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By Larry, May 15, 2016 10:03 am

Jackie Verdell

Listen/Download – Jackie Verdell – Are You Ready For This MP3

Listen/Download – Jackie Verdell – I’m Your Girl MP3

Greetings all.

The new week has arrived and I though I’d whip a little of that high-class, uptempo soul in your direction.

I forget where I first heard of Jackie Verdell, but for some reason I thought she was a Chicago-based singer.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Verdell came out of Philadelphia, and before her 1960s career as a secular singer was a driving force in the world of gospel as a vocalist in the Davis Singers. So powerful was she, that the mighty Aretha Franklin singled her out for praise in her autobiography.

She moved over into the world of R&B and soul in 1963 with Peacock Records, and during the 60s moved on to Decca and Coral imprints before returning to the gospel fold in the early 70s.

Today’s selection, ‘Are You Ready For This’ was her first 45 for Decca in 1967. Penned by writer/producer Buddy Scott and singer Jimmy Radcliffe (he of the classic ‘Long After Tonight Is All Over’), produced by Joe Medlin and arranged by the great Bert De Coteaux, ‘Are You Ready For This’ features a great vocal by Verdell and a punchy, four on the floor beat. I really dig the interplay between the lead and rhythm guitars and the horn chart.

Though the record didn’t make the R&B charts, it did have some regional pop success in the Midwest and Los Angeles.

The flipside, ‘I’m Your Girl’, written by Verdell herself is a wonderful deep ballad with just a hint of a Southern soul sound to it.

Following her return to gospel, she recorded for a few different labels into the early 80s, but unfortunately did not find success.

Jackie Verdell passed away in 1991.

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

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.

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

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By Larry, May 10, 2016 1:27 pm

Patti and the Emblems

Listen/Download – Patti and the Emblems – Please Don’t Ever Leave Me Baby MP3

Greetings all.

Many times over the years, I’ve talked about getting inured to an unfamiliar tempo.

Doing so (many times over the years) has expanded my musical horizons exponentially.

Though I started collecting fast-moving, dance floor killers back in the day, I have come to love ballads, deep soul, as well as all the wonders of mid-tempo stuff.

One such record is today’s selection, ‘Please Don’t Ever Leave Me Baby’ by Camden, NJ’s own Patti and the Emblems.

Though it is certainly brisk enough to dance to, ‘Please Don’t Ever Leave Me Baby’ is one of those songs that you reserve for the beginning/build up of a set. It’s not likely to drag people out onto the floor, but if they’re already their, they’ll get into the groove and keep moving.

Patti and the Emblems were a discovery of Frank Bendinelli and Leroy Lovett of B&L productions. They had their first (and only) hit in 1964 with ‘Mixed Up Shook Up Girl’ on Herald, eventually moving on to Kapp Records in 1967.

During their career they were fairly prolific, recording 10 45s over a four year period.

They were lucky to have a great lead singer in Patty Russell, and the help of a young Leon Huff on piano.

‘Please Don’t Ever Leave Me Baby’ (penned by Bendinelli and Lovett) is a hook-filled, very nicely produced number with all the hallmarks of a great Philly soul side (I live the vibraphone accents).

As far as I can tell, this 45 isn’t terribly expensive these days, so go and get yourself one for your play box.

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

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.

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

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By Larry, May 5, 2016 12:27 pm

Paul Kelly

Listen/Download – Paul Kelly – Chills and Fever MP3

Greetings all.

The end of the week is here and so then is the Funky16Corners Radio Show, coming to you each and every Friday with the best in funk, soul, jazz and rare groove, all on original vinyl. You can subscribe to the show as a podcast in iTunes, listen on your mobile device via the TuneIn app, check it out at Mixcloud, or grab an MP3 right here at the blog.

The tune I bring you today is an old fave, but maybe not the one you were thinking of.

The OTHER ‘Chills and Fever’, by Ronnie Love is a mod soul/R&B classic with a certain amount of popularity with the Northern crowd as well.

