Wednesday, September 28, 2005

Primitive Sound System at Maxwells - Mixed Tape Sessions - Tuesday September 27th - 9PM - 2AM

Hello Y'all,
This is the last week before I go to a once a month schedule. So far it looks like I will be taking the first Tuesday of each month with a rotating schedule of DJ's the remaining Tuesdays. I do need to get back to doing some artwork and this gives me that opportunity. Speaking of... I am doing a poster for the upcoming DC's Tavern Record Swap scheduled for Saturday, October 15th. Apparently this coincides with the DC's Oktoberfest Weekend. Don't expect the normal run of the mill overpriced specialty brews but a more reasonably priced array of tin cans and familiar bottles. Ahh, tradition.

This Tuesday in the back room at Maxwell's Canada's Black Mountain will be shaking the walls with their own brand of Black Sabbath heavy Stoner Rock sounds which sometimes even border on being truly soulful. Oddly their is also a tip to the Prog/Kraut Rock sounds of the 70's. OK, this band is a perfect Mixed Tape if you ask me. Pulling this week's set was pretty easy.

Primitive Sound System Mixed Tape Sessions and the continuing food stylings of el Diablo Every Tuesday! (9PM - 2AM)

Maxwell's
1039 Washington Street
Hoboken New Jersey
(201) 653-1703

Some 45's:
New stuffs:
Chuck Womack & The Sweet Souls - "Ham Hocks & Beans Pt.1 & Pt.2" (re-joint cat. RJ7005)
"Put on those Ham Hocks!" Nice sharp drum-break heavy intro snaps this homage to ham, hocks red beans and cornbread... you know soul food. Mr. Womack calmly calls his band to action as drums, bass, guitar, sax simmer to perfection.

Guy Morris - "Hot Pants Party" b/w "Cool It" (Tramp Records cat. TR-102)
Like food songs I can't resist Hot Pants songs. this one has that great party feel that is a necessity for all Hot Pants songs. Mr. Morris even channels Geraldine (Flip Wilson) as the music skips along. The "B" is slightly heavier and could even be a more upbeat version of "Hot Pants Party" but maybe similarities come from the lack of material. Regardless, this is one nice instrumental that may give the Hot Pants side a run for its money when it comes time to drop the needle.

The Peas - "Gettin Some" b/w "Crazy Walk" (Malo cat. ML 765)
FUZZY FUZZY FUZZY Hey that dudes playing the guitar that sounds like the sitar the electric Sitar. After the thick intro things calm down into a Meters/Booker T feel played skillfully like the Acid Jazz band Corduroy. Really nice guitar feel and sounds play over the top of a raw drum and organ base. Crazy Walk starts out a bit slower with a Tony Joe White groove. This is a slow walk threw the jungle. Welcome to Louisiana folks.

The Baker Brothers featuring Vanessa Freeman - "Walk Into My World" b/w "Ponky Wonkett's Revenge" (Peddler cat. PDLR - 003)

Charles Brinkley and Fully Guaranteed - "I'll Be What You Want Me To Be" b/w "In The Pocket" (Music Machine Records cat. MM-3145)
I heard this a while ago and it took forever to find out what it was. Clavinet (maybe Moog) intro into a Stark Reality-esque Jazzy feel but most definitely a late era Funk cut. Vibes (maybe Fender Rhodes) and Organ creep around in the background as the Vocals, Drums and Keyboards are very upfront. An aggressive percussion solo hits toward the end and the song stays in a pulled back mode until it fades.

Peppers - "Stuffed Peppers" b/w "Peace, Love, Freedom" (Avalanche cat. 36015)
Tough bass and organ heavy instrumental with horns that almost sound like they are about to run with the "Jean and Joan and who knows who" line from Evil Ways. The song is filled with ample touches of percussion and even a great little drum / conga break-down that changes the feel slightly but definitely for the better. I have to say this is pretty high up right now as one of my favorite mid-tempo instrumentals. "Peace, Love, Freedom" is a Gospel feel instrumental.

