During the sixties, Southern Soul was at the height of its popularity. Independent labels like Stax, Goldwax and FAME, and majors like Atlantic released some of Southern Soul’s most commercially successful and critically acclaimed music. However, one label’s success lasted from the late sixties, right through the late seventies. This was Hi Records.

Although best known as the label Al Green called home, there were many more hugely talented artist who were signed to Hi Records. This includes Ann Peebles, best known for releasing the definitive version I’m Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down. In O.V. Wright and Otis Clay, Hi Records had two of the most distinctive and emotive vocalists. Then there’s Syl Johnson, one of not just Hi Records, but Southern Soul’s most underrated vocalists. Still, that’s still just scratching the surface of Hi Records’ bewitching back-catalogue. There’s a whole host of other artists awaiting discovery. Among them are Jean Plum, Donna Rhodes, Bobby McClure and The Duncan SIsters. Quite simply, Hi Records’ back-catalogue is groaning with rich musical pickings that are awaiting discovery. Thankfully, Harmless Records’ Backbeats’ compilation series has just released Backbeats: Soul Searchin’-Finding Gold In Memphis. Released on 20th May 2013, Backbeats: Soul Searchin’-Finding Gold In Memphis features twenty-three tracks from the rich pickings that are, Hi Records’ back-catalogue. Picking just a few of the many highlights isn’t going to be easy, given the quality of Southern Soul on Backbeats: Soul Searchin’-Finding Gold In Memphis 1968-1979.

My first choice from Backbeats: Soul Searchin’-Finding Gold In Memphis 1968-1979 is Ann Peebles I Didn’t Take Your Man. This a track from Ann’s final album for Hi Records, 1978s The Handwriting’s On The Wall. By 1978, Hi Records was a very different label from the early seventies. Many of the musicians that created the unique and unmistakable “Hi Sound” had left the label. Gone were the legendary Hi rhythm section, the Memphis Horns and backing vocalists Chalmers, Rhodes and Chalmers. Similarly, musical tastes had changed. Neither Southern Soul, nor Ann Peebles were as commercially successful, withThe Handwriting’s On The Wall failing to chart, A small crumb of comfort was that the Earl Randle and Patricia Barnes penned I Didn’t Take Your Man reached number fifty-five in the US R&B Charts. Here, Ann’s emotive denials prove that she’s still Hi Records’ first Lady.

Some of the artists on Backbeats: Soul Searchin’-Finding Gold In Memphis 1968-1979 only played minor parts in the Hi Records’ story. During the five years Quiet Elegance spent at Hi, they released seven singles, but no albums. Mama Said, which was written by Willie Mitchell, was the B-Side to their sophomore single I Need Love. Despite featuring a former Vandella and two former members of The Glories, never enjoyed the success their soulful strains deserved. The same can be said of Eddie McGhee. He only released one single, 1971s hurt-filled Backbeats: Soul Searchin’-Finding Gold In Memphis 1968-1979. Laden with heartbreak, Eddie brings life and meaning to the lyrics.

Syl Johnson is one of several artists who feature more than once on Backbeats: Soul Searchin’-Finding Gold In Memphis 1968-1979. Given Syl released four albums for Hi, that’s no surprise. The two tracks are I’m Yours and Mystery Lady, a track from Syl’s final album for Hi, 1979s Uptown Shakedown. Both are good tracks, but I’m Yours is the best. From the opening bars of Syl Johnson’s I’m Yours, it has that unmistakable “Hi Sound.” No other label could’ve released this track. Released as a single in 1973, I’m Yours reached number sixty-eight in the US R&B Charts. This was a track from Syl’s album Back For A Taste of Your Love. I’m Yours features Syl at his best, creating a sultry, sensual slice of Southern Soul. He’s helped no end by backing vocalists Chalmers, Rhodes, Chalmers who feed of Syl. Each drive the other to greater heights of soulfulness and sensuality.

The Duncan Sisters’ It’s You That I Need (Part 1) shows how by 1975, Hi as a label was evolving in reaction to changes in musical tastes. There’s a tougher, funky sound to a track that’s designed to light up any dance-floor. This it does, as elements of funk, Southern Soul, disco, drama and rocky guitars are combined.

Before becoming one of the best backing singers in the history of Southern Soul, Donna Rhodes embarked upon a solo career. She released her 1969 debut album I See Love on Epic. Then in 1973, having settled into a career as a backing vocalist, often helping make people sound better than they were, Donna briefly returned to her solo career. Where’s Your Love Been was the only single Donna released on Hi. With an arrangement that’s soulful, funky and dramatic, Donna’s breathy subtle vocal grabs your attention. Things get even better when the backing vocals sweep in. Sultry, sassy and incredibly soulful, why Donna Rhodes didn’t enjoy a longer and much more successful career seems strange?

Given how important a role Al Green played in Hi Records’ history, it’s fitting that three of his tracks feature on Backbeats: Soul Searchin’-Finding Gold In Memphis 1968-1979. These three tracks are “late period” Al Green. By then, religion had entered Al’s life and made Al question the direction and subject matter of his music. Having enjoyed six number one US R&B albums, four of which were certified gold and one platinum, Al’s success gradually slipped away from 1976s Full Of Fire, which features Al’s emotive and impassioned pleas on Glory Glory. Full Of Fire reached number fifty-nine in the US Billboard 200 and number twelve in the US R&B Charts. Have A Good Time, released later in 1976, featured the joyous and celebratory Happy. It stalled at number ninety-three in the US Billboard 200 and number twelve in the US R&B Charts. Then in 1977, The Belle Album, which featured Loving You, marked the end of an era, with Willie Mitchell no longer producing Al. Absent were the famed Hi rhythm section from an album that was one of Al’s last album’s of secular music. The result was an album that reached number 103 in the US Billboard 200 and number twenty-nine in the US R&B Charts. After The Belle Album, Al’s popularity declined and he was no longer the King of Southern Soul. The King had lost his crown, and Hi Records lost its most successful artist.

While Al Green was Hi Records’ best known male singer, O.V. Wright had one of the most distinctive voices on Hi. That throaty rasp is unmistakable. You Gotta Have Love was a track from O.V’s Hi debut album Into Something Can’t Shake Loose. Penned by Willie Mitchell and Earl Randle You Gotta Have Love is the perfect introduction to one of Southern Soul’s most underrated and best kept secrets. As if one contribution from O.V. isn’t good enough, I Found Peace from O.V’s third and final album for Hi, We’re Still Together is included. I’m sure after hearing these two tracks, you’ll be heading to a record shop near you and looking for an album by O.V. Wright.

I know that  I’ve already picked an Ann Peebles’ track, but so good is If This Is Heaven, that it would be remiss of me if I overlooked it. This was the title-track to her 1977, which Willie Mitchell and Earl Randle cowrote. It’s another track with that unmistakable Hi Sound written all over. From the Hi rhythm section, Memphis Strings and backing vocalists Chalmers, Rhodes, Rhodes, everything is in place for  the Queen of Hi Records. She lays down one of her trademark vocals. This she does, with style, passion and power. Emotive, ironic and wistful, in Ann’s hands the lyrics become all these things and more. In the process, Ann creates a late-period Hi Records’ classic.

The final track from Backbeats: Soul Searchin’-Finding Gold In Memphis 1968-1979. I’ve chosen is by Jean Plum. Like several other artists, Jean Plum has two tracks on Backbeats: Soul Searchin’-Finding Gold In Memphis 1968-1979, I’m Gonna Stay and Pour On The Loving. These were just two of the singles Jean released after signing to Hi in 1975. One of her best known tracks and most successful was 1977s Pour On The Loving. Quite simply, it’s a quite beautiful track, where Jean and her backing vocalist create a delicious slice of Southern Soul.

While I’ve only mentioned some of the tracks on Backbeats: Soul Searchin’-Finding Gold In Memphis 1968-1979, there’s much more music to discover. This includes contributions from James Fry, The Memphians, Bobby McClure, Willie Walker, The Melodics and Majik. For anyone new to Hi Records, then Backbeats: Soul Searchin’-Finding Gold In Memphis 1968-1979 is the compilation to start with. In many ways, Backbeats: Soul Searchin’-Finding Gold In Memphis 1968-1979 is a refreshing, bold and brave compilation. After all, it eschews the predictable tracks that previous Hi Records’ compilations have included. For that, compiler Jaffa should be commended and congratulated. Instead, Jaffa has dug deeper into Hi Records’ back-catalogue. In doing do, Jaffa has unearthed some long-forgotten gems, including Donna Rhodes’ Where’s Your Love Been and The Duncan Sisters’ It’s You That I Need (Part 1). As well as these tracks, there are the contributions from Hi Records’ most successful artists.

Of the contributions from some of Hi Records most successful artists, there’s no bigger than Al Green. His name has become synonymous with Hi Records. No wonder, with six number one US R&B albums, four of which were certified gold and one platinum, was Hi Records’ most successful artist. Then there’s Ann Peebles, Syl Johnson, O.V. Wright and Otis Clay. They enjoyed commercial success and critical acclaim, however, not to the extent Al Green enjoyed. Just as “no man is an island,” no artist  makes a label a commercial success. Instead, they only play a part in doing so. In the case of Hi Records, it took artists from Al Green, right through to artists who played a walk-on part in Hi Records’ success.

Similarly, without producer and songwriter Willie Michell, who masterminded Hi Records rise and rise the label wouldn’t have been as successful. Then there were the Hi rhythm section, the Memphis Horns and backing vocalists Chalmers, Rhodes and Chalmers Hi Records wouldn’t have been the same label. It certainly wouldn’t have produced some of the most memorable and emotive Southern Soul of the seventies. Much of that music was timeless, and forty years later, has stood the test of time. One listen to Backbeats: Soul Searchin’-Finding Gold In Memphis 1968-1979, which was released on by Harmless Records on 20th May 2013 and you too, will agree and will be won over by the Hi Records’ sound. Standout Tracks: Syl Johnson I’m Yours, Donna Rhodes’ Where’s Your Love Been and The Duncan Sisters’ It’s You That I Need (Part 1) and Jean Plum Pour On The Loving.

BACKBEATS: SOUL SEARCHIN’-FINDING GOLD IN MEMPHIS 1968-1979.

Commercial success and critical acclaim didn’t come easy for Aretha Franklin. She was no overnight star, if such a thing exists. Her recording career started back in 1956 and she’d released ten albums before signing to Atlantic Records. Until then, success had been a stranger to Aretha Franklin. However, signing to Atlantic Records proved to be a turning point in Aretha Franklin’s career.

Now signed to Atlantic Records, Aretha Franklin was about to enter a period where critical acclaim and commercial success were constant companions. Between 1967 and 1969, Aretha Franklin released five albums, which all reached number one in the US R&B Charts. This run of commercially successful albums began with 1967s I Never Loved A Man Like I Loved You and Aretha Arrives, took in 1968s Lady Soul and Aretha Now and finished with Soul ’69. Three of these albums were certified gold, including I Never Loved A Man Like I Loved You, Aretha Now and Lady Soul which was rereleased by WEA Japan on 26th March 2013. Before I tell you about the music on Lady Soul, I’ll tell you the background to what is, one of the albums that resulted in Aretha Franklin being crowned the Queen Of Soul.

Lady Soul was Aretha Franklin’s third album for Atlantic Records, and was the followup to Aretha Arrives. It was her second album of 1967, a year that totally transformed her life and career. Aretha’s Atlantic Records’ debut I Never Loved A Man Like I Loved You, had reached number two in the US Billboard 200 and number one on the US R&B Charts. This resulted in the first gold disc of Aretha’s eleven album career. Proving I Never Loved A Man Like I Loved You was no fluke, was Aretha Arrives, released later in 1967. Aretha Arrives reach number five in the US Billboard 200 and reached number one in the US R&B Charts. Like I Never Loved A Man Like I Loved You, Aretha Arrives featured two US R&B number one singles, which were certified gold. It seemed Aretha Franklin, guided by producer Jerry Wexler, had the Midas Touch. Would this continue with her third album for Atlantic Records, Lady Soul?