This ‘Chills and Fever’ is a completely different song, much easier to find, and also popular with the soulies.

Paul Kelly was an old school Miami homeboy of Clarence Reid (who co-wrote this 45 with Willie Clarke) who recorded a long string of 45s in the 60s, going on to have a successful career, releasing a string of LPs in the 70s.

‘Chill and Fever’ was Kelly’s first Dial 45 in 1965 (originally released on the small Lloyd label).

The song has a fast, four on the floor beat, bright, upbeat pop hooks and a great vocal by Kelly. It had some regional success but doesn’t seem to have made the R&B charts.

Kelly would go on to have a long string of R&B hits for Warner Brothers in the 70s.

I hope you dig the tune, 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.

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

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By Larry, April 28, 2016 11:00 am

The Precisions

Listen/Download – The Precisions – If This Is Love (I’d Rather Be Lonely) MP3

Greetings all.

The end of the week is here, and so then is the Funky16Corners Radio Show podcast. You can subscribe to the show in iTunes, listen on your mobile device via the TuneIn app, dig it on Mixcloud or grab and MP3 right here at the blog.

The 45 I bring you today is one of the greatest soul records to come out of Detroit during the classic era.

It is also a genuine Northern Soul anthem and was, believe it or not, a fairly substantial hit when it was first released in 1967 (on both the R&B and Pop charts).

‘If This Is Love (I’d Rather Be Lonely)’ is one of those records that manages to encapsulate everything great about soul music in the 1960s. It is brilliantly sung by the Precisions (another group that should have been HUGE), and arranged for maximum dramatic effect by the great Mike Terry.

There aren’t many records that grab you as quickly or forcefully as ‘If This Is Love (I’d Rather Be Lonely)’, from the opening horn and string fanfare, to the celeste/piano riff that runs under the opening vocal, right into the “AAAHHHHH!” by the group that kicks off the verse, the record packs a unique power to drag people out onto the dance floor (singing along the entire time). That the opening build up is repeated at 1:33, just pumps up the record even more.

I mentioned that ‘If This Is Love (I’d Rather Be Lonely)’ was a hit (Top 30 R&B, #60 Pop) and it ought to have been much bigger, but it was released in the middle of 1967, into a radio landscape thick with huge hits and didn’t get the shine it deserved.

The Precisions Sidra, Drew and Atco 45s are all excellent, and I am confounded by the fact that there isn’t a solid comp of their best stuff in print (there was a UK comp of their Sidra/Drew sides in 2008 but it appears to be unavailable).

I hope you dig the track, 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.

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

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By Larry, April 24, 2016 9:49 am

Sandy Nelson

Listen/Download – Sandy Nelson – Love Is Like an Itching In My Heart MP3

Greetings all.

Today’s selection sees us returning to the “you find groovy music in the strangest places file”, as well as another visit from our friend Sandy Nelson.

Long story short, Sandy Nelson was one of the most ubiquitous instrumental artists of the 1960s. The drummer had his first hits with ‘Teen Beat’ in 1959 and ‘Let There Be Drums’ in 1961, and though he didn’t make much of a stir on the charts after that, he churned out a steady succession of LPs (mostly for Imperial) in the 60s and early 70s, covering rock, pop and soul hits with a fair amount of style and verve, backed by the cream of LA sessioners.

Today’s selection is Nelson’s 1966 cover of my all-time favorite Supremes cut ‘Love Is Like an Itching In My Heart’.

Released on his ‘Superdrums’ LP, Nelson’s version of the tune has enough punch and style to make it on a soul dance floor. He hits that snare drum like it owes him money, and the arrangement, heavy on guitar and sax is a killer.

Nelson had enough style imbue his soul covers with plenty of heat (I really wish I had this one on a 45), and managed to attack garage and pop tunes with the same verve.

His records are cheap and easy to find at your better garage sales and flea markets (or on-line if that’s how you roll), and there is always something cool on them.

