THE COUNTS-WHAT’S UP FRONT THAT COUNTS.

dereksmusicblog ♦ July 31, 2023 ♦ Leave a comment

The Counts-What’s Up Front That Counts.

Label: Ace Records.

Format: LP.

Soul and funk group The Fabulous Counts were formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1968 by organist Mose Davis, guitarist Leroy Emmanuel and vocalist and saxophonist Demo Cates. Initially, the trio jammed with musicians in their local neighbourhood. This included conga player Keith Mangrum and tenor saxophonist Jim White. Soon, drummer Andrew Gibson joined the band. However, it wasn’t long before people were taking notice of the nascent group.

Later in 1968, they had established a reputation as the go-to-group for solo artists visiting Detroit. The Fabulous Counts’ performances received plaudits and praise. It was no surprise when they entered the studio to record their debut single with producer Richard “Popcorn” Wylie.

This was the instrumental Jan, Jan, which was released later in 1968, on Moira Records. However, the single narrowly missed out on the US R&B charts. This was disappointing for a group whose career up until then, was on an upward trajectory.

The followup single Dirty Red was released on Moira Records in 1969, but sank without trace. However, The Fabulous Counts’ luck was about to change.

It was third time lucky for The Fabulous Counts when their third single Get Down People charted. It reached thirty-two on the US R&B charts and eighty-eight on the US Billboard 100. The commercial success of the single new version of the group’s debut. 

The new version of Jan, Jan was produced by Ollie McLaughlin and released on Cotillion Records in 1969. However, the single failed to chart and the group released just one more single.

This was Get Down People, which was released on Moira Records in 1970. The single failed to trouble the charts, and later that year the group left the label.

For many groups this could’ve marked the end of the road. Not The Fabulous Counts. They decided to change their name and signed to one of Detroit’s biggest independent labels.

Now called The Counts, the Detroit-based group signed to Armen Boladian’s Westbound Records. Soon, the group began work on their debut album, What’s Up Front That Counts.

Mose Davis contributed Rhythm Changes, Thinking Single, Pack Of Lies and Bills. He also cowrote What’s Up Front That Counts with Demo Cates, Andrew Gibson, Raoul  Mangrum and Leroy Emmanuel who penned Why Not Start All Over Again. These six tracks were recorded in Detroit in 1971, and produced by The Counts. When the album was completed, it was scheduled for release later that year.

However, when What’s Up Front That Counts was released in 1971, the album reached just 193 in the US Billboard 200 and thirty-five in the US R&B charts. Given the quality of music on the album was a huge disappointment for The Counts. With a new name and new label the group saw this as a new start. 

Nowadays, What’s Up Front That Counts is one of the rarest funk albums released during the early seventies. Copies of this rarity are prized by aficionados of funk, crate diggers, DJs and sample-hungry producers. No wonder.

The Counts debut album What’s Up Front That Counts is über funky. They combined disparate genres, including everything from funk and funk-rock to jazz, Latin,  rock, soul and even soul- jazz and Latin. It’s a heady mix.

Side One.

That’s the case from the get-go. On the title-track, The Counts kick loose and combine funk with Latin, funk-rock, and even soul-jazz . The result is hip-swaying, groove laden and gloriously funky eight-minute hidden gem that sets the bar high for the rest of the album.

Soul and funk is combined on Rhythm Changes, which features a powerhouse of a soulful vocal. Meanwhile, The Counts rhythm and horn sections showcase their considerable skills. The fabulously funky rhythm section are augmented by stabs of horns that punctuate the arrangement. They add the finishing touch to this long-overlooked fusion of funk and soul.

Thinking Single closes side one. It was released as a single in 1971, but wasn’t a commercial success. Against an arrangement where The Counts combine funk and Latin influences, vocalist Demo Cates unleashes a vocal that’s a soul-baring vocal that’s a mixture of power and emotion.

Side Two.

Probably the most soulful track on the album is Why Not Start All Over Again. It features what’s without doubt the best performance from Demo Cates. It’s full of hurt, heartache but also hope, hope that he’ll get another chance. The rest of The Counts play their part in the sound and success of what’s a beautiful, heart-wrenching. soulful ballad.

As The Counts lock into a groove, Pack Of Lies reveals a street-funk sound. This is combined with a Latin influences on a track that wouldn’t sound out of place on an early seventies Blaxploitation soundtrack.

Closing side two and What’s Up Front That Counts is Bills. From the get-go there’s a sense of urgency on a track that’s just as relevant in 2023 as it was in 1971. Demo Cates is troubled, worried about paying his bills as The Counts combine funk and soul with elements of Latin and soul-jazz. It’s a glorious combination and a poignant and sad way to close the album. Sad, because it seems that some things haven’t changed in fifty-two years. Still, across the world, many people are still struggling financially and can’t pay their bills.

Sadly, nowadays, original copies of What’s Up Front That Counts are extremely hard to find. A bit like finding a Tory MP who thinks Rishi Sunak has any chance of winning the next election. There’s probably more chance of finding an original copy of this album in the bargain bin of your local record shop. That’s unlikely.

Original copies of What’s Up Front That Counts change hands for large sums of money. Very few copies were sold when the album was released in 1971, and even less still exist. This means that collectors, crate diggers, DJs and sample-hungry producers are willing to pay a pretty price for an original copy of this much-prized Detroit funk rarity. However, now anyone can afford a copy.

What’s Up Front That Counts has been reissued on vinyl by Westbound Records, an imprint of Ace Records. It’s a welcome release of  this long-lost, über-rare funk album. It finds The Counts combining disparate genres and showcasing their considerable talents on an album that deserves to be heard by a much wider audience. That time is now. Aficionados of funk or anyone who likes their music funky or soulful will enjoy and appreciate the long-lost hidden gem that’s What’s Up Front That Counts which is a heady, potent and intoxicating musical brew.

The Counts-What’s Up Front That Counts.