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By Larry, December 9, 2010 2:46 pm

Isaac Redd Holt & Eldee Young

Listen/Download – Young-Holt Unlimited – Horoscope

Greetings all.

I hope the end of the week finds you well.

It’s been a busy one hereabouts, with the kids, and the errands and Hanukkah ending and Christmas coming and jeebus knows what else going on.

This is the part of Friday’s post where I pause for my regularly scheduled reminder that the Funky16Corners Radio Show will be airing, as is the custom, Friday night at 9PM. There will be some old favorites, a couple of new arrivals and some groovy stuff out of the archives, so if you have your ears pointed at the interwebs this Friday night, make sure to point the browser of your choice at Viva Radio and tune in. If you are otherwise occupied, you can always come by the blog over the weekend and pull down the ones and zeros, since every single episode of the Funky16Corners Radio Show is promptly digimatized and posted at the blog after it airs.

I thought I had the whole week planned out, but when I sat down to write today’s post, I had a change of heart, and went back into the to-be-blogged folder to see what tickled my fancy. After some deliberation, I saw that I had no less than three very groovy tracks from the Young-Holt organization waiting to go, all funky, all very groovy.

This of course opened up a whole new can of worms, since I didn’t want to post all three at the same time. Despite all stories to the contrary, the Funky16Corners record vault is not six stories deep with an endless supply of vinyl, and things need to be parceled out gradually.

I gave the matter some consideration, and settled upon the 45 you see before you today, Young-Holt Unlimited’s ‘Horoscope’.

I don’t recall where I came across this disc, or where I first heard it.

It’s entirely possible that I bought it sight unheard, since I’ve come to the conclusion that Young-Holt are verily the gift that keeps on giving. They were not only prolific, but their catalog – like the many petals of the lotus – unfolds to reveal more and more funky 45s at every turn.

Here you have two journeyman jazz cats – pianist Eldee Young and drummer Isaac Redd Holt – who made their bones with the mighty Ramsey Lewis, with the 1965 hit ‘The In Crowd’ (currently being used in TV ads in furtherance of the execrable Ashton Kutcher industry). They parlayed it into their own career, eventually hitting the charts with one of the best loved soul instrumentals of the 60s, ‘Soulful Strut’ (ironically, a record they are rumored not to have actually played on).

Over the course of the next decade they would go on to release ten albums (for Brunswick, Cotillion and Paula) and over a dozen singles, all taking the concept of soul jazz and flipping the formula. The music they would create would prove to be commercial (if not commercially successful) while still substantial, formulaic without being boring and much more soulful than that of a lot of their similarly labeled contemporaries.

I always find it odd that for a group that was obviously selling a lot of records, Young-Holt Unlimited didn’t really have much in the way of chart success. ‘Soulful Strut’ was a Pop and R&B hit in 1968, but they would only hit the R&B chart two other times, earlier in 1968 with ‘Wack Wack’ and barely scraping the Top 50 with ‘Just a Melody’ n 1969.

Yet the more I dig, especially into their later Cotillion and Paula periods (1970 to 1975) the more quality stuff I discover.

Today’s selection hails from 1969, at the very end of their time with the Brunswick label, just before their move to Cotillion.

‘Horoscope’ features funky piano and bright horns, and a shouted run (credited, hysterically as ‘Narration by Isaac Holt’) through the zodiac, hitting on all the signs, ex.Virgo (‘The virgin! Ha ha, you gotta be kidding!’), as well as timely references to the Age of Aquarius and Hair (“and NO CLOTHES!!”).

The tune was written by Young, Holt and their pianist at the time, Ken Chaney (who replaced Hysear Don Walker when the group morphed from the Young Holt Trio into Young Holt Unlimited).

They’ve appeared here a bunch of times, with individual tracks and in mixes, as long as I keep digging their stuff they’ll continue to do so.

I hope you dig the track, and I’ll be back on Monday.

Peace

Larry

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By Larry, December 7, 2010 2:03 pm

The Oneness of Juju

Listen/Download – Oneness of Juju – African Rhythms Pt1
Listen/Download – Oneness of Juju – African Rhythms Pt2

Greetings all.
I don’t know about where you folks live, but things got awfully cold, awfully quickly around here.

It’s nothing like the weird snow-fucking that our friends in the UK are getting, but cold enough that I have to make sure the little corners are all bundled up when they trot out the door, and I might add, at the point where I am contemplating putting the fireplace into use.

I’m also perched by the mailbox waiting for a couple of exceptional vinyl acquisitions to arrive, one of them taking its sweet time (apparently) swimming here from the EU. I was lucky enough to grab a couple of longtime want list items at reasonable prices, so as soon as they fall through the mail slot, and I get them digimatized, you’ll see them here and hear them on the Funky16Corners Radio Show.

Speaking of seemingly unobtainable items, allow me to take you back a little over a year to March of 2009, when my man DJ Prestige and I packed up the Funky16Corners-mobile and headed down to DC and RVA to do our DJ thing, and naturally get in some out of town digging.

While we were in DC, the mighty DJ Birdman took us to a couple of sweet spots, one of which yielded two copies of the 1975 LP by Oneness of Juju (one each for Prestige and Birdman). I was pissed I hadn’t found it first (who wouldn’t be?), but happy to see my buddies make such a good score.

Flash forward a bit to my next trip down to DC in July of last year where I did a couple of gigs with Birdman (including an allnighter at Marvin), around which were scheduled even more digs. Part of our trip involved a run down to Richmond, which included a stop at the storied Plan 9 record store.

As expected, there was a veritable sea of vinyl to be perused, but I had been instructed to inquire of the man behind the counter whether or not he might have some of the “good stuff” held off to the side.

Now, as any seasoned digger will tell you, not every record store is likely to have a box or two of special stuff set aside, and among those that do, some of the special stuff isn’t all that special, it’s just expensive.

So, having already grabbed an armload of 45s and LPs, I asked to see the good stuff, and spent the next half hour or so checking it out on the store turntable.

Though there was a lot of interesting stuff, not much of it was grabbing me, until I got to the bottom of the stack and saw something that set my Spidey sense a-tingling, that being a 45 of the Oneness of Juju performing ‘African Rhythms’.

