Comments (33)

By Larry, January 1, 2012 2:17 pm

Wigan

Carl Carleton – Competition Ain’t Nothing (Backbeat)
The Tams – Shelter (Probe)
Ambassadors – I’m So Proud of My Baby (Atlantic)
Billy Butler – Boston Monkey (Okeh)
Billy Harner – I Struck It Rich (OR)
Robb Fortune – Crazy Feeling (Now)
Tony Clarke – Landslide (Chess)
Patti and the Emblems – Please Don’t Ever Leave Me (Kapp)
Pat Lundy – Soul and Nothing But the Blues (Columbia)
Felice Taylor – Under the Influence of Love (Mustang)
Parliaments – Don’t Be Sore at Me (Revilot)
Jackie Lee – P-E-R-S-O-N-A-L-I-T-Y (Mirwood)
Platters – With This Ring (Musicor)
James and Bobby Purify – The Last Piece of Love (Bell)
Baltimore and Ohio Marching Band – Condition Red (Jubilee)
JJ Barnes – Sad Day A’Coming (Revilot)
Stagemasters – Baby I’m Here Just To Love You (Slide)
Soul Twins – Quick Change Artist (Grapevine)
Paul Kelly – Chills and Fever (Dial)
Bob Brady and the Conchords – More More More of Your Love (Chariot)

Listen/Download – F16C Radio v.96 – Condition Red – 84MB Mixed MP3

Greetings all.

First off, Happy New Year!

Let’s all raise a figurative (or literal, if you have one handy) glass in the hopes that 2012 will be a healthy and prosperous year for everyone.

Despite the fact that we ended last week – and the year – with a mix (albeit of recycled material) something happened during Christmas week that had me back in the crates again.

I – like many of you – spend a fair amount of my on-line time connected to Facebook. Despite the fact that a lot of people find the application to be a nuisance, I find it extraordinarily valuable in its ability to create a sense of virtual community.

I’m able to log in and interact with family and friends, close and far afield, connect to people of like mind (political and philosophical) and stay connected with other DJs/record collectors.

It has been mentioned here more than once that I first got turned on to some very cool records via Facebook posts.

That said, one of the distracting aspects of the site is the ‘ticker’, which runs highlights of my friends activity, even if it involves people who are not mutual ‘friends’, which is where our little story begins.

A few weeks back I glanced over at the sidebar, noticed the name of a DJ I respect and saw the words ‘Northern Soul’. My curiosity piqued, I clicked on the ticker and read the thread.

What I saw did not make me happy.

Those of you that read the blog on a regular basis will be familiar with the fact that I spent some of my musically formative years (back in the 80s) as part of the NY/NJ garage/mod scene.

While I met many, many very cool people, and had my musical horizons expanded greatly – especially in regard to soul music – there was always a contingent on the scene of people who came at the garage music ‘thing’ from a decidedly primitive/lo-fi angle, not unlike the bug-eyed, knuckle-dragging characters in a Big Daddy Roth cartoon.

My direct involvement with the scene came to an end toward the end of the 80s, but I still have many friends and acquaintances from that period, many of whom stuck with it a lot longer than I did, some all the way into the present.

This is not to say that I gave up on the music I was turned on to back in the day, because I still listen to vintage garage, psyche and pop on a daily basis.

However, the breadth of my musical tastes has widened considerably in the decades since then, and it has become apparent (at least to myself) that I approached the music in question from a more inclusive vantage point (which if you have any interest in this, you can dig into it over at Iron Leg).

I only belabor this point to make another one (look out), which is that there are people out there – the aforementioned primitive/lo-fi crowd, who look at soul much the same way they did garage punk, i.e. with an elevated appreciation for ‘rawness’, which isn’t such a bad thing, unless of course it precludes appreciation (and invites denigration) for anything that rises above that very simplistic criteria.

When I read that Facebook thread, what I basically saw was a group of these people enthusiastically shitting all over Northern Soul (not really including my friend the DJ who took what I would consider a much more measured tack).

Now, as our friends in France are wont to say, chacun à son gout (a phrase I picked up from my old man), which basically means ‘everyone to his taste’, i.e. not everyone is going to dig the same stuff.

Certainly words to live by…

But – big but here (heh heh…) – it is always important to make distinctions between matters of taste and fact, a line that was blurred drastically here, not to mention (to paraphrase Dean Vernon Wormer) that drunk and stupid is no way to go through life.

I understand that many people only dig a certain, wilder ‘flavor’ of soul music which is cool, but to suggest (as some of these people did) that Northern Soul is somehow not soul music, is dangerously uninformed about the music, as well as the Northern Soul phenomenon in general (about which many know little other than the name itself).

Anyone who has followed this blog over the years knows that my definition of ‘soul’ music casts a wide net, reaching from the early transitions from gospel and R&B all the way up into (and including) the disco era. I think that it’s important to realize that soul was (and is) in a state of evolution, influenced my many outside sources, musical and cultural.

