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By Larry, September 13, 2016 1:01 pm

The Chambers Brothers performing ‘Call Me’ on Hollywood A Go Go

Listen/Download – The Chambers Brothers – Call Me MP3

Greetings all.

The Chambers Brothers are one of the coolest, and also most misunderstood acts of the 1960s.

Though they created one of the signature psychedelic records of the era in ‘Time Has Come Today’, one of those tunes that serves as musical shorthand for the 60s itself, their discography is much more diverse and interesting than that record would suggest.

Hailing from Mississippi, the Chambers Brothers – George, Lester, Willie and Joe – got their start singing gospel (evidenced in their strong, tight harmonies), worked their way up through the folk revival – appearing at Newport in 1965 and backing Barbara Dane and Hoyt Axton on a couple of records.

‘Call Me’ was one of their very first recordings, released on the LA-based Vault label in 1965 (it appeared on their debut LP ‘People Get Ready’).

The song has touches of contemporary rock, though the brothers’ voices push it well into the realm of R&B. They even do a little homage to the Isley’s ‘Twist and Shout’ in the middle of the song.

There’s a great clip of the group performing the song on Hollywood A Go Go.

They had a great knack (like Sly and the Family Stone) for wiping away the dividing lines between soul and rock, recording records like ‘Uptown’ and the oft-sampled ‘Funky’ as well as out-and-out psyche like ‘Time Has Come Today’. They would record well into the 1970s for Columbia and Avco (with Vault releasing material recorded in the mid-60s for years), getting funkier along the way.

Though the early Vault 45s can be kind of hard to find, their Columbia material is everywhere and is highly recommended.

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

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, August 21, 2016 8:52 am

Dig that crazy label design!

Listen/Download – The Grand Prees – Jungle Fever MP3

Greetings all.

It occurred to me, since it was Monday and all, and most of the world is dragging themselves to work or school, that I might whip something a little crazy on you to help get you moving.

Not too long ago I was perusing a sales list and I happened upon the disc you see before you today. Since I am constitutionally unable to pass by a record entitled ‘Jungle Fever’, I clicked on the link, listened to the sample, and knew I had to grab it for my crates.

The Grand Prees (with alternating lead vocalist – Douglass Pettijohn on this side) only ever recorded one 45, which was released twice, first on Candi (in 1961), and then again on the much cooler looking Golden Grooves imprint (in 1962).

These labels (and the Barvis label) were both the work of one JJ Chavis, who operated out of Wilmington, Delaware in the early to mid 60s recording Philadelphia-area R&B, soul and gospel 45s.

Opening with a very Chips/Rubber Biscuit-like doo-wop vocalization (Mr Pettijohn I presume?), a high female voice, organ and guitar drop in, and grooviness ensues.

The whole thing is rough (not Plookie McCline ‘Gorilla Walk’ rough, but pretty rough) with the lead vocal straying off-key, and the backing, especially the male voice and the organ, verily reeks of inspiration, as in ‘these people will never be this good, on anything else again’.

Chavis worked a lot with gospel groups, and ‘Jungle Fever’ sounds like a bunch of gospel records fell on the floor and were pieced back together by someone that was good and lit.

The organist especially, sounds like someone shackled to the amen corner that was yearning to let his (or her) freak flag fly.

The flip side is your basic, yearning ballad, without much to recommend it.

That said, ‘Jungle Fever’ is worth repeat plays.

I hope you dig it, and I’ll see you all 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, August 7, 2016 11:51 am

Junior Parker – Taxman (Capitol)
Jackie Wilson – Eleanor Rigby (Brunswick)
Don Randi Trio – Love You To (Reprise)
Gary McFarland – Here There and Everywhere (Skye)
London Jazz 4 – Yellow Submarine (Polydor)
Don Randi Trio – She Said She Said (Reprise)
Linda Divine – Good Day Sunshine (Columbia)
Maceo and All the Kings Men – For No One (Excello)
Don Randi Trio – I Want To Tell You (Reprise)
Chris Clark – Got To Get You Into My Live (Motown)
Junior Parker – Tomorrow Never Knows (Capitol)

Pictured: Jackie Wilson, Junior Parker, Linda Divine and Maceo Parker

Listen/Download – Funky16Corners Presents: Revolving In Soul 54MB Mixed MP3

NOTE: The always excellent Any Major Dude With Half a Heart blog did a similar (though more stylistically all-encompassing) mix that you should definitely check out. There’s some crossover, but I think you’ll dig both mixes – Larry

Greetings all.

