Comments (0)

By Larry, September 3, 2017 11:14 am

Funky16Corners Soul Party A Go Go

Andre Williams – Soul Party A Go Go (Avin)
Bob Kuban Explosion – Jerkin’ Time (USA)
Kip Anderson – A Knife and a Fork (Checker)
Citations – Chicago (Mercury)
Eddie Bo – Shake Rock and Soul (Cinderella)
Oliver Sain – Jerk Loose (Checker)
Magnificent Malochi – Mama Your Daddy’s Come Home (Brunswick)
Larry Johnson – Mercy (Zorro)
Soupy Sales – Nitty Gritty (ABC/Paramount)
Alvin Cash and the Crawlers – The Barracuda (Mar V Lus)
Chuck Berry – Back To Memphis (Mercury)
Billy Preston – Hey Brother (Capitol)
Johnny Daye – I Need You (Stax)
Billy Graham and the Escalators – Ooh Poo Pah Doo (Atlantic)
The Foundations – Jerkin the Dog (Uni)
Howard Roberts – Florence of Arabia (Capitol)
Howard Tate – Stop (Verve)
Joe Simon – Come On and Get It (SS7)
Johnny Maestro and the Crests – Come See Me (Parkway)
Tender Joe Richardson – I Ain’t Going For That (Hot Biscuit)
Jackie Wilson – Hold On I’m Coming (Brunswick)
Ronnie Milsap – Ain’t No Soul (In These Old Shoes) (Scepter)
Objectives – Love Went Away (Jewel)
Fats Domino – If You Don’t Know What Love Is (ABC/Paramount)
Other Brothers – Hole In the Wall (Modern)
Russell Evans and the Nighthawks – Send Me Some Cornbread (Atco)

Listen/Download – Funky16Corners Soul Party A Go Go 117MB Mixed MP3

__________________________________________________________

Greetings all.

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

This week we have the traditional closing mix of the festivities from your’s truly.

I got things started this year with a selection of Northern Soul, and I’m closing things out with a mix of dance floor movers, party starters, soul jazz and Hammond groovers.

The fundraising aspect of the 2017 Summer of Soul hasn’t been all that encouraging.

Whether it was the change in format, the switch to Patreon, or just a general lack of interest, I can’t really say, but if you were waiting for an appropriate time to toss something into the mix, now would be it.

So dig the sounds, and make sure to click on the Patreon button to help keep the lights on here at Funky16Corners! Fundraising up to this point has not been very encouraging, so please do what you can. It is as always greatly appreciated.

________________________

The fundraiser 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!
_______________________________________________

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

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

Keep the faith

Larry

____________________________________________________________________________

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

Comments (0)

By Larry, September 27, 2016 10:42 am

Ronnie Marks (today)

Listen/Download – Ronnie Marks – Some Lonely Heart MP3

Greetings all.

The tune I bring you today made its way into my playbox via the generosity and knowledge of a friend, which is always a groovy thing.

Many, many years ago my man Haim and I were out digging at a record show when he passed a Fania 45 to me, saying ‘You need this. Soul 45 on Fania.’ Naturally that sounded like a tasty proposition, so I tossed the 45 on my stack, paid up and took it home.

Good thing I did, since not only is it a very cool 45, but Ronnie Marks has a very cool story.

I have always been fascinated by non-Latinos that made their mark in the boogaloo era, especially guys like Harvey Averne and Larry Harlow.

Something that also grabbed me, was how many great Latin soul records are credited to the bandleader, while someone else is actually handling the vocals (very, very common in boogaloo).

Today’s selection is an intersection of those two threads.

Ronnie Marks worked as a singer with Latin bands for relatively brief, bit important and particularly productive time in the late 60s and early 70s. He worked with both Mongo and Monguito Santamaria, as well as Johnny Pacheco.

Marks was the singer on Monguito’s ‘Juicy’ and ‘Hey Sister’, as well as Mongo pere’s classic ‘We Got Latin Soul’.

