Comments (2)

By Larry, June 22, 2020 11:16 am

DJ Soultaker73 – Freedom Time
1. Freedom Time – Linda Tillery – Olivia Records
2. Five On The Black Hand Side – Keisa Brown – United Artists
3. Beautiful Brother Of Mine – Curtis Mayfield – Curtom
4. Stand Up And Be Counted – The Flames – People
5. Rise Up – The Freedom Affair – Colemine
6. Court Is Closed – Del Jones’ Positive Vibes – Loopden Records
7. He Keeps You – Boscoe – Numero Group/Kingdom Of Chad Records
8. Charlie, Brother We Got To Love One Another – The Rock – Scorpio Records
9. Do You Remember Malcom – Bongi & Nelson – Miles Away
10. The Challenge – The Staple Singers – Stax
11. Push On Jessie Jackson – Pace Setters – Kent Records
12. I Don’t Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing Pt.1 – James Brown – King
13. Why Can’t People Be Colors Too? – Whatnauts – Stang
14. Time Brings On A Change – Leroy Hutson – Curtom
15. Is It Because I’m Black – Syl Johnson – Twinight
16. The Liberation Song (Red, Black And Green) – Gil Scott Heron – Arista
17. My People…Hold On – Eddie Kendricks – Tamla

DJ Soultaker73 – Freedom Time Listen/ Download 97MB Mixed MP3

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Greetings all 

Today I have a very cool, very deep, very timely new mix from my man Soultaker73.

‘Freedom Time’ is a selection of real, topical, heavy funk and soul that comes from another time but makes all the sense in the world today.

Pull down the ones and zeroes and really dig it.

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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Comments (0)

By Larry, July 2, 2017 11:16 am

Fleamarket Funk/DJ Prestige Presents – Nice Up – Reggae Sevens

Intro
The Upsetters – Crumbling Dub
Junior Murvin – Police and Thieves
Ini Kamoze – World A Music
Michigan & Smiley – Rub A Dub/ Nice Up The Dance/ What A Ting
Prince Fatty – Gin and Juice
Trinity – Who Like It Bite It
Eek A Mouse – Wa Do Dem
Yellowman – I’m Getting Married In The Morning
Roots Radics Band – Divorce
Lone Ranger – Love Bump
Frankie Paul – Pass The Tushungpeng
Althea and Donna – Uptown Top Ranking
Johnny Osbourne – Summer Dub/ Hot Summer
Macka B – Never Played a 45
Courtney John – Strangers
Junior Byles – Curly Locks

Listen/Download – Fleamarket Funk/DJ Prestige – Nice Up – Reggae Sevens – 91MB Mixed MP3

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Greetings all.

Welcome to Part Two of the Funky16Corners 2017 Allnighter/Pledge Drive aka The Summer of Soul!

This week we have a spectacular reggae mix from my man DJ Prestige of Fleamarket Funk.

First, a few words from Pres:

“Any time I get a chance to contribute to the Funky 16 Corners empire it’s a pleasure.  Larry has been an early supporter of me at Flea Market Funk (10 years strong!), record dealer, and most importantly a good friend and confidant.  He’s turned me to to so many good records, sold me good records, and was an integral part of the Asbury Park 45 Sessions crew way back when.  The world we be a much sadder place without the massive contributions he has made with this site, as well as his podcast, radio show, other blogs, live DJ sets and everything else he has put his blood, sweat and tears into.  I know the feeling, the hustle is real (remember that, you will be seeing more on that from me shortly), and with this mix I’ve done for the 2017 pledge drive, I decided to go back to the essence of Jamaica and do an all forty five reggae mix.  Not only did I pick some classic and newer original reggae forty fives, I tried to do my best (without the toasting, although you have no idea how bad I wanted to yell “With a flick of my wrist I make you jump and twist!”) to put a set full of dub echo, delay, reverb and a lot of one turntable needle dropping as a tribute to the sound systems, selectors, and dee jays who kept the beat going and people dancing all night long in JA and the UK.  Reggae music has massively influenced me, and every day I am learning more and more and trying to get as many good reggae when they turn up.  I hope you enjoy listening to  this mix as much as I did creating it.  #DigDeeper people, there is so much beneath the surface, and Larry has showed the world how deep and how good music can be.  One love and maximum respect to the man they call Funky 16 Corners!”

