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By Larry, August 5, 2012 2:53 pm

A later iteration of Tim Whitsett and the Imperial Showband:
Carson Whittsett, Bucky Barret, Jimmy Hodo, Tim Whitsett and Tommy Tate.

Listen/Download Tim Whitsett and the Imperials – Monkey Man

Greetings all, and welcome to another fine week here in the hothouse.

The record I bring you today fell into my ears quite providentially, via the sales list of an old friend who also happens to be one of the premiere mod DJs here on the East Coast.

I gave the link a click, and as soon as I heard the sounds attached therein, I sent out an urgent missive and made it the latest addition to my crates, organ 45 subdivision.

Now, when I picked up ‘Monkey Man’ by Tim Whitsett and the Imperials, my initial thoughts were something along the lines of “here’s another groovy, yet painfully obscure disc, and my seemingly endless thirst for information will never be satisfied.

Little did I know… (“dot dot dot” said aloud for full effect).

So, I set to Googling and was immediately shocked to discover that Tim Whitsett was not merely some talented footnote who stumbled into a recording studio but once and then  back out again into a thick cloud of obscurity.

Fact is, Tim Whitsett and his band the Imperials (later known as the Imperial Show Band) criss-crossed the American south through the 1960s, eventually adding singer Tommy Tate as vocalist and sometime drummer (see pic above).

They recorded the very groovy ‘Monkey Man’ in 1962 (no doubt inspired by my baby pictures…) for Johnny Vincent’s Ace label.

The tune is yet another in a long line of excellent ‘Watermelon Man’-ish discs sailing all through the ether back in the day. The Imperials manage to add their own flavor to the mix with the horns (that’d be Tim) and organ (Tim’s brother Carson) and some wicked chicken-scratch guitar.

The stories of Whitsett and his band are long and very interesting, and instead of retyping the facts, I’ll just send you to their Wiki’s via the links (Tim, the band) so that you can dip into both. Suffice to say, both stories, especially Whitsett’s are very interesting.

While doing so, let ‘Monkey Man’ roll around in your head on repeat play. You’ll thank me later.

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.

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).

If you want one of the new Funky16Corners stickers (free, of course) click here for info.

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (1)

By Larry, July 24, 2012 4:13 pm

Billy Preston

Listen/Download Billy Preston – Greazee Pt1

Listen/Download Billy Preston – Greazee Pt2

Greetings all, and welcome to the middle of another steamy, summer week..

The cuts I bring you today represent a record I knew of for years, but only just managed to score a copy of within the last few months.

You already know I dig the sounds of Billy Preston, from hit hitmaking era in the early 70s back through his Hammond wrangling days of the 60s.

The record we feature today goes back to the very beginnings of the first part of Preston’s career.

The song ‘Greazee Pts 1&2’ was the very first record Preston had released under his own name.

Recorded in 1963 under the aegis of Sam Cooke and JW Alexander, on the Derby subsidiary of Cooke’s SAR label, ‘Greazee Pts 1&2’ was also included on the self-explanatory LP ‘The 16 Year Old Soul of Billy Preston’.

Even at that young age, Preston was already something of a veteran, having played behind artists like Mahalia Jackson, Little Richard and Ray Charles.

‘Greazee Pts 1&2’ is a remarkably tight slice of Hammond R&B from one so young.

Part One is mostly an organ feature with Preston and Earl Palmer setting the groove in a loping waltz time. Part Two picks up the pace and grooves even harder. I’d love to know who the guitarist is trading licks with Preston.

Preston would go on to record organ features for Vee Jay (‘Billy’s Bag’ would go on to become a Northern Soul fave) and Capitol, where he worked with Sly Stone.

‘Greazee Pts 1&2’ would go on to be issued in the UK in the late 60s on Dave Godin’s ‘Soul City’ imprint.

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.

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).

If you want one of the new Funky16Corners stickers (free, of course) click here for info.

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (4)

By Larry, July 5, 2012 1:42 pm

Freddie McCoy – Gimme Some (Cobblestone)
The Peddlers – Impressions Pt3 (Philips)
Al Hirt – Harlem Hendoo (RCA)
Dorothy Ashby – Soul Vibrations (Cadet)
Eddie Harris – Silver Cycles (Atlantic)
Hampton Hawes – Josie Black (Prestige)
Johnny Pate – El Jardia Reprise (ABC)
Sergio Mendes – Coming Home Baby (Atlantic)
Gabor Szabo – Rambler (CTI)
Soul Merchants – For Wes (Weis)
Odell Brown – Come Together (Cadet)
Joe Zawinul – Soul of a Village (Vortex)
Brother Jack McDuff – Moon Rappin’ (Blue Note)
Young Holt Unlimited – Mystical Man (Paula)
Norman Whitfield – Sunrise (MCA)

Listen/Download -Funky16Corners Presents Quiet Earth – 114MB Mixed Mp3/256K

Greetings all.

I hope all is well on your end.

It’s the end of the week again, so that means it’s Funky16Corners Radio Show time, this (and every) Friday night at 9PM on Viva Radio. You can also come by this very spot on the weekend and pick yourself up an MP3 version of the show, or more than 100 previous episodes in the archive.
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Also, in other news, my man Eilon Paz, photographer and founder of the Dust and Grooves site is having a show of his vinyl portraiture (he featured yours truly back in the day) at the Tropicalia In Furs store, with an opening event this Friday night July 6th from 7-10PM.

There will be photos from his various D&G features, as well as vinyl (natch) DJ sets by my man DJ Prestige and the mighty Supreme La Rock.

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As mentioned here in recent weeks, I have been stockpiling blog posts (and episodes of the radio show) so as to keep things as seamless as possible during the period my wife is undergoing treatment.

I’ve managed – thanks in large part to scrambling wildly and using every available sliver of available time (kind of like the pink slime of blogging) – to stay a few weeks ahead of the game.

