The Inclines – Pressure Cooker Pts 1&2
Today’s selection (above)
The mighty Fame Studio (below)
There’s soul between those bricks…
Listen/Download – The Inclines – Pressure Cooker Pt 1
Listen/Download – The Inclines – Pressure Cooker Pt2
Greetings all.
I hope the new week finds you all well.
The heat (in measure of actual temperature) has seen a decline. Unfortunately this was met with an incline in the humidity, so while it is not technically as hot as it was last week, it is just as uncomfortable, so, instead of catching fire when you step out of the house, you merely start to melt.
The 45 I bring you today is something that was initially passed on to me years ago by my man Haim, who had a spare copy of the 45, which although it was in rough condition, since it cost me exactly nothing I was (and still am) grateful, and placed it in the crates as what we record nerds refer to as a space-holder/keeper copy.
I dug ‘Pressure Cooker Pts 1&2’ by the Inclines, and kept my eyes peeled for an opportunity to upgrade.
Just such an opportunity was encountered at this year’s All-45 Show in Allentown.
I’d already pretty much emptied my wallet when I happened upon a dealer I did not know, and started digging in what soon turned out to be a box full of excellent funk and soul 45s.
There was only one problem…
Not a single one of these gems was priced, and there was no indicator anywhere on the table as to how much this fine gentleman might be asking for his stock.
This is rarely a good thing, since such discoveries are often met with a stock playlet, inevitably leading to my disappointment.
It kind of goes like this (with me trying to find a satisfying middle ground between looking like a rube and/or a shark):
Me: Um, how much for the 45s?
Dealer: Oh, let me take a look at those..hmmmmm…that’s a good one….so’s that…
Me: Oh, uh, I don’t know those…they looked cool.
Dealer: How about $200 for the lot?
Me: Gulp…
Aaaand scene!
(Magnify the discomfort in the above situation when LPs are involved)
However, once in a great while, an unpriced box of 45s is just what it seems, i.e. a random collection of stock that a dealer wants to move.
That was the deal this time, and I minted up on two faves (the Emperors ‘Mumble Shingaling’ and today’s selection) at the extremely beneficial price of two US dollars per, which was more than amenable. I took my records and skulked away.
Now I haven’t been able to nail down a whole lot of info on the Inclines. They seem to have released two 45s on Atco, one as the Inclines and one under the name of group member Tyrone McCollum.
They seem to have hailed from either northern Georgia or southern Tennessee, having recorded a few records for the Chattanooga based Gil label.
‘Pressure Cooker Pts 1&2’ was originally released on the Hawk label (I have no idea where that label was based but wouldn’t be surprised if it was from the same region).
Today’s selection was recorded at the storied Fame studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama in 1969 and is a fantastic, mid-tempo slice of southern instrumental funk. The first part is dominated by the horns, with a repeated riff which drops out for a saxophone solo. The bass, drums and electric piano form a thick, muddy bottom that gives the relaxed, slightly jazzy tune a funky kick.
The flip side (make sure to download side 2) sees the keyboards come to the front, with the electric piano and organ both getting time to shine.
It’s a very cool record precisely because it’s so laid back. It has a kind of ‘nighttime’ vibe to it, not quite as spooky as a side like ‘Nickol Nickol’ by the Brothers of Hope, but moving in that direction.
I hope you dig it, and I’ll be back on Wednesday.
Peace
Larry
Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press
PS Head over to Iron Leg for some Canadian sunshine pop
Themocracy
This is great! Now I have to start looking for a 2 buck copy (good luck with that…). It does have the feel of a pressure cooker, slow yet hot! Thanks for this one, I love it.
yeah, another nice couple slices of southern soul, of which i was unawares . . . of special interest, being a chattanooga resident. my record store guy here has handled a few Gil 45s, and a few other tee-tiny labels that were based here–some highly collectible as you know.
the musicianship and feel of these is amazing considering how obscure the group was/is.
nice catch!
doug
I love this record it means a lot to me. One of the member of the group was my grandfather charles young
Darrell
Can you confirm for me where the Inclines were from?
Thanks
Larry
You can request Pressure Cooker from Chattanooga State Community College’s online station, the WAWL (pronounced “wall”) at 423/697-4406 or wawl@chattanoogastate.edu and then listen to it at http://www.wawl.org – and yes, The Inclines were a Chattanooga band.
Good stuff! We had to search high and low to find their music, but we did it. DMac 🙂