Showing posts with label Funk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Funk. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

BftRB presents: Grind Shop Vol. 1 (Authority Mix)





Camel Back - A.B Skhy
Get It On - Chase
Snap Out - Interpertations
Let's Do It Again - Billy Sha Rae
One More Time Ya'll - New Sound Express Ltd.
No Count Entertainin' Man - Larry Nettles
Amen, Brother - Winstons
I Dig Girls - J.J. Jackson
You - Groovin' Strings & Things


























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Blues for the RedBoy presents: Grind Shop Vol. 1 (The Authority Mix)

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Friday, March 4, 2011

Blues for the RedBoy Presents: The Integrated-Ass Crowd Mix!





Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. I’m late. But if I wasn’t late, I wouldn’t be me, then where would I be!? Don’t answer that. Instead, know that I’ve been hip deep in lawyers and real-estate agents as of late and just as the deal was about to crystallize on a 250 year old mansion in Spanktown, it fell through – as in’ Through the back corner of the foundation and into the basement where it put a ten foot crack in the cast-iron septic line. Oh well, nothin’ cures a case of the doldrums like some sexually suggestive funk & soul, so please excuse me while I whip this out…

You will find scant words in this mix, which is fine by me as I have my own problems to worry about without having to listen to people bitch about the trials of life decades removed. Take Concerto in F by the Willie and the Might Magnificent for example. No bullshit here, just a “Funky Beat” that’s “In My Soul” backed by a track so thick that one might break their face walking into it unknowingly. It’s also somewhat of a mystery track as this comp will eventually divulge, as it appears on various labels, by various bands, and w/ various names. Can’t say for sure who’s hand is in it, sufficed to say that it’s in elbow deep.



If I were hard pressed to pick a follow-up to ‘Willie’, I could do a lot worse than the Dapps, ‘Bringin’ Up the Guitar’ on King records. Perhaps best known for their King collaboration with Hank ‘The Twist’ Ballard, the Dapps prove that they can headline their own discs in spades and that sometimes it pays to feed a guitarists ego (Dangerous as that might be). Seriously though, all those minor melodies get major props from me.

I’ve got a soft spot for this third track. First, the Nike label calls to mind the Nike missile defense system, who’s abandon silos scattered about NJ I have had the distinct pleasure of being drunk in at one time or another. I might have even spray painted a pentagram or two (Who can say?). Second, ‘Boogaloo Tramp’ and it’s flip are evenly matched in that they are practically the same goddamned song w/ different lyrics (Not that Boogaloo Tramp really has lyrics). It’s like my grandma always says, “When in doubt, go w/ the Boogaloo.”



Since I already broke the dam w/ a King records release, I might as well buttress a James Brown reference w/ a cool cover of the Godfather’s ‘Hold It’ on the N-Joy label. I’ve been meanin to post this track by its lonesome for some time, but not unlike a plate of eggs o'er hash browns, the beauty is in mashin’ it up and thrown a handful o pepper on it.

Speakin of mash up, it just occurred to me that this next cut, ‘Sock It To Me pt 2’ is also a James Brown ovure. I’ve always liked the flip better than the requisite pt 1. My only gripe is the band’s name. I mean, the Deacons!? What a stupid name (wink).



I know this next track as ‘Turbo Rock’ by the Turbos on Turbo Records (Clever, huh?), so you can imagine my surprise when I heard it under the name ‘Backlash’, listed as being by one George Kerr and pressed on ‘All Platinum’, a label which is responsible for the dome-piece of this-here head case mix, Soulin’ w/ the Whatnauts!

If this track sounds a lot like the dub b-side of ‘Concerto in F’ by Willie & the Mighty Magnificents, that because it is! Released on the ‘Stang’ label ‘Soulin’, like ‘Turbo Rock’ seems to have followed several soul labels around as a canned b-side. Be it by the Mighty Magnificents or the Whatnauts, it’s perfect for sealin’ the deal on this here mix.

Until next time, remember: the honey is for the eater, the aloe is for the peter and the chicken-fat make it finger lickin’ good!