I had heard, and dug this tune on a CD comp of Afro-funk a few years before, and knew the band had a Richmond connection, but I don’t think I expected a copy of the 45 to fall into my sweaty hands.

After a bit of haggling (which didn’t amount to much, since I’m such a shitty haggler) I added the 45* to my keeper stack and took it home.

The group has it’s roots in mid-60s New York City, where saxophonist Plunky Nkabinde (aka J. Plunky Branch), a native of Richmond, VA went to college, met bassist/singer Ken Shabala and formed a band called the Soul Syndicate.

In the late 60s, the pair moved to San Francisco and joined Ndikho Xaba (one of many South African expatrites who came to the US to make music in the 60s) in the group Ndikho and the Natives.

Two years later, along with vibist Lon Moshe they left and formed the avant garde group Juju.

Over the next few years Juju recorded a few albums of Afro jazz (one for Strata East), eventually moving to Richmond, VA in 1974.

The group reconstituted, physically (with personnel changes) and artistically (with a much funkier vibe) and was rechristened as the Oneness of Juju. They became a big draw in and around Washington, DC, playing with many of the big local acts, as well as touring artists.

The Oneness of Juju recorded their eponymous LP (on the Black Fire label), which included ‘African Rhythms’ in 1975, and featuring their new vocalist Lady Eka-Ete.

The 45 edit of ‘African Rhythms’ opens with a tight breakbeat** (courtesy of another Richmond native, Ronnie Toler). The bass, guitar and saxophone weave in and out of the percussion before that band starts to chant the title of the song.

Over the course of more than seven minutes, you get a real taste of the unique combination of sounds that the Oneness of Juju could produce. Not only do you get a tune with enough contemporary funk energy to get people out onto the dance floor, but there is also the jazz edge the band brought with them from their previous incarnation.

The next 30 years saw the group become a free-flowing entity, morphing in both personnel and style, always led by Plunky, who in addition to performing also taught music in public schools and at the university level, as well as traveling to Africa. They recorded as Plunky and Oneness, as well as providing backing on Plunky’s numerous solo recordings.

They really represent a remarkable bit of musical history (which can be read in much greater detail at their web site) that would probably make an incredible book.

I hope you dig the tune, and I’ll be back on Friday.

Peace

Larry

*Despite its visually pristine condition, the 45 has some background noise which is especially obvious during the beginning and end of each side. My apologies for the crackle…

**The record was sampled by Quasimoto among others

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By Larry, December 2, 2010 12:33 pm

The Sweet Delights

Listen/Download – The Sweet Delights – Baby Be Mine
Listen/Download – Delights Orchestra – Paul’s Midnight Ride

Greetings all.

The end of the week is upon us, and despite a couple of stumbling blocks (like my weak back), it went pretty fast.

Chanukah celebrations are underway (the Funky16Corners Compound is a multi-cultural thang where we light both the menorah and the Christmas tree) and everybody is tired but happy.

Before we get started I should mention that tomorrow night the Funky16Corners Radio Show on Viva internet radio arrives on the interwebs at 9PM and will be filled, as usual, with the best in funk, soul, jazz, rare groove and disco for your eager ears.

I should also remind you that the new Funky16Corners stickers are now available to one and all if you send a self-addressed, stamped envelope (unstamped if you are outside of the USA) to Funky16Corners, c/o Grogan, 80 New Brunswick Ave, Brick, NJ 08724.

The tunes I bring you today come from both sides of a single 45 that has had a place in my Philly crates for what might be described as a long-ass time.

I always dug it, and was intrigued by it (more on that in a minute) but it is also safe to say that I as mystified by it as well.

The artists listed on the disc are the Sweet Delights (vocal side) and the Delights Orchestra (instrumental).
When I found this one, I already had another 45 by the Delights Orchestra (also on Atco), ‘King of the Horse’ b/w ‘Do Your Thing’, both sides of which have appeared in Funky16Corners Radio podcasts.

I grabbed that disc initially because it was quite obviously an attempt to cash in on the ‘Horse’ craze started by Cliff Nobles and Company in 1968. Check out Funky16Corners Radio v.22 – Horse Power for a look at a bunch of discs on the same tip.

That said, it was probably a year or so later that I found today’s 45s during a search in the wilds of the intertubes. When the disc fell through the mail slot and I gave it a spin I was pleasantly surprised to discover the vocal side of the 45.

Unfortunately I was unable to turn up any information on the group, assuming – due both to the similar sound, and the familiar names of Frank Virtue and Johnny Stiles (post-Harthon) on the label – that what I was hearing was yet another iteration of the stalwart Philly rhythm section that played on so many amazing records over the years.

I had no inkling whatsoever that the Sweet Delights were anything but an anonymous group of singers assembled for the session.

However, sometimes – like a frozen mammoth exposed by a receding glacier – if you wait long enough, all will be revealed.

During a perusal of an old back issue of Billboard magazine, I happened upon an ad for new releases on the Atco label that included the image of the Sweet Delights you see at the top of this post.

That was a nice surprise, and it spurred me on to dig a little deeper.

When I did – thanks to an article at the Classic Urban Harmony web site (which includes a much nicer picture of the group) – I discovered that one of the co-writers of ‘Baby Be Mine’, Eddie Edgehill had a long history in Philadelphia doowop groups like the Valentines and the Del Knights, eventually going on to form and record the Sweet Delights (which included his wife Geri Edgehill, Betty Allen, Valerie Brown, Grace Montgomery Allison and the group’s sole male member, and the other co-writer of the song, Albert Byrd).*

The Sweet Delights 45 was released in 1968, with the Delights Orchestra two-sider coming in 1969. ‘Baby Be Mine’ is a fast moving soul/funk tune that bears a passing resemblance to Jackie Wilson’s ‘Higher and Higher’.

Oddly, it was the instrumental side of the 45 that gained some traction on the radio, which is probably why the Sweet Delights are pictured in the ad, but the text is promoting the Delight’s Orchestra.

