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By Larry, February 21, 2017 1:42 pm

Tribute to the Funky Drummer

Clyde Stubblefield Spoken Intro
James Brown and the Famous Flames– Cold Sweat Pts 1&2 (King)
James Brown – Say It Loud (I’m Black and I’m Proud) Pts 1&2 (King)
Marva Whitney – It’s My Thing (King)
James Brown – Mother Popcorn Pts 1&2 (King)
Clyde Stubblefield Live Solo 1968
James Brown – Shhhhhhhh For a Little While (King)
James Brown and the Famous Flames – I Got the Feelin’ (King)
James Brown – Popcorn With a Feeling (King)
James Brown – Funky Drummer Pts1&2 (King)

Listen/Download – Funky16Corners Presents: Tribute to the Funky Drummer: Clyde Stubblefield 65MB Mixed MP3

Greetings all.

This is something I would have put together earlier but the fam and I were on the road when word came down that the mighty Clyde Stubblefield, aka the Funky Drummer had slipped the surly bonds of earth.

Between 1965 and 1970 Stubblefield was deep, deep inside the pocket, driving the James Brown band from the drummer’s throne, often alongside John ‘Jabo’ Starks.

Stubblefield was as tasteful and economical a drummer as ever played soul and funk, with a tight, crisp style that managed to swing like hell.

Back when the Godfather of Soul passed away, I wrote about his work on ‘Cold Sweat’ thusly:

“It was in ‘Cold Sweat’ that James Brown, after three years of work, decided to ‘give the drummer some’, and things were never the same. With that record, he gathered together all of his innovations since ‘Out Of Sight’ – along with all the other musicians that he had inspired in the ensuing three years – and broke through yet another wall. ‘Cold Sweat’ is the ‘groove’, expanded upon, then further refined so as to concentrate its’ power. The beat is more experimental, the song structure now reduced to it’s essence (as if the ‘groove’, at one time adjacent to the song, had now become the song). This is never more apparent than in Pt2, where the aforementioned ‘drummer’, gets the also aforementioned ‘some’ – and blows soul music out of the water.

The drum break on side two of ‘Cold Sweat’ is a remarkable testament to exactly how far ahead his peers James Brown had gone.
In the sound of funk, there is no more important component than the drummer(s). Without the drummer, the groove has no foundation. Certainly a groovy bass line can get you moving side to side, but without the forward propulsion of the drummer, you aren’t really going anywhere. The most important element of the drummers importance to funk, is that it is through him (or her as the case may be) that funk received it’s most radical elements. These elements are the rhythms of Afro-Cuban music, and most importantly modern jazz. Anyone familiar with Elvin Jones, Max Roach or Art Blakey will hear their echoes in the beats of funk. These are the sounds of percussionists that got inside the rhythm and stretched it into all kinds of new shapes, designed to grab the body at it’s core and move it, i.e. make it dance. The BeBoppers and the modern jazzers provided an obsession with open spaces and explosive punctuation. They brought rhythm up out of the viscera, through the heart and into the head. This ‘intellectualism of the beat’, in combination with the polyrhythmic fire of congueros like Chano Pozo and Mongo Santamaria (later quite the funkster himself) timbaleros like Tito Puente, and the freedom of the New Orleans ‘Second Line’ drummers (Earl Palmer, June Gardner, Smokey Johnson and James Black) – which in turn has it’s parallels in the samba drummers of the Brazilian carnival – all contributed to the funky stew. This is not to say that Clyde Stubblefield had his ears turned to New Orleans, Rio or even the Village Gate – directly (he may well have), but that all of those sounds were swirling around in the mid-60’s, and all found their way into the sound of the funky drummer.

The break in Cold Sweat Pt2 is presaged, at about 45 seconds with six pleas (commands?) to ‘Give the drummer some” before turning to Stubblefield with ‘You got it drummer!’. The Flames drop away as Stubblefied works the kit, keeping time on the ride cymbal, booming on the toms and popping the beat on the bass drum. Ten seconds later JB brings in Bernard Odum on bass, and for almost ¾ of a minute he and Clyde break it on down. At 1:59 the horns come back in and ride all the way to the end. At nearly a full minute, Stubblefield’s ‘break’ is hovering dangerously close to the land of the drum solo, yet the energetic self indulgence of a Ginger Baker, Keith Moon (or even Buddy Rich) is absent, and has been replaced by a deeply funky vibe. This is a drum solo you can dance to. It is devoid of pyrotechnics yet full of ideas – subtle yet consistently explosive. It’s no mistake that Stubblefield is the man who’s work found it’s way into dozens of samples. The man who inspired JB to chant ‘The Funky Drummer!’, over and over again.”

