Funky16Corners

Everybody Dance!!

“Listen - Sunshine of Your Love MP3″

Greetings all.

I know I said that I might not be posting again this week, but I figured I couldn’t go away for the rest of the week without leaving you something to tide you over.
Fittingly, it’s a record that’s an almost complete mystery.
I kind of know what it is, but I have no who it is.
Some weeks ago I was out on a digging expedition with my man DJ Prestige and I happened upon this disc in a big box of $3.00 45s. It looked interesting, and once I popped it on the old GP3 I soon discovered that it sounded interesting as well, and tossed it on the “keeper” pile.
Chapter One – What it is…
Those of you hat are familiar with the name Hoctor, and the records associated with it will know that there were companies (of which Hoctor was one) that produced records for use in dance schools, i.e. reworkings of the hits of the day created so that rooms full of students might have something to shuffle along with. Having discovered that the ‘Roye Dodge’ listed on the label was a choreographer, I have little doubt that this is such a record.
Chapter Two – Who It Is…
I have no idea. As is the case with some of the better Hoctor records, the playing is better than what one might expect from such an enterprise, however not so good that I’d harbor any illusions about it actually being someone “big” performing incognito. The likelihood is that the folks that whipped up this groovy, organ-led rendition of the Cream chestnut were studio heads picking up a few hours of work. Theyplay the tune with just enough verve to suggest an affinity for reinterpretation of the material. Whether that means they were jazzbos slumming for a day, or merely competent professionals, I do not know. What I do know is that I dig the vaguely soulful, au go go vibe herein, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this particular cut was to reappear in a Hammond mix somewhere down the line.
I hope you dig it.
I’ll see you on Monday.
Peace
Larry

Ti Jean Speaks…

Funky16Corners Radio v.37- Illuminated

Playlist

1. Ulysses Crockett – Major Funky (Transverse)
2. Jimmy Owens Quartet Plus – Chicago Light Green (Polydor)
3. Gary Burton Quartet – Sweet Rain (RCA)
4. Grant Green – Cease the Bombing (Blue Note)
5. Sonny Phillips – Bean Pie (Prestige)
6. Jack Wilson Quartet – Ramblin’ (Vault)
7. Leon Spencer – The Slide (Prestige)
8. Al Hirt – Harlem Hendoo (RCA)
9. Lonnie Smith (Slow High)
10. Mose Allison – I’m Not Talkin’ (Atlantic)
11. Les McCann – Compared to What (Limelight)Also featuring Jack Kerouac, Neal Cassady, Allen Ginsberg, William S Burroughs, Herbert Huncke and the mighty Lord Buckley…

