Disco`s Not Dead.

Or Disco Nouveau as they are calling back in the UK. Disco fever is back in the article by Hanna Hanra, she interviews Jim Stanton, who started the iconic Horse Meat Disco in South London. Who says “When times are good, you could argue that people get turned on by darker, edgier music, such as drum’n’bass or electro. As soon as life gets harder, people look for something more uplifting, which is where disco comes in — it’s an escape....And i guess he could be right with all the huge uncertainties facing people all over the world.

But back in the late 70`s, when the times was so much harder, to us hip West End kids the dedicated followers of everything funky, we disliked the term disco. Disco was that light, cheesy, camp sound that we disliked, but disco also had a more harder percussive & edgier bass sound that was more to our taste, we called it Boogie.

At clubs like Crackers, Global Village - under the arches in Charing Cross, DJ Greg Edwards "The Best Disco in Town at the Lyceum, they played that sound. Import American 12" extended mixes, invented by Tom Moulton with longer instrumental beat sections especially for the DJ's to mix on their Technics SL-1200 , could be heard thumping around these dancefloors. From record labels like WestEnd, Prelude, SalSoul, T.K., AVI, Vanguard and Casablanca. From artists like Odyssey, Dynasty, Fat Back Band, Teena Marie, Brass Construction, Crown Heights Affair, Earth Wind and Fire, GQ, Shalamar, The SalSoul Orchestra, Chic, the list is endless!

So if this New Years Eve, your getting ready to glam & glitzy up to party, here`s a couple of tunes to bump too. One track that was massive on the Crackers dancefloor in `77 was this fine specimem of Boogie heaven. The name El Coco was in fact a cheeky drug reference to the stimulent of the time.

El Coco - cocomotion


And another outstanding track that is so very hard to find these days on Vigor records from `76, Rhythm Makers went on to become the band GQ. (shame it cuts off at the end)

Rhythm Makers - zone



Hope you all have a great time, and mytea@om wishes you all a very happy New Year....I`m off to the country for a few days, so see you all in 2009.

El Coco - 'cocomotion' (mp3 download)

2 Step Killers!

A couple of mid-tempo 2 step killers for your sunday....first up is a beautiful track by Walter Jackson titled "Its Cool", pure Chicago smoothness ....Normally known for his R&B Soul tracks on the Okeh label , this was his last ever recording in 1983. WJ passed away only 3 days after Chi-Sound released the tune.

Walter Jackson - "It's Cool"


And then the unmistakable Mr Gene Harris with a jazz/funk stomper of a tune, lifted from his Blue Note album Astral signal recorded in `74 later to be reworked by Bugz in The Attic.
Enjoy!

Gene Harris - "losalamitoslatinfunklovesong"


Gene Harris - "losalamitoslatinfunklovesong" (mp3 download)

Tribute: Eartha Kitt R.I.P.

January 17th 1927 – December 25th 2008

There always seems to be some sad news over christmas time and the passing of sultry jazz singer and actress Eartha Kitt on Christmas day aged 81, is no exception..For those that have never heard of Ms Kitt she was the self-proclaimed 'sex kitten', who was famous for her catlike purr of a voice. Escaping a humble childhood in the cotton fields of North Carolina, the sultry singer rose to international fame for her sensuality, elegance and forthright views. While filling in for a cabaret singer in Paris her raw talent was spotted by Hollywood legend Orson Welles. He called her 'the most exciting woman in the world' and cast her in the starring role of Helen of Troy in his 1950 production of Dr Faustus. Broadway stardom led to a recording contract and a succession of best-selling records including "Love For Sale""Folk Tales of the Tribes of Africa" ,"Lets Do It Baby" 'Under the Bridges of Paris' and 'Santa Baby'. I remember watching her as Catwoman in the 60`s TV show Batman.

mytea@om pays tribute to a outstanding talent the world will find hard to replace..R.I.P. Eartha

C'est Si Bon - 1962


Portrait of a Catwoman

Its Christmas!

To all you lovely people, have a great holiday.

"Remember before you go
Eat da chicken and the ri-ice, eh
Waiting pon da table also, eh
Full yo' belly fooly bo-oy"

Eek a Mouse - christmas a come


Eek A Mouse - "christmas a come" (mp3 download)

"The Way Of The Dub" Vol.3

As we all get busy over this time of year, i wanted to offer up Vol. 3 of TWOTD as a special little chrissy present from me to you. Hope you all enjoy it and play it over your holidays no matter where you are. I also wanted to thank you all for continuing to revisit the blog since we started and hopefully will continue to do so into 2009.

So big up yo`self.

Wishing you all a peaceful, loving and enjoyable holiday with your family & friends.
The things that really matter, life, love and unity!