The mix you see before you includes most of Clyde Stubblefield’s best known work with JB, as well as a clip from the famed 1968 Boston Garden concert which is like a punch in the gut.

I spent a lot of time playing the drums when I was younger, but I could only sit back wide-eyed (and eared) at the work of Clyde Stubblefield, who played the drums like James Brown danced.

He was a master.

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.

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

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By Larry, February 19, 2017 9:40 am

Marie Queenie Lyons

Listen/Download – Marie Queenie Lyons – Drown In My Own Tears MP3

Listen/Download – Marie Queenie Lyons – Try Me MP3

Greetings all.

Marie Queenie Lyons is the epitome of the kind of artist that resided in the back of my mind – courtesy of other DJs finds/mixes – for years before I ever managed to put my hands on any of her music.

Her sole LP, recorded for Deluxe in 1970 is a crate diggers favorite, and is also quite rare and expensive.

Lyons was born in Louisiana, and worked with King Curtis before hooking up with the Deluxe label where she recorded the LP and a handful of 45s (all of which were LP tracks).

She was a powerful, raw singer, dragging elements of gospel shouting into James Brown (who was a significant influence) territory.

The tracks I bring you today are from a 1970 Deluxe 45, and both appeared on her ‘Soul Fever’ LP.

‘(I’ll) Drown In My Own Tears’ was written by Henry Glover (who also wrote Annie Had a Baby, California Sun, Peppermint Twist, and was the co-writer of Soulville) and was first recorded by Ray Charles in 1957. Lyons take on

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By Larry, February 16, 2017 11:36 am

Lorraine Ellison

Listen/Download – Lorraine Ellison – Heart Be Still MP3

Greetings all.

The end of the week is here, and so then is the Funky16Corners Radio Show. Coming to you every Friday with the best in soul, funk, jazz and rare groove, all on original vinyl in iTunes, TuneIn, Stitcher, Mixcloud and right here at Funky16Corners.com

We close out the week with something groovy from Miss Lorraine Ellison.

Ellison, best known for her epic reading of Jerry Ragovoy’s ’Stay With Me’(grazing the R&B Top 10 in 1966), had a uniquely powerful voice.

She recorded for Mercury, Warner Brothers and Loma between 1965 and 1970, returning to WB in 1973/74.

Today’s selection, ‘Heart Be Still’ is one of those records I grabbed while digging, without having ever heard it, on the strength of the names on the label, those being Ellison, Ragovoy and Bert Berns.

When I looked up ‘Heart Be Still’ I was surprised to discover that it had actually been a hit, Ellison’s last date with the R&B Top 40 in 1967.

My surprise was based more in the style of the song, a restrained, heavily gospel-inflected feel (she had gotten her start recording gospel with the Ellison Singers), as opposed to its obvious quality.

Written by Ragovy and Berns, arranged by Garry Sherman and produced by Ragovoy, ‘Heart Be Still’ combines a restrained backing (piano, organ, drums) with a tour de force vocal by Ellison, backed by a gospel-style choir.

There are points where her vocals reach into the rafters, bordering on the histrionic, yet always remain anchored in reality.

It’s a great record, and I hope you dig it.

See you next week.

Keep the faith

Larry

____________________________________________________________________________

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.

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

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By Larry, February 12, 2017 5:51 pm

The Young Hearts

Listen/Download – Young Hearts – Oh, I’ll Never Be The Same MP3

Greetings all.

I have been a fan of the Young Hearts/Younghearts/New Younghearts ever since falling in love with their brilliant Northern Soul classic ‘A Little Togetherness’ which remains one of my all time favorite 45s.