BftRB Presents: The Integrated-Ass Crowd Mix! (Brought to by Kentucky Colonel’s Douche Powder)

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

All This AND Goat Stew?





Grabbed this slab o' chevron outta Vinyl Dog's box of table scraps (Thanks) @ the last Highland Park Record Sale (AKA. Iselin Record Swap-Meet thingy) and I ain't stopped stirrin' it since. I mean, it has goat sounds in it, right? What more do you need? Awesome instrumental soul track? Done and done.

The 'Freddie' of these Kin folk would be Freddie Scott, drummer extraordinaire from that Black Lagoon down Florida way. He cut a couple o' discs for area labels before the gators got him, I guess?

Practically guaranteed not to disappoint, look for the equally awesome, if not slightly goat-less flip in an up and coming (As in it's finished, so it won't be a lifetime commin')BftRB soul mix.

You're just going to have to be content with a large ladle full o' goat in the meantime. Doesn't that sound good?


The Goat - Freddie & the Kinfolk

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Nobody Wants a 'Charlie' in the Box :(





It doesn't take a person with a necklace made of human ears to hear the sounds of the season rising like heat off the fronds of a primordial jungle. This evening, when you are gathered around a cozy ash-can fire, cooking M.R.E's in an empty steel ammo case and sharpening your traditional pungy sticks with an M1 mounted Bayonette, please consider, momentarily, those people less fortunate than you; those without even an ounce of Napalm to their person. Tis the season...



Merry Christmas/Non-denominational seasonal celebration (of which I make no faith-based implication in the interests of spiritual equality) to all you God-less heathens out there!

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Christmas In Vietnam - Charles Bowen (& The Gentlemen From Tigerland)

Christmas In Vietnam (Instrumental) - Charles Bowen (& The Gentlemen From Tigerland)

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

...And I Don't Work For Nobody But You.





Even though Halloween is Kaputsville (And Thanksgiving is apparently only a week off!?), that’s no reason that ole’ RB can’t drop a monster squarely on your head…

Is it Funk? Is it Psych? Is it soup yet? Who knows? A better question would be can you spin this 71’ offering from Trinidad’s fortunate sons and not bump & grind yer tail feathers into pillow stuffin? Seriously, this record is enormous!



From what I gather the proper British press on Polydor goes for pounds of, uh… pounds on the other side of the pond (Don’t even ask about the LP), hence why I went with a French picture sleeve, but don’t let it’s nationality fool you, this shit shows no sign of surrendering. You might as well just repurpose that white flag into a diaper, cause you are gonna shit yourself. Seriously, suck on this witches wand and you’ll dig my meanin’.

P.S. Thanks to Tommy Brimstone for turnin’ me on to this junk.

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Witches Wand – Luv Machine

Happy Children – Luv Machine

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Spinning-Backfist Combo!





Here's two knuckle sandwiches to loosen your teeth on this otherwise inauspicious day. First up is that funky board-breaker known the world over as 'Karate' from Harrisburg PA's Emperors. This tune actually caused a local stir in Pennsytucky, even charting in 67'. For a quarter, who am I to argue?



And because I know you'll only be hungry for more chop-saki in under an hour, here's Jerry O's Karate-Boo-Ga-Loo to even out this 'Dim Mak'.

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Karate - Emperors

Karate Boo Ga Loo - Jerry O

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Update: Thee Mighty R.J - Physically Capacitated Etc, Etc...





"When it rains it pours", though in this case its rainin' manna from the heavens.

Yup, once again we got some bonified skinny on an artist lost to the mists of time and temporal fold, and it just so happens to be a personal favorite of ole' RB, as reader and sometime relative of thee Might R.J. Rodger soon discovered while commenting on my unabashedly gushing endorsement:

"I couldn't agree more. I've enjoyed this record since it's release. I'm proud to say the artist was my uncle, so I'm a little biased. I'm glad see "The Fungus" is still "Among Us"

It is indeed still "Amoung Us", alive and well even. So, what is the deal with thee Mighty R.J. anyway?