Mix created with two Technics 1200 turntables, a Pioneer DJM-450 Mixer and original reggae 45s.  Nice Up!

-DJ Prestige | 2017

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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  Tarik Thornton, Ben Gibson, DJ Prime Mundo, DJ RP of Funkdefy, Vincent the Soul Chef, Chris Lujan of the M-Tet, DJ Bluewater and HeavySoulBrutha Dave B.

The pledging will also take a slightly different form this year, moving to 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 (i.e. if you pledge 12 bucks, it doles it out a dollar a month over the course of a year), which will help cover the ongoing server/broadcast/hardware expenses. This year has seen the upgrade of a couple of crucial pieces of equipment, and any help you fine people can provide will keep the machinery moving here at Funky16Corners central. So please dig deep so we can continue to do the same!

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

As I have mentioned recently, the changes to the general format here are as thus – The concentration of the operation will continue its shift to podcasting/radio, with the Funky16Corners Radio Show originating every week as a live broadcast, Thursday nights at 9PM Eastern on MIXLR, and will continue to be posted as a downloadable podcast every Friday, and broadcast in the UK on Cruising Radio.

The Iron Leg Radio Show will also move to a monthly live broadcast (day to be determined) also on MIXLR and will continue to be broadcast on Cruising Radio in the UK.

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!
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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

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

Comments (10)

By Larry, May 26, 2013 1:01 pm

Greetings all.

Welcome to the 2013 Funky16Corners Allnighter and Pledge Drive.

Those of you that fall by F16C on the reg will already be familiar with our yearly do, in which I ask some of the finest selectors I know to dip into their crates and put together mixes (from a wide variety of styles, but always soulful) for your listening pleasure.

This being the interwebs, with the selectors coming to you from points all over the map (NJ, New Zealand, NY, UK, Ohio, Minnesota), and all of you good people spread even further afield, we get together for this virtual “Allnighter” (in the tradition of the great soul clubs the world over) once a year.

There are two basic reasons for this, both equally important.

First and foremost, we try to raise some dough (via Paypal donation, see links below) to fund the server costs associated with keeping Funky16Corners (and Iron Leg) up and running. This includes the regular, thrice-weekly blog posts, as well as the Podcast, Soul Club, Guest Mix and Radio Show Archives (collectively holding well over 200 mixes of all kinds).

Second, is of course the fact that music – to paraphrase Willie the Shake – is the food of life, and so we assemble here to play on.

Blogging is for many – creators and readers alike – a transitory thing, but for the selectors here, and for many of the people that stop by here on a regular basis, music, especially soul, funk and jazz is life. These are no mere “collectors’. The mix-makers that you see here (and in all the previous years) have devoted a tremendous amount of time (not to mention,resources) to studying the sounds you will soon hear pouring out of your speakers.

Just the other day I saw someone bemoaning the overuse of the word “curating”, but I assure you that it applies to the work of every one of the people involved in this enterprise.

We all collect these sounds because we love them, but we have also all spent time sharing them, on blogs, and more importantly in live venues because we want to spread the word.

When I approach my fellow DJs to put together mixes for the Allnighter, I do so with complete confidence that they will select to impress, and impress they have.

What you here is roughly eight-and-a-half hours (in nine mixes) of the finest in funk, soul, latin, rocksteady, blues, disco, and Northern, put together by some of the best in the biz.

Funky16Corners is – and always has been – a not-for-profit enterprise. I have never taken ads here at the site and hopefully never will.

