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By Larry, March 23, 2017 11:59 am

The Majestics (left) and their singers, Shawne and Jay Jackson (right)

Listen/Download – Jay Jackson and the Heads of Our Time – Listen Here MP3

Greetings all.

The end of the week is finally here and so I will remind you once again to dig the Funky16Corners Radio Show, which drops each and every Friday with the best of soul, funk, 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 Stitcher and TuneIn apps, dig it on Mixcloud, or grab yourself an MP3 right here at Funky16Corners.com

The record I bring you today was something of a mystery, until Google intervened.

The 45 by Jay Jackson and the Heads of Our Time was released on Mr G records in 1969. One side was a horn-rock cop of the Joe Cocker arrangement of the Beatles ‘With a Little Help From My Friends’.

The side I bring you today is a much cooler instrumental, a cover of Eddie Harris’ soul jazz standard ‘Listen Here’.

Harris recorded the original version of the song in 1966 on his ‘Mean Greens’ LP (a very groovy take with Harris putting down his sax and playing organ and electric piano), and it was redone a bunch of times by folks like Brian Auger, Young-Holt, Valorie Keys (in a vocal), Ramsey Lewis, Freddie McCoy, and the mighty Soulful Strings.

The group hailed from Canada, and released a rare LP on Audio Fidelity, from which both of the cuts on this 45 were lifted.

Apparently most of the group, Jay Jackson (vocals), Russ Strathdee (sax), Ric Robertson (keyboards), Arnie Chycoski (horns), Bill Cudmore (sax), Orly Guerrieri (trombone), Brian Lucrow (trumpet), Jack Posluns (drums) and Chuck Vickery (bass) had played in the Toronto band the Majestics ( where Jay’s sister Shawne, who went on to have Canadian hits on her own was the co-lead singer), and Jay Jackson and the Heads of Our Time was an attempt to regroup and restage the band as a more timely jazz rock/psych outfit.

Their producer Tony Di Maria worked with a lot of Canadian and Upstate NY acts, including crossing paths with the Shannon/Cisco axis including the Rockin’ Rebels and Kathy Lynn and the Playboys (aka the LaSalles).

The group’s version of ‘With a Little Help From My Friends’ is a pretty solid 1969 reapproximation of the Joe Cocker hit, but their version of ‘Listen Here’ is different and very groovy indeed.

Taken at a slightly slower pace, with a tasty Latin edge, and some groovy, jazzy lead guitar, they really dig deep into the heart of Harris’ classic. The tastefully applied horn section adds a nice punch to things as well.

The arrangement is really nice, and the piano work by Ric Robertson is excellent.

I haven’t heard the LP (which is apparently pretty far out, as well as fairly rare) but I’ll keep an eye out for it.

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, March 21, 2017 9:29 am

Funky16Corners: Bold Soul Sisters 3

Clydie King – Never Stop Loving You (Minit)
Barbara Acklin – Be By My Side (Brunswick)
Jo Armstead – Stone Good Lover (Giant)
Maxine Brown – You Upset My Soul (Wand)
Betty Harris – I’m Gonna Git Ya (Sansu)
Linda Lyndell – What a Man (Volt)
Bernice Willis – Confidence (Okeh)
Brenda Lee – Proud Mary (Decca)
Delores Hall – W-O-M-A-N (Keymen)
Mary Wells – Don’t Look Back (Jubilee)
Dianne Brooks- Walking On My Mind (TRC)
Ella Fitzgerald – Savoy Truffle (Reprise)
Gloria Jones – Look What You Started (Minit)
Jeanne and the Darlings – It’s Unbelievable (How You Control My Soul) (Volt)
Sari and the Shalimars – You Walked Out On Me Before (Veep)
Funky Sisters – Do It To It (Aurora)
Shirelles – No Sugar Tonight (RCA)
Jean Knight – Helping Man (Stax)
Linda Carr – Discover Me (Capitol)
Bobbettes – Looking For a New Love (Mayhew)
Kim Weston – Danger Heartbreak Dead Ahead (People)
Little Betty Baker – Stop Boy (All Platinum)

Listen/Download – Funky16Corners – F16C: Bold Soul Sisters 3 MP3

Greetings all.