There are artists whose careers are of such a depth and longevity that this evolution becomes visible (audible) over the course of their discography.

More often than not though, soul singers, by virtue of the fact that they didn’t get to make very many records, end up being identified with one specific sound (whether or not that specific sound is indicative of their talent in the broader sense).

It is important to note that Northern Soul is unusual (though not unique) in that it is a retroactively formed genre classification, when a certain kind of record (often but not exclusively obscure) was initially gathered and played out by DJs in UK soul clubs like the Twisted Wheel and the Golden Torch to which soul fans gravitated.

No one set out to “create” Northern Soul, but rather the name ended up being applied parenthetically to a group of sonically similar records (listen for the popping snares, sweeping strings, honking baritone sax and chiming vibraphone accents), many unjustly neglected when they were released, that were being listened and danced to in the North of England by a largely white, largely working class audience.

The sound – in brief – was bright, uptempo, imitation-Motown, i.e. pop-inflected, well-produced urban soul.

That Northern Soul is approached differently by most American collectors/fans and DJs is without question. Our experience is almost exclusively second-hand, and as a definable ‘taste’, it is often marginal.

This is not to say that there aren’t any Northern Soul fans out there, but that here in America, the scene as it were has never risen above a level of specialization (as opposed to the original scene in the UK where it was a genuinely popular movement, often placing older records into the contemporary pop charts).

There are certainly regular nights where Northern is prominently spun (I was lucky enough to DJ at one of them last year), as well as several rare soul weekenders, but almost nothing like the UK scene at its peak where thousands of fans would come out on a weekly basis to places like the Wigan Casino (voted the Best Disco in the World in 1978 by Billboard magazine) and the Blackpool Mecca.

This only goes to explaining that I understand that to many people, Northern Soul is at best a curiosity, and at worst hugely misunderstood.

It also bears mentioning that many musical scenes (at least in my experience) are clannish and parochial, in which the denizens of one group find little to like or relate to in those of another, whether it’s soul fans who can’t abide anything funky or primitivos who won’t listen to anything that sounds like it was actually created with aspirations to chart success.

In the end, the point I wish to make, and have endeavored to do so in this space before, is that Northern Soul is not only extremely vital and exciting, but is also, indisputably “soul”.

This is music made by some of the finest singers, producers, arrangers and musicians of the day, and is with rare exception well within the accepted confines of soul music in both style and substance.

The mix you see before you is a response to the uninformed ranting I saw – or at least a brief placed in evidence – that you can download and pass on to the haters in your corner or the world.

The set list of Funky16Corners Radio v.96 – Condition Red is assembled from all over the map, with cuts from Detroit, Philadelphia, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Georgia, Florida and even that heretofore unsung soulful stronghold of Reading, PA.

There are contributions from some of the finest soul labels of the era, from Revilot, to Okeh, to Chess, Mirwood and of course Atlantic. You get solo singers (like Tony Clarke and the underrated Billy Harner), great harmony groups (like Philly’s mighty Ambassadors) and naturally some of the tightest backing groups of the day.

If there is a connecting thread, aside from the aforementioned instrumental building blocks, it is that these records are to the last anthemic, engineered to grab a floor full of dancers and lift them ever higher (not hard to picture when you’re working with BPMs often in the high 140s!).

So, pull down the ones and zeros, and if you are so inclined, pass a copy on to someone who needs convincing.

I hope you dig it, and I’ll be back later in the week with some more.

Peace

Larry

Also, make sure that you check out the POAC link below (click on the logo)

If you want one of the new Funky16Corners stickers (free, of course) click here for info.

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg for some very tasty UK Folk Rock.

Comments (14)

By Larry, December 27, 2011 7:58 pm

On the scene at Subway Soul

Willis Wooten – Your Love Is Indescribably Delicious (Virtue)
Bobby Doyle – River Deep Mountain High (WB)
Etta James and Sugar Pie DeSanto – In The Basement (Checker)
Barbara Lynn – Club a Go Go (Tribe)
Billy Butler – Right Track (Okeh)
Impacts – Thunder Chicken (Marmaduke)
Idris Muhammad – Express Yourself (Prestige)
Lavell Kamma and the Afro Soul Revue – Soft Soul (Tupelo Sound)
Sam Dees – Lonely For You Baby (Soul City)
Spellbinders – Help Me Get Myself Back Together Again (Columbia)
Jimmy Ruffin – 96 Tears (Soul)
Ella Fitzgerald – Savoy Truffle (Reprise)
Ray Bryant – Up Above the Rock (Cadet)
Mac Rebennack – The Point (AFO)
Della Reese – It Was a Very Good Year (ABC)
LaVern Baker – Batman to the Rescue (Brunswick)
Norman T Washington – Jumping Jack Flash (Pama)
Rivingtons – Pop Your Corn Pt1 (RCA)
Upsetters – Down Home (ABC)
Vernon Garrett and Marie Franklin – Second To None (Venture)
Curly Moore – Soul Train (Hot Line)
Dobie Gray – Out On the Floor (Charger)
Eyes of Blue – Heart Trouble (Deram)
Washington Smith – Fat Cat (Okeh)
Gene West – In the Ghetto (Original Sound)
Candido – Jingo (Salsoul)
Touch – Love Hangover (Breaking Down) (Brunswick)
Gene Ammons – Son of a Preacherman (Prestige)

Listen/Download – F16C Radio v.95 – 2011 Year In Review – 140MB Mixed MP3

Greetings all.