The group, which recorded under a few different iterations (in name), usually under the auspices of Bobby Sanders between 1967 and 1977 for a variety of labels including Canterbury, Pick-a-Hit, Minit, Soultown, Zea and 20th Century.

Their one 45 for Pick-a-Hit was released in 1967 with the original line up of James Moore, Charles Ingersol, Ronnie Preyer and Earl Carter.
Both sides of the 45 are cool, but I think that ‘Oh I’ll Never Be the Same Again’ is a little bit of subtle perfection.

Written by Sanders, Anita Poree (who went on to write classics for Eddie Kendricks and the Friends of Distinction) and someone named ‘C. Scorborough’, ‘Oh I’ll Never Be the Same Again’ has a sweet sound that wouldn’t have sounded out of place on a Temptations record, with a great falsetto lead and some great, rich harmonies bubbling up underneath.

The arrangement, which was redone/sweetened a few years later on the group’s Minit LP (with the addition of a vibes and a more prominent string section) is very nicely done, letting the vocalists shine.

As far as I can tell, aside from a few individual tracks floating around on comps (mostly ‘A Little Togetherness’) the Young Hearts catalog is largely absent from the reissue market. Their LP isn’t super hard to come by (easier than their 45s), and whatever you can pick up will be worth your time.

I hope you dig the track, and I’ll see you on Wednesday.

Keep the faith

Larry

____________________________________________________________________________

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.

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

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By Larry, February 9, 2017 11:11 am

William Bell

Listen/Download – William Bell – You Don’t Miss Your Water MP3

Listen/Download – Otis Clay – You Don’t Miss Your Water MP3

Greetings all.

The end of the week is here, and so I will remind you once again not to forget to hook yourselves up with the Funky16Corners Radio Show, which hits the airwaves of the interwebs with the best in soul, funk, jazz and rare groove, all on original vinyl, each and every Friday in iTunes (where you should subscribe) , TuneIn, Stitcher, Mixcloud and at Funky16Corners.com

We end the week with an absolutely, 100% certified soul classic from the pen (and mouth) of one of the greatest Southern soul men, the mighty William Bell.

I have known this song since the very earliest days of filling my ears with soul music, having heard it on a long forgotten compilation more than 30 years ago.

Since then, I have accumulated several other versions (including killers by Otises Redding and Clay among others).

William Bell was brought to Stax Records by the legendary Chips Moman, who produced this, Bell’s own composition and debut 45, in 1961.

Though ‘You Don’t Miss Your Water’ was not a hit (though it had some small regional success in the South and California) at the time of it’s release, it went on to a position as a cornerstone of both the early Stax sound specifically, and of Southern soul in general.

It is one of those great soul records that seems as if it were constructed entirely from bits and pieces of gospel music, yet transcends the holiness vibe completely, becoming something that is better heard late at night escaping from an AM radio speaker.

The arrangement is uncomplicated, yet on repeated listens there are bits and pieces where certain parts of the band stand up, especially the piano, the ghostly organ solo that trades lines with Bell, and the lingering cymbal that drifts off into the ether at the very end of the song.

Bell’s vocal is simply a masterpiece. It has a confessional feel, as if he’s conversing with the listener, and though he never soars into the rafters, there are moments where the pure emotion of his voice is a thing of beauty. His opening line, ‘In the beginning…’ is amazing in its simplicity and directness, coming across like the first page of a book, or the title card of a movie. It forces you to stop and listen.

Though Bell’s original is indisputably amazing, you also need to hear Otis Clay’s version, which might be the greatest version of the song.

Recorded in Muscle Shoals in 1968, at the beginning of a brief run of 45s that Clay recorded for Cotillion, between his long runs at One-Derful and Hi, ‘You Don’t Miss Your Water’ is a testament to Clay’s mighty voice, and the power of a great singer seeing an opportunity to take an already great song into the stratosphere.

The arrangement is still fairly spare – with the guitar taking the place of the acoustic piano, a more prominent horn section and some very nice electric piano in place of the organ, but Clay’s vocal is spectacular, wrenching every bit of emotion out of the lyrics, conveying a palpable sense of regret.

I wouldn’t feel as if I’d done my job if I didn’t include it today.

So dig them both, and I’ll see you all next week.
.

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.