Listen/ Download 55MB Mixed MP3

Download 50MB Zip File

Greetings all.
I never thought I’d see the day come, but today (11/5) marks the third anniversary of the Funky16Corners blog.
Originally conceived as an extension of the Funky16Corners web zine, it came (fairly soon) to be a replacement for it. Though I always enjoyed the longer form zine format of the web site, following the birth of my first son, I no longer had the luxury of the extended work periods necessary to put an entire issue together.
When I decided to switch to the blog format – though in the very beginning things were a little different format wise – I fell into a very comfortable groove. I was able to do the preparation necessary in small, concentrated bursts of activity, and writing the smaller features on a one-record basis (most of the time anyway) proved to be a perfect fit.
For the first time I was able to post entire songs (the zine only ever featured short RealAudio snippets), and after about eighteen months I began creating and posting the Funky16Corners Radio podcasts, which themselves have evolved considerable since their inception in May of 2006.
When I began doing the Funky16Corners blog, I had no idea that it would still be going strong after three years. Though it requires a fair amount of work and commitment (struggles which have been recounted in this space time and time again…) the rewards have far outweighed any investment of time.
Through the blog I’ve met (and “e-met”) tons of cool people, all of whom share my passion for music (soulful and otherwise). The support from the readers of this blog gone far beyond any expectations I may have had, starting with the ongoing conversation we have about the music posted here, and the amazing amount of material support that many of you have given during the yearly fundraiser, which has kept the blog up and running, and allowed me to assemble the podcast archive, which gets closer to completion every day.
Since moving to Wordpress – about a year and a half after starting out at Blogger - there have been more than 600,000 hits on the blog (we’ll have to have some kind of party when we cross the million mark), which compared to some of the bigger blogs is small potatoes, but three years ago a number like that would have been inconceivable.
The bottom line is that I couldn’t do this without your input. I mean, I suppose I could, but it wouldn’t be any fun.
Special thanks go out to all the folks in the blogroll, and especially to the people I’ve met and spun records with. Big ups to my man DJ Prestige and all the Asbury Park 45 Sessions crew (and Sascha at Lucky Cat). The nights we’ve spent together spinning vinyl at the Asbury Lanes have been inspirational, spiritually and musically. Every single 45 Sessions has been a learning experience, and there hasn’t been a single one where I haven’t finished the night with a grip of new sides on my want list, and a deep feeling of satisfaction.
How long can this go on? Forever probably.
I’m in no danger of running out of records, and I’m finding new stuff all the time. I love to hunt for new stories about records, and to finally sit down and write it all up. Maybe someday, round about 2025, one of my sons will take over and I can retire into a life of full time digging (though I suspect by then we will literally have to dig for records in landfills and elsewhere).
Until then, keep on stopping by and checking out the sounds.
And now, to the special 3rd Anniversary Mix.
I’ve been planning on a new jazz mix for a while now, and when I started to pull out records this week, the upbeat sounds I was originally thinking of morphed into a mellower, pensive, yet still somewhat funky vibe.
Earlier in the week, a buddy of mine sent me a box of books, including – fortuitously – a selection of Beat and Beat-related titles that I had yet to read (and there aren’t too many of those). As you can imagine, Inspirado snuck up behind me and smacked me in the back of the head.
I began to troll the interwebs looking for spoken-word elements by BeatGen figures. I tracked down a bunch of cool ones (including a couple of interesting and unexpected bits) and worked them into the mix. I think the end result is kind of cool, and as always, though I’m posting up a zip file of individual tracks, I’d ask that you take the time to check out the mix.
Things get started with a rare 45 that I scored not that long ago. Vibes player Ulysses Crockett was a Bay Area fixture through the 1960’s, playing with a number of his own groups, and recording two hard to find 45s for the Transverse label. ‘Major Funky’, while not “funky” in the James Brown sense, is certainly funky in the pre-JB soul jazz sense. There’s a great groove here and I love the tune.
The first of a couple of very nice electric piano features in the mix is ‘Chicago Light Green’ by the Jimmy Owens Quartet Plus. Led by trumpeter Owens, this 1970 session features pianist Kenny Barron. The date moves back and forth between straight ahead stuff, fusion and cuts like ‘Chicago Light Green’ which hover somewhere between the two.
Gary Burton’s ‘Sweet Rain’ has long been a favorite of mine. I first heard the tune years ago as covered by Stan Getz (an early employer of Burton’s). Hailing from the 1967 LP ‘Duster’, the tune is positively dreamlike and at times almost seems formless, yet always manages to come back around. Burton’s quartet at the time, which featured Steve Swallow, Larry Coryell and bop veteran Roy Haynes made some of the most interesting albums of the mid-60’s, edging ever so slightly into fusion without ever losing the group’s unique flavor.
Next up is ‘Cease the Bombing’ from Grant Green’s 1969 LP ‘Carryin’ On’. Written by keyboardist Neal Creque (who plays on the date) the song has a wonderful melody and the solos by Green, and vibist William Bivens (I think that’s him grunting along with the solo) are outstanding. The tune was later covered by Charles Earland and Pucho & the Latin Soul Brothers.
Sonny Phillips is best known for his work on the Hammond, but his three LPs for Prestige, recorded in 1969 and 1970 also feature him working it out on the electric piano. One of the better cuts in that vein is ‘Bean Pie’ which appeared on his 1970 ‘Black Magic’ album, which also features Prestige session burner Melvin Sparks on guitar.
Jack Wilson recorded a number of excellent LPs in the 60’s for Atlantic, Blue Note and Vault, as well as working as an arranger/accompanist for a number of big name singers. I picked up his 1966 Vault LP ‘Ramblin’ many years ago, either at a garage sale or flea market (I only mention it because of the dire condition of the cover) and it quickly became a favorite. It was one of the very first pieces of vinyl I ever digitized (I don’t know that it has ever gotten a CD reissue), and the tune I feature here today has gotten many, many plays over the years. ‘Ramblin’’ is a cover of the opening track from Ornette Coleman’s 1959 ‘Change of the Century’ LP, and like Bobby Hutcherson’s cover of Coleman’s ‘Una Muy Bonita’ (also from 1966) Wilson gives the song an distinctly un-Coleman-like reading. The tune features the vibes of the young Roy Ayer’s, who had gigged with Wilson as early as 1963 with saxophonist Curtis Amy and trumpeter Dupree Bolton. If you ever get the chance to track them down, Wilson also recorded some sessions on the organ, for Atlantic and Vault.
Like Sonny Phillips, organist Leon Spencer was a major part of the late-60’s/early 70’s Prestige soul jazz scene. ‘The Slide’ appeared on his 1970 ‘Sneak Preview’ LP, which also featured covers of ‘Message From the Meters’ and the Presidents ‘5-10-15-20’, and contributions from Melvin Sparks, Idris Muhammad and Grover Washington Jr.
A while back I featured Al Hirt’s recording of the Mar Keys’ Honey Pot’, from his 1967 ‘Soul In the Horn’ LP. The better known track from that album (if any song from it can rightly be described as “better known”) is the smoky ‘Harlem Hendoo’. This is due to its having been sampled by no less than De La Soul on ‘Ego Trippin Pt2’. I love the slow, vaguely Arabic vibe of the tune, especially the harpsichord flourishes by Paul Griffin.
Lonnie Smith (better known these days as the be-turbaned Doctor Lonnie Smith) recorded as a sideman for George Benson and Lou Donaldson before doing his own dates for Blue Note in the late 60’s. ‘Slow High’ appeared on the 1969 ‘Turning Point’ album, which also featured both Melvin Sparks and Idris Muhammad (billed here as Leo Morris), as well as the heavy, heavy front line of Lee Morgan and Bennie Maupin.
It was at this point in the mix that I decide to take things out a little more on the upbeat, and I pulled out a side by one of the coolest heads ever to tickle the ivories, the great Mose Allison. Allison – mostly known as a jazzbo – is really something much more complicated, dwelling in a grey area equal parts blues man, singer songwriter, beatnik, proto-soulman, and every bit cool. If ‘I’m Not Talkin’ sounds familiar, it’s because it was later supercharged by none other than the Yardbirds. While I’m a big fan, Mose’s original is by far the definitive reading. Though the Mississippi to Eel Pie Island connection might seem tenuous, Allison was something of a touchstone for London R&B/Mod musicians in the early 60’s, covered by the Yardbirds, Brian Auger, John Mayall and the Who, and providing a crucial ingredient in the stew that would turn Clive Powell into Georgie Fame.
The mix closes out with a track that I didn’t even know I had until recently. I picked up the LP ‘Les McCann Plays the Hits’ years ago, breezed through a couple of interesting pop covers and never noted that the 1966 album included what I now believe to be the original recording of Gene McDaniels’ ‘Compared to What’, which McCann and Eddie Harris would ride to worldwide fame three years later at Montreaux. The 1966 take is, if anything a touch more restrained than the hit version from ‘Swiss Movement’, but the same soulful vibe is here, along with McDaniels’ powerful lyrics. If you’ve never heard Roberta Flack’s version of the tune, you ought to head out and grab it.
So, there you have it. Three years behind us, and hopefully many more ahead. I hope you dig the mix. If you’re a long time Funky16Corners reader, thanks for being here. If you’re just coming on board, there’s a lot more to come.
I’m not sure what I’ll be posting later this week, as the fam and I are heading out of town for a short vacation.
Either way, I’ll see you soon.
Peace
Larry

PS Check out the garage punk over at Iron Leg

Greetings all.

This week’s installment of the Funky16Corners Radio Friday Flashback is the 11th edition of the podcast ‘Chitown Hustlers’ devoted to quality Chicago soul. Originally posted in September 2006, this has long been one of my fave F16Radio podcasts, with personal Top 10 sides by the likes of the Shells, Vontastics and Maurice and the Radiants.

I hope you all dig it. This coming Monday is the 3rd anniversary (!?!?) of the Funky16Corners Blog, and I’ll be working on a new mix for the occasion. Have an excellent weekend, and I’ll catch you on Monday.

Peace

Larry

Tom (right) and Jerrio (left)

Playlist

Etta James - Payback (Argo)

Five Du Tones - Shake A Tail Feather (One-Der-Ful)

Marvelows - I Do (ABC)

Dukays - The Jerk (Jerry-O)

C.O.D.’s - Michael (the Lover) (Kellmac)

Tom & Jerrio - Come On & Love Me (ABC/Paramount)

Billy Stewart - Once Again (Chess)

Fascinations - Girls Are Out To Get You (Mayfield)

Jamo Thomas - I Spy (For the FBI) (Thomas)

Shells - When I’m Blue (Conlo)

Tommy & Cleve - Boogaloo Baby (Checker)

Mamie Galore - Special Agent 34-24-38 (St Lawrence)

Fred Hughes - Oowee Baby I Love You (VeeJay)

Major Lance - Too Hot To Hold (Okeh)

Maurice & the Radiants - Baby You’ve Got It (Chess)

Vontastics - Never Let Your Love Grow Cold (St Lawrence)

Billy Butler - I’ll Bet You (Brunswick)

Soulful Strings - The Stepper (Cadet)

Download - 41MB Mixed Mp3

Download - 63MB Zip File*

Greetings all.

