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By Larry, April 25, 2013 11:16 am

Bob Theile, Steve Allen and Oliver Nelson

Listen/Download Steve Allen/Oliver Nelson – Son of Preacher Man

Greetings all

The end of the week is coming up fast, which means that the Funky16Corners Radio Show is too. You can tune in this and every Friday night at 9PM on Viva Radio, or subscribe to the show as a podcast in iTunes, or grab an MP3 at the blog.

Now,I hope that those of you old enough to remember who Steve Allen was are still here. Any familiarity with the late funnyman might have been enough to scare you away, but I assure that once you pull down the ones and zeros, you’ll be happy you stayed.

Steve Allen was a funny dude, in many ways the precursor to guys like David Letterman.

He was also an accomplished songwriter and musician.

Along with arranger Oliver Nelson (who can probably be credited with any musical power herein), Allen recorded three volumes of ‘Soulful Brass’ LPs for Bob Theile’s Flying Dutchman label, with the initial volume being the first LP released by the label.

I sought out ‘Soulful Brass Volume 2’ because I’d heard that it contained a groovy version of ‘California Soul’ (which it did) but was also very pleased to see that it also included covers of ‘Soulful Strut’ and today’s selection, ‘Son of a Preacher Man’.

Allen’s main contribution to the efforts here seem to be a combination of (mostly) name recognition and the occasional electric piano solo.

‘Son of a Preacher Man’ is an excellent, funky, brass-driven take on the Dusty Springfield hit, with hard-hitting drums by Jim Gordon, funky bass by Max Bennett and guitar by David Cohen.

The brass arrangements by Nelson are – of course – top notch.

The combined results make this the only Steve Allen record you ever need to buy.

I hope you dig it, and that you have a great weekend.

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.
Also, make sure that you check out the links below to the Be The Match Foundation and POAC (click on the logos for more info).

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (1)

By Larry, April 21, 2013 2:58 pm

Vince Montana

Listen/Download The Volcanos – Storm Warning

Listen/Download The Ethics – Think About Tomorrow

Listen/Download Georgie Woods – Potato Salad Pt1

Listen/Download Brothers of Hope – Nickol Nickol

Listen/Download The Family – Family Affair

Listen/Download Montana Sextet – Heavy Vibes

Listen/Download Montana Sextet – Heavy Vibes (Club Mix)

Greetings all

It was with great sadness that I heard last week of the passing of the mighty Vincent Montana Jr.

Unless you’re a Philly soul or disco head, that name might not be familiar, but the music he helped to make over a career that lasted more than 50 years most certainly is.

Montana, known first and formost as a vibraphonist, but also a busy arranger and percussionist was one of the most important instrumentalists in the history of Philadelphia soul and funk.

Though he got his start backing local artists like Frankie Avalon, Montana went on to be one of the core members of the Philly “house band” that would become better known as MFSB.

His vibes stand out on countless Philly soul records from the mid-60s on, and his arrangers credit appeared on many of those record’s labels.

Montana’s work is all over various and sundry smaller local labels (and recorded under various band names) as well as just about every major Philadelphia International session.

Montana was also key in the formation of the Salsoul Orchestra, and through the disco era recorded with his own groups the Montana Sextet and Goody Goody.

The tracks I’ve selected really just scratch the surface of Montana’s catalog, but all touch on some important point.

The first is one of the greatest 60s soul 45s to come out of Philadelphia, and the first place I ever noticed Vince Montana coming through the mix as a sideman. ‘Storm Warning’ by the Volcanos is beloved by fans of classic soul, and Vince Montana’s vibes have a lot to do with that. Vibes are – at least to my ears – one of the key sonic elements in Northern Soul, along with the baritone sax, and Montana’s playing on ‘Storm Warning’ manages to keep driving the song forward while adding bright accents.

The Ethics are another great Philly vocal group. ‘Think About Tomorrow’, arranged by Montana, was a local hit in 1968. Give this one a couple of close listens and dig how Montana uses the strings, horns and vibes to frame the rhythm section. It’s an exquisite example of the kind of classy record that would come to represent the Philly sound.

Georgie Woods “The Guy With the Goods’ was a Philadelphia radio legend, who decided in the late 60s (like so many of his radio brethren around the country) to dip his toe into the world of recording. ‘Potato Salad’ – also arranged by Vince Montana – is an ‘adaptation’ of vibraphone legend Lionel Hampton’s ‘Greasy Greens’. You not only get to hear Woods laying down his rap, but also plenty of Montana’s vibes working their way through the mix.