For Lady Soul, Aretha and her husband Ted White cowrote Sweet Sweet Baby (Since You’ve Been Gone) and Good To Me As I Am To You, while Aretha’s sister Carolyn contributed Ain’t No Way. Some of the other tracks were written by some of the best songwriters and musicians of that time. This included Don Covay’s Chain Of Fools, Curtis Mayfield’s People Get Ready and Gerry Goffin, Carole King and Jerry Wexler’s (You Make Me Feel) Like A Natural Woman. James Brown and Nat Jones contributed Money Won’t Change You, Felix Cavaliere and Eddie Brigat’s Groovin’ and Walter Davis’ Come Back Baby. The other track on Lady Soul was Niki Hoeky, penned by J. Leslie McFarland and Sidney Wyche. These ten tracks were recorded in New York, at Atlantic Studios.

When Aretha entered the Atlantic recording studios in New York, Jerry Wexler had assembled a tight, talented band. This included a rhythm section of drummer Roger Hawkins, bassist Tom Cogbill and guitarists Jimmy Johnson, Joe South and Bobby Womack. Spooner Oldham played piano and organ, while tenor saxophonist King Curtis was part of a horn section. Backing vocals came from the legendary Sweet Inspirations. Once Lady Soul was recorded, it was released in January 1968.

Lady Soul was released in January 1968, reaching number two in the US Billboard 200 and number one in the US R&B Charts. Since Lady Soul’s release, it’s been recognized as one of the most important albums in the history of popular music. Rolling Stone magazine put Lady Soul at number eighty-four in their list of the 500 most important albums of all time. The lead single from Lady Soul was (You Make Me Feel) Like A Natural Woman, which reached number eight in the US Billboard 100 and number two in the US R&B Charts. Chain Of Fools reached number two in the US Billboard 100 and number one in the US R&B Charts. This resulted in Aretha’s fifth gold disc for a single. Then Sweet Sweet Baby (Since You’ve Been Gone) made it gold disc number six, after reaching number number five in the US Billboard 100 and number one in the US R&B Charts. Ain’t No Way, the B-side to Sweet Sweet Baby (Since You’ve Been Gone) then reached number sixteen in the US Billboard 100 and number nine in the US R&B Charts. Aretha had regained her crown. She was still the Queen Of Soul, after the release of Lady Soul. You’ll realize why, when I tell you about this hugely important album.

Opening Lady Soul, is Chain of Fools, which has that familiar opening. Brief bursts of guitar set the scene for Aretha, accompanied by The Sweet Inspirations. She delivers an angry, frustated vocal. Her voice is powerful and emotive, as she sings about being mistreated by her partner. Accompanying Aretha, are sweeping harmonies. They soar high, proving the perfect accompaniment Aretha, while the rhythm section drive the arrangement along, providing its heartbeat. Stealing the show, is Aretha’s emotive, angry vocal, filled with disappointment, disbelief and hurt. Truly, her vocal is a Magnus Opus, that played its part in Chain Of Fools becoming a timeless, soul classic.

James Brown and Nat Jones cowrote Money Won’t Change You. It burst dramatically into life. Guitars and drums combine before Aretha’s vocal enters. Like on Chain of Fools, her vocal is a mixture of controlled power and emotion.The tempo is quick, with horns and the rhythm section creating a relentless, driving sound. Horns blaze, drums pound while guitars soar and chime. The Sweet Inspirations accompany Aretha, their soulful interjections a contrast to Aretha’s powerful, emotive, soaring vocal. Aretha and her band kick loose. The powerful, driving arrangement proves a perfect foil to her vocal, as Aretha mixes sincerity and emotion, confidently forecasting that money won’t change her.

If you mention the song People Get Ready to most people, they associate Curtis Mayfield with the song, either as a solo artist or with The Impressions. Aretha’s cover is emotive, thoughtful and soulful, but with gospel-tinged. Just The Sweet Inspirations, rasping horns and piano accompany Aretha’s impassioned pleas. When the rhythm section and Hammond organ enter, the gospel influence grows. Aretha’s gospel influenced delivery is spine-tingling, helped no end by The Sweet Inspirations. Similarly, the band produce one of their best performances on Lady Soul. They play their part in bringing the song to life, and in the process, bringing out the meaning in the almost spiritual lyrics. By the end of the track, you feel privileged to have heard such a beautiful song, sung with such emotion and feeling.

Blazing horns, a pounding rhythm section and searing, chiming guitars set the scene for Aretha as Niki Hoeky unfolds. Aretha delivers a sassy, feisty vocal accompanied by The Sweet Inspirations. Their short, soulful interjections provide a contrast to Aretha’s powerful vocal. Her voice combines control, power and sensuality as she realistically, plays the part of a woman whose partner is in prison. Despite Aretha, The Sweet Inspirations and her band’s best efforts to make the song swing, the lyrics let the song down. Ultimately, it’s a disappointing track.

(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman is a song Aretha made her own. With Spooner Oldham playing piano, Aretha starts to sing what was, a career defining song. Her voice is strong, laden in emotion and feeling, as she delivers the lyrics. The Sweet Inspirations, short soulful interjections, punctuate the track, while strings sweep grandly, and a strong, slow bass line provides the heartbeat. Spooner Oldman’s performance on piano is crucial to the track’s success. He gives the performance of a lifetime.Meanwhile, Aretha’s heartfelt, impassioned delivery is a mixture of passion and emotion. This results in one of the most heartachingly beautiful songs in the history of soul music. Whether Aretha or Jerry Wexler realized the importance of the song in 1967, when it was recorded, we’ll never know. What we do know, is it’s a timeless, classic.

Since You’ve Been Gone (Sweet Sweet Baby) is the first of two songs Aretha cowrote with her husband Ted White. As Aretha’s powerful vocal soars above the arrangement, the rhythm section, piano and rasping horns accompany her. A joyous sounding arrangement unfolds. Aretha mixes power, emotion, drama and a touch of sass, as she sings about her man leaving her. The Sweet Inspirations’ gospel-tinged harmonies prove the perfect foil to Aretha’s vocal masterclass on a track that gave Aretha her sixth number one US R&B single.

Ted White and Aretha cowrote Good To Me As I Am To You. It has a subtle, understated introduction. Just piano and guitar combine before Aretha sings. This subtle backdrop suits the song, with Aretha’s voice taking centre-stage. Quickly, the arrangement grows, with the rhythm and rasping horns entering. Aretha’s vocal and the arrangement grow in drama, power and emotion. Powerful, passionate and controlled. Aretha warns her man, you’d better be good to me. By now, she’s almost shouting the lyrics, accompanied by soaring, screaming guitars and throwing in the odd whoop and holler for good measure. As the track ends, you can only admire Aretha’s controlled power, and almost aggressive vocal. She can bring a song to life, inject meaning and feeling, that other vocalists fail to do.

Growling horns open Come Back Baby track that has a really quick tempo, driven along by a melange of rhythm section and Hammond organ. The Sweet Inspirations live up to their name. Their sweet and soulful interjections help inspire Aretha. Her delivery is quick and soulful. It rises and falls, a combination of restrained power and emotion. Likewise, the arrangement has a joyous sound, with horns blazing, guitars chiming and the rhythm section driving the arrangement along. They seem to take their lead from Aretha’s emotive, impassioned vocal, matching her every step of the way.

Groovin’ was originally recorded by The Young Rascals, who for me, recorded the definitive version of this song. Here Aretha interprets the track. Just the rhythm section and Hammond organ combine brightly and melodically as Aretha sings. The song is slowed down, with Spooner Oldham’s atmospheric Hammond organ and The Sweet Inspirations tender, subtle harmonies playing important roles. Aretha gives a much more gentle, restrained and soulful vocal. Behind her, a beautiful and understated arrangement unfolds. Add to the arrangement, Aretha’s thoughtful and soulful vocal, and this is one of the best versions of this song I’ve ever heard.

Ain’t No Way closes Lady Soul and was written by Carolyn Franklin. A piano, slow sultry horns and drums combine, before Aretha’s vocal enters. It’s hugely emotive, thoughtful and drenched in horns, with Cissy Houston contributing vocal obbligato. The Sweet Inspirations add tender harmonies, while rasping horns punctuate the arrangement, and lush strings sweep. By now the arrangement has a grand but soulful sound, with Aretha’s voice soaring emotionally and powerfully heavenwards. Behind her, one of the best arrangements on Lady Soul unfolds.  Elements of a big band sound combines with the best soul music has to offer. This is potent and beautiful mixture, made all the better by Aretha’s brilliant vocal and a stunning contribution from Cissy Houston. It’s the perfect way to end Lady Soul, one of the best albums Aretha Franklin ever recorded.

During Aretha Franklin’s long and illustrious career she has recored many great albums and received critical acclaim, awards and plaudits aplenty. Aretha won eighteen Grammy Awards, had twenty R&B number one singles, with ten of her albums topping the R&B Chart. Then there’s the small matter of thirty-eight studio albums. However, Aretha Franklin’s best music was the albums she recorded between 1967 and 1969. Starting with 1967s I Never Loved A Man Like I Loved You and Aretha Arrives, taking in 1968s Lady Soul and Aretha Now and finishing with Soul ’69, these albums are Aretha’s finest. The other album I’d include is 1972s Young, Gifted and Black. 1969s Lady is undoubtably one of Aretha Franklin’s greatest albums.

Lady Soul features two songs that Aretha made her own, Chain of Fools and (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman. Not only have both songs since become synonymous with Aretha, they’ve become two of her best known, and best loved tracks. On Lady Soul, Aretha also gave stunning interpretations of People Get Ready, Come Back Baby and Groovin.’Demonstrating her talents as a songwriter are two tracks Aretha cowrote with her husband Ted White for Lady Soul. These are the US R&B number one single Since You’ve Been Gone (Sweet Sweet Baby), and Good To Me As I Am To You. Then on Money Won’t Change You and Come Back Baby, Aretha breathes life, meaning and emotion into the tracks. She transforms these tracks, especially Money Won’t Change You, which in the hands of a less talented vocalist, may come across as an average track. The only track on Lady Soul which disappoints is Niki Hoeky, which despite the best efforts of Aretha, The Sweet Inspirations and her band, never rises above mere mediocre. That’s the only track that stops Lady Soul from being a flawless album.

Whether its sadness, hurt and heartache, frustration, anger or emotion, or confidence, sass and sensuality, Aretha Franklin could bring all these things and more to a song. She has you believing she’s lived and survived the lyrics. Lady Soul, which was rereleased by WEA Japan on 26th March 2013, is one of Aretha Franklin’s classic albums. As such, Lady Soul belongs in every record collection. Quite simply, it features Aretha Franklin at her very best. To me, Lady Soul is the perfect introduction to the career of one of the greatest female soul singers of all time. Standout Tracks: Chain of Fools, People Get Ready, (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman and Ain’t No Way.

ARETHA FRANKLIN-LADY SOUL.

After its birth in the mid to late sixties, funk’s popularity quickly grew. With its fusion of soul, R&B and jazz, funk’s heyday was the seventies. While the peak of funk’s popularity was during the seventies, it was during the seventies that some of the greatest funk music was produced. Indeed, looking back at the seventies, the quality of funk produced during that decade has never been equalled. No wonder. Just look at the giants of seventies funk. James Brown lead the way, with Sly and The Family Stone, Earth Wind and Fire and in Philly, M.F.S.B. following in the Godfather of Funk’s wake. There was more to funk than most people realized. It was a musical genre that not only has been influenced by various disparate musical genres, but gave birth to many sub-genres.