Here’s hoping everyone had a great weekend, and are rested and ready for some delicious, high quality soul music, because that – my friends – is what we have lined up in this, the 11th chapter in the ongoing saga that is Funky16Corners Radio.

A while back, I was spinning some 45s and it struck me that a couple of my very favorite soul sides hailed from the Windy City, aka Chicago. This of course should come as no surprise, not because I have impeccable taste (which I may, but it’s really not for me to say), but because Chicago was – without a scrap of doubt – one of the most consistent producers of Grade A soul records in the 1960’s. With a vibrant and productive soul scene, led, at least figuratively by Curtis Mayfield (I can’t think of any single artist – outside of Allen Toussaint - who influenced the sound of an entire city the way Curtis did) Chicago was a constant presence on the charts through the 60’s and early 70’s.

When I decided that I wanted to get together a Chicago mix, I was initially worried that I wouldn’t have enough great stuff. Well, as soon as I broke out the Chicago crates and started flipping through the 45s it was immediately evident that not only did I have enough for one mix, but would probably (and will) have to create a second volume at some point to cover all the bases. The contents of this installment of Funky16Corners Radio run from 1963 to 1968 (with a completely coincidental concentration in 1965 and 1966) and include both homegrown artists, as well as performers who either recorded regularly for Chicago based labels, or who made the city their adopted home.

We start things out with an upbeat side from the legendary Miss Etta James. Though she started her career on the West Coast, between 1960 and 1976 James recorded exclusively for Chicago powerhouse Chess/Argo/Cadet records. ‘Payback’, from 1963, is a great early soul side, and a showcase for James’ powerful growl. There’s also an excellent horn chart.

Another “early” soul classic, and a perennial favorite on dance floors (which is remembered by an entire generation for Ray Charles’ version in the Blues Brothers movie), also from 1963 is the Five Du Tones ‘Shake a Tail Feather’. It’s one of the truly great dance sides of the 60’s and has a great, raw sound (dig those drums).

Back in May, I posted another track by the Marvelows, ‘I’m So Confused’. As cool as that track was, it’s hardly their best known song. That honor would fall to their 1965 Top 10 hit, ‘I Do’ (popularized years later by the J. Geils Band). A fantastic mix of upbeat dance floor soul with a heavy dose of R&B group harmony, “I Do” is one of the most infectious soul record to come out of Chicago, and features a certifiably manic drum roll about halfway through the record.

Starting out as a doowop group featuring the vocals of Gene Chandler, the Dukays (‘Duke of Earl’ was for all intents and purposes their record) carried on after Chandler’s departure, eventually landing in the hands of one Jerry Murray, aka Jerrio/Jerry-O. ‘The Jerk’ , a post-Larks (1964) attempt to cash in on the ‘Jerk’ dance craze is a Jerry-O, composition, production, and appears on Jerry-O Records, but like many of the tracks on this mix bears the influence of Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions. The high falsetto lead, the rich harmonies and the swinging tempo were all patented Chicago-style Mayfield-isms.

The next track, ‘Michael (the Lover), by the C.O.D.’s is one of the bigger national hits in this list, having made the Top5 in 1965 (it was also later covered by Geno Washington, the Mad Lads and the Jackson 5). It’s a hand-clapping killer that also – no surprise, I’m sure – bears the influence of the Impressions. The group – Larry Brownlee, Robert Lewis and Carl Washington, went on to record several sides for the Kellmac label, and Brownlee went on to record with the Lost Generation.

Tom & Jerrio, aka Robert Tharp (who went on to record as Tommy Dark) and Jerry Murray had their biggest hit with ‘Boogaloo’ for ABC/Paramount in 1965. Though most of the records they made as a duo follow that same dance craze blueprint, ‘Come On and Love Me’ (the flip side of ‘Great Goo-Ga-Moo-Ga’) is a wholly uncharacteristic – but excellent – bit of sweet soul (thanks to Matt ‘Mr Fine Wine’ Weingarden for hepping me to this one way back when). Jerry-O of course went on to record a grip of excellent soul and funk sides for Boogaloo, Jerry-O, Shout, White Whale, Wand and Westbound as a featured artist, composer and producer before passing away sometime in the mid-70’s. Tommy Dark went on to record the excellent funk 45 ‘Wobble Legs’ for the Sugar label.

Billy Stewart is one of those artists that came from elsewhere – in his case Washington D.C. – but made his mark in Chicago. Discovered (and hired as a pianist) by none other than Bo Diddley, Stewart went on to record a couple of tunes that are certified Mod/soul anthems, i.e. ‘Summertime’ and ‘Sitting In the Park’ (later covered by Georgie Fame). The flipside of the latter ‘Once Again’ is a bit of a neglected/lost classic. The tune features Stewart’s patented machine-gun delivery, as well as a powerful horn chart.

The Fascinations, featuring the lead vocals of Bernadine Smith started out in Detroit, but ended up in Chicago where they were managed, written for and produced by Curtis Mayfield, and had their biggest hit, 1967’s ‘Girls Are Out to Get You’ released on his Mayfield label. Packed with great singing and a propulsive dancers beat (that made it a fave with the Northern Soulies), ‘Girls Are Out to Get You’ is a killer. Ironically, for all of Mayfield’s involvement, the record sounds less like a Chitown product and more like something from the Motor City (dig the vibes and the baritone sax solo).

Jamo Thomas wins the prize for the artist to come the longest distance to make records in Chicago, having started out in the Bahamas. ‘I Spy (for the FBI)’ was one of the better records to cash in on the mid-60’s spy craze. Recorded for Eddie Thomas’s Thomas label in 1966 (Thomas went on to be the ‘TOM’ in CURTOM), and produced by Monk Higgins and Burgess Gardener, the tune is a soul stomper with a great falsetto lead by Jamo. He went on to record the extra-groovy ‘Shake What You Brought With You’ as ‘Mr. Jamo’ for SSS Intl.

The next side is one half of probably my all time favorite Chicago soul record. ‘When I’m Blue’ (the flip of ‘Whiplash’) by the Shells is a great example of a painfully obscure record that ought to be much better known. Produced by none other than Jerry Butler and Eddie Thomas, 1965’s ‘When I’m Blue’ is a moody side with some heavy guitar and haunting vocals. The group – brothers Charles and James Calvin,Willie Exon, and Billy Harper - recorded one other 45, as the Four Shells for the Volt label in 1966, soon after fading away unjustly into obscurity. I’ve only heard of two other records on the Conlo label, one by Jamo Thomas and another by Arlene Bailey, though the label on one of the two copies I have of the Shells record indicates that they were nationally distributed by Cameo/Parkway.

Tommy & Cleve (Tommy Bullock and Cleveland Horne) recorded ‘Boogaloo Baby’ for Checker in 1966. The record is a hard charger, with great back and forth between the two vocalists and a great arrangement. The duo appear to have recorded at least two other 45s for Checker.

