Sonny Ross – Alakazam
Sonny Ross and a Euro Picture Sleeve for ‘Alakazam’
Listen/Download – Sonny Ross – Alakazam MP3
Greetings all.
Every once in a while, no matter how deep your crates, or how jaded you’ve become, a record comes along from out of nowhere and knocks you right on your ass. One of those 45s that explodes from confounding obscurity, a hit, fully formed, that just never happened.
I forget exactly where I first heard Sonny Ross’s ‘Alakazam’, but it just blew me away. I couldn’t believe that I’d never heard it, or that it hadn’t been a hit when it was released in 1971.
Opening with what sounds like an overmodulated kick drum, and then vibes accents, the snare and some fantastic fuzz guitar (how has this not been sampled?) come in with the main riff. Ross then comes in with a raspy voice, just this side of Teddy Pendergrass.
I haven’t been able to find out much about Ross. He appears to have been from Philadelphia and was a member of a mid-60s incarnation of the Flamingos alongside Eddie Edgehill who was connected to the Sweet Delights/Delights Orchestra, and was brought to Event Records in a licensing deal by Philly singer/songwriter George Tindley (who co-wrote the song).
Why ‘Alakazam’ failed to break through in 1971 is a mystery. It is a great song/record, well produced and arranged and on a major label. Whether it just didn’t get into the right hands, or there were some other forces at work, I cannot say.
Aside from two Midwestern markets (Cleveland and Wichita) it didn’t make a dent (though it did get released in the UK on Mojo, and on Polydor in Germany the following year).
And so, it languished in obscurity, the province of some of your hipper UK collectors (Northern, Funk and Modern) and DJs, waiting to be rediscovered.
It isn’t a terribly expensive record – the highest price I can find is just over 50USD – but it is hard to put your hands on. I had it as a saved search for a long time before a copy surfaced, so keep your eyes peeled if you want to add it to your playbox.
I hope you dig it as much as I do, and I’ll see you all on Friday.
Keep the faith
Larry
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Themocracy
hi, infact it was sampled by little shawn . the track is ” funky , funky rhmyes ” and released in ’92.
Thanks!
Imagine my surprise today, when I picked up a mint polydor acetate of it in a Cornish flea market. It has Sonny Ross printed but mojo scribbled in biro 1971
I worked with Sonny for a few years last time I ran ito him was in Phila I have his cell #