but always rewarding experiences I can imagine.

Raising children with ASD is all of that amplified significantly.

And, oddly enough, this experience has given me (and continues to give me) a deeper appreciation for the power of music, in how it affects me, and my children as well.

I hope you take the time to follow the link to Autism Speaks, and if this is all unfamiliar to you, maybe take a little time to read up on your read ups.

If you know someone with ASD in their family, see what you can do to help.

Until we meet again

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.