Don Gardner - "I Wanta Know Where Did Our Love Go" b/w "My Baby Likes To Boogaloo" (Tru-Glo-Town cat. 501)

Otis Clay - "She's About A Mover" b/w "You Don't Miss Your Water" (Cotillion Records cat. 44001)

Can - "Moon Shake" (mono/stereo) (United Artists Records cat. UA-XW446-W (promo))
Jaki Liebezeit Can's drummer is not of this world, but then again none of the members of Can were. Can are easily one of the most important bands to me musically as a listener and as a drummer. Indecipherable lyrics play over bass, guitar, drums and sounds all created to perfection with Soulful and Progressive skills unmatched by any band.

Some other stuff...
Dick Hyman and His Electric Eclectis" (Command / ABC Records cat. RS 45-4126 (wht label promo))

The Soft Machine - "Joy Of A Toy" (Probe / Command / ABC Records cat. CP-452)

Ace Frehley - "Snow Blind" (Casablanca Records and Film Works cat. NB 941)
Fuck Yeah! Ace Frehley was still the shit when he recorded his "solo" effort while donning the makeup of his beloved KISS. Snow Blind sounds not much different than Nebula or Fu Manchu just some of the production "effects" date it. When the track picks up the pace suddenly you can really see KISS's influence on the LA Glam scene. I can listen to this track on an endless loop.

Helmet - "Unsung" (Amphetamine Reptile Records cat. NR-18838 (wht. vinyl)
Great drummers abound. Page Hamilton was hailed as the next great guitar player of our time but for me that's not enough to make great music or even a great song... Joe Satriani who? Anyway, guitar-pyrotechnics is a whole other subject all together. Helmet are a band bashing out one of their best songs ever. heavy as hell bass, deep guitar and drums that should move you as well as pound you into submission.

Bobby Franklin's Insanity - "Bring It On Down To Me - Pt 1 & 2" (Thomas cat. TH 801)

The Counts - "Thinking Single" b/w "Why Not Start Over Again" (Westbound Records cat. W 191)

J. J. Callier with Dalton Francis & The Flaming Arrows - "I Got A Groove" (Maison de Soul cat. 45-1003)
Bass and cymbals come around the corner like they have been following you for blocks. The track jumps in with harmonica, vocals, horns and pushed recording levels making it all raw and funky, funky, funky.

LPs:
Red Sparowes - "At The Soundless Dawn" (Robotic Empire cat. RBE-043)
Manfred Mann - "Chapter Three" (Polydor cat. 24-4013)
Frank Zappa - "Hot Rats" (Bizarre / Warner Brothers / Reprise cat. RS6356)
Pierre Henry / Michael Colombier - "Mass For Today (an electronic ballet composed with Michael Colombier)" "The Green Queen and electronic ballet" (Limelight - The total Experience In Sound cat. LS-86065)
Back Door - "s/t" (Warner Brothers cat. K46231)

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

Primitive Sound System at Maxwells - Mixed Tape Sessions - Tuesday September 13th - 9PM - 2AM

Hello Y'all,
First up, an old friend is bringing his brand of song writing craft and distinct vocals to the back room of Maxwell's this Tuesday. Eric Bachmann will be performing solo even though the show is listed as a Crooked Fingers gig. The last time I saw Eric it was also a solo show and as always he could have played for 3 hours with out a complaint from the audience. Eric is always engaging and when his voice hits that soulful Neil Diamond sound at times it makes what he does seem slightly surreal. He started his career with the drunken punk band Archers of Loaf and slowly made his way to his current status as a Singer/Songwriter after briefly visiting a more wild and varied sound under the moniker Barry Black. With or without band Eric has proven to be one of the major and lasting talents of the 90's (horribly titled) Indie Rock scene.

Secondly, I want to spin the tracks I collected after the 1999 release of The Vital Organs that appeared on that comp. Only one of the tracks on the LP was something I was very familiar with. "Shimmy" had already become a regular spin for me and remains one of my favorites to this day. Myself and Grooovy Sounds Unltd. label guru "The Record Brother" were obsessed with this track and it was the only cut we brought to the table. Although we were humbled by Matt's choices it does lead off side two nicely... if I say so myself. I'm not even sure when I first met Matt "Mr. Fine Wine" but I know I was a fan from his very first show on FMU. Matt can school the schooled. He was one of the few folks that the statement, "What he has forgotten about Soul music is more than you hope to ever learn" is not only accurate but an understatement. Putting together the comp took and extraordinarily long time. Unlike most of the comps and reissues prior to the Vital Organs we wanted everyone to get their due. Bootlegging had become all too common and it wasn't something we wanted to be a part of. Matt was the best person for the job because not only did he have the best and rarest records in the world but he knew some of the artists personally. Little did I know prior to my research that I too would get to know some of these men very well and I am certainly the richer for it (and you know I am not talking about money).