Thanks to this, and an unexpected full day at home, I was able to sit down and put together a mix I’d been ruminating on for some time.

It was one of those – ‘I’m rolling a few songs with a similar feel around in my fevered brain’ – things that I eventually brought to fruition in mix form.

I also tried something different, by giving the mix a preliminary airing on Soundcloud several weeks ahead of its publication here (albeit at a lower bitrate).

What you have here is a fine example of one of my favorite kinds of mixes, that being a slightly downtempo, late night vibe, replete with a soupcon of funky beats, sampleable loops and the kind of goodness that makes your ears feel warm and happy when ensconced in headphones (or ensconcing earbuds, however you choose to roll).

There are a couple of tracks here that have either been featured individually on the blog, appeared in a differently framed mix, or in a live set here or there.

There are also more than a few very groovy tracks making their Funky16Corners debut.

That all said, I think that if you cue this one up, mix yourself a potent beverage and turn down the lights, you will be satisfied (at least musically).

I hope you dig the mix and I’ll see you all later in the week.

Keep the faith

Larry

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).

If you want one of the new Funky16Corners stickers (free, of course) click here for info.

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (8)

By Larry, June 17, 2012 4:24 pm

Greetings all.

Welcome to the third annual Funky16Corners Pledge Drive/Allnighter!

Though we’ve been doing the Pledge Drive thing since2006, the Allnighter concept first rolled out in 2010, with several hours of mixes by some of the finest selectors I know.

This year we have most of the usual suspects, including several Asbury Park 45 Sessions alumni, as well as my man Tony C from the UK and Tarik Thornton.

The sounds run the gamut of classic soul, funk, reggae, rock steady, old school Hammond 45s and all connective points in between.

If you read the blog on the reg you already know that the past year has been an exceptionally challenging one here.
It wouldn’t be reaching to state that keeping Funky16Corners (and Iron Leg) up and running had a lot to do with maintaining my sanity over the last eight months.

There’s something to be said for keeping a small island of creative stability afloat during a crisis, and that’s what the blog has been.

Much of that has – as always – come from the interchange with the readers, listeners, fellow vinyl travelers, and DJs. Your contributions, whether informational, conversational, sometimes monetary or sometimes all of the above, have kept Funky16Corners rolling along.

This November will mark the 8th anniversary of the blog (something akin to 800 internet years!) and creating and running the blog has become a big part of my life. Through it I’ve learned a great deal, met many incredibly cool people and gotten to DJ in many, many cool places.

The Pledge Drive aspect of this yearly event is an important one.

Funky16Corners – all of the text, graphics and sound files – resides on paid server space, a bill that comes due around this time every year. Your donations help pay for that.

Blogging has always been an ephemeral pursuit, partly because not everyone has the interest in keeping one going for very long, but also because it rarely rises above the level of a casual pursuit for most people. They start a blog, post most files temporarily and depart as soon as their interest wanes.

Funky16Corners may very well have gone the way of most blogs (I don’t know the actual percentage of music blogs that last more than a year, but anecdotally I’d guess that it’s below 10%) but after getting it rolling (with a slightly different format) in 2004, and changing platforms twice (finally ending up with the self-hosting WordPress model) I think we have at long last settled into lasting form.

The basic format of how I communicate with the audience through the blog has always remained fairly constant, with a pictures and labels (what the vinyl nerds of the world know as record porn) and some written context to tie it all together.

Along the way, the Funky16Corners Radio Podcast mixes worked their way into the flow, then the actual Funky16Corners Radio Show (Friday nights at 9PM on Viva Radio and then archived here) and then in 2010 the Funky16Corners Soul Club/Allnighters so I could present mixes by other selectors.

What we have now, in the middle of 2012 is –including this year’s Allnighter mixes – close to 150 mixes and another 110 episodes of the radio show on-line for your (and my) listening pleasure.

And my friends, pleasure is what it’s all about; the pleasure that great music, some rare, some not so rare, can bring to those willing to open their ears.

That’s why I do it, and as always, I hope you dig it.

If you do, and you can afford to, please click on the Paypal link and drop a few coins in the basket.

There’ll be stickers for everyone that donates.

So, I’ll offer you my thanks once again, and hopefully we’ll all be together again this time next year for more of the same.

Keep the Faith
Larry

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CLICK HERE TO DONATE!

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Funky16Corners Presents: Tear It Up
Billy Wade and the 3rd Degrees – Tear It UP Pt1 (ABC)
Alvin Cash and the Scott Bros Orchestra – Keep On Dancing Pt2 (Toddlin’ Town)
Jerry-O – Funky Four Corners (White Whale)
Gunga Din – Snake Pit (Valise)
Lou Donaldson – Say It Loud (Blue Note)
James Young and the Housewreckers – Barking Up the Wrong Tree (Jet Stream)
Rex Garvin and the Mighty Cravers – Raw Funky (Tower)
Syl Johnson – Annie Got Hot Pants Power Pt2 (Twinight)
African Echoes – Big Time (Phil LA of Soul)
Bill Cosby – I Luv Myself Better Than I Luv Myself (Capitol)
Bobby Byrd – Keep On Doin’ What You’re Doin’ (Brownstone)
Lonnie Youngblood – African Twist Pt1 (Loma)
Little Sonny – Sonny’s Bag (Revilot)
Jimmy ‘Mr Motion’ Lynch – There Was a Time Pt1 (La Val)
Juggy – Buttered Popcorn (Sue)
Creative Funk – Funk Power (Creative Funk)
Freddy King – Funky (Cotillion)
Billy Wade and the 3rd Degrees – Tear It Up Pt2 (ABC)