The players that would form the core of MFSB would make records under a number of different names in the late 60s and early 70s. If you collect funk 45s, you’ve heard bands like the Interpretations, Hidden Cost, Daley’s Diggers, the Alliance, the Electric Indian and many more, all basically played by the same set of brilliant musicians, including Vince Montana.

My favorite of these pseudonymous 45s is ‘Nickol Nickol’ by the Brothers of Hope. One of the great, mid-tempo funk 45s of all time, ‘Nickol Nickol’ features Montana’s vibes throughout, but especially at the end where he lays down the ‘Eleanor Rigby’ quote in the run-off groove. This one was slept on for a long time, but the price has gone up considerably in the last few years.

The Family – Family Affair, acetate and North Bay 45

Though I’m not featuring any MFSB ‘proper’ in this post, the Family’s cover of Sly and the Family Stone’s ‘Family Affair’, which was first released on the North Bay label, is basically an edited version of the track that would appear on the first MFSB LP.

Vince Montana was – for most fo his career – a ‘background’ player, working behind the scenes, but in 1982 he had a dance hit in the US and the UK with the track ‘Heavy Vibes’. ‘Heavy Vibes’ is a sophisticated, jazzy/funky bit of disco, with plenty of vibes (naturally…). Here you get to check out both the edit and the extended club mix – both worth hearing.

Vince Montana was a master, and though he was more involved than most, he was a very solid example of the importance of the unseen/unheralded musicians that provide the backing for the music we love. People will do lip service to the house bands of labels like Stax, ensembles like the Funk Brothers or the Muscle Shoals group, but only the people with their heads (and ears) deep in the game know who the individual components of those outfits were, and that’s a shame.

The next time you hear the vibes ring through one of those great Philly records, elbow the cat next to you and say ‘That’s Vince Montana.’

I’ll see you all 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.
Also, make sure that you check out the links below to the Be The Match Foundation and POAC (click on the logos for more info).

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (3)

By Larry, April 16, 2013 11:39 am

The Meters

Listen/Download The Meters – Good Old Funky Music

Greetings all

How about something heavy from the Meters?

Now – and I agree completely – there are those among you that would say that there ain’t nothing un-heavy in the Meters bag, but I would also say that there’s heavy, and then there’s HEAVY, and the tune I bring you today is HEAVY.

Though amongst the world of funk 45 (and other formats, natch) collectors, the Meters are held up as one of the cornerstones of the sound, I think it would be safe to say that a lot of folks take these titans for granted.

On the outside, i.e. among the straights, the chart-riders and such, the Meters were just another instro band, akin to Booker T and the MGs, albeit with less chart success.

To the collectorati, the Meters are a veritable mountain of cheap 45s (and much more expensive LPs) that are encountered on any decent dig.

To those of us who revel in the sound of some of the most rhythmically innovative funk ever made, the Meters stand astride the landscape like giants.

No matter how many times I’m asked “what is the funkiest record ever made” I always find my way back to ‘Cardova’, four and a half minutes of bad-assitude that cuts many a multi-hundred-dollar disc to shreds with ease.

The law firm of Nocentelli, Neville, Porter and Modeliste were the very definition of unfuckwithable, and ‘Good old Funky Music’ is one of my personal favorites in their oeuvre.

Released in 1971 as a non-LP 45, ‘Good Old Funky Music’ sees our friends from New Orleans throwing down on the wah-wah pedal, whilst turning up the funk dial considerably.

‘Good Old Funky Music’ was the last 45 Josie released by the Meters before they moved to Reprise in early 1972.

I would end – as I often do – by hoping that you all dig the record as much as I do, but in this case at least, that ought to be a foregone conclusion.

See you 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.
Also, make sure that you check out the links below to the Be The Match Foundation and POAC (click on the logos for more info).

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (7)

By Larry, April 14, 2013 10:03 am

Brian Auger (Top left) and the Trinity

Listen/Download Brian Auger and the Trinity – I Wanna Take You Higher

Listen/Download Brian Auger and the Trinity – Listen Here

Greetings all

Welcome to yet another week in which the digital artifacts of the analog age are unearthed and put on display for the edification (and edumacation) of all involved.

If you were following the coming and going hereabouts you will have noted that the Funky16Corners fam vacated for a short time, in which we went in search of rest, relaxation, and in my case, records.

I was very lucky indeed, having been tipped off to an excellent digging spot or two by a friend.

Though I had never visited Pittsburgh before (odd, I know) I was aware that the good people of the region had excellent taste in music, especially where R&B and soul were concerned. I figured that it must follow (and it did) that records of that ilk must be available thereabouts.

The first spot I hit gave up the goods (if only I’d had 10 or 15 more hours, and the cash that would have required), with yours truly exiting the store with a nice fat stack of funk, soul and all kinds of Iron Leg ish (the popsike and what not).