Mamie Galore’s ‘Special Agent 34-24-38’, another entry into the spy craze (this time from 1965). Co written by Monk Higgins and local DJ E. Rodney Jones, and recorded for one of the finer local imprints ‘St Lawrence’ records, the tune whips in a little bit of ‘Peter Gunn’ flavor, along with a memorable vocal from Miss Galore (the former Mamie Davis).

The next number is a tune that I was unaware of until it was posted over at the great Number One Songs In Heaven blog. Fred Hughes was an LA based artist that was signed by VeeJay’s West Coast office, and went on to record almost exclusively for Chicago labels like Chess and Brunswick. ‘Oowee Baby I Love You’ was a #3 R&B hit in 1965. It has a great atmospheric, slow-burn, with ringing piano and female backing vocals, as well as a great vocal by Hughes.

Major Lance was one of the most successful Chicago soul artists, recording a number of hits (including ‘The Monkey Time’ and Umm Umm Umm Umm Umm’) for the Okeh label in the 60’s, often under the aegis of Curtis Mayfield. ‘Too Hot To Hold’ was a Top 40 hit in 1965, and is as fine a slice of sophisticated urban soul as you’re likely to come across. What I really dig, is that under the sophisticated veneer, there are these little, slightly “out of control” elements, like the ‘Hey! Hey! Hey!’s in the beginning.

‘Baby You’ve Got It’, a 1966 entry by Maurice & The Radiants is definitely in my personal Top 5 soul records of the 60’s. Known to me initially by the cover version by UK Mods the Action, ‘Baby You’ve Got It’ is a perfect combination of great song, super slick arrangement, and amazing vocals (with lead by Maurice McAllister, and backing by James Jameson and Wallace Sampson). The tempo builds gradually as the layers are added, finally coming together in a perfect combination.

Another classic on the St. Lawrence label is also another personal fave of mine, 1966’s ‘Never Let Your Love Grow Cold’ by the Vontastics. The group were signed to record after winning a talent contest sponsored by local soul radio powerhouse WVON (Voice of the Negro), which became the VON in Vontastics. Composed of singers Bobby Newsome (who also wrote much of their material), Jose Holmes, Raymond Penn and Kenneth Gholer, the Vontastics made several hot sides for St .Lawrence, including a great soul cover of the Beatles ‘Day Tripper’.

Billy Butler (brother of Jerry Butler) started out recording with his group the Enchanters (later just the Chanters), and recorded the Northern Soul classic ‘Right Track’. In 1968, he was also recorded one of the first versions (pre-dating the recording by Funkadelic) of George Clinton, Sidney Barnes and Theresa Lindsey’s ‘I’ll Bet You’. The tune was also recorded by Jean Carter (on Sunflower), Theresa Lindsey (on Golden World, probably the first version) and the Jackson 5 (on Motown). Butler manages to give the songs a soul groove while adding the slightest soupcon of funkiness. While the version on the first Funkadelic LP will always be my fave, this comes in a close second.

We close out this installment of Funky16Corners radio with a side by one of my favorite Chicago groups, the Soulful Strings. Basically a studio concoction put together to highlight the arranging/producing skills of the brilliant Richard Evans, the Soulful Strings recorded several outstanding LPs of soulful mood music in the late 60’s and early 70’s. ‘The Stepper’ ( a tune that takes it’s name from a Chicago-centric dance scene) is a classy, mid-tempo effort that features – as do all the Soulful Strings records – the cream of the Chess/Cadet studio band.

* The ZIP file is larger this time because the individual tracks are recorded at a higher bit rate than the mix.

We Now Return to Blacula Meets Black Dracula!

Funky16Corners Radio Halloween Spooktacular!?!

Playlist

1. Lou Rawls – Season of the Witch (Capitol)
2. Souls Unlimited – The Raving Vampire Pt1 (Wig Wam)
3. Bill Doggett – The Worm (Columbia)
4. Clea Bradford – My Love’s a Monster (Cadet)
5. Fred Wesley & the JB’s – Doin’ It To Death (People)
6. King Coleman – The BooBoo Song Pt1 (King)
7. Roger & the Gypsies – Pass the Hatchet Pt1 (Seven B)
8. Fame Gang – Spooky (Atlantic)

Listen/ Download 30MB Mixed MP3

Download 28MB Zip File

BOO!!!!
Heh, heh, heh…
I mean…Greetings all.
Halloween is upon us, so I thought it only fitting that we here at Funky16Corners should brew something up for the holiday. In the spirit of Dr. Frankenstein, my monster is also made from recycled parts, as every track in this mix (except for the drops) has appeared here in the past, a couple of them are even single tracks from Halloweens past.
Though there is an underlying spirit of Halloween consolidation, presenting these great songs for people who may have gotten on the Funky16Corners bus a few stops down the line from the rest of you, I have to admit to a certain preoccupation with what some would call “real world moves“. In all honesty, family obligations have taken a step up in the past week and there are some important things that need to be addressed which prevented me from stealing a few hours to exhume, and digi-ma-tize some “new” old stuff for your delectation.
Rest assured that it will not always be thus, and give the mix (not the individual tracks, which I provide as a courtesy, as always) a listen as I’ve tracked down some interesting, seasonal drops that take some of these tunes – barely related to Halloween – and recasts them in a spooky light (you may have to use your imagination a little, but then again that’s what Halloween’s all about). There are appearances by Halloween luminaries such s Count Floyd, Criswell, Gomez & Morticia Addams, The Simpsons, the Kids In the Hall, Monty Python, and of course Casper the Friendly Ghost.
You get Lou Rawls souling up Donovan, funky bloodsuckers from the Carolinas, a rare meeting between Frank Herbert and Bill Doggett, the mighty Clea Bradford with a romantic Frankenstein’s monster of a kind, funky murder from Fred and the JB’s, a shocking turn by King Coleman, the Axe Murderers national anthem, and in closing, a slightly funky reworking of the Classics IV.
So, I hope you dig it and that you have an excellent Halloween.
I’m going to go trick or treating with my wife and sons, and we’re all going to watch ‘It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown’ three or four times.
Peace
Larry

PS I got a rock…

PSS Head over to Iron Leg for some punk from Question Mark & the Mysterians!

(L-R) Ansil Collins and Dave Barker

“Listen - Double Barrel MP3″

Greetings all.