‘Some Lonely Heart’, released in 1971 and produced by Jerry Masucci and Harvey Averne is prime, blaxplo-era funky soul. There is a little bit of Latin percussion helping to keep the beat, but this tune could have appeared on an LP by the Four Tops or the Temptations without a single alteration.

It contrasts the funky backing with a nice string arrangement and interlude, and Marks’ vocals are top shelf.

As far as I can tell ‘Some Lonely Heart’ didn’t chart anywhere, which is a damn shame.

Ronnie Marks is still around today, and working on a comeback. Dig this interview with Antonio Caez.

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

Comments (0)

By Larry, July 21, 2015 12:55 pm

Ricardo Ray

Listen/Download – Ricardo Ray – Cool Jerk MP3

Greetings all.

It was not all that long ago, whilst browsing through the crates looking for something cool to blog about, that I pulled out an old fave, ‘Let’s Get Down To the Real Nitty Gritty’ by Ricardo Ray.

Ray was one of the first line boogaloo exponents during the classic mid-to-late 60s era, waxing heat for the Alegre label on his own and in partnership with Bobby Cruz.

The 45 version of his cover of Shirley Ellis’s ‘Nitty Gritty’ (which was a regional hit in 1968) has been a staple of my playbox for close to 20 years, so when I happened upon a copy of the LP from whence it came, I had to have it.

As boogaloo LPs go, ‘Let’s Get Down to the Real Nitty Gritty’ is very solid stuff indeed. Composed almost entirely of soul and R&B cover material, and played by Ray’s extra-hot band, it packs a punch from beginning to end.

The versions of ‘Nitty Gritty’ and Don Covay’s ‘Sookie Sookie’ are especially hot, but the one I’m here to preach about today sees Ricardo heading to Detroit.

When he covered the Capitols’ ‘Cool Jerk’ the tune was only a few years old, and a significant hit. Ray and band really lay into the song, with a heavy bass line, latin percussion and some very heavy drums (please to dig the breakdown at around 1:25).

In other hands, covering the song may have seemed a fools errand (why mess with perfection?) but Ray and his orchestra really bring something new and hot to the tune.

I hope you dig it, 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.

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).

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (0)

By Larry, March 17, 2015 12:05 pm

Willie Bobo

Greetings all.

I thought I’d whip a little Latin jazz/boogaloo on you to usher you over the hump.

One would assume that most of you were already familiar with the music of the mighty Willie Bobo.

Though Bobo came up as a percussionist with leaders like George Shearing, Cal Tjader and Mongo Santamaria, he made his biggest mark as a solo artist.

His 1960s Verve recordings are not only excellent, but were popular enough that they are still fairly easy to track down.

His cover of Len Barry’s ‘1-2-3’ (rendered here as ‘1-2-3 (Uno Dos Tres)’ was the title track from Bobo’s 1965 LP of the same name.

Taken at a brisk pace, with some tasty horns and the sinuous of guitar by Gabor Szabo, it’s not hard to imagine a discotheque full of swingers grooving to this one.

Grab yourself a copy of the 45, and you also get the mighty ‘Fried Neckbones and Some Home Fries’ on the flip.

If you haven’t got any Bobo heating up your crates, get out there and start digging. You will not regret it.

I hope you dig the sounds.

See you 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.

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).

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (3)

By Larry, February 15, 2015 12:14 pm

Roger and the Gypsies – Pass the Hatchet Pt1 (Seven B)
Professor Longhair – Big Chief Pt2 (Watch)
Bobby Marchan – Shake Your Tambourine (Cameo/Parkway)
Diamond Joe – Gossip Gossip (Sansu)
Eddie Bo – Hook and Sling Pt1 (Scram)
Lee Dorsey – Four Corners Pt1 (Amy)
Dixie Cups – Two Way Poc A Way (ABC)
Earl King – Street Parade (Kansu)
Meters – Cardova (Josie)
David Batiste and the Gladiators – Funky Soul Pt2 (Instant)
Bobby Williams – Boogaloo Mardi Gras Pt2 (Capitol)
Curly Moore – Sophisticated Cissy (Instant)
Ernie K Doe – Here Come the Girls (Janus)
Larry Darnell – Son of a Son of a Slave (Instant)
Explosions – Hip Drop Pt1 (Gold Cup)
Rubaiyats – Omar Khayyam (Sansu)
Warren Lee – Funky Belly (Wand)
Willie Tee – Sweet Thing (Gatur)
Danny White – Natural Soul Brother (SSS Intl)
Lee Dorsey – Who’s Gonna Help Brother Get Further (Polydor)
Oliver Morgan – Roll Call (Seven B)
Eddie Bo – Can You Handle It (Bo Sound)