One of the disks I was most pleased to have encountered is the one you see before you today.

I have had the ‘Befour’ LP (1970) by Brian Auger and the Trinity for years, but had no idea that there were any 45s (or the edits there-on) released from the album, which is why finding the 7” with versions of ‘I Wanna Take You Higher’ and ‘Listen Here’ was such a groove.

Auger was in the top rank of UK Hammond wranglers, first in the Steampacket, then alongside the mighty Julie Driscoll , then onward with the Trinity and the Oblivion Express, getting progressively jazz-funkier as he went on.

I dig both his earlier and later stuff, and ‘Befour’ is an excellent example of the latter, as well as being fairly easy to find on the cheap.

The excellent version of Sly and the Family Stone’s ‘I Wanna Take You Higher’ runs the same 5:00 on the 45 as on the album, with some excellent organ and guitar.

The version of ‘Listen Here’ is what makes this 45 worth grabbing.

‘Listen Here’, written and originally recorded by the great Eddie Harris is one of the true ‘standards’ of the soul jazz genre, recorded in many ways, by many people and having appeared in this space a time or two over the years.

The LP version of ‘Listen Here’ runs almost nine and a half minutes, substantial portion of which is devoted to a long (way too long) drum solo by Clive Thacker. It’s not that old Clive wasn’t up to the task, but – and I say this as a drummer – the hippie era drum solo was one of the more unfortunate musical traditions, thankfully gone by the wayside.

The 45 edit of the song truncates the percussion breakdown to a tasteful 27 seconds, keeping the forward momentum of the musical enterprise intact, while also giving the drummer his oft requested “some”.

It is a groovy disc indeed, and well worth grabbing should you come across a copy of your own.

I hope you dig it and I’ll see you all 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.
Also, make sure that you check out the links below to the Be The Match Foundation and POAC (click on the logos for more info).

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (0)

By Larry, April 4, 2013 11:34 am

Ingfried Hoffman aka Memphis Black aka The Memphis Soul Band

Listen/Download Memphis Soul Band – That’s Me Boy

Listen/Download Memphis Soul Band – Mrs Robinson

Greetings all

The end of the week is here, and that means it’s Funky16Corners Radio Show time again. We take to the airwaves of the interwebs every Friday night at 9PM on Viva Radio. If your ears aren’t available then, you can always subscribe to the show as a podcast in iTunes, or grab an MP3 out of the archive here at the blog.

The tracks I bring you today are yet another example of the pseudonymous work of Teutonic Hammond wrangler Ingfried Hoffman.

You have already sampled his work when I posted ‘Why Don’t You Play the Organ Man’ by Memphis Black a few years ago.

Hoffman, who worked in the band of saxophonist Klaus Doldinger before creating the Memphis Black persona (one 45 and an LP under that name) recorded the tunes you see before you today under the name of the Memphis Soul Band in 1969.

Working again – as he did as Memphis Black – with expat guitarist/vocalist Joe Quick, Hoffman laid down some very groovy covers of contemporary soul material, as well as two originals in the same basic style.

Hoffman went on to record a number of library titles, and the Memphis Soul Band sides bear the same, hard charging, au go go vibe as much of the UK-based material in the same vein, such as the Mohawks (or any Hawkshaw related jams) or the New London Rhythm and Blues Band.

The first cut, ‘That’s Me Boy’ opens with a spoken intro by Quick, which doesn’t make a whole lot of sense no matter how many times I listen/re-listen to it. That said, once Hoffman drops in the band kicks into a very cool groove (the horns are especially nice).

The second cut, a cover of Simon and Garfunkel’s ‘Mrs Robinson’ hews pretty closely to the Booker T and the MGs take on the song but kicks up the tempo a notch. This is one of those tracks that seems purpose built for the Mod dance floor.

If you desire to place any of Hoffman’s vinyl in your own crates, the Memphis Soul Band LP is probably the most affordable option running 30 or 40 bucks in good shape. The Memphis Black 45 on Ascot is much harder to grab, hovering in the$100 range, with the German issued Memphis Black LP (on Sunset) grabbing $50 more than that (though it has been reissued).

I hope you dig the tunes, 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.
Also, make sure that you check out the links below to the Be The Match Foundation and POAC (click on the logos for more info).