WFMU Playlists and Archives for "Mr. Fine Wine"
http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/SV

The Vital Organs on Dusty Groove:
The LP: http://www.dustygroove.com/varfunklp2.htm#27934
The CD: http://www.dustygroove.com/varfunkcd2.htm#27933

The Record Brother:
http://recordbrother.typepad.com
Vital Organs write up from The Brother:
http://recordbrother.typepad.com/imagesilike/2005/02/vital_organs_.html

Primitive Sound System Mixed Tape Sessions and the continuing food stylings of el Diablo Every Tuesday! (9PM - 2AM)

Maxwell's
1039 Washington Street
Hoboken New Jersey
(201) 653-1703

Groovy Sounds Unlimited & Mr. Fine Wine Present: Vital Organs (Grooovy Sounds Unltd. cat. GROOVE 0004-1)

SIDE ONE
The TMG's - "The Hatch"
Beyond rare. Beyond good. I tracked down the man who held the rights to this song after talking to about 20 people. Kenneth Higney of Chess and "Attic Demonstration" fame was my last call before reaching Mr. Leonard Mietus. Mr Mietus was one of the most helpful people I dealt with and he wanted nothing in return. His advice was what made putting the comp together easier than it would have ever been. Mr. Meitus holds the rights to 1000's of songs for one reason or another and we promised him we would be back when we put together further comps. I hope Mr. Mietus didn't think I was lying. Grooovy Sounds broke down and then broke up before any of our bigger visions were realized. He was excited to see that we loved the music from this time period and we planned on paying everyone involved.

Louis Chachere - "The Hen"
After the comp came out Matt gave me this as a gift as a thank you for asking him if he would share his knowledge and collection with the world. Thank you. Thank You. Thank You. If anyone asks me what my favorite genre is within the genre of Funk and this 45 is within arms reach this is what I play them. I knew almost all the cuts that made it to the comp from Matt's radio show. This song always stuck out and I had a version on Pure Vol. 3. (I have to do a !Pure night)

Recorded in a cave this has a raw as hell sound that us Troglodytes love. The drum sound is something I hope to achieve one day because I have rarely heard anything like it. Tight snare drum, kicking bass pedal and fast bubbly rolls drive this Hen outta the house. The organ is screaming and perpetuates the myth that the organ is a physical being or monster. All this and screaming horns too. This is what they mean by diggin' in. GET IT, GET IT!

Buddy McKnight - "Everytime Pt. 2"
Anthony Renfro was a sad character to deal with but oddly and pleasantly he was always positive and sometimes downright happy. He knew he had the goods and should be using them to make some cash but hard times and divorce were eating up his time and money. He mailed me several tapes of other available music but unfortunately nothing came close to the party action of "Everytime Pt. 2." He told me of a track that he played on and recorded that featured a young James Marshall Hendrix and that he would send me one. He said that the last one he sold paid for his rent and kept him from being evicted. I pleaded with him to NOT send me one but to send me a tape as he needed it more than I. We sent Anthony a check for the full amount of the royalties before we even pressed the LPs/CD's. I never heard that track and was unable to track him down to say thank you one more time.

Smooth but with a real party feel "Everytime" is sure to put a smile on your face. The playing is tight and the song has a composed feel to it. About midway through the band opens up a bit and the organ really cooks. This is one of those tracks where the very expressive organ is really the vocals of the track.

