Thursday 27 November 2008

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)

Sunday 23 November 2008

"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)

Thursday 20 November 2008

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)

Monday 17 November 2008

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"

Sunday 16 November 2008

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"



Wednesday 12 November 2008

"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)

Sunday 9 November 2008

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.

Tuesday 4 November 2008

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..



Monday 3 November 2008

"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"