The end of the year is upon us, and so, as it has been in many years past, is the Funky16Corners Year In Review mix.

This assemblage of the finest individual tracks from this space over the last calendar year has become a tradition in which we sweep up around the Funky16Corners Blogcasting Nerve Center and Record Vault (Funk and Soul Division) and piece together a puzzle of sorts that once assembled (correctly) should give a picture of where my head – and my crates – were at over the last year.

And what a year it’s been.

If you’d sat me down last December and laid out the coming year in front of me, I would have laughed, filled with excitement and then probably crawled under the nearest table in search of shelter.

The year got off to a great start with the beginning of my residency at Spindletop @ Botanica in NYC. Over the course of the next eight months I had the opportunity to spin pretty much whatever I felt like (within certain tasteful guidelines) and it was a blast.

Botanica was a very chill location, with some very cool people, and despite the whole thing crashing down in a somewhat bittersweet pile of ashes, I would say that it was on the whole a very positive experience.

You all know that there is nothing I love better than spinning the music I love for an appreciative audience, and I had many very groovy opportunities to do so this year.

In addition to Spindletop, I was honored to get a chance to participate in one of the last Subway Soul nights, alongside Phast Phreddie, Girlsoul and Jumpy. It was a serious gas, where I got to spin some of my Northern Soul faves and hear the other selectors whip some heat on the ones and twos (I left with a slightly inflated want list that night).

The real treat of the year, though was spinning at Elliott and Jonna’s wedding down in Philly, which was an amazing experience.

Great people into great music with the extra added benefit of some delicious food. I can think of no better way to spend a summer night.

There was also the ongoing pleasure of doing the Funky16Corners Radio Show, which has really been a gas this year. If you haven’t yet tuned in, you can join the party every Friday night at 9PM on Viva Radio, or pick up the show as an MP3 over the weekend (they’re all archived here at the blog, too).

I also got to spin records at a couple of local autism fundraising events which was especially rewarding for reasons very close to my heart.

Speaking of things close to my heart, 2011 was also the year that my wife was diagnosed with leukemia, an event that has verily turned our world inside out.

Though some superficial things have remained on a somewhat even keel, the axis on which my family’s life spins was shaken to its core this fall, and we have all learned to look at the world through slightly different eyes.

Things are on a solid, progressive track as far as my wife’s health is concerned, and we have many reasons to be optimistic, which doesn’t change the fact that no matter how sunny things look ahead of us, there’s always that shadow in the rear view mirror.

I have to make note of the fact that the readers of this blog have been extraordinarily supportive during this crisis, and that has been heartwarming and very much appreciated.

When I take a look at this playlist, it occurs to me that although there are some old faves and some longtime want list items finally bagged, there are also many, many new discoveries that came into my ears and then my crates over the past year, and that is the main reason that the Funky16Corners train stays on the rails.

It has always been my hope that those of you that stop by here on the reg are discovering something new and groovy, but also that you realize that this is a journey of discovery for me as well.

Big ups go out to fellow selectors like Tony C, Tarik Thornton, M-Fasis, Agent 45 and Midnite Cowbwoy for hepping me to cool stuff that I hadn’t heard before, all of which I passed on to you good people through the blog.

I will continue to do so.

I have no idea what 2012 holds for me, since things have really taken on a day-to-day vibe these last few months.

My main hope is that everyone here at home base stays healthy and happy.

Aside from that, I only hope that the next year brings some new sounds my way, and hopefully the opportunity to spread the love, whether through the blog, or in person as a DJ.

Either way, the very least any of us can do is follow that basic prescription in the Funky16Corners logo:

Keep the Faith.

See you next week (make sure to tune in to the Funky16Corners Radio Show Friday night at 9PM on Viva Radio for the Year End Funk and Soul Dance Party!)

Peace

Larry

Also, make sure that you check out the POAC link below (click on the logo), in regard to the April 2nd walk.

If you want one of the new Funky16Corners stickers (free, of course) click here for info.

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg for some very tasty UK Folk Rock.

Comments (3)

By Larry, December 21, 2011 8:21 pm

The LP (above), Miss Dorothy Ashby (below)

Listen/Download – The Soulful Strings – Jingle Bells

Listen/Download – The Soulful Strings feat. Dorothy Ashby – Merry Christmas Baby

Greetings all.