"First of all he was Kool Ass Uncle!! He only made one record to my knowledge, he was a very successful radio personality down in New Orleans in the 70's. What you hear on that record is him, imagine mild mannered Clark Kent ducking it into phone booth and coming out a BADD MUTHA F------, talkin' sh--. That was my uncle, the record was just an extension of his on-air persona. Some parts of the record actually had a little truth to them (Working on the farm down in NC, the traveling/working in the different cites, etc.) He would go into the studio and record "Mix Tapes" on reel to reel tapes and send them to his two brothers serving in Vietnam. I've always thought that if "Rap" had a Family Tree he would be in the lineage."


Undoubtedly.

Dig the original post below.

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You know, there are just some records that you are glad exist. It's not that they have any particular cultural value (to the contrary), or that they redefine any one genre or convention. Sometimes a record is just so audacious that it's very existence seems to bolster the concept of artistic merit in a modern world strangely devoid of such perfunctory gestures. The very fact that these kind of sounds exist at all either proves a total lack of judgement (more than likely), or a sophisticated sense of art so inclusive that it challenges the very existence of what we deem as popular music. 'Fungus Amoung Us' is one such song.

I was originally gonna use Fungus (incidentally, not the the Terry Nolan song) to pad out some bald spots in an up and coming BFTRB soul mix. And while it lends itself well to radio bumpers and between-tune soundscapes, it was only upon my getting royally blitzed and giving the single several listens (it really does require several listens to appreciate it's peculiar charm)that I decided that the mysteriously named 'Fungus'(I have no idea why it is called that) deserves it's own showcase with-which to lay down it's thread.

As is to be expected, there is pretty much no copy on this disc. The 'Soulville' label seems to intone a certain late 60's sensibility, even though the track is straight up late 50's R&B. Upon doing a little diggin' I was pleased to discover that 'Fungus' enjoys a healthy, if not widespread admiration amongst hip-hop aficionados, as the rhyme scheme - along w/ the likes of disc jockeys Jocko Henderson & Pete 'Maddaddy' Myers - typify the rhyming couplet which would one day personify Hip Hop, and the abomination which passed for R& B these days.

Note: It seems to me that 'Fungus pt 1 & pt 2 are reversed on the disc. I'd start w/ pt 2 to get the full narrative effect.


Fungus Among Us pt 2 - His Majesty the Mighty R.J.

Fungus Among Us pt 1 - His Majesty the Mighty R.J.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

A Modern Way to Die, A Brand New Way to Cry





I'm sending this one out to Devildick as he's laid up on account of having his Fallopian tubes tied or somethin' (or maybe it was a sex change…). Regardless of what some mad scientist is doing to his junk, I figure I can aid in his speedy recovery by proffering two of DD's favorite things, fuzz and funk (not to mention raindrops and moonbeams and whiskers on kittens).

Incidentally, it really is amazing the lengths this man will go to just to get out of doing a little work…

Anyway, brought into being in the wilds of Milwaukee (Actually pronounced Mee-Lee-Wa-Kee, which I hear-tell from Alice Cooper is Algonquin for “The Good Land”) it's no wonder that 1972's ‘Modern Crucifixion’ was initially released on Brewtown records (Get it?). And while my humble copy boast of a 'Jewel' records parentage, it does not diminish this tune's desperate air and urgent feel. ‘Crucifixion’ comes out of the gate snortin’ (replete with copious cowbell), settling into a nice even-keeled urban crawl before dropping the street knowledge on your ass in the form of a fuzzed out reprise. Like any Soul Sister worth her sizzle-pants, this little lady’s good side is her back side, a little bit of ‘Loose Boodie’ rounding out this offering. Don’t believe me? Grab yourself a handful and find out.

Remember DevilDick, you gotta crawl before you can walk, and you gotta strut before you can take off runnin’.

Modern Crucifixion – Vic Pitts Cheaters (Featuring Omar Dupree)

Loose Boodie – Vic Pitts Cheaters (Featuring Omar Dupree)

Monday, March 30, 2009

Good to the Bone!





