Well, well, it's been over a month without a blog post. What between giving a talk about funk music, starting a new job, and a few DJ sets, I've been completely swamped. I did, however, in the spirit of spring break season, manage to get away for a couple of days to the windy city of Chicago. It was nice to get away & do some sightseeing, but I especially enjoyed digging for records at Dusty Groove. Ranked the 3rd best record store in the US (by some list I'm not certain of), I was very much excited to visit, especially since I had been following them on social media for a few years now.Chock full of 'dusty grooves' from Brazilian records, to gospel, to jazz & funk, this dig was a particularly good time, and my trusty digging partner Eveline and I dug up some real gems. Here are some of my finds!
Keep the Funk a Flowin' - Mojoba (7" Promo, 1976 Polydor)I didn't really know much about this group when I dug this up, but given the title and the fact that it was marked down to a dollar, I figured I'd give it a listen. Sure enough, it was a jam. Turns out Mojoba is an abbreviation of the [MO]sley [JO]hnson [BA]nd. They released only 2 singles under this alias, but it looks like they released some albums under the title of Mosley & Johnson, in the later 80s. Either way, a great way to start off the roster of stellar grooves! Check it out here.
Stone To The Bone - James Brown (7" Single, 1973 Polydor)Here's a man that needs no introduction: The Hitman! The Godfather of Soul, it's the one and only JAMES BROWN. I've been really lucky to find a lot of James Brown 7"s in the last year & this cut taken from the Payback album is another super-soul-sure-shot. Backed by Stone to the Bone (Some More), at $5.99, this 7" was a no brainer. Sampled by Del The Funky Homosapien in the irresistible "Mistadobalina," this tune chugs along in a true James Brown fashion, keeping it steady groovy, all funk & no waste. Check out the full 10 minute version here.
Message to the Ghetto - Prime Cut (7" Promo, 1973 Polydor)I've been keen on collecting what are referred to as "message songs" and it doesn't get more straightforward than this. With the want to bring social issues to the forefront through the music that was birthed through them, my passion for funk has led me to countless songs about the hardships that the musicians & their communities have faced. This song is another stellar addition to my bag, with some gospel stylings, over a funky piano groove. The Prime Cut delivers the message and the FUNK. Fortunately I found a fairly clean copy, which was marked down from $19.99 to $6.99!
I was pleased to add this gritty anti-drug song to my bag. Do yourself a favor and take a listen to it here.
Zebra - Simple Song b/w I Forgot to Say (7" Single, 1974, Reissued by Athens Of The North)This incredible funk jam came to my attention through the compilation Soul Spectrum Records Vol. 1 on the always quality Jazzman records. With a Kool & The Gang-esque horn line, pounding bass, kick-ass drums, and soulful harmonizing, this is a dance-funk sure-shot. While the original has become highly sought after & too pricey for this DJ, Athens Of The North has reissued the single in all its funky glory. Even though the flip is a run-of-the-mill slow jam that didn't really do it for me, with the strength of side A, picking up this 45 was a no-brainer! Jam out here.
The Mighty Clouds of Joy - Truth Is The Power (1977, ABC Records)
Here's a delightful slice of gospel, soul & disco from 1977 that I've been looking for for a while now. While the album has many gems, none will move you quite like the first track "There's Love In The World (Tell The Lonely People)." Starting with a piano intro, the track builds to an infectious piano-based groove, and the Mighty Clouds of Joy let loose with amazing vocals for a sublime slice of gospel disco. This one always lifts my spirits & I was pleased to get it on vinyl!
Olympic Runners - Don't Let Up (1976, London Records)The Olympic Runners, for those who don't know, were a group of British studio musicians who laid down a few albums full of funky-funky cuts. Perhaps their most famous is the instrumental, "Put The Music Where Your Mouth Is." I still have yet to find a copy of that record, but I was familiar with this record through the sampling of the title track by hip-hop group Ugly Duckling. What I did not know was that the Olympic Runners was home to none other than Pete Wingfield who penned the ever-hummable, "Eighteen with a Bullet." Connections, man, it's all about the connections.
Thoughts aside, enjoy the funk that is "Don't Let Up" here.
Linda Williams - City Living (1979, Arista)This album has two cuts that I was familiar with, "City Living" and "Elevate Our Minds." The former is a funky bass-driven dance number that might get filed under "disco" but really does without the kitschy sheen that has become somewhat associated with the 'genre.' (Disco really wasn't a genre so much as a short-hand way of referring to music played at discos... While the term has become associated with the more kitschier records of the era, there were a lot of great 'disco' records, too. These are lovingly referred to as "Dance Classics" in Japan, which is a title I quite like.) I first heard this by way of the Reflex's edit, which extended key segments of the song to great effect. I heard "Elevate..." on a disco comp I bought last year and while slower than "City Living," it's positive message, latin rhythm, and piano groove are just as infectious. So I knew this LP was well worth the purchase. Oh did I mention it was sealed & $4.99? Another no brainer, really.
The Lost Tapes (2014, Secret Stash Records)
Now I still do not know a whole lot about this record but I did know two things: it's Minneapolis funk & it's on Secret Stash Records. These two pretty much guaranteed that this would be a great purchase, but I had the Dusty Groove Employee (Thanks man!) drop the needle on a few cuts & I was blown away by the few seconds that I heard. Was that a funked up cover of "Thank You" by Sly Stone? Do I hear other rare, delicious Minneapolis grooves? Please please, say no more, I'm sold.
Young-Holt Unlimited Plays Super Fly (1973, Paula Records)This was one of the two finds that really blew my socks off (as if the ones above weren't enough)! I listened to this album for the first time last fall, when I was looking for a different take of "Pusher Man" for a playlist I was making at the time. I had known that Young-Holt Unlimited had done covers of Mayfield, but I was not prepared for the grooves that were contained within this album. Side A kicks off with "Freddie's Dead," then follows through with "Give Me Your Love," "Pusher Man," "Superfly," and concludes with the Young-Holt original "Hey Pancho," which I think, is the highlight of the album. Side B contains some other covers, diverging from the Super Fly theme, but with such a funked-out line up, side A is hard to beat.
The Counts - What's Up Front That Counts (1971, Westbound Records)My best find by far was this funk album from 1971. I had known about the Counts for a long time, from their boiling near-8 minute work out of "What's Up Front That Counts," to the heart-wrenching soul that is "Why Not Start All Over Again" (this one always gives me goosebumps), to the organ-driven gritty funk of "Pack of Lies" (sampled by Snoop & Dre for "What's My Name?") I knew this album was well worth keeping an eye out for. So you can imagine the excitement when I was flipping through the new arrival bins and stumbled across this album. I actually ran to the back of the store, arms flailing and all to show Eveline this record. I got a chance to listen to it upon returning and it did not disappoint. AT. ALL. All killer, no filler. A straight funk masterpiece from start to finish and well worth the money, if I do say so myself! This one will be at the front of my crates for a long, long time, that's for sure.
What a dig this was! We even had some time to visit the now somewhat famous (???) shit fountain about 10 minutes from the record store.
Thanks so much for reading! Keep coming back for more posts & music... Help me spread the word by sharing my blog with a friend or following me on Facebook. Till next time... ~ DJ Blue Funk
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