Steve Karmen, earlier in the 60s

Listen/Download – Steve Karmen Big Band – Breakaway MP3

Greetings all.

Here’s a very groovy one for you all.

One of my favorite subgenres is Northern Soul instrumentals, and within that, records that are not in any real way “soul’ records, yet manage to pack enough of a punch to light up a dancefloor (which in the world of Northern Soul are legion).

Steve Karmen was a very successful advertising/jingle composer in the 60s and 70s, as well as having a sideline recording his own pop records from he 50s on.

In 1968, he composed a jingle for Pontiac Motors called ‘Breakaway’.

Jimmy Radcliffe recorded a wild, freeform vocal over the big, brassy tune, and that single, released on United Artists in 1968 (with the instrumental dub credited to the ‘Steve Karmen Big Band’) became a huge fave on Northern Soul dance floors.

It’s not hard to see why. The tune has a big, bold sound with lots of dramatic brass stabs, drums and Radcliffe’s feverish vocal really takes off.

So, going back a few years, I’m wandering around on Ebay, and what do I see but a promotional record with eight different versions (some very short) of the ‘Breakaway Theme’ on the Pontiac label with writing credit to Steve Karmen.

If memory serves it was a very inexpensive ‘buy it now’, so I figured I’d give it a try.

A week or so later the record slipped through the mail slot and under the needle and it was indeed the same ‘Breakaway’.

The information on the label seems to suggest that the different length/style versions of the theme were meant to be played in the background while the DJ/announcer read advertising copy over it.

All in all, a very groovy artifact, especially since it includes the full (actually a few second longer than the UA release) version of the ‘Breakaway’ instrumental.

I hope you dig it, and I’ll see you all next week.

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

Keep the faith

Larry

 

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