As promised, I bring you the third installment in the Bold Soul Sisters series, the second having run last week and the first, a short eleven years ago.

This mix – while still funky – dials down the funk quotient a bit,, with things taking on a slightly mellower, soulful vibe (also drawing the selections from a slightly wider time period).

There are a lot of very tasty records herein, including a couple of old faves, a few very interesting covers, and hopefully a bunch that you haven’t heard before.

What they all have in common is a deep groove, a 45RPM format, and some of the most righteous soul sisters ever to play the game.

As always, I hope you dig it.

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 16, 2017 7:02 am

Listen/Download – The Soul Set – Mickey’s Funky Monkey MP3

Listen/Download – The Soul Set – Flunky Flunky MP3

Greetings all.

The end of the week is upon us, and so it’s Funky16Corners Radio Show time again. The podcast comes to you each and every Friday with the best in soul, funk, 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 Stitcher and TuneIn apps, check it out on Mixcloud, or grab yourself an MP3 right here at Funky16Corners.com

Today’s selection is one of those records that has been stewing in my crates since forever, picked up in my broad sweep of everything Philadelphical back in the day.

I remember grabbing this out of certain cigar smoke stained vinyl treasure trove withing the Philly city limits, along with a grip of funk and Northern Soul things, mainly on the strength of the title, and the fact that it had Philly music names (Frank Virtue and Bernie Binnick) on it.

When I got it home I was very pleasantly surprised to discover that in addition to the funky version of the Miracles ‘Mickey’s Monkey’, there was a groovy organ instro version (Flunky Flunky) on the flip.

I know nothing at all about the Soul Set, other than the fact that they probably had no relation to the Jersey Shore unit (that secorded for Selsom and Johnson).

BB was a Philadelphia imprint that released a bunch of 45s in the mid-to-late 60s including two by the Soul Set, one by Guy Maurice (who also recorded for Fairmount), and discs by Frantic Freddy, the Centurys and (dig this name) Ernie Fields and Cockroach.

The group’s version of ‘Mickey’s Monkey’ is groovy, with lots of dance floor punch.

The organ instro version ‘Flunky Flunky’ is also excellent, with lots of overmodulated Hammond sailing over the pounding drums.

Interestingly, ‘Mickey’s Funky Monkey’ charted in a bunch of Philly-area markets in the summer of 1967 (their earlier 45 had some minor regional success as well.

If anyone out there knows who was in this band, please let me know.

That said, I hope you dig the 45, and I’ll see you all on Monday.

Keep the faith

Larry

____________________________________________________________________________

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 5, 2017 11:42 am

Cannibal and the Headhunters

Listen/Download – Cannibal and the Headhunters – Zulu King MP3

Listen/Download – Cannibal and the Headhunters – Shotgun MP3

Greetings all.

I hope the dawning of a new week finds you all well.

Today’s selections are part of the continuum created by my ongoing obsession with the sounds of East LA/Chicano R&B, soul and funk.

Cannibal and the Headhunters are one of the best known of the East LA bands by virtue of their memorable name, and the fact that they had one of the signature hits of the scene, that being their 1965 version of Chris Kenner’s ‘Land of 1,000 Dances’, in which the famous ‘Na Na Na Na Na’ chant was added to the song forever more.

I picked up the group’s 1965 LP of the same title a while back, and posted their cover of James Brown’s ‘Out of Sight’ here in 2007.

A few years ago, I was out digging and happened upon another (previously unknown to me) Cannibal LP on the Date label. I recognized some of the same songs from the first LP, but there were a bunch of new tracks as well, so I took the plunge.

When I got the album home and started digitizing the contents, it was obvious that some of the tracks were the same, but a several of them were new.
It looks like after their success with the local Rampart label, Date (specifically Richard Gottehrer of the Strangeloves) decided to take a run at getting Cannibal and the boys a bigger piece of the market. They reassembled the ‘Land of 1,000 Dances’ album, omitting a couple of tunes and recording a few new ones.

The two tracks I bring you today include one track from the original iteration, and one from the new one (though they both appear on the Date LP).