(download 151.26mb)

TRACKLISTING
crusher dub - vex'd
plan b version - dub terror all stars
shining dub - aswad
tense pon a bench - winston mcanuff
revolution solution dub - thievery corporation featuring perry farrell
life, love and unity - dreadzone
prophecy dub - selassie i rockers
police in helicopter - john holt & congo natty
rockers remix - matty g.
anambra dub - prince far-i
travelling version - all nation rockers feat roots
hooligan stew - junior delgado
far east - barry brown
words, sounds & dubwise - king tubby

Hunting Up Wind!

I was reminded of Sadao Watanabe the other night whilst in a jazzy conversation with a japanese friend of mine and he was amazed i actually had this track back in my library in London. So here`s the classic jazz/funk monster that was such a groover on that scene in the late 70`s in London Town. Released on Flying Disk Records in`78, it included the likes of Dave Grusin on Acoustic & Rhodes Piano, Harvey Mason on Drums and Paulinho DaCosta on percussion......Niceeeeee!!

So dust off those dancin` shoes and have a jig around the kitchen!

Sadao Watanabe & Hiroshi Fukumura - "hunt up wind"


Fukamura Hiroshi & Sadao Watanabe - "hunt up wind" (mp3 download)

Ice Cream Love!

Watch this, its just great. Bringing Jah sounds to the masses inna mobile ice cream van....nuff respexxx!





Johnny Osbourne - "ice cream love" (mp3 download)

Soul Sistas!

Lifted from her 1971 Album "I Love The Way You Love" on Alston records.
Betty Wright delivers here a classic track of quality soul. It reached number 5 on both the Billboard hott 100 & R&B charts and sold over a million copies....top class!!!

Betty Wright-"clean up woman"


Betty Wright - "clean up women" (mp3 download)

"Gimme That Funk" # 10

Reaching number 10 in the GTF series, here`s the backing band to the sadly departed Grover Washington Jr ..This track was from their 1980 Arista Records release of the same name, produced by the excellent drummer Mr Harvey Mason who was considered by many as one of the finest jazz/funk drummers of his time. A tight funky jam that you`ll ever find. The LP also includes "Far Beyond" which is mostly known for being tranformed into a sampled bassline for Basement Jaxx, 1999 club anthem "Red Alert".

Locksmith - "unlock the funk"


Locksmith - "unlock the funk" (mp3 downlaod)

Rockers Galore.

Something to chill with on a sunday afternoon. Josh Cheuse is an incredible photographer who in the 80's shot everybody from The Clash to Run DMC. This little doc was made after he came out with his coffee table book "Rockers Galore."

Run DMC and Teddy No Neck at Silvercup Studios, Queens, NY 1985 by Josh Cheuse

I fancy!!!

A little bit of weekend disco...how about you?

Quality lyrics.



Cherelle with Alexander O'Neal - "saturday love"(mp3 download)

The Beginning!

The Beginning came and went and i`ve only just got over it! Last saturday evening kicking off @ 10pm the first event of Club PI took place. The venue reverberated to the sound of Ska, Rocksteady, Northern Soul, Funk and all kinds of 60 & 70`s British Beat music.... A taster of what dropped on the night from my DJ set...



It was a great first night for the Club PI, the crowds enthusiasm for the sounds dropped by all the dj spinners was so refreshing, so a big thank you goes out to all the guys and girls who rocked the spot!!
Another track that caused a small amount of mayhem on the dance floor was this classic!!


Club PI vol.2 "Blue Beat Magic" has now been finalised and will take place on the 31st January 2009 with very special guest DJ BLUE of PureReggaeLondon fame.
So if your in town come and check it!

More info here:

Barbara Lynn - "movin on a groove"(mp3 download)

Music Is The Key!

A couple of tracks this week from an outstanding jazz-funk maestro Weldon Irvine, from his 1976 LP "Sinbad" on RCA Records. Inspired by the moving, artistic strength of Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder's '70s recordings, Irvine mixed energetic funky grooves with elegantly touching mellow pieces and created an astounding blend of Jazz and Soul that is still fresh 30 years on...Especially going out to my adoring wife and all that she puts up with!...Enjoy! and maybe share with the one you adore.





Weldon Irvine - "music is the key" (featuring don blackman on vocals)


Weldon Irvine - "i love you" (mp3 download)

"Gimme That Funk" # 9

Its about time we posted a JB track on the GTF series...so here he is with a massive groover lifted from the soundtrack of the 1973 blacksploitation film..."Slaughter's Big Rip-Off"



James Brown - "get up offa that thing" (mp3 download)

Covers: "Smiling Faces Sometimes"

Second one up in the covers series (I`m sure my mate Shiro will love this one) is a wonderful tune called "Smiling Faces Sometimes", It wasn`t a success when originally recorded by the Temptations in 1971. Coming in at 12 minutes long, most of which is comprised of extended instrumental passages without any vocals. An edited version was planned as the Temptations' summer of `71 single release, but this plan was dropped when Eddie Kendricks, the lead vocalist, frustrated by personnel problems within the group, quit the Band and signed a solo deal with Motown in March that same year.