Listen/Download Funky16Corners – Tear It Up!
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DJ Bluewater – Merritones
The Zodiacs Walk On By
The Ethiopians Miss Nora
Merritone Singers House Upon The Hill
The Renegades Mr. Hops
Don Henry As Long As I Live
Joe Higgs You Hurt My Soul
The Untouchables I Do Love You
The Renegades Big And Fine
Henry Buckley If I Am Right
The Untouchables Mackie Mackie
The Dynamites If You Did Love Me
Roland Alphonso Sounds Of Silence
Lyn Taitt and The Jets Why Am I Treated So Bad
Roland Alphonso Stranger For Durango
Henry Buckley Thank You Girl
The Tartans It’s Not Right
Eddie Perkins I’m Coming Home
Hopeton Lewis Everybody Rocking
Tomorrow’s Children Bang Bang Rock Steady
The Tartans Rolling Rolling

Listen/Download DJ Bluewater – The Merritone Hour
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DJ Prestige – Hotter Fire

Big Youth – Hotter Fire/Negusa Negast Records
Tapper Zukie – Woman Ah No Me Trouble/ Mobiliser
Success All Stars – Doctor Satan Echo Chamber/ Striker Lee
Augustus Pablo – Fat Girl/ Echo Records
Winston Groovy – Dancing Shoes/ Pioneer International
Barrington Levy – Time Hard/ Puff Records
Gregory Isaacs – Night Nurse/ African Museum (Disco 45)
Marcia Griffiths – Feel Like Jumping/ High Note
Joy White – Tribulation/ Joe Gibbs International
Dennis Brown – Jah Can Do It/ Joe Gibbs International
Jackie Mittoo – Revolting Rockers/ Third World Records
Rockers All Stars – Fire Dub/ Rockers International

Listen/Download DJ Prestige – Hotter Fire
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Tony C – 45 Heaven
Queen City Soul Band-True Patron Of The Arts-Pow
Freddie Scott-I’ll Be Gone-Shout
Betty Everett-Too Hot To Hold-Veejay
Fred Hughes-I Keep Tryin’-Ex
Little Flint-Pain-Beast
Larry Williams-Boss Lovin’-Smash
Garnett Mimms-Prove It To Me-U.A
Gene Chandler-Mr Bigshot-Constellation
Otis Williams-Aint Gonna Walk Your Dog No More-Okeh
Wilson Pickett-Baby Call On Me-Double L
Moss Tolbert-Money In My Pocket-Veejay
Jimmy Ricks-Daddy Rollin’ Stone-Atco
Georgie Fame-Green Onions-Columbia
Solomon Burke-Peepin’-Atlantic
JJ Barnes-Wont You Let Me Know-Rich
Pearl Woods-Right Now-Charge
Jackie Wilson/Linda Hopkins-Say I do-Brunswick
Big Boy Myles-She’s So Fine-V.Tone
B.B.King-Heartbreaker-Bluesway
Peppermint Harris-Wait Until It Happens To You-Jewel
James Duncan-Too Hot To Hold-King
Anna King-Mamas Got A Bag Of Her Own-End
Little Oscar-Two Foot Drag-Toddlin Town
Seven Souls-Groove In-Venture
Patriza&Jimmy-Trust Your Child-ALA
Smokey Brooks-Spin Jig It-Now
Rodger Collins-Foxy Girls In Oakland-Galaxy
Al Reed-94/44/100 Pure Love-Axe
Roland Alphonso-Hip Hug Her-JJ
Eddie Holland-Gotta Have Your Love-Motown
Little Willie John-You’re Welcome To Try-V.R.C
Grady Tate-All Around The World-Skye

Listen/Download Tony C – 45 Heaven

A word from Tony: This is my third year of supplying a mix for the pledge drive and as always it is an honour and a pleasure to be asked by Larry to particiipate.Especially with the great line up of DJ’s sharing their quality tunes.”45 Heaven” is a collection of 45s ,with the exception of one LP track that I have aquired over the last year or so.I have tried to include a bit of everything that I enjoy listening to. Hope you do too.

Cheers TonyC.
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Tarik Thornton – Getting the Corners
1.Sweet Delights- Baby Be Mine – ATCO
2.Jay Rhythm- Soul Emotion- Leo
3.T.S.U. Tornados- The Goose- Atlantic
4.Syl Johnson- I Feel The Urge – Twinight
5.Dell Ingrid – Try It You’ll Like It- Ultra-Class
6.Johnnie Mae Matthews – Momma Didn’t Lie- Big Hit
7.Maurice Mckinnies and the Fabulous Champions – Sock – A – Poo Poo Pt.2 – Black & Proud
8.Count Rockin Sidney – Do You Stuff – Gold Band
9. Ernest Thomas – Soul Time- International
10.Boogie Kings- Do Em All- Pic 1
11.Bobby Rush- Let All Hang Out- Salem
12.Dennis Lee- Do The Funky Penguin- Jenmark
13.O.D. Williams – Funky Belly- Bar Bare
14.Isaac Clark- Do The Dog Funk- Miro
15.Willie Tee- Funky Funky Twist- Gatur
16.George Holmes- Panama- Carol
17.Hamilton Movement – Having A Set- Look- Out
18.Louis Villery- Black Water Gold- Soul Power
19.Jesse Green – Flip- Red Bus Tempo
20.Donald Byrd- Change- Blue Note
21 Young & Holt Unlimited – Black & White- Cotillion

Listen/Download Tarik Thornton – Getting the Corners
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DJ Prime Mundo – Prime Cuts
gene harris/the three sounds – hey girl (blue note)
melvin sparks – if you want my love (westbound)
johnnie taylor – love in the streets (stax)
jackie edwards – oh manio (direction)
rhetta hughes – sooky (tetragrammaton)
john gibbs & the unlimited sound of steel orchestra – shaft (makossa)
gabor szabo – gypsy ’66 (impulse)
jon lucien – would you believe in me (rca)
osibisa – kotoku (warner bros)
the festivals – checkin’ out (blue rock/mercury)
shall we dance – somebody’s baby (hoctor)
freddy king – funky (cotillion)
giorgio – lord releaseme (dunhill)
delegation – oh honey (state)