So get digging, and I’ll see you on Wednesday.

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.

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

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By Larry, March 27, 2016 10:35 am

Chuck Wood

Listen/Download – Chuck Wood – Seven Days Is Too Long MP3

Greetings all.

I thought we’d get the week started with an honest to goodness Northern Soul anthem.

Naturally, there’s a story to go along with this one, which will stand as a testimony to my occasional obliviousness and the nature of luck.

Many, many years ago, before my wife and I were blessed with our kids, she used to accompany on the occasional digging expedition.

I would usually provide her with a basic criteria as to what kind of stuff I was looking for, and she would dig through the crates with me.

Over the years she managed to pull a couple of real winners, and today’s selection is one of them.

Now when she saw the title ‘Soul Shingaling’ (the flipside of this 45), the alarms went off and she handed it to me. Though I’d never heard of Chuck Wood, I couldn’t in good conscience pass up a 45 with that title, so I put it in the keeper pile and gave it a home in my crates.

Now, at the time, though I was a fan of the Northern Soul “sound”, I didn’t know much of the canon, so it was a few years until I flipped over ‘Soul Shingaling’ and discovered just how good ‘Seven Days Is Too Long’ is.

Recorded in 1967, ‘Seven Days Is Too Long’ was actually a minor regional hit on the East Coast, especially in Philadelphia (I scored my copy on the outskirts of that city), but was pretty much all the success that Chuck Wood ever had.

That was until the record was rediscovered by the UK soul crowd, who embraced the record, making it a huge Northern Soul hit, getting it reissued (it had seen an original 1967 pressing in the UK on the Big T label) twice, in 1971 on Mojo and then in 1975 on Pye.

The record’s Northern Soul popularity should come as no surprise, since its bright, poppy hooks and driving pace and anthemic chorus sound tailor-made for those dance floors.

There’s not much in the way of information about Wood himself out there, which is odd considering the popularity of the record (I was lucky enough to find the picture above in a book on Northern Soul).

The song was covered in 1980 by Dexys Midnight Runners.

It’s a fantastic record and I hope you dig it as much as I do.

See you on Wednesday.

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.

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

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By Larry, March 24, 2016 11:49 am

Funky16Corners Presents Go Go Shoes – Mix for Night Train Radio Show
The La Salles – La La La La La (VIP)
Jimmie Preacher Ellis and the Odd Fellows – (C’Mon) Let’s Dance to the Drum Beat (Kris)
Tina Britt – The Real Thing (Eastern)
Johnny Jay and the Gangbusters – Gangbusters Blues (Josie)
Gene Waiters – Shake and Shingaling Pt2 (Fairmount)
Cannibal and the Headhunters – Shotgun (Date)
Dottie Cambridge – He’s About a Mover (MGM)
Gravities (Bobby Newton’s Band) – Do the Whip (Instrumental Version) (Mercury)
Lonnie Youngblood – Go Go Shoes (Fairmount)
Ronnie Rae and the Dynamics – Funky Shuffle (RJR)
Soul Continentals – Bowlegs (Sound Stage Seven)
Big Maybelle – 96 Tears (Rojac)

Listen/Download – Funky16Corners Presents: Go Go Shoes MP3

Greetings all.

A while back Steve and Paul of the Night Train radio show (92.3 Sheffield Live in the UK) asked if I’d put together a guest mix for their show.

That mix airs this Thursday, (3/24 11pm GST/ 7pm EST), and you can pick yourselves up a download right here at the blog.

The Night Train guys requested a tight half hour, and that’s what you get, with soul, R&B and Northern sides mixed together for your dancing (and listening) pleasure.

These are all (with a few exceptions) fairly new additions to the Funky16Corners crates, so aside from a play or two in the podcast, they haven’t appeared here before.

So tune into the Night Train, pull down the ones and zeros, and have yourselves a great weekend.

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.

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

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By Larry, March 22, 2016 12:24 pm

The Four Larks

Listen/Download – The Four Larks – Groovin’ at the Go Go MP3

Greetings all.