I was puttering around in the Funky16Corners Blogcasting Nerve Center and Record Vault the other day and some friends brought it to my attention that the 50th anniversary of the release of the Beatles epic ‘Revolver’ LP – one of the most important and paradigm-shifting albums of the 60s – was upon us.

Naturally, having devoted several mixes to the songs of the Beatles (as covered by soul, funk and jazz artists) I had to see if I could put together a mix of covers that approximated the track listing and running order of the original.

I had to cheat a little bit (what you see here matches the track listing of the US issue of the album, i.e. the one I grew up with, but not the longer/more interesting UK issue, which you see on CD reissues of ‘Revolver’) and the running time is almost the same (with the mix running about two minutes over).

That is due to the fact that there aren’t many covers of material from the UK album that fit inside the (admittedly broad) stylistic brackets I mentioned above. There are a grip of soul/funk covers of songs like Eleanor Rigby, but none at all of ‘I’m Only Sleeping’, ‘And Your Bird Can Sing’ or ‘Doctor Robert’.

That said, I did have bunch of cool things on hand.

The saving grace was Don Randi’s 1966 ‘Revolver Jazz’ LP, contributing no less than three tracks to the mix, the swinging version of ‘Yellow Submarine’ by the London Jazz 4 (good luck finding a version of that song that isn’t meant for kids or played for comedy), and Maceo Parker’s stunning and wholly unexpected version of ‘For No One’.

A couple of the tracks in this mix have appeared here in some form before, but I couldn’t resist the pure novelty and record nerd-ery of recreating Revolver.

So, I hope you dig it, and I’ll see you all 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, July 12, 2016 11:04 am

Jackey Beavers and Johnny Bristol

Listen/Download -Johnny and Jackey – Someday We’ll Be Together MP3

Greetings all.

The tune I bring you today is the fruit of one of my (many) personal obsessions, that being the – often forgotten – original versions of songs.

I have to admit that I was ignorant of the roots of the 1969 hit by Diana Ross and the Supremes until hearing today’s selection on a satellite radio countdown a few years ago.

It wasn’t so shocking that the song had been recorded before, but rather that even in 1961, that familiar guitar figure was right out there in front.

Johnny Bristol and Jackey Beavers were two southern transplants to Detroit (Bristol from North Carolina, Beavers from Georgia) who would both have long careers writing and recording well into the 1970s, with Bristol having a string of R&B hits.

The duo recorded a string of 45s for Anna and Tri-Phi between 1959 and 1962, having a minor pop hit with ‘Lonely and Blue’ in 1960.

They wrote (with the great Harvey Fuqua) ‘Someday We’ll Be Together’ and recorded it in 1961.

The record opens with the solitary sound of maraccas, soon joined by a booming, picked guitar line (recreated on the Supremes record with guitar and strings), then by their voices. The arrangement is spare, but Bristol and Beavers’ voices really carry it. It’s a refreshing experience to juxtapose it with the Supremes hit.

The duo split up when Tri-Phi (and its publishing) was swallowed by Motown , with Beavers going off on his own and both Fuqua and Bristol joining the larger label.

Apparently Bristol was working on recording the song with Jr Walker and the All Stars when Berry Gordy decided to give the song to Diana Ross (who was on the verge of leaving the Supremes to go solo). The record ended up being the last Supremes hit with Ross on lead, going on to hit Number One on both the R&B and Pop charts.

The song was covered again in 1970 for the country market (where it was a Top 10 hit) by Bill Anderson and Jan Howard (check it out over at Iron Leg).

I hope you dig the tune, 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, June 15, 2016 11:59 am

Tarik Thornton – There Was a Time

Masonic Wonders – The Storm is Passing Over. (More-Love)
Bobby Womack – Interlude #2 (United Artists)
Delfonics- Hey Love (Philly Groove)
Tyrone Ashley- Let me Be Your Man (Phil-La)
Johnny Davis – The Love I See Now (Bandit)
Sex- Wonders of The World (SuperCity)
The Ballads – Dizzy World (Kimberly)
The Futures – Breaking up (Amjo)
Gene Anderson & The International Hook Up- Congratulations (HI)
Black Soul Express – When I Left You (Black Soul Express/Numero)
Duke Turner- Give Me Some Sugar Pt.1 (Spinning Top)
Young Mods- We Can Make It ( Pork)
Windy City- Let Me Ride ( Kelli-Arts)
Odds Against Tomorrow – Point of No Return (Sweet As Records)
The Relatives- Don’t Let Me Fall (Ever-Soul/Daptone)

Listen/Download – Tarik Thornton – There Was a Time 116MB Mixed MP3

Greetings all 

Welcome back to the Funky16Corners 2016, Allnighter/Pledge Drive.