Listen/Download DJ Prime Mundo – Prime Cuts
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M-Fasis: ROUND TRIP TICKET: excursions into funk, soul, rock and back’…
1)Paul Revere- Beastie Boys ‘MCA R.I.P. (Def Jam)
2)Down in Black Bottom- Cannonball Adderley Quintet (Capitol)
3)Scuze Uz Y’all- Brenda & The Tabulations (Top and Bottom)
4)Mean Black Snake- J.W. Alexander (Thursh)
5)L.C. Funk- Lee Williams (Rapda)
6)Midnight Flower- The Four Tops (Dunhill)
7)Sweetback- Viola Wills (Supreme)
8)Ready or Not- Delfonics (Bell)
9)Mississippi Foxhole- Midnight Movers (Buddah)
10)You’re the Fool- Three Degrees (Roulette)
11)It’s Amazing- Johnny Taylor (Stax)
12)The Stretch- Detroit Sex Machines (Soul Track)
13)Synthetic Substitution- Melvin Bliss (Sunburst)
14)Too Hot To Hold- Tina Turner (Pompeii)
15)I’m Unconscious- Sugarcane Harris (Epic)
16)Down to the Nightclub- Tower of Power (Warner)
17)Wish you’d Never Been Born- Jodo (Decca)
18)Hard Times- Zoo (Riviera)
19)You Made Me a Believer- Ruby Andrews (Zodiac)
20)What Time It Is- General Crook (Down to Earth)
21)Light My Fire- Rhetta Hughes (Tetragrammaton)
22)El Paso County Jail- The Happenings (Jubilee)
23)And Then There Was…- Cozy Powell (RAK)
24)Utica Club Natural Carbonation Band- Natural Carbonation (RCA)
25)Vitamin C- Can (UA)
26)Keep Him- Barbara Mason (Artic)
27)You Can’t Blame Me- Johnson, Hawkins, Tatum… (Capsoul)
28)Fire and Rain- Ice (Cindri)
29)Un Sueno- Los Terricolas (Discolando)
30)Piu Nessuno Al Campo- Gli Uh! (Kansas)
31)All This- Barbara Jean English (Alithia)

Listen/Download M-Fasis – Round Trip Ticket
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Funky16Corners Presents: Greasy Spoon
The Poets – Devil’s Den Pt1 (Try Me)
Freddie Roach – Next Time You See Me (Blue Note)
David Rockingham Trio – Bee Dee (Josie)
Bill Doggett – Afternoon Jump (King)
Freddy Robinson and Tall Paul Hankins – The Buzzard (Queen)
Gene Ludwig – Mr Fink Pt2 (La Vere)
Delegates – Pigmy Pt1 (Pacific Jazz)
Johnny Hammond Smith – The Stinger (Prestige)
Hank Marr – The Greasy Spoon (Federal)
Russell Evans and the Nite Hawks – The Bold (Atco)
Timmy Thomas – Liquid Mood (Goldwax)
Charlie Nesbit Organ Trio – Triple-O-Soul (Salvador)
Groove Holmes – Groove’s Groove (Prestige)
Baby Face Willette – Roll’em Pete (Argo)
Beverly Pitts – Just Some Soul (Soul Shot)
Butch Cornell Trio – Here ‘Tis Now (Ru-Jac)
James Brown – Shades of Brown (King)
Jimmy McGriff – MG Blues (Sue)
Larry Young Jr Quartette – Groove Street Pt1 (Prestige)
Merl Saunders – I Pity the Fool (Galaxy)
Shirley Scott – Sister Sadie Pt1 (Prestige)
Tall Paul Hankins – My Boo-Ga-Loo (Pop Up)

Listen/Download Funky16Corners – The Greasy Spoon – Hammond organ 45s from the old school
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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).

If you want one of the new Funky16Corners stickers (free, of course) click here for info.

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (9)

By Larry, May 13, 2012 2:44 pm

The Mighty Duck

The Law Firm of Jones, Dunn, Cropper and Jackson Esqs

Listen/Download Booker T and the MGs – Sing a Simple Song

Listen/Download Booker T and the MGs – Chicken Pox

Listen/Download Booker T and the MGs – Melting Pot

Greetings all.

I had other plans to start the week (how many times have I typed those words in the last year?) but when I woke up this morning and turned on my phone, the very first thing I saw, while I was still rubbing the sleep from my eyes was news of the passing of the mighty Duck Dunn.

Donald ‘Duck’ Dunn, the longtime bassist for the legendary Booker T and the MGs died in his sleep while on tour in Japan.

He was 70 years old.

It is at this point that I make a somewhat embarrassing confession (at least as far as soul is considered) that being that the first time Duck Dunn really came onto my radar was as a member of the Blues Brothers.

I was 16 years old when ‘Briefcase Full of Blues’ came out, and like zillions of others my age (and otherwise) I bought the album.

Though I knew who Booker T and the MGs were – ‘Green Onions’ was then, and still is an elemental part of my musical foundation – I had never heard the names of Dunn and guitarist Steve Cropper before the Blues Brothers came onto the scene.

That album was the first place my fragile young mind touched base with the sounds (once removed) of Junior Wells, King Floyd, the Chips and a few others. As odd as it may seem, that first Blues Brothers album (I never bought another) was a serious jumping off point for me (as many other unlikely records would also be in the following decades).

What I didn’t know at the time, was that I was already deeply in love with the sound of Booker T and the MGs, via their role as Otis Redding’s band on the Monterey Pop recording.

I didn’t start buying soul 45s until I was in my mid-20s, but when I did I grabbed each and every Stax 45 that popped up in front of me, whether at record shows or at dusty flea markets (there twarn’t no interwebs back then, kids…), and many of them were either by Booker T and the MGs, or featured some or all of them as the backing band.