While funk’s roots can be traced to soul, jazz and R&B, out of funk, other sub-genres emerged. Jazz-funk, fusion and P-Funk, pioneered by Parliament and Funkadelic. Often, funk had a soulful or jazz tinged influence. Proof of this is Nina Simone and Esther Phillips, two female funk pioneers who feature on Paaaarty Time-Serious Funk From The 70s, which was released on 20th May 2013, by Harmless Records’ Backbeats’ imprint. Sometimes, funk’s R&B influence shines through. On Paaaarty Time-Serious Funk From The 70s Johnny Otis demonstrates this. So, funk, we can safely say, in the seventies, was a broad musical genre, one with many sub-genres emerging. Not only that, but during the seventies, funk was in the rudest of health. It seemed its popularity would last forever. That however, didn’t happen.

Music as we know, is cyclical. Musical genres drift in and out of fashion. Funk’s popularity didn’t last forever. Not at all. Instead, it’s popularity waned and it was forced to reinvent itself. The near death experience that disco suffered, affected funk’s popularity. It was almost guilt by association. After all, many disco artists came from a funk background. None more so than Chic, whose popularity slumped. So realizing the end was neigh, shrewd funk groups new their music had to evolve. It was survive or die. To stay relevant as the eighties dawned, funk albums became much more spartan.

Gone were horn sections. Out too were keyboards that had become synonymous with funk. So funk groups waved goodbye to their Hammond organs, clavinets and Fender Rhodes. Replacing them were synths. Even the drums weren’t sacrosanct. Not at all. They were replaced by drum machines. For veterans of seventies funk, this was unbearable. It was a step too far. Not only had they thrown out some of funk’s most effective, and important instruments, but they’d thrown out funk’s very soul. Funk was no longer the musical genre it had once been. For some people, it was a mere synthetic shadow, stripped of its soul and potency. No longer would music like the nineteen tracks that feature on Paaaarty Time-Serious Funk From The 70s be released. The track on Paaaarty Time-Serious Funk From The 70s are a powerful reminder of why the seventies were funk’s greatest days.

Paaaarty Time-Serious Funk From The 70s features nineteen tracks from labels like RCA Records, Date Records, Epic Records, Jewel Record Corp, Philadelphia International Records, Columbia and Trius Records. Among the familiar faces on Paaaarty Time-Serious Funk From The 70s are Sly and The Family Stone. M.F.S.B, Nina Simone, Esther Phillips, Jimmy Castor and Shuggie Otis. These artists show the different sides to funk music. This includes the soulful, jazzy or even R&B-tinged sides to funk. One thing each of the tracks on Paaaarty Time-Serious Funk From The 70s have in common is their quality. Compiler Dean Rudland has dug deeply and diligently, compiling nineteen quality tracks, which I’ll now choose the highlights of.

My first choice from Paaaarty Time-Serious Funk From The 70s is Nina Simone’s Funkier Than A Mosquitos Tweeter. This was a track Nina’s 1974 album Is It Finished. It was released in 1974, on RCA Victor. This was during one of Nina’s most successful and critically acclaimed periods. Whether it was jazz or funk, Nina was equally at home. Here, it’s funk all the way. Her vocal is sassy and strident, playing an important role in this classic track’s success.

While Nina Simone was one of the most successful artists in the history of music, Esther Phillips is one of the most underrated. Although she enjoyed some success as Little Esther Phillps and later, during her time at Kudu, she never truly enjoyed the success her talent deserved. Proof of this is Home Is Where The Hatred Is, a track from her 1972 album Alone Again, Naturally. Released on Kudu, Esther’s vocal is a fusion of anger, frustration and power. She unleashes a vocal masterclass that’ll have you spellbound. So much so, that you’ll be adding some Esther Phillips to your record collection.

One of The Jimmy Castor’ Bunch’s best known tracks is his cover of We’ve Only Just Begun. It was a track from the 1972 album It’s Just Begun, which was released on RCA Victor. Since the birth of hip hop, It’s become a source of inspiration for hip hop artists, who’ve liberally “sampled” it. This includes the Jungle Brothers, Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five, Bomb The Bass and 45 King. No wonder they’ve sampled this track’s delights. Quite simply, it’s a storming slice of gloriously funky music. With its blazing horns, wah-wah guitars and funky rhythm section, this is seventies funk at its best.

Johnny Otis has two claims to fames in life. His first is that he was one of the pioneers of R&B. He released his debut single, That’s Your Last Boogie, in 1948. Later, that year, Johnny and Little Ester Phillips has a US R&B number one single with Double Crossing Blues. Johnny’s other claim to fame is he’s the father of Shuggie Otis, one of music’s most reluctant, but gifted musicians. By 1972, Johnny had adapted to changes in music. Not only was still making music, but his music had elolved. The Johnny Otis Show released Watts Breakaway as a single. Although a prime slice of seventies funk, Johnny’s R&B roots shine through on this explosive slice of driving funk.

Shay Holiday’s career may not neither have been the longest, nor the most successful, but it was truly memorable. After all, she released It’s Not How Long You Make It on Jewel Record Corp, in 1973. Written Jerry Strickland and Bobby Patterson, who produced the single, Shay’s vocal is sassy, powerful and soars soulfully above the funky arrangement. This marriage of soul and funk results in not only a hidden musical gem, but an extremely expensive one.

I didn’t just choose Casey Jones’ single Good Thing Part 2, so I could make a gratuitous joke about railways. Not at all. In many ways, I was almost railroaded into choosing this track, given its quality. After an understated opening, where hypnotic drums provide the arrangement’s heartbeat, Casey’s vampish vocal enters, and the track explodes into life. Soon, you’re embarking on a musical journey, one that’s both soulful thanks to Casey’s vocal, but fast and furiously funky thanks to his backing band.

I’ve often said that M.F.S.B. were much more than Philadelphia International Records’ house-band. Quite the opposite. This multitalented band were also songwriters, arrangers and producers. Often, their role in the Philadelphia International Records’ success story is downplayed. That suits certain people though. However, what made M.F.S.B. such an outstanding band is their versatility. Family Affair, a track from their 1973 sophomore album M.F.S.B, which reached number 131 in the US Billboard 200 and number twenty in the US R&B Charts. Here, M.F.S.B. combine some heavy duty funk with mellow, jazzy keyboards and a touch of Philly Soul.

Apart from Nick Drake, Shuggie Otis must be one of the most reluctant musicians of the seventies. He could’ve and should’ve been huge. Sadly, that wasn’t the case. His seventies back-catalogue amounts to three albums. Ice Cold Daydream is a track from his 1971 album Freedom Flight. While Strawberry Letter is a better known track, Ice Cold Daydream allows Shuggie to kick loose his shackles and become a strutting funkateer, a role which he carries off with considerable aplomb.

Mention seventies funk groups, and many people will reply Sly and The Family Stone. For four years, between 1969 and 1973, their star shawn brightly. Sadly, amidst chaos and a trail of destruction, their star burnt out. Thankfully, during that period, they released three peerless studio albums. 1969s was the first of these. It featured genre-sprawling Sing A Simple Song, where seamlessly Sly Stone fuses funk, psychedelia, soul, rock and jazz. The result is a timeless, anthemic track that epitomizes an era.

Al Kooper’s Toe Hold is my final choice from Paaaarty Time-Serious Funk From The 70s. Written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter, it was a track from Al’s 1968 debut album I Stand Alone, which was released on Columbia Records. Although Toe Hold is a primarily a funky track, albeit with a real late sixties sound, it incorporates soul, gospel and rock. Here. Al’s vocals veer between soul and rock, accompanied by gospel tinged harmonies. His band keep things funky, but sometimes, especially the keyboards, have a rocky sound. Having said that, this is a tantalising taste of the multitalented Al Kooper, as he embarks upon his solo career.

For anyone who likes their music seriously funky, then Paaaarty Time-Serious Funk From The 70s is an album that must find its way into your record collection. During the nineteen tracks on Paaaarty Time-Serious Funk From The 70s, you can hear funk’s soulful, jazzy and R&B roots shine through. What else shines through is the quality of music. There’s contributions from familiar faces like Sly and The Family Stone, M.F.S.B and Nina Simone. You’re also introduced to some hugely underrated artists. Many people won’t have heard of Esther Phillips, Shay Hliday, Casey Jones or Johnny or Shuggie Otis. So hopefully, Paaaarty Time-Serious Funk From The 70s will introduce their music to a much wider audience. Maybe after hearing Paaaarty Time-Serious Funk From The 70s, which was released on 20th May 2013, listeners will embark on a musical voyage of discovery.

Compiler Dean Rudland, deserves credit for not just sticking with the tried and tested tracks that feature on many funk compilations. Instead, Dean’s dug deep into his record collection. No corners of his collection have been left unexplored, in his quest for the funkiest of music. After much crate digging, Dean’s come up with nineteen slices of the funkiest music you’re ears will be lucky to hear. This is Paaaarty Time-Serious Funk From The 70s, a compilation guaranteed to get any party started. 

In many ways, Paaaarty Time-Serious Funk From The 70s is a reminder of the golden age of funk. Long gone and much mourned, the golden age of funk is but a passing memory. Thankfully, Paaaarty Time-Serious Funk From The 70s is a reminder of these few short years. Indeed, Paaaarty Time-Serious Funk From The 70s is a like a musical walk down memory lane, where you hear familiar tracks and forgotten treasures. By the end of your trip down this musical memory lane, you realize that funk doesn’t get any better than this. Standout Tracks: Esther Phillips Home Is Where The Hatred Is, Shay Holiday It’s Not How Long You Make It, M.F.S.B. Family Affair and Al Kooper Toe Hold.

PAAAARTY TIME-SERIOUS FUNK FROM THE 70S.

For many DJs and music-lovers, crate-digging for hidden rare-groove gems is the musical equivalent of an Olympic sport. Whether its record shops, thrift stores, dusty warehouses or junk shops, there’s nowhere that the determined crate-digger won’t head. Nowhere is off-limits in their search for rare of obscure vinyl. A crate-digger is the modern equivalent of a big game hunter. The only difference between the two, is that a crate-digger’s hunting musical gold. Often, a determined and persistent crate-digger can strike musical gold by finding a rare and valuable album for little, or no money. That however, is fast, becoming a thing of the past. 

The reason for this is the internet. Nowadays, people have become much more savvy about how much vinyl is worth and bargains are becoming harder to unearth. Granted, there’s still bargains out there, but they’re becoming even harder to find. Not helping the situation, is the economically straightened times we live in. Being smack bang in the middle of the biggest recession in financial history, people have less money to spend on vinyl. So for anyone looking to compile a collection of rare-groove gems, a good place to start is Backbeats: Diggers Delight, the latest installment in Harmless Records’ Backbeats compilation series, which will be released on 20th May 2013. Featuring fifteen slices of rare-groove, Backbeats: Diggers Delight, features some obscure, rare and valuable slices of funk, soul and jazz, which I’ll pick the highlights of.

The fifteen funky, soulful and jazzy cuts on Backbeats: Diggers Delight are from labels like Arista, CTi, Epic, RCA, Chi-Sound, Columbia, Universal and Buddah Records. This includes contributions from Weldon Irvine, Shuggie Otis, Idris Muhammed, Mandrill, Larry Young’s Fuel, Jimmy Castor Bunch and The Modulations. Looking at the track listing, and given their rarity, these tracks would require deep pockets and determination to find. After I’ve picked the highlights of Backbeats: Diggers Delight, I’ll tell you how much it would cost you buy the fifteen tracks on Backbeats: Diggers Delight.