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

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By Larry, February 7, 2017 12:12 pm

Clarence Carter

Listen/Download – Clarence Carter – Take It Off Him and Put It On Me MP3

Greetings all.

I have spoken many times before about the value of keep your ears wide open and connecting with other DJs/collectors. I can scarcely recall a time when I shared the turntables with someone where I didn’t walk away with something groovy added to my want list.

Though my man Kris Holmes (formerly of the Antipodes, now a Texas transplant) and I never shared the decks, we have listened to each other’s shows, and were fortunate enough to meet up in person a while back while he was travelling here in the States.

Naturally, part of our brief time together was devoted to playing records, from our respective playboxes, and one of the records that Kris hepped me to that day is the 45 you see before you, Clarence Carter’s ‘Take It Off Him and Put It On Me’.

Recorded in Muscle Shoals in 1970, ‘Take It Off Him..’ is a great slice of hard driving, funky Southern soul, with the Clarence and the Swampers locked into the groove, and there’s even a little electric sitar thrown into the mix!

Carter’s vocal is top notch, and the arrangement, with some understated piano, very funky bass and sure shot drums is rough an ready for the dance floor.

Fortunately, unlike a couple of other things that Kris played that day, this one was an easy/cheap pull. So peel you a five spot out ya bankroll and get you a copy for your own playbox.

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

Keep the faith

Larry

____________________________________________________________________________

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.

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

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By Larry, February 2, 2017 12:24 pm

Arthur Prysock

Listen/Download – Arthur Prysock – In the Rain MP3

Greetings all.

The end of the week is here, and I will remind you not to forget to check out the Funky16Corners Radio Show, which drops each and every Friday with the best in soul, funk, jazz and rare groove, all on original vinyl. You can subscribe to the show as a podcast in iTunes, listen on your mobile device via TuneIn and Stitcher, dig it on Mixcloudm or gran yourself an MP3 here at Funky16Corners.com

He tune I bring you today is one of those ‘familiar song from an unfamiliar source’ things that I like so much.

I forget where I first heard about Arthur Prysock’s version of ‘In the Rain’, but I was both surprised by its very existence, and that it had been a hit.

The song was of course written by Detroit master Tony Hester and first recorded by the mighty Dramatics, and it was a Number One R&B hit (as well as making it into the Pop Top Ten) for the group in 1972.

Arthur Prysock though, is a name I always associated with an earlier era.

He began his career singing with big bands in the late 40s, having his first hit in 1952 (I Didn’t Sleep a Wink Last Night) with the Sy Oliver Orchestra.

He worked mostly as an R&B balladeer, having a string of hits with the Old Town label starting in 1960.

When he recorded ‘In the Rain’ in 1973, he was 44 years old and hadn’t had a hit since 1965.

His version of the song has a very hip arrangement, with some groovy organ and horns, and it’s a nice contrast to hear the song delivered in Prysock’s husky baritone.

Prysock would go on to have a minor resurgence, placing three more R&B Top 40 hits in 1976 and 1977.

He passed away in 1997 at the age of 68.

I hope you dig the sounds, and I’ll see you all on Monday.

Keep the faith

Larry

____________________________________________________________________________

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.

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

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By Larry, January 31, 2017 12:34 pm

The Invincibles

Listen/Download – The Invincibles – Heart Full of Love MP3

Greetings all.

I come to you mid week with one of my all time favorite soul ballads.

I first encountered the Invincibles’ ‘Heart Full of Love’ when I picked it up at a yard sale years ago, never having heard it, but taking a chance on the group name/song title/label combo.

When I got the record home and gave it a spin I was blown away.

There are soul ballads, and then there are records that sound like they were pressed from pure human emotion.

This is one of the latter.

The obvious touchstone here is the work of Curtis Mayfield, though perhaps a step further removed from the heavily Impressions-influenced Van Dykes ‘No Man Is An Island’ which came out the following year.

Though I have no doubt that there is a certain amount of Mayfield-worship at work here, I would also bet that some of the similarity is due to common sources, those being group harmony of both the secular and religious variety.

Gospel is one of the most important root sources of soul, but how visible those roots are vary from performer to performer, but there’s no mistaking that ‘Heart Full of Love’ could have been created in the amen corner.