What I ask, is that if you dig what we do here, and you have the resources to do so, please throw a couple of bucks our way to keep the machine running for another year.

Everyone that donates five dollars or more will receive a Funky16Corners 2013 Allnighter Badge, F16C sticker, and one of our Keep Calm and Stay Funky stickers as well.

The Funky16Corners Blog will enter its 10th year of existence this year and though I’d probably still be at it if no one was paying attention, it’s much cooler doing it for folks like you!

So, I’ll offer you my thanks once again, and hopefully we’ll all be together again this time next year for more of the same.

Keep the Faith
Larry

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Click here to donate to Funky16Corners!

NOTE: It has been brought to my attention that the donation button has been experiencing technical difficulties. If you can’t get it to work, you can always log into Paypal and send the money to this address:

funky16corners@lycos.com

Thanks

Larry

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The Soul City – Everybody Dance Now (Goodtime)
Ross D Wyllie – Do the Uptight (A&M)
Popular Five – Little Bitty Pretty One (Minit)
Chuck Jackson and Maxine Brown – Can’t Let You Out of My Sight (Wand)
The Naked Truth – The Shingaling Thing (RCA)
Brenda Lee – Time and Time Again (Decca)
Derek Martin – Sly Girl (Tuba)
Shirelles – No Doubt About It (Scepter)
Robert Walker and the Soul Strings – The Blizzard (RCA)
The Trends – The Soul Clap (ABC)
The Tempests – Would You Believe (Smash)
Robert John – Raindrops, Love and Sunshine (A&M)
Kim Weston – Helpless (Gordy)
Earl Cosby – Ooh Honey Baby (Mirwood)
Four Pennies – You’re a Gas With Your Trash (Brunswick)
Ray Charles – I Don’t Need No Doctor (ABC)
Jo Armstead – I Feel an Urge (Giant)
Soul Sisters – Good Time Tonight (Sue)
OV Wright – Baby Mine (Goldwax)
The Velvelettes – He Was Really Saying Something (VIP)
Ronnie Love – Chills and Fever (Dot)
Little Caesar and the Empires – Everybody Dance Now (Inst) (Cameo/Parkway)

‘Everybody Dance Now’ is just under an hour of top shelf, hard charging Northern Soul, including some old faves as well as a grip of recently excavated heat that I think you’ll dig (and a couple of surprises too!).

Listen/Download Funky16Corners – Everybody Dance Now!
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Tony C: Feeling Good F16C Pledge drive 2013
Jean Dushon-Feeling good-Cadet
Merced Blue Notes-Whole lotta nothing-Tri Phi
Junior Wells-I’m gonna cramp your style-Bright Star
The Marvels-Forget about that mess-Sensation
Buddy Ace-Baby please don’t go-Duke
Buddy Greco-Twistin’ to the blues-Coronet
JJ Barnes-Won’t you let me in-Rich
The Charmaines-I idolise you-Kent
Joe Simon-Troubles-Hush
The Young Holt Trio-Ain’t there something that money can’t buy-Brunswick
Sonny Raye-Whip it on me-Jetstream
Pearl Woods-Sippin’ sorrow-Charge
BB King-16 tons-Crown
Ricardo Ray-Nitty Gritty-Alegre
Jack Constanzo-Evil ways-Discomoda
Willie Bobo-Be’s that way-Tico
Charlie Palmieri-Uptight-Atlantic
Tito Ramos-Big T-Cotique
The Beginning Of The End-Come down baby-Alston
The Soul Creations-Funky jive-GES
Tommy Wills-KC drive-Juke
Spanky Wilson-You-Mothers
Big Ella-It takes a lot of loving-Lo Lo
Eddie Parker-I need a true love-Triple ‘B’ Records

Tony Crampton is a UK based DJ/Collector whose mixes should be immediately familiar to readers of Funky16Corners. He has excellent taste, and gets frequent shout-outs here at F16C for records that he first put me onto.

