Listen/Download – James Duncan and the Duncan Trio – I’ll Be Gone MP3

Greetings all.

Today’s selection comes from the ‘Songs I Learned from Mr Finewine’ file.

A couple of years back I had the honor of spinning next to the master at his long-running residency at Botanica in NYC.

As is often the case when spinning with a serious collector, I left the bar that night with a longer want list than I brought with me.

One of the newly added items on that list is the record you see before you today, ‘I’ll Be Gone’ by James Duncan and the Duncan Trio.

Duncan was a Georgia singer who recorded for a variety of labels in the 60s and early 70s, but mostly for King and Federal.

The raving soul of ‘I’ll Be Gone’ was recorded in 1964, but sounds as if it could have been waxed at any time in the previous five years.

I’ve kind of found 1964 to be an unofficial boundary line where the transition from old-school R&B to out and out soul finally set in completely, and ‘I’ll Be Gone’ is a great example of the remainders of the earlier sound.

Duncan sounds like a slightly deeper-voiced Little Richard, backed by group harmonies, walking bass and some well-placed organ.

It’s a wild, dance-floor-packing side.

Duncan went on to make some funkier sides in the late 60s, one of which will surely make it into this space in the future.

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