The Vid is only 11 minutes of the orginal..the full version is in download below.

The Temptations



So the Producer Norman Whitfield had the song re-recorded by The Undisputed Truth and released that same year..it would become their only top 40 billboard hit.
Both versions deal with the same subject matter, "back-stabbing" friends who do their friends wrong behind their backs ("Smiling faces sometimes...they don't tell the truth...smiling faces sometimes tell lies")



From her 1972 "Dig This!" LP, here is Bobbi Humphrey with her beautiful instrumental version, Sampled by Common on "Puppy Chow." Enjoy!



Temptations - "smiling faces" (mp3 download)

Me & A Friend!

Well last night was the first time i got behind the decks, well CDJ`s in about 4 years and the feeling was so liberating. It was an event put on by a friend DJ mac-key at a great little Loft style room above an asian food establishment called "Magia" The vibe was excellent with a great little crowd into all the music dropped by the DJ`s akira, m-rah and mac-key..but the highlight of the evening was the live show half way through the evening by the guys who go by the name of C4 Blues Poem In The Bosom..a tech-jazz, afro-ambient floetry combo that divided the evening with some fantastic spiritual vibes...So this goes out especially to those guys, hope we can do it again soon.

C4 Blues Poem In The Bosom - LIVE


Wanda Robinson today known as Laini Mataka, is a 'jazz-poet' who released 2 LPs on Perception Records. In 1973, Wanda Released her second and last LP 'Me And A Friend'

Wanda Robinson - "because they envy us"

Bend Your Head Low

Just had to post this up for the weekend, remember a friend having this album but i could never find a copy.....So here it is and it still sounds amazing. Geoffery Stoner`s voice just soothes me away.. From the 1973 LP, "Watch Out" on Ovation Records.

download "check out of your mind"

"Gimme That Funk" # 8

As the sun starts to wane in many parts of the world except for you southerners...You lucky people! we carry on the GTF series with a serious bit of ole school groovin`...Remember purchasing the 45rpm of this in Groove records back in `78.

With great horns, guitar driven riff and infectious bass line this tune can still make a party jump!

The tightness on this track is amazing, the 45 also had a track called "Dance (Do What You Wanna Do)"on the flip side. From their LP "Sunburn" on capitol records.

Sun - "sun is here"


Sun - "sun is here" (mp3 download)

Motown`s 50th

Motown is about to celebrate its 50th anniversary and here at mytea@om we celebrate and respect the huge influence that one record label & sound has had on so many peoples live. Motown was in the 60`s'...The Sound Of Young America'

Here is some great footage of the 60`s UK Television music show Ready Steady Go, that i grew up watching with my older sister. This "Sound Of Motown TV special", was recorded at the Rediffusion studios in Kingsway, London on 18 March 1965.The Motown medley was with Smokey Robinson and The Miracles (Shop Around), The Supremes (Where Did Our Love Go). Followed by the finale 'Mickey's Monkey' with Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, and everyone else joining in: The Supremes, The Temptations, Martha Reeves and The Vandellas, Stevie Wonder, Dusty Springfield.,with the Earl Van Dyke Sextet.



The Sound Of Motown TV special was mainly Dusty Springfield's idea, to promote R&B music and artists in Britain..It's now been 20 years since anything's been heard of these TV shows. The "Rediffusion London" TV station ceased to exist after July 1968, when the franchise for commercial TV in the London region changed. Sadly, only a handful of their music shows have survived. Most of the RSG shows are now lost to history.

The UK Observer Newspaper has a three part documentary on the history of the Detroit label and talks to its stars about that golden age.
Motor city miracles: Part 1
Motor city miracles: Part 2
Motor city miracles: Part 3

Click here for a pictorial history of the label.

The Original Black President!

Fela Anikulapo-Kuti

"Lady/Water No Get Enemy"


Listen to The Afrobeat Revolutionary - Fela Kuti

The Worlds Greatest Record Collection.

This is a short film directed by Sean Dunne of veryape productions showing one man`s passion, a record collection that is a unique audio history of the 20th century . Paul Mawhinney was born and raised in Pittsburgh, USA. Over the course of his life he has amassed what has become the world's largest record collection consisting of 3 million vinyl records, 300,000 compact discs, Adding up too more than 6 million song titles. But now due to health issues, Paul is being forced to sell his collection which is consided to be worth around $50 million dollars...He is selling the whole collection for $3 million dollars and yet has still not had any offers. Its very sad that no person or organistion feels that this archive of music needs to be preserved for future generations

This is the story of a man and his records..