My first choice from Backbeats: Diggers Delight is Herbert Law’s Family, which was the title-track to his 1980 album. Released on Columbia, an all-star band accompanies Hubert. This includes bassist Nathan East, drummer Leon Ndugu Chancier and pianist Bobby Lyle. As the track unfolds, it’s mellow and understated. Then, all of a sudden, the track explodes into life. Key to this soulful, jazzy and funky track, is Debra Law’s vocal. Hubert’s sister delivers an impassioned, powerful vocal.

Idris Muhammed released Turn This Mutha Out in 1977, on Kudu. One of the tracks on Turn This Mutha Out was Crab Apple, which was written by producer David Matthews. Of the seven tracks on Turn This Mutha Out, Crab Apple is head and shoulders above the rest. Key to this are Michael Brecker’s schorching saxophone, Wilber Bascomb’s pounding bass and Cliff Carter’s synths. With Idris’ drums providing the heartbeat, the result is a tough, funky track that quite simply, is one of the highlights of Backbeats: Diggers Delight.

Lalo Schifrin forged a reputation as one of the most talented and innovative film composers of his generation. When not writing film scores, Lalo enjoyed a successful solo career. His 1977 album Towering Toccata featured Theme From King Kong, z five minute fusion of funk, rock and jazz. With blazing horns, the funkiest of rhythm section and rocky guitars Lalo creates a dramatic, Uber funky reinterpretation of a familiar track.

One of music’s best kept secrets is Shuggie Otis, who released four albums between 1969 and 1974. The last of this quartet of albums is 1974 Inspiration Inspiration, which featured Aht Uh Mi Hed. Like all of Shuggie’s music, It’s a captivating fusion of soul, funk, psychedelia, rock and jazz from one of music’s most reluctant stars, whose music everyone should discover.

All too often, compilers overlook Weldon Irvine’s music. Thankfully, Dean Rudland, who compiled Backbeats: Diggers Delight is guilty of that. We Gettin’ Down was written by Weldon and featured on his 1975 album Spirit. Released on RCA Victor, it’s a slow, funky and atmospheric track. Squelchy synths usher in blazing horns, rocky guitars and a myriad of percussion. Soon, strings are dancing in appreciation, while Weldon’s keyboards provide a backdrop to a compelling and often, beautiful fusion of harmonies, percussion and swathes of strings.

Back in 1973, Earth, Wind and Fire embarked upon a journey where critical acclaim and commercial success were ever-present for a decade. The second album in this unbroken run success was 1974s Open Your Eyes. It reached number fifteen in the US and number one in the US R&B Charts, and was certified gold. Mighty Mighty was a single Open Your Eyes, which reached number twenty-nine in the US Billboard 100 and number four in the US R&B Charts.Tough, funky, soulful, laden with hooks and dance-floor friendly, it’s no surprise Earth, Wind and Fire were so successful.

Not only did The Brecker Brothers enjoy a successful recording career during the seventies, but were the go-to-guys for anyone looking for a hot horn section. The sound of Michael’s saxophone and Randy on flugelhorn or trumpet graced many an album. Their debut album was 1975s The Brecker Brothers. Released on Arista, it featured Sneakin’ Up Behind You, which is best described as an infectiously catchy, melodic and timeless slice of jazz-funk.

The last track I’ve chosen from Backbeats: Diggers Delight just happens to be the final track. This is The Modulations’ It’s Rough Out Here, which was the title-track to their one and only album. Released on Buddah Records in 1975, it’s a tough, funky and soulful track. Disco strings accompany the vocal while soaring harmonies, growling horns and vibes provide a backdrop as seamlessly, soul, funk and disco unite peerlessly. Given how obviously talented The Modulations were, it’s a pity their recording career amounts to just one album. Mind you, what an album It’s Rough Out Here is.

Of the fifteen tracks that feature on Backbeats: Diggers Delight, each of compiler Dean Rudland’s choices deserve their place on this compilation. With neither faux pas nor filler on Backbeats: Diggers Delight. That’s quite a feat. Usually, on compilations there’s the odd track that disappoints. Not here. No, not at all. Instead, there’s just quality rare-groove from Angela Bofil’s People Make The World Go Round right through to The Modulations’ It’s Rough Out Here. Soulful, funky and jazz-tinged, Backbeats: Diggers Delight is an eclectic selection of quality music. It’s a combination of a few familiar tracks, rarities and hidden gems. For anyone whose a fan of rare-groove, then they’ll thoroughly enjoy discovering the delights of Backbeats: Diggers Delight, which will be released by Harmless Records’ subsidiary Backbeats on 20th May 2013. in fact, Backbeats: Diggers Delight is the perfect companion to Backbeats: In The Pocket-70s Jazz Funk. Both compilations are soulful, funky and jazzy, and will be welcome additions to any self-respecting record collection. Standout Tracks: Idris Muhammed Crab Apple, Lalo Schifrin Theme From King Kong, Shuggie Otis Aht Uh Mi Hed and Weldon Irvine We Gettin’ Down.

BACKBEATS: DIGGERS DELIGHT-MORE RARE-GROOVE GEMS.

Ever since the birth of jazz, the music has never stood still. Instead, it’s been constantly evolving. That was the case in the early seventies. By the early seventies, jazz had to evolve to survive. Jazz’s popularity had been surpassed by soul music. Even soul jazz which had proved popular during the sixties, was losing popularity. So, what was needed was change.

Bringing about this change, were some of the most innovative and pioneering jazz musicians of the time. This included Herbie Hancock, Charles Earland, Ramsey Lewis, Lonnie Liston Smith, Harvey Mason and Freddie Hubbard. These musicians were responsible for jazz funk, which was seen as not just the future of the jazz, but its savior. By taking soul jazz and adding a sprinkling of funk, a new musical genre was born…jazz funk.

Jazz funk proved to be the answer to jazz’s problems, giving jazz’s popularity an unexpected boost. Since then, jazz funk is one of the most celebrated sub-genres of jazz. For anyone yet to discover jazz funk, Harmless Records next batch of its Backbeats’ compilation series includes Backbeats: In The Pocket-70s Jazz Funk, which will be released on 20th May 2013. Featuring twelve tracks from some of jazz funk most successful, innovative and pioneering musicians, including Herbie Hancock, Charles Earland, Lonnie Liston Smith and Harvey Mason, Backbeats: In The Pocket-70s Jazz Funk is the perfect primer for the newcomer to jazz funk. Having said that, for veterans of jazz funk, Backbeats: In The Pocket-70s Jazz Funk, which was compiled by Dean Rudland, will bring back memories of the jazz funk’s glory days. You’ll realize why, when I pick the highlights from Backbeats: In The Pocket-70s Jazz Funk.

Fittingly, given the important role Herbie Hancock played in the development of jazz funk, Just Around The Corner opens Backbeats: In The Pocket-70s Jazz Funk. This was a track from Herbie’s 1980 album Mr. Hands, released on Columbia Records. Joining Herbie on Just Around The Corner are a jazz supergroup of guitarist Wah Wah Watson, drummer Alphonso Mouzon, bassist Freddie Washington and percussionist Sheila E. Given their combined talents, it’s no surprise that they produce a truly innovative slice of jazz funk.

For many people, myself included, Charles Earland is one of the greatest Hammond organ players of his the last fifty years. However, outside jazz circles, Charles is almost unheard of. That, to me, is a great shame. So, I’m pleased to see compiler Dean Rudland has included Charles’ Coming To You Live, This was the title-track to Charles’ 1980 album, which saw him move from soul jazz to jazz funk. Almost seamlessly he made the progression, reinventing himself in the process.

By the time Ramsey Lewis released Salongo in 1976, he was into his third decade as a recording artist. He’d earned a reputation as a musical innovator, someone who embraced change. That was fortunate, because during his career, musical fashions had changed. So, Ramsey had to reinvent himself several times. 1974s Solar Wind and 1975s Don’t It Feel Good saw Ramsey settle into jazz funk. Salongo surpassed both these albums. It was an exploration of Latin and African music, which was combined with jazz and jazz funk. One of the highlights was sultry Latin delights of Brazilica, which since then, has been a favorite of jazz funk fans.

During the seventies, any jazz player looking for a drummer, called Harvey Mason. Alongside his career as a session player, Harvey enjoyed a successful solo career. His debut album was 1975s Marching In The Street, which reached number forty-five in the US R&B Charts. Marching In The Street featured Hop Scotch, a track that’s not just innovative and features an all-star jazz funk band, but epitomizes all that’s good about jazz funk. After all, it doesn’t get much better than some of the best jazz musicians of the seventies showcasing their considerable talents.

Backbeats: In The Pocket-70s Jazz Funk is almost like a who’s who of jazz funk. Everyone whose anyone features on the disc. This includes jazz trumpeter and bandleader, Freddie Hubbard. His contribution is Put It In The Pocket, a track from his 1975 album Liquid Love. Although best known for be bop and hard bop, Freddie embraced jazz funk, especially on Liquid Gold. On Put It In The Pocket, Freddie and his band give an uber funky, sassy and dramatic performance, while Freddie demonstrates just why he’d gained a reputation as one of the greatest jazz trumpeters of his generation.

Weldon Irvine’s contribution to Backbeats: In The Pocket-70s Jazz Funk is Sinbad, a track that explodes into life with growling, blazing horns. Sinbad was the title-track to Weldon’s 1976 album. Quite simply, it’s six majestic minutes of music. Featuring a guitar masterclass, scorching horns, sassy harmonies and a tough, funky street sound, it’s the perfect introduction to the music of Weldon Irvine.

My final choice from Backbeats: In The Pocket-70s Jazz Funk is Hubert Laws Chicago Theme (Love Loop). It’s a track from, his 1975 album Chicago Theme, which reached number eighteen in the US R&B Charts. Hubert was an early member of The Jazz Crusaders, but established a reputation as a versatile flautist. He was just as comfortable playing jazz, classical or jazz funk. By 1975, his music was becoming more commercial.Chicago Theme (Love Loop) is proof of this. While his band lay down some funky licks, swathes of strings accompany Hubert’s wistful flute. Add to that are growling horns, and the result is a track that not only showcases Hubert Laws’ versatility and talent, but how he was determined to produce music that would be commercially successful.

Earlier I said that Backbeats: In The Pocket-70s Jazz Funk was not unlike a who’s who of jazz funk. That was no exaggeration. With Herbie Hancock, Charles Earland, Lonnie Liston Smith and Harvey Mason, here were some of the most talented, innovative and influential musicians. As the seventies dawned, they faced the realization that jazz music wasn’t just changing, but was no longer as popular. Put simply, jazz had to change. The status quo wasn’t an option. Unless jazz changed, it would become marginalized and become the musical equivalent of an endangered species. For the musicians that feature on Backbeats: In The Pocket-70s Jazz Funk that wasn’t an option.

While it was more a case of evolution, rather the revolution, jazz changed and survived. Out of the ashes of soul jazz, came jazz funk. All it took was a sprinkling of funk and soul jazz became jazz funk. Soon, jazz funk changed jazz’s flagging fortunes. With the innovators that feature on Backbeats: In The Pocket-70s Jazz Funk, jazz was in safe hands. Jazz moved in a new, brave and bold direction. The music was energized, attracting a much wider audience. Jazz funk albums crossed over into the mainstream, making stars of jazz musicians who had previously, been known to only a small, niche audience. 

So in many ways, jazz funk was the savior of jazz. Just as jazz was about to receive the musical equivalent of the last rites, along came jazz funk. Somehow, jazz made a miraculous recovery. Crucial to that recovery were a group of pioneering and innovative jazz musicians. These pioneers and innovators feature on Backbeats: In The Pocket-70s Jazz Funk, which will be released on 20th May 2013. Standout Tracks: Herbie Hancock Just Around The Corner, Charles Earland Coming To You Live, Harvey Mason Hop Scotch and Weldon Irvine Sinbad.