This’ll be a quick one, as I had to pick up the little guy from day care because he wasn’t feeling well.
Today’s selection, ‘Double Barrel’ by Dave & Ansil Collins was one of the very first reggae records I ever heard, which probably had something to do with the fact that it was in fact one of the first reggae sides to get played on US radio (it was a Top 40 hit in the summer of 1971, and a HUGE hit in the UK and Jamaica).
As a result of its popularity, it’s also one of the easiest reggae 45s to find. I’ve had the US issue (on Big Tree) for years (in fact I probably have a few copies), but it was only a few weeks ago, in a unassuming crate full of teen pop and R&B that I happened upon a copy of the original UK pressing (for $2.00!?!?) on Techniques (a Trojan subsidiary). When I pulled it out of the box I wasn’t even sure what it was, only that it appeared (due to the small hole) to be a UK 45. When I saw it was ‘Double Barrell’ I grabbed it immediately.
The interesting thing – aside from the fact that ‘Double Barrel’ is an ass-kicking slice of island soul (I can’t get enough of Barker’s toasting) – is that for years I (and I’m sure almost everyone else without deep reggae crates) assumed that the duo on the record were in fact brothers, i.e. Dave Collins, and Ansil Collins. It was only a few years ago while reading ‘Young Gifted and Black: The Story of Trojan Records’ by Michael De Koningh (a fantastic resource), that I discovered that the dudes on the record were actually Dave Barker (the singer) and Ansil Collins (the organist). Imagine my surprise. Apparently the record also features the initial session of a young drummer named Sly Dunbar (of Sly & Robbie and about a million reggae records).
As I said ‘Double Barrel’ is a funky reggae classic, and as further testament to its goodness (aside from listening to it), my crabby 15-month old pepped right up when I put the record on, so it also has healing powers!
Dave & Ansil Collins went on to have a follow up hit ‘Monkey Spanner’, and if you can get your hands on their LP, it’s well worth tracking down.
So, grab those ones and zeros, fire up a spliff and get your groove on.
As Dave says: Good God, too much, I like it!!

Peace
Larry

PS ‘Double Barrel’ was sampled (heavily) by none other than Biz Markie on ‘Biz Is Goin’ Off’

Buy - The Heavy Heavy Monster Sound of Dave & Ansel Collins - on Amazon.com

Mr. Barry White says, “Come on up to my square.

It’s safe, sexy and I’m serving Banana Splits…”

“Listen - Doin’ the Banana Split MP3″

Greetings all.

I hope the mid-week finds you well, at least well enough for a king size, cross blogged double dose of the Banana Splits.
That’s right, I said Banana Splits.
If you’re younger than I am, you may not have any idea who (or what) the Banana Splits were, but if you’re my age or older, the name Banana Splits conjures up memories of Saturday Morning fun, tinged with just a touch of psychedelic nostalgia.
The Banana Splits show ran from 1968 to 1970 (and was rerun sporadically afterward) on NBC, and followed the adventures of four characters in plush suits who just happened to live together and also had a band. No doubt conceived as a Monkees-manque for kids a touch too young to have enjoyed that TV show (just two years before*).
What viewers got was humans inside of giant stuffed animal suits (designed by Sid & Marty Krofft) of a dog (Fleegle), gorilla (Bingo), lion (Drooper) and elephant (Snorky), voiced - except for Snorky who was in the tradition of the late, great Marcel Marceau, silent – by some of the greatest voice talent of the day including Paul Winchell, Daws Butler and Allan Melvin.
The shows were filled with slapstick, lots of bright colors engineered to fry the synapses of 6 year olds, plenty of faux-mod trappings, and – the thing that brings up together today – music.

Now, those of you that come by Funky16Corners on the reg are probably sitting there with a question mark floating over your heads (cartoon style, natch..) wondering what the f*ck any of this has to do with funk, and or soul music (though I suspect there may be a wise few out there who already know what I’m up to…).
So, a few months back the Asbury Park 45 Sessions are underway, and the mighty MFasis is rocking the wheels of steel when (as is often the case) he dropped something especially hot and I had to trot on up to (in the words of the mighty Sonny Hopson) “see what’s the title to the label on the Burners table”.
It only took a glance at the spinning, banana-clad label to know what the deal was, but until I took a closer look (and maybe for a little while after that) I still couldn’t believe that what we were all grooving to was a Banana Splits record.
So, in the following weeks I started to troll the interwebs to find a copy of this particular record. I spotted one on Ebay, put in my bid and a few days later I was the proud owner of not one, but two Banana Splits EPs, both of which were originally sold as cereal premiums by the Kelloggs company. A week or so later a package shows up in the mailbox that sent a shiver down my crooked old record collector spine. The seller had “packed” the records in a soft envelope (NOOOOOOOO?!!?!?!?).
Well, as soon as I calmed down a bit, I steeled myself against the likely disappointment that undoubtedly awaited me as I opened the package. Fortunately, the records, though woefully overgraded (shame on you Ebay seller..) were miraculously intact.
I immediately spun the song that MFasis had played (‘Doin’ the Banana Split’) and had my three-year-old dancing in his seat. After I scanned the label, I was shocked….no stunned…no, both shocked and stunned to see that ‘Doin’ the Banana Split’ had been written by no less a talent than Barry White?!?!
Holy crap!
As it turns out, White wasn’t the only big name associated with the musical side of the Banana Splits, as Al Kooper and Gene Pitney also contributed to their “oeuvre”. While most of the other songs on the records were lightweight pop (with one exception, which you can hear over at Iron Leg), ‘Doin the Banana Split’ was an absolutely batshit slab of heavy, funky soul. I suppose the crafty thing to do would have been to post the tune “blind”and then spring the Banana Splits angle on you, but since there are probably about five of you out there who have any idea who/what the Banana Splits were, it probably wouldn’t have had the desired impact.
Though I’m not 100% positive, I believe White is actually playing (maybe singing) on ‘Doin’ the Banana Split’ which was recorded in between his years working on tracks for the Keen, Mustang and Bronco labels (with Viola Wills, the Versatiles and Felice Taylor among others) and his solo success.
That said, while ‘Doin’ the Banana Split’ is an anomaly in both the world of cartoon music and the Barry White discography (I don’t suspect much beautiful love was made while listening to this record), it is without a doubt a killer, and would probably be sought after if the name on the label wasn’t the Banana Splits.
Dig it.
Peace
Larry

*If memory serves, when the Banana Splits were on, the Monkees were being shown in reruns late on Saturday mornings (which is when I first saw them)

Remember to head over to Iron Leg for the fuzzed out side of the Splits!

NOTE: As of 11:00AM we appear to be back online. Let’s hope the dam holds.

If you get a chance, head over to Iron Leg for some great psyche-pop by Southwest F.O.B. 

Larry

The Funk Brothers, Mike Terry on bottom right

“Listen - Hot Shot MP3″

Greetings all.