Ross Carnegie - "Cool Dad"
The man smiling back at you from the cover of the Vital Organs is the one and only Ross Carnegie. I met Mr. Carnegie through one of my favorite musicians, Harold Ousley. Originally we were going to put Carnegie's version of the Ousley penned groover "The Kid." Harold was very easy to get in touch with as he was still recording, performing and was the host of his own cable access Jazz show. Harold came to Finyl Vinyl where I worked at the time and Grooovy Sounds was based and we talked for hours. It was like we knew each other our whole lives. He came in on a regular basis just to shoot the shit and we spoke on the phone often. While recording the 45's that made the final cut suddenly Matt realized he had forgotten to play me the other side of "The Kid." He flipped it over and I flipped out. "Cool Dad" was INSANE. Jazzy-Organ-Funk-Soul-Jazz or whatever the fuck you want to call it this track was IT! Harold was sad to find out that "The Kid" was cut and "Cool Dad" was in. He got me in touch with Ross and one afternoon they made their way down to Finyl Vinyl. Ross was the very definition of 70's style. Where Harold had kept himself very current and forward thinking (many of our talks were about meditation, organic and health foods and the state of music and the world in general) Ross on the other hand was a bit of a throw back. Ross was teaching piano and had his own Church in the ground floor of his home where he stored the organ that you see on the cover of the LP. I went to visit Ross at the Church and in his home. It was so perfect. His office was covered in photos, sheet music, awards and show posters. His daughter ran his daily operations and kept him on his very busy schedule. Ross still performs weekly at the Nordstrom in the White Plains mall (http://rosscarnegie.com/calendar.htm) I hung with Ross on a regular basis and even built him a website (not the one currently active). Saddly (and for reasons unknown to me) Ross stopped talking to me.

"Cool Dad" is all around heavy and truly a bad ass. Ross' band was certainly made up of top notch players (with Harold Ousley on sax you can't go wrong). The track features the organ but the guitar lays down a real cool solo and suddenly off we go again into the theme and beyond. Rolling congas, steady bass and drums round out the sound that is equal parts Funk, Jazz, Soul, R&B and Gospel. Ross's daughter used to tell the other children in the neighborhood that she had the coolest Dad because he didn't have the typical job their parents had. He felt he had to record a song expressing her feelings.

The Martini's - "Bullseye"
I don't have a copy of this and that is not for a lack of looking. I do have a copy of "Hung Over" which includes the sound of someone puking. This was a fun one to track down and ironically due to a split up of publishing companies and lawyers who actually didn't know what to do no one seemed to want to take our money. It's not like these guys are unknown. They are basically the Hi Rhythm Section. Again, I spoke with many many people and no one seemed to know what to do. Oh well.

SIDE TWO
Toussaint McCall - "Shimmy"
eMusic owned the rights to "Shimmy." We had never heard of eMusic but had recently read that they were buying up the rights to catalog after catalog of southern Soul, R&B, Gospel and Rock. Now, of course like 1000's, I have an eMusic monthly MP3 account. I can't think of his name right now but the guy we were dealing with at eMusic was working from his home at the time. I'd say they have grown significantly since then.

"Shimmy" is perfection.

Jimmy Willis - "Soul Power"
I scored a copy of this 2 years ago at the WFMU Record Fair. As for licensing I spoke with no one. Our only lead returned no call backs. I did speak with someone who said they knew Mr. Willis. He gave me the name of a woman he believed was her daughter. She hung up on me.

Sometimes a song can be just about the groove and this song illustrates that perfectly. It's announced at its beginning just so you don't get it wrong, "For your information, this is Soul Power!" Hand claps with shouts, congas and organ are basically all you get here but there is a phantom piano buried in there that keeps it all on track. One of the more interesting and simple tracks in the Soul/Funk genre.

The Organics - "Foot Stumping"
The first time Matt played this for me all I could think was God I hope this one is in my price range... NOPE! "Foot Stumping" is a Bluesy Funk romp that has a very live sound to it. The organ comes in on a long held note and vamps for a while before bowing out to the guitar solo. I have to find my notes but I believe it was Mr. Griswold who told me he was extremely happy to get some money because all he got was a few bucks and a coupon for a chicken from the studio.

King Cain/Silvertone Band - "Don't Give a Damn"
It was near impossible to find info about these guys. This was the one track we never got even one lead on. After we released the comp "Don't Give A Damn" appeared on several other comps.