BACKBEATS: IN THE POCKET-70S JAZZ FUNK.

One of the music industry’s big success stories of recent years has been Harmless Records’ Backbeats compilation series. In the last three years, the Backbeats’ compilation series has grown to become the world’s most popular compilation series. That is a remarkable achievement. We shouldn’t be surprised though. After all, for the last three years, Backbeats has consistently delivered quality compilations at budget prices. For soul, jazz and funk fans on a limited budget, the Backbeats compilations aren’t going to break the band. Not at all. Indeed, the next six installments of the Backbeat series are available for just £3, $4.50 or €4 each when they’re released on 20th May 2013. Of the next six installments in the Backbeats series, one I’ve been looking forward to is Backbeats: Philly Gems-More Philly Disco Floor-Fillers.

Backbeats: Philly Gems-More Philly Disco Floor-Fillers compiled by Ralph Tee, features sixteen tracks from labels like Philadelphia International Records, Buddah Records, Epic and Columbia. Featuring tracks from Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes, Billy Paul, M.F.S.B, The Trammps, The O’Jays, Philly Devotions and The Futures, it’s like a who’s who of Philly Soul. This all-star lineup continues with the songwriters, arrangers and producers. Among them are Gamble and Huff, McFadden, Whitehead and Carstarphen, John Davis, Jefferson, Simmons and Hakwes and Norman Harris to name but a few. Whether you’re a veteran of Philly Soul compilations like myself, or a relative newcomer, then there’s plenty to interest you on Backbeats: Philly Gems-More Philly Disco Floor-Fillers, which I’ll pick the highlights of.

What better way is there to open Backbeats: Philly Gems-More Philly Disco Floor-Fillers than with Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes’ The Love I Lost. This was a track from their sophomore album Black and Blue, which was released in 1973, on Philadelphia International Records. It reached number fifty-seven in the US Billboard 200 and number five in the US R&B Charts. When The Love I Lost was released as single, it reached number seven in the US Billboard 100 charts and number one in the R&B Charts. That’s no surprise though, as Teddy’s heartbroken, emotive vamp was a career defining vocal, resulting in the track becoming a Philly Soul classic.

Gamble and Huff had guided The Intruders career since their 1967 debut album The Intruders Are Together. This included signing them to Gamble Records, then Philadelphia International and  producing their 1968 number one single Cowboys To Girls. With McFadden and Whitehead, Gamble and Huff cowrote Save The Children, the title-track to their 1973 album. Released in 1973, Save The Children was their fourth album. It reached number 133 in the US Billboard 200 and number twelve in the US R&B Charts. When Save The Children, which was produced by Gamble and Huff, was released as a single, it fared better reaching number thirty-six in the US Billboard 100 and number six in the US R&B Charts. Beautiful, soulful and heartfelt, it’s a potent reminder of one of Philly Soul’s most underrated groups.

What many people forget, is that there’s much more to Philly Soul than the music released on Philadelphia International Records. Proof of this is the Philly Devotions’ I Just Can’t Say Goodbye. Originally released on Don Re in 1974, it was rereleased in 1975 on Columbia. Sadly, its release on Columbia didn’t achieve the hit the record label had hoped for. Written and produced by John Davis, this single epitomizes Philly Soul. Matthew Covington’s lead vocal is not unlike Russell Tompkins of The Stylistics, as he lays bare his soul with swathes of strings and cascading harmonies for company.

During his eight-year spell at Philadelphia International Records, Billy Paul released nine albums, and in the process, become the label’s first male superstar. People Power was from his 1975 album When Love Is New. It reached number 139 in the US Billboard 200 and number seventeen in the US R&B Charts. People Power reached number eighty-two in the US R&B Charts and number fourteen in the US Disco Charts. When Love Is New was a combination of beautiful love songs and songs filled with social and political comment. The album opener People Power, was written by McFadden and Whitehead with Victor Castarphen. Thirty-eight years later, this soulful call for unity and action is just as relevant.

The Futures’ Party Time Man is a tale of escapism from the 9-5, Monday to Friday drudgery. Party Time Man was a track from The Futures’ sophomore album Past, Present and Futures. Released in 1978, on Philadelphia International Records, it stalled at number ninety-four in the US R&B Charts. Written Ted Marchall and Sherman Marshall, who produced the track, this hook-laden, dance-track benefits from The Sweethearts of Sigma’s joyous harmonies. They’re the perfect foil to The Futures on a track that’s became synonymous with them.

Love Epidemic was originally released by The Trammps in 1973, on Golden Fleece Records. This was a label owned by the Baker, Harris, Young rhythm section, who produced the track. It was written by Leroy Green and Norman Harris and reached number seventy-five in the US R&B Charts. Two years later, Love Epidemic featured on The Trammps debut album Trammps, released on Golden Fleece. Trammps was an early disco album, and reached number 159 in the US Billboard 200 and number thirty in the US R&B Charts. Along with Where Do We Go From Here, Love Epidemic is one of the highlights of Trammps and features the vocal prowess of the late Jimmy Ellis, disco preacher par excellence.

Of all the artists on Backbeats: Philly Gems-More Philly Disco Floor-Fillers, David Morris Jr. might not have had the longest or most successful career, but he’s responsible for one of the most soulful offerings. Midnight Lady was released on Buddah Records in 1976. Produced by Ed Biggins, Bud Ross and Bobby “Electronic” Eli, who arranged the track, this is a real hidden gem that even many Philly Soul fans won’t be aware of. Incidentally, the B-side of Midnight Lady, Jack In The Box, features on Tom Moulton’s forthcoming compilation Philly Re-Grooved Volume 3.

By 1975, Anacostia had been signed to Columbia Records for three years. During that period, success had eluded them. They’d released four singles, to little or no success. Something had to give. So in 1975, Columbia hooked them up with one of the hottest production teams of the time..Baker, Harris, Young. The legendary rhythm section and production team transformed the Tom Boyd penned All I Need into a delicious slice of Philly Soul. Soulful, dance-floor friendly and thirty-eight years later, is a truly timeless track, one that deserves a wider audience.

One of the most recognizable songs on Backbeats: Philly Gems-More Philly Disco Floor-Fillers is The O’Jays’ Love Train. It reached number one in the US Billboard 100 and US R&B Charts in 1973. Love Train was a track from Backstabbers, The O’Jays first album for Philadelphia International Records. Backstabbers reached number ten in the US Billboard 200 and number three in the US R&B Charts. This started a run where The O’Jays next eight albums were certified either gold or platinum. Crucial to The O’Jays success were M.F.S.B. Here, the original lineup of M.F.SB. featuring the Baker, Harris, Young rhythm section, vibes virtuosos Vince Montana Jr, percussionist Larry and guitarist Bobby “Electronic” Eli kick loose. Not only did M.F.S.B. help transform The O’Jays into Philly Soul’s most successful group, but provide the backdrop for one of their most joyous and uplifting songs, Love Train, a musical slice of sunshine.

My final choice from Backbeats: Philly Gems-More Philly Disco Floor-Fillers is M.F.S.B’s Love Is The Message. This was the title-track to their 1973 album. It reached number four in the US Billboard 200 and number one in the US R&B Charts. When Love Is The Message was released as a single, it only reached number eighty-five in the US Billboard 100 and number forty-two in the US R&B Charts. What Love Is The Message demonstrates, is how important a role M.F.S.B. played in the Philadelphia International Records’ success story. Often their role is overlooked or underestimated. That should never be allowed to happen. Listen to Love Is The Message and you’ll hear some of the greatest musicians of the seventies in full flight. Quite simply, it’s a joy to behold.

Having looked forward to the hearing Backbeats: Philly Gems-More Philly Disco Floor-Fillers, I wasn’t disappointed. Compiler Ralph Tee has dug deep, and come up with a combination of familiar tracks and hidden gems. This mixture of the familiar and unfamiliar means Backbeats: Philly Gems-More Philly Disco Floor-Fillers will appeal to different types of buyers. Familiar tracks from Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes, Biilly Paul, The Futures, The Trammps, The O’Jays and M.F.S.B. will appeal to either to newcomers to Philly Soul or occasional compilation buyers. What I refer to as hidden gems, including Gateway, David Morris Jr, City Limits and Anacostia will appeal to veterans of Philly Soul compilations. So, compiler Ralph Tee has managed to find a happy medium between Philly Soul classics and hidden gems. What he’s also done, is proved that there’s more to Philly Soul than Philadelphia International Records.

For many people, Philly Soul starts and ends with Philadelphia International Records. How wrong could they be? There’s much, much more to Philly Soul than one label, albeit Philly Soul’s most critically acclaimed and commercially successful labels. Many labels, both big and small, released Philly Soul. Philly Groove Records, Don Re, SAM Records, Atlantic, Atco, Epic and Columbia are just a few of the labels who released Philly Soul. Overlook these labels at your peril. If you do, you’ll miss out on some of the greatest Philly Soul ever released. This would included The Spinners, The Stylistics and The Delfonics, all produced by Thom Bell. You’d also overlook many of the artists Richard Rome, John Davis and Norman Harris produced. So you’d never hear the delights of Blue Magic, First Choice, Major Harris and The Ritchie Family. That would be a great shame, these artists and producers were responsible for some of Philly Soul’s finest moments.

Not only does Backbeats: Philly Gems-More Philly Disco Floor-Fillers feature some of Philly Soul’s finest moments, but features forgotten and hidden gems. They’re given new life and introduced to a new, and wider audience by compiler Ralph Tee on Backbeats: Philly Gems-More Philly Disco Floor-Fillers, which will be released by Harmless Records on 20th May 2013. So whether you’re a veteran of Philly Soul or relative newcomer to Philly Soul, then Backbeats: Philly Gems-More Philly Disco Floor-Fillers is essential listening. Standout Tracks: Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes’ The Love I Lost, Billy Paul People Power, David Morris Jr. Midnight Lady and M.F.S.B. Love Is The Message.

BACKBEATS: PHILLY GEMS-MORE PHILLY DISCO FLOOR-FILLERS.

For many people, the first time they heard of Paul Randolph, was when they heard his track Soldier on the eight-track Offering Recordings Ade Sampler 2012. Paul Randolph was in good company, given the artists that featured on Offering Recordings Ade Sampler 2012. Idrissa Sissoko, Ade Alafia Adio, Sage Monk, Mammy Wata and Sons of Arhat all featured on Offering Recordings Ade Sampler 2012. In many ways, this was Offering Recordings showing the music industry how many talented artists they’d signed. One of most talented and up-and-coming artists was Paul Randolph. It was obvious from the first time you heard Soldier. Now, the next step in introducing Paul Randolph to a much wider audience swings into action with his forthcoming E.P. Soldier. This however, is no ordinary E.P. Quite the opposite. Instead, it’s a mammoth eleven track E.P. Rather than one Soldier, it’s more like a platoon. Before I tell you about the Soldier E.P, I’ll tell you about Paul Randolph.

When it comes to musical pedigrees, Paul Randolph’s is second to none. He comes from a musical family and was born in one of America’s most famous musical cities…Philadelphia. Paul first began his musical journey as a child playing guitar. Then when he was six, his family moved to Brazil. That transformed his life. Not only did he become fluent in a second language, but immersed himself in music, which in Brazil, is part of the culture. This included studying guitar with the same Brazilian tutor as his father. By the time Paul was a teenager, his family were on the move again.