My no-good ex-patriot brother has been goin' on about this tune for some time now. I'm beginning to see what the fuss is about. Not only do you have a filthy-delphia motha-funker singing the praises of fried chicken (A vocation worth following if ever there was such a thing), but this fair fowl is so "kickin" that it sets our cake-walk prince here to moan - Truly the benchmark of any religious chicken-eating experience.

Besides a certain Philly pedagree, I know very little about this clucker, save for a name change (Radars) and a later repress on 'Yew' records (Mutton!? Ewww!). Comped a gazillion times I'm sure, rub this fucker in some flour and drop it in the pan! You won't be sorry, but you might be hungry (Nom, nom nom).

Finger Licking Chicken - Radors, or Radars, or whatever

Note: A little stone-soul birdie tells me that the great Mel Brown has gone up to that big coop in the sky. Click here to honor the man and his chicken-chompin' memory.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

If It's A Whippin' You're A Wantin'...





Charles Whitworth, AKA. Chuck A Luck, AKA. Little Charles...

That's a lot of aliases for this Greensboro North Carolina native to be hidin' behind (and this RedBoy should know). I guess if you were killin them suckers nightly with w/ the criminal funk you'd wanna change your name and hit the road too, lest the law come down on you like a ton of bricks.

Tay-Ster managed to jam this Tay-Stee track on two back too back releases, the latter release subsequently spell-checked by some cracker-ass cracker('Whip You') and tattooed w/ a different flip (Are You Experienced?)

My own experience being beyond reproach, trust me when I say that if you are lookin' for a track to back up your strut, then look no further.

Whip Ya - Chuck A Luck & the Lovemen


I'll Always Love You - Chuck A Luck & the Lovemen

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Chicken Fat: An Impulse Discovery




What can I say? I'm down with the chicken.

Be it 'Greasy Chicken', 'Chicken Crazy' or 'Chicken Strut', I'll eat that shit down to the bone and wear it like a necklace (fat 'n' all).

Today in this clap-board abode we are privy to that rare species of 'Rhode Island Red' that can jump genres from jazz to soul and back again without roostin' too high for the layman to grasp. And in a refreshing turn, we've even got some bonifide skinny on the artist in question:

"Mel Brown (born October 7, 1939, in Jackson Mississippi)is an American blues guitarist. Best known for his decade-plus stint in support of Bobby "Blue" Bland, Brown channeled elements of soul, funk, and jazz to create one of the most distinctive guitar styles in contemporary blues. Brown received his first guitar at the age of 14 while battling meningitis, spending hours each day studying the music of idols like B. B. King and T-Bone Walker from his sickbed. In late 1960, he toured with The Olympics, followed by a two-year tour of duty with Etta James. By 1963 Brown launched a session career, playing on records by everyone from Bobby Darin to Bill Cosby as well as T-Bone Walker's Funky Town album. His contributions so impressed record producer Bob Thiele that he invited Brown to record his own album: 1967's Chicken Fat, a blues-funk outing pairing Brown with fellow guitarist Herb Ellis. A series of impressive LPs including The Wizard, I'd Rather Suck My Thumb, and Big Foot Country Gal followed in quick succession before Brown joined Bland in 1971, appearing on the singer's California Album two years later."


Fresh from the fryer @ 'Vintage Vinyl', we got a big ole' glob o' 'Chicken Fat', and the greasy spoon it came with. You can eat all you like, just so long as you eat what you take.

Chicken Fat - Mel Brown

Greasy Spoon - Mel Brown

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Stop Stuffin' and Start Sho-Nuffin'!




With All Hallow's Eve soundly in the rear-view, we're gonna pick up the thread right where we left it - in the Broad Street gutter.

Ok, so Confucius he ain't, but Ray Weatherspoon sure does lay down the law on this circa 67' struttin' monster. Now, I could never pass up a platter on a label so shamelessly called 'Satan' regardless of the quality of the cut, but these two tracks don't mearly hide behind such cool trimmings. Instead they stand mighty tall on their own two platformed feet. It's the perfect marriage of infernal form and funky function!