Today’s Christmas presents were originally posted back in 2007.

You know I’m a HUGE Richard Evans/Soulful Strings fan, and their version of ‘Merry Christmas Baby’ is in a dead heat for the title of my all-time fave Christmas record.

Don’t forget to tune in to the Funky16Corners Radio Show Christmas Special, this Friday at 9PM where you’ll hear many of the old favorites and some newly discovered goodies as well.

If you celebrate, have a great Christmas, if not, have a great weekend all the same.

See you next week. – Larry

>>As I’ve stated repeatedly in the past, I’ve never been much of a holiday music collector. However, once in a while a personal obsession of mine also happens to have a Christmas record. In the case of Richard Evans and the Soulful Strings, their 1968 LP ‘The Magic of Christmas’ is a real gem.

The first tune I selected was the obvious choice (at least for me) because I can’t think of another version of ‘Jingle Bells’ that opens up with an honest to goodness drum break. I’m not sure who’s laying it down here (though I’m guessing that it is in fact Morris Jennings Jr.).

The second selection is a lush, sublime reading of Charles Brown’s classic ‘Merry Christmas Baby’ which features the brilliant Dorothy Ashby on harp. If you aren’t familiar with Ashby – I included her ‘Soul Vibrations’ on my collab with DJ Prestige ‘Beat Combination Pt2’ (check out the Flea Market Funk Mixes page)– she was one of the few harpists who could actually play jazz on the instrument, and the three albums she recorded for Cadet between 1968 and 1970 (in collaboration with Evans) are brilliant.

If your nerves are frayed (like mine) and the consumerist madness of the holiday season has you down, give this version of ‘Merry Christmas Baby’ a listen and all will (at least for a few minutes) be well, as it is positively sublime.

I’ll be taking the next week off to enjoy the holiday with my family and do a little visiting. I will most definitely be back with something for New Years Eve, so hang tight, enjoy your Christmas and I’ll see you all soon.<<

Peace

Larry

Also, make sure that you check out the POAC link below (click on the logo). It’s a fantastic organization that provides services to our local autism community, with education and recreational events, and any contribution you could make would be greatly appreciated.

If you want one of the new Funky16Corners stickers (free, of course) click here for info.

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (3)

By Larry, November 20, 2011 2:00 pm

Miss LaVern Baker

Listen/Download – LaVern Baker – Batman to the Rescue

Greetings all.

I hope the new week finds you all in a groovy place.

I should take this opportunity to thank you all for your kind words during our family’s difficult time.

The good news is that the first leg of my wife’s treatment is nearing its end, leaving her a little stronger and ready to face what lies ahead.

This has been huge physical and psychological challenge for her, and the prospect of at least returning home until the next round of treatments is a pleasant one. This fight is likely to go on for some time, but it is one that we are all committed to winning, so keep sending those good vibes.

It means a lot.

I don’t recall where I first heard LaVern Baker’s ‘Batman to the Rescue’ but I do know that it was one of those ‘holy shit I have to find that record’ moments, followed (as these often are) with one of those ‘Holy shit that 45’s expensive!’ moments.

I’m not only a soul and funk fan, but also a devotee of the Batman TV show (preferring the pop art vibe to the later grim take on the character).

An in-demand mod soul classic ‘Batman To the Rescue’ is in reality a thinly disguised remake of Baker’s 1956 R&B hit ‘Jim Dandy’.

It’s a killer not only for the Batman connection, but as a great example of what a powerful singer Baker was. It’s a gas listening to her turn ‘rooftop’ into ‘roof-uh-top-uh!’ (not to mention ‘BIFF BAM SOCK POW WOOO!’) and the instrumental backing (heavy on the organ) is great.

Baker was a powerful singer who got her start in the R&B era (with hits like ‘Tweedlee Dee’) and was (like Ray Charles) an important transitional figure in the birth of soul.

She recorded for Atlantic between 1953 and 1965, moving to Brunswick from 1965 to 1968 where she recorded ‘Batman to the Rescue’.

By the time ‘Batman to the Rescue’ came out in 1966 – during the Batman craze of the time – Baker’s hit-making days (though clearly not her amazing voice) were behind her.

By the end of the 60s she had survived a serious illness, relocated to the Philippines and for the next two decades ran an NCO club on the US base at Subic Bay.

She returned to the US –  and showbiz –  in the late 80s, eventually appearing on Broadway and on the festival circuit, before her death in 1997.

I hope you dig the tune, and if you’re not familiar with her earlier stuff, make a point to check it out.
See you later in the week.

Peace

Larry

Also, make sure that you check out the POAC link below (click on the logo). It’s a fantastic organization that provides services to our local autism community, with education and recreational events, and any contribution you could make would be greatly appreciated.

If you want one of the new Funky16Corners stickers (free, of course) click here for info.