Next stop for Paul was Detroit, another a musical city. Although Paul graduated from  Central Michigan with a degree in marketing, music was his first love. Throughout his university course, music was ever-present. He played in the Detroit area, and by this time, had mastered percussion and bass. After graduating, Paul has made music his career, and worked with a number of well-known artists.

Among the artists Paul has accompanied, are Odetta, Tony Allen, Dennis Coffey and Johnny Johnston. After that, Paul was lead singer of Mudpuppy, a Detroit based group whose music was inspired by New Orleans funk and blues. Following his departure from Mudpuppy, Paul accompanied Amp Fiddler, Carl Craig, iSoul8, Catz ‘n’ Dogz and Zed Bias to mention just a few names. Paul Randolph it seems is a versatile musician, whose equally comfortable playing funk, blues, Nu-Soul and electronic music. Regardless of the musical genre, Paul can play it. As well as being a member of Mudpuppy, Paul has also released a trio of albums.

Paul’s debut album was 2004s This Is…What It Is, which was released on Mahogani Music. Three years later, Lonely Eden was released in 2007 on Still Music, with Echoes Of Lonely Eden following in 2010. Despite not releasing an album since 2010, Paul has been busier than ever. During 2012, he released seven projects, including collaborating with Jazzanova. Then late last year, came Paul Randolph’s first release for Offering Recordings. Straight away, it was obvious that Paul Randolph was a man with a big future in music ahead of him. Soldier is a tantalizing taste of Paul Randolph’s talents. On the Soldier E.P. there’s not just one, two or three versions of soldiers, but a might eleven versions, which I’ll pick the highlights of.

Just a lone acoustic guitar opens the Main Mix of Soldier, before drums and percussion enter, giving the track an African Roots sound. Then Paul throws a curveball. His tender vocal is accompanied by pounding drums. Now the track head in the direction of the dance-floor. Synth, keyboards and backing vocalists join the percussion and acoustic guitar as African Roots meets deep house. Paul teases and tantalizes the listener, dropping the tempo before building the track back up. This results in a track that’s compelling, catchy and beautiful oh and very dance-floor friendly.

Apart from the Main Mix of Soldier, another of the highlights of the Soldier E.P. are the Radio Mix. It’s just four minutes long, two minutes shorter than the Main Mix. This seems to result in a much more potent and powerful track. Somehow, it’s even catchier, not unlike to a call to dance, but one you can’t resist. Best to submit to its charms. Talking of infectiously catchy, dance-floor fillers, that’s a good way to describe the Daz i Kue Vocal Mix and the eleven-minute GiKu Remix. They’re two of the best of vocal remixes. 

Showing a very different side to Soldier are the instrumental or dub versions. Choosing between the various remixes isn’t easy, given their consistent quality. However, Boddhi Satva is responsible for peerless dub remixes. These are the Ancestral Dub and Dubthrudamental Mix. Along with the Instrumental and Kickless Remixes, the eleven remixes on Paul Randolph’s Soldier E.P. have one thing in common…their quality.

While there are nine different remixes of Soldier on the E.P. this isn’t overkill. Not at all. Each of the nine remixes bring something new, compelling and captivating to the original version of Soldier, which is a quite beautiful song. Soldier is also melancholy, wistful, emotive and haunting. It’s all these things and much more. I’d describe it as one of these tracks that stay with you. It’s not just memorable, but makes you think and asks questions of you. If only more music like this.

Listening to Paul Randolph’s eleven track E.P. Soldier, it’s obvious Paul is a hugely talented singer, songwriter, musician and producer. He has a great future ahead of him. Not only did Paul write Soldier, but produced the track and arranged it with Boddhi Satve. Soldier is just a tantalizing taste of what’s to come from Paul Randolph. Hopefully, it won’t be too long until the release of Paul Randolph’s next album. Until then, you’ll be able to enjoy Paul’s forthcoming E.P. Soldier, which will soon be released by Offering Recordings.

PAUL RANDOLPH-SOLDIER.

Although Johnny De Mairo’s name is synonymous with Henry Street Records, the label he founded with Tommy Musto in 1993, that wasn’t the only label he founded. Not at all. Once Henry Street Records was an established label, and had forged a reputation as one of the most innovative and influential labels in house music, Johnny D decided to found a new label. There was a good reason for this. Henry Street Records had established a reputation for specializing in releasing soulful house that had been influenced by disco. Johnny wanted to release a much more eclectic selection of music. So, a few years after founding Henry Street Records, Johnny D founded Muggsy Records.

Originally, Johnny planned to release music with a more tribal sound on Muggsy Records. This tribal sound would launch Johnny D’s nascent label. The problem was, finding the right track. That wasn’t going to be easy. Then fate, luck or the musical gods intervened. Chris “TKC” Staropoii approached Johnny D with a track entitled Black Jack. It was the perfect track, with the sound Johnny was looking for. Not only was it tribal, but had a harder sound and was innovative. Without hesitation, Johnny D signed Chris “TKC” Staropoii to Muggsy Records. Black Jack became the first single released on Johnny D’s newly founded Muggsy Records. Soon, Muggsy Records were releasing tracks by some of house music’s luminaries, including Chicago’s Robbie Rivera and Ralphi Rosario, Miami’s Mike “Da Mooch” Mucci and New York’s Kenny Dope and Johnick, Kenny D’s studio partnership with Nick Palermo. Tracks from each of these innovative producers feature on The Muggsy Story, which will be released by BBE Music on 27th May 2013. Before I tell you about the music on The Muggsy Story, I’ll tell you about Johnny D’s career.

Johnny DeMairo was just twelve when he started learning to mix. Armed with a pair of Lafayette T-2000s, Johnny took the first step in his DJ-ing career. Quickly, Johnny managed to master his set of Lafayette T-2000s. A year later, Johnny graduated from the Lafayette T-2000s to a new set of Technics 1200 Mk IIs. Soon, Johnny was DJ-ing in his local neighborhood. Next step were block parties, where he’d meet older and more experienced DJs. Undeterred, and with an impressive array of records, Johnny soon won over the older DJs, with his skill and choice of music. His selection of music was eclectic to say the least. Italo disco and Led Zeppelin sat next to classics on the West End and Prelude labels. Having impressed his peers with his skills, he’d soon meet a DJ whose skills would impress Johnny no end.

Aged fourteen and helped by a fake id, Johnny gained entry to New York’s hottest nightclub, Studio 54, where he meet resident DJ Leroy Washington. His mixing skills on a set of Thorens’ turntables blew Johnny away. Leroy mixed every type of music, all with impeccable timing and stunning mixing skills. Leroy was just one of a series of people who’d inspire Johnny, and a year later, Johnny would have his own residency.

When Johnny was fifteen, he met Danny Cole, a Brooklyn DJ who had a residency on Friday and Saturday nights at Brooklyn’s Plaza Suite. Danny invited Johnny to join him. This wasn’t Johnny’s only job. He played at parties and held down a job in his family’s business. This allowed him to continue building his record collection, which now numbers eighty-thousand records. These records would find their way into his DJ sets. Around this time, he met another DJ who’d become a huge influence in Johnny’s career, Shep Pettibone.

Back then, Shep Pettibone was one of the hottest DJs on New York radio. Along with Frankie Crocker, they ruled New York’s airwaves on Kiss FM. Johnny was impressed by Shep’s reediting and mixing skill. Lke Leroy Washington, Shep influenced Johnny’s career. So too did freestyle DJs The Latin Rascals and The Dynamic Duo. All of these DJs influenced Johnny’s DJ career. 

Through meeting DJ at record pools and in clubs, Johnny soon had numerous contacts among New York’s music community. However, he needed contacts further afield. To do this, he got a job at Vince Pellegrino’s promotion company the Street Information Network. This allowed Johnny to network with DJs worldwide. After leaving the Street Information Network, Johnny worked for Atlantic Records. During this time, Johnny founded Henry Street Records in 1993 with Tommy Musto. Five years later, Henry Street Records was an established label. The time was right for Johnny D to launch his new label Muggsy Records, which released a much more eclectic selection of music. You’ll realize that when I tell you about The Muggsy Story.

Opening The Muggsy Story is the single that launched Muggsy Records. This is TKC’s Black Jack. Released in 1998, Black Jack it’s a real slow burner. Gradually, the arrangement unfolds. It’s if not wanting to reveal its secrets. Having said that, it’s well worth the wait. The arrangement has a tribal sound from the get-go, before TKC introduces a sample of Steely Dan’s Do It Again. Its familiar sound is swathed in filters, percussion and echo. From there, TKC relentlessly teases you, gradually revealing its secrets, subtleties and charms.

Brutal Bill has three tracks on The Muggsy Story. The first is Brutal Bill Presents The Funkryders’ Woman of Angels. This four-track E.P. was released in 1998 and features three different mixes of Woman Of Angels, including the Whiskey-A-Go-Go Mix. Produced by “Brutal Bill” Marquez, Woman Of Angels samples The Doors’ classic Riders On The Storm. Here musical influences old and new are combined, including house and sixties, psychedelic rock. Adding a trademark house sound are thunderous drums. They’re joined by hissing hi-hats and percussion, which add to the drama. Having built up the drama, they’re joined by that unmistakable sample. Memorable and moody, it floats in, proving the perfect foil for the jacking arrangement. The result is a dramatic, memorable and melodic track.

The second track from Brutal Bill is the Club Mix of Do You Know About Love. This was Brutal Bill presents Soul Function’s single from 2000. Produced by “Brutal Bill” Marquez, this is quite different to Woman Of Angels. It’s best describes as a track that’s soulful, jazz-tinged and funky. Seamlessly, this fusion of musical influences unites, resulting in an irresistibly catchy, dance-floor friendly track.

Da Mooch’s Twist The Knob was released back in 1998. It was a five-track E.P. produced by Miami producer Mike “Da Mooch” Mucci. From the opening bars, you’re smitten. Resisting the charms and delights of this track isn’t easy. No wonder. Like so much of the music Henry Street Music released, here it’s house music with a strong disco influence. Waves of the arrangement unfold, while a diva-esque vocal delivers a strutting, vocal Magnus Opus.

Most people know Kenny Dope as one half of Masters At Work. That’s unfair though. Kenny has enjoyed a successful solo career, both as a producer and DJ. Proof of this is Kenny “Dope” Presents DBX’s And There Aint. Released in 1998, And There Ain’t was a three-track E.P, which featured Troopa’s Deep Mix. Opening with a sample of Young and Company’s I Like (What You’re Doing To Me), you embark upon a hypnotic and irresistible journey. Hectic, funky, soulful and melodic, here’s a track guaranteed to still fill any dance-floor.

Next up, are two back-to-back tracks from JohNick Presents The Sopranos. First up is, Is It Really Real, the title-track from an E.P. released in 2000. It has that trademark JohNick sound, where house has been heavily influenced by classic disco. That’s definitely the case here. Uplifting, joyous and with a plentiful supply of hooks, this is house with a strong disco influence. Quite simply, it’s the best track on The Muggsy Story. Coming a close second is the other contribution from JohNick presents The Sopranos. This is First and Henry, a track from their 1999 Untitled E.P. Quite simply, this is a totally timeless and irresistible track. One listen and you’ll be smitten.

Brutal Bill’s third contribution is Disko-Tek, a track from his 1999 E.P, The Disko-Tek. It’s drama-laden from the opening bars. Wave upon wave of driving, dramatic music unfolds. Classic seventies disco and nineties house become one. It’s as if the eighties never existed, and that the decade that taste forgot, was but a nightmare. With the cascading vocal, stomping beat and memorable melody, you’re swept along, above waves of glorious music.