Today’s set in the Allnighter comes from my man Tarik Thornton.

Tarik, who has deep roots in NOLA but now spends his time in the frosty north country has created a very, very special set for us this year.

Though the all-encompassing vibe is mellow, the mix covers the bases from gospel, to deep soul, to firme rolas, with some slightly familiar things alongside heavy obscurities from his crates.

This is a nighttime thing, so turn the lights down low, turn the volume up and open your ears (and your heart).

Don’t forget to click the Paypal button and donate, and we’ll be back tomorrow with a two-part mix from DJ RP of Funkdefy Ohio!

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Your donations help to keep Funky16Corners up and running, with the blog, Funky16Corners Radio Show podcast and hundreds of hours of archived mixes.

Everyone that donates will get the new 2016 Funky16Corners badge and bumpersticker, with which you can adorn the garment and flat surface of your choosing.

Also, everyone that donates will be entered into a drawing to win a copy of the new 45 by the M-Tet!

So pull down the ones and zeros, dig deep and Keep the Faith!

___________________________

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.

Comments (1)

By Larry, June 5, 2016 11:33 am

Funky16Corners Presents: Queens
Vicki Gomez – Boys Are a Dime a Dozen (ABC/Paramount)
Rita and the Tiaras – Gone With the Wind Is My Love (Dore)
Apollas – Mr Creator (WB)
Clara Ward – The Right Track (Verve)
Gloria Jones – Heartbeat Pt1 (Uptown)
Sandy Wynns – Love Belongs To Everyone (Champion)
Tina Britt – The Real Thing (Eastern)
Brenda Lee – Dancing In the Street (Decca)
Candy and the Kisses – Keep On Searching (Scepter)
Dorothy Berry – Shindig City (Planetary)
Marie Queenie Lyons – Drown In My Own Tears (Deluxe)
Mirettes – Now That I Found You Baby (Mirwood)
Bobbettes – Tighten Up Your Own Home (Mayhew)
Funky Sisters – Soul Woman (Aurora)
Ella Fitzgerald – These Boots Are Made For Walkin’ (Salle)
Sari and the Shalimars – No Reason To Doubt My Love (Veep)
Judy Clay – Sister Pitiful (Atlantic)
Lesley Gore – Take Good Care (Of My Heart) (Mercury)
Barry St John – Cry Like a Baby (GRT)

Listen/Download – Funky16Corners Presents: Queens 86MB Mixed MP3

Greetings all and welcome to the 2016 Funky16Corners Allnighter/Pledge Drive!

This is the time of year where I and some of the finest selectors I know create some brand new mixes and post them here in the hope that you will all show your appreciation by clicking on the Paypal link and tossing something into the hat to help cover our yearly operating budget. This is the 10th Anniversary of the Pledge Drive and the 6th year of the Allnighter format.

This year’s line-up includes mixes from Asbury Park 45 sessions alums DJ Prestige, DJ Prime Mundo, DJ Bluewater, Vincent the Soul Chef, my man in the UK Ben Gibson, Tarik Thornton, HeavySoulBrutha Dave B, Chris Lujan of the M-Tet and the Dirty Dirty Podcast, DJ RP of Funkdefy Ohio and yours truly book-ending the whole thing.

The mixes this year are uniformly excellent, with sounds ranging from funk 45s, to Northern Soul, sweet soul, reggae, modern funk instros, soul jazz and everything in between.

We’ll be posting a mix each weekday for the next few weeks.

___________________________

Your donations help to keep Funky16Corners up and running, with the blog, Funky16Corners Radio Show podcast and hundreds of hours of archived mixes.

Everyone that donates will get the new 2016 Funky16Corners badge and bumper sticker, with which you can adorn the garment and flat surface of your choosing.

So pull down the ones and zeros, dig deep and Keep the Faith!

__________________________________________________________________

We’re going to get things started (and eventually finished) with a two-part mix by yours truly, entitled Queens & Kings. These are each an hour long and feature an hour of danceable soul, first by the ladies, and then by the fellas.
I’ve picked up a lot of outstanding stuff in the past year, including some of my personal Northern Soul grails, a couple of unexpected things (from people you wouldn’t expect, naturally) and lots of other groovy sounds!

So dig it, and we’ll be back tomorrow with DJ Prime Mundo!