I come to you, mid-week, with one of the greatest 45s ever made, and a story to accompany its dulcet tones.

Many years ago, in the early days of the Funky16Corners blog, I got an e-mail from a reader (whose identity is sadly lost in the sands of time) saying how much they dug the blog, and asked for my address so that they could send me something.

So, a couple of weeks pass, and then I get a package in the mail. I opened it, only to be greeted by a genuinely shocking sight.

There in the package was one of my personal holy grail 45s, ‘Groovin’ at the Go Go’ by the Four Larks, in stone mint condition, with a note saying how the sender had come across it at a stoop sale in Brooklyn, knew that I had sung its praises on the blog (mentioning of course how I had been unable to score a copy), and thought they’d send it my way as a token of their appreciation for my efforts.

Now, I should mention – for those of you who are not record collecting obsessives, or Northern Soul fans – that this is no ordinary garage sale/flea market find. This is a record that regularly fetches between 200 to 350 dollars in this kind of condition (way out of my price range) and this sainted soul dropped a mint copy in my lap for nothing.

That, my friends, is what the Jewish members of my family would describe as a mitzvah. A really big mitzvah.

Sadly, I soon lost the box with the sender’s name and address, and despite asking on the blog for contact info, have not heard from them again (if you’re still out there, PLEASE drop me a line).

They should know, that over the years, when I wasn’t feeling the love (blog-wise), that act of kindness was a well that I could return to over and over again to restore my faith in the readership, and mankind in general.

That all said, it is undeniable (at least to me and most Philly soul heads) that the Four Larks ‘Groovin’ at the Go Go’ is a monument to the greatness of the Harthon sound specifically, and Philadelphia soul in general.

The lead vocal by Vivian McDougal is first rate, and the backing by the Four Larks (including her then-husband, the mighty Weldon), and the instrumental backing (flawless) are both among the best of the era, and the tune, written by Philly giant Thom Bell is amazing.

‘Groovin’ at the Go Go’ is a Northern Soul favorite for all of the obvious reasons, including the hooks, bright pop-soul sound and that driving beat.

The 45 holds a place of honor in my playbox, and when I had the opportunity to spin at the legendary Subway Soul night in NYC, I made sure to give it an airing.

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

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.

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

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By Larry, March 15, 2016 11:46 am

Packed and ready to roll

In the midst of Set 1

Our Host Gene Meredith on the wheels of steel

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Larry Grogan Set 1 (Mixed Bag)
Falcons – I’m a Fool (I Must Love You) (Big Wheel)
Jewels – Opportunity (Dimension)
Vicki Gomez – Boys Are a Dime a Dozen (ABC/Paramount)
Eldridge Holmes – Emperor Jones (ALON)
Tangeers – This Empty Place (Scepter)
Mad Lads – No Time Is Better Than Right Now (Volt)
Spellbinders – A Little On the Blue Side (Columbia)
Sims Twins – A Losing Battle (Omen)
ZZ Hill – Don’t Make Promises (Kent)
JC Davis – Fezneckie (Chess)
Tommy Tucker – Long Tall Shorty (Checker)
Barbara Lynn – I’m a Good Woman (Tribe)
Gentleman June Gardner – It’s Gonna Rain (Emarcy)
Sam Cooke – Shake (RCA)
Billy Davis – Stanky Get Funky (Cobblestone)
Pop-Ups – Lurking (HBR)
Johnny Otis Show – Keep the Faith Pt1 (Eldo)
Supremes – Love Is Like an Itching In My Heart (Motown)