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (3)

By Larry, April 1, 2013 7:53 pm

Funky16Corners Presents: Light It Up for World Autism Awareness Day

Kool and the Gang – Who’s Gonna Take the Weight (Deelight)
Sir Joe Quaterman and Free Soul – I Got So Much Trouble In My Mind (GSF)
Aretha Franklin – Save Me (Atlantic)
Marvelettes – I’ll Keep Holding On (Tamla)
Ikettes – Don’t Feel Sorry For Me (Modern)
Donald Height- Life Is Free (You Can Be What You Wanna Be) (Hurdy Gurdy)
Lyn Collins – Things Got To Get Better (Get Together) (People)
Lee Dorsey – Who’s Gonna Help Brother Get Further (Polydor)
Johnny Otis Show – Keep the Faith Pt1 (Eldo)
James Brown – Get Up Get Into It Get Involved (King)
Isley Brothers – Fight the Power (T-Neck)
Billy Butler – Right Track (Okeh)
Etta James – I’m So Glad (Chess)
Gladys Knight and the Pips – Thank You (Fallettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) (Motown)

Listen/Download -Funky16Corners Presents Light It Up for World Autism Awareness Day – 80MB Mixed MP3/256K

Greetings all.

The mix you see before you – though it contains music that should be familiar to readers of Funky16Corners – is a departure of sorts.

I’ve been writing the Funky16Corners blog for almost a decade. Over the years, in addition to the music and the history behind it, I’ve written (to varying degrees) about the events of my life.

Though I haven’t gone into great detail on the subject, I have made references in the past to that fact that autism has made an impact on our family (in case you were wondering about that link in the sidebar…).

Both of our sons – now 6 and 9 – have a diagnosis on the autism spectrum, and as a result, I have – for the last four years – been a stay-at-home-dad.

Even though being a single-income household comes with its own challenges, having a full-time parent at home to coordinate multiple therapies, meetings and the various and sundry unplanned/unexpected challenges that come with having children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) made a tremendous amount of sense.

Back in 2008, when our sons were initially diagnosed, we had already spent a considerable amount of time dealing with issues that we did not understand.

When we finally managed to weather the batteries of tests, doctor visits and paperwork, and identified the issues at hand, we found ourselves at the end of one journey and the beginning of much longer one.

A diagnosis of autism is a singularly difficult thing for any parent to deal with.

I recall at the time feeling a mixture of relief, in that we finally had a framework to deal with the problems our sons had been having, but also trepidation about finding ways to deal with them going forward.

What kinds of therapies would the boys need, and how would we arrange for them?

How would we work with the professionals in our local schools to make sure that they got the proper education?

As daunting as these questions might seem, they were just the beginning.

The next few years were like navigating an especially challenging maze, in which every turn could reveal either a new way forward – with opportunities to educate ourselves about how to do the best for our children – or another dead end where we would have to push aside our disappointment, regroup and reset the course.

The biggest challenge that every parent of an ASD child has to meet, is when you realize that there are no easy answers. This is the point when it becomes apparent that most progress will be incremental at best, and that you’re dealing with the “long game”.

It has always seemed appropriate to me that one of the public symbols of autism has been the puzzle piece.

Not only does it represent the unique nature of every child, but also that once a parent – or any family member – has begun to deal with the emotional and practical ramifications of an autism diagnosis (and there are many), they have to begin to assemble what amounts to a huge puzzle, laid out before them.

Aside from the obvious things like therapy and school, there are all of the underlying issues that have to be dealt with, such as insurance, work (and time away from it), socialization, and behavioral training inside and outside the home.

In many of these things our family has been extraordinarily lucky.

We were able to get both of our sons diagnosed fairly early – which in the case of our youngest, who was experiencing developmental delays, was incredibly important – and we were fortunate enough to have health insurance.

Though some families can take this kind of foundation for granted, many cannot.

Parents often struggle to find treatment for their children. If and when they do, they are often met with a new set of hurdles, whether complications with insurance, uncooperative/poorly prepared school districts, and/or friends and family that do not fully grasp the nature of the problem.

I mention all of this because April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day.

This is a day first set aside by the United Nations in 1989 to spread the word about Autism spectrum disorders, the children and families that deal with them every day, and the organizations that study them and work toward a cure.

The mix above is in my own small way an attempt to convey an impression of the struggles, joys and rewards of raising children with autism.

While there aren’t – as far as I know – any soul or funk songs that deal directly with issues of autism, there are certainly a wide variety of tunes that deal with the palette of emotions that children with ASD and their families encounter every single day.

One need only look to the titles of the songs in the playlist above to get a feeling for what kinds of things we go through in our lives.