Da Mooch’s other contribution to The Muggsy Story is That’s What It Is. Listening to this track, it’s hard to believe that it was released in 1999, as part of the That’s What It Is E.P. Given how good a track Twist The Knob was, Da Mooch has a lot to live up to. He rises to the challenge, mixing his familiar fusion of classic disco and house. Key to the disco influence is the strident, sassy vocal. He adds to this, elements of soul and jazz. The result is an eclectic track, one worthy of baring the Muggsy Records’ label.

Closing The Muggsy Story is Ralphi Rosario’s You Used To Hold Me. Released in 1998, this version is Ralphi’s Salsa Mix. It doesn’t take long before you discover that what an infectiously catchy track. Keyboards, percussion and crispy drums accompany a vocal that’s best described as a strutting diva. The vocal is crucial to the track’s success, transforming a good track into a great track.

The ten tracks on The Muggsy Story are the perfect introduction to Johnny De Mairo’s “other” label. While most people remember Johnny D for Henry Street Records, overlooking Muggsy Records is something they should do at their peril. After all, Muggsy Records was a label that was synonymous with innovative, influential and eclectic music. Indeed, one of Johnny D’s reasons for founding Muggsy Records, was to release a much more eclectic selection of music. This was music that Henry Street Records might not release. Given Johnny D’s reputation within the music industry, he’d soon, some luminaries of house music beating a path to his new label’s door. With producers of the standard of Kenny “Dope” Gonzalez, Robbie Rivera, Ralphi Rosario, Mike “Da Mooch” Mucci, Brutal Bill and JohNick on their roster, Muggsy Records concentrated on quality not quantity. Better to release ten great tracks than twenty average tracks seems to be Johnny D’s thinking. So, while Muggsy Records may not have been one of the most prolific record labels, their releases had one thing in common…their quality. The ten tracks on The Muggsy Story which will be released by BBE Music on 27th May 2013 are proof of this. Standout Tracks: TKC Black Jack, JohNick Presents The Sopranos Is It Really Real, JohNick Presents The Sopranos First and Henry Street and Brutal Bill Disko-Tek.

THE MUGGSY STORY.

It doesn’t seem like a year since I was telling you about the delights of Keb Darge and Little Edith’s latest compilation Keb Darge and Little Edith’s Legendary Wild Rockers 2. However, a year has passed and during the previous twelve months, Keb Darge and Little Edith have been compiling another compilation. This is Keb Darge and Little Edith’s Legendary Wild Rockers 3, which will be released by BBE Music on 10th June 2013. Keb Darge and Little Edith’s Legendary Wild Rockers 3 features twenty slices of the rarest rockabilly and surf music from the fifties and sixtes. Now if Keb Darge and Little Edith’s Legendary Wild Rockers 3 matches the quality of Keb Darge and Little Edith’s Legendary Wild Rockers 2, then this compilation will be a must-have for music lovers everywhere. Is that the case though? That’s what I’ll tell you, once I’ve reminded you about the lift and times of Keb Darge DJ, record collector extraordinaire, compiler and founding father of “deep funk.”

Keb Darge was born in Elgin, Scotland, and from an early age, was absorbed in music. His first exposure to music was as a record collector. Having accumulated an impressive record collector, DJ-ing was the next step for Keb. He travelled around Scotland and eventually, to Wigan. The road to Wigan was a well travelled road for Scottish soul fans. Most headed to the Wigan Casino, whereas Keb landed a DJ residency near the casino. He continued to DJ until he was twenty-two, then decided to move to London.

After moved to London, Keb quit DJ-ing. Promoters persisted in asking him to DJ. Eventually, he relented, allowing London’s club-goers to experience the Northern Soul sound. Then disaster struck for Keb in 1987. His divorce saw him forced to sell his beloved record collection. Obviously, without records, a DJ-ing career wasn’t feasible. Heading out into civvy street, Keb tried various jobs to make ends meet. Then, when he rediscovered some records in his loft, this would change his career, and life. 

The pile of records that Keb discovered in his loft were what Keb called “junk records.” They included what was the beginning of what would become “deep funk.” Keb took this junk records to the Wag Club in 1989. Although this was the height of the Acid House’s popularity, the Wag Club was best known for Acid Jazz.  After the night ended at The Wag Club, Keb met fellow DJ and record collector Snowboy. This was the start of a long and successful partnership.

Snowboy and Keb transferred their deep funk night to another venue. Due to the popularity of house music, the night never gathered momentum. From there, they headed to Soho. This was the perfect venue. Their Legendary Deep Funk night became hugely successful. It was so successful that the new venue quickly establishing itself as a club. Keb continued to DJ at the Legendary Deep Funk night lasted until 2010, when he decided to quit. He still continues to DJ at a variety of venues, spinning his own unique brand of Northern Soul, rockabilly, early R&B and jump-blues. However, by 2010, Keb’s career was heading in different directions. Not only was he busy compiling compilations for various labels, but was running Kay Dee, a label he founded with Kenny Dope.

By 2010, Keb Darge had compiled various compilations, including several volumes of his Legendary Deep Funk, plus Soul Spectrum, Funk Spectrum and Lost and Found with Paul Weller. 2010 saw the release of the first of Keb Darge and Little Edith’s collaborations. In 2010, Keb Darge and Little Edith released Keb Darge and Little Edith’s Legendary Rockin’ R&B. Then in 2011, came the first installment in Keb and Little Edith’s new compilation series. 

Keb Darge and Little Edith’s Legendary Wild Rockers was released in July 2011, with Keb Darge and Little Edith’s Legendary Wild Rockers 2 following in July 2012. Now just eleven months later, Keb Darge and Little Edith’s Legendary Wild Rockers 3. Given how critically acclaimed Keb Darge and Little Edith’s Legendary Wild Rockers 2 was, Keb Darge and Little Edith’s Legendary Wild Rockers 3 has a lot to live up to. Can Keb Darge and Little Edith’s Legendary Wild Rockers 3 somehow surpass the quality of its predecessor? That’s what I’ll tell you, once I’ve told you about some of Keb Darge and Little Edith’s Legendary Wild Rockers 3 highlights.

Choosing the perfect track to open any album of compilation is never easy. Keb and Little Edith’s decision to open Keb Darge and Little Edith’s Legendary Wild Rockers 3 with Gamimian & His Oriental Music’s Come With Me To The Casbah, is a masterstroke. This is a track from the 1959 album Come With Me To The Casbah, which was released on Atco Records. After an intriguing introduction, a scorching slice of frantic R&B, with blazing horns driving the arrangement along, unfolds. Irresistibly catchy, funk, jazz, blues and world music crammed inspire and influence this track.

Anyone who loves surf music will love Angie & The Citations’ Headache. Quite simply, this is a track you must hear once in your life. That’s easier said than done. Only 150 copies of Heartache were pressed in 1963, when it was released by Angela Records. Some of the band didn’t even get a copy of Headache. They’re missing a stunning slice of surf music. After an understated introduction, the track literally explodes into life. Waves of music pour out of your speakers, and your taken of a magical, joyous musical journey. So good is this journey, that once it’s over, you can’t stop yourself reliving it again.

The great thing about compilations like Keb Darge and Little Edith’s Legendary Wild Rockers 3, is that you’re able to hear tracks that are extremely rare for the price of just one CD. Another of these tracks is Johnny Knight’s Rock & Roll Guitar. It was released in 1958, on Morocco Records. From the opening bars, the track is an explosion of energy, emotion and power that’s best described as rock ‘n’ roll and rockabilly combined.

Choosing just a few tracks from Keb Darge and Little Edith’s Legendary Wild Rockers 3 isn’t easy. After all, the quality of the music is so high. Indeed, on another day I might choose different tracks. One track I’d still choose is Tony & Jackie Lamie With The Swing Kings’ Sunset Blues. Released in 1958, on Sunset Records, country and rockabilly meet head-on, creating one of the compilation’s highlights.

Ever wondered where The Beatles got the inspiration for Magical Mystery Tour? Well, listen to the opening bars of The Shindigs’ Thunder Reef and you could have the answer. The similarities may be brief, but like Magical Mystery Tour, Thunder Reef is quality all the way. Rather than psychedelia, it’s surf music The Shindigs specialise in. Thunder Reef was the B-side to Wolfman, a single released in December 1964 on Mustang Records. Ironically, Thunder Reef was a much better track than Wolfman, never reaches the same heights as the flip side. Quite simply, Thunder Reef is a hidden gem and much better than Wolfman.

Johnny Powers With The Band Of Stan Getz & Tom Cats’ Rock Rock is another B-side. It was the B-Side to Johnny’s second single Long Blond Hair is, Red Rose Lips, which was released on Fox Records in 1957. Good as the A-side Long Blond Hair is, Red Rose Lips is, the irresistible and infectiously catchy Rock Rock surpasses it. So, it’s no wonder that Johnny enjoyed a long and successful musical career, signing to Sun Records and then Motown.

Eddie Gaines And The Rockin’ Five’s Be-Bop Battlin’ Ball was was the B-side to Try This Heart For SIze. It was released on Summit Records, in April 1958. Best described as raw, explosive and emotive, instantly, you’re transported back to the birth of rock ‘n’ roll by this vintage slice of vintage rockabilly.

The best way to describe Ray Taylor & Alabama Pals’ Connie Lou is a real fusion of musical genres. There’s elements of blues, rockabilly and country during this three minute track. As for Ray’s vocal, it’s not dissimilar to Johnny Cash in delivery and sound. While Connie Lou was the B-side to My Hamtramck Baby, it yet again demonstrates that you should always check the B-side to a single. If you don’t, you’re liable to miss hidden gems like Connie Lou.

Joe Lee and Orchestra’s Hang Out is quite different from other tracks on Keb Darge and Little Edith’s Legendary Wild Rockers 3. It was released on 1959, on Fernwood Records. Produced by the legendary Scotty Moore, again, it’s a captivating and dramatic, fusion of influences, including jazz, rockabilly and exotica.

Fittingly, my final choice from Keb Darge and Little Edith’s Legendary Wild Rockers 3 is the final track from the compilation. This is The Country Dudes’ Have A Ball. Released on 1959, on Dallas’ label Azalea, Have A Ball features a weary, wistful vocal from Clay Allan as seamlessly, The Country Dudes fuse country and rockabilly. Given the vocal and the lyrics, this is the best track on Keb Darge and Little Edith’s Legendary Wild Rockers 3.

Earlier I wondered whether Keb Darge and Little Edith’s Legendary Wild Rockers 3 would match or better the quality of their previous compilations? That’s a question I also posed a year ago. This year I wondered if this was possible to surpass their previous efforts? After all, they’d set the bar high. To do this, would be the musical equivalent of a Fosbury Flop. Then I wondered whether the previous volumes of Keb Darge and Little Edith’s Legendary Wild Rockers had exhausted their supply of hidden surf and rockabilly gems?

Thankfully, having set the bar high, Keb Darge and Little Edith’s Legendary Wild Rockers 3 surpasses the quality of the two previous volumes. This is testament to Keb’s encyclopedic knowledge of music. Quite simply, he knows where to dig for hidden gems. Keb knows where there are a few musical treats lying undiscovered, including many of the twenty slices of surf music and rockabilly that feature on Keb Darge and Little Edith’s Legendary Wild Rockers 3. It seems that Keb Darge and Little Edith haven’t exhausted their supply of hidden gems. Not at all. Keb Darge and Little Edith’s Legendary Wild Rockers 3 features another twenty glistening rockabilly and surf gems for your enjoyment.