The decades that followed saw me – like any other self respecting soul fan – picking up Booker T albums wherever I found them.

While their oeuvre was, like every other instrumental band of the era, seasoned liberally with filler, they had more high points (and quite a few Everests) in their catalog than just about any other similar outfit.

The MGs were as tight as they came, with Dunn and uber-drummer Al Jackson creating as deep a pocket as has ever been heard.

The selection of songs I bring you today is by no means comprehensive, but I think you’ll find it quite groovy nonetheless.

There will be no Green Onions served, since Dunn wasn’t yet a member of the group* when it was recorded.

I have included a very tight Sly and the Family Stone cover, and two brilliant tracks from the last album the band did together.

Their cover of Sly’s ‘Sing a Simple Song’ comes from their 1969 LP ‘The Booker T Set’ and opens with a bit of a drum break from Jackson, soaked thoroughly in reverb, before the band kicks in. It sees the heavy kick of Jackson’s bass drum move into a more explicitly funky place, and while it never really moves into Sly-esque overdrive, it is tasty indeed.

‘Chicken Pox’ the first track from the group’s 1971 LP “Melting Pot’ (the last by the classic line-up) is the sound of the Meters breathing down the MG’s collective neck. The band is moving into a funkier place, and doing so with style, but the spectre of their Crescent City competition always seems to be there. Oh, how I wish this one was on a 45…

The last cut I bring you today is the title cut from ‘Melting Pot’, and by far one of the most interesting things they ever did.

Lasting in excess of eight minutes, ‘Melting Pot’ is important not only because it shows signs of the MGs stretching out into more progressive directions, but also because it became one of David Mancuso’s deeply influential Loft parties in New York City.

I’ll spare you an excess of words here, but if you have any interest in digging a little deeper, you can refer back to the piece I wrote on the record in early 2010.

Suffice to say, if all you ever knew was ‘Green Onions’, ‘Melting Pot’ will be a revelation.

Duck Dunn was – in addition to his better known gigs – a prolific session musician, both during and after the Stax era.

He was a legend, and he will be missed.

See you later in the week.

Keep the faith

Larry

*Though Dunn was a longtime part of the Stax/Memphis crew, being a boyhood friend of cats like Cropper and Packy Axton (Dunn was in the Mar-Keys) he didn’t join the MGs until he replaced Lewis Steinberg in 1965

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).

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (5)

By Larry, May 6, 2012 4:17 pm

The Samplers – Beastie Boys

The Sampled – clockwise from top left – Johnny Hammond Smith, Norman Whitfield,
Jimmy Smith, The Commodores, Jeremy Steig

Listen/Download Johnny Hammond Smith – Big Sur Suite

Original release – Higher Ground LP (Kudu 1974) – Sampled on Pass the Mic (Check Your Head LP 1992)

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Listen/Download Commodores – Machine Gun

Original Release – Machine Gun LP (Motown 1974) – Sampled on Hey Ladies (Paul’s Boutique LP 1989)

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Listen/Download Jeremy Steig – Howling For Judy

Original Release – Legwork LP (Solid State 1969) – Sampled on Sure Shot (Ill Communication LP 1994)

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Listen/Download Jimmy Smith – I’m Gonna Love You Just A Little Bit More Babe

Original Release – Blacksmith LP (Pride 1974) – Sampled on Professor Booty (Check Your Head LP 1992)

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Listen/Download Norman Whitfield/Rose Royce – Yo Yo

Original Release – Car Wash OST (MCA 1976) – Sampled On Shake Your Rump (Paul’s Boutique LP 1989)

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Listen/Download Afrique – Kissing My Love

Original Release – Soul Makossa LP (Mainstream 1973) – Sampled on Bodhisattva Vow (Ill Communication LP 1994)

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Greetings all.

Welcome to another week here at the Corners du Fonque…

As has been mentioned several times recently most of what you’ve been reading here in the last few weeks was – due to necessity – prepared a few weeks in advance so as to facilitate the massive amount of commuting and other life-disrupting activities involved in my wife’s treatment (which, now that I mention it seems to be going well, so let’s keep those fingers crossed).

This weekend has been especially tiring, but the news of the passing of the mighty MCA, Adam Yauch could not be ignored, so as soon as we got home and rolled out of the Funky16Corners-mobile, I rolled into the record vault and got to work.

I have listened to hip hop, first passively (way back in the day) and then as a lightweight consumer with a focus therein on what I would consider dynamic use of sampled material.

You can’t really talk about that aspect of the game without giving props to the Beastie Boys.

Over the years the Beasties have played a big part in piqueing my interest in samples and by association the sounds sampled (why else would I have owned a copy of Alphonse Mouzon’s ‘Funky Snakefoot’) long before I was spinning (or writing about) funk, soul, jazz and rare groove.

Sampling/cut and paste is an art in which it’s not terribly difficult to separate the lazy slobs from the masters, i.e. being able to differentiate from someone who can lift a song wholesale and slap something new on it and someone who can hear a really interesting sound within another piece of music and re-purpose it in a way that makes your ears (and brain) perk up in admiration.

One of the dangers of trainspotting is that the listener runs the risk of getting lost in the component parts, losing sight of the forest for the digitally borrowed trees.

However, secure in the knowledge that good taste is sometimes its own reward, the best samples sound as good (or better) in their original form as they do when placed as a cog in another ‘machine’. Often (not always, obviously) groovy bits of sound are not sui generis, and are traceable back to an equally groovy “whole”, which is the case in the music I bring you today.

I like to think that the first time I had my mind blown by ‘Paul’s Boutique’ or ‘Check Your Head’ my crates (and ears) were deep enough that I recognized some of the coolest stuff, but at the same time I’m honest enough to admit that the ensuing years witnessed my recognition of some of that music for the first time (like the time my man Marshall down in DC dropped Jimmy Smith’s previously unknown – to me – version of ‘I’m Gonna Love You Just a Little Bit More Babe’ and the light bulb went off over my head).