Parents need to deal with assessment (Who’s Gonna Take the Weight), emotional turmoil (I Got So Much Trouble In My Mind), self pity (Save Me), perseverance (I’ll Keep On Holding On), strength (Don’t Feel Sorry For Me), possibility (Life Is Free You Can Be What You Want To Be), optimism (Things Got To Get Better), reaching out for help (Who’s Gonna Help Brother Get Further), steadfastness (Keep The Faith), doing what you can to spread the word (Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved), taking on the system when necessary (Fight the Power), assuring yourself that you’re doing the right things (Right Track), taking the time to cherish your kids in their uniqueness (I’m So Glad) and in the end, being thankful for what you’ve got (Thank You Fallettinme Be Mice Elf Agin).

I became a fan of soul music so many years ago, and eventually started writing about it because I find it to be uniquely powerful and transcendent. Though it’s true about any good music, soul music has touched me, and many of the people that read Funky16Corners deeply.

My feelings about great records, and spinning them, are that the best of them carry in their grooves a sort of magic.

Whether it’s that a song effects the listener specifically, i.e. connects them to a memory, or in a general sense where their emotions are stirred and they feel compelled to get up and dance, when I dip into my record box and pull out a particularly powerful 45 (or post one here at the blog, or on the radio show) I get to facilitate that process.

Having children is one of the most amazing, challenging, sometimes frustrating, but always rewarding experiences I can imagine.

Raising children with ASD is all of that amplified significantly.

And, oddly enough, this experience has given me (and continues to give me) a deeper appreciation for the power of music, in how it affects me, and my children as well.

I hope you take the time to follow the link to Autism Speaks, and if this is all unfamiliar to you, maybe take a little time to read up on your read ups.

If you know someone with ASD in their family, see what you can do to help.

Until we meet again

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.
Also, make sure that you check out the links below to the Be The Match Foundation and POAC (click on the logos for more info).

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (5)

By Larry, March 21, 2013 11:42 am

Funky16Corners Presents: Soul Version

Jackie Mittoo – Hip Hug (Coxsone) – Booker T & The MGs
Gaylettes – Son of a Preacherman (Steady) – Dusty Springfield
Dobby Dobson – Don’t Make Me Over (Pama Supreme) – Dionne Warwicke
Federalman – Soul Serenade (Steady) – King Curtis
Ken Boothe – Gonna Take a Miracle/Version (Hulk) – Royalettes
Winston Wright – Heads or Tails (Green Door) – Booker T & the MGs
Lorna Bennett – Breakfast In Bed (Harry J) – Dusty Springfield
Byron Lee – Who Done It (Dynamic) – Monk Higgins
Pioneers – Papa Was a Rolling Stone (Trojan) – Temptations
Horace Andy – Show and Tell (Money Disc) – Al Wilson
Pat Rhoden – Living For the City (Attack) – Stevie Wonder
Byron Lee – Shaft (Dynamic) – Isaac Hayes
Winston Samuels and the Cintones – Let’s Get It On (Clintone) – Marvin Gaye
Byron Lee – Hot Reggay (Dynamic) – James Brown
Shark Wilson and the Basement Heaters – Make It Reggay(version) (Ashanti) – James Brown
Pat Rhoden – Boogie On Reggae Woman (Horse) – Stevie Wonder
Alton Ellis – La La Means I Love You (Mr Tipsy) – Delfonics
Tomorrows Children – Sister Big Stuff (London) – Jean Knight

Listen/Download -Funky16Corners Presents Soul Version – 109MB Mixed MP3/256K

Greetings all.

I hope all is well on your side of the universe, and that you’re all ready for the weekend.

Don’t forget that the Funky16Corners Radio Show hits the airwaves of the interwebs this and every Friday night at 9PM on Viva Radio. If you can’t be there at the time of broadcast, you can always subscribe to the show as a podcast in iTunes, or grab an MP3 (or two, or 100) out of the archive here at the blog.

The fam and I are taking some time off to chill in the coming weeks (which will be filled with specially selected reposts of some of my fave tunes from the archives) so I figured I’d leave you with something special until I’m back behind the keyboard again.

The mix you see before you is the fruit of what I like to call one of my “special boxes”.

The Funky16Corners record vault is lined, floor to ceiling (in some places) with crates of LPs and boxes of 45s, and sprinkled liberally with a grip of those old-timey, pasteboard, 45 carrying cases.

As pretty much any collector does, I grab those cases wherever I find them, first and foremost because they’re cool looking, but because – and I’m pretty sure you figured this out already – I’ve got lots and lots of 45s that need a place to stay.

I mentioned the “boxes” before, those being the purpose-made 45 storage boxes that hold over 100 discs each. There are lots of those.

However, my collection has its niches, certain sub-genres, not collected as aggressively as others (for a variety of reasons, though usually boiled down to issues of availability), and many of these niches get packed away in those smaller boxes.

There’s one for disco 45s, one for rockabilly/instro 45s, and the one that gave up today’s sounds, the reggae and ska 45s.