There’s also an interesting footnote in regard to ‘Paul’s Midnight Ride’. I found a post on the Numero Group (issuers of many amazing compilations) blog about the track (‘Paul’s Midnight Ride’) being lifted and re-used on two other 45s, one by DJ Tim Jacob in Wichita, Kansas, and the other by Sonorose ‘Gay Poppa’ Rutledge in Shreveport, Louisiana (though if you listen to the sound samples provided at the blog, both records sound exactly the same, with the same vocal laid over the ‘Paul’s Midnight Ride’ track). How this track made it’s way onto these records is anyone’s guess, but I’m willing to bet that the ‘borrowing’ was not officially sanctioned by the track’s creators (none of whom are seem to be credited on the labels).

Interesting, and a long way to travel for an obscure soul track.

I hope you dig it, and I’ll be back on Monday.

Peace

Larry

*For some reason ‘Paul’s Midnight Ride’, basically the instrumental bed of ‘Baby Be Mine’ is credited on the 45 to Frank Virtue, Johnny Stiles and arranger Bobby Martin

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By Larry, November 16, 2010 3:22 pm

Popcorn Wylie blasts off in his leisure suit…

Listen/Download – Richard ‘Popcorn’ Wylie – Funky Rubber Band

Greetings all.

The middle of the week is upon us, and in response to the cold, gray skies, falling leaves and various and sundry major and minor irritants, I come to you with something upbeat and funky so that we may all be warmed (at least spiritually) and forward motion may be maintained.

Before we get started, some news, that being that all of the mix archives have been updated, with 14 mixes in the Soul Club, 28 episodes of the Funky16Corners Radio Show, another 14 in the Guest Mix Archive (haven’t done one of those in a while), and 96 mixes in the Funky16Corners Radio Podcast Archive. That’s 152 mixes stacked neatly awaiting delivery to the pleasure centers of your fevered brains.

If you haven’t heard them all, and you need something to do…

Today’s selection is another entry in a relatively small, yet not insignificant dance craze movement, centered around the lowly rubber band.

Naturally, the assumption here is that the rubber band in question is not the object, but rather a dance named after it.

Over the years, I have found ‘Rubber Band’ 45s by the mighty Eddie Bo (under his own name with the Soul Finders and under the rubric of Curley Moore and the Kool Ones), the mighty Meters and Atlanta DJ Alley Pat.

I’m sure there must be some others that I have yet to hear and/or excavate, but they currently escape me.

The record I bring you today is 1971’s ‘Funky Rubber Band’ by the legendary Richard ‘Popcorn’ Wylie.
Wylie, a Detroit pianist, singer and arranger was an important part of the early years of Motown as a recording artist (with Popcorn and the Mohawks), arranger and pianist and leader for a time of the Motortown Review.

Though his own discography is fairly short for a cat who worked all through the 60s and 70s, the more you dig, the more you discover he was a very busy man.

He left Motown in the early 60s, recording a number of 45s under his own name for Epic, and working as a producer/arranger for artists like Edwin Starr and JJ Barnes on labels like Ric-Tic and Golden World.

He also founded the short-lived, but legendary Soul Hawk label, where he recorded Jimmy Soul Clark, the New Holidays (who Wylie also produced for Westbound), Eric and the Vikings and the Mighty Lovers among others.

Among his freelance work were recordings with the Fabulous Counts (producing the classic ‘Jan Jan’), Jerry-O (he co-wrote ‘Funky Football’), Jamo Thomas (he co-wrote ‘I Spy (For the FBI)’) and co-writing the Northern Soul classic ‘With This Ring’ for the Platters.

Following his last Epic 45 in 1964, he only recorded sporadically under his own name through the 60s, laying down 45s for the Karen and Carla labels in 1968, and then ‘Funky Rubber Band’ for Motown’s SOUL subsidiary in 1971.

‘Funky Rubber Band’ without any question delivers on the ‘funky’ part of the title, as well as the classic ‘dance craze’ framework in that the lyrics are composed largely of dance step instructions. You also get funky guitar, Wylie’s own clavinet, hard hitting drums and a tight horn section.

It’s a very solid – and affordable – funk 45.

Wylie had a revival of sorts in the 80s and 90s when he discovered his popularity with the Northern Soul crowd in the UK.

I hope you dig it, and I’ll be back on Friday with something groovy.

Peace

Larry

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By Larry, November 11, 2010 4:30 pm

Listen/Download – Jake Wade and the Soul Searchers – Searching For Soul Pt1

Listen/Download -Jake Wade and the Soul Searchers – Searching For Soul Pt2

Greetings all.

The end of the week is upon us and I don’t know about you kids, but my head is in a deep funk place right about now, so hows about some’o that (deep funk, that is)??

First – there’s always a ‘first’, isn’t there – it behooves me, as proprietor of the Funky16Corners Radio Show, to remind you all that if it’s Friday (and it almost is) it’s time for my latest excursion into the ether. This week’s edition of the Funky16Corners Radio Show on Viva radio (Friday’s at 9PM) is an all distaff affair with the finest in funk and soul as interpreted by the ladies. There’s lots of fine sounds, from lots of fine ladies, so make sure to fall by and fill your ears up with some of the good stuff.

That out of the way, now is being the time for the aforementioned deep funk.

Back in the olden days, where I was first being introduced to the niceties of old school funk via the UK ‘Sound of Funk’ comps, the songs that blew my mind immediately (on Volume One if memory serves) were ‘Iron Leg’ by Mickey and the Soul Generation, and ‘Hector’ by the Village Callers, both still huge favorites and mainstays of my record box.

There were several burners on that comp, but one in particular evaded me for a long time, so much so that it was pushed into the recessed of my fevered mind, where it would be pried loose many years later when the mighty DJ Prestige dropped the needle on it at an edition of the late, lamented Asbury Park 45 Sessions.

That record was ‘Searching for Soul’ by Jake Wade and the Soul Searchers.

Naturally, once it got it’s hooks into me, I set out in search of my own copy.

Of course, as soon as I did I discovered (not at all surprisingly) that this was not a cheap record (unless you’re lucky enough to spend a lot of your vinyl digging time in and around Detroit).