It was in those moments of recognition that new digging targets were registered and I followed them into flea markets, record stores on onto the interwebs.

The cuts I bring you today are examples of some of my favorite Beastie Boys samples (drums, bass and guitar) out of my crates.

Some of them were things I already had, others, like the bass in ‘Big Sur Suite’ and ‘Yo Yo’ or the guitar in ‘Machine Gun’, I picked up first and discovered/recognized the sample(s) after the fact.

What all of them have in common, aside from the fact that they appealed to the Beasties, is that they are all worth listening to in their entirety.

Maybe some of you will be hearing the complete songs for the first time.

I hope you dig them all, and I’ll see you later in the week.

Keep the faith

Larry

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).

If you want one of the new Funky16Corners stickers (free, of course) click here for info.

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (5)

By Larry, April 10, 2012 4:47 pm

Brian Auger from the promo clip for Black Cat

Listen/Download Brian Auger and the Trinity – Black Cat

Greetings all.

The tune I bring you today comes from one of the most reliably groovy acts to emerge from the British beat boom, Brian Auger, Julie Driscoll and the Trinity.

Auger is one of the truly great Hammond slingers to come out of the UK in the 60s, alongside giants like Georgie Fame, Steve Winwood, Graham Bond, Jon Lord and Dave Davani.

Brian Auger wasn’t any run-of-the-mill organ grinder hammering out blues riffs with his elbows either. His roots were in jazz and he had the chops to bring the heat.

Auger and Driscoll fist worked together as part of the legendary Steampacket, where they grooved alongside none other than Long John Baldry and a soulful Scots gravedigger by the name of Rod Stewart.

When the Steampacket disbanded Auger and Driscoll remained together, with the Trinity as the backing band.

It was in that incarnation that the created a grip of enduring dance floor classics, melding jazz, R&B, beat and psychedelia.

The group in that form lasted from 1967 to 1969, and created some smashing singles such as ‘Indian Ropeman’, ‘This Wheel’s On Fire’, ‘Why Am I Treated So Bad’ and the disc you see before you today.

Interestingly, ‘Black Cat’ is a Driscoll-free affair, as is its flip side, a very cool cover of Wes Montgomery’s ‘In and Out’.

Released in 1968 (there’s a very cool promo video for the tune) ‘Black Cat’ is a positively storming, monster of a tune, with a vocal by Auger (not all that common), heavy horn chart and some absolutely fiery Hammond action.

Like many of the band’s best tracks it has more than enough momentum for the dancers (it’d fit right in if anyone ever decided to do a recreation of Swinging London right, I’m giving you the stink eye Austin Powers).

There’s also a very cool version of the song, recorded live – and in Italian! – that was released as a single in Europe and on an Italian pressing of the ‘Open’ LP.

After Driscoll split the group in 1970, Auger and the Trinity continued to record, if in a more jazzy, progressive style for one more LP before evolving into Oblivion Express.

I hope you dig the tune – maybe whip in on your friends at your next rent party – and I’ll see you all on Friday.

Peace

Larry

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).

If you want one of the new Funky16Corners stickers (free, of course) click here for info.

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (2)

By Larry, March 27, 2012 11:27 am

Brother Jack McDuff Brand Toilet Tissue and Corn Flakes!

Listen/Download Brother Jack McDuff – Soul Yodel

Greetings all.

I come to you midweek with a very tasty groove indeed.

A while back one of my Facebook friends (I forget who, so forgive me) posted the track you see before you today and I was, as they used to say, gassed.

You know that I ride hard for the Hammond grooves, whether they be packed tightly into 45s or spread out generously over an LP. It is in that subset that Brother Jack McDuff holds an especially high place of honor.

His discography is stuffed to the rafters with goodness, from the old-school, smoky bar groove grease to the new(er) school funky workouts, of which today’s selection is among the latter.

McDuff’s funky sounds – it must be noted – are of superlative quality, as inventive as they are purely funky, as the legendary ‘Moon Rappin’ album testifies.

Brother Jack was never one to sit back and ride the groove, and was able to take what one might consider to be ‘unusual’ raw material (like, say a yodel…) and work it up into something extraordinary.

‘Soul Yodel’ (sounds like a welcome addition to the snack cake aisle) is a very cool number indeed.

Included on the 1972 album ‘Check It Out’ was recorded live at the Mandrake Club in Berkeley, California and is at times reminiscent of Jimmy Smith’s ‘Root Down’.

The tune opens with a thumping bass figure (provided by Richard Davis) with some tasty drum work by Ron Davis. Where things get really interesting is upon the arrival of guitarist Vinnie Corrao who lays down some delicious wah-wah-ology.

This is of interest to NJ funk fans because it was none other than Mr. Corrao who played guitar on the sole 45 by The Touch, ‘Pick and Shovel’ b/w ‘Blue On Green’.

Oddly, as deep as the groove is here, it does not include a lot of organ (certainly not a solo). It’s mainly a feature for the band – especially Corrao – which is groovy too.

That said, I hope you dig it, and I’ll be back on Friday.

Peace

Larry

PS Don’t forget that I’ll be joining the HPRS vinyl collective to sell some records this coming Saturday 3/31. The sale runs from 11-5 at 960 Green Street in Iselin, NJ (not too far off of Rt1). I’ll have a couple of boxes of LPs (lots of soul jazz and 60s rock) as well as a few boxes of 45s (funk, soul, jazz, rock etc) and some ephemera. If you’re in the area and have a taste for records come by and sample the wares.

Also, make sure that you check out the POAC link below (click on the logo). It’s a fantastic organization that provides services to our local autism community, with education and recreational events, and any contribution you could make would be greatly appreciated.