Here we are again, at the beginning of another week, ready to get down, to work, with the music and in general, and what better way to get a head start with said get-down-ery, than a decidedly tasty bit of funky Detroit soul.
I’ve know of the Buena Vistas for many years, having picked up a couple of their Marquee 45s, yet I always filed them away into the vast archive of groups that would remain for all intents and purposes, completely anonymous.
Their brief discography – covering less than a dozen 45s – never made a serious dent in the charts (despite the presence of some excellent grooves); I’ve never been able to find a picture of the group, let alone a list of personnel.
However, during my last serious dig I happened upon a Buena Vista’s 45 that I’d never seen before, and there, on an otherwise nondescript Swan label, was a name that had previously escaped my notice.
That name was Mike Terry*.
Now, it’s unlikely that unless you’re a rare soul maven, with a specific concentration of the sounds of 1960’s Detroit, that the name Mike Terry means anything to you.
However (again), if you dig the soul sounds of the Motor City, and like any self-respecting record fiend to scour labels for information (as I do) you’ve seen Terry’s name on countless labels as arranger (and often composer) and you might also recognize him as one of the storied ‘Funk Brothers’ i.e. the Motown session band.
That last bit is a little too narrow a description, because in addition to the bulk of their work being for Motown and associated labels, the Funk Brothers (thanks in large part to a serious lack of appropriate compensation from Mr. Gordy) played on tons of non-Motown session for just about every Detroit-based (as well as Chicago and even Philadelphia) soul label.
Even a cursory examination of 1960’s Detroit soul (and believe me, I’m no expert) reveals that the sound of the city (as it was) was far more than just Motown, and that a comprehensive “feel” over the entirety of Detroit records is less the passive influence of Motown, and more the result of music created by a core “pool” of musicians and writers influencing each other.
Anyway…when I saw Terry’s name on the Buena Vistas label, it nailed it as a Detroit-based record, and gave me a hook with which I could search a little bit deeper. And search I did, and the more I searched, the more I found, but the more I found, the more confusing things got and I ended up with a slightly better understanding (more like assumptions) about the Buena Vistas, and a shit-load of unanswered questions.
Here are the “facts:….
The Buena Vistas recorded several 45s for four different labels (Swan, Marquee, BB and LaSalle) between 1966 and 1968. Mike Terry’s name is on several of them as arranger.
The songwriting credits on the labels point to the involvement of Tom Shannon, a disc jockey/record man from Buffalo, NY who along with Carl Cisco (another name on the label) relocated to Detroit in the mid-60’s. Shannon and Cisco were both involved in another act on Swan, that being the Rockin’ Rebels, another instrumental act that were a “band” in name only, and probably a revolving cast of musicians, or at least a few different sets of players over the years that the group was issuing 45s (see the AllMusic bio of the group for more info). I suspect that this was also the case with the Buena Vistas, where the “name” was little more than a vehicle for a string of attempted assaults on the charts by the people behind the scenes.
This is a story that was repeated over and over (and OVER) again throughout the golden era of independent record labels and still goes on today where manufactured “acts” fill the dance charts. One need only take a look at pop auteurs like Phil Spector to see examples where the people actually on a record were ultimately less important than the record itself.
Shannon and Cisco were also involved in the Marquee and LaSalle labels (both Detroit imprints). The appearance of the Buena Vistas on the Philadelphia-based Swan imprint, had more to do with the precedence of (a re-release of) Shannon’s other act the Rockin’ Rebels’ biggest hit (originally from 1959) ‘Wild Weekend’ just seven catalog numbers before the Buena Vistas debut, today’s selection, ‘Hot Shot’. It also pays to note that the flip side of ‘Wild Weekend’ (apparently a 1966 recording by a completely different band), ‘Donkey Twine’ is pretty much the same basic song (not the same recording) as ‘Hot Shot’, suggesting once again an instance where the record men were working their “product” in as many ways as they could. In colloquial terms, throwing the spaghetti against the wall to see what might stick.
I have no idea who is actually playing on ‘Hot Shot’, but the presence of Terry, and the general Detroit provenance (as well as the coolness of the record itself) suggest to me that it wouldn’t be out of the question to have a Funk Brother or two (or four) in the mix. While I don’t recognize any specific musicians (they way I might be able to pick out the sound of Earl Van Dyke on the organ), the vibe here is pure mid-60’s Detroit soul, with slamming drums, horns, and piano and a great guitar solo. While I wouldn’t go as far as to label ‘Hot Shot’ as funk, I would say that it’s one of those great records that is certainly a stop on the road from pure soul on the way to funk, and is certainly “funky” in all the good ways.
Either way, no matter who the Buena Vistas ultimately were, this is a smoking record that ought to get the dancers up and moving.
I hope this hasn’t been too confusing.
Peace
Larry

*There’s a great article on Mike Terry in a recent issue of the fantastic soul magazine ‘There’s That Beat’

I just got a bit of sad news via a post to the blog (by his son) , that being George Jones of the Superlatives passed away on October 10th. Martez Thomas Jones has set up a Myspace page as a memorial to his late father.

‘I Don’t Know How (To Say I Love You) Don’t Walk Away’  is an absolutely brilliant record. If you missed it the first time around (back in May), dig it. If you know it then give it another spin in the memory of George Jones.

Peace

Larry

The Superlatives (George Jones on the right)

“Listen - I Don’t Know How (To Say I Love You) Don’t Walk Away MP3″

Greetings all.

