Primitive Sound System - Mixed Tape Sessions - Maxwell's Tuesday September 5th

Hello Y'all,
Ah, back at Maxwell's for another night of Mixed Tape Madness. There are a few young Pop bands settin' up and breakin' down in the back room tonight so hopefully there will be some new faces in the front room enjoying the hits blasting from the speakers. It's also a new school year kids so sit back relax and maybe we can teach each other a little something about music. Please open your books to 80's Hardcore, 60's Garage and Pop, 70's Punk and Pop, Latin Jazz, Soul and Boo-Ga-Loo, Funk, R&B, and instrumentals of every shape and size. In a few minutes we'll be changing subjects so don't worry if you don't like what you hear because something completely different is probably coming up.

- pat.

Remmber - Labor Day signifies the return of the horrible Yuppie-Frat types back to the streets of Hoboken so of course the level of difficulty is raised on the hellish game known as parking in the mile square.

Primitive Sound System Mixed Tape Sessions from 9PM - 2AM
Maxwell's
1039 Washington Street
Hoboken New Jersey
(201) 653-1703

The Mixed Tape Sessions:
No stone unturned and no vinyl format left unspun or unsung. Crawling, spinning and stumbling through the decades finding the connections between 50's - Now Instrumentals of all shapes and sizes, Funk 45's, Raw Soul and R&B, Soul, Gospel, Blues, Country, Latin, Brazilian, African, Dub, Rock Steady, Ska, Reggae, Indian, Jazz (of all types), Lounge / Moog, Hawaiian (slack key and Pop), Vocalists, Singer Songwriters, 50's - 70's Pop, Garage Rock, Psych, Surf and Drag, Soundtracks (OST), Comedy, 70's Rock, Prog, Punk, Hardcore, Hip Hop, Indie Rock, Noise and some Metal old and new. I'm mostly drawn to the instrumental side of life favoring the "B" side to the "A." Heavy as hell beats and exquisitely subtle moments side by side to entertain, educate and elate.

Just a few new records (and some upgrades) I picked up in the fast few months that will be making their way to the tables:

The Soul Investigators - "Make It Mellow" Part 1 & 2 (At The Soul Sides Club cat. Soul Sides - 00I)
Hmm, pretty easy to guess what to expect from the title but like the JB's they funk it up with some heavy breaks and horn solos. Nice version of the Archie Bell and the Drells classic.

Nicole Willis and the Soul Investigators - "Feeling Free" b/w "Feeling Free (Instrumental)" (Timmion Records cat. Timmion-013 (Special Disc Jockey Copy - Not For Sale))
The vocal version of "Feeling Free" is from the fabulous Nicole Willis and the Soul Investigators LP. The instrumental is incredibly professional sounding with a sweeping string arrangement and a bit of an Action Movie feel. Piano and guitar lead the said action and everything is grounded by a steady percussion section including some aggressive bongos. I think I have a new theme song.

Chick Willis - "Stoop Down Baby" b/w "It Ain't Right" (La Val Records cat. LV 871)
One of my favorite compilations is "If It Ain't A Hit I'll Eat My Baby" which contained some of the greatest dirty R&B hits. One such hit is Chick Willis' "Stoop Down Baby." The original Chick Willis LP version of this is END L E S S... so it's nice to have this four minute edit. Willis and band vamp along in an uptempo, Bluesy R&B groove while he tosses off line after nasty line laced with obvious sexual innuendo.

Sam & Dave - "Soul Man" (Stax cat. 45-231 (wht lbl promo))
I never owned a 45 of this classic and I am glad to hear it is mixed really loud! I never tire of this gem with its hard hitting drums, bright horn lines, expressive guitar riffs and of course Sam & Dave's perfectly matched vocals. Here's a weird memory and bizarre association this song conjures. The song reminds me of The Blues Brothers movie, which reminds me of the scene where they are driving around in the truck with the giant speaker strapped to the roof which then reminds me of my years in Art School in Newark New Jersey when Sharpe James ran for his first term utilizing what seemed to be that exact same truck and the repeated message of, "VOTE... fo' Shop James... Fo' Mayor!" blaring over and over and could be heard for blocks.

Clarence Reid - "Nobody But You Babe" b/w "Send Me Back My Money" (Alston cat. 45-4574)

Eddie Palmieri - "Condiciones Que Existen" b/w "Cobarde" (Coco Records cat. CFF5096)
Holy CRAP! This is one of my favorite Eddie Palmieri tracks and I had no idea it was released as a 45. Despite this copy being a little rough, and it even has a crack, I couldn't pass it up. This comes from one of Palmieri's Funkier efforts and this song is by far one of the stand outs. As always horns and percussion drive this mid tempo song. Almost whispered vocals haunt the track before the amazing Ronnie Cuber takes an insanely good, throaty baritone sax solo. Almost possessed, the guitar pushes him aside just as he finishes and then gives way to a nice horn line as the song fades.