Listen/Download -Funky16Corners Presents Boogaloo Mardi Gras! – 85MB Mixed Mp3/192K

Greetings all.

Hey everybody!

It’s Mardi Gras time again, and I am keeping up with the annual tradition by posting another one of my favorite Funky16Corners mixes, ‘Boogaloo Mardi Gras’ (first posted in 2012) in which I have compiled some of the finest New Orleans soul and funk in my crates.

It has everything you need (except for liquor and potato chips) to laissez les bon temps roulez, so get you an um-ba-rella in your hand (thanks Alvin!) , roll out into the street and get your second line on.

I hope you dig it, 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.

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).

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (0)

By Larry, September 4, 2014 4:00 pm

Ray Barretto

Listen/Download Ray Barretto – Mercy Mercy Baby

Listen/Download Urban Dance Squad – A Deeper Shade of Soul

Greetings all

The end of the week is finally here, so that means it’s time to hoist your antenna, fire up the radiola and twist the knobs until the dulcet tones of the Funky16Corners Radio Show come spilling out of the speakers. This can be experienced every Friday night at 9PM on Viva Radio, and you can also subscribe to the show as a podcast in iTunes, or grab and MP3 here at Funky16Corners.

I have posted many a tune by the mighty Ray Barretto in this space over the years, including a couple from the album you see before you today.

You could ascribe this to laziness or lack of imagination on my part, or you could come correct and deal with the fact that Barretto’s 1968 opus ‘Acid’ is one of the greatest albums in the history not only of Latin soul, but music in general.

I mean, honestly…’Soul Drummers’, ‘A Deeper Shade of Soul’ and today’s selection, ‘Mercy Mercy Baby’ on the same LP??

Barretto was on fire, laying down ‘Hard Hands’, ‘Acid’, ‘Together’ and ‘Barretto Power’ all between 1968 and 1971, working the boogaloo/Latin soul/funk vibe as well as crafting more traditional sounds.

‘Mercy Mercy Baby’ opens with rolling bass and piano, before a tasty horn section joins in, along with the master’s congas, and vocals by Jimmy Sabater and Willie Torres.

It’s a great one for the dance floor, and ought to have folks singing along with the band.

I also have a bit of a bonus track for you today.

I have to be honest when I tell you that the first time I ever heard Ray Barretto, wasn’t on one of his records, but through a sample.

Back in 1989, I picked up the first album by the Dutch group Urban Dance Squad, having heard and dug the cut ‘Deeper Shade of Soul’ (probably via MTV, so there’s that…).

It was an early days mixture of live band, rap and turntablism, with a mellow, stoner vibe that I dug then, and still dig today.

It wasn’t until a few years later, when my man Haim passed on the CD reissue of ‘Acid’ that I realized that ‘Deeper Shade of Soul’ was built on a Barretto sample, and having dug the source and the source-erer, I dug it all the more.

Flash forward to earlier this year, and while out a-digging, what do I find but a 45 issue of the UDS tune, and I figured, since I was whipping a little Barretto on you to close out the week, I’d toss the Urban Dance Squad into the pot to thicken the stew, as it were.

So, dig that, 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.

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).

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (2)

By Larry, March 27, 2014 11:48 am

Carlos Malcolm (right) at work in the studio

Listen/Download Carlos Malcolm – Don’t Walk

Greetings all

The week is coming to a close once again, so I will take this opportunity to remind you that the Funky16Corners Radio Show takes to the airwaves of the interwebs this and every Friday night at 9PM on Viva Radio. If you are unable to join me at airtime, you can keep up with the show by subscribing to it as a podcast in iTunes or by grabbing an MP3 at the blog.