The new track is a cool, midtempo R&B number called ‘Zulu King’. Written by East LA scene fixture Chick Carlton (a black Kansas City transplant who sang with the integrated group the Majestics, as well as writing material for a number of other groups), ‘Zulu King’ runs with a booming bass line, drums and well placed horns, with Cannibal and the Headunters laying some sweet harmonies on top of things.

A few years later, the group Free Movement (‘I’ve Found Someone Of My Own’) re-recorded the song as ‘Son of the Zulu King’.

The second track should be much more familiar, that being a stomping cover of Junior Walker and the All Stars ‘Shotgun’. It features some groovy rhythm guitar and combo organ, as well as excellent group harmonies.

As far as I can tell the Date-session tunes are not currently available in reissue. The iTunes version of the Rampart ‘Land of 1,000 Dances’ includes the original album and tacks on some Rampart 45-only tracks.

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

Keep the faith

Larry

____________________________________________________________________________

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, February 28, 2017 12:47 pm

Listen/Download – Johnny Jay and the Gangbusters – You Get Your Kicks MP3

Listen/Download – Johnny Jay and the Gangbusters – Gangbusters Blues MP3

Greetings all.

Today’s selection is one of those records that I picked up at a record show, never having heard it before, taking a chance on it because I knew the tune, a cover of Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels 1966 ‘You Get Your Kicks’.

I had never heard of Johnny Jay and the Gangbusters, and I still haven’t been able to find anything out about them. The group appears to have recorded only this one 45 (in 1967) , and the information on the label isn’t very helpful, except to indicate that the record was produced by Gary Knight (aka Harold Temkin, Gary Temkin, Gary Weston), the co-writer of ‘You Get Your Kicks’ (and also co-writer, with Barbara Banks of one of the greatest soul 45s ever ‘River of Tears’).

I know it seems blasphemous to suggest this, but I think the Gangbusters version of the tune is better than the original by Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels.

Though Ryder is the superior vocalist, the arrangement and playing on this version of the song is much more robust and ultimately danceable than the original.

The bass guitar is more prominent, as is the horn section and the lead guitar.

The flipside, entitled ‘Gangbusters Blues’, and credited to five separate writers (none of them Knight or his original co-writer Bob Crewe) is actually an instrumental version of ‘You Get Your Kicks’.

The 45 seems to have had some level of success on Northern Soul dance floors in the UK.

If anyone out there knows anything more about the group, please let me know.

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

Keep the faith

Larry

____________________________________________________________________________

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, February 26, 2017 11:55 am

The LaSalles aka Kathy Lynn and the Playboys

Listen/Download – The LaSalles – La La La La La MP3

Greetings all.

Every once in a while you find yourself pulling on a loose thread, and it just keeps unravelling.

Back in the day, during the storied Asbury Park 45 Sessions, one of my compadres dropped the needle on a monstrous banger called ‘Kick-Back’ by a group I’d never heard of before called Willie Tell and the Overtures.

As was often the case, the 45 went right onto my want list, and I set out in search of a copy for my play box.

It took a while, but I finally scored a copy.

While I was searching, I stumbled on another 45 with the same A and B sides as the Willie Tell and the Overtures record, this time by the already familiar Buena Vistas (the exact same recordings, with an earlier release) .

So, down the rabbit hole I went, discovering a whole bunch of cool things in the process.

The Buena Vistas were connected to a pair of Upstate New York characters by the names of Carl Cisco and Tom Shannon, and a band by the name of Kathy Lynn and the Playboys.

The story – at least as I was able to pick it apart – was that Cisco, Shannon and the aforementioned band had varying degrees of involvement (from peripheral all the way down to not at all) with the Buena Vistas 45s, most of which were in fact the work of various and sundry Funk Brothers (I still haven’t figured out how the Buena Vistas 45 got rereleased as Willie Tell et al). Cisco/Shannon also had their hands in records by the Rockin’ Rebels, Revlons and other Western NY/Detroit acts).

That said, Kathy Lynn and the Playboys were a real, working group, and they are (as far as I can discern) the people behind the smoking version of Stevie Wonder’s ‘La La La La La’ that was released on the Motown subsidiary VIP as by the LaSalles in 1966.

Though originally written and recorded by Stevie, ‘La La La La La’ is best known by the hit version by the East LA group the Blendells from 1964.

