Listen/Download Brother to Brother – Leavin’ Me

Greetings all

The tune I bring you today is the result of one of those loose limbed digging expeditions in which nothing of obvous consequence presents itself, so you start following leads where you find them, take a chance or two and go home with a bag full of interesting possibilities.

I grabbed Brother to Brother’s ‘Let Your Mind Be Free’ on such a day on the strength of their name, which I associated with their cover of Gil Scott Heron’s ‘The Bottle’ (retitled as ‘In the Bottle’), a Top 10 R&B hit in 1974.

The group, then including Michael Burton, Yogi Horton, Billy Jones and Frankie Prescott had relocated from St Louis, MO to NJ, where they hooked up with Sylvia Robinson’s Turbo records.

By the time Brother to Brother released ‘Let Your Mind Be Free’ in 1976, Billy Jones was the only remaining member of the group that had recorded ‘In the Bottle’.

The album is a solid example of mid-70s funk, well into the ‘YOWWWW’ zone, but not so much so that you wouldn’t dig it.

Though my heart still remains with the rougher edged, late 60s/early 70s funk, I find myself digging later stuff like this (and even later stuff like Zapp and Roger) the more I hear it.

There came a point where funk bands started to level out and extend the groove a bit, some so far that they were essentially making disco (though that could be an especially blurry line, see BT Express).

Brother to Brother still fall on the funky side of the wall, with an ear turned to late-period Sly and Parliament/Funkadelic (though not nearly as far out), making sounds that were melodic, yet still had something of a thump to them.

It would still be a few years before things mellowed out too far, and most of these type of bands would be overtaken (and pushed into obsolescence) by the rap revolution.

As it is, this kind of stuff isn’t too hard to find, especially if you find yourself at flea markets or garage sales now and then.

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

Keep the faith

Larry

 

 

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Also, the brand new Funky16Corners ‘Keep Calm and Stay Funky’ stickers have arrived!

The stickers are 4″ x 3″ and printed on high quality, glossy stock.

They are $2.00 each, with free shipping in the US ($2.00 per order shipping outside of the US).

Click here to go to the ordering page.
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.