As is often the case, I looked and looked, was outbid a number of times, and then, like a bolt out of the blue, on a day when I had a big fat wad of cash burning a hole in my pocket, I opened up a record box of the dealers “good stuff” at a records show, and BING, BANG, BOOM, as if placed there by the benevolent hand of the gods was a mint copy of this very record, along with a nice fat stack of other items from the old want list.

I will not deceive you my friends, this record did not come cheap (though a lot of it’s box-mates did, softening the blow somewhat) but I think once you pull down the ones and zeros and stuff it into your ears, you too – if infected by the vinyl disease – will want to get one of these for your very own.

The info on Jake Wade and the Soul Searchers is – as they say – slim pickings, but the few scraps drifting in the breeze are indeed interesting.

‘Searching for Soul Pts 1&2’ (gotta include part two on account of the heavy git-tar) was released on Inkster, Michigan’s (suburb of the Motor City, home to the Marvelettes) Mutt label circa 1970.

Owned and operated by Nate Dorr (a bail bondsman by trade), the Mutt imprint released a variety of Detroit-area sounds, including soul by The Two Fellows, The Majjestees and Carol Jones (the two radically different versions of the sought after ‘Don’t Destroy Me’), garage punk by the Ruins*, rock by the Dale Jones Trio and of course the unspeakably deep funk of Jake Wade and the Soul Searchers.

‘Searching for Soul’ is, aside from being a remarkably heavy, ass-kicking slab of funk, works on a number of levels.

First and foremost, there’s that break. Sweet Mother Macree that’s some wild shit right there, from the slick, opening hi-hat, to the extremely ‘hot’ bass drum and snare, both of which can be heard ringing after the sticks hit.

Then there’s that wobble-legged guitar, which bears the mark of an axe-man who might have heard a few Meters 45s in his time.

But it’s all rendered (temporarily) meaningless when the bass falls in.

The Mutt 45s that I’ve heard all have a certain, how do they say, raw sound, but it doesn’t ever get any raw-er than the bass guitar on ‘Searching for Soul’ which when it first comes in sounds like every mike in the studio was pointed at the bass amp.

It THUNDERS, so much so that raising the volume above a certain point would likely put your speakers at risk.
This is, without any doubt, the kind of record, were you asked to define ‘deep funk’ for an uninitiated listener, that you could slap on the turntable, drop the needle and sit back and watch as their mind was good and truly boggled.

You also get the extra added bonus of a dual sax attack, which kicks things up a notch about two thirds of the way through side one.

When you flip the platter over, side two sees the band re-stating the break, ladling on a little bit of heavy, wah-wah guitar, and a tasty sax-o-mo-phone solo, including a very groovy moment when the guitar starts to feed back a little and the sax starts to mimic it and things get just a little bit psychedelic.

Interestingly, at the time that Jake Wade and the Soul Searchers were rattling the walls of any number of Detroit area clubs, there was a duo recording for Motown’s Rare Earth subsidiary by the name of Stoney and Meatloaf (yes, that Meat Loaf). When they went on the road they took Jake Wade and the Soul Searchers with them as their backing band.

Small world, indeed.

Solid.

Have a great weekend.

Peace

Larry

NOTE: If this record sounds eerily familiar, it was sampled a few years back for the Beyonce cut ‘Suga Mama’.

*Check out the detailed story of the Ruins at the fantastic Garage Hangover site which includes an anecdote about Dorr saving the day by using his day job to get a truckload of impounded equipment released so a gig might continue.

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By Larry, November 7, 2010 3:55 pm

Ken Munson

Listen/Download – Ken Munson – Fly Robin Fly Pt1

Listen/Download – Ken Munson – Fly Robin Fly Pt2

Greetings all.

I hope the new week finds you all well.

The tune I bring you today is something I tracked down in my seemingly never ending search for funky flute forty-fives (never have to look far for alliteration…).

Ken Munson has appeared in this space a few times, with tracks from his modestly named 1973 ‘Super Flute’ LP.

Despite trying, I have never been able to track down anything but circumstantial evidence that would illuminate the history of Mr. Munson.

The two non-LP 45s I have seem to indicate that he worked in the New York metropolitan area, but other than that, not much comes up.

If you recall Funky16Corners Radio v.87- Wind of Change, you’ll already know I dig the sound of the flute, especially when utilized in a jazz or funk setting. This is certainly an acquired tast, but it should already be obvious that I have acquired it.

Today’s selection is a cover of the 1975 hit by the Silver Convention. The Munich, Germany based disco group (basically producers Silvester Levay and Michael Kunze) had hits with both ‘Fly Robin Fly’ and ‘Get Up and Boogie’, both of which have a certain, oddly laid back (I say oddly because these were dance records) feel that is at once very ‘70s’, and also a little bit disconcerting. Perhaps they were tapping into some kind of Quaalude consciousness, but one expects a certain amount of propulsion in a record intended for the dancefloor.

Ken Munson remedies this by pushing up the tempo a little bit, as well as dialing up the funk just a tad. The addition of brass that doubles the flute leads, as well as some groovy electric piano (I’d love to know who the pianist is) and guitar add some soul jazz flavor as well.

Make sure you stick around for Part 2, since there’s a cool flute/drum breakdown where Munson really tears it up.

I hope you dig it, and I’ll be back on Wednesday with something cool.

Peace

Larry

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Comments (6)

By Larry, November 5, 2010 7:10 am

F16C Soul Club Presents: Funky16Corners Live In DC, 9/25/10

Playlist

You can check out this mix in the Funky16Corners Soul Club Archive

As previously stated, at the time you’re reading this, I will be away on vacation with the wife and the little Corners, releasing this post in a timely fashion from a remote location.

I figured this would be a good time to drop the set I recorded at Marvin on my DC trip back in September.

Marvin is a very cool place, but with a decidedly different vibe than I’m used to, i.e. I can’t rock the house with a stack of vintage funk 45s. This is not to say (as you’ll see above) that funk 45s cannot be rocked, just that the mix has to be peppered with things from a little later on the timeline.

The records are – as always – aimed to please the dancers with a taste of disco blended into the overall flavor.