As much as I love the Blendells version, the recording by the LaSalles (yet another alias) is amazing.

Kathy Lynn (nee Kathy Keppen, who would go on to marry Playboys/Buena Vistas/LaSalles guitarist Nick Ameno) opens the tune with the traditional spoken passage, then rips into it sounding like a crazed version of Brenda Lee.

The band lays into a heavy groove, with organ, drums, bass and soul clapping, making their version of the song perfect for the dance floor.

Lynn went on to record as Lynn Terry, and it appears that a modern version of Kathy Lynn and the Playboys was playing as recently as 2012.

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

Keep the faith

Larry

____________________________________________________________________________

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, February 9, 2017 11:11 am

William Bell

Listen/Download – William Bell – You Don’t Miss Your Water MP3

Listen/Download – Otis Clay – You Don’t Miss Your Water MP3

Greetings all.

The end of the week is here, and so I will remind you once again not to forget to hook yourselves up with the Funky16Corners Radio Show, which hits the airwaves of the interwebs with the best in soul, funk, jazz and rare groove, all on original vinyl, each and every Friday in iTunes (where you should subscribe) , TuneIn, Stitcher, Mixcloud and at Funky16Corners.com

We end the week with an absolutely, 100% certified soul classic from the pen (and mouth) of one of the greatest Southern soul men, the mighty William Bell.

I have known this song since the very earliest days of filling my ears with soul music, having heard it on a long forgotten compilation more than 30 years ago.

Since then, I have accumulated several other versions (including killers by Otises Redding and Clay among others).

William Bell was brought to Stax Records by the legendary Chips Moman, who produced this, Bell’s own composition and debut 45, in 1961.

Though ‘You Don’t Miss Your Water’ was not a hit (though it had some small regional success in the South and California) at the time of it’s release, it went on to a position as a cornerstone of both the early Stax sound specifically, and of Southern soul in general.

It is one of those great soul records that seems as if it were constructed entirely from bits and pieces of gospel music, yet transcends the holiness vibe completely, becoming something that is better heard late at night escaping from an AM radio speaker.

The arrangement is uncomplicated, yet on repeated listens there are bits and pieces where certain parts of the band stand up, especially the piano, the ghostly organ solo that trades lines with Bell, and the lingering cymbal that drifts off into the ether at the very end of the song.

Bell’s vocal is simply a masterpiece. It has a confessional feel, as if he’s conversing with the listener, and though he never soars into the rafters, there are moments where the pure emotion of his voice is a thing of beauty. His opening line, ‘In the beginning…’ is amazing in its simplicity and directness, coming across like the first page of a book, or the title card of a movie. It forces you to stop and listen.

Though Bell’s original is indisputably amazing, you also need to hear Otis Clay’s version, which might be the greatest version of the song.

Recorded in Muscle Shoals in 1968, at the beginning of a brief run of 45s that Clay recorded for Cotillion, between his long runs at One-Derful and Hi, ‘You Don’t Miss Your Water’ is a testament to Clay’s mighty voice, and the power of a great singer seeing an opportunity to take an already great song into the stratosphere.

The arrangement is still fairly spare – with the guitar taking the place of the acoustic piano, a more prominent horn section and some very nice electric piano in place of the organ, but Clay’s vocal is spectacular, wrenching every bit of emotion out of the lyrics, conveying a palpable sense of regret.

I wouldn’t feel as if I’d done my job if I didn’t include it today.

So dig them both, and I’ll see you all next week.
.

Keep the faith

Larry

____________________________________________________________________________

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, February 5, 2017 11:43 am

Sons of Blues

Listen/Download -Sons of Blues – Sex Machine MP3

Greetings all.

I hope the new week finds you all well.

The tune I bring you today is yet another iteration of the old saw wherein a very familiar song is presented in a relatively unfamiliar setting.

I cannot recall exactly where I first heard about Billy Branch and the Sons of Blues version of James Brown’s ‘Sex Machine’, but I can tell you that I had to have it (in my never ending search for James Brown covers) and it took quite a while to track down a copy of the album it appeared on (‘Where’s My Money’) for my crates.