Indeed, whether your preference is for rockabilly or surf, there’s plenty there for you to enjoy on Keb Darge and Little Edith’s Legendary Wild Rockers 3. From the opening bars of Gamimian & His Oriental Music’s Come With Me To The Casbah right through to the closing notes of The Country Dudes’ Have A Ballyou’re enthralled, captivated and in awe of Keb and Little Edith’s flawless musical taste. During Keb Darge and Little Edith’s Legendary Wild Rockers 3 you’ll continually wonder where this music has been all year life? However, many of these tracks are extremely rare. Even if you could find copies of the twenty tracks, you’ll need a second mortgage to buy them. Thankfully, you can save yourself the money, time and effort by buying a copy Keb Darge and Little Edith’s Legendary Wild Rockers 3, which will be released by BBE Music on 10th June 2013. If you can’t wait that long, you can always investigate the delights of Keb Darge and Little Edith’s Legendary Wild Rockers and Keb Darge and Little Edith’s Legendary Wild Rockers 2. By the time you’ve savored their delights, then it’ll be time for the release of Keb Darge and Little Edith’s Legendary Wild Rockers 3. Standout tracks: Angie & The Citations Headache, The Shindigs’ Thunder Reef, Joe Lee and Orchestra Hang Out and The Country Dudes’ Have A Ball.

KEB DARGE AND LITTLE EDITH’S LEGENDARY WILD ROCKERS 3.

In a previous article about Donny Hathaway, I mentioned how closely he had worked with Roberta Flack during his tragically, short career. I also mentioned how the pair were recording an album of duets just before his death. Ironically, the album that preceded Killing Me Softly, which was rereleased by WEA Japan on 30th April 2013, was an album of duets with Donny Hathaway. This was the first album of duets the pair had recorded entitled Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway. At the time of Donny’s death in 1979, they were recording a second album of duets, but had only recorded two songs before Donny tragically died. The two songs were released on Roberta Flack Featuring Donny Hathaway, which was released in March 1980. Like the first album of duets, it was certified gold, reaching number twenty-five in the Billboard 200 and number four in the US R&B Charts. However, it’s the album that followed 1972s’ Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway the first album of duets, that this article is about. That album is Roberta Flack’s 1973 album Killing Me Softly, which would become her biggest selling album.

By the time Killing Me Softly was released in 1973, Roberta Flack was a hugely successful artist. Three of her four previous albums had been certified gold, and the other platinum. Her debut album First Take, released in 1969, reached number one in both the US Billboard 200 and US R&B Charts, and was certified platinum. This was quite remarkable for a debut album, but when she released Chapter Two in 1970, it only reached number thirty-three in the Billboard 200. It however, was certified gold, as was her next two albums. They were 1971s’ Quiet Fire which reached number eighteen in the Billboard 200 and Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway, released in 1972, which reached number three in the Billboard 200. So, when Killing Me Softly was released in August 1973, on Atlantic Records, she was hoping to replicate the success of previous albums. Little did she know, that Killing Me Softly would prove to be the biggest selling album of her career. On the album’s release, it reached number three in the Billboard 200 and number two in the US R&B Charts, and was certified double platinum, selling over two million copies. In 1974, the album was nominated for a Grammy Award, but lost out to Stevie Wonder’s album Innervisions. This was just one of four Grammy Awards that Roberta had been nominated for. The other three were for a song that she would become synonymous with. 

One thing that must have helped sales of the album, was the success of the title track, Killing Me Softly WIth His Song, when it was released as a single. It reached number one in the Billboard Hot 100, spending four weeks there. Roberta won three Grammy Awards in 1974 for her version of the song, winning Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Best Pop Vocal By A Female Performer. Since then, a multitude of artists have recorded Killing Me Softly WIth His Song, but it’s widely recognized that Roberta’s version is the definitive version. One of the most recent versions was by hip hop group The Fugees in 1996. In 1999, Roberta’s version of the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and both Rolling Stone magazine and Billboard include the Killing Me Softly in their lists of the greatest songs of all time. Killing Me Softly is also the track that opens the album, which I’ll now tell you about.

Killing Me Softly opens with the title track, and a song that regardless of what she did before or after, Roberta Flack will always be synonymous with. Written by Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel and originally recorded by Lori Lieberman in 1971, it was two years later in January 1973, that Roberta made the song a huge hit. When the track opens, straight away, you’re enveloped in the song’s beauty. Roberta sings gently and tenderly, as multi-tracking backing vocals accompany her. Keyboards melodically play, a gentle acoustic guitar is strummed while a slow, thoughtful bass, subtle percussion and metronomic, atmospheric, drums accompany Roberta’s vocal. It’s a combination of tenderness and thoughtfulness, she delivers the lyrics with, bringing the beautiful lyrics to life. Meanwhile, guitars chime, while the bass sits at the bottom of the mix. Drums and percussion are used sparingly. The keyboards are at the heart of the arrangement, their soft melodic sound key to the success of the track. However, what made this track such a huge hit and a timeless classic is Roberta Flack’s delivery of some beautiful lyrics. Her voice and the key she sings the song in, is just perfect. Combine that with an arrangement that’s subtle and sympathetic, and you’ve the recipe for a timeless classic. 

The song that has to follow Killing Me Softly has a lot to live up to. After all, how do you follow one of the best songs ever recorded? Here, the track chosen is Jesse, written by Janis Ian, another slow and gentle track. It opens with piano and strings drenching the arrangement in pathos and sadness. When Roberta sings the lyrics she gets across the sadness of the lyrics about someone who is missing, and how they still await their safe return years later. Her delivery is perfect, bringing the lyrics to life, so much so, that you can almost picture the scenes unfolding before your eyes. Like Killing Me Softly, the arrangement is subtle, but here, it’s stripped down to piano, strings and bass. This is effective, suiting the song and Roberta’s delivery. Overall, it’s a lovely song, beautifully sung and arranged, even though lyrics have a slight saccharine quality.

No Tears (In the End) opens with a piano grandly playing before percussion enters. Things move up a gear when funk laden, chiming guitars reverberate, and the rhythm section enter. Roberta’s voice is louder and stronger, her delivery considered and confident. Horns blazing, inject their rasping sound, while the funky guitars and rhythm section help drive the song along. Later, what sounds like a gospel influenced choir of backing vocalists unite soulfully and brilliantly. They really help lift this song. Their voices combine really well with Roberta’s. A combination of great vocal and a much fuller, joyous sounding arrangement, make this an irresistible and excellent track. By the end of this bright, uptempo sounding track, a very different side of Roberta has become apparent. 

After a much more uptempo track, Roberta drops the tempo on I’m the Girl. It’s a song about love lost, and an old love affair, where she knew her partner loved someone else. Written by James Allan Shelton, it features another understated arrangement from producer Joel Dorn. Again, a piano and strings combine to accompany Roberta’s strong vocal, which again is thoughtful, but tinged with sadness. Apart from Roberta singing and playing piano, the arrangement features just strings and a really subtle contribution from an upright bass. This really suits the song, allowing Roberta’s vocal and delivery of the lyrics to take centre-stage. Her delivery of the track is hugely powerful, bathed in sadness, tinged with regret at what might have been. Like other tracks, she brings the song to life, allowing the listener to imagine the scenario unfolding scene by scene.

River, has a different sound and feel. Chiming guitars and rhythm section combine. Drums pound repetitively, their sound metronomic, controlled, before Roberta’s vocal enters. When it does, her voice is high, but always in control. Then, backing vocalists unite, accompanying her with their joyous, gospel tinged sound. This meeting of voices and styles really lifts the track, improves it. Still, the arrangement features just the guitars and rhythm section, with the drums at the forefront of the arrangement. Offering some variety are strings which sweep in, while the guitars seem to want to inject a modicum of funk into proceedings. What’s almost a wah-wah sound is straining at the leash, but is never unleashed. The same can be said of the track. Throughout it, I always expect it to break out into something joyous and beautiful, maybe Roberta interacting and feeding off the backing vocalists. Sadly this never happens, and it seems a missed opportunity. Instead, the track has a slightly flat feel and sound. Although not a bad track, it isn’t the best on the album by a long shot. 

Hopefully, Conversation Love will make amends for the previous track, River. Straight away, things sound promising, when a piano, flute, string and rhythm section combine with Roberta’s voice which is deeper, richer and charismatic. The arrangement is fuller, grander, with lush strings sweeping while the piano’s contribution is subtle, while the rhythm section provide the track’s heartbeat. Waves of music rise and fall dramatically, with the strings shimmering and sweeping beautifully, responsible for this. This is a much better track, mainly because of Roberta’s beautiful, considered delivery of the lyrics, and the much fuller arrangement, which is bathed in drama and atmosphere. It’s very much a return to form for Roberta, after the slight disappointment of the previous track.

Things change quite dramatically in terms of style on When You Smile, when Roberta rolls back the years, delivering the song in a style that brings to mind ragtime and big band music. The track bursts into life with rhythm section, piano and banjo combining with Roberta’s vocal. Her delivery of the lyrics is in a dramatic, big band style, with horns serenading her. Talking of the lyrics, they’ve a lovely sentiment, and you can’t help but smile when you hear them. Quite simply, you can’t help but be seduced by the catchiness of the track, it’s totally melodic and hook laden. A combination of an excellent vocal and infectiously catchy arrangement by Joel Dorn easily make this one of the track’s highlights.

Killing Me Softly closes with a cover of a Leonard Cohen track Suzanne, which Roberta delivers dramatically and thoughtfully, against a suitably subtle arrangement. It’s an epic version of this song lasting nine and a half minutes, and is up there with Leonard Cohen’s version of the song, as the definitive version. As the track opens it’s just piano and percussion that combine before keyboards and bass then enter. They play gently, subtly and thoughtfully before Roberta’s tender and gentle vocal enters. Straight away, it’s apparent Roberta’s slowed down version is transforming the song totally. She seem to enliven the lyrics, so much so, that you can visualize and empathize with Suzanne’s plight. During the track, the tempo rises and falls, with the arrangement a mixture of subtle and dramatic. Both the piano and strings are responsible for increasing both the tempo and drama, while a combination of melodic keyboards, gentle chiming guitars, percussion and rhythm section all play with a subtlety. Like the arrangement, Roberta’s vocal rises dramatically, demonstrating her power and versatility, delivering the lyrics with drama, passion and soul. By the end of the track, I’ve come to the conclusion that this is my favorite version of the song. I even prefer it to Leonard Cohen’s original version. To me, the combination of Roberta’s excellent vocal and an arrangement that’s a mixture of drama and subtlety transform this song totally. Just as the album opened with a brilliant song in Killing Me Softly, Suzanne provides a fitting ending to the album.

I’d long planned to write about Killing Me Softly, hich was rereleased by WEA Japan on 30th April 2013, since I wrote about Donny Hathaway’s album Everything Is Everything. My reason for wanting to write about this album is that when people talk about R&B and soul music nowadays, people seem to forget about Roberta Flack. This to me is strange considering how hugely successful a career she had. Between 1969 and 2003, she had seven albums and five singles that were certified gold and three albums that were certified platinum. That demonstrates just how huge a star she was. Nowadays, people seem to remember her for two of her most successful singles The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face and Killing Me Softly. One of my reasons for writing this article was to remind people that there was much more to Roberta’s career than these two singles. Granted both are brilliant songs, with Killing Me Softly being the outstanding track on the album Killing Me Softly. On that album, Roberta demonstrates her versatility and talent as a vocalist, singing songs in different styles, including soul, jazz and R&B. Killing Me Softly is an excellent album, containing some wonderful music. Apart from Killing Me Softly, the album contains an outstanding version of Suzanne, a Leonard Cohen song, and When You Smile which features an arrangement that has its roots in ragtime and big band music. These are just some of the great tracks to be found on this album. Should you have never heard Roberta Flack’s music, Killing Me Softly and First Take are the perfect introduction to the career of a hugely talented singer, songwriter and musician. Standout Tracks: Killing Me Softly WIth His Song, I’m the Girl, When You Smile and Suzanne.

ROBERTA FLACK-KILLING ME SOFTLY.