"Gimme That Funk" # 7

An excellent bit of funk that sounds a lot like early Kool & The Gang! and it's no surprise, too, because the 1972 album named after the band, was produced by Gene Redd and has a few Kool & The Gang covers (like "Funky Granny" and "Who's Gonna Take the Weight"), and was issued on the related Red Coach label. The group are head and shoulders above most other early 70s ensemble funk groups -- and have a very tight instrumental approach that was only matched by a few other combos, like the early Fatback Band.

Enjoy!

The Everyday People - "Gold Smoke"

Holy Thursday!

An expermentation in fusing jazz and rock sounds, David Axelrod's 1968 album "Song Of Innocense" is a very early example of the sound that would come to be known as jazz fusion. Producer, arranger, and engineer Axelrod made his mark with Cannonball Adderley, Lou Rawls, and the Electric Prunes. Song of Innocence made critics turn their heads in its day, regarding it as a visionary curiosity piece; today it's simply a great, timeless work of jazz rock art that continues to inspire over three decades after its initial release.....Classic!

download 

The Time For Change!

This Docu-film Zeitgeist: Addendum, attempts to locate the root causes of the pervasive social corruption inflicting the planet , while offering a solution. This solution is not based on politics, morality, laws, or any other "establishment" notions of human affairs,but rather on a modern, non-superstitious based understanding of what we are and how we align with nature, to which we are a part. The work advocates a new social system which is updated to present day knowledge, highly influenced by the life long work of Jacque Fresco and The Venus Project.

Think for yourself!!

Other language subtitle editions

"The Way Of The Dub" Vol.2

Because of the very positive feedback from my previous DJ mix, "The Way Of The Dub" Vol. 1, I was encouraged to select a second offering...So here it is Vol. 2.... We`re coming from a different angle this time, but always keeping the faith with the true originators....feedback is always welcome!

Hope ya all enjoy!

(download - 129.23mb)

Tracklist
line up - johny osbourne.
two bulls - 10 ft ganja plant
king of the empire - cornell campbell
i`m a jungalist - congo natty
red alert - artikal
jehoviah dub - jah shaka v fatman
under mi sensi - congo natty
kunte kinte - jah shaka
jumping master - mikey dread
natty dread nar run - barry brown
blood danza dub - scientist
Ites green and gold - johnny clarke

Covers: "Les Fleurs"

Here is a little series we can explore, of the great tunes that have been covered by various artists . First up is "Les Fleurs" An outstanding vocal track by Minnie Riperton on her first solo album after leaving the band Rotary Connection. Written by her husband Richard Rudolph and Charles Stepney. A shimmering soulful tune with beautiful strings, horny horns, jazzy piano, A cross between Burt Bacharach and Marvin Gaye.

Minnie Riperton - "Les Fleurs"


Here is 4hero`s version a musical journey with buildups and comedowns that just make your hair stand on end.

4hero - "Les Fleur" featuring Carina Anderson.

"Gimme That Funk" # 6

From the 1971 "New Generation" LP, here are the Chambers Brothers and "Funky." Sampled by Schoolly D on "Your Worst Nightmare" and A Tribe Called Quest on "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo." Enjoy!

Chambers Brothers - "Funky"



Chambers Brothers - "funky" (download)

Tribute: Levi Stubbs R.I.P.

The Four Tops - from left to right: Renaldo 'Obie' Benson, Lawrence Payton, Abdul 'Duke' Fakir and Levi Stubbs. Photograph: Harry Goodwin/Rex Features

Another sad day in mytea@om world as we hear of Levi Stubbs, lead singer of the Four Tops and the voice of Motown hits including "Reach Out (I'll Be There)" and "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)", has died aged 72. He died in his sleep at the Detroit house he shared with his wife of 48 years, Cliniece. He had not performed in recent years because of illness.
With Stubbs in the lead, the Four Tops sold millions of records and performed for more than four decades without a change in personnel. Former Motown labelmate Smokey Robinson said: "Levi Stubbs was one of the great voices of all times. He was very near and dear to my heart."

The group signed with Motown Records in 1963 and produced 20 Top-40 hits over the next decade. Their biggest hits were recorded between 1964 and 1967 with I Can't Help Myself and Reach Out reaching No 1 on the Billboard pop chart.
Barry Gordy, who founded Motown, said: "It is not only a tremendous personal loss for me but for the Motown family, and people all over the world who were touched by his rare voice and remarkable spirit."
Stubbs "fits right up there with all the icons of Motown," said Audley Smith, of the Motown Historical Museum. "His voice was as unique as Marvin [Gaye's] or as Smokey's or as Stevie [Wonder's]."
Stubbs once told the LA Times: "I don't really even have a style; I just come by the way I sing naturally. When I learn a song, I try to live it as best I can."