If you want one of the new Funky16Corners stickers (free, of course) click here for info.

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (3)

By Larry, March 15, 2012 2:48 pm

Leon Spencer 1945-2012

Listen/Download Leon Spencer – Message From the Meters

Listen/Download Leon Spencer – The Slide

Listen/Download Melvin Sparks (feat Leon Spencer) – Thank You Pt1

Listen/Download Melvin Sparks (feat Leon Spencer) – Thank You Pt2

Greetings all.

It is – as always – time to remind you that the Funky16Corners Radio Show returns to the airwaves of the interwebs this Friday night at 9PM on Viva Radio. If you can’t join us at airtime, make sure to fall by the blog and pick yourself up an MP3 of the show (or dip into the extensive Radio Show archives with almost 100 past episodes).

I had something else planned for today, but last night word started to filer through the haze of the interwebs that one of my favorite past masters of the Hammond organ, the mighty Leon Spencer, had passed away.

I have yet to locate any real details, but when I do I will pass them on.

Spencer may not have been a household name (except for my house, maybe) but he was a very important figure of the crucial, funky, soul jazz years of the late 60s and early 70s.

He only recorded a few albums as a leader (between 1971 and 1974) but was a very prominent sideman on Prestige and Blue Note dates, backing cats like Lou Donaldson, Melvin Sparks, Rusty Bryant, Gene Ammons and others.

I’m posting four cuts for your listening pleasure today.

The first two (recorded 12/7/70) , Spencer’s cover of “Message From the Meters” and his original “The Slide” appeared on his Prestige LP, ‘Sneak Preview’. The all-star group, featuring Melvin Sparks, Idris Muhammad and Grover Washington Jr really bring the funk on the Meters tune, and get to settle into a more relaxed groove on ‘The Slide’.

The third features an example of Spencer’s work as a sideman (recorded 9/14/70*), backing Sparks (again with Muhammad) on his ‘Sparks’ LP, covering Sly and the Family Stone’s ‘Thank You (Fallettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)’. I’m posting both halves of the 45 since you get to hear Spencer stretch out a little bot more on part two.

Leon Spencer had a fluid, economical style that always demonstrated an ability to weave in and out of the groove. His playing was clearly deep inside the soul jazz “thing” while also being consistently inventive, something that cannot be said of all organists active in the period.

He will be missed.

See you on Monday with some more soul.

Peace

Larry

*Trumpeter Virgil Jones appears on both dates as well

Also, make sure that you check out the POAC link below (click on the logo). It’s a fantastic organization that provides services to our local autism community, with education and recreational events, and any contribution you could make would be greatly appreciated.

If you want one of the new Funky16Corners stickers (free, of course) click here for info.

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (10)

By Larry, February 22, 2012 11:56 am

Packy Axton (2nd from left) with some Memphis heavies…

Listen/Download -Martinis – Hung Over

Greetings all.

First, some important news.

The day before yesterday I found out that I was going to have to change the domain where the Funky16Corners Blog and web zine reside. Unfortunately I had very little notice and the change was made rather hastily.

As a result, a lot of people that come looking for the blog using the old funky16corners.lunarpages.net links are going to find NOTHING. If you use the www.funky16corners.com, or just funky16corners.com (no WWW) you’ll still get here.

The problem is, blogging being what it is, a lot of the incoming links are located in places where they aren’t likely to get changed any time soon, and it’s going to take Google a while to rediscover the content here.

In the interim, I would appreciate it, that if you’re associated with a blog or website that links here, please adjust the links accordingly. If not, please just pass the word along, via Twitter or Facebook, that we have moved.

As I explained briefly yesterday, the switch over to the new domain should appear largely seamless – completely so in regard to new content – but there will be some effect on older stuff.

The graphics have to be restored to all posts prior to last November.

The links should be working in the Radio Show, Podcast, Guest Mix and Soul Club archives. If you find any broken links, please let me know.

This is an especially hectic and stressful time already, and I may have missed something here or there.

Thanks – as always – for your patience.

__________________________________________________________________________________

That said, today’s selection is one of those records that have been staple in my crates for a long, long time, and I can’t honestly say why I never featured it before.

Why am I posting it now, you may ask?

Because it is, quite suddenly, timely.

A while back I provided some very minor assistance in the research for the folks assembling the Light In the Attic compilation ‘Charles Packy Axton: Late Late Party: 1965-1967’ for which they very graciously (and surprisingly) thanked me in the liner notes.

Long-time readers of the blog will be aware that packy Axton features prominently in one of my favorite sagas, that being the story of the Packers ‘Hole In the Wall’ (more here) and its reappearance as a single by a cat named Joe S Maxey (as well as the vocal cover by the Other Brothers).

Ever since being clued into the various recorded exploits of Charles Packy Axton in Rob Bowman’s excellent book ‘Soulville USA: The Story of Stax Records’ I have picked up Packers record where and whenever I find them.

Axton, the son of Stax co-founder Estelle Axton, was a saxophonist and a hard living party animal who expired prematurely in 1974 at the age of 32.

He was, through the 60s a member of the Mar-Keys, and recorded with a revolving cast of characters (that often included Stax heavies and the Hodges brothers of the Hi records house band) under the names the Packers, the Martinis and the Pac-Keys, as well as providing backing for singles by singers LH White and Stacy Lane.

Thes 45s are collected in the aforementioned Light In the Attic comp, which if greasy, low down R&B and soul is your bag, ought to be on your shopping list.

The tune I bring you today, ‘Hung Over’ is the very essence of smoky, late night grooves, until it is rudely interrupted by the sound of someone making a very loud noise, which I (and many others) assumed was simulated (?) vomiting, but according to the liner notes of the comp, was actually Packy’s version of an angry growl.

The flip side, ‘Late Late Party’ is built on the same frame.