The Harvey Averne Dozen - "The Micro Mini" b/w "My Dream" (Atlantic cat. 45-2505)
Harvey Averne's output is spotty with moments of pure genius. Sometimes his music is so slick and loungey it makes me sick. Here he hits a nice combo of Boo-Ga-Loo and Lounge that works really well together and swings quite nicely. Plus you can't go wrong with his choice of subjects.

The Five Finks - "Crying Guitar" b/w "Boss" (Bertram International Records cat. 45-226)
Mmm... I can't get enough of 50's / 60's instrumentals. Even though the guitar is the feature here there is some nice spooky organ playing in the background which adds to the atmosphere. The guitar has a sharp twangy snap and the bass bounces along keeping things moving.

Big Sonny and his Furys - "U - 2" b/w "Fail Safe" (Best cat. BR-112)
This guitar fronted instrumental rips more than a few lines from "My Babe." That is certainly not a criticism since that is easily one of my favorite songs penned by the legendary Willie Dixon. The guitar is way out front but the drums are vying for a close second keeping the tempo quick but never over the top. There are some great splashes of cymbals that cut throughout and one big roll takes the spotlight for a brief moment.

"Pucho" - "What A Piece" b/w "Aye Ma Ma" (Prestige cat. 45-436)
Nothing beats a Pucho 45. There is a very Blue Note, Lee Morgan, Hank Mobley feel prevalent on this cut but as is the case with most of the Prestige Soul Jazz 45's the drums hit harder than most Blue Note records. The horns are bright and loud and the piano is in a Boo-Ga-Loo mode. Short sweet and one that will rarely leave my 45 box.

Sonny & Cher - "IGot You Babe" b/w "It's Gonna Rain" (Atco Records cat. 45-6359)

Sonny & Cher - "The Beat Goes On" b/w "Love Don't Come" (Atco Records cat. 45-6461)

Hi-Fly - "Hi-Fidelity" b/w "Samboogaloo" (Tramp Records cat. TR-1005)

The Illusions - "It's Just An Illusion" b/w Don't Chain Your Soul" (Tramp Records cat. TR-110)
"Don't Chain Your Soul" leads off with a nice breaking drum and drags the organ and bass through a very Soulful, Funky lesson about some of the important points one needs to keep in mind to stay together.

Jimmy "Bo" Horne - "Hey There Jim" b/w "Sweet Love Power" (Tramp Records cat. TR-111)
Two incredibly funky sides from Jimmy "Bo" Horne. "Hey There Jim" bangs hard with conga and drums punching the beat as tight as a duck's ass. The Horns are just as hard but can hardly keep up with Mr. Horne. "Sweet Love Power" is a bit more slow and even Poppy but no less aggressive.

Afro Dizzi Act - "Welcome Speech" b/w "Let Yourself Go" (Butter Beats cat. 183016)
Complete with a head bobbing groove this funky instrumental has a nice slow drum break as its intro. Organ and guitar walk along with the drums for a bit before the sax takes an abbreviated solo and a shout of "Let Yourself Go!" The beat doesn't change much but rather drops to let others take the spotlight including the guitar and another fine sax burst. These guys have a sharp professional sound but remember to keep it raw.

Cookin' On 3 Burners - "Keb's Bucket" b/w "Redback" (Freestyle cat. FSR7022)
One time label mates with the INCREDIBLE Bamboos, Cookin' On 3 Burners certainly are proving they are not just the other band on Bamboo Shack Records. "Keb's Bucket" has enough modern Funk sound mixed with the soul of New Orleans to make this outing unique, hard hitting and damn Funky. Organ, Drums and Guitar... what else do you really need? POWER TRIO!

Bronx River Pkwy - "La Valla" b/w "Nora Se Va" (Truth & Soul cat. TS-010)
Breaks, breaks and more breaks. Vocals and bass are highlighted over the top of the very long drum intro before the size of this band is made evident. Big full horns, harmonized vocals and pounding percussion make this sound well over 30 years old. "La Valla" fits nicely into a set of Toro, Azuquita, Seguida, Cafe, Flash and The Dynamics, etc. This is choice quality stuff.

Eddy Jacobs Exchange - "Pull My Coat" b/w "Love (Your Pain Goes Deep)" (Jazzman cat. JM.051)

Reginald-Milton and the Soul Jets - "Clap Your Hands" b/w "Jickle Jeek Beat" (Funk 45 cat. FUNK45.030)

Soul Excitement - "Smile" b/w "Stay Together" (Kay-Dee Records cat. KD-010)

Solomon Burke - "Get Out My Life Woman" (Atlantic cat. 45-2566)

The Pacers - "Skeeter Dope" b/w "Con-Found-It" (Alley Records cat. 1013)
Fuzzed out guitar and soulful organ bring home the bacon on this instrumental stroll. Medium tempo and a late night feel are heightened by a thick baritone sax solo. This is the perfect instrumental for me. Whatever "Skeeter Dope" is, I want some.