I actually dig doing this, especially since I get to expand the palette as it were, spinning records that don’t fit inside the context of a vintage funk/soul night.

I’m not making a claim to be breaking any new ground, just mentioning that I dig flexing those muscles a little bit now and then.

It took me a long time to warm up to (read, ‘understand’) disco, and the more I dig into the good stuff, the more I wish I knew, and of course, had more of it on vinyl.

That said, pop this one in, and shake it up a little.

Don’t forget to tune into the Funky16Corners Radio Show, Friday at 9PM at Viva Radio. This week is an hour-long tribute to the late Weldon McDougal III and the Harthon sound or Philadephia soul.

Have a great weekend, and I’ll see you on Monday.

Peace

Larry

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Comments (25)

By Larry, October 28, 2010 9:14 am

Funky16Corners Radio v.89 – Things Got To Get Better (Get Together)

Playlist

Funky16Corners Radio v.89 – Things Got to Get Better (Get Together)

As first hinted at, then promised, and finally warned about (for those of you who are diametrically opposed politically), Funky16Corners Radio v.89 – Things Got To Get Better (Get Together), aka the ‘election mix’ has finally arrived, been posted at the top of the blog, where it will remain until the election is over.

I know I normally run Halloween themed posts this time of year, but we have real things to be scared about.
There is a Halloween set in this week’s Funky16Corners Radio Show on Viva Radio (Friday night at 9PM) so you can get your fix there.

As far as I can recall, I haven’t approached the readers of the Funky16Corners blog with anything sociopolitical since the ‘Two From the Stonewall Jukebox’ post back in July of 2009, and before that the posts about the Presidential election of 2008.

Though I think most of you have some idea of my political orientation, it’s not a frequent subject here, because ultimately Funky16Corners is about music.

However (big however coming here)…

We are currently in the midst of a very dark time, not just in the US, but worldwide.

The rise of the ultra-right and the ensuing anti-immigrant, anti-gay and ultimately anti-intellectual wave that is poised to wash away decades of important social gains in this country is the single most important issue at hand.

Having grown up in the 1970s, I find the idea that this great country would ever descend again into a maelstrom of religious lunacy, open hatred of immigrants and homosexuals, demonization of organized labor (especially teachers) and hateful, empty Rand-ian ‘libertarianism’ is beyond insane.

The economy is in terrible shape, and is unlikely to get better any time soon, and those that have been able to return to work often find that the salaries are lower and the benefits non-existent.

How have some of our countrymen reacted to these challenges?

Not well.

An increasingly angry minority, funded by the mega-rich have become a political force, eager to build fences (literal and figurative) to keep those they consider ‘undesirable’ from participating fully in our democracy.

The rise of these deeply ignorant ‘patriots’ (they love to wrap themselves in the flag, unable to embrace its true meaning), marching alongside religious ideologues and plutocrats has woven together a rancid fabric, its warp and weft rife with xenophobia, racism, class warfare, homophobia and various and sundry fringe hatreds.

You may step back and see these negative forces as smaller, separate issues, but the truth is that they are all part of the same, ugly reaction.

When the going got tough, the right got nasty.

Those institutions tasked with keeping us informed have collapsed under the collective weight of corruption by and collusion with those that have the most to gain by a population ignorant of the truth.

I still have a basic faith in the goodness of the human race, but it is being sorely tested.

I want my children to grow up in a world where they are indifferent to the color of a person’s skin, the language they speak or their sexual preference, but we are surrounded by those that would deny them that future.

This includes people of supposed deep religious faith who forget that their own freedom to worship and express the tenets of their faith includes the freedom of others to find their own path. These are the people who continually fight to deny gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans their civil rights.

These are the people who want to rewrite the textbooks in our schools to cleanse them of science and fill them with creationism and revisionist (racial and political) history.

This also includes a lot of people, many of them radicalized after the attacks of 9/11, who have turned against American citizens of Muslim faith, and stoked fears (alongside similarly radicalized anti-Muslim forces in Europe and Scandinavia) of all Muslims, as well as immigrants in general.

These are the people who allowed 30 years of Republican propaganda to turn them against organized labor, while simultaneously building an obscene faith in big business that allowed massive deregulation and tax cuts, as well a cheering our way into two insane wars.

This is the same big business that – thanks to a bizarre Supreme Court decision – is now allowed to flood the political system with piles of cash (anonymously) to attack those that would put a stop to our slow (but seemingly inevitable) march to plutarchy.

Please don’t mistake this as an endorsement of President Obama specifically, or the Democrats in general.
Despite promises to the contrary, the President has continued to fight the right of gays to serve in the military, and has stated that he opposes the idea of gay marriage.

Many of those that serve with the (D) next to their name have also thrown their lot in with the ‘whatever big business wants’ crowd as well.

There may be something “trickling down” onto the middle class and the poor, but it’s not money.

However (another big one here), the alternative is people like Joe Miller in Alaska, Sharon Angle in Nevada, the execrable Rand Paul in Kentucky, deeply ignorant Christine O’Donnell in Delaware, Ken Buck in Colorado, Marco Rubio in Florida and countless others who have embraced the insane ideas of the radical right.
These people are only the larger public face of this movement.

While they run for national office, their foot soldiers are poised to fill seats in state legislatures, county and local office, and worst of all, school boards.

There are those that would have you believe that the system is utterly broken, and that an appropriate response is not to vote at all.

This is insane.

Is there any among you that really think that the way to right a staggering democracy is to withdraw from it?
Not only should every one of you exercise your right to vote, but you should do what you can to convince your family and friends that they should as well, because one thing the forces of the radical right do, religious or otherwise, is vote.

These are the people that are counting on apathy to help them get their hooks into the government where they can start to punch holes in the Constitution they ironically wave like a battle flag.

So what does this have to do with Funky16Corners?

Like the mighty James Brown says:

People, people we got to get over before we go under!

Tell’em Godfather!

The majority of the soul and funk music we celebrate here was created during a time when the forces of the right were attempting to tighten the screws of the status quo, while the forces of peace, racial equality and sexual liberation were battling in the streets (and the ballot box) to upend it and seize their rights.

