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By Larry, November 25, 2018 11:52 am

Listen/Download – Prophecy – Everybody Walking Together MP3

Greetings all.

Today’s selection is kind of mystery record.

I picked it up digging in Asbury Park a few years back, mainly because it looked interesting, and once I got it home and slipped it under the needle, it sounded that way, too.

Prophecy was a group that released a couple of singles on All Platinum, then a few more on Mainstream, all between 1972 and 1976.

‘Everybody Waking Together’ is a very groovy mix of sweet soul, pop and rock that seems like it would fit right next to Earth Wind and Fire from the same period.

The tune has plenty of hooks, a great falsetto lead vocal, cool distorted lead guitar and an electric piano in a kind of clavinet-esque sound.

The flipside, ‘Nya’ is a pretty ballad.

Other than that, there doesn’t seem to be much information out there about the group, other than their 1972 debut, ‘Rain In My Life’ appears to have been written by Lou Courtney.

That said, I hope you dig the sounds, and I will see you next week.

Also, make sure to follow Funky16Corners on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Keep the faith

Larry

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If you dig what we do here or over at Funky16Corners, please consider clicking on the Patreon link and throwing something into the yearly operating budget! Do it and we’ll send you some groovy Funky16Corners Radio Network (and related) stickers!

_______________________________________________

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By Larry, November 11, 2018 11:54 am

The Shirelles

Listen/Download – The Shirelles – Look Away MP3

Greetings all.

Today’s selection is a groovy one from later years of the Shirelles.

It also happens to be a great example of an prime Ashford/Simpson/Armstead composition.

‘Look Away’ was released as the b-side of ‘Teasin’ Me’ in November of 1966.

In the mid-60s, before any of them were having recording success of their own, Nick Ashford, Valerie Simpson and Jo Armstead were penning outstanding music for some of the best singer around, including Ray Charles, Bettye Lavette, Chuck Jackson and Maxine Brown, Clara Ward, Jo Ann and Troy, Tina Britt and the Apollas, among others.

‘Look Away’ has a nice chugging beat, yet the overall feel of the song is laid back and introspective, even as it builds into the chorus.
The interplay between the lead and backing vocals is spectacular, and the arrangement by Paul Griffin is great.

Oddly enough, ‘Look Away’ didn’t chart at all, falling right in the middle of a 1964-1967 dry spell for the Shirelles that was only broken when ‘Last Minute Miracle’ hit.

It’s a cool on and I hope you dig it.

See you next week.

Also, make sure to follow Funky16Corners on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Keep the faith

Larry

________________________________________________

If you dig what we do here or over at Funky16Corners, please consider clicking on the Patreon link and throwing something into the yearly operating budget! Do it and we’ll send you some groovy Funky16Corners Radio Network (and related) stickers!

_______________________________________________

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By Larry, November 4, 2018 8:54 pm

The cover of the unreleased collection, ‘Bobby Byrd’s Funky Farts!’

Listen/Download – Bobby Byrd – Hot Pants I’m Coming, Coming, I’m Coming MP3

Greetings all.

If you are at all attuned to the wavelength of the Godfather of Soul, you surely know Bobby Byrd (or are at least acquainted with his voice).

Byrd was, an original Famous Flame, and for years right hand/hype man to the mighty James Brown.

He also has a very respectable career of his own, working with (and sometimes without) the hand of Brown.

Today’s selection is one of Byrd’s best known solo records, and as a quick look at the label reveals, involved James Brown in multiple capacities, as songwriter, producer and even label-owner (the track was released on Brown’s Polydor custom label, Brownstone).

‘Hot Pants, I’m Coming, Coming, I’m Coming’ charted inside the R&B Top 40 in 1971, and went on to become a funk 45/crate digger staple.

Pushed along by a relentless bass and drum line (with the guitar mirroring the bass) and a pumping JBs horn chart, Bobby lays it down with no (at least vocal) help from James.