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (7)

By Larry, October 9, 2011 11:05 am

Earth Wind Dashikis Afros and Fire

Listen/Download – Earth Wind and Fire – Moment of Truth

Listen/Download – Earth Wind and Fire – Bad Tune

Greetings all.

It is now time for all good men (and women, natch) to get themselves together and ease on into a brand new week.

Fall is in full swing, with the cool air, and the leaves and all that mess and I’m feeling productive.

I haven’t been doing much fieldwork (of the vinyl variety), but what I have managed to pick up has been excellent, not to mention the products of in-house excavation, in which yours truly gets down into the crates and spends some time with unjustly neglected records.

Today’s selections are the fruit of just such a search, and their neglect was decidedly unjust (undue/unfair?).

A while back when I was fortunate to be down spinning the records in Washington I was lucky enough to slip in some quality digging time alongside my man DJ Birdman. I brought home a grip of tasty stuff that trip (DC always treats my crates well) and among the haul were the first two albums by Earth Wind and Fire.

“Earth Wind and Fire!” you say. “I can get those at my local Goodwill for the cost of a shiny quarter!”

Not these you can’t my friends, because you’re probably thinking of their CBS stuff when they were having all of those big hits we all know so well (or maybe you can but you’ll need to give me the address of your local Goodwill).

However, did you know that they did two albums for Warner Brothers in the early 70s?

Neither did I (initially) but when I found out some years ago those records went on the old want list, because if you dig some EWF, you know that an earlier, grittier version thereof would very well kick some ass.

And it (they) did.

Maurice White and Wade Flemons (who had some collectible, pre-EWF 45s under his own name) had been working together in Chicago during the 60s, before relocating to Los Angeles near the end of the decade, where they were joined by Verdine White and a large crew of others to form the first version of Earth Wind and Fire.

Their first, self-titled album was recorded in 1970 and released in 1971, and while it does display tastes of the later EWF, there’s a heavier funk at work here, crossed with progressive elements.

The two tunes I bring you today illustrate both sides of that coin.

‘Moment of Truth’ is a serious mover, with some incredibly solid bass playing by Verdine (he’s so much more than just a fine and fancy head of hair) and a horn section that won’t quit.

‘Bad Tune’ has something of a flavor of the times, with a little bit of that Afrocentric hippy thing weaving in and out of the funk (electric kalimba anyone?), opening quietly, getting heavy and then dissolving into a trippy, jazzy sound with some nice guitar by Michael Beal, before picking up heat yet again with some fuzz bass.

And – this is the cool part – they manage to pack all that into less than five minutes, displaying a shocking economy for the time.

If you dig what you hear, while the individual albums are hard to come by, after their mid-70s success with CBS, WB reissued both of their EWF albums as a budget two-fer which is a little bit easier to find.

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

Peace

Larry

Also, make sure that you check out the POAC link below (click on the logo). It’s a fantastic organization that provides services to our local autism community, with education and recreational events, and any contribution you could make would be greatly appreciated.

If you want one of the new Funky16Corners stickers (free, of course) click here for info.

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (2)

By Larry, August 28, 2011 3:32 pm

Set List

Felice Taylor – Under the Influence of Love (Mustang)
Frankie Valli – You’re Gonna (Hurt Yourself) (Smash)
Four Larks – Grooving at the Go Go (Tower)
Broadways – You Just Don’t Know (MGM)
Volcanos – (It’s Against) The Laws of Love (Inst) (Arctic)
Bob Brady and the Conchords – Everybody’s Going to the Love In (Chariot)
Jean Wells – With My Love and What You Got (Calla)
Danny White – Natural Soul Brother (SSS Intl)
The Contours – Just a Little Misunderstanding (Gordy) (Fade out)
Timmy Willis – Mr Soul Satisfaction (Sidra)
Clydie King – Bout Love (Lizard)
Producers – Love Is Amazing (Huff Puff)
Pat Lewis – Look at What I Almost Missed (Solid Hit)
Poets – She Blew a Good Thing (Symbol)
Chuck Jackson – Good Things Come To Those Who Wait (Wand)

Listen/Download – Funky16Corners – Soul Satisfaction – Recorded Live at Subway Soul Club 4/2011

Greetings all.

I hope that all of you are well, and that everyone in the path of Hurricane Irene is safe.

I was supposed to be traveling this week, meeting up with some friends and doing some family sightseeing and merry-making, but then the ominous specter of the hurricane popped up on the radar (with us folks here in NJ sitting right in the middle of things) so all plans were shelved, supplies were procured and hatches were battened.

The Funky16Corners Blogcasting Nerve Center and Record Vault is located relatively close to the ocean so the fam and I were on alert.

As it turns out, we were extraordinarily lucky. Aside from some big tree limbs down (I had to fire up the chainsaw) and 7+ inches of rain we did pretty well. The same cannot be said for those a few miles closer to the ocean who got hammered last night, with substantial flooding, destroyed boardwalks and severe wind damage.