______________________________________________________________________________

Before we get started today, I should mention that Funky16Corners turns up (#73) in the Style of Sound list of the Top 100 Most Influential Music Blogs.

This is very groovy indeed (nice to know, as always, that someone is out there digging what I do), but also cause for a few thoughts about music blogging over the long haul.

Funky16Corners will reach its 10th anniversary this November, and things – as they often do on the interwebs – have changed drastically during that time.

By any measure, the ‘boom’ days of music blogging have passed. Traffic has slacked off considerably since the heady days of the mid-to-late aughts when blogs seemed to be appearing (and dropping away) at a remarkable rate.

I don’t know what the actual stats are, but from personal experience I can say that most blogs don’t last very long at all, few getting past the first few posts, and those that do closing down over time, either  due to lack of interest from the blogger or their audience.

Many of the best remembered music blogs have gone the way of the dodo, though if you take a stroll through my blogroll there are still lots of great ones out there, like Fleamarket Funk, Soul Sides (which appears adjacent to F16C in the list), The B-Side, AM, Then FM and Home of the Groove.

When I look at the Style of Sound list, there are only a half dozen or so names I recognize, which I think says a lot about how much the blogging landscape has changed since I got involved in 2004.

That said, check out the list, and click around. You might discover something cool.

__________________________________________________________________________

Today’s selection is another one of those reminders that it always pays to register the important facts, and use them to dig a little deeper when you can.

As a funk fan (with a minor in the Jamaican variety thereof) I was already familiar with the name Carlos Malcolm.

‘Straight Out of the Ghetto’, by Malcolm and his band the Fireburners (oddly enough, also recorded for an American label, Ahmad Jamal’s AJP imprint) is a killer bit of funk.

What I did not know, until I spied an LP on a friend’s sale list, was that Malcolm had been recording well before that tune, with a very interesting history indeed.

Born in Panama to Jamaican parents, Malcolm spent time in both of those countries growing up, eventually becoming a successful bandleader in Jamaica during the 50s and 60s.

He had recorded ska in Jamaica, but came to New York in the late 60s to record for the Roulette label.

The album he recorde for Roulette, 1968’s ‘Don’t Walk: Dance’ is an interesting mix of sounds, including jazz, latin, and as you’ll hear in today’s selection, a bit of boogaloo.

The album’s title (sort of) track, ‘Don’t Walk’ is an outstanding example of the kind of mixture Malcolm was working with at the time. It sounds like a Latinized variation on Lee Morgan’s ‘Sidewinder’, mixing percussion (vibes and drums) with waves of horns, with the trombones (Malcolm’s instrument) and trumpets playing a call and response game.

The whole thing has a very groovy mid-60s discotheque feel, danceable, but with some juice for your ears as well.

Malcolm, who spent a fair amount of time living and working (not always as a musician) here in the US, left music for a time (working in publishing) but returned to it in the 1990s.

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.

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).

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (2)

By Larry, February 23, 2014 5:12 pm

Willie Bobo (3rd from the right, blue shirt) and the Bo Gents

Listen/Download Willie Bobo and the Bo Gents – Broasted or Fried

Greetings all

The new week is here, and coming off of all of the cold and wetness of the winter, I bring you something warm and funky in which to wrap yourselves.

The name Willie Bobo is surely a familiar one to those of you that dig boogaloo, Latin jazz and all things groovy.

Willie ‘Bobo’ Correa was one of the preeminent Latin percussionists of the 1960s and 70s, recording as a leader and a sideman for a variety of labels, but mostly Verve.

His discography is filled with classics like ‘Spanish Grease’ and ‘Fried Neckbones and Some Homefries’.

Like many boogalooers and soul jazzers of the day, Bobo followed the stylistic wave, and as the rest of the world got funky, so did he.

The track I bring you today hails from his 1971 LP for the Sussex label, ‘Do What You Want To Do’.