I suspect that the lack of bigger success or this single might have had to do with the airplay being curtailed by Bobby’s repeated cries of ‘I’m Coming!’ though by 1971 it may have suffered from a veritable glut of James Brown-related product on the market, especially Brown’s own ‘Hot Pants’ which came out only a few months before and was still lingering on the charts.

Either way, it’s a great single, and I hope you dig it.

See you next week.

Also, make sure to follow Funky16Corners on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Keep the faith

Larry

________________________________________________

If you dig what we do here or over at Funky16Corners, please consider clicking on the Patreon link and throwing something into the yearly operating budget! Do it and we’ll send you some groovy Funky16Corners Radio Network (and related) stickers!

_______________________________________________

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By Larry, October 28, 2018 10:40 am

Steve Karmen, earlier in the 60s

Listen/Download – Steve Karmen Big Band – Breakaway MP3

Greetings all.

Here’s a very groovy one for you all.

One of my favorite subgenres is Northern Soul instrumentals, and within that, records that are not in any real way “soul’ records, yet manage to pack enough of a punch to light up a dancefloor (which in the world of Northern Soul are legion).

Steve Karmen was a very successful advertising/jingle composer in the 60s and 70s, as well as having a sideline recording his own pop records from he 50s on.

In 1968, he composed a jingle for Pontiac Motors called ‘Breakaway’.

Jimmy Radcliffe recorded a wild, freeform vocal over the big, brassy tune, and that single, released on United Artists in 1968 (with the instrumental dub credited to the ‘Steve Karmen Big Band’) became a huge fave on Northern Soul dance floors.

It’s not hard to see why. The tune has a big, bold sound with lots of dramatic brass stabs, drums and Radcliffe’s feverish vocal really takes off.

So, going back a few years, I’m wandering around on Ebay, and what do I see but a promotional record with eight different versions (some very short) of the ‘Breakaway Theme’ on the Pontiac label with writing credit to Steve Karmen.

If memory serves it was a very inexpensive ‘buy it now’, so I figured I’d give it a try.

A week or so later the record slipped through the mail slot and under the needle and it was indeed the same ‘Breakaway’.

The information on the label seems to suggest that the different length/style versions of the theme were meant to be played in the background while the DJ/announcer read advertising copy over it.

All in all, a very groovy artifact, especially since it includes the full (actually a few second longer than the UA release) version of the ‘Breakaway’ instrumental.

I hope you dig it, and I’ll see you all next week.

Also, make sure to follow Funky16Corners on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Keep the faith

Larry

________________________________________________

If you dig what we do here or over at Funky16Corners, please consider clicking on the Patreon link and throwing something into the yearly operating budget! Do it and we’ll send you some groovy Funky16Corners Radio Network (and related) stickers!

_______________________________________________

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By Larry, October 14, 2018 9:24 am

Noble ‘Thin Man’ Watts

Listen/Download – Noble Watts – Thingamajig MP3

Listen/Download – Noble Watts – F.L.A. MP3

Greetings all.

I hope the new week finds you well.

I picked up the record you see before you a few years ago on the strength of a friend’s recommendation.

I was familiar with the name Noble Watts (usually billed as Noble ‘Thin Man’ Watts) but didn’t really know anything about him.

Watts was an R&B saxophonist who released a string of 45s starting in the late 1950s, later moving on into a more jazz style for a series of albums in the 70s and 80s.

Today’s selection, ‘F.L.A.’ was released in 1968.

The record opens with a guitar riff lifted from Wilson Pickett’s ‘Funky Broadway’ and then manages to squeeze in quotes/references to Aretha Franklin’s ‘Since You’ve Been Gone’ and Petula Clark’s ‘Downtown’ woven into a fast-moving, funky (mostly) instrumental.

The flip side, ‘Thingamajig’ is a slower, funky instro with some cool percolating guitar running underneath the sax soloing as well as a brief drum break.

I hope you dig it and I’ll see you all bext week.