We’re keeping our fingers crossed that everyone gets through this with as little hassle as possible.

The fam and I decided that once the storm passed, assuming that all was well, we would spend our pre-allocated vacation time traveling close to home, but since I’m going to try to relax, I decided to stick with my original (blogging) plan and post up some live DJ action.

If you recall, I guested at the storied Subway Soul Club in New York City back in April and I had a blast. I originally posted my second set from that night.

What you’re seeing, hearing, downloading today is the usable parts of my first and fourth sets, edited together (not really much editing at all, just simple cut and paste) to make one tasty 35 minute collection of (mostly) Northern Soul.

There are a bunch of things that haven’t yet appeared at Funky16Corners, but surely will (with individual write-ups) in the future.

I hope you all dig the sounds, remember to tune into the Funky16Corners Radio Show this Friday at 9PM over at Viva Radio, and then pick up the MP3 here on Saturday.

See you all next week.

Peace

Larry

Also, make sure that you check out the POAC link below (click on the logo). It’s a fantastic organization that provides services to our local autism community, with education and recreational events, and any contribution you could make would be greatly appreciated.

If you want one of the new Funky16Corners stickers (free, of course) click here for info.

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (1)

By Larry, August 25, 2011 8:06 am

Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson

Listen/Download – Marlena Shaw – California Soul

Listen/Download – Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell – California Soul

Listen/Download – Undisputed Truth – California Soul

Listen/Download – Tamba 4 – California Soul

Listen/Download – Steve Allen and Oliver Nelson – California Soul

Greetings all.

Before we get started I’d like to remind you all that the Funky16Corners Radio Show returns to the air this Friday night at 9PM at Viva Radio. You can also pick up the MP3 download of the show here at the blog (click on the Radio Show tab in the header) the day after the show airs.

This has been another one of those exceedingly sad weeks when musical giants seem to be falling whenever you turn around.

This particular week has been an especially bad one when you take into account the loss of not one but two exceptional songwriters, first Jerry Leiber, and then the mighty Nick Ashford.

Though he’s known to a generation or two as part of the singing duo of Ashford and Simpson (with his wife and writing partner Valerie Simpson), soul and R&B fans know him first and foremost as part of the team that wrote a long list of certifiable soul music classics.

During the mid-to-late 60s, Ashford and Simpson (sometimes with the help of Jo Armstead) composed a series of hits for artists like Ray Charles (Let’s Go Get Stoned and I Don’t Need No Doctor), Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell (Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing, You’re All I Need To Get By), Diana Ross (Reach Out and Touch (Somebody’s Hand), and Chaka Khan (I’m Every Woman), before hitting as a performing duo, from ‘Don’t Cost You Nothin’ in 1977 to their biggest hit ‘Solid’ in 1984.

Both Ashford and Simpson had recorded as solos in the 60s, including Ashford’s original versions of ‘Let’s Go Get Stoned’ and the song we remember today ‘California Soul’.

The first time I remember hearing (and falling in love with) ‘California Soul’ was in 1969, when my Mom was playing the hit version by the 5th Dimension (also the first place I ever heard a Laura Nyro song).

Many years later, when I was digging for funk and soul and became enamored of the work of the genius Richard Evans, it was the version by Marlena Shaw that I sought, after hearing is chopped by DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist.

The song has become my favorite Ashford and Simpson composition for a number of reasons, but mainly the chord changes and the lyrics.

It harkens back to a time when California held a special place in the American imagination as a spot on the western horizon filled with the promise of a new, sunshine-filled life and prosperity (though it would be very interesting to juxtapose any vocal version of this with Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil’s less optimistic ‘Black California’).

Like Jerry Leiber, Nickolas Ashford was the main lyricist in the songwriting duo, and ‘California Soul’ is a fantastic example of his prowess in the regard, especially the following stanza:

They say the sun comes up every morning
And if you listen oh so carefully
The winds that ride on the high time
Whistle in melody
And so the people started to sing
And that’s how the surf gave birth untold
To California soul, California soul

Collecting versions of ‘California Soul’ became something of a hobby, and over the years I’ve found several, many of which I bring you today.

First and foremost is the Marlena Shaw take. I’ve spun this out at funk and soul night’s many times, and while the appeal may start with that stellar break (Morris Jennings Jr) it only grows when Miss Shaw starts singing. Hers is by far the most powerful version of the song I’ve heard, from her own voice to the brilliant arrangement by Charles Stepney and production by Evans. It simply kills from start to finish.

Next up we have a couple of takes from the Motown stable.

Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s version, while not as dynamic as Shaw’s features their fantastic vocal blend, so it is definitely worth hearing.

The Undisputed Truth’s version of the song, produced by none other than Norman Whitfield is a tiny bit funkier, and most definitely more atmospheric. I really dig the bass, as well as the background vocals. This is the moodiest of the versions I’ve heard.