Listen/Download Tony C: Feeling Good
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Kris Holmes – Greenville and Beyond

Slim Willis – I Say That
Little Eddie – There’ll Be A Day
Virgil Griffin – If You Can’t Go
The Trademarques – I Can Set You Free
Chick Willis – My Bowlegged Woman
Heavenly Kings Singers – If You Wake Up In The Morning
Vikki Styles – Mark My Words
The Premiers – Funky Monkey
The Perails – Boss Walk
The Cherries – You Know You Gonna Need Me
Vicki Williams – Your Love Makes Me Stay
L. Johnson Jr. – You Gotta Have Soul
W. Williams & Sonny Wash – Don’t Lie To Me Lover
Spencer Jackson Family – Bring Back Peace To The World
Johnny Littlejohn – Can’t Be Still
Johnny Nix – Matchbox
Pops Porter – Baby Put Your Legs Upside The Wall
Willie Buck – Get Down & Disco To The Blues
Bobby Williams – Soul Party
Ervin Little – Teach Me How To Boogaloo

Kris Holmes ‘Greenville and Beyond’ mix is an extension of the website he created to track the wide variety of records associated with several Greenville, Mississippi labels and their Chicago connections. Kris is one of the premier DJ/Collectors in New Zealand, rocking it in live venues and on his show the Sunday Shuffle on Radio Ponsonby (which can be heard Saturday nights here in the US). He has exquisite taste, and has been a big influence on new additions to the crates here at Funky16Corners.

Listen/Download Kris Holmes – Greenville and Beyond
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Reaching Onward – A FleamarketFunk.com All 45 Excursion
Studio G’s Beat Group – Hi Bird/ Licorice Soul
Quantic and His Combo Barbaro – Enyere Kumbara/ Tru Thoughts
Lonnie liston Smith & The Cosmic Echoes – Goddess of Love/ Flying Dutchman
Big Pimp Jones – The Smokeout/ Recordbreakin’
Hard Proof – Dragon/ Kept Records
The Jive Turkeys – No Answer/ Colemine
Yambu – Sunny/ Motuno
The T.M.G.’s – Agravation/ Funk 45
The DT6 – Don’t Doubt Me/ Starla
East L.A. Carpool – Linda Chicana/ GRC
Victor Green – The Ghetto/ Rejoint
Sir Ali Bengal – ABX (Instrumental)/ Our Label Records
Banda União Black – Yeah Yeah Yeah/ Vampi Soul

A Word from DJ Prestige

“Once again I’m honored to put together a guest mix for Larry at Funky 16 Corners. Today I’ve dug into my collection of 45s and pulled out a bunch of sides that I built around the intro from Sun-Ra. For the most part, these 45s represent a lot of the future of Funk, Soul, and who will be carrying on the torch of funky music in general in the years to come playing right along side a few older tracks that lend themselves nicely to this mix. Record labels like Colemine, who offer up The Jive Turkeys, Kept, who give us the Afro Beat of Hard Proof out of Austin, TX, The DT6 on Starla coming out of Scotland, Big Pimp Jones from Philly on Recordbreakin’, Our Records Label and Sir Ali Bengal out of Germany, and Quantic out of the UK represent a small amount of artists doing it like they did in the late 60’s and early 70’s. Some of these limited edition 7″s will be the sought after 45s in years to come. They’re recorded in the same manner as the originators, and each band lends it unique sound to the time line of music. I’ve also included some older sides such as Lonnie Liston Smith & The Cosmic Echoes, a Disco Soul cover of “Sunny” by Yambu, a Latin influenced Donnie Hathaway cover from Victor Green, some Psychedelic Library Hammond Funk from Studio G’s Beat Group, as well as some West Coast Lowrider Soul with East L.A. Carpool. Each one of these bands, no matter if it the present day or the past has been reaching outward to put out good music, and that’s what I want to do with this mix. Please enjoy. DJ Prestige, Flea Market Funk 2013″