Also, make sure to follow Funky16Corners on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Keep the faith

Larry

________________________________________________

If you dig what we do here or over at Funky16Corners, please consider clicking on the Patreon link and throwing something into the yearly operating budget! Do it and we’ll send you some groovy Funky16Corners Radio Network (and related) stickers!

_______________________________________________

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By Larry, September 9, 2018 12:13 pm

Johnny Maestro (bottom center) with the Crests

Listen/Download – Johnny Maestro and the Crests – Come See Me (I’m Your Man) MP3

Greetings all.

The F16C Summer of Soul has come to a close – thanks to all who donated – , and we return to business as usual here ye olde blogge-space.

What better way to get restarted than with a certified mind-blower.

If you grew up in the New York area listening to oldies radio (especially WCBS-FM) the name Johnny Maestro should be a very familiar one. He was one of the most prominent surviving pioneers of the doowop era – the Crests ’16 Candles’ is one of the best remembered records of that era – and he would go on to sing lead for the Brooklyn Bridge, who had a huge hit in 1968 with ‘The Worst That Could Happen’.

However, sandwiched in between those two landmarks is one of the most (for me, anyway) surprising records.

In 1966, Maestro and the Crests recorded what would be the first-release US version (in August of 1966) of J.J. Jackson’s ‘Come See Me’, which would be released a few months earlier (April 1966) in the UK by the Pretty Things (Jackson’s version wouldn’t come out in the US until 1968).

As much as I love the Pretty Things version, the take by Maestro and the Crests is an absolute killer.

Arranged by JJ Jackson, this version opens with a one-two punch of bass and drums and takes off like a shot. There’s a great vocal by Maestro and the band, with some groovy rhythm guitar and organ just flies along.

I love to pull this record out and play it at soul nights because it combines a familiar song, in an unfamiliar version with a monster arrangement. It never fails to turn heads.

Sadly, it went nowhere at the time of its release, charting (and just barely) at one Albany, NY radio station.

The flip side, ‘I Care About You’ is a brilliant blue-eyed soul ballad with a remarkable performance by Maestro.

These days the 45 is quite expensive, so if you see it, grab it.

Until next week.

Also, make sure to follow Funky16Corners on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Keep the faith

Larry

________________________________________________

If you dig what we do here or over at Funky16Corners, please consider clicking on the Patreon link and throwing something into the yearly operating budget! Do it and we’ll send you some groovy Funky16Corners Radio Network (and related) stickers!

_______________________________________________

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By Larry, September 2, 2018 9:06 am

Funky16Corners – Fun-Ky

King Coleman – The Boo Boo Song (King)
Timmie Rogers – Super Soul Brother (Chess)
Zip Codes – Sweet Meat (Better)
Freddy and the Kinfolk – The Goat (Dade)
Maskman and the Agents – My Wife, My Dog and My Cat (Dynamo)
Effie Smith – Harper Valley PTA Gossip (Eee Cee)
Clay Tyson – If You See a Ring Around the Bathtub (I-Dentify)
Golden Toadstools – Silly Savage (Minaret)
Jerry O – The Funky Chicken Yoke (Boo-Ga-Loo)
Joe Tex – Chicken Crazy (Dial)
Ace Cannon – Drunk (Hi)
Chet Poison Ivey and the Fabulous Avengers – The Poo Poo Man (Bee Cee)
The Coasters – Soul Pad (Date)
Okie Duke – Chicken Lickin’ (Ovation)
Hidden Cost – Bo Did It (Marmaduke)
Flamingos – Heavy Hips (Ronze)
Pazant Brothers – Toe Jam (RCA)
Johnny Otis Show – Country Girl (Kent)
Pigmeat Markham – The Hip Judge (Chess)
Herbie Mann, Little Milton, Swee-Tee and Percy – It’s a Funky Thing – Right On (Memphis Underground) Part 1 (Atlantic)
Soupy Sales – Break Your Back (Brunswick)

Listen/Download – Funky16Corners – Funk-Ky – 142MB Mixed MP3

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Greetings all.