Listen/Download -Funky16Corners SSSC Set 1 – 101MB Mixed Mp3/192K

Larry Grogan Set 2 (Dancers)
Precisions – If This Is Love (I’d Rather Be Lonely) (Drew)
Benny Gordon and the Soul Brothers – I’m Gonna Give Her All the Love I’ve Got (Wand)
Taj Mahal – A Lot of Love (Columbia)
Marketts – Stirring Up Some Soul (WB)
Corvairs – Ain’t No Soul Left In These Old Shoes (Columbia)
Theresa Lindsay – I’ll Bet You (Golden World)
Incredibles – I Can’t Get Over Losing Your Love (Audio Arts)
Dorothy Berry – Shindig City (Planetary)
Mary Love – Lay This Burden Down (Modern)
Trade Martin – Moanin’ (RCA)
Soul City – Everybody Dance Now (Good Time)
Younghearts – A Little Togetherness (Soultown)
Eddie Floyd – Big Bird (Stax)

Listen/Download -Funky16Corners SSSC Set 2 – 75MB Mixed Mp3/192K

Greetings all.

This past weekend I had the honor of guesting at the Steel Stax Soul Club at Porter’s Pub in Easton, PA.

It was  a little bit of a ride, so we packed up all the Corners in the van and headed West for a little soul spinning (me) and R&R (all of us).

Steel Stax Soul Club is the brainchild of longtime DJ/collector and scooter expert Gene Meredith, who I first met more than 30 years ago back in the mod/garage days of the Dive.

I am always game to get out there and lay down some Northern Soul heat on the decks, and SSSC gave me that opportunity in spades.

I was able to record almost all of the night (you can dig Gene’s sets on his Mixcloud page) including both of my sets. The first set is a mixed bag (including some sweet, and slightly slower stuff) and the second set is all high octane dancers.

It was a great time, with much good music, and a bunch of new additions to my want list. I hope to make it back there to spin again some time in the future.

I hope you dig it (make sure to check out Gene’s sets, too) , and I’ll see you all on Friday.

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.

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

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By Larry, March 3, 2016 12:01 pm

Listen/Download – Shalamar – Simon’s Theme MP3

Greetings all.

Here’s a crazy one to close out the week, but first a message from our sponsor.

The end of the week is nigh, and so you should be on the lookout for this week’s episode of the Funky16Corners Radio Show – dropping a day early this week –  in which I (as always) endeavor to bring you the finest in funk, soul, jazz and rare groove, all on original vinyl. You can subscribe to the show as a podcast in iTunes, listen on your mobile device via the TuneIn app, check iut out on Mixcloud, or grab yourself an MP3 right here at the blog.

Now, the record you see before you, a 12” single by Shalamar, might lead you to believe that you’re about to hear some late 70s/early 80s disco ish, featuring the voice of Jodi Watley (who doesn’t appear on this record). Not at all an unreasonable expectation, but as usual, I am here to confound you (and your expectations).

Fans of the history of Northern Soul will probably be familiar with the name Simon Soussan. His reputation (not all that healthy, as you’ll see if you go a-Googling) was as a producer, and popularizer/exploiter (good and bad) of Northern Soul and disco sounds.

There are countless stories about Soussan and his comings/goings/working on the music scene, including the propagation of one of the few known copies of Frank Wilson’s ‘Do I Love You’ via the world of bootlegs/carvers.

That said, the record you see before you today was the very first release by the group Shalamar, created by Soussan and Dick Griffey.

The topside of this 12” was a Stars on 45-type medley of 1960s Motown classics presented with a disco beat called ‘Uptown Festival’ (which was a US R&B Top 10 hit in 1977, making it into the Pop Top 30).

The side I bring you today, ‘Simon’s Theme’ struck me the first time I heard it (thank you Soul Chef) as a very modern take on the Northern Soul sound (though not too modern to spin for a Northern dance floor).

‘Simon’s Theme’ features the famous four-on-the-floor beat, vibes and strings and a melody full of hooks, that had it been produced in the 60s, would fit right in on any Northern Soul playlist, and (as they used to say) therein lies the rub.

You see, the song had been recorded in the 1960s, by an Allentown, PA group called Father’s Angels, under the title ‘Bok to Bach’. The song was originally issued in the UK as a b-side (to a song called ‘Don’t Knock It’), where it languished for a few years before being discovered by the Northern Soul scene, where it would go on to be a huge hit (and re-pressed a number of times).