Filmore Street Soul Rebellions - "Put Your Weight On It Pt. 1"
OK. Let's just say that I completely understand what makes DOLOMITE! so damn appealing. I never had to talk to the man, the myth, the legend known as Rudy Ray Moore but he is responsible for bringing the Filmore Street Soul Rebellions to the attention of the world via his comedy LPs and movie Soundtracks. From what Billy Miller (Norton Records) says I may be lucky because we just might not gotten the comp done. Rudy has tons of music and memorabilia and wants anyone interested to see it all and hear everything he had a hand or tongue in on. Could have sidelined this project for a Rudy Ray Moore release. So I tracked down the two men who's names appear on all the music, Mr. Benjamin Taylor and Mr. Arthur Wright. My initial contact was with Ben Taylor. He asked me if I would call back and talk to both himself and Mr. Wright as Mr. Wright was a better judge of character and to tell you the truth trusted no one. Apparently I passed the test. One thing is for sure these guys loved to talk and being blessed with the gift of gab myself talk we did. Like Mr. Renfro, Ben and Art sent tapes of music but unlike Mr. Renfro's sweet soul tracks their music was just not something I was interested in. It was very processed and sounded like it could be called Disco but it was probably recorded in the 90's sometime. I asked them if they had any tracks from the 60's and 70's but they wouldn't send it to me as Art's paranoia took over. I told them they could send me snippets of the tracks but they were unable to get a studio to make copies. Again I promised them if we do more comps I would fly to Cali and listen to the cuts with them. Grooovy broke down, blah, blah blah and I unfortunately I lost contact with two of the comps more interesting characters.

I have two copies of this. One on Cherry Red Records and one on the Kent Comedian Series LP Rudy Ray Moore Presents The Mr. Jerry Walker Album "The Fairy Godmother." The 45 is a bit more studio than the LP which seems to have a more live feel and includes an introduction by Rudy Ray Moore and some of the best hand claps on any recording. Maybe the live effect was produced in the studio to make you believe The Filmore Street Soul Rebellions were at the club with Mr. Walker. Either way this is a mid-tempo funk stew of organ, shouts, heavy bass, guitar, piano and skittering drums that move between heavy and accents fluidly. To this day I don't think there is a better track that could have closed out the album.

Well that closes part one of my Vital Organ remembrances. When I dig up my notes I'll write up a part two. The below list is just some of the events, people and things that I need to remember more details about. Without a doubt Joe Robinson was by far the best phone call I have ever been a part of.
NOTES:
Joe Robinson
The Hurricane
Moses
Europadisc Direct Metal Mastering (CD's vs LP's)
The Green van
Taxi cab door

I recently picked up a lot of new records and will include them in my next email but I had to include this one item here. If you have never heard this you are in for a treat.

BONUS TRACK:
The BBC (a.k.a. Bill Black's Combo) - "Upside Down" (The word "DOWN" is actually upside down on the label.) (MEGA cat. 615-0091)
The guitar that rips the intro to this funky instrumental is something any current Punk band would be happy to nail down. Almost Jon Spencer Blues Explosion with horns. Slamming drums, organ and bass push this bad ass along and it never once loses the groove. AMAZING!

Wednesday, September 07, 2005

Primitive Sound System at Maxwells - Mixed Tape Sessions - Tuesday September 6th - 9PM - 2AM

Hello Y'all,
In the past month or so I have been fortunate enough to stumble upon some great 45's at unbelievably reasonable prices. Some of these slabs of hot sticky wax cost less than a dollar. There is no better feeling than the one you get from finding records not only that you want but at prices worth picking them up at. Some of these cost a lot more than a dollar but those are things I have been looking for, for a very long time. For example The Pharaohs are a band that I was introduced to while working at Finyl Vinyl in NYC. I was lucky enough to be able to sell/share this band with nearly 100 customers via two Ubiquity Records re-issues (which is an incredible number of copies for a small store). The one song off their album proper that I played out the most was "Black Enuff" and I finally got a copy of the 7" and it didn't cost me an arm and a leg. What a great feeling. This along with a handful of others on the list below will see a lot of time on my turntable both at home and where ever anyone will let me spin.