Recorded with his band the Bo-Gents,’Do What You Want To Do’ is a killer collection of funky grooves, including the title track, a cool cover of the Beatles ‘Come Together’, and the track I bring you today, ‘Broasted or Fried’.

If the tune sounds familiar, it may be because I included it in a mix some years ago in a version by Clarence Wheeler and the Enforcers.

As it turns out, the song originated in Bobo’s band, written by his keyboardist Reggie Andrew, and then covered by Wheeler et al later in 1971.

The Bo-Gents version is taken at a slightly slower, yet still funky pace, with some groovy Latin percussion (naturally…) pulsing bass and electric piano.

It has enough push for the dance floor (Now Again reissued the track as a 45 in 2004), as well as plenty to dig while grooving between the ears.

I dig it a lot, and I hope you do to.

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.

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).

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (0)

By Larry, October 24, 2013 9:18 am

Funky16Corners Presents:It’s Gonna Be Good!

Johnny Jones and the King Casuals – It’s Gonna Be Good (Brunswick)
Albert Collins – Cookin’ Catfish (20th Century Fox)
Chuck Berry – Club Nitty Gritty (Mercury)
Atlantics – Beaver Shot (Rampart)
Little Richard – Soul Train (Brunswick)
Bobby Hollaway – Corn Bread, Hog Maws and Chitterlins (Smash)
The Turtles – Buzz Saw (White Whale)
The Vibrations – Soul a Go Go (Okeh)
Benny Scott – Soul Beat (Brunswick)
Junior and the Classics – Mix Up a Go Go (Magic Touch)
Jon Lee Group – Pork Chops (Sparton)
Ricky Allen – Cut You a Loose (AGE)
El Dorados – The New Breed (Port)
Danny White – Cracked Up Over You (Decca)
Louis Chachere – A Soulful Bag (Forte)
Timmy Thomas – Have Some Boogaloo (Goldwax)
Toussaint McCall – Shimmy (Ronn)
Rex Garvin and the Mighty Cravers – I Gotta Go Now (Up On the Floor) (Like)

Listen/Download -Funky16Corners Presents: It’s Gonna Be Good – 75MB Mixed MP3/256K

Greetings all.

I hope all is well on your side of the universe, and that you’re all ready for the weekend.

Don’t forget that the Funky16Corners Radio Show hits the airwaves of the interwebs this and every Friday night at 9PM on Viva Radio. If you can’t be there at the time of broadcast, you can always subscribe to the show as a podcast in iTunes, or grab an MP3 (or two, or 100) out of the archive here at the blog.

A while back my man DJ Trick over in St. Petersburg, RU asked if I would be amenable to doing an interview and whipping up a mix that they could post in their ‘Grooves’ project*.

As someone who is always down with the cause of spreading the sounds of soul and funk all over the globe, I agreed and set to work.

As you will hear as soon as you pull the trigger on this one, I was in a particularly raucous mood that day, packing just about 40 minutes worth of sonic nitroglycerin into mix form and setting the fuse.

What you get here, is some of my favorite, high-octane soul shouters, organ burners, hardcore R&B and dance party starters, stitched together so that the assembled multitudes might cut themselves a slice of rug (and maybe spill a little beer, too).

If you haven’t sussed it out over the long haul, this is a pretty good approximation of the kind of set I’d throw down were I spinning in a live setting.

That said, this is perfect weekend stuff, so get your download on, and have yourself a party, Artie.

Have a great weekend, and i’ll see you all on Monday.

Keep the faith

Larry

PS They’re posting the interview over there, but it’s in Russian…
___________________________________________________________________________________________

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.
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).

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (1)

By Larry, September 19, 2013 11:19 am

Listen/Download The Quovans – Boogaloo Pt1

Listen/Download The Quovans – Boogaloo Pt2

Greetings all

It is time once again to remind you to turn the knobs on your wireless sets this Friday night at 9pm so as to pick up the signal of the Funky16Corners Radio Show. Each and every Friday the good folks at Viva Radio allow me to bring you an hour of the finest in funk, soul, jazz and rare groove, all from original vinyl. If you can’t be there at airtime, you can always subscribe to the show as a podcast in iTunes, or grab an MP3 out of the archive here at the blog.