The most unusual take on the tune is the rare promo-only version by Brazil’s Tamba 4. Recorded in 1969 for an LP that was never issued, Tamba 4 take the tune at a brisk pace and feature the electric piano.

The last version of ‘California Soul’ that I’ll bring you today is my most recent find, from a 1969 album by Steve Allen and Oliver Nelson. While Allen’s contributions to the sessions seem to be limited to his celebrity and some keyboard noodling, the arrangement by Nelson is (as always) top notch.

It’s a fantastic song no matter how you look at it (or hear it) and it is really worth hearing it interpreted several ways.

I hope you dig it, and raise a glass in memory of Nick Ashford.

See you on Monday.

Peace

Larry

Also, make sure that you check out the POAC link below (click on the logo). It’s a fantastic organization that provides services to our local autism community, with education and recreational events, and any contribution you could make would be greatly appreciated.

If you want one of the new Funky16Corners stickers (free, of course) click here for info.

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (1)

By Larry, August 7, 2011 2:34 pm

Miss Etta James

Listen/Download – Etta James – Something’s Got a Hold On Me

Greetings all.

If you were hanging about on the interwebs this past Thursday, you might have stumbled upon the news (thankfully untrue) that the mighty Etta James had shaken off this mortal coil and was now singing with the choir invisible.

Some jackass, somewhere (not sure who) posted a fake story indicating that Miss Etta had died and the rumor spread like wildfire with any number of my Facebook friends (a list that includes a wide variety of record fiends, DJs etc) posting tributes.

It struck me as odd that I couldn’t find any corroboration for the story anywhere on the web (the one link that kept being posted on Facebook turned out to be a hoax).

While it is true that James has been seriously ill for some time, she is in fact still with us.

This unfortunate glitch is an object lesson in both the speed (and often inaccuracy) of the internet, and why folks ought to double check their sources before posting stuff like this.

If there was a positive by-product at all, it was that I was reminded that I hadn’t posted anything Miss James in a long time, so here you go.

This amazing 45 that came into the world the same year I did (that being 1962).

I’ve often packed ‘Something’s Got a Hold On Me’ in my DJ box but have seldom actually spun it, due in large part (in only part) to its extended intro. It’s a brilliant record, but unless you plan on starting a set with it, not ideal to DJ with.

That said, once Miss Etta gets the preaching out of the way, the tune rolls out of the amen corner like a semi-sanctified juggernaut.

‘Something’s Got a Hold On Me’ is as gospel-feeling as upbeat soul 45s get. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to find out that it was modeled on a specific gospel tune (as several soul songs are).

Dig it, keep Miss Etta in your thoughts and I’ll see you all on Wednesday.

Peace

Larry

Also, make sure that you check out the POAC link below (click on the logo). It’s a fantastic organization that provides services to our local autism community, with education and recreational events, and any contribution you could make would be greatly appreciated.

If you want one of the new Funky16Corners stickers (free, of course) click here for info.

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (1)

By Larry, July 12, 2011 3:09 pm

Billy Butler (center) and the Chanters

Listen/Download – Billy Butler – Right Track

Greetings all.

Before we get rolling I have a few short items on the agenda that must be addressed.

First, I heard yesterday that the might composer and producer Alphonso ‘Fonce’ Mizell had passed away. I will be paying tribute to him this Friday with both sides of an exceptional 45, so stay tuned.

Also,  I will share a bit of late breaking news with you, that being that this coming Monday, 7/18 I will be sitting in for DJ Perry Lane and flying solo at Spindletop @ Botanica (47 E. Houston St, NYC). I will be packing the finest soulful 45s at my disposal and would like it very much if some of you fine folks would fall by, grab yourselves a beer and join me. Things get rolling at 10PM and will likely continue until my eyelids start to droop. Hope to see you there.

When I was dipping into the old to-be-blogged archive and letting my head, heart and hands battle it out to figure what I’d be posting this fine day (I assure you it’s not always this complicated) I was faced with what might be termed an embarrassment of riches.

What I usually do – if I don’t already have something specific in mind – is open the folder with the label scans and roll through it, backwards in time and see what grabs me.

The first thing that rang my bell was a 45 by Billy Butler and the Chanters called ‘I Can’t Work No Longer’.

It was probably the soulfully hypnotic Okeh label that caught my eye, with its rich purple background, the prominent script logo, and of course the big ‘45’ on the lefthand side of the label, but I have a bunch of those (ran one just last week) and ultimately it was Mr Butler’s name that sealed the deal.

A man with a tasty catalog of his own, he is known to most outside of hardcore soulies as the brother of the famous Jerry, an original Impression and one of the leading lights of Chitown soul.

However, as mentioned, Billy made some incredible records with the Chanters (originally Enchanters) as a single, and with the group Infinity.

Now, as we return to the decision-making process, while ‘I Can’t Work No Longer’ would have been a sound choice, with composition by the mighty Mr. Mayfield, and its status as Billy Butler and the Chanters biggest hit (in 1965), however, there was a somewhat crackly spectre looming in the background (a few rows down in the folder) that simply would not be denied.