"Bubbles"

A housing bubble, a mortgage bubble, an equity bubble, a bond bubble, a credit bubble, a commodity bubble, a private equity bubble and a hedge funds bubble are all now bursting simultaneously. Do you really think this economic disaster was unplanned? What might the objectives be? And who, as always, is pulling the strings? Qui bono? To whose benefit is this happening?

"In politics, nothing happens by accident. If it happens, you can bet it was planned that way."
Franklin D. Roosevelt

Wah Wah Watson - "Bubbles"

Artist Review: Gil Scott-Heron.

A musical hero of mine while growing up in 70`s London. His music resonated so much with me, right at the time i myself was becoming politicised. His brand of African American militant poetry sat prefectly with the UK in the throes of racial unrest. Best known for his poem and song "The Revolution will not be Televised"; and for writing "Home is Where The Hatred Is" an eerie account of drug use that was a hit for R&B singer Esther Phillips in 1972 and would later on in his life cause himself so many problems.



I had the great pleasure to meet the brilliantly gifted man at the Jazz Cafe in Camden Town in the mid 9o`s, where he performed without his long time partner Brian Jackson. I had gone there on my own and ascended to the top bar overlooking the stage from the right side. The show was outstanding as was to be expected, after he came up to the bar which is close to the artists dressing rooms and had a drink with the punters assembled....A great memory. The very first album i bought was "Bridges" in 1977 from Groove records and it is still my favorite LP.



In 1979, Scott-Heron played at the No Nukes concerts at New York`s Madison Sq Garden. The concerts were organized by Musicians United For Safe Energy to protest the use of Nuclear Energy following the Three Mile Island accident in 1979. (It was the most significant accident in the history of the American commercial nuclear power generating industry). Scott-Heron's song "We Almost Lost Detroit", written about a previous accident at a nuclear facility, was included on the No Nukes album.



Scott-Heron is known in many circles as "the godfather of rap" and is widely considered to be one of the genre's founding fathers. Given the political consciousness that lies at the foundation of his work. Gil played with some outstanding musicians in his time, Eddie Knowles and Charlie Saunders on conga and David Barnes on percussion on the 1970 LP "Small Talk at 125th & Lenox"
On the 1971 LP "Pieces of a Man" He was joined by Johnny Pate (conductor), Brian Jackson (piano and electric piano), Ron Carter (bass and electric bass), The great drummer, Bernand "Pretty" Pudie, Burt Jones (electric guitar), and Hubert Laws (flute and saxophone). Scott-Heron's third album "Free Will", was released in 1972 with Jackson, Purdie, Laws, Knowles, and Saunders all returning to play and were joined byJerry Jemmott (bass) and David Spinozza (guitar),Horace Ott (arranger and conductor). In 1974 saw another LP collaboration with Brian Jackson, the critically acclaimed "Winter in America", with Bob Adams (drums) and Danny Bowens (bass).
Scott-Heron and Jackson also released together "The First Minute of a New Day" in `75, "Its your World" in `76, "Bridges" in `77, "Secrets" in 1978, "1980" in the same year as well as "Real Eyes", "Reflections" in `81 and "Moving Target" in `82.

It`s Monday!

"Living in the city going nowhere fast

Trying to see my future
Working hard every day
Trying to find me a better way.”

A great story to the re-discovery of this 1979 LP.

download

Tribute: Alton Ellis R.I.P.

1st September 1940 - 10th October 2008

Another sad day in the music world as we hear the passing of probably the greatest ever singer in Jamaican music.

Reggae star Alton Ellis, known as "The Godfather Of Rocksteady", has died at the age of 68.

The Jamaican-born singer, who moved to Britain in the 1970s, achieved fame with a number of hits, including "I'm Still in Love" and "I'm Just a Guy". He was a leading pioneer of the more laid-back "rocksteady" sound, which came out of Jamaica in the 1960`s. Ellis was still performing until August this year, when he collapsed after a concert in central London.
His manager and agent Trish De Rosa described him as "my guiding star and my inspiration". "His life was the music and the stage," she said. "He was getting a tremendous amount of work right up to the end - it was very difficult to get him to slow down."The Jamaican authorities are considering giving Ellis a state funeral, Ms De Rosa added.
The prolific singer, who began his career in the 1950`s and fronted vocal group The Flames, was diagnosed with cancer in 2007. Ellis underwent chemotherapy before returning to the stage, but died in London's Hammersmith hospital on Friday night.
He leaves more than 20 children!!!.