Soul and funk are the sounds of struggle and liberation. Not every number here has an explicit political/social message, but the music of black America, created in the 60s and 70s in its core rarely says anything else.
Funky16Corners Radio v.89 is an attempt to string some of the more powerful musical statements of the time together, along with spoken intervals by important thinkers.

Things get off to a depressing, yet wholly realistic start, but work their way up through anger, defiance and ultimately (hopefully) triumph.

Not every number here carries an explicit message, but taken together they make an important statement.
The voices heard between the songs include some very well known (civil rights figures like Dr Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and Jesse Jackson), and some lesser known (Dorothy Day*), and in a few cases dreadfully misunderstood and demonized (Saul Alinsky**, Noam Chomsky), but their words all have in common is their relevance to the world we live in today.

I’m not saying that things are going to be fixed if the opponents of democracy are defeated in this election (since many of them clearly won’t be), but rather (to borrow an old saw) the journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step, and stepping into the voting booth and making yourself heard is that step.

Far too many Americans take a pass on that important responsibility, and if they continue to do so, they’ll have no one to thank but themselves when the world around them gets worse.

So, once again in the words of James Brown:

Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved.

Educate yourself.

Educate others.

Don’t allow hatred and disinformation to go unchallenged.

Don’t be afraid.

Peace

Larry

*Dorothy Day is an especially important figure in the history of social justice and charity. If her name is unfamiliar, dig a little deeper and read about this great woman.

**Saul Alinsky has been demonized by the right to the point where his name has become a kind of shorthand (with just the tiniest bit of anti-semitism attached to it) for leftist subversion. I doubt most of the people that throw his name around as an epithet have read anything about him. His voice – like most of those in this mix – was an important one in the struggle to transfer power from the haves to the have nots (which goes a long way to explaining why those that shill for the mega-rich hate him so). If all you’ve ever heard about him are bad things, do yourself a favor and read up on his life (outside of right wing web sites).

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PPS – Make sure to fall by Iron Leg

PPPS Make sure to hit up Funky16Corners on Facebook

Comments (9)

By Larry, October 17, 2010 1:56 pm

General Johnson.

Listen/Download – Chairmen of the Board – From the Days of Pigtails (and Fairy Tales)

Greetings all.

I hope everyone had a stellar weekend.

We got the sad news last week that soul legend General Johnson, who led the Showmen in the early 60s and the Chairmen of the Board later in the decade had passed away at the age of 67.

His career as a singer and songwriter (he wrote ‘Patches’, a huge hit for Clarence Carter, and co-wrote ‘Want Ads’ for the Honey Cone) was long and rewarding, and in addition to their chart success, the Chairmen of the Board became legends on the Beach Music scene in the Carolinas.

The tune I bring you today appeared hear four years ago, after I happened upon it in a mix and was blown away.

It quickly became a fave and I rarely take my DJ box out without it.

I hope you all dig it, and take a moment to remember the great General Johnson.

Originally Posted 4/2006

“So, anyway, how’s about some music?

I’ve gone on before about the joy of discovering a great new track, and haven’t been above admitting the instances when I had been unable to see the forest for the trees. This is one such instance. A few weeks ago, via a Myspace friend, Spain’s own Gruyere DJ, I received a link to download his New Years Eve DJ mix.

I did so, and the mix was excellent, featuring a wide variety of rare funk nuggets, as well as a bunch of stuff that was not familiar to me. One such track appeared less than 15 minutes into the mix, and it was a killer. I immediately recued the tune (three of four times), listening to see if I might recognize the singer(s), or if any of the lines might reveal a familiar title.

No such luck.

So, I tried to contact Gruyere DJ to ask him who it was. The Myspace link wouldn’t load. So, I posted a query over at Soulstrut, figuring that one of the learned heads over there would recognize the refrain. Snake eyes…. Then I tried Google-ing the lyrics, only to discover that the main line in the chorus also appeared in a Jackson Five song (this was clearly not the same song, nor was it the Jackson Five). I thought I had reached a dead end.

Then Myspace started working again, and I got a message through to my amigo in Spain. He got back to me in short order, and informed me that the track was ‘Since the Days of Pigtails (and Fairy Tales)’ by the Chairmen of the Board. So I start searching around to see how I an get myself a copy of this funky gem, and lo and behold, it turns out to be residing on the b-side of a huge hit, ‘Give Me Just A Little More Time’. Well, dip me in shit and call me stinky!

Naturally, I found a nice copy for under ten bucks, and had it drop through the mail slot a few short days later. If you’ve heard the song (which I’m sure someone out there does), you’ll already know how smoking hot it is. If you’re as blissfully ignorant as I was, it should come as a very nice surprise indeed.

The Chairmen of the Board was one of the top acts in Holland-Dozier-Holland’s Invictus/Hot wax stable. Formed in 1968, by General Johnson – who had previously been in the Showmen, who’s Beach Music anthem ‘It Will Stand was a hit in 1961 and 1964 (for Minit and Imperial) – Danny Woods and Harrison Kennedy, hit the top ten several times between 1970 and 1973.

‘Since the Days of Pigtails (and Fairy Tales)’ appeared on their 1970 debut LP, and was credited to Ronald Dunbar and Edith Wayne. The Dunbar/Wayne credit, which was also attached to Freda Payne’s ‘Band of Gold’ (among other tunes) was in fact a pseudonym for Holland-Dozier-Holland who were still contractually obligated (as songwriters) to the Motown organization. That LP also featured the original recording of Patches (written by General Johnson) which went on to be a huge hit for Clarence Carter.

While the a-side of the 45, ‘Give Me Just A Little More Time’ is one of the most fondly remembered early 70’s soul classics – which strangely enough did better on the Pop charts (#3) than the R&B charts (#8) – it’s killer flipside is what we’re hear to talk about today.

Starting off with a funky guitars and tambourine, the good General drops in with the first few lines before the congas, and then the drums kick the tune into gear. The first chorus takes things to another level entirely, bolstered by the horn section. The arrangement is clean, mean and delicious, with enough kick to please the funk fans and the dancers, and plenty of hooks for the pop crowd.