Listen/Download DJ Prestige: Reaching Onward
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Tarik Thornton: TCB
James Black and the Southern University Stage Band- Ole Wine ( Intro)- Whit
Oliver Morgan- Roll Call- Seven B
Gene Chandler- Soul Hootenany Part 1- Constellation
Temptations- Girl, Why You Wanna Make Me Blue- Gordy
Little Eva- Get Ready/Uptight- Spring
Seven Souls – I Still Love You- Okeh
Natural Four-I Thought you Were Mine – ABC
Claude Huey- Drifting – M.I.O.B
Richard Brown- Sweet & Kind- SteeleTown
Gino Washington- What Can A Man Do- Washpan
Charles Brimmer- This Feeling in My Heart- Broadmoor
The Pearls – Shooting High- Lamp
The Symphonic Four- Who Do You Think Your Fooling Part II- Sudan
Bob & Gene- It’s Not What You Know It’s Who You Know
Aaron Neville- Hercules- Mercury
Willie Joe – Funny Thing- Pure Black Soul
Detroit Emeralds- You’re Getting Too Smart- Westbound
Eddie Floyd- Stealing Love- Stax
The 13th Amendment – The Stretch – Slave
James Brown – I’ll Go Crazy – King

Tarik Thornton is a New Orleans native who has relocated to the Midwest. He has worked as part of a number of top DJ crews, and guested at some of the hottest nights around the country. He is always digging, and never fails to bring the heat.

Listen/Download Tarik Thornton – TCB
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Prime Mundo: Positive/Negative – A Live Mixtape
alzo & udine – c’mon and join us (mercury)
jim ford – i wanta make her love me (sundown)
truth – i can’t go on (roulette)
southside movement – i’ve been watching you (20th century)
stevie wonder – i was made to love her (tamla)
trapeze – what is a woman’s role (threshold)
bo diddley – go for broke (chess)
yardbirds – baby what’s wrong (sire)
fiesta dance party – summertime (fiesta)
jesse morrison – tell me, can you feel it (a-bet)
edwin starr – easin’ in (motown)
charles spurling – popcorn charlie (king)
the watts 103rd street rhythm band – 65 bars and a taste of soul (warner bros)
gilberto sextet – yes i will part 1 (tico)
albert collins – thaw out (blue thumb)
jerry maccain – juicy lucy (jewel)
charlie earland – sing a simple song (prestige)
aluar horns (nonesuch)
mongo santamaria – fingers (vaya)

DJ Prime Mundo is one of the OG Asbury Park 45 Sessions crew. He’s got a spectacular ear for the finest in funk, soul and jazz his turntable skills are next level. No matter how much you think you know, you will always find  something new to dig in his mixes.

Listen/Download DJ Prime Mundo – Positive/Negative
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DJ Bluewater Presents: Turn To This Sound
The Vibrators – I’m Depending On You
Alton Ellis – The Preacher
Roland Alphonso – How Soon
The Fugitives – Cantelope Rock
The Maytals – Bim Today Bam Tomorrow
Roy Shirley – The Prophet
Prince Buster’s All Stars – All In My Mind
The Gaylads – Joy In The Morning
The Uniques – My Woman’s Love
The Modifies – Death In The Arena
Slim Smith – Burning Desire
Glen Adams – Mighty Organ
The Dee Set – I Know A Place
Max Romeo – She’s But A Little Girl
Roy Shirley – Don’t Be Afraid
The Gladiators – Fling It Gimme
Sound Dimension – More Scorcher
Tony Brevett – Don’t Get Weary
The Ethiopians – Selah
The Rulers – Let My People Go
Lee Perry – Whup Whop Man
Teddy King & Prince Buster – Mexican Divorce
Derrick Morgan – Too Bad
The Soul Brothers – Windell
Ken Boothe & Norma Frazer – Give Me The Right

DJ Bluewater is another member of the Asbury Park 45 Sessions crew. He is as deep into the rocksteady 45 game as he is with funk and soul. He has been contributing mixes to the Funky16Corners Pledge Drives since the beginning.