There are a few truly great Billy Butler 45s, but none looms as large as his 1966 solo side ‘Right Track’, which is justly revered as a mod and Northern Soul anthem.

Problem is, it is not only increasingly (45 years on) uncommon, but also in demand, and thus is harder to find and somewhat costly, which is in a very roundabout way my way of saying that I decided to post that particular song instead.

I sought a copy of ‘Right Track’ for my DJ box for a long time, lost out on it more than once and ultimately settled on a copy in less than pristine, but ultimately playable condition, since as most DJs will tell you a loud sound system and pulsing dance floor make for a more forgiving sonic environment in which the sometimes scratchy, crackly sins of a well-traveled 45 can be overcome by the power of a great record.

These sins are much more evident when played through headphones, so I warn you before you pull down the ones and zeros that you might be in for a rougher ride than you’re used to, though a cursory examination of the label pictured above would tell the same story.

I mean, take a look at that label. That is a record that has been places. Whether those places were a teen’s record player, jukebox, flea market cardboard box or all of the above, that label shows every second of its 45 years, and truth be told makes it look a lot worse than it sounds.

That said, ‘Right Track’ is revered for a number of reasons, first and foremost being that it is a stellar example of dance floor soul that builds gradually from the opening guitar riff, drums and tambourine, strings and then on to Billy’s vocal. Pushed along by a piano and rhythm guitar, the tempo picks up steam until the backing vocals come in during the chorus, at which time the record’s Northern Soul bona fides are immediately evident.

The stomping beat, coupled with the repeated chants of ‘I believe! I believe’’ then ‘I believe that I’m on the right track!’ is undoubtedly powerful, but the full weight of the signature line:

“I’m gonna keep on steppin’ never looking back I believe that I’m on the right track.”

Whether taken in the context of civil rights, viewed through the prism of working class mod or simply as a bold statement of perseverance in the wider context, in which you prefer your manifestos delivered at a danceable tempo, there is no denying that ‘Right Track’ is as anthemic a 60s soul record as was ever made.

It is powerful in every conceivable meaning of the word, and thus I must bring it to you, snaps, crackles, pops and all.

I will now bring the post to a close so that rug cutting (or at least fist pumping) may commence.

Peace

Larry

Also, make sure that you check out the POAC link below (click on the logo). It’s a fantastic organization that provides services to our local autism community, with education and recreational events, and any contribution you could make would be greatly appreciated.

If you want one of the new Funky16Corners stickers (free, of course) click here for info.

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (2)

By Larry, July 5, 2011 12:49 pm

The Players LP

Listen/Download – The Players – Get Right

Greetings all.

It’s getting hot and humid her in NJ, which since it’s July shouldn’t come as a surprise, but there’s still nothing worse that stumbling out the front door, half awake and stepping from crisp, conditioned air into soupy humidity.

It’s positively gruesome, with my brain dialing down two notches and the rest of me following closely.

It’s times like this that you need something bracing to help you get back into the bag of your choosing, and what better than a tasty soul 45?

If memory serves I first heard the Players ‘Get Right’ when some groovy soul from the UK posted it on Facebook, and it instantly turned into one of those deals where I could think of little else. The song shot directly into the pleasure centers of my fevered brain (and my feet). I immediately waded into the interwebs in search of a copy but was initially stymied.

It took a few months of waiting before a copy of the 45 turned up, and then another week while I hung by my thumbs waiting to see if I was going to be outbid.

In the end, it was President Jackson and I that won the day (and the record) and in a few more weeks (as the 45 had to cross the mighty Atlantic) it was in the door and spinning on turntable number one.

The record in question is a storming, Northern-ready soul killer with some pulsing organ, a powerful horn section and of course the vocals of the Players. I especially dig the baritone sax solo.

Led by vocalist Herbert Butler who was ably assisted by several members of the Dells , the Chicago-based Players recorded three 45s (and an LP) for the Minit label, with ‘Get Right’ appearing on the final disc.

The group’s only success – as it was – was with their initial waxing, the ballad ‘He’ll Be Back’.

That a brilliant record like ‘Get Right’ didn’t hit the charts is probably a testament to a marketplace crowded with genius, no doubt aided by poor promotion.

The disc was written by the Artistics lead singer Robert Dobyne (with his writing partner Charles Jones) and produced by Cal Carter (staff producer at the Vee Jay label).

It is just over two and a quarter minutes of soulful dynamite and I dig it very much.

I hope you do too, and I’ll see you all on Friday.

Peace

Larry

Also, make sure that you check out the POAC link below (click on the logo). It’s a fantastic organization that provides services to our local autism community, with education and recreational events, and any contribution you could make would be greatly appreciated.

If you want one of the new Funky16Corners stickers (free, of course) click here for info.

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.