The various and sundry Axton-related 45s run from not too expensive to very much so, so if you’re not dedicated to finding them and shaking out your wallet, picking up the CD might be a better idea.

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

Peace

Larry

If you want one of the new Funky16Corners stickers (free, of course) click here for info.

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (4)

By Larry, February 12, 2012 2:53 pm

Listen/Download -Bobby Hollaway – Cornbread, Hog Maws and Chitterlins

Greetings all.

Welcome to another week here at the madhouse with sixteen funky corners.

I have to begin by telling you all, that if you intend to click on the MP3 link in today’s post that you should really strap yourselves in.

One of the most important part of being a good DJ is taste, not only ones own, but the ability to recognize it in others.

Over the years I’ve come to trust the opinions of several DJs/collectors, one of whom is the mighty Midnight Cowbwoy down in Crackalack.

He’s one of those guys who has excellent taste in music, and who is always putting excellent stuff in his playlists that I haven’t heard before.

Late last year, when I posted a couple of versions of ‘The Little Drummer Boy’ in this very space, he mentioned to me that I ought to pick up a 45 by a cat named Bobby Hollaway called ‘Funky Little Drummer Boy’.

It wasn’t long before I found a copy and grabbed it sight unheard.

So, a few days go by and the record in question falls through the mail slot and I promptly carry it to the turntable where I placed it under the needle with care.

As soon as it started spinning I knew it would be featured prominently during the Funky16Corners Christmas 2012 festivities.

That said, I then flipped the disc over and saw that the B-side was entitled ‘Cornbread, Hog Maws and Chitterlins’, and since I can’t very well see a title like that and not play the record, I gave it a spin.

Holy shit…

It was like finding a ten dollar bill, flipping it over and realizing that the number in the corner was really ‘100’!

The song in question is just a hair under two minutes of fast-moving, spellbinding, hair-raising, ass-kicking (there was a special on hyphens down at the blog store!) instrumental soul.

Wham bam thank you ma’am – as the saying goes – what you get here is some greasy organ, hard-hitting drums, saxo-mo-phone and fatback guitar – all piled up on a paper plate and slathered in gravy.

The whole thing is like a stick of dynamite, but it’d be worth it if all you got to hear was the drums at the beginning of every chorus.

I haven’t been able to nail down any info on Bobby Hollaway, but once again, reading the fine print on the label provides some important clues.

I noticed that the record had been produced by Bobbie Howard (which sounded familiar) so I set out into the interwebs and discovered that this was in all likelihood the very same Bobbie Howard who had been in Washington, DC-area band the British Walkers.

The British Walkers were an R&B/garage/beat band who’s ranks included the likes of Roy Buchanan and John Hall.

Howard was also responsible for the Mod fave ‘Sh’Mon’ – released under the name Mr. Dynamite – and was in a band called The Sweet (not the UK band).

Interestingly enough, The Sweet’s 45 on Smash, produced by and featuring Bobbie Howard is exactly one catalog number down the list from the Bobby Hollaway 45.

Whether ‘Bobby Hollaway’ was a DC-area musician (sax or organ?) or a pseudonym for somebody else, I do not know, and if one of you does know, I would appreciate you dropping me a line clearing this whole thing up on account of I LOVE this record.

I hope you dig it as much as I do, and I’ll see you all on Wednesday.

Peace

Larry

Also, make sure that you check out the POAC link below (click on the logo). It’s a fantastic organization that provides services to our local autism community, with education and recreational events, and any contribution you could make would be greatly appreciated.

If you want one of the new Funky16Corners stickers (free, of course) click here for info.

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (1)

By Larry, February 5, 2012 1:23 pm

Listen/Download -Jesse Gresham Plus Three – Bust Out

Greetings all.

Welcome to another week here at the Corners.

The tune I bring you today is something I’ve had warming up my crates for many years, that I knew almost nothing about.

I picked up my first Jesse Gresham Plus Three 45, ‘Shootin’ the Grease’ way back in the way back, and dug it for its organ groove grease, but also because it was on a strange label (Head) with a Robert Parker hit (‘Barefootin’) inexplicably placed on its flip side.

A few years after that score, I happened upon today’s selection, ‘Bust Out’ and then later heard (but have yet to score a copy of) ‘The Penguin’.

‘Bust Out’ has always tickled my fancy because, in the late period Merl Saunders/Toussaint McCall stylee,  it features the keyboard player doing double duty on the organ and the electric piano.

I had been unable to find any information about Gresham, until I recently set to Googling and happened upon a page on the Mississippi Blues Trail site, where in an article about the Staple Singers, they happened to mention several other musicians who worked out of the Drew, Mississippi area, one of whom was Jesse Gresham.

The site mentioned that Gresham was a keyboard player, who also worked as a school teacher and who had become a minister.

I adjusted my search criteria, and found a comment on the mighty Home of the Groove blog from the researcher who had written the Blues Trail page, who fleshed out the Jesse Gresham Plus Three story somewhat.

Apparently Gresham and his band worked out of the Clarksdale, MS area and recorded their one session in Memphis, TN. The group featured Gresham on keys, Johnny Agnew on guitar, Larry Haggans on bass and Nathaniel Jefferson on drums (Agnew and Haggans get writing credit on this cut).

That the group’s entire output was limited to a single session isn’t surprising, since all that appears to exist is the two sides of today’s 45, plus two different edits of the song that appeared first as ‘Shootin’ the Grease’ and later as ‘The Penguin Pts 1&2’.

All told, for a three-song run, they were pretty much batting .1000.

I hope you dig the sounds, and I’ll be back on Wednesday with something cool.

Peace

Larry

Also, make sure that you check out the POAC link below (click on the logo). It’s a fantastic organization that provides services to our local autism community, with education and recreational events, and any contribution you could make would be greatly appreciated.

If you want one of the new Funky16Corners stickers (free, of course) click here for info.

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.