Listen/Download DJ Bluewater – Turn To This Sound

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Funkdefy: Take Time To Know Her
Roy “C” – I Found-A-Man In My Bed – Pan Records
The Esquires – Listen To Me – Bunky Records
Tony Fox – Do It To It – Calla Records
The Soul Sisters – Think About The Good Times – Sue Records
Bobby Lewis – Tossin’ and Turnin’ – Beltone
Charles Spurling – Popcorn Charlie – King
William Alexander, Jr. and the Dukes – Give Me One More Chance – Aphrodisiac
Mary Jane Hooper – That’s How Strong Love Is – World Pacific Audition Records
Harvey Scales – What’s Good For You (Don’t Have to be Good to You) – Stax Records
Jay Dee Bryant – Get It (Come On and Get It) – Enjoy Records
Johnnie Taylor – Take Care Of Your Homework – Stax
J. J. Jackson – But It’s Alright – Calla Records
Otis Redding – Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag (Live) – ATCO Records
Tony Clarke – Ghetto Man – Chicory Records
Don Gardner – My Baby Likes To Boogaloo – Tru-Glo-Town
Dyke And The Blazers – Funky Bull Pt. 1 – Original Sound
George Torrence & The Naturals – Lickin’ Stick – Shout
Billy Stewart – Summertime – Chess
Percy Sledge – Take Time To Know Her – Atlantic

A Word from DJ RP

FUNKDEFY, located in Columbus Ohio, is the longest running Funk-N-Soul dance party of Central Ohio. Founded in 2004, the Crew is an ensemble group of crate diggers and beat battlers. Not only have they been throwing monthly all vinyl dance parties, but in years past introduced live Soul to Columbus, heating up the city with their combination of dance parties on wax mixed with some incredible live bands, including The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker, The Budos Band and Eli “Paperboy” Reed & The True Loves. The following contribution was put together by founder DJ RP for your audio pleasure. You can hear other mixes of theirs on Soundcloud and see updates about them on Facebook. The crew hopes you will become part of, and a friend of, the funky collective.

Listen/Download Funkdefy – Take Time To Know Her
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F16C Presents: Are You Ready For This
Jackson Sisters – I Believe In Miracles (Prophecy)
Brothers – Are You Ready For This (RCA)
Papa John Creach – Joyce (Tom Moulton Mix) (Buddah)
Johnny Hammond Smith – Los Conquistadores Chocolates (Milestone)
Eddie Kendricks – Going Up In Smoke (Tamla)
Muscle Shoals Horns – Breakdown (Bang)
Charles Mann – Do It Again (ABC)
Touch – Love Hangover (Breaking Down) (Brunswick)
Lyn Collins – Rock Me Again & Again & Again & Again & Again & Again (People)
JBs – All Aboard the Funky Soul Train (Polydor)
Silvetti – Spring Rain (Salsoul)
Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes – Bad Luck (Tom Moulton Remix) (Philadelphia International)
Ray Charles – Compared to What (Atlantic)

‘Are You Ready For This’ includes all manner of funky disco, disco-y funk, and even a couple of similarly inclined tunes from the Northern Soul canon. Mostly 45s, a couple of 12’s and an LP track here and there.

Listen/Download Funky16Corners – Are You Ready For This?
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Click Here To Donate to Funky16Corners

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Also, make sure that you check out the links below to the Be The Match Foundation and POAC (click on the logos for more info).

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, April 4, 2010 12:38 pm

Greetings all.

As promised, today marks the very first time I’ve hosted a guest post, i.e. a piece written by someone other than me. Not too long ago Eric from Record Racks suggested a post swap (you can see the post I did for Record Racks here) and naturally, I was amenable.