When I found out that ‘Heart Full of Love’ was a Top 40 R&B hit in the Spring of 1965, I could scarcely believe that a record this raw, this intimate could have had that kind of mass appeal, but in many ways (aside from the obvious one) 1965 was a very different time. Radio audiences were capable of accepting a slower, quieter sound into their heads.

The arrangement is deceptively spare. While the only instruments you focus on are the guitar and drums, there are chimes, and even beautifully subtle horns in the mix, and the production by Hal Winn and Joseph Hooven (owners of the Sure Shot, Double Shot and Whiz labels) is perfection.

The Invincibles – Dave Richardson, Lester Johnson, Clifton Knight – (who recorded in Los Angeles but appear to have come from Louisiana) wrote the song, and the falsetto lead, and group harmonies are wonderful. The group would record a string of 45s for a few different labels in the 60s, including WB, Loma, Double Shot, and Rampart and even placed another tune, ‘I Can’t Win’ in the R&B Top 40 in 1966.

Though individual tracks have appeared on compilations, as far as I can tell the Invincibles catalog has not been collected in one place for reissue.

I hope you dig the cut, and I’ll see you all on Friday.

Keep the faith

Larry

____________________________________________________________________________

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.

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

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By Larry, January 29, 2017 10:34 am

Fugi aka Ellington Jordan

Listen/Download – Fugi – Red Moon Pt1 MP3

Listen/Download – Fugi – Red Moon Pt2 MP3

Greetings all.

The record I bring you today is an especially groovy one from the intersection of Fugi (aka Ellington Jordan) and the band known as Black Merda.

Fugi and BM collaborated on a number of excellent 45s, the best known being the psychedelic soul classic ‘Mary Don’t Take Me On No bad Trip’ from 1969.

Over the course of the next few years, Fugi and Black Merda made a handful of 45s for Cadet and Grand Junction between 1969 and 1971 of which ‘Red Moon’ was the last.

‘Red Moon’ was written by Black Merda drummer/singer Tyrone Hite and Grand Junction fixture Marvin Figgins (who also penned Fugi’s 1972 ‘Sweet Sweet Lady’.

The song is driven by the rhythm guitar, with funky bass and drums, all pushed along by a great lead vocal by Fugi.

The overall vibe fall into that bag that Hendrix was stitching together in the years leading up to his death, where soul, funk and rock coexist peaceably, creating a kind of “black hippie” groove that is very cool indeed.

‘Part 2’ keeps things going with some cool lead guitar laid on top.

Black Merda recorded two albums, one for Chess and then another for Janus after Tyrone Hite had departed from the band.

Fugi’s discography is limited to a half dozen excellent 45s, all of which make you wish he’d had the opportunity to do an album.

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

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.

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

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By Larry, January 26, 2017 1:43 pm

The Isley Brothers

Listen/Download – Isley Brothers – Nowhere To Run MP3

Greetings all.

The end of the week is upon us, and I will remind you – as I always do – not to forget to dig into the Funky16Corners Radio Show, which drops each and every Friday with the best in soul, funk, jazz and rare groove, all on original vinyl.

You can subscribe to the show as a podcast in iTunes, listen on your mobile device via Stitcher or TuneIn, check it out on Mixcloud or gran yourself an MP3 right here at Funky16Corners.com.

I usually prep these posts weeks in advance, in an attempt to stockpile enough so that the chaos of normal life doesn’t intrude on the routine of the blog.

That said, the previous four posts were a reaction to the events of the last few months – culminating in the inauguration – and they all fell together in the space of a couple of hours last weekend.

The post you see before you today was written and assembled weeks ago, but manages to capture (at least in its title) a bit of the current, angst-ridden zeitgeist.

It comes to us courtesy of the mighty Isley Brothers.

I am in the habit of grabbing each and every original Tamla/Motown LP I find in the wild (not as common as you’d think) and I was very happy indeed when I found the record you see before you.

I was even happier when I discovered that the purchase would also scratch another itch, the one that concerns itself with Motown having their acts cover songs by other (Motown) acts.

This was a fairly common phenomenon, and the Isley Brothers take on Martha and the Vandella’s ‘Nowhere To Run’ is a killer.