Alton Ellis - "Rocksteady"

Sounds of Unity and Love.

I feel like 2 posts today, so hope you enjoy this little Gem... you know with all the turmoil going on around the world and not just in the financial sector, we can sometimes lose our focus on what really matters in life and what really matters to me is Peace of Mind in whatever i do in my life..The title of this track is emphasising just that.......S.O.U.L means Sounds of Unity and Love and they are telling you that ya "gotta have peace of mind"
Originally Released in 1972 by Musicor Records it was the second album by the band the first being "What Is It" released a year earlier. There is great energy in this tune..
Enjoy!

"Gimme That Funk" # 5

Wayne Henderson of Jazz Crusaders fame heard ERFC and decided to produce the group's first album. “Reach For It” released in 1973 with Henderson playing trombone in the ERFC horn section. The LA Funk scene found ERFC warming-up for the likes of Curtis Mayfield, New Birth, The Grass Roots, Doby Gray, The Whispers and The Commodores.Originally hailing from Indianapolis with Guitarist Lloyd Thomas, Keyboardists Michael Woods and George Dennie, Bassist Lester Johnson, and Drummer Dwayne Gavin backed by Vocalists Pamela Tanner and Tony Roberts.

This track is from that debut 1973 album on the Uni label. Rare gem and highly in demand LP.

Ebony Rhythm Funk Campaign - "Get It On"

"The Strategy Of Manufactured Chaos"

For the love of money people will do just about anything for that Almighty Dollar... Money can buy you lots of things, but two things money can't buy you and that is your happiness and it can't give you peace of mind.

See previous post

"Nippon Nights".

A little tune for all my Japanese friends for their weekend. Quite rare now this 12" on defunkt UK label "Bluebird Records" A version of the 70/80's, UK band Light of The World track they called.....'London Town'
Respect to Tatsuki-san @ Space, Tomo @ Magia,DJ Mac-Key & Sayuri....go girl!!, Ma-chan, Kenji and the Audio Sutra Crew in Tokyo. Not forgetting Mi-chan in Scotland, Junko, Jez & Miho and the kids.

Domo Arigato Gozaimasu.

download 

 

"Gimme That Funk " # 4

Carrying on in the series of funky nuggets comes a Big time favorite of mine.
The Modulations worked with MFSB (Mother Father Sister Brother) who were the backbone of Gamble and Huff's "Philly Sound." It's Rough Out Here LP was released in 1975 on Buddah and features MFSB backing. What a tune this is...Enjoy the little Gem!

"You Gotta Know Whatcha Doin"

Carrying on the theme!

A dam funky group mostly from Los Angeles .....Charles Wright, the singer, originally came from Mississippi. The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band came together in the mid-'60s and released nine albums between 1967 and 1975. With a stripped-down but inescapably hard and heavy groove sound, the eight-man crew developed a huge local following in the 60s LA Funk scene and were championed by celebrities like Bill Cosby. Their biggest hit came with "Express Yourself," the inspirational title track off their fourth album, which Dr. Dre would rework almost 20 years later into N.W.A.'s single of the same name.

The group broke up in the mid-'70s, but reunited in 1998 for an all new LP called "Going To The Party".

"The Creator Has A Master Plan"

Financial Fear!!
 
F.alse E.vidence A.ppearing R.eal





And the turmoil continues...time ladies and gentlemen to clean up the "Capitalist Casino".

See - Money Meltdown.

"Dance To The Drummers Beat"

Herman Kelly & Life were a short-lived funk group in the `70`s who had releases on the Miami based labels TK Disco and Electric Cat. In 1978 they released a track called "Dance To The Drummer's Beat" From his album "Percussion Explosion"

It is probably after the track "Apache" by Incredible Bongo Band, one of the most sampled drum tunes of all time, mainly by the hip hop community, including artists; 2 Live Crew "Megamixx", DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince " Live at Union Square" & "Magnificent Jazzy Jeff", NWA "Dopeman", Brownstone "Lets Get It Started", Rodney O & Joe Cooley "Yeah Boy", Richie Rich "(My DJ) Pump it Up", 2 Hyped Bros "A Dog "Doo Doo Brown".

It has also appeared on the breakbeat compilations "Ultimate Breaks and Beats"





Tracklisting:
A1. Dance To The Drummer's Beat (5:09)
A2. Time After Time (4:38)
A3. A Refreshing Love (6:40)
B1. Who's The Funky D.J. ? (8:34)
B2. Share Your Love (3:30)
B3. Do The Handbone (3:40)

"Gimme That Funk" # 3

An absolute Classic!!