I’ve been a huge fan of ska and reggae since I was in high school, when the Two-Tone revival was in full swing and I was led by bands like the Specials to investigate the first-wave of ska, going back to the mid-60s.

It would be fair to say that the bulk of the ska and reggae in my hands is on CD, especially old comps and the later (excellent) Trojan mini-box sets.

However, I’m always on the lookout for Jamaican vinyl, often seeking out favorite records (some of which – Winston Wright, Pioneers, Shark Wilson – are in this mix) and grabbing cool stuff whenever I encounter it in the field.

As the contents of this mix show, I’m a big fan of reggae covers of American soul tunes, of which there are many.

The groovy  thing – and something I’ve discussed in this space before – is that despite the stylistic delineation, what you’re hearing is still demonstrably soul music (albeit with a reggae beat).

The influence of American R&B and soul on Jamaican music is undeniable, with many powerhouse AM radio stations, in cities like New Orleans and Miami sending out American pop to the islands.

What you hear isn’t mere “coverage”, if you will, but rather some truly great singers like Ken Boothe and Alton Ellis, and instrumentalists like Winston Wright, Jackie Mittoo and Byron Lee, interpreting some of the finest material available at the time.

Soul Version is composed of just about an hour of my favorites, running (like my personal tastes) from sweet soul, to organ instrumentals, to funk and just a touch of dub.

Many of these records have appeared here at Funky16Corners over the years, either by themselves or in mixes.

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

Keep the faith

Larry

PS I just realized I took a picture of the wrong Pioneers 45…sorry ’bout that.
___________________________________________________________________________________________

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.
Also, make sure that you check out the links below to the Be The Match Foundation and POAC (click on the logos for more info).

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (0)

By Larry, March 19, 2013 11:14 am

Nu Sound Express Ltd

Listen/Download Nu Sound Express Ltd – I’ve Been Trying

Greetings all

The tune I bring you today is both a very groovy cover, as well as a neglected b-side.

Back in the day, when I was first tracking and bagging soul and funk 45s, the Nu-Sound Express Ltd were one of the first big scores.

This is not to say that any of their records are big-money hustlas (to borrow a term from our insane friends) but rather that at the time, they were a group both obscure and excellent when my crates were not heavily burdened with same.

There isn’t a lot of information out there on the group, but what is available suggests that they were from New Jersey, and were associated with Jersey City impresario Paul Kyser.

Kyser had produced acts like Jimmy Briscoe and the Little Beavers, Sound Generation, the Super Disco Band, Calender and the band that Nu Sound Express would morph into a few years later, Rhyze.

Nu Sound Express Ltd recorded two cool 45s, both for the Silver Dollar label (at least one of which was issued in Europe – with a cool picture sleeve – on the Discophon label) in the early 70s.

The a-sides of their 45s, ‘Ain’t It Good Enough’ and ‘One More Time You All’ were both cool examples of uptempo early 70s funk (the second being a ‘sequel’ of sorts to the first).

The tune I bring you today is the flipside of ‘Ain’t It Good Enough’, and if you didn’t recognize the title, also a cover of the Impressions 1965 Top 40 R&B hit ‘I’ve Been Trying’.

It took me a few years to warm to this side, first and foremost because back then I wasn’t grooving to too many ballads, but also because it has a certain loose, almost lo-fi feel to it.

The impression I get is that Kyser blew most of the budget on the A-side, leaving the group with a much sparer palette with which to work.

What you get is a touch of street corner harmony, with a spoken intro and low key instrumental backing (with a slightly out of tune piano). The cool thing is that the singing is very nice indeed, with a refreshing lack of slickness that sets it apart from almost everything else that was happening at the time.

‘I’ve Been Trying’ is a throwback to an earlier time and an interesting contrast to the funk of its flip.

I hope you dig it, and I’ll see you 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.
Also, make sure that you check out the links below to the Be The Match Foundation and POAC (click on the logos for more info).

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (1)

By Larry, March 10, 2013 11:25 am

Mr Maceo Parker (above) and his book and music (below)

Listen/Download Maceo and All the King’s Men – Got To Getcha

Listen/Download Maceo and the Macks – Parrty Pt1

Listen/Download Maceo and the Macks – Parrty Pt2

Greetings all

I hope the day finds you all well.

In the universe of funk, especially the swirling nebulae of James Brown and Parliament Funkadelic, there exists a supernova of the saxomophone known by a single name, one that represents cool, funk, swagger and the cutting sound of brass.

That name is Maceo.

Known more fully to his mother and the folks at the motor vehicle bureau as the mighty Maceo Parker, he was one of the brightest lights of the James Brown Band, the JBs, Maceo and the Macks, Maceo and All the King’s Men, Parliament Funkadelic and various and sundry permutations therein.