The Sons of Blues were a Chicago-based blues band and their album ‘Where’s my Money’ was released in 1984 on the independent blues label ‘Red Beans’.

The leader of the group (and its most consistent member) was harp player/singer (thought the vocalist on this track appears to be drummer Moses Rutues) Billy Branch who often got top billing on their records.

The Sons of Blues take on ‘Sex Machine’ is more accurately described as a medley of that song, ‘Licking Stick’ and ‘I Don’t Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing’.

Though the vibe isn’t purely funk, the band is certainly funky, with a kind of loose-limbed vibe that sounds like it probably developed out of an extended, largely improvised jam.

The band is tight, and the harmonica – largely working here as a horn section substitute – adds an interesting flavor.

The Sons of Blues maintain the call-and-response structure of the original, and the jam stretches out for close to 7 minutes.

The rest of the album is pretty much entirely era-appropriate electric blues.

As I said before, the record is fairly scarce (there’s also a CD version), but not terribly expensive when it does turn up.

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

Keep the faith

Larry

____________________________________________________________________________

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, February 2, 2017 12:24 pm

Arthur Prysock

Listen/Download – Arthur Prysock – In the Rain MP3

Greetings all.

The end of the week is here, and I will remind you not to forget to check out the Funky16Corners Radio Show, which drops each and every Friday with the best in soul, funk, 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 TuneIn and Stitcher, dig it on Mixcloudm or gran yourself an MP3 here at Funky16Corners.com

He tune I bring you today is one of those ‘familiar song from an unfamiliar source’ things that I like so much.

I forget where I first heard about Arthur Prysock’s version of ‘In the Rain’, but I was both surprised by its very existence, and that it had been a hit.

The song was of course written by Detroit master Tony Hester and first recorded by the mighty Dramatics, and it was a Number One R&B hit (as well as making it into the Pop Top Ten) for the group in 1972.

Arthur Prysock though, is a name I always associated with an earlier era.

He began his career singing with big bands in the late 40s, having his first hit in 1952 (I Didn’t Sleep a Wink Last Night) with the Sy Oliver Orchestra.

He worked mostly as an R&B balladeer, having a string of hits with the Old Town label starting in 1960.

When he recorded ‘In the Rain’ in 1973, he was 44 years old and hadn’t had a hit since 1965.

His version of the song has a very hip arrangement, with some groovy organ and horns, and it’s a nice contrast to hear the song delivered in Prysock’s husky baritone.

Prysock would go on to have a minor resurgence, placing three more R&B Top 40 hits in 1976 and 1977.

He passed away in 1997 at the age of 68.

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

Keep the faith

Larry

____________________________________________________________________________

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, January 10, 2017 11:05 am

The Dixie Hummingbirds

Listen/Download – The Dixie Hummingbirds – She Loves Me Like a Rock MP3

Greetings all.

Since we got the week started with some high quality gospel, I thought I’d bring you another taste of the good (sanctified stuff).

If you are inclined to split hairs, ‘She Loves Me Like a Rock’ is closer to gospel pastiche in its original version, by its composer, a little known commodity by the name of Paul Simon.

Originally appearing on his 1973 LP ‘There Goes Rhymin’ Simon’, ‘She Loves Me Like a Rock’ was a #2 Pop single that year.

Simon’s LP was recorded in a number of different settings, with ‘She Loves Me Like a Rock’ being done in Muscle Shoals, with the Swampers providing instrumental backing and the mighty Dixie Hummingbirds laying on the harmonies.

The tune I bring you today is the Dixie Hummingbirds’ own version of the song, recorded and released later that same year on the Peacock label.

The Dixie Hummingbirds came together in South Carolina 1928, with lead vocalist Ira Tucker joining the group in 1938 at the age of 13 (!?!).

The group eventually moved north to Philadelphia (Ira Tucker was the father of Sundray Tucker, aka Cindy Scott, a name that should be familiar to Northern Soul fans) and went on to become one of the most important gospel groups of the day.

Their recording of ‘She Loves Me Like a Rock’ doesn’t stray that far from Simon’s original, with the marked exception of Ira Tucker’s vocals taking over in the lead spot from Simon’s pleasant, but much less substantial voice.