In 1999 I was part of what I thought would be a very long running label based out of NYC. Grooovy Sounds Unltd. only got to put out 3 releases and distributed the fabulous Music Today catalog but I still think it could have been successful for a very long time despite its short run. One of those 3 releases was "Mr. Fine Wine and Grooovy Sounds Unltd. presents Vital Organs Volume I." If you have never heard this comp and claim to be a fan of Organ based Instrumentals Funk, Soul, R&B, Jazz etc... you are sorely missing out. I had the pleasure of organizing the entire comp. I worked directly with Mr. Fine Wine and all the artists we were able to track down and in some cases with publishers, lawyers and record label/industry folk from the 50's, 60's and 70's. When the comp came out it was not exactly common practice to license all the tracks and pay any and all the people who deserved a cut but that is exactly what we did. What this is all leading up to has nothing to do with this weeks set of music. Last week I was notified that Dusty Groove in Chicago has been able to get a hold of many many copies (both CD and vinyl) and are selling them at a reduced price.
The LP: http://www.dustygroove.com/varfunklp2.htm#27934
The CD: http://www.dustygroove.com/varfunkcd2.htm#27933
Scoop them up and give them as gifts. Not only will your friends love you for it but your friends friends will too.

Maybe next week I'll spin the 45's I have collected that were featured on the LP. In the meantime this week will feature some of the cuts below leaning heavily to the soul side. We missed my friend Betty's Birthday a few weeks back and she deserves some down home soulful goodness along with some mid and late 70's dance floor grooves.

Primitive Sound System Mixed Tape Sessions and the continuing food stylings of el Diablo Every Tuesday! (9PM - 2AM)

Maxwell's
1039 Washington Street
Hoboken New Jersey
(201) 653-1703

45's:
Ertha Kitt with The Henri Rene' and his Orchestra - "Santa Baby" b/w "Under The Bridges Of Paris" (RCA Victor cat. 47-5502 pic sleeve) Could be the best picture sleeve ever. Totally hot Ertha Kitt in fishnets up in Santa's arms.

Dave Mitchell & The Screamers - "The Trip" b/w "Hang In There" (MET Records cat. 2768-2)
Greg Tormo plays this one at every DC's Record Swap and I HAD TO HAVE one. He emailed me that there was one on eBay and now it is mine. He says it is most likely a 70's Boot but I don't care. The sound is great and I get to play it whenever I want to now.

The Pharaohs - "Is That Black Enough For You?" b/w "Tracks Of My Tears" (Capitol cat. P-3072 promo copy)
First heard of the Pharaohs through the Luv-N-Haight comps. I knew Earth Wind & Fire had a connection to The Salty Peppers but I never heard The Pharaohs. Then Luv-N-Haight reissued the first LP and a previously unreleased live session. Let's just say I was hooked. Their version of "People Make The World Go Round" was nothing short of mind blowing.

The Parliaments - "Good Old Music" b/w "Time" (Revilot cat. RV-223)
I have had a weird love/hate relationship with the monster known as Parlafunkadelic over the years. Maggot Brain is easily one of my favorite records of all-time but as time went on they lost it for me. So, I stick to the early years. This cut is from the Invictus years and it is one of the funkiest records The Parliaments released. This is raw, hard and in your face.

The Fabulous Capris - "Stagger Walk" b/w "In The Alley" (Sticky cat. ST001 re-issue)

Bill Deal & The Rhondels - "Swingin' Tight" b/w "Tuck's Theme" (Heritage cat. HE 818 pic sleeve)
Didn't know this one but something about it seemed worth a listen. The "A" side is pretty mediocre. BUT... the "B" side is a heavy Rock/Funky instrumental. Big organ and big clean production, and as a bonus there is a big ass break beat towards the end.

Coasters - "Love Potion Number Nine" b/w "D.W. Washburn" (King cat. 45 - 6385)
The Coasters album on King is a bit like the Blues LP's cut for Cadet Concept. The tracks on "On Broadway" are heavier and funkier than anything they previously released and from what I can tell over the years was not a favorite amongst Coasters fans/collectors. I never got a copy of the LP but I do have a few of the 45's. ("Cool Jerk" b/w "Talkin' 'Bout A Woman" and "Soul Pad" b/w "Down Home Girl" are the others.)

Billy Guy and The Coasters - "You Move Me" b/w "Take It Easy Greazy" (Sal / Wa cat. 1001-A)
My Dad was a huge Coasters fan and I remember this song from and 8 Track I guess.

Sam & Dave - "Soul Sister, Brown Sugar" b/w "Come On In" (Atlantic cat. 45-2590)
Kickin soul burst. Sam & Dave were so good James Brown recorded similar minded duets with Bobby Byrd just to try and knock them off the top.