Devotees of funk probably wake up in the night with the sound of James Brown calling his name, requesting a saxophone solo or directions to the bridge.

Mr Parker is a master musician, and icon of the classic era of funk, and now (happily) the author of an autobiography covering all of the above called ‘98% Funky Stuff: My Life In Music’.

Truth be told, I was a lot more excited to see this fall through the mail slot than I was when RJ Smith’s (excellent and thorough) biography of the Godfather came out last year.

While there is probably very little about James Brown that has not at some time been driven deep into my brain, there hasn’t been nearly enough out there that explores the lives of the men that helped to make his amazing music a reality.

’98% Funky Stuff’ is a brisk read, with time spent on Maceo’s early years, his first connection with the James Brown band and its (temporary) interruption by the draft.

What I found most interesting about the book – other than getting to know Parker himself – were his contrasting impressions of working as part of the James Brown organization through the 60s and early 70s, and his transition into the world of George Clinton and P-Funk.

The feeling I get is that Brown didn’t value his sidemen nearly as much as they deserved, and as straight and disciplined a player as Parker was, he found the chaotic world of Parliament Funkadelic a refreshing environment in which to express himself.

The book doesn’t contain the kind of trainspotter’s detail that I might have liked (though I don’t know what book would, outside of an encyclopedia), but if you’re eager for a look at the life of one of the really important funk and soul musicians of the last 50 years, ‘98% Funky Stuff’ is a treat indeed.

I took this review of the book as an opportunity to dip into my crates and pull out some prime Maceo vinyl.

The first track hails from one of the periodic acrimonious episodes when Maceo (and pretty much the rest of the Godfather’s band) took off and did their own thing.

‘Got To Getcha’ (R&B Top 40 in 1970)is a dynamite piece of funk, with vocals by Maceo, a heavy groove (that manages to step outside of the JB feel) a groovy sax solo and some crazy lyrics (also courtesy of Mr Parker). It was recorded in 1970 for Lelan Rogers’ House of the Fox label. It also appears on the excellent ‘Doing Their Own Thing’ LP.

The second track  is one of the finest examples of Maceo working within the JB-context, that being the 1973 R&B Top 40 hit ‘Parrty Pts 1&2’. Built on a classic JBs groove, with a churning riff, band (and James Brown) chants and Maceo himself soloing over the whole thing, ‘Parrty’ is a killer..

If you want to dig deeper into the soundof Maceo Parker, you can pick up any of the many James Brown, JBs, Maceo and the Macks (or any of the other variations) 45s easily located, or if digital is your thing, iTunes has most of that, as well as his many solo albums available.

I hope you dig the tunes (and grab the book) and I’ll see you soon.

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.
Also, make sure that you check out the links below to the Be The Match Foundation and POAC (click on the logos for more info).

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (1)

By Larry, March 8, 2013 11:27 am

Originally posted July 2006

1. Thelma Jones – The House That Jack Built (Barry) 2. Gladys Knight & The Pips – The Nitty Gritty (Soul) 3. Ike & Tina Turner – Bold Soul Sister (Blue Thumb) 4. Tina Britt – Sookie Sookie (Veep) 5. Ann Sexton – You’re Losing Me (Seventy Seven) 6. Viola Wills – Sweetback (Supreme) 7. Martha Turner – Dirty Old Man (Royal American) 8. Shirley Vaughn – Escape (Columbia) 9. Ruby Andrews – You Made a Believer Out Of Me (Zodiac) 10. Helena Hollins – Baby You’re Right (Stonegood) 11. Monica – I Don’t Know Nothing Else To Tell You But I Love You (Toxsan) 12. Lyn Collins – Mama Feelgood (People) 13. Gi Gi – Daddy Love (Sweet) 14. Erma Franklin – Baby What You Want Me To Do (Shout) 15. Yvonne Fair – Say Yeah Yeah (Dade) 16. Brenda & The Tabulations – Scuze Uz Y’All (Top & Bottom) 17. Cold Blood – You Got Me Hummin’ (San Francisco)

Listen/Download Funky16Corners Radio V.6 – Bold Soul Sisters

Greetings all

This is a little bit of an impromptu groove.

I was posting a couple of tracks over on Facebook to commemorate International Women’s Day and it occurred to me that I really ought to dip back into the archives and whip this mix on you (in furtherance of the same idea).

Here you get a mix dynamite sister funk (and soul) that ought to serve as a reminder of some of the many strong and talented female voices in those realms.

So click on the link, or pull down the ones and zeros and let the music play.

See you on Monday.