Why this didn’t catch on to create one of the great two-sided hits of all time is beyond me. I’d place it up there with ‘Band of Gold’, and Laura Lee’s ‘Crumbs off the Table’ as the absolute best of Invictus/Hot Wax. So the next time you’re prowling garage sales and flea markets, bring along an extra quarter. You’ll be able to get your own copy of this killer. You can thank me then.”

Peace

Larry

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg for some proto-powerpop

Comments (2)

By Larry, October 7, 2010 5:11 pm

Richard Marks

Listen/Download – Richard Marks – Funky Four Corners (inst)

Greetings all.

I’m back, but I wouldn’t swear that I’m all there, if you know what I mean.

I make reference in this space repeatedly to the storied “real world moves” and I’m not kidding. In addition to the recent health-related stuff (things are cool, but I’m taking a little time to bounce back) we’ve had a full slate of responsibilities here in the Funky16Corners compound, which are on the cusp of a shift, which, if not resulting in a net gain of free time, will at least preclude a loss thereof.

That said, I’m whipped right now (physically, not philosophically), so I’m going to keep it relatively brief.

First off, I have one of my Marvin sets from the DC trip recorded and ready to go, bit it’s been so mix-heavy here lately I figured I’d drop some individual tracks and bring that mix into the lineup in the next few weeks.

I’m also working on a special election mix. I was pulling records for it this morning, but I still have a little theoretical/curatorial cooking to do, and there’s still four weeks until the rise of the cranks, so just know that it’ll be here sooner or later.

There’s also a brand new edition of the Funky16Corners Radio Show this week (I made sure to whip it up before all the recent excitement), so you’ll want to set aside an hour this Friday to dig it (though you can always fall by the blog on Saturday and pull down the ones and zeros for your personal listening device).

The track I bring you today is one of my DC finds, and it was a groovy one indeed.

I already knew Richard Marks’ ‘Funky Four Corners Pt1’ via a comp (it appeared here in the ‘Getting the Corners’ mix) but I hadn’t scored a copy of the 45 until my trip to Washington.

When I got the 45 and gave it a spin, I was very pleased to discover that ‘Funky Four Corners Pt2’ was no run of the mill ‘second half of a funk 45’ but rather a very cool version of the tune as guitar instrumental (a la Lowell Fulsom’s ‘Tramp’/’Pico’ pairing).

According to my man Brian Poust over at the Georgia Soul blog, Marks was an Atlanta-based guitarist, which naturally makes me think that it’s him plucking the funky git-box on FFC2.

I love the production, and the reverb and fat tone of the lead guitar on this one, so much so that I think were I to slip it into my record box, I’d be happy playing either side of this one for a room full of dancers.

I hope you dig it too, and that you all have a groovy weekend.

I’m gonna go get some snoozeration….

Peace

Larry

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg for some proto-powerpop

Comments (1)

By Larry, October 3, 2010 2:15 pm

Tarik Thornton Hip Drop Set List

Willie Tee- Gatur Bait (Gatur)
Eula Cooper- Shake Daddy Shake (Atlantic)
The Vibrettes – The Humpty Dump (Lujon)
Soul Tornados- Hot Pants Breakdown (Magic City)
Leon Haywood- Skate Awhile (Fat Fish)
Bobby Williams – Funky SuperFly ( Duplex) Original Pressing
Eddie Jacobs- Pull My Coat (Columbia)
Bernard Drake- The Natural Thing (Louisiane)
Charles Mintz –Give a Man Break (Abbott)
Gloria Walker & The Chevelles – You Hit The Spot (Flaming Arrow)
Danny DeLaney- Stop & Think (Seeda)
Richard Marks – Funky Four Corners (Roulette) French Import
Rocker Roberts – T- Bird Stomp ( Roulette)
Soul Setters – Out O Sight (Onacrest)
Gene Waiters – Shake and Shingaling Pt. 1 (Fairmount)

You can check out this mix in the Funky16Corners Soul Club Archive

Tarik Thornton on the decks….

Justin ‘Rambo’ Salinas
Sunny and the Sunliners-Talk That Trash (Key-Loc)
Rocky Gil and the Bishops- Soul Party (Teardrop)
Sunny and the Sunliners-If I could See You Now (Key-Loc)
The Majestics- I Love Her So Much It Hurts (Linda)
Dimas and The Royal Jesters-So Funny (Clown)
The Royal Jesters- Use Your Head (Jester)
Thee Midnighters – Whittier Blvd. (Whittier)
Sunny and the Sunliners-Somethings Gotta Hold on Me (Teardrop)
The Eptones-A Love That’s Real (Jox)
The Commands-Hey Its Love (Dynamic)
Thee Midnighters- Chicano Power (La Raza)
Sunny and the Sunliners- Saving My Love (Key-Loc)

You can check out this mix in the Funky16Corners Soul Club Archive

Justin ‘Rambo’ Salinas and Joe Cristando

Greetings all.

I hope you’re all well.

I have returned from DC laden with vinyl and tired as a mofo.

I’m this close to a full restoration of energy and enthusiasm, but I’m gonna rest a little bit more while you all get down.

Of what do I speak?

Well, I have a very special treat for you all to get your week started.
A little while back my man Tarik Thornton let me know that he was going to be spinning a set in New Orleans at the Ponderosa Stomp pre-party known as the Hip Drop. Naturally I asked him if he’d be recording it, so that I might place it up here on the blog for the delectation of the reader/listener-ship.

Naturally he gave me the okeydoke, in addition to getting Mr. Justin ‘Rambo’ Salinas (of the famed Hot Pants party in Minneapolis) – who was also spinning at the party – to contribute his set as well.

What does this mean to you?

Well, you get to wrap your ears around two superb sets of funk and soul by two of the country’s finest selectors, with Tarik bringing a regionally diverse set of heat, and Justin dropping a very nice set of Chicano soul and funk bouncing from Texas to East LA and back again (that Intruders cover by the Eptones is amazing!).

Very groovy indeed!

And now, a few words from Tarik about the experience.