___________________________

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, June 2, 2016 12:01 pm

Funky16Corners Presents ‘Hot Gravy’ – Guest Mix for Music for Modern Living
Albert Collins – Cookin’ Catfish (20th Century)
Billy Davis – Stanky Get Funky (Cobblestone)
Wynder K Frog – Dancing Frog (UA)
Mighty Hannibal – Fishin’ Pole (Shurfine)
Billy Clark and his Orchestra – Hot Gravy (Dynamo)
Gate Wesley and Band feat Billy Lamont – (Zap! Pow!) Do the Batman (Atlantic)
Albert Collins – Sno Cone Pt2 (TCF-Hall)
Bettye Lavette – Feel Good All Over (Calla)
Timmy Thomas – Have Some Boogaloo (Goldwax)
Jerry Lee Lewis – Shotgun Man (Smash)
Isley Brothers – Nobody But Me (Wand)
RD Stokes – My Sandra’s Jump (II Bros)
Bob Seger and the Last Heard – Heavy Music Pt2 (Cameo/Parkway)
Bobby Hollaway – Cornbread, Hog Maw and Chitterlins (Smash)
Maggie Thrett – Soupy (From the Soul)
Jimmy Holiday – The New Breed (Diplomacy)
Howlin’ Wolf – Pop It To Me (Chess)
Roy Ward – Horse With a Freeze Pt2 (Seven B)
African Beavers – You Got Something (RCA)
Banana Splits – Doin’ the Banana Split (Kelloggs)
TV and the Tribesmen – Trip City USA (HBR)
Jimmy Preacher Ellis – Put Your Hoe To My Row (Round)
Buena Vistas – The Soul Ranger (Marquee)
Danny White – Natural Soul Brother (SSS Intl)
Bobby Freeman – C’Mon and Swim Pt1 (Autumn)

Listen/Download – Funky16Corners Presents – Hot Gravy 138MB Mixed MP3

Greetings all.

The end of the week is here, so I will remind you once again to check out the Funky16Corners Radio Show podcast, which drops each and every Friday with the best in funk, soul, 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 the TuneIn app, check it out on Mixcloud, or grab an MP3 right here at the blog.

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I should also say that the Funky16Corners 2016 Allnighter and Pledge Drive will start next Monday, June 6th.

As in years past, you will get a string of new mixes by myself and some of my favorite selectors, posted one every weekday over the course of more than two weeks.

These mixes will be accompanied by a Paypal/Donate button, so that those of you that dig what we do here (blogs, radio show, hundreds of hours of archived mixes) will toss something into the hat towards the operating budget for the next year.

All donors will also receive the new 2016 Funky16Corners badge and bumper sticker to affix to the garment and flat surface of your choice!

So stay tuned for that (lots of good stuff this year).

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The mix you see before you today – Funky16Corners Presents – Hot Gravy – was assembled at the behest of the most excellent Music for Modern Living blog, where it premiered last weekend.

Nigel has a good thing going over there, and has presented a number of very cool guest mixes by the best selectors in funk and soul.

This is a solid, hour-long kick in the pants, composed of some of the hottest dance floor soul and R&B bangers in my crates.

There are lots of old faves, a couple of things that might not be familiar, and with the weather finally getting warm, it should provide adequate moving and grooving for your weekend.

I hope you dig it, that you check out Music for Modern Living, and that as always, you…

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.

Comments (0)

By Larry, May 31, 2016 12:21 pm

Chuck Berry

Listen/Download – Chuck Berry – Club Nitty Gritty MP3

Greetings all.

The middle of the week is here, and I have some news.

After quite a bit of foot-dragging on my part, the Funky16Corners 2016 Allnighter and Pledge Drive will finally start rolling next Monday, June 6th.

As in years past, you will get a string of new mixes by myself and some of my favorite selectors, posted one every weekday over the course of more than two weeks.

These mixes will be accompanied by a Paypal/Donate button, so that those of you that dig what we do here (blogs, radio show, hundreds of hours of archived mixes) will toss something into the hat towards the operating budget for the next year.

All donors will also receive the new 2016 Funky16Corners badge and bumper sticker to affix to the garment and flat surface of your choice!

So stay tuned for that (lots of good stuff this year).

__________________________________________________________________________
The tune I bring you today is one of those gems that was kind of hiding in plain sight.

I shouldn’t have to explain Chuck Berry to any but the youngest of you (and even you should get familiar). Suffice to say, Berry was one of the single most important popular musicians of the second half of the 20th Century, racking up a long string of classic hits, and influencing most of the musicians that came after him, whether through his songwriting, performances, or both.

The bulk of Berry’s hits came between 1955 and 1964, with a brief resurgence at the beginning of the 70s.

Most people – myself included – would relegate him to an earlier period, an assessment pushed along by Berry’s association with the primal years of rock’n’roll and his primary work (for most of the last 40 years) as an ‘oldies’ act.