The Funky16Corners 2018 Allnighter/Pledge Drive aka The Summer of Soul 2 is coming to a close!

We conclude this year’s Summer of Soul mix series with a new mix from yours truly, Funky16Corners.

Funk-Ky is an attempt on my part to emulate the K-Tel album compilatons of my youth, with a focus on the humorous side of funk and soul. Some are intentionally humorous, some are funny because theyr’e straight-up fuckin’ nuts. All are guaranteed to bring a smile and if you’re lucky, maybe get your feet moving. too.

The pledging will continue this year with Patreon (click here or on the logo below to go to the Funky16Corners page) , where you will be able to spread your contributions out over the entire year, which will help cover the ongoing server/broadcast/hardware expenses. This year has seen the move to 100 percent live broadcasting (Mixlr.com/Funky16corners)  and continued hardware and software upgrades at Funky16Corners central, to keep the radio/podcasting experience as seamless and groovy as possible. So please dig deep so we can continue to do the same, and if you’re already a Patreon donor, please accept my heartfelt thanks!

In addition to all the broadcasts and the blogging all of the Funky16Corners and Iron Leg mix archives will continue.

I am also including a Paypal donation button (below) if you’d rather donate in a lump sum instead of the rolling donation in Patreon.

Don’t forget, my weekly radio show for WFMU’s Give the Drummer Radio, Testify! is on the air live, every Wednesday night from 10-12. If you dig Funky16Corners and/or Iron Leg I think you’ll dig it. So tune in when you get a chance!
_______________________________________________

So, download and dig the mix, keep digging the radio shows, and we’ll be back next week with another groovy mix.

Also, make sure to follow Funky16Corners on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Keep the faith

Larry

____________________________________________________________________________

PS Head over to Iron Leg when you have a minute!. <

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By Larry, August 26, 2018 10:08 pm

Tarik Thornton – Saints and Sinners

The Guerillas – Lawdy Rolla-(King)
The Fabulous Soul Vibrations – I Cant Stop Watching You- (Delta)
Penny & The Quarters – You Are Giving Me Some Other Love -(Numero)
Bobby Bland – Shoes- (Duke)
Little Ann – Who Are You Trying To Fool- (Kent)
Pst Brown- The Good Got To
Suffer For The Bad- (Seven B)
Lou Johnson – Walk On By – (Big Top)
Extra Kicks – There Goes My Love (Sko-field)
The Five Stairsteps – Danger She?s A Stranger- (Curtom )
Ice Water Slim- Supersonic Megatonic Flash- (Hawk)
Florida Spiritualaires- I Remember When – (Ernie?s Record Parade)
Perk Intro
Count Rockin Sidney- Feel Delicious- (GoldBand)
Marty Lewis – Ain?t Nobodies Business- (Big Deal)
Ray Pettis – Question & Answer Version 1 – (Salem)
Charles Wright and the 103 St.Band- Must Be Your Thing-Warner Brothers-(Seven ArtsRecords)
Lynn Collins – Rock me Again & Again & Again & Again & Again & Again (People Records)
Clarence Reid – Rockin Chair – (Dash)
Shirley and The Shirelles – Never Gonna Give You Up – (Bell)
Main Ingredient – Dancing Shoes-(RCA)
Jan Hammer Group- Don?t You Know – (Nemperor Records)

Listen/Download – Tarik Thornton – Saints and Sinners – 128MB Mixed MP3

__________________________________________________________

Greetings all.

The Funky16Corners 2018 Allnighter/Pledge Drive aka The Summer of Soul 2 has begun!

We continue this year’s Summer of Soul mix series with a new mix from my man Tarik Thornton.

Tarik, representing NOLA and the Twin Cities has been a longtime made man at Funky16Corners and it’s a great pleasure to present his new collection, Saints and Sinners as the final guest mix of the 2018 Summer of Soul Mix Series.