The Dixie Hummingbirds version of the song was a minor gospel hit, and went on to win a Grammy for the Best Soul Gospel Performance in 1974.

It’s a groovy side, and I hope you dig it.

I’ll see you all on Friday with something funky.

Keep the faith

Larry

____________________________________________________________________________

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, December 15, 2016 2:02 pm

Ike and Tina with one of the various iterations of the Ikettes

Listen/Download – Ike and Tina Turner and the Ikettes – I Want To Take You Higher MP3

Greetings all.

The end of the week is here, and so is the Funky16Corners Radio Show, which arrives each and every Friday laden with the finest in soul, funk, jazz and rare groove, all on original vinyl. You can (and should) subscribe to (and rate) the show as a podcast in iTunes, listen on your mobile device with Stitcher, TuneIn or Mixcloud, or grab yourselves an MP3 right out of the Radio Show Archive right here at Funky16Corners.com.

The discography of Ike and Tina Turner is a very deep well indeed, into which we have dipped (and will continue to dip) repeatedly over the years.
During their long marriage and musical collaboration (both tempestuous) Mr and Mrs Turner made some of the heaviest R&B, soul and funk created during the 60s and 70s.

Tina had (and has) one of the great soulful wails, and Ike had remarkable musical instincts, as a composer, bandleader and producer (so remarkable that he ought to be remembered for his music as much as hs is for his reckless personal life and habits).

Today’s selection is a 45 pulled from their 1970 LP (in which the Ikettes get co-billing) ‘Come Together’, which featured a number of Ike Turner originals alongside covers of the Rolling Stones (Honky Tonk Women), the Beatles (Come Together) and the song you see before you today, Sly and the Family Stone’s ‘I Want To Take You Higher’.

Ike and Tina, having already borrowed from Sly (the riff from ‘Bold Soul Sister’ having originated in Sly’s ‘Sing a Simple Song’), return to his catalog for a straight cover.

The Ike and Tina take on ‘…Higher’ is hard-hitting, with Tina trading lines with the Ikettes, a heavy bass, wah wah guitar and a well-placed horn section.

The arrangement isn’t much of a departure from the OG, but you get to hear Tina working it out in place of Sly, and a solid guitar solo from Ike.
I was surprised to discover that this 45 was actually something of a hit, grazing the R&B Top 20 and making it into the Pop Top 40 in the Summer of 1970.

It is further testament to the heaviness of Ike and Tina, collectively and as individual giants of soul.

I hope you dig the track, and I’ll see you all on Monday.

Keep the faith

Larry

____________________________________________________________________________

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, December 8, 2016 2:27 pm

Listen/Download – Ann Mason featuring Little Mac and the Boss Sounds – You Can’t Love Me (In the Midnight Hour) MP3

Greetings all.

The end of the week is upon us, and so is your weekly dose of the Funky16Corners Radio Show, coming to you 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 Stitcher, TuneIn and Mixcloud or grab an MP3 out of the archive right here at Funky16Corners.com

The tune I bring you today is one of those excellent 45s from the classic soul era that, despite having more than one international issue at its time of release, carries in its wake little to no information about the artists.

You have heard both sides of this 45 on the Funky16Corners Radio Show (and in various mixes here at the blog) over the years, both the groovy organ instro by Little Mac and the Boss Sounds (actually the A side of the record) and the side I bring you today, ‘You Can’t Love Me (In the Midnight Hour)’ by Ann Mason.

Released in 1965, it is in most ways an answer record to Wilson Pickett’s huge hit of that year, but is also basically just that song with new lyrics.

There is literally nothing out there about Ann Mason.

The assumption has always been that she was from the Carolinas, much like the backing band that was led by Little Mac, aka Billy Mack aka Billy McDougal, a blind organist and singer from Greensboro, NC.

That said, it would appear that she never made another record (as opposed to Mack/McDougal who made several).

Her performance is powerful and self assured, and the record has been a dance floor favorite in the UK and France, both countries that saw issues of this 45 (on Atco).

As I mentioned, Little Mac made a bunch of his own records (under a couple of names), one of which I will drop here in the near future.

Until then, if you have any information about Ann Mason, please drop me a line.

I hope you dig the tune and have yourself a great weekend.

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.