Despite my love for his best known work, and my deep respect for him, there wasn’t much in his catalog that I thought would be of interest to Funky16Corners readers.

That was until a few years ago, when a friend turned me on to today’s selection, 1966’s ‘Club Nitty Gritty’.

A storming bit of mod soul, ‘Club Nitty Gritty’ is unlike pretty much anything else in the Berry canon, and was – aside from some airplay in Washington, DC and a Top 40 run with the Pirate stations in the UK – largely ignored at the time of release, and forgotten since (aside from some of your hipper DJs).

Though ‘Club Nitty Gritty’ was released on a 45 in 1966 (backed with the even more obscure ‘Laugh and Cry’) which these days is fairly rare and expensive, Chuck and his record company at the time (Mercury) were kind enough to stash the tune away in a another, very strange place.

As you’ll see by the label above (a 1973 pressing), ‘Club Nitty Gritty’ appears on the album ‘Chuck Berry’s Golden Hits’, released in 1967.

When I tell you that I passed by this record at least 100 times in the 40 years that I’ve been buying records, if anything I’d probably be underestimating.

You see, what I (and probably most others) assumed, was that ‘Chuck Berry’s Golden Hits’ was exactly what it looked like, i.e. a collection of his old records.

What it was – in fact – was a 1966/67 rerecording of those songs for Mercury, packaged to look like a collection of 50s/early 60s recordings, with ‘Club Nitty Gritty’ tacked on to the end of it.

If I’d had any idea, I’d have grabbed it a long time ago.

That said, I’m very pleased indeed that I picked it up when I did, since ‘Club Nitty Gritty’ is a banger.

Kicked into gear by Berry’s tough rhythm guitar and some groovy electric piano (Johnny Johnson), Chuck drops in to tell the tale of the night spot in the title, then moves on to calling out a string of dances. It is fast moving enough for the dance floor, and Berry is in rare form. I haven’t been able to find out who produced the track(s) but the sound is very cool, with lots of reverb.

Berry didn’t release much new music in the late 60s, but what did make it onto record is worth checking out, including ‘Back to Memphis’ (1967), ‘Louie to Frisco’ (1968, both for Mercury) and ‘Tulane’ (for Chess, 1970).

I hope you dig the track, 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.

Comments (0)

By Larry, May 29, 2016 11:52 am

Ronnie and the Pomona Casuals (Charlie Lett, center)

Listen/Download – Ronnie and the Pomona Casuals – Out of Sight MP3

Listen/Download – Ronnie and the Pomona Casuals – I Wanna Do the Jerk MP3

Greetings all.

Ever since digging into the history of ‘land of 1,000 Dances’ back in the day I have had an interest in the East LA/Chicano music scene of the 1960s.

Southern California was a hotbed of Chicano bands that specialized in a a very groovy mixture of R&B, rock and soul. Groups like Thee Midniters, Cannibal and the Headhunters, the Atlantics and the Blendells laid down some of the hottest 45s (and a couple of excellent LPs) of the day.

Among their ranks was a multi-racial powerhouse by the name of Ronnie and the Pomona Casuals.

Led by guitarist Ronnie Duran, the band included his brother Jimmy on sax, lead singer Charlie Lett, drummer Philip Duran (not a brother), organist Robert Arroyo, bassist Ryan O’Brien and baritone saxophonist Bob Foley, the Casuals met and formed in high school.

They were managed by Billy Cardenas (who also produced their LP) who also handled a lot of the bigger area bands.

They recorded their album for Bob Keane’s Donna records in 1965, with none other than Arthur Lee (pre-Love) assisting on songwriting and backing vocals.

The album is a great example of the kind of blend that the East LA bands were so good at, with mostly R&B/soul material played with an exuberant, rocking feel.

The tunes I bring you today are the group’s ‘I Wanna Do The Jerk’ (rumored to have been written by Arthur Lee), and their cover of James Brown’s ‘Out of Sight’.

‘I Wanna Do the Jerk’ is one of those records where you can just picture a gym full of sweaty kids getting down while the band works it out on stage.

Their take on ‘Out of Sight’ (also covered by Cannibal and the Headhunters) has the same ragged but right feel of the rest of the record (I have no doubt that these guys played their own instruments in the studio) and the vocal by Lett is excellent.

The liner notes on the LP were written by DJ Gene Weed, who was also the host of Shivaree, one of the coolest 60s ‘dance party’ shows, which featured a lot of interesting pop, soul and R&B acts.