The flip is your typical part duex scenario (Credited to one Billy Wiggens), but rather than just droppin' an instro track and skippin' town, the 'Wig' manages to throw some cool sax and organ work into the fricassee, makin' it a worthwhile flip for inclusion in this RedBoy's hallowed halls.

You heard the man, "Straighten Up!"

Stop Stuffin' and Start Sho Nuffin' - Ray Weatherspoon

Stop Stuffin' and Start Sho Nuffin Pt. 2 - Billy Wiggens

Thursday, September 25, 2008

9.9 on the Richter Scale





A mystery even more perplexing then “Who Built the Pyramids?” would be “Who are Pyramid?”, cause I gotta be honest, I got nothin’ on this stone-soul mover. One thing is for sure, I’m willing to bet that these Pyramids are not of the ‘Penetration’ variety.

Always a sucker for a pt 1 / pt 2, the flip is admittedly the better of the offerings, what with its Latin drive-train and sharp fuzz solo. If the brash brass is any indication, figure on it being an early seventies cut.

Oh, and if you happen to hear a wobble at the beginning or this track, let me assure you that the disk isn’t warped, that’s just the earth movin’ under your feet.

“Feel it rumble! Feel it roar!”

Earthquake Shake pt 2 - Pyramid

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Jimmy Lomax





Ok, I got nothin' on this 1971 soul two fer. The A-side is the money maker with its fine, uptempo self, where as the flip is a transistor-organ driven moody little cuss. Short of that...the trail done gone cold.

I'm Gonna Love You - Jimmy Lomax

Remember Me - Jimmy Lomax

Thursday, July 31, 2008

"The Funkiest White Man I Know"




That might seem like a pretty tall order, but when that admonition comes from the likes of one Sly Stone, it can't be too far off the mark.

As far as 'Hard Times' sob stories go, this 69' carbon chunk of funk is more 'Coal Miner's Daughter' (Err..Son) than the typical Metropolitan jag - even if they do share a certain antecedent in the guise of 'Momma's Cornbread'.

"Jim Ford was an American singer-songwriter originally from Johnson County, Kentucky. After living in New Orleans, Ford moved to Los Angeles, and finally settled in Fort Bragg, CA. His music is a mixture of soul, country and folk. His songs have been recorded by numerous artists, including Aretha Franklin, P.J. Proby, Bobby Womack, and The Temptations. Nick Lowe has cited Jim Ford as his biggest musical influence. His most famous song is probably Niki Hoeky, recorded by Aretha Franklin on her album Lady Soul.

After beating a cocaine addiction in 2004, Ford found Jesus and started recording again. He was a recluse at that time, but L-P Anderson of Sweden's Sonic Magazine managed to track him down in his California trailer home in April 2006. Bear Family Records re-released his "Harlan County" album, originally recorded in 1969, with 15 previously unreleased songs and a 40 page booklet as The Sounds of Our Time in early 2007. The success of "The Sounds of Our Time" made the idea of recording new material possible. At times there was talk of using Jim Dickinson as producer and James Burton volunteered to play guitar. A charity gig for Jim was to take place in London , U.K. on May 18, 2008. Nick Lowe was supposed to perform together with Jim Ford in person.. However, Jim Ford was found dead early in the evening of Sunday, November 18, 2007 in his trailer home by the Fort Bragg Sheriff’s department".


Man oh man, from a Yankee perspective that mean ole' 'Mason Dixon Line' is one hard line to tow!

Harlan County - Jim Ford

Monday, February 4, 2008

Just who was that Masked Man?


This one was a pain in the dick to track down. I was always under the assumption that this dog was hung under the moniker of "Mask Man & the Agents", and as it turns out, I was partly right. As the sometimes super spy 'Mask Man’ and captain of the 'Cap-Tans', Harmon Bethea has put his brand on some sweet-ass soul the likes of 'One Eye Open' and 'Yaw'll', but the ultimate ode of this incognito 'Love Bandito' remains his race-conscious interpretation of the Jesters penned novelty tune 'Roaches' released on the Musicor label in 1972 and subsequently comped on Norton record’s ‘Big itch 3’.


Now, if only we could get Jerry Lot in on the action.

Roaches - Harmon Bethea