War - "Why Can't We Be Friends?" b/w "In Mazatlan" (United Artists Records cat. UA-XW629-X pic sleeve)
Is there a better Summer time band than War? One of the very first tapes I owned was War's Greatest Hits. I walked around with a cassette player that looked like the ones they issued in Elementary School to follow along with film strips. My first Boom Box. The other two tapes in constant rotation were "Best of The Stylistics" and "KISS Alive!" I was 8.

Fatback - "King Tim III (Personality Jock) b/w "You're Are My Candy Sweet" (Spring Records cat. SP 199)
Some consider this the first Rap record. Debates about these subjects are so subjective. Certainly a great 45 regardless of its historical stature.

Gary Byrd - "Every Brother Ain't A Brother" b/w "Are You Really Ready For Black Power" (Real Thing cat. RT 100)
Gary Byrd was a DJ who did some pretty great recordings. Most of them spoken word over slow grooves and beats. Hmm, very Hip Hop...

Freddie Roach - "My People (Soul People)" b/w "Johnny's Comin' Home No More" (Prestige cat. 45-454)
Spoken word over slow organ groove. The history broadens.

Barry White - "For Your Love" (? (Electrosound Group Midwest Inc.) TWX 810-260-2618 ES GRP SHEL Test Pressing)
Big modern sounding recording from Barry White.

King Ernest Baker - "Somebody Somewhere (Is Playing With Yours)" Vocal b/w Instrumental (Funk Records cat. 1007/8M)
Apparently King Ernest Baker recently passed away. He was still recording for the enigmatic Blues label Fat Possum. The Vocal side isn't all that but the Instrumental is incredible. Slamming drums and organ.

Bobby Moore's Rhythm Aces featuring Chico - "Try My Love Again" b/w "Go Ahead And Burn" (Checker cat. 1156)
"Go Ahead And Burn" is a screaming instrumental.

Ben Sidran - "Slippery Hip" b/w "Chances Are" (Blue Thumb cat. BTA 223)

The Sharpees - "Do The 45" b/w "Make Up Your Mind" (One-derful! cat. 4835)
For some reason I always thought I had a copy of this record. Now I do.

Pointer Sisters - "Yes We Can" b/w "Jada" (Blue Thumb Records, Inc. cat. BTA 229)
Big beat intro to one of my favorite versions of this great song.

Albert Collins - "Do The Cissy" b/w "Turnin' On" (Imperial cat. 66391)

Tom Jones - "Looking Out My Window" (Arranged by Keith Mansfield) b/w "A Minute Of Your Time" (Arranged by Mike Vickers (parrot cat. 45-PAR-40035)
I had this song on a horrible compilation so it's great to get it on 45. Tom Jones is always soulful even when he is at his cheesiest. Here he is down right funky and why not with the legendary Keith Mansfield at the helm.

Orchestra Harlow - "Voy Para La Luna" b/w "Larry's Complaint (Me & My Monkey)" (Fania cat. 495)
Beatles covers are for the most part better than the Beatles originals. The "White Album" is one of the few Beatles LP's that I really really like so covers from this LP make them even better. Here Larry Harlow tackles the full throttle pop blast of "Everyone's Got Something To Hide (Except For Me and My Monkey)" and succeeds quite nicely. I have passed on the LP that this comes from for years because the LP is a little uneven at best. (See Ramsey Lewis' "Mother Nature's Son" LP for another incredibly funky version.)

Joe Bataan - "Uptown" b/w "Obatala" (Fania cat. 483)
Most people pick this up for the "Uptown" side but hopefully they flip this bad boy over for one of my favorite Salsa jams ever.

The Ides Of March - "Vehicle" b/w "Lead Me Home Gently" (Warner Bros. - Seven Arts Records cat. 7378)

Rod Stewart - "Oh! No Not My Baby" b/w Rod & Faces (and a bottle of Compari) - "Jodie" (Mercury cat. 73426)

Golden Earring - "Radar Love" b/w "Just Like Vince Taylor" (Track Records cat. MCA-40202)

Elvis Presley - A Touch Of Gold - Volume 3 "All Shook Up" Don't Ask Me Why" b/w "Too Much" Blue Moon of Kentucky" RCA Victor (Gold Standard Series))

Rob Base & D.J. E-Z Rock - "It Takes Two" Vocal / Instrumental (Profile cat. PRO-5186)

Candi Staton - "He Called Me Baby" b/w "What Would Become Of Me" (fame cat. 1476)

