Category Archives: Funk

BARBARA MASON-LOVE’S THE THING.

BARBARA MASON-LOVE’S THE THING. By 1975, Barbara Mason’s career was at a crossroads. Her previous album Transition, which was released in 1974, had failed to chart. Neither did the three singles World War Three, The Devil Is Busy and Half Sister, Half Brother. This was a long way from Babara’s debut for Buddah Records, Give …

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HORSE MEAT DISCO VOLUME IV.

HORSE MEAT DISCO VOLUME IV. It’s been a long time coming, Horse Meat Disco Volume IV. Three years, but hey, who’s counting. At last, though, the wait is nearly over. Horse Meat Disco Volume IV will be released on Strut Records on 16th June. A lot has happened in the last three years. Since the …

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STRANGE BREAKS AND MR. THING III.

STRANGE BREAKS AND MR. THING III. One of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed compilation series makes a welcome return on 19th May 2014. That’s Strange Breaks and Mr. Thing III. It’s been a long time coming. Five years in fact. So, after a five year back, Mr. Thing makes a very welcome return …

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WAYNE COCHRAN-GOIN’ BACK TO MIAMI-THE SOUL SIDES 1965-1970.

WAYNE COCHRAN-GOIN’ BACK TO MIAMI-THE SOUL SIDES 1965-1970. Unmistakable. That describes the outlandish outfits Wayne Cochran wore on-stage. Then there was his glistening peroxide bouffant. Wayne certainly grabbed your attention. Especially his music. It ranged from the raunchiest R&B to country soul and even biker funk. Eclectic described Wayne Cochran’s music. That’s obvious when you …

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MARGIE JOSEPH-FEELING MY WAY.

MARGIE JOSEPH-FEELING MY WAY. When Margie Joseph released Feeling My Way in 1978, she was just twenty-eight. However, Feeling My Way was Margie’s seventh album since her debut Makes A New Impression. It was released on Volt Records, a subsidiary of Stax Records in 1970, a year after Margie signed to Volt. Margie Joseph had …

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LEON THOMAS-BLUES AND SOULFUL TRUTH.

LEON THOMAS-BLUES AND SOULFUL TRUTH. Some labels are a perfect fit for an artist. This was the case with Leon Thomas and Bob Thiele’s Flying Dutchman Productions. They proved to be the musical equivalent of ying and yang. By the late sixties, Leon Thomas had embraced free jazz fully. He turned his back on the …

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LONNIE LISTON SMITH AND THE COSMIC ECHOES-COSMIC FUNK.

LONNIE LISTON SMITH AND THE COSMIC ECHOES-COSMIC FUNK. Innovative, influential and way ahead of the musical curve, describes Lonnie Liston Smith. That is the perfect description of Lonnie Liston Smith and The Cosmic Echoes 1973 debut album Astral Travelling. The music on Astral Travelling was groundbreaking.  So much so, that it’s hard to believe Astral …

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SHAWN LEE PRESENTS GOLDEN AGE AGAINST THE MACHINE.

SHAWN LEE PRESENTS GOLDEN AGE AGAINST THE MACHINE. Shawn Lee’s new album, Shawn Lee Presents Golden Age Against The Machine, which was released on 5th May 2014, has been a labor of love. It’s Shawn paying homage to the golden age of hip hop, which influenced and inspired him. So much so, that Shawn decided …

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BLUE MAGIC-MESSAGE FROM THE MAGIC.

BLUE MAGIC-MESSAGE FROM THE MAGIC. By 1978, when Blue Magic released Message From The Magic, their career had stalled. Much had changed since they released Mystic Dragons in 1976. Two of Blue Magic’s original members had left. Vernon and Wendell Sawyers had left after Blue Magic’s fourth album, Mystic Dragons. It was the least successful …

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MUYEI POWER-SIERRA LEONE IN 1970s USA.

MUYEI POWER-SIERRA LEONE IN 1970s USA. In the early seventies, Muyei Power had established a reputation as one of Sierra Leone’s top dance bands. Along with Afro Nation, Sabaoh 75 and Super Combo, Muyei Power provided the soundtrack to daily life in Freetown, Sierra Leone’s capital. Their music was a fusion of the music that …

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THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA-HOW HIGH.

THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA-HOW HIGH. The Salsoul Orchestra were formed in 1974 by members of Philadelphia International Records’ legendary studio band M.F.S.B. They left Philadelphia International Records after a dispute with Gamble and Huff over finances. Gamble and Huff’s loss would prove to be Salsoul’s gain. It’s fair to say that between their formation in 1974 …

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GYPSY RHUMBA-THE ORIGINAL RHYTHM OF GYPSY RHUMBA IN SPAIN 1965-1974.

GYPSY RHUMBA-THE ORIGINAL RHYTHM OF GYPSY RHUMBA IN SPAIN 1965-1974. It was in 1963 that a new musical genre was born in Barcelona, Spain. This was the Catalan Rhumba. This was a fusion of flamenco, rock ’n’ roll and Caribbean music. Catalan Rhumba had been evolving over a period of years. However, it was in …

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THE IMPRESSIONS-ABOUT TIME.

THE IMPRESSIONS-ABOUT TIME. For any group, losing their lead singer can derail their fortunes. In some cases, this can prove fatal. It’s a body blow that the group never recovers from. Especially when the lead singer happens to have written many of the group’s biggest hits. This was the case with The Impressions. Since 1960, …

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OTIS SPANN-SWEET GIANT OF THE BLUES.

OTIS SPANN-SWEET GIANT OF THE BLUES. For many people, Otis Spann will always be remembered as Muddy Waters’ pianist. Granted Otis spent fifteen years as a member of Muddy Waters’ band. However, there’s much more to Otis Spann’s career that that. Much more. No wonder. Otis Spann was without doubt, one of the greatest postwar …

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THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA-UP THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD.

THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA-UP THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD. For Salsoul Records and The Salsoul Orchestra, Up The Yellow Brick Road would prove to be the end of an era.  Up The Yellow Brick Road proved to be last Salsoul Orchestra arranged, produced and featuring the sound of vibes virtuoso Vince Montana Jr. It also proved to …

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ROCK IT…DON’T STOP IT-COMPILED BY SEAN P

ROCK IT…DON’T STOP IT-COMPILED BY SEAN P. 1979 was year zero for hip hop. It was in 1979, that some of the earliest, and most influential, hip hop singles were released. This includes Paulette and Tanya Winley’s Rhymin’ and Rappin.’ It’s become one of the most influential of the early hip hop singles. The same …

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O.V. WRIGHT-WE’RE STILL TOGETHER.

O.V. WRIGHT-WE’RE STILL TOGETHER. I’ve always thought that O.V. Wright was one of the most underrated Southern Soul singers of his generation. That’s why I’ve always championed O.V. Wright’s music. In some ways, O.V. Wright was overshadowed by the commercial success and critical acclaim Al Green was enjoying. They were both n the same label, …

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BOMBAY DISCO-DISCO HITS FROM HINDI FILMS 1979-1985.

BOMBAY DISCO-DISCO HITS FROM HINDI FILMS 1979-1985. Disco. Never has a musical genre divided opinion like disco. For some people, disco was  the musical equivalent of a four letter word. In their eyes, disco sucked. That was the case back in 1979. Thirty-five years later, disco still divides opinion.  During the thirty-five year period, disco …

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MOVEMENTS 6.

MOVEMENTS 6. One of the longest running compilation series is Movements, compiled by Tobias Kirkmayer. The first instalment in the series, Movements was released back in 2005 on Perfect Toy Records. In an ever crowded compilation market, Movements was well received. A year later, in 2006, came Movements. Then nothing. Four long years passed without …

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MERRY CLAYTON-GIMME SHELTER.

MERRY CLAYTON-GIMME SHELTER. When the Rolling Stones released Gimme Shelter in 1969, many people were left wondering who duetted with Mick Jagger on the single? That was Merry Clayton. Her vocal powerhouse helped make the song a classic. However, Merry Clayton wasn’t meant to even sing on Gimme Shelter. No. She replaced Bonnie Bramlett, who …

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