Category Archives: Funk
THE A-Z OF THE BEST COMPILATIONS OF 2013-PART 5.
THE A-Z OF THE BEST COMPILATIONS OF 2013-PART 5. PIED PIPER PRESENTS A NEW CONCEPT IN DETROIT SOUL, When the definitive history of soul music is written, several cities will loom large in the story. A triumvirate in particular, have played a hugely important part in the development of soul. This triumvirate are Memphis, Philadelphia …
THE A-Z OF THE BEST BOX SETS OF 2013-PART 1.
THE A-Z OF THE BEST BOX SETS OF 2013-PART 1. With 2013 drawing to a close, and a new musical year beckoning, it’s time to look back at the best music released during the year. Over the next few days, I’ll look back at the best compilation, reissues and new releases. Before that, I’ll pick …
THE A-Z OF THE BEST BOX SETS OF 2013-PART 2.
THE A-Z OF THE BEST BOX SETS OF 2013-PART 2. ELLA FITZGERALD-DEARLY BELOVED. Ella Fitzgerald enjoyed a fifty-nine year career that saw her crowned The Queen of Jazz and The First Lady of Song. With a three-octave vocal range, Lady Ella became one of the most influential and revered singers in the history of jazz …
THE A-Z OF THE BEST BOX SETS OF 2013-PART 3.
THE A-Z OF THE BEST BOX SETS OF 2013-PART 3. PHILLY REGROOVED: THE TOM MOULTON REMIXES-SPECIAL VINYL EDITION. Just over three years ago, in August 2010, Harmless Records released the first instalment in the Philly ReGrooved compilation series. Featuring twelve remixes of tracks from the Philly Grooved back-catalogue Philly ReGrooved: The Tom Moulton Remixes was …
SWAMP DOGG-TOTAL DESTRUCTION OF YOUR MIND.
SWAMP DOGG-TOTAL DESTRUCTION OF YOUR MIND. Described as an album of gonzo soul from a true musical maverick, Total Destruction Of Your Mind was the debut album from Swamp Dogg. Released in 1970, Total Destruction Of Your Mind saw Swamp Dogg draw inspiration from everyone from Frank Zappa, Van Morrison and Sly Stone. Everything from …
AL GREEN-THE BELLE ALBUM.
AL GREEN-THE BELLE ALBUM. When Al Green released The Belle Album, it was a very different album to those that preceded it for several reasons. Belle reflected the changes that were happening in Al’s personal life. For several years, religion had played an important part in his life. During that period, he’d struggled to come …
HAROLD MELVIN AND THE BLUE NOTES-REACHING FOR THE WORLD.
HAROLD MELVIN AND THE BLUE NOTES-REACHING FOR THE WORLD. Wake Up Everybody marked the end of an era for Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes. Not only was To Be True the last Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes’ album to feature Teddy Pendergrass, but it was their last album to be released on Philadelphia International …
PLEASURE-SPECIAL THINGS.
PLEASURE-SPECIAL THINGS. Having spent spent several years honing their style and sound, Pleasure were “discovered” by Wayne Henderson of The Crusaders. Pleasure’s persistence had paid off. Pleasure had worked hard at improving and honing their style. They’d also made sure any band that swung through Portland, were handed a copy of Pleasure’s demo. Grover Washington …
THE DETROIT EMERALDS-LET’S GET TOGETHER.
THE DETROIT EMERALDS-LET’S GET TOGETHER. By 1978, when The Detroit Emeralds released their final album, Let’s Get Together, much had happened to them. The last few years had been eventful, and marked a change in the The Detroit Emeralds’ fortunes. For their first three albums, The Detroit Emeralds it seemed they could do wrong. Their three …
JULIEN DYNE-DECEMBER.
JULIEN DYNE-DECEMBER. One of the most anticipated albums of recent months, has been Julien Dyne’s third album December. It’s just been released on BBE Music, and sees Julien pick up where he left off on his sophomore album Glimpse. On Glimpse we saw a tantalising glimpse of the direction Julien Dyne’s music was heading. This …
ANGOLA SOUNDTRACK 2.