I hope everyone has had as excellent a weekend as we did here at the Funky16Corners compound.
The whole shebang got off to an excellent start on Friday when I found out that my work situation was indeed headed for a positive change. Nothing drastic but a whole lot more intellect intensive, as well as a bit more secure than what I was doing, so that’s a load off my mind.
Then, on the recreational tip we got some superior outdoor time in, thanks in large part to that rarity, a better than expected weather report. A good time was had by all.
As a result, I come to this Sunday evening (Monday morning to those of you in the EU and east) well rested and a good deal happier than I’ve been in a while.
I spoke to my man DJ Prestige earlier in the day, and plans are in effect to get down with a podcast/mix collaboration in the very near future. It should be a gas.
One of the most excellent by-products of spinning with the crew at the Asbury Park 45 Sessions, is that I always walk away from these nights with a slightly longer want list. The resident selectors – and the guests of course – consistently bring the heat, and despite my many years of rooting around in dusty basements (not to mention the dark corners of the interwebs), they always spin something that is new to me, which I start digging for as soon as I can.
As a result, since the Sessions got underway, there have been several outstanding additions to the Funky16Corners archive that first found their way into my ears after they dropped from the DJs hands and slipped under the needles at the Asbury Lanes.
Over the next few weeks I’ll be mixing in some of these gems (full credit applied) here on yon blogspot, and with any luck, you’ll not only dig the sounds, but may be suitably inspired to make your way to Asbury Park on July 6th for the next edition of the Sessions.
Back during the March installment, guest DJ Sport Casual was in the midst of a very tasty set of laid back grooves when he brought up the volume on a record that I had never heard before, which promptly knocked me on my ass.
That record was today’s selection ‘I Don’t Know How (To Say I Love You) Don’t Walk Away’ by the Superlatives. Though I said that I had never heard the record before, as soon as the grooves started to release their magic, it was instantly apparent that almost every one of the other DJs had (heard it), and that they were clearly psyched to hear it again.
I stepped up onto the riser where Sport Casual was spinning, asked what the record was, and as soon as I checked out the label, I vowed that I’d have a copy of my own as soon as humanly possible.
I have to step back a second to tell you that I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of synchronicity, and what followed in the ensuing weeks made me more of a believer than ever.
I was able to track down a nice clean copy of the Superlatives 45 in a matter of a few weeks, after which I recorded and scanned it for the blog, uploaded it to the server (and placed on the iPod) and gave it many, many listens. Not too long after I placed it in the on deck circle, I was flipping through the blogroll, perusing what my fellow soul and funk bloggers were feeling, when I happened upon a post by Odub over at the mighty SoulSides blog, in which he told of hearing ‘I Don’t Know How (To Say I Love You) Don’t Walk Away’ spun at a DJ night where he was guesting in NYC, and how hearing the song played over a great sound system had reminded him of the records’ greatness (he also posted an MP3).
Not long after that, I saw the record written up, included in mixes or pop up on sale lists several times over the course of the next few weeks.
For some reason, there was a Superlatives “vibe” coursing through the blogosphere. I suppose it might have always been there, and I had just been missing the forest for the trees, but either way, the Superlatives and I suddenly found ourselves on the same wavelength, and I was digging it.
At first, I reconsidered posting the song here at Funky16Corners. Then I listened to it about a dozen more times, and decided that a record this amazing deserved all the exposure I (and anyone else) could give it.
I can’t tell you much about the group, aside from the fact that they hailed from Detroit, recorded a number of 45s for the Dynamics label (from which both sides of this 45 were licensed by Westbound) in the late 60’s.
The record itself is a marvel.
Opening with the isolated sound of an open hi-hat (also used to great effect on the Cooperettes ‘Shingaling’), it is soon joined by ringing vibes as the supertight harmony magic of the Superlatives themselves. The thing that really hits you (almost literally) is the hard, hard drumming providing the pulse of the record. Though the drums, voices and vibes are the most prominent elements, listen closely for some excellent guitar running in and out all through the song, as well as some tasteful horn work deep in the mix.
Though there are so many aspects of ‘I Don’t Know How (To Say I Love You) Don’t Walk Away’ to recommend it – including placing the parenthetic subtitle in the middle of a title so long it’s practically a work of art on it’s own – that I would normally hesitate to select just one.
However…
There’s a breakdown in the middle of the record in which the arranger comes dangerously close to having his reach exceed his grasp, yet manages to pull off what amounts to a bit of pure magic. The entire band steps back, with the exception of the horns which lay down a little fanfare – trombones in harmony with muted trumpets – after which the lead singer drops a single, extended, soulful ‘BABY!’, that sends chills down my spine every time I hear it. Just beautiful…
So thanks to you Sport Casual for bringing the Superlatives and my ears into the same room for the first time.
Peace
Larry

PS Both outstanding side of this 45 have been comped on the ‘Westbound Sound of Detroit: Sensational Motor City Groups 1969-1975, though should you wish to procure your very own vinyl original, you can probably do so at a relatively affordable cost (especialy considering the greatness of the record).

The Ambassadors

Funky16Corners Radio v.36- Philly Soul Pt2: On the Northern Side

Playlist

Cooperettes – Shingaling (Brunswick)
Chubby Checker – Hey You Little Boogaloo (Cameo)
Intruders – Up and Down the Ladder (Gamble)
Eddie Holman – Stay Mine for Heaven’s Sake (Parkway)
Fantastic Johnny C – New Love (Phil L.A. of Soul)
Preludes – Deeper Than That (Harthon)
Bob Brady & the Con Chords – More More More of Your Love (Chariot)
Candy & the Kisses – The 81 (Cameo)
Bunny Sigler – Girl Don’t Make Me Wait (Parkway)
Ambassadors – (I Got To Find) Happiness (Atlantic)
Intruders – (You’d Better) Check Yourself (Gamble)
Joe Renzetti’s Sound – Reach Out I’ll Be There (Mala)
Mike & Ike – Sax on the Tracks (Arctic)
Show Stoppers – How Can Your Heart Forget Me (Heritage)
Bunny Sigler – Follow Your Heart (Parkway)
Volcanos – It’s Gotta Be a False Alarm (Harthon)
Bernard Williams & the Blue Notes – It’s Needless To Say (Harthon)
Lee Garrett – It’s Needless To Say (Harthon)
Billy Harner – I Struck It Rich (OR)