I will be back next week with another Funky16Corners mix, and then it’s back to business as usual.

The pledging will continue this year with Patreon (click here or on the logo below to go to the Funky16Corners page) , where you will be able to spread your contributions out over the entire year, which will help cover the ongoing server/broadcast/hardware expenses. This year has seen the move to 100 percent live broadcasting (Mixlr.com/Funky16corners)  and continued hardware and software upgrades at Funky16Corners central, to keep the radio/podcasting experience as seamless and groovy as possible. So please dig deep so we can continue to do the same, and if you’re already a Patreon donor, please accept my heartfelt thanks!

In addition to all the broadcasts and the blogging all of the Funky16Corners and Iron Leg mix archives will continue.

I am also including a Paypal donation button (below) if you’d rather donate in a lump sum instead of the rolling donation in Patreon.

Don’t forget, my weekly radio show for WFMU’s Give the Drummer Radio, Testify! is on the air live, every Wednesday night from 10-12. If you dig Funky16Corners and/or Iron Leg I think you’ll dig it. So tune in when you get a chance!
_______________________________________________

So, download and dig the mix, keep digging the radio shows, and we’ll be back next week with another groovy mix.

Also, make sure to follow Funky16Corners on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Keep the faith

Larry

____________________________________________________________________________

PS Head over to Iron Leg when you have a minute!. <

Comments (0)

By Larry, July 8, 2018 9:44 am

DJ Scott Boyko – Art All Night Live

1. Roy Hytower – It Must Be Love
2. The Continentals – Dog Time
3. Jesse Gresham Plus 3 – Shootin’ The Grease
4. The Emperors – My Baby Likes to Boogaloo
5. Jomo – Uhuru (African Twist)
6. Jimmy Castor – D-R-Y
7. Recitations – Make the Funk Jump
8. C. Smalls & Co. – Keep On Groovin’
9. The Mandells – Don’t Turn Your Back On Me
10. Billy LaMont – Sweet Thang
11. King Solomon’s Advisers – The Tight Rope
12. The Invaders – Wildroote
13. Dale Kahr & Christy Boughn – Black Is Black
14. The Hi-Lads – Ready Or Not Here I Come
15. The Boys In The Band – (How Bout A Little Hand For) The Boys In The Band
16. Lunar Funk – Space Monster
17. The Bar-Kays – Dance, Dance, Dance (Part 1)
18. The Soul Searchers – We The People (Part 1)
19. Little Royal – Razor Blade

Listen/Download – DJ Scott Boyko – Art All Night Live – 115MB Mixed MP3

__________________________________________________________

Greetings all.

The Funky16Corners 2018 Allnighter/Pledge Drive aka The Summer of Soul 2 has begun!

We continue this year’s Summer of Soul mix series with a new mix from my Asbury Park 45 Sessions compadre DJ Scott Boyko.

I had the great pleasure of spinning with Scott at his Northern Soul @ Northern Soul night in Jersey City. He has heavy crates packed with soul and funk and excellent taste.

This mix was recorded live on 6/16/18 at the Art All Night event in Trenton, NJ.

We will continue with a new mix every week for the duration of the summer, with a selection of stellar contributions from some of my (and your) favorite selectors including DJ Prestige, Ben Gibson, DJ Prime Mundo, DJ RP of Funkdefy, Vincent the Soul Chef, Chris Lujan of the M-Tet, DJ Bluewater, HeavySoulBrutha Dave B. and new contributor, DJ Scott Boyko (with possible DJs yet to be named!).

The pledging will continue this year with Patreon (click here or on the logo below to go to the Funky16Corners page) , where you will be able to spread your contributions out over the entire year, which will help cover the ongoing server/broadcast/hardware expenses. This year has seen the move to 100 percent live broadcasting (Mixlr.com/Funky16corners)  and continued hardware and software upgrades at Funky16Corners central, to keep the radio/podcasting experience as seamless and groovy as possible. So please dig deep so we can continue to do the same, and if you’re already a Patreon donor, please accept my heartfelt thanks!