The 7" was reissued by Jazzman records in 2004

Nina Simone - Funkier Than a Mosquito's Tweeter.

Money Meltdown!

What the hell is going on?



People think that a banking or stock market collapse must be bad for everybody, but it`s not. If you know a stock collapse is coming (because you are going to cause it!!) then you sell at the highest price, crash the market, and buy back at a few pence on the pound. In this way, those who cause the crash can end up with vastly more stock, and thus financial power, than they had before the ‘crisis’ and they pay comparatively little to secure it. The certain influential bankers have famously, or infamously, used this technique endless times and they are doing so again today.

The thing to remember about banks, as with the business and financial world in general, is that there may be many names above the doors, but there are far fewer ultimate owners and manipulators. If you go high enough, at least most of them are called the same family names. So when public and media commentators talk about a terrible time for the banking industry they miss the point. Of course, it is bad for those who lose their savings, can`t buy a home,or lose their jobs. But that, to those without access to empathy like the Banking dynasty, couldn`t give a toss about you.

The Banking families, and their associated network of cronies, own the system – The Game - and however that system may re-adjust and re-structure itself from time to time The Game is still owned by them.

For example, Merrill Lynch may have failed, but it has been absorbed by the Bank of America, a bank owned by one banking family, if you follow the trail of hidden ownership, and so The Game just goes on under different, and fewer Banking family names. Lehman Brothers may have collapsed, but the vultures, like Barclays in Britain, are circling the corpse to seize the most profitable assets and the Game goes on. If you "Own The Game", you always win because you make the rules under which it is played.

"Gimme That Funk" #2

Milton Bland AKA Monk Higgins, was a multi-talented saxman who had a big hit with this track in 1972, lifted from his "Heavyweight" LP on United Artists Records.
It was while he was arranging and producing for acts on UA that he released "Gotta Be Funky", it has become heavily sampled, not surprisingly with that drum beat.
It was included on the 2004 Blue Note Trip compilation "Goin' Down Gettin' Up".

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Fite Dem Back !

The Battle of Lewisham 1977

This post carries on from HERE

Its a very long time to accurately remember the exact details of the day's activities, but it was on Saturday 13th August 1977.

We`d seen a Socialist Workers Party poster up at Camden Lock the week before advertising an Anti-National Front demo in Lewisham, with the slogan "They Shall Not Pass" reminiscent of the Anti-Fascists that stopped Sir Oswald Mosley`s British Union of Fascists walking the streets through the East End of London (Cable Street) in 1936...We thought, lets check this out!!

Previously the NF had gained 120,000 votes at local elections across London and running battles at NF rallies around the country would culminate in one of the most bellicose riots the capital has ever seen. This flexing of fascist muscle threw down a gauntlet to a number of groups that rarely encountered each other, a politicised student movement grew on the events in Chile and Vietnam, militant trade unionism, (at the same time supporting a miners' strike) and increasingly self-aware asian and black youth, facing down the police and propelled by the militant tunes of Reggae and the events taking shape in South Africa.


In the morning we jumped the tube from Gt. Portland Street to London Bridge and then on to New Cross...It was evident from the atmosphere on the trains that this day was not going to pass off peacefully. We really hadn`t much of a clue about who was who, as the train chugged into New Cross Station.
On the platform, scuffles broke out between people who looked like my ex-teachers at school and what looked like ex-military types to me...Once out on the streets of Lewisham the air was thick with emotion. We set off making our way down to the Clock Tower on Lewisham High Street. When we reached, the crowd was thousands strong, Trade unionists, students, local black and asian youth, a myriad of anti-racists determined to physically confront the Nazis and stop their provocative march through a predominantly Afro-Caribbean area of South-East London..

The NF march seemed to take for ever to reach, so the 3 of us decided to walk back up and take a closer look, about half way, we could see the union jack flags the fascists had adopted as their own fluttering in the breeze with Plod amassed around them 3 deep. It was then a red flare came shooting out from the sidewalk whizzing into the flags and those holding them..it seemed to be the catalyst, bottles and bricks rained down from the heavens...Stickmen in their snakeskin loafers, turbaned teenagers and scruffy students all getting in on the act...Mickey was the first, " have some of that"...more in frustration at Plod for his own experiences, it was payback time......It must have been a good 15 minutes of us enjoying ourselves lobbing any debris we could find lying around into the Nazi scum.....Soon after Plod got themselves tooled up with riot shields and batons - the first time such equipment was used on the mainland. The waves of police baton charges were cracking head indiscriminately.
It was a good idea of Timmy`s, " lets get back to the clock tower"...and off we went, to find the place more rammed than before... Well as history acknowledges, the Nazi`s march never reached the High Street.....The severity of the counter demo had the desired effect and Plod had had enuff , they stopped the fascists in their tracks and marched them back to New Cross station to be loaded on trains out of there.