The track we’re going to close out the week with is a banger, and something of a mystery.

I happened upon the Quovans ‘Boogaloo Pts 1&2’ whilst doing a search for – surprise… – “boogaloo”, and while the end result is not in any way Latin, the sounds are surely soulful and very groovy indeed.

I have not been able to find out anything about the Quovans themselves, nor the root of their name, but there is some circumstantial evidence we can peruse.

‘Boogaloo Pts 1&2’ came out on Juggy Murray’s NY-based Symbol label – also home to Inez and Charlie Foxx and the Poets – in 1966.

The record appears to have come out (first?) on another NY label, Big City.

The Quovans recorded one other 45, backing a singer named Sherri Gibbs on the song ‘Oh My Baby’ on the Philly Sound’s (extraneous apostrophe and all).

The connecting link is songwriter/producer Clarence Hunter, who appears to have been Philadelphia-based, working with Gibbs, the Fabulous Performers (on Blackjack) and Bobby Joy (on Sentry).

Whether or not the Quovans were also a Philly act, I cannot say.

‘Boogaloo Pts 1&2’ is a soul stomper, with organ, sax and some great harmonies by the Quovans. I’m still on the fence as to whether I dig the overdubbed screams on the record, but they don’t take away from the overall power of the disc.

Part 2 opens with a cool spoken passage, then gets right back into gear.

It is a very groovy record indeed, and I hope you dig it.

Have a great weekend.

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.
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).

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

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

________________________________________________________________________________

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

________________________________________________________________________________

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!
________________________________________________________________________________

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
________________________________________________________________________________

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
________________________________________________________________________________

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
________________________________________________________________________________

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
________________________________________________________________________________

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
________________________________________________________________________________

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

__________________________________________________________________________________

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
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

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?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Click Here To Donate to Funky16Corners

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

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 (0)

By Larry, May 7, 2013 10:30 am

The Coasters

Listen/Download The Coasters – Cool Jerk

Greetings all

I hope the middle of the week finds you all well.

The Coasters loom large in the transition from R&B to soul, especially in relation to their work with the mighty Leiber and Stoller.

Their ATCO recordings, stretching from the mid-50s to the mid-60s are unmatchable.

Unfortunately for all concerened, the Coasters had their last taste of chart action in 1964.

The years after they left ATCO were commercially unsuccessful, yet – no surprise here – artistically rewarding.

Though the group bounced between a few different labels (Date, Turntable, King) they continued to work with Leiber and Stoller and their later catalog, though often hard to come by, is quite good.

The tune I bring you today hails from the tail end of the group’s productive years (i.e. making new material as opposed to capitalizing on old ones).

Though I don’t know how they ended up on King, they recorded three 45s and an LP for the label, all released in the early 70s.

The LP contains re-recordings (or possibly remixes) of Date material like ‘D.W. Washburn’, ‘Soul Pad’ and ‘Down Home Girl’ as well as new material.

The tune I bring you today is another cover, but with a very cool twist.

‘Cool Jerk’ first recorded by the Capitols in 1966 is reworked with distinctly Latin touch.

Not only do you get the Leiber and Stoller production, but the arrangement is by Marty Sheller and the orchestra is conducted by none other than Larry Harlow. I’m not sure if it is in fact Orchestra Harlow, but it certainly sounds like it.

The pairing of the Coasters with the boogaloo sound is an inspired one and makes me wish that they’d done more in this vein*. Their King material was released between 1971 and 1973, though it all sounds to me like it was recorded on the earlier end of the time line.

It’s a fantastic dance floor mover, and I hope you dig it.

Keep the faith

Larry

*The LP version of ‘Love Potion Number 9’ sounds like the same band but the 45 labels I’ve seen don’t provide a credit in that regard
___________________________________________________________________________________________

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.
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).

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.