Eric chose to put together a review of the recent Now Again reissue of the rare LP by Virginia’s Equatics.

I hope you dig it, and make sure to head over to check out what’s going down at Record Racks.

In other news, I’ve put together a two-hour mix, in a ‘late night’ stylee for my man Arvo at the Delirious Sunrise program on WLUW at Loyola University that will air this Tuesday, April 6 from 4 to 6AM. It will be archived at Posterity Playlists and then eventually posted in this very space. Make sure to check it out.

Peace

Larry

The Equatics

Listen/Download -The Equatics – Santana Pt2
From Doin It!!! (Now Again, 2010)

By Eric Luecking of Record Racks

I remember playing in the school band throughout middle school and part of high school, and never do I recall us sounding as sweet and professional as the likes of Kashmere Stage Band out of Houston, Texas; The Diplomatics out of Indianapolis, Indiana; or this group, The Equatics, out of Hampton, Virginia. These bands give studio musicians a run for their money and make 99% of the rest of local school bands sound like they just picked up an instrument, which may be true for many.

Whether or not these groups were as proficient with their musical chops due to fewer distractions (the internet), the product of an era where there was a focus on true musicianship (face it, it’s mostly lost these days on up-and-comers), a greater commitment to in-school music programs (prior to the big dollars athletics now bring in), or just a collision of a mishmash of factors that culminated in the same place at the same time is a topic that could be vigorously debated. But that’s a different discussion for another day.

Band members Carlton Savage, Benjamin Crawford, Wayne Jones, Calvin Billups, Renon Sumpter, Daniel Slade, Alvin Paige, Leo Davis, and Crawford’s coach Frank Johnson stirred some mean soul stew with their only album. It’s unclear how many copies were pressed, but we do know that it was funded by Pepsi after the kids won two separate contests sponsored by Pepsi, one of which was to write a jingle for the company to be aired locally.

“Doin It!!!” features a few covers including their take on the Isaac Hayes classic “Walk On By” and another on their state’s neighbor’s prodigal son Bill Withers “Ain’t No Sunshine.” These covers stand strong as the band refuses to wilt under the pressure of performing songs that were wildly popular at the time and have since become staples of the songbook of America. Even on the remake of Brenda And The Tabulations’ “The Touch Of You,” which isn’t as strongly revered in musical history books, they breathe a touch of fresh air in replacing vocals, including the doo wop backdrops, with a jazz leaning trumpet lead.

Showcasing their skills even further is “Santana,” divided into two parts, and questionably separated by the previously mentioned Tabulations remake. Each part has musical sections that are either the same riff or a very close interpretation of it, but both smoke with a fury. Led by an upfront rhythm guitar that doesn’t try to overpower you with your typical leading solo guitar shtick, it’s cemented with aggressive bass plucking by Crawford. You even get a short solo on organ at no extra charge.

Their original material is just as fascinating, much of it as pleading balladry. “Coach” had a lifelong dream of a singing career that never materialized before or after this set, but you get a sense of satisfaction listening to him aspiring to attain his dreams. Even if this album would have had greater distribution and amassed an audience of talent scouts, he still may not have garnered much attention from the music industry. That’s not to say his vocals on the rhetorical “Where Is Love?” are bad (they aren’t), but merely to say he was competent enough to carry out the task. After all, failing to reach the stars isn’t really failure at all when you consider that most people’s dreams never even leave the ground.

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg for some psyche from a very unexpected source.

PSS Check out Paperback Rider too.

PSSS Don’t forget to hit up Funky16Corners on Facebook

You can also follow Funky16Corners on Twitter

Comments (0)

By Larry, April 2, 2010 9:45 pm

Greetings all.
Just a programming note to let you know that this Monday will bring the heretofore unprecedented appearance of a guest post (i.e. one not written by yours truly) from my man Eric over at Record Racks.
I will be reciprocating at his fine blog as well.
Have a great weekend, and I’ll see you then.

Peace

Larry