The day had been a victory for black and white, standing together to paralyse the National Front who never really recovered after this event. In November of that year the Anti-Nazi League was formed and forged what was to become a crucial link with Rock Against Racism (RAR), a group of musicians, photographers and artists allied with the punk scene. Who organised bands with reggae artists in unprecedented mixed events....The RAR gigs culminated in two huge anti-Nazi carnivals and marches, one at Victoria Park, East London, in April `78 and another in Brockwell Park, Sarf London, in September that same year. The carnivals each attracted over 80,000 people to demonstrate their opposition to the NF and hear acts such as The Clash, Tom Robinson, Steel Pulse and X-Ray Spex.

They catapulted the ANL into national consciousness.

"Gimme That Funk" # 1

A little series I will indulge in occasionally for your listening pleasure.
First up is this track from 1978 on Westbound Records, a little bit on the Disco side of the Funk spectrum, with a very tight production and great break to keep ya moving......taken from his "A Sweet Taste Of Sin" album.

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Just Because!!

Haven`t had much time lately, family commitments and all that..so just because, its a Saturday night and its Ladies night!!









Oh! i just couldn`t resist it!


enjoy!!

"Let Freedom Ring"

Forty five years ago today in 1963, Martin Luther King delivered his famous speech "I Have A Dream" At the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. In 1964 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Assassinated on 4 April 1968 in the southern US city of Memphis, Tennessee, aged 39.

Full Speech

His words live and resonate on forever!!

A Bitter Pill To Swallow!

I know the music is about spreading and sharing the love, but back in '76-'77 there wasn`t a whole lot of loving going on!!
My own naivety with the social issues of the day was soon to be smashed and in a positive way... I`d always been brought up in an atmosphere of racial and religious tolerance. My father was a left-wing union negotiator in the printing industry and was involved in all the early CDN marches and Anti-Apartheid Movement, with my sister sitting on his shoulders on demo`s in Trafalgar Sq. Of course the events of `76 at the Notting Hill carnival, were still fresh in peoples memories. The anger young black men had been suppressing for years over the notorious "Sus laws" under which anybody could be stopped, searched and held, even if only suspected of planning a crime.....Exploded...(does it have any resonance for today?)


It was a milestone in race relations in Britain. For me, my own experience with the Queens Metropolitan constabulary was to follow...One evening strolling back with the boys to Fitzrovia, after an evening of playing tunes from my bedroom widow to the local urchins below, i used to get quite a crowd out front to the consternation of the neighbours!
Passing the White House Hotel on Osnaburgh Street, two huge PC Plods approached...."Oi, what the fuck you up to N**gers"....screamed one, I could hear Mickey D whisper "Oh fuck, here we go"..."Nothing Constable, just walking home" I Chirped..."Who the fucking hell was speaking to you, you little shit" came the reply from Plod..It was the first time i had had any meaningful interaction with Her Majesty's law enforcement, outside our local beat bobby who knew everyone's first names on the estate and was more like a tough patriarch in a uniform, than a real policeman..




Now i knew something was not right..They grabbed both Timmy and Mickey and threw them up against the side wall of the hotel and preceded to frisk `em...continually barking obscenities at them, me standing there in total shock..after a few minutes that seemed like eternity, i got up the courage to speak.."Whats going on, why arn`t you frisking me"..."cause you are not Black".....said plod, and immediately continued, "But if you fancy it, i can duly oblige, now fuck off and go home"....."No" i return the verbal, "I 'm not going anywhere, I'm going to watch you and report your actions to my old man", (who subsequently wrote a letter of complaint to the chief constable at Albany Street station a week later).....The seeds had been sown, my own education into the oppression the black youth of Britain were experiencing day to day was cemented...The indignation and humiliation felt by my spars overwhelmed me.....Plod, of course finding nothing on three 16 year kids after the shake down, gave a swift boot up the arse to Timmy and told us to watch ourselves.....Then waddled off towards Longford Street.

For a short while we just stood there staring at each other trying to piece together our emotions...Mickey broke the silence, "second time this week". Racism was again on the agenda in British society, the economic climate of despair and discontent, so readily used by the National Front, the British fascist party of the time, to breed hatred and intolerance in the communities was soon to be challenged. The politics and music of a generation that came together as an outlet for change was to manifest itself in the Anti-Nazi League and the Rock Against Racism (RAR) concerts that pulled thousands and was crucial in educating young people especially the punks to anti-racist politics...But we knew the fight had to be taken to the streets and that's where we were heading to Lewisham..