Listen/ Download 44MB Mixed MP3

Download 44MB Zip File

Greetings all.
Sorry – once again – for the late start this week, but I have been (as the kids say) up to my ass in alligators, and I feel like I’m still playing catch-up. Time is at a premium, and I’ve been working as fast as I can (maybe a little faster).
The end product of my labors (at least my non-working for a living labors) is before you today, and I think (hope) you’ll be pleased with the results.
When I posted the first volume of Philly Soul, back in April, I already had this mix (of which there will most definitely be a second part, sometime in the next few weeks) pretty much fully formed in my mind. Whereas I approached the first volume with a mellower, sweeter vibe in mind, the next few editions of Funky16Corners Radio have been compiled with the dancers in mind, specifically those with an interest in that ever unfolding Lotus blossom we know as Northern Soul.
I suppose it’s only fitting that I begin with a disclaimer, however minor. While some of the records herein are recognized as classics of the genre, others are not, and may cause train-spotters, anoraks and others of their ilk to raise their collective voices in complaint, i.e. “That particular song does not fall within the boundaries of what I consider to be Northern Soul because (insert reason here)…”.
Well, that may be the case, but as chief cook, bottle-washer and selector at Funky16Corners I get to decide what tunes make the final cut, and as always, the only constraints are my personal tastes and the contents of my crates (as they are). I figure there may be a song or two here that fall outside the boundaries of the canon, but the “set list” of the Northern Soul world has been an ever evolving one, and as such there’s always room for growth.
That said, while the sounds of Northern Soul are first and foremost Detroit-centric, there are countless Philly-based sides in the record boxes of any self respecting Soulie. Aside from the fact that the studios of Philly and the surrounding area were cranking out soul music of the highest quality in the 60’s and 70’s, it’s important to note that many of the hallmarks of Motor City soul were included in and expanded upon in the sound of Philadelphia.
Even a cursory listen to the discographies of powerhouse Philly soul labels like Harthon, Gamble and Arctic will reveal a kings ransom of brilliant, storming dancers chock full of memorable melodies, propulsive four-on-the-floor beats, chiming vibes and honking baritone sax solos. There is no question that Philadelphia had more than its share of talented performers, writers, producers and arrangers, and one need only to download the mix I offer to you today for incontrovertible evidence of that.
Things get started with a personal fave, the Cooperettes ‘Shingaling’. I don’t know much about the Cooperettes, other than the fact that they released a handful of 45s on Brunswick and ABC (some harder to find than others), and that they were (like many other artists in this mix) connected to the Harthon organization. If the song seems familiar it’s because it was re-used for the unreleased (but bootlegged and classic) ‘You Need Love’ by Irma and the Fascinators.
“Chubby Checker?!?!” you say as you spit out your beer. Well my friends, if you didn’t already know, you know now. Mr. Evans, in addition to a hundred odd Twist-related novelties recorded some excellent soul sides further down the line for Cameo, including ‘Hey You Little Boogaloo’. Oddly enough, I’ve never turned up a clean US copy of this disc, but have a UK Cameo issue 45 (y’know, with the teensy hole), from which this is ripped.
The Intruders path to success ran almost parallel to that of their writers/producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. While they had their greatest success in the late 60’s and early 70’s, their earlier work, like ‘Up and Down the Ladder’ (from 1967) is not to be missed. Featuring great lead vocals by ‘Little’ Sonny Brown, ‘Up and Down the Ladder’ was only the fifth 45 on the fledgling Gamble imprint.
Eddie Holman is another Philly giant who is best known for his later work, like ‘Hey There Lonely Girl’. However, there are those (like myself) who consider his string of 45s for Cameo/Parkway and Bell to be superior. Holman, possessor or one of the finest voices in all of soul music, not only recorded a grip of amazing sides under his own name, but also wrote for other artists like the Volcanos. ‘Stay Mine for Heaven’s Sake’, released in 1966 was his third 45 for Parkway, immediately following his classic ‘Eddie’s My Name’ (which will be included in part two of this mix).
The Fantastic Johnny C is best remembered for his hit ‘Boogaloo Down Broadway’, but my personal fave from his discography is the Northern flavored ‘New Love’ which saw release as a 45, and as a track on his Phil L.A. of Soul LP.
I know nothing of the Preludes, other than that they recorded at least one 45 for Harthon, which included the great harmony tune ‘Deeper Than That’.
The next selection comes by way of a little geographical cheating, in that Bob Brady and the Con Chords were actually from Baltimore. One of the great blue-eyed soul bands of the day, their records featured the “more smokey than Smokey” vocals of Brady, which were never better than on this Smokey Robinson cover, ‘More More More of Your Love’.
Candy and the Kisses recorded three 45s each for Cameo and Scepter between 1964 and 1966, and one last side for Decca in 1968. ‘The 81’ was their debut single, and is by far their best. I have an old Jerry Blavat dance party LP where every track has the appropriate dance listed next to it on the jacket, with ‘The 81’ (the dance not the song) listed next to a few tracks.
Bunny Sigler has had a long career, starting with doowop in the 50’s all the way up through disco and modern soul in the 80’s. ‘Girl Don’t make Me Wait’ – both a 45 and a track on his 1966 LP – is a stone soul classic and a huge fave on UK dancefloors. It was even covered in 1968 on Deram by the UK psyche-pop band Timebox. I love the string section on this one, and the way the drums come storming in.
The Ambassadors – pictured above – are one of the great underrated soul stories of 1960’s Philadelphia. They recorded a number of outstanding 45s for Atlantic, before moving to Arctic for their classic ‘Soul Summit’ LP and a number of great singles. ‘(I Got To Find) Happiness’ was on their first Atlantic 45 in 1967 (and, oddly enough on their second as well). Both sides of the 45 (the flip ‘I’m So Proud of My Baby’ is also a killer) were written by the group, and arranged by Bobby Martin.
We get back to the Intruders with what has to be their most aggressive 45, the hard charging ‘(You’d Better) Check Yourself’ from 1966. There’s definitely a Motown/Temps vibe to the proceedings, with a heavy beat in the verse and a soaring, melodic chorus.
Joe Renzetti started out as a studio guitarist at Cameo records, and went on to be one of the most prolific pop arrangers – in or out of Philadelphia – in the 60’s. His name is on countless soul sides (including some in this mix) , but only appears as the artist on a few 45s, one of which is his cover of the Four Tops ‘Reach Out I’ll be There’. Renzetti went on to win an Oscar in 1979 for his work adapting the score of ‘The Buddy Holly Story’.
I’ve never been able to track much information (aside from the fact that one of the members might have been a musician named Robert Peckman) on who ‘Mike and Ike’ were, but their one 45 for the Arctic label has been a fave for a while. I picked this one up back in the day when I was grabbing anything I could find on Arctic. The tune has a solid beat as well as some great interplay between the saxes and the organ. The flip side is a cover of Lee Dorsey’s ‘Ya Ya’.
The Show Stoppers – renowned for their classic ‘Ain’t Nothing But a House Party’ – recorded a number of fantastic 45s for the Showtime and Heritage labels before moving to the UK. The group – which included two of Solomon Burke’s nephews – tapped into a minor chord, quasi-eastern feel for the storming ‘How Can Your Heart Forget Me’, a record which should have been a much, much bigger success.
We come back to Bunny Sigler with the a-side of his last Parkway 45 (in 1967), ‘Follow Your Heart’. The record has a great horn arrangement, and among the 45s in this collection is perhaps the closest to the Motown blueprint.
I couldn’t very well put together a mix of Northern Soul from Philadelphia without including something from my all-time fave Philly group, the mighty Volcanos. You can catch up on the Volcanos story here, but take the time to check out ‘It’s Gotta Be a False Alarm’, the a-side of one of only two 45s the group recorded for Harthon records. I’ve never been able to definitively place the Harthon sides in the Volcanos discography, though due to the funky nature of some of the material I’d be inclined to say that they overlap the end of the Arctic period, moving into 1967. Years after the original issue there was an instrumental bootleg of this song (backed with a Preludes instrumental) in the UK.
‘It’s Needless To Say’ by Bernard Williams and the Blue Notes is simply an amazing record, with stellar lead vocals by Williams (who was an early member of Harold Melvin’s Blue Notes, whose membership intersects with these Blue Notes). It’s another example of a side that in a perfect (or better) world should have been a much bigger success.
Vocalist Lee Garrett recorded one 45 for Harthon, and as might be expected from the co-author of the Spinners’ ‘It’s a Shame’ (with another great, and coincidentally blind vocalist, that being Stevie Wonder) it’s a killer. ‘I Can’t Break the Habit’ features a great beat (check the way that snare snaps) and some tasty piano work, in addition to Garrett’s interplay with the backing vocalists.
This edition of Funky16Corners Radio closes out with a great number from one of the great (and largely underappreciated) blue-eyed soul singers, Mr. Billy Harner. Harner, who recorded several classic 45s (and an excellent LP) that are justly revered in the UK, has recently returned to recording and performing, and with any luck ‘I Struck It Rich’ (also recorded by Len Barry) is on his set list.
That all said, I hope you dig the mix, and I’ll be following up with Part 2 in the next few weeks.
It’s not likely that I’ll be posting again this week (aside from a post at Iron Leg), unless I’m unexpectedly overtaken by my second wind.
Peace
Larry

PS I’d like to wish my lovely wife a Happy Birthday, and to mention that she’s taking part in a Breast Cancer Walk this weekend. If you feel inclined to donate to such an enterprise, click here.

PSS Head over to Iron Leg when you have a minute!!!