In addition to their LP, the Pomona Casuals recorded a handful of 45s for Donna and Mustang, and continued playing into the 1970s.

I hope you dig the tracks, 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.

Comments (2)

By Larry, May 3, 2016 11:49 am

Prince, Mitch Ryder and the Pointer Sisters (dig that 80s typography…)

Listen/Download – The Pointer Sisters – I Feel For You MP3

Listen/Download – Mitch Ryder – When You Were Mine MP3

Greetings all.

I can remember the first time I saw Prince.

I first became aware of his music when I was still in high school, and he popped up on the Midnight Special playing ‘I Wanna Be Your Lover’. He was unlike anything I’d seen before, and at the time, unlike anything I was listening to.

When ‘Controversy’ came out in 1981 it was the first Prince tune that really caught my ear, but it wasn’t until 1984, when ‘Purple Rain’ came out that I actually owned one of his records.

Prince has never appeared here on Funky16Corners before, due mainly to the fact that we concern generally ourselves with soul and R&B of a much earlier vintage. That said, no matter how much, or how often Prince transcended those genres, he was a master of both and tribute must be paid.

Prince was one of those artists for whom the term ‘sui generis’ seems to have been created.

Though, in retrospect, it’s pretty easy to suss out his roots and influences (though maybe less so with the visual element stripped away, which considering that his fame came about during the video age may be a moot point), one of the reasons that he first rose to prominence was precisely because he was hard to pin down stylistically.

He was mixing then contemporary funky R&B with new wave and rock, reaching for the same threads that George Clinton had grabbed (Hendrix, James Brown*) and pulling them into a more streamlined future where he would expand on their appeal to the larger pop audience.

His status as a giant in modern culture, as a songwriter, musician, performer, discoverer and nurturer of other people’s talent in unquestionable and the size of the gap he leaves behind is sure to widen as the years go on and people have the opportunity to take in the full scope of his work and influence.

Though the first thing most people think of is Prince as a remarkable performer – a man who was able to combine the flash and virtuosity of Jimi and JB with the outsized showmanship of the P-Funk empire – he was also a great (and prolific) songwriter, evidenced not only is his own work, but by how many of his songs have entered the public consciousness via other artists.

The first time I can recall hearing a Prince song done by someone else was when Chaka Khan took ‘I Feel For You’ (then a five year old album cut by Prince) to the top of the charts in 1984. I didn’t know it was a Prince song when I heard it, but finding out that he had written it gave me a whole new level of respect for him.

The next decade saw Prince songs becoming hits by the Bangles, Sinead O’Connor, Sheila E and many others.

The cuts I bring you today are two earlier covers of his songs from the years right before Prince turned from a singer into a genuine phenomenon.

The first is one that I had no idea existed for years (probably because it was overshadowed by the Chaka Khan version), is the Pointer Sisters 1982 cover of ‘I Feel For You’.

Prince had originally recorded the song as a demo intended for Patrice Rushen, and it first appeared on his self-titled 1979 album.

Recorded for the group’s 1982 ‘So Excited’ album (the title track would hit the charts twice, in 1982 and then again in 1984), ‘I Feel For You’ follows the Prince original pretty closely, taking the tempo down a hair and pushing the electric piano to the fore. It provides an interesting contrast to (and bridge between) Prince’s original and Chaka Khan’s hit, which was by any measure one of the most exciting records of the 80s.

The second tune I bring you today is Mitch Ryder’s 1983 cover of ‘When You Were Mine’. First recorded by Prince for the ‘Dirty Mind’ LP in 1980, and then appearing as the flipside of the ‘Controversy’ 45, the song was recorded by Ryder for his 1983 ‘Never Kick a Sleeping Dog’, produced by John Mellencamp under the pseudonym ‘Little Bastard’.

Ryder had been one of the best blue-eyed soul singers of the 60s, and had by this time settled into a more rock/pop style. That wasn’t a hindrance, since Prince’s version of ‘When You Were Mine’ was pretty much a straight ahead new wave record. The song was a great fit for Ryder’s seasoned rasp and it was the last time he made a dent in the Hot 100. The song was covered the following year by Cyndi Lauper on her first album.

Though it’s likely many of you have already explored Prince’s discography, if you haven’t, check it out (especially the early stuff).

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

Keep the faith

Larry

*There’s a bootleg recording of Prince at the Fillmore in 2004 that features a scorching version of the JB’s ‘Pass the Peas’ featuring none other than Maceo Parker on sax.

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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.