“Hip Drop is the opening party for the Ponderosa Stomp. This 45 all-nighter hosts 10 DJs from all around the world. This year Justin Salinas along with myself were invited to participate in the festivities. Justin, who is a member of the Hot Pants Crew of Minneapolis, flew into New Orleans with only backpack and a 45 case ready for action. As for myself,a New Orleans native, this was a homecoming of sorts. I haven’t lived in the city for almost 10yrs so this weekend was very welcoming and adownright funky experience. As you can tell from both of our sets the night was hot and heavy as all the invited DJs brought in their best arsenal of 45’s. Throughout the madness of the weekend, I managed to dig up an old Mini Disc player to record both of our sets live! The end result is a something only fit for place called The Funky 16 Corners. Enjoy!”

– Tarik Thornton

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

Peace

Larry

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg for some Dutch sunshine pop.

Comments (2)

By Larry, September 30, 2010 3:04 pm

Ekseption and their shiny silver sleeve…

Listen/Download – Ekseption – Ritual Fire Dance

Greetings all.

Please allow me to begin by making a simple statement of fact.

I am definitely getting too old for this shit.

Hooboy….

I piled myself and my records into the trusty Funky16Corners-mobile last Saturday morning, and set off (alone) for a whirlwind weekend of DJ-ing and digging in Washington, DC.

That was the easy part.

I had a grip of podcasts to keep me company on the trip and the drive down was uneventful (and quick). I rolled into the city by the early afternoon, meeting up with my buddy DJ Birdman and his lovely family (finally getting to meet Birdman Jr.!), followed by some digging (natch…whatup to Marshall and Mike) and then on to some delicious bar-b-que ribs.

That night Birdman and I did the late shift at Marvin where the crowd was predictably lively (with many predictable and unsuitable requests, but that’s how these things go). I recorded one of my sets (funk and disco), which I’ll be posting here sometime in the next few weeks.

The next morning, following an all too brief bit of sleep, we got up and rolled out to the DC Record Fair, where Birdman (and some other DC heads, whatup Neal and Nightkrawler) were running the show and had to get things set up. The U Street Music Hall was a very nice space, and the Record Fair produced some stellar results which will see the light of day well into the next year (or two) here on the blog.

I spun a set of uptempo Northern Soul at the Fair, which I did not record (left the recorder in the car…), but if you want a taste go back to the Northern set I did at Master Groove earlier this year (Funky16Corners Radio v.82 Groovin’ at the Go Go) which repeats about half of what I played on Sunday and you’ll get the idea. I’ll whip up an all-new Northern mix sometime in the not too distant future.

The folks at the Record Fair were very cool, especially the old school soulie right in front of the DJ booth (perhaps the most luxurious DJ booth I’ve ever been in, I felt spoiled) who requested the Just Brothers ‘Sliced Tomatoes’ about ten seconds after I’d already cued it up (it was kismet I tell you!), and it was very cool to meet up with some old friends and make first-person contact with a couple of interwebs acquaintances.

I have to say that DC is always a chill scene, with cool people and tons of great records to be had. The thought of restricting my digs to the DC area crossed my mind, but then I remembered what a degenerate record collector I am and realized that just wasn’t going to happen.

I rolled out of the Record Fair about an hour after I finished my set with a HUGE stack of vinyl, including more than a few longtime want list items (on 45 and LP). The only bummer being that I don’t have any pics, since I didn’t bring my camera, instead relying on my new phone, which I still haven’t learned to operate properly, rendering the few pictures I took tiny, low-res and unusable.

As is always the case, Igot lost on my way out of DC. It wasn’t too bad, but by the time I hit Baltimore I also hit the wall. My tired old carcass is not used to being treated like it’s 25 again, and I ran out of steam, forcing a pit stop at Starbucks where I loaded up on coffee and food and hit the road once again.

Unfortunately, as easy as my ride down to DC was, my ride home was plagued with difficulty, including an insane traffic jam in northern Maryland (understaffed toll booth related) and then another jam up in NJ which forced me to alter my route and take a time consuming detour.

This all followed by the fact that I had yet another medical procedure scheduled for Tuesday morning, and I’m sitting here at the laptop just about ready to go into hibernation.

I have something cool in the cooker for Monday morning (just waiting for all the pieces to arrive in the in-box) and after that I’m not sure what I’ll do, since I now have so much to choose from (in addition to everything else aging in the oaken barrels in the vinyl cellar).

I figured I’d close out the week with something I’ve wanted to post for a while now. Even though I’d digi-ma-tized it weeks (months?) ago, when I went to post it I discovered that I had neglected to photograph the label, but – as is always the case – when I was pulling records for the DC trip I put aside a number of records similarly afflicted, and I bring it to you now, better late than never.

I first posted something by the Dutch prog band Ekseption way back in 2007 when I included their version of the soul jazz classic ‘This Here’ in Funky16Corners Radio v.32. Some time after that, while engaged in a little e-digging, I discovered a 45 of yet another of their classical pastiches (something they did a lot), this time a version of Manuel de Falla’s ‘Ritual Fire Dance’ from his 1915 ballet ‘El Amor Brujo’.

I posted a couple of other jazz-funk reworkings of classical pieces a while back (with Deodato and Woody Herman covering Strauss and Copland), and while I’m not likely to make it a regular feature here at the Corners, the Ekseption 45 is so groovy I would be remiss were I not to share it with you.

I have to admit that I was not familiar with de Falla’s original piece when I first heard it (check out Artur Rubinstein playing it here, for comparison), but after hearing it in its original setting, it’s safe to say that aside from some heavy drums and organ (and giving it that Euro-swinger je ne sais quois), Ekseption don’t really stray too far from the source.

I don’t think I’d be telling tales out of school were I to suggest that this particular gem might get some of your modder types out onto the floor, with a little bit of that au-go-go flavour.

In other news, don’t forget to tune in Friday night at 9PM for this week’s all-new edition of the Funky16Corners Radio Show on Viva internet radio. I assure you that the collection of funk, soul, jazz and rare groove that awaits you get your weekend off to a groovy start.

I hope you dig the tune, and I’ll be back on Monday.

Peace

Larry

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg for some puh-sike-a-dellia….