So, when Simon Soussan went into the studio in 1977, he rather conveniently (for him) “borrowed” (cough, cough…) the entire melody of the song, retitled it ‘Simon’s Theme’ and tacked it onto the b-side of a disco single.

How’s about that for balls?

Soussan went on to be a successful producer of disco records, but he seems to have left quite a bad taste in the mouths of the Northern Soul scene, especially among record collectors/dealers, after which he appears to have disappeared into the ether.

Either way. It’s a crazy story, and a pretty cool record.

I hope you dig it, 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.

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (2)

By Larry, January 31, 2016 11:45 am

The Monitors

Listen/Download – The Monitors – Number One In Your Heart MP3

Greetings all.

This one’ll get your heart started!

A couple of years ago I was listening to my man Mr Finewine on the mighty Downtown Soulville radio show and he played today’s selection, once again adding to the length of my want list.

Previous to the occasion, I only knew of the Monitors in passing, having seen them listed in discographies of Motown’s VIP subsidiary, alongside artists like Chris Clark and the Velvelettes.

The Monitors recorded a handful of 45s and an LP for VIP between 1965 and 1968, eventually moving on to Buddah for one more release.

Featuring John Fagin, Sandra Fagin, Warren Harris and Richard Street (who would eventually go on to join the Temptations), the Monitors had a couple of minor R&B hits, making it into the Top 40 with ‘Say You’ in 1966, and the A-side of this particular 45, ‘Greetings (This is Uncle Sam)’ grazing the Top 20 later the same year.

When I discovered that ‘Greetings..’ had charted I was shocked. It was certainly topical, and a novelty, but nowhere near as powerful as today’s selection.

‘Number One In Your Heart’, written by Steve Mancha (under his real name, Clyde Wilson) and Wilbur Jackson, and produced by Harvey Fuqua, is a fast moving, hook-laden dance floor killer.

The arrangement is fantastic, and it kind of blows my mind that it wasn’t a hit.

A version of the Monitors was reassembled by UK soul guru Ian Levine and recorded an LP in the late 80s.

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

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.

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (1)

By Larry, January 24, 2016 11:51 am

The Volcanos

Listen/Download – Volcanos – (It’s Against) The Laws of Love MP3

Greetings all.

I thought we’d get things of to a fine start this week with one of my favorite Philly 45s.

Back in the day, when I had just started digging for soul in earnest, I was all over anything I could find from Philadelphia and New Orleans.

One of the early obsessions to come out of my Philly excavations was the mighty Volcanos.

I can say with some certainty that the gateway drug – as it were – was ‘Storm Warning’, the group’s biggest hit and a Northern Soul classic.

Over the course of a few years, the Volcanos, led by Gene Faith (nee Jones) would lay down some of the finest soul 45s to come out of the City of Brotherly Love, first for Arctic, then the storied Harthon imprint, and then finally for Virtue, before Faith went solo, and the rest of the group morphed into the Moods, and then the Trammps.

‘(It’s Against) The Laws of Love’ was the group’s fourth 45 for Arctic, released in 1965. Written by Carl Fisher of the Vibrations, ‘Laws of Love’ followed their regional success with ‘Storm Warning’, but despite its obvious quality, failed to make a dent outside of Philadelphia.

Seemingly crafted from a Northern Soul template (years ahead of the curve) ‘Laws of Love’ features a brisk, four on the floor beat, piano and ringing vibes (Vince Montana!) and pumping baritone sax under a great lead by Faith and solid harmonies by the group.

The song is packed with hooks and the arrangement is a wonder.

This is also one of those records I’m happy to have grabbed way back in the stone age, since it seems to be the rarest of their Arctic 45s, pulling in a couple of hundred bucks (much like their two Harthon discs).

It is the perfect intersection of great to listen to and great to dance to.

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

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.

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.