Keep the faith

Larry

PS Don’t forget to tune into the Funky16Corners Radio Show, tonight at 9PM on Viva Radio!
___________________________________________________________________________________________

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.
Also, make sure that you check out the links below to the Be The Match Foundation and POAC (click on the logos for more info).

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (0)

By Larry, March 7, 2013 12:28 pm

Jimmy Smith

Listen/Download Jimmy Smith – 8 Counts For Rita

Greetings all

Welcome to the end of the week.

As usual, I im;lore you to screw your ears on and haed over to Viva Radio, this and every Friday night at 9PM, where you might fill them up with the best in soul, funk, jazz and rare groove (all on vinyl) on the Funky16Corners Radio Show. If that is an inconvenient time, you can always subscribe to the show as a podcast on iTunes, or grab yourself an MP3 from the archive right here at the blog.

It’s Hammond time again my friends (but then again, it’s ALWAYS Hammond time in my crib) and I have something extra tasty for you today.

Jimmy Smith’s ‘Unfinished Business’ is one of those albums that I used to see in crate diggers finds lists all the time, but never seemed to encounter whilst digging myself.

This was a conundrum of sorts, until I discovered that it had been sampled by the one and only DJ Shadow on the legendary ‘Number Song’ on ‘Endtroducing’, which leads me to believe that all available copies of an already (kinda) scarce LP were being Hoovered up by eager train(sample)spotters leaving nothing for those of us who also dig the music nestled around the samples (especially when it’s Mr. Smith and his Hammond).

That said, I found myself a copy in a most unusual location in the hinterlands/outback of upstate New York during an unexpected digging session (the best kind).

Now, I had picked up a 45 or two from Smith’s late-period time with the Mercury label, and had been decidedly underwhelmed.

This was of course the late 70s, not exactly the heyday of the funky organ, an era where the last remaining few Jurassic key-slingers were probably being urged to modernize their sound with the synthesizers and the modern soul-isms and what not.

However, realizing that this was a Jimmy Smith album I had never had my hands on, and because it was cheap, I decided to grab it and take it home.

Good thing too, since the tune you see before you today is – contrary to the 1978 date on the album – quite funky indeed, with an extended drum break coming at about 3:30 into the track.

It is groovy indeed, and proof that even in the peak disco years, a master could still find a way to work it out in an old(er) school stylee.

I hope you dig it, 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.
Also, make sure that you check out the links below to the Be The Match Foundation and POAC (click on the logos for more info).

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (1)

By Larry, February 28, 2013 12:46 pm

The Fantoms

Listen/Download The Fantoms – Junk

Greetings all

I hope everyone’s ready for the weekend.

Since it is almost Friday, I should remind you all that the Funky16Corners Radio Show comes on this and every Friday night at 9PM on Viva Radio with the finest in funk, soul, jazz and rare groove, all on OG vinyl. If you can’t be there for the broadcast you can always subscribe to the show as a podcast in iTunes, or you can grab an MP3 here at the blog.

The record I bring you today is an old fave of mine out of my NOLA crates, which would have been posted a long time ago if I hadn’t lost it.

The thing is, I didn’t know I’d lost it, until I had to move some old computer equipment in my record room and happened upon a handful of 45s that had apparently slipped down between an old CPU and the desk where my turntable coffin is perched.

My heart sank when I saw the 45s (especially when I saw which ones they were…there were a couple of valuable discs there), but fortunately they were sitting straight up and down, and nowhere near a heat vent, so they were for all intents and purposes, unscathed (no cracks either, Thank you vinyl Jeebus!).

The 45 in question, the Fantoms’ ‘Junk’ is something I picked up years ago, after their earlier disc, the completely mental ‘Mau Mau’ (which you can hear in Funky16Corners Radio v.10 – Funky Nawlins Vol. 2) flipped my wig.

‘Junk’ is a very groovy, is much more sedate affair, with the band settled into an early 70s groove, with the funky flute (a big fave of mine), the organ and percussion in a bag that reminds me a little of a more far out version of Traffic’s ‘Rock’n’Roll Stew’.

The Fantoms (originally the Fabulous Fantoms) were together from the late 60s into the late 70s, and were contemporaries of groups like the Meters and David Batiste and the Gladiators.

They recorded for Marty Lewis’s Big Deal label (also home to Anthony Butler and the Invaders and Jimmy Hicks) and released 45s on that label and Power Funksion.

The Fantoms apparently found a great deal of success on the local scene, but never broke through nationally.

It’s a groovy little disc, and I hope you dig it.

Have a great weekend 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.
Also, make sure that you check out the links below to the Be The Match Foundation and POAC (click on the logos for more info).

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.