In addition to all the broadcasts and the blogging all of the Funky16Corners and Iron Leg mix archives will continue.

I am also including a Paypal donation button (below) if you’d rather donate in a lump sum instead of the rolling donation in Patreon.

Don’t forget, my weekly radio show for WFMU’s Give the Drummer Radio, Testify! is on the air live, every Wednesday night from 10-12. If you dig Funky16Corners and/or Iron Leg I think you’ll dig it. So tune in when you get a chance!
_______________________________________________

So, download and dig the mix, keep digging the radio shows, and we’ll be back next week with another groovy mix.

Also, make sure to follow Funky16Corners on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Keep the faith

Larry

____________________________________________________________________________

PS Head over to Iron Leg when you have a minute!. <

Comments (1)

By Larry, July 1, 2018 8:54 am

DJ Prime Mundo – Primemundo’s World

paul humphrey & his cool aid chemists – funky l. a. (lizard)
marva whitney – i made a mistake because it’s only you pt. 1 (king)
james brown – let a man come in and do the popcorn pt. 1 (king)
lee austin – gimme your hand (people)
eddy senay – ain’t no sunshine (sussex)
lloyd price – they get down (gsf)
dick jensen & the imports – mr. pitiful (loma)
the binders – mojo hannah (sara)
lowell fulsom – why don’t we do it in the road? (jewel)
linda perry & soul express – i need someone (mainstream)
brother jack mcduff – can’t get satisfied pt. 1 (atlantic)
little richard – somebody saw you (reprise)
ju-par universal orchestra – time (ju-par)
sugar billy – freak and you shall find (mainstream)
jenny jackson – shoora shoora (farr)
betty wright – girls (alston)
thelma jones – stronger (barry)
abaco dream – chocolate pudding (a&m)

Listen/Download – DJ Prime Mundo – Primemundo’s World – 63MB Mixed MP3

__________________________________________________________

Greetings all.

The Funky16Corners 2018 Allnighter/Pledge Drive aka The Summer of Soul 2 has begun!

We continue this year’s Summer of Soul mix series with a new mix from my Asbury Park 45 Sessions compadre DJ Prime Mundo.

We will continue with a new mix every week for the duration of the summer, with a selection of stellar contributions from some of my (and your) favorite selectors including DJ Prestige, Ben Gibson, DJ Prime Mundo, DJ RP of Funkdefy, Vincent the Soul Chef, Chris Lujan of the M-Tet, DJ Bluewater, HeavySoulBrutha Dave B. and new contributor, DJ Scott Boyko (with possible DJs yet to be named!).

The pledging will continue this year with Patreon (click here or on the logo below to go to the Funky16Corners page) , where you will be able to spread your contributions out over the entire year, which will help cover the ongoing server/broadcast/hardware expenses. This year has seen the move to 100 percent live broadcasting (Mixlr.com/Funky16corners)  and continued hardware and software upgrades at Funky16Corners central, to keep the radio/podcasting experience as seamless and groovy as possible. So please dig deep so we can continue to do the same, and if you’re already a Patreon donor, please accept my heartfelt thanks!

In addition to all the broadcasts and the blogging all of the Funky16Corners and Iron Leg mix archives will continue.

I am also including a Paypal donation button (below) if you’d rather donate in a lump sum instead of the rolling donation in Patreon.

Don’t forget, my weekly radio show for WFMU’s Give the Drummer Radio, Testify! is on the air live, every Wednesday night from 10-12. If you dig Funky16Corners and/or Iron Leg I think you’ll dig it. So tune in when you get a chance!
_______________________________________________

So, download and dig the mix, keep digging the radio shows, and we’ll be back next week with another groovy mix.