ANGOLA SOUNDTRACK 2. Following three aggravated uprisings in 1961, the Angolan authorities were forced to act. There was no denying it, Angola was in crisis. The country could implode. Something had to be done. The status quo wasn’t an option. What followed was a double edged sword of repression and reform. For the first time, …
GLADYS KNIGHT AND THE PIPS-I FEEL A SONG.
GLADYS KNIGHT AND THE PIPS-I FEEL A SONG. For too long, Gladys Knight had been in the shadow of Diana Ross at Motown. Between 1967 and 1973, Gladys Knight and The Pips released eight albums. Then in 1973, when her contract with Motown ran out, she signed to a label where she would be wanted …
DAMON- SONG OF A GYPSY.
DAMON- SONG OF A GYPSY. For any collector of psychedelia, if they’re lucky enough to find a copy of Damon’s Song Of A Gypsy, it becomes one of their most prized possessions. Finding a copy is another thing. Copies are rarer than hen’s teeth and are changing hands for large sums of money. Recently, copies have …
CHIC-NILES ROGERS PRESENTS THE CHIC ORGANIZATION-BOX SET 1/SAVOIR FAIRE.
CHIC-NILES ROGERS PRESENTS THE CHIC ORGANIZATION-BOX SET 1/SAVOIR FAIRE. Considering how influential Chic proved to be, and the commercial success and critical acclaim they enjoyed, it’s about time a lovingly compiled and lavish box set celebrating their career was released. After all, for their first three albums Chic could do no wrong. Their 1977 eponymous …
HARTLEY AND WOLFE-BESPOKE FUTURE.
HARTLEY AND WOLFE-BESPOKE FUTURE. Last year, DJ Vadim released his tenth solo album, the critically acclaimed Don’t Be Scared. One of the singles from Don’t Be Scared was I’m Feelin’ U, which featured Essex’s finest purveyor of all things soulful, Greg Blackman. Now a year later, DJ Vadim and Greg Blackman are about to release …
AMERICANA 2.
AMERICANA 2. Two years after the release of their first compilation of blue-eyed soul, Americana, Zaf Chowdry and Mark Taylor return with the followup, Americana 2. It will be released by BBE Music on 11th November 2013. Americana 2, which features sixteen tracks from the seventies and eighties, is described on the album cover as …
PSYCHEMAGIC-DIABOLICAL SYNTHETIC FANTASIA.
PSYCHEMAGIC-DIABOLICAL SYNTHETIC FANTASIA. There are many artists who I’d describe as enigmatic. When it comes to producers and DJs, there aren’t as many. Falling into the category of enigmatic are Psychemagik. They’ve definitely ticked the no publicity box. This means many people won’t have heard of the legendary crate-digging, production and DJ-ing team. That’s means …
NEW ORLEANS FUNK VOLUME 3.
NEW ORLEANS FUNK VOLUME 3. From the moment you put on Soul Jazz Records’ recent compilation New Orleans Funk Volume 3, you’re transported to the Big Easy. It’s the Mardi Gras and Bourbon Street is full of tourists desperate to experience the sights and sounds of one of America’s musical capitals. Filling the air, is …
KING FLOYD -I FEEL LIKE DYNAMITE-THE EARLY CHIMNEYVILLE SINGLES AND MORE 1970-1974.
KING FLOYD -I FEEL LIKE DYNAMITE-THE EARLY CHIMNEYVILLE SINGLES AND MORE 1970-1974. For King Floyd, it was a case of second time around. After his debut career album A Man In Love, which was written by Dr. John, failed commercially, he joined the post office. Three years later, King Floyd made a comeback. He recorded …
WORLD PSYCHEDELIC CLASSICS 5:WHO IS WILLIAM ONYEABOR?
WORLD PSYCHEDELIC CLASSICS 5:WHO IS WILLIAM ONYEABOR? To celebrate its twenty-fifth anniversary, Lauka Bop will release World Psychedelic Classics 5: Who is William Onyeabor. As rhetorical questions go, it’s one of the best. No-one can say with any certainty who William Onyeabor is. Much of his life is shrouded in mystery. There’s a reason for …
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