The groovy thing is, that is is no mere retread. It is a different backing track than the Vandellas hit, slightly sparer with interesting guitar and piano touches, with the harmony backing vocals much more prominent in the mix, and a great wailing lead vocal.

While I don’t think that the Isley’s take on the song would have surpassed Martha and the Vandellas (in fact the Isleys version remained an LP-only cut), which has a uniquely clear, direct sound as well as Martha Reeves remarkable lead vocal, it is excellent.

If you can get your hands on a copy of the LP, do so, as there are a number of amazing tracks, including ‘Seek and You Shall Find’ which I consider something of a forgotten Motown classic.

I hope you dig the tune, that you can all hang on to the ride, and I’ll see you on Monday..

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.

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

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By Larry, January 17, 2017 12:24 pm

Lee Rogers

Listen/Download – Lee Rogers – Go Go Girl MP3

Greetings all.

I hope the middle of the week finds you well enough to get up outcha seat and dance, on account of what’s up.

Lee Rogers (nee Rogers Lee Caton) was a fairly prolific (on the 45RPM tip, anyway) Detroit soul singer with a catalog that stretched from the early 60s into the late 70s.

The tune I bring you today was released in 1966 on the D-Town label.

Rogers one and only hit had come the previous year when ‘I Want You To Have Everything’ made it into the R&B Top 20.

He never made another dent in the national charts, but the A-side of today’s selection, ‘I’m a Practical Guy’ was a regional hit in Detroit and the Great Lakes area in the summer of 1966.

Though that tune is a cracker, ‘Go Go Girl’ is the side for me.

Written by Detroit stalwarts Mike Hanks, Rudy Robinson and William Garrett, produced by Hanks and arranged by McKinley Jackson, ‘Go Go Girl’ is a hard-hitting dance floor stormer, with booming drums, solid guitar and bass and a horn section thar builds nicely.

Roger’s vocal moves between a smooth tenor and a reaching falsetto.

It’s not hard to imagine packed rooms of dancers, here in the US and over in the UK where Rogers’ 45s are sought after, getting down to this one.

‘Go Go Girl’ isn’t cheap, but it’s not going to put you in the poorhouse either, so if you dig it, and you want to make some people dance, go get yourself a copy for your playbox.

I hope you dig it, and I’ll see you tomorrow with something very special!

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.

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

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By Larry, January 15, 2017 11:37 am

The Countdown Five

Listen/Download – Countdown Five – Shaka Shaka Na Na MP3

Greetings all.

The beginning of the week is here and I have something groovy for you.

Those of you that have followed the Funky16Corners blog for while, checked out my mixes, or heard me spin 45s in person, know that I have a taste for what might otherwise be termed ‘garage or bubblegum soul’ i.e. white rock bands laying down soulful party starters.

I started out collecting garage punk 45s way back in the day and most of those bands incorporated soul and R&B material into their playlists, covered those songs on record, and often came up with their own bangers.

Among my faves are tunes like ‘Shake’ by the Shadows of Knight, and ‘Sally Had a Party’ by Flavor (featured here a while back).

Not all that long ago my man Emery blew my mind with a tune that I had never heard by a group that I was already familiar with.

The band was Texas sixties punkers the Countdown Five, and the tune was ‘Shaka Shaka Na Na’.

The Countdown Five formed in Texas in the unlikely sounding Galveston suburb of Texas City, Texas.

They recorded a number of 45s during the 60s, including the oft-comped classic ‘Uncle Kirby’ (1967).

‘Shaka Shaka Na Na’ is a banger of the first order, sounding like a more soulful cousin of the Easybeats ‘Good Times’ (released the previous year), with fuzz guitar, organ (keyboardist Mack Hayes wrote the song) and a wailing sing-a-long chorus. It’s a great mix of fuzz, bubblegummy simplicity and soul, and a very groovy number indeed.

It was the band’s last 45, and though it wasn’t a hit, it got issued on no less than six countries!

The US issue is on the Buddah subsidiary Cobblestone, and isn’t too pricy or hard to find.

So grab yourself a copy, slip it into your playbox and dance!

See you on Wednesday

Keep the faith

Larry

____________________________________________________________________________

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.

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.