Also, make sure to follow Funky16Corners on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Keep the faith

Larry

____________________________________________________________________________

PS Head over to Iron Leg when you have a minute!. <

Comments (0)

By Larry, June 10, 2018 10:31 am

With Lloyd on the Label There’s Soul on the Table!

Listen/Download – Lloyd Price Orchestra – It’s Your Thing MP3

Greetings all.

Here’s a crazy one.

Lloyd Price was of course a New Orleans R&B/soul star from 1952 when he hit with ‘Lawdy Miss Clawdy’ on into the mid-1970s (though he has continued to perform into his 80s).

Over the course of his career Price has released albums and 45s by his band, including the great ‘This is My Band’ in 1963 (featuring James Booker on organ) and a number of 45s, including today’s selection.

Price ran the Lloyd Price’s Turntable label for a few years at the end of the 1960s, releasing records by himself, the Coasters, Howard Tate and the Lloyd Price Orchestra.

What makes today’s selection unusual, is that the label says that it was recorded in Jamaica!

The record was arranged by Curley Palmer, who had played guitar with the Coasters and the production is credited to Price and Arthur Jenkins (who produced the Coasters 1969 Turntable 45).

I hve not been able to find any information that indicates how Price and his band ended up in Jamaica, or if it was really his band and not a bunch of Jamaican session musicians.

The version of the Isley Brothers ‘It’s Your Thing’ runs at a leisurely yet funky pace, with some groovy electric piano, percussion and horns.

If anyone can fill in the blanks on this one I would be much obliged.

Until next week.

Also, make sure to follow Funky16Corners on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Keep the faith

Larry

________________________________________________

If you dig what we do here or over at Funky16Corners, please consider clicking on the Patreon link and throwing something into the yearly operating budget! Do it and we’ll send you some groovy Funky16Corners Radio Network (and related) stickers!

_______________________________________________

Comments (1)

By Larry, June 3, 2018 10:23 am

The Groovers

Listen/Download – The Groovers – Everyday Will Be Like a Holiday MP3

Greetings all.

Today’s selection is an object lesson in how common band names and cover material can send you down all kinds of dark alleys.

I picked up the Groovers 45 you see before you a few years back on the strength of both sides being soul covers, even though I’d never heard of the band.

I recorded the 45, and into the box it went.

In the time since, I picked up another 45 by a group called the Groovers, but had no idea it was the same group.

The fact that some online resources contained conflicting (and incorrect, this is not the LA band that recorded for Minit and Teri De) information didn’t help matters.

This particular Groovers appears to have been another white showband on the Beach Music scene who recorded for the Fredericksburg, VA labels Groovy (a cover of Rex Garvin and the Mighty Cravers ‘I Gotta Go Now (Up On the Floor)’) and TCB (the Goffin/King number ‘I Need You’) and two 45s for A&M, all produced by Warren Harding Jr and at least a few of them arranged by none other than Fonce Mizell (?!?).

My educated guess is that these were done when the Mizell brothers were attending Howard University in DC.

The version of ‘I Gotta Go Now’ has a garagey edge to it, as does their take on Ain’t Too Proud To Beg’ (I haven’t heard their TCB single).

The Groovers take on William Bell’s ‘Everyday Will Be Like a Holiday’ is very groovy indeed. Featuring some subtle and soulful guitar, gospel-inflected organ, tastefully applied strings and great vocals.

‘Everyday Will Be Like a Holiday’ seems to have brought the group some success, having charted regionally early in 1970.

According to a Fredericksburg music site, the Groovers were together from the mid-50s until the mid-80s (and a few of the members seem to still be playing today).

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

Also, make sure to follow Funky16Corners on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Keep the faith

Larry

________________________________________________

If you dig what we do here or over at Funky16Corners, please consider clicking on the Patreon link and throwing something into the yearly operating budget! Do it and we’ll send you some groovy Funky16Corners Radio Network (and related) stickers!

_______________________________________________