Archie Bell & The Drells - "Here I Go Again" Mono / Stereo (Atlantic cat. 45-2693)

Eric Burdon And War - "Home Cookin'" b/w "They Can't Take Away Our Music" featuring Sharon Scott and The Beautiful New Born Children of Southern California (MGM Records cat. K14196)

Jimmy Ruffin - "What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted" Mono / Stereo (Motown cat. M 1329F wht. label promo)

Jimmy "Bo" Horne - "Dance Across The Floor" (Sunshine Sound cat. 1003 wht. label promo)
A friend of mine played me this about 6-7 years ago. I knew the song but never really paid much attention to it. Aggressive congas and a really strong pre-disco feel.

Joe Simon - "Moon Walk Part I & II" (Sound Stage 7 cat. SS7-2651)

All from "Little Richard's Grooviest 17 Original Hits":
Little Richard - "Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey" b/w "Good Golly Miss Molly" (Specialty cat. 624)
"Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey" is a top 10 favorite party tune if there ever was but then again how many really bad tunes did the self proclaimed King (and deservedly so) actually record.

Little Richard - "Long Tall Sally" b/w "Slippin' And Slidin'" (Specialty cat. 572)

Little Richard - "Send Me Some Lovin'" b/w "Lucille" (Specialty cat. 598)

Lipps, Inc. - "Funytown" b/w "All Night Dancing" (Casablanca Record and Filworks, Inc.cat. NB 2233)

Rufus Thomas - "The Breakdown" (Part I & II) (stax cat. STA-0098)
Lost or accidently sold my copy. This VG at best copy will have to do right now. I am on the look out for a clean one. HELP!

Sister Janet Mead - "The Lord's Prayer" b/w "Take My Hand" (A&M / forget me nots cat. 8574-S)
I saw this record once many years ago and was told to give it a listen. I didn't. This time I didn't let the opportunity pass and holy cow... excuse my French Sista. The intro to this is a monster. Too bad the rest of the song doesn't match. I can't wait to get the damn M-Audio working (I'm almost there) so I can loop this bad boy and play it endlessly.

The Premiers - "Farmer John" b/w " The Blendells - La La La La La" (ERA Records "Back to Back Hits" cat. 024 (BH2))
All too familiar with this classic Garage Rock floor filler but this re-issue has amazing sound so I couldn't pass it up. I have the LP and I have heard the original 7" countless times but I must say nothing comes close to this very loud weirdly cleaner produced 45. Of course The Blendells' "LaLaLaLaLa" is certainly no slouch. I just may have to flip them one after another Papa Rib style (my Dad DJ'd parties with a single record player.)

Free - "Stealer" b/w "Broad Daylight" (A&M Records cat. 1230-S)
Free are one of those bands like The Small Faces/Faces most people just don't know enough about. Recently Bob Segar has been getting his due from those in the know and hopefully the attention will swing to other greats from the most bloated era of rock.

Bob Seger & The Last Heard - "East Side Story (vocal)" b/w "East Side Sound (instrumental)" (Cameo cat. C-438 D.J. Copy)

Ted Nugent - "Cat Scratch Fever" b/w "Wang Dang Sweet Poontang" (Epic cat. 8-50425)
Something both mind blowing and surprising that these two beauties came out on a single 45.

Elf - "Hoochie Coochie Lady" Mono b/w Stereo (Epic cat. 5-10933)
Threw this in my pile not expecting much. Boy was I wrong. Yet another heavy electric Blues Rocker in the vein of Ram Jam...

CBS "Note Book - For Students Only" - SIDE A Pierce Arrow - "Hot Summer Night" Lake - "Time Bomb" b/w Crawler "Stone Cold Sober" RAM JAM - "BLACK BETTY"

Warrant - "Cherry Pie" (Columbia cat. 38-73510)
HAHAHAHA! WEEEEEEEEEE!

Deee-Lite - "Power Of Love" b/w "Deee-Lite" "Theme power of Love (LP edit)" (Elektra cat. 7-64912)

Apache - "Gangsta Bitch" clean version edit...I AM NOT HAPPY ABOUT THAT. Not what the description said.

Edwin Starr - "Agent Double-O-Soul" b/w "Back Street" REISSUE again...not what the description said.