Comments (1)

By Larry, April 14, 2016 9:26 am

Big Jay McNeely and Band – The Squat (Swingin’)
Big Jay McNeely and Band – Without a Love (Swingin’)
Leon Haywood – The Fat Fish (Fat Fish)
Leon Haywood – A River’s Invitation (Convoy)
Leon Haywood – Soul Cargo (Fat Fish)
Leon and the Burners – Whiplash (Josie)
Leon and the Burners – Crack Up (Josie)
The Packers – Hole In the Wall (Pure Soul Music)
The Packers – Go Head On (Pure Soul Music)
The Hideaways – Hide Out (Mirwood)
Leon Haywood – Soul On (Imperial)
Leon Haywood – Cornbread and Buttermilk (Imperial)
Leon Haywood – 1-2-3 (Imperial)
The Soul Machine – Bag of Goodies (Pzazz)
The Soul Machine – Twitchy Feet (Pzazz

Listen/Download – Funky16Corners Presents: Leon Haywood at the Organ 1962-1968 MP3

Greetings all.

The end of the week is here, and so is the Funky16Corners Radio Show, dropping each and every Friday with the best in funk, soul, jazz and rare groove, all on original vinyl. You can subscribe to the show as a podcast in iTunes, listen online via the TuneIn app or Mixcloud, or grab an MP3 right here at the blog.

News came down the pike last week that the great Leon Haywood had passed away at the age of 74.

Fans of 60s and 70s soul would have been familiar with vocal hits like ‘It’s GotTo Be Mellow’, ‘Mellow Moonlight’ or ‘I Want’a Do Something Freaky To You’.

However, as I discovered – quite by accident, years ago – Leon Haywood was not only a smooth singer, but a Hammond wrangler of the first order.

Turning over a few of his Decca and Imperial 45s revealed organ instrumentals, and then delving deep into the mystery behind that recording of the Packers’ ‘Hole In the Wall’, it was gradually revealed that in addition to a great singing voice, Haywood was just as comfortable on the keys.

He recorded on organ and piano frequently through the 1960s, often as a backing musician, or under a group alias, and then pretty much abandoned the sideline as he got more popular in the 70s.

I had this mix simmering long before he passed away, but as soon as I heard he was gone, I moved it to the front burner.

Born in Texas, he moved to California in the early 60s where he hooked up with the band of R&B saxophonist Big Jay McNeely, with whom he made his first records as an organist. I’ve included both sides of one of his 1962 McNeely 45s, both tunes co-written by Haywood. ‘The Squat’ and ‘Without a Love’ both feature Haywood using a wide open, slightly distorted/overmodulated organ sound in a heavily reverbed production. ‘The Squat’ is a wild R&B dancer, with it’s flipside working a more sedate, bluesy side of the street.

The next few songs fall into the window of 1965-1966, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they weren’t in exact chronological order.

Haywood recorded a full album for the LA label Fat Fish in 1966, which included a few vocal numbers (but did not include his big Northern Soul number ‘Baby Reconsider’ which was on a later Fat Fish 45), as well as a grip of piano and organ instrumentals. I’ve included three tracks from this album, including the tunes ‘Fat Fish’, ‘Soul Cargo’ and his swinging cover of Percy Mayfield’s ‘A River’s Invitation’, which appeared on the album as well as a Convoy 45 (where I first heard it).

Next up is both sides of a 45 that I had for at least 15 years before I realized it was Haywood, by Leon and the Burners. ‘Whiplash’ – which uses a similar organ sound to the McNeely 45 – owes a debt to Alvin Cash’s ‘Twine Time’. The flipside, ‘Crack Up’ has a lean, Memphis sound to it.

The next two sides see Leon Haywood walking into the midst of the one of the most interesting musical mysteries of the classic soul era. The Packers ‘Hole In The Wall’ was a Top 5 R&B/Top 40 Pop hit in the Fall of 1965. The session was put together by LA DJ the Magnificent Montague, and included most of Booker T and the MGs (minus Duck Dunn) who were in LA recording with Bobby Darin, saxophonist Packy Axton of the Mar-Keys, and none other than Leon Haywood on organ (Booker T on piano) and Earl Grant on bass.

All would have been clear enough had this been the only record the Packers did, but Axton went on (with a variety of other players) to record a bunch of “Packers” records over the next few years, as well as both sides of the ‘Hole In the Wall’ 45 being issued in the US and the UK as two differently named songs by someone named Joe S. Maxey (more here).

Complicating matters even more, is the fact that Nat Nathan, sometimes with Haywood (sometimes without) would also record a bunch of ‘Hole In the Wall’-esque 45s (you can see the roots of the Packers “sound” in Haywood’s Fat Fish sides), including ‘Hide Out’ by the Hideaways on the LA Mirwood label.

As I mentioned earlier, Haywood included organ and piano instrumentals on his Decca LP ‘It’s Got To be Mellow’ and on the B-sides of his Decca and Imperial 45s. Included here are the originals ‘Soul On’ (45 only) and ‘Cornbread and Buttermilk’ (from the LP) and the 45-only cover of Len Barry’s ‘1-2-3’.

The last two tracks in this mix are the two sides of a great, funky 1968 Hammond 45 that I was after for years, only bagging a copy late last year. The Soul Machine’s ‘Twitchie Feet’ b/w ‘Bag of Goodies’ (recently covered by the Incredible Say Whats) were played, produced and written by Haywood, during his time with the LA-based Pzazz label (where he also recorded with Little Janice).

Now, I have no doubt whatsoever that there are gaps in this mix, especially where Haywood’s work as a sideman, or pseudonymous bandleader are concerned. I have a few 45s that I suspect are his handiwork, but no hard evidence to go on. If any of you have any records to add to the list, please let me know.

Haywood spent time between his 60s and 70s hits working in the studio, backing people like Shuggie Otis. He also started his own Evejim label, and worked as a producer.

He was a talented performer, and will be missed.

I hope you dig the mix, and I’ll see you all 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.

Comments (0)

By Larry, March 15, 2016 11:46 am

Packed and ready to roll

In the midst of Set 1

Our Host Gene Meredith on the wheels of steel

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Larry Grogan Set 1 (Mixed Bag)
Falcons – I’m a Fool (I Must Love You) (Big Wheel)
Jewels – Opportunity (Dimension)
Vicki Gomez – Boys Are a Dime a Dozen (ABC/Paramount)
Eldridge Holmes – Emperor Jones (ALON)
Tangeers – This Empty Place (Scepter)
Mad Lads – No Time Is Better Than Right Now (Volt)
Spellbinders – A Little On the Blue Side (Columbia)
Sims Twins – A Losing Battle (Omen)
ZZ Hill – Don’t Make Promises (Kent)
JC Davis – Fezneckie (Chess)
Tommy Tucker – Long Tall Shorty (Checker)
Barbara Lynn – I’m a Good Woman (Tribe)
Gentleman June Gardner – It’s Gonna Rain (Emarcy)
Sam Cooke – Shake (RCA)
Billy Davis – Stanky Get Funky (Cobblestone)
Pop-Ups – Lurking (HBR)
Johnny Otis Show – Keep the Faith Pt1 (Eldo)
Supremes – Love Is Like an Itching In My Heart (Motown)

Listen/Download -Funky16Corners SSSC Set 1 – 101MB Mixed Mp3/192K

Larry Grogan Set 2 (Dancers)
Precisions – If This Is Love (I’d Rather Be Lonely) (Drew)
Benny Gordon and the Soul Brothers – I’m Gonna Give Her All the Love I’ve Got (Wand)
Taj Mahal – A Lot of Love (Columbia)
Marketts – Stirring Up Some Soul (WB)
Corvairs – Ain’t No Soul Left In These Old Shoes (Columbia)
Theresa Lindsay – I’ll Bet You (Golden World)
Incredibles – I Can’t Get Over Losing Your Love (Audio Arts)
Dorothy Berry – Shindig City (Planetary)
Mary Love – Lay This Burden Down (Modern)
Trade Martin – Moanin’ (RCA)
Soul City – Everybody Dance Now (Good Time)
Younghearts – A Little Togetherness (Soultown)
Eddie Floyd – Big Bird (Stax)

Listen/Download -Funky16Corners SSSC Set 2 – 75MB Mixed Mp3/192K

Greetings all.

This past weekend I had the honor of guesting at the Steel Stax Soul Club at Porter’s Pub in Easton, PA.

It was  a little bit of a ride, so we packed up all the Corners in the van and headed West for a little soul spinning (me) and R&R (all of us).

Steel Stax Soul Club is the brainchild of longtime DJ/collector and scooter expert Gene Meredith, who I first met more than 30 years ago back in the mod/garage days of the Dive.

I am always game to get out there and lay down some Northern Soul heat on the decks, and SSSC gave me that opportunity in spades.

I was able to record almost all of the night (you can dig Gene’s sets on his Mixcloud page) including both of my sets. The first set is a mixed bag (including some sweet, and slightly slower stuff) and the second set is all high octane dancers.

It was a great time, with much good music, and a bunch of new additions to my want list. I hope to make it back there to spin again some time in the future.

I hope you dig it (make sure to check out Gene’s sets, too) , and I’ll see you all 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.

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.