Stone Cold Merda

Black Merda: The Prophet and Good Luck
From: Black Merda [Chess, 1970]

One of the most depressingly familiar phrases you hear when investigating bands that slipped under the radar is "They were ahead of their time". Often used as an excuse for bands that didn't sell well this cliche can also sometimes hit the nail right on the head. One of these select groups where the statement runs true is Black Merda.

Cropping up in between the fall of Hendrix and the rise of Funkadelic, Black Merda were, in their own words, the "1st Black Rock Band". Heavier than the average group of the time with a mixture of Hendrix influenced funk and Pink Floyd-esque instrumentals the band were simply not got by the buying public. You wonder how they would have been received if they had appeared on the scene after Funkadelic had broken down the expectations and perceptions of what Black rock could sound like.

Anyway, being ahead of your time is pointless if you don't have the music to make a lasting impression and this band certainly have it. The Prophet kicks off their debut album with some bluesy funk, VC L.Veasey's vocals reminiscent of Hendrix as the band combine the bass heavy guitar work with soulful, political, vocals to powerful effect. I love the gritty, muffled production on these tracks, adding to the overall feel.

Good luck features even more heavily dirty guitar, once again check out the harmonising the group bring over the groove. It may not be the most obvious of comparisons but the band's vocal style reminds me of Stark Reality in the way that they bring their harmonies over and outside of the basic melody structure. I can't believe this was slept on on initial release; this is deeper than deep funk rock and it's fucking fantastic.

Oh yeah, almost forgot, the band have their own website and are still going strong. You can read more about them here.

Double Bill. Dont take Heroin Kids/Funky Superly

James Brown : King Heroin [Polydor, 1972]
Bobby Williams : Morning OfLove, Fair Trade
From : Funky Superfly [R.R. Records, 1974]

After reading Duncan's comment on the last post, the thought of endorsing a scag habit has been playing on my conscience. To clear things up and balance out my karma here is a James Brown classic pointing out all the reasons why you shouldn't take smack. King Heroin was released in 1972 and is a great slow James Brown number reminiscent of 'Its A Man's World'. I guess some of you have heard it before, but it's a great tune anyway, "wiggle an cough *cough*".

Don't forget, If you take heroin you will lose your friends, money, sex drive, intelligence, home and you will sell your entire music collection, all for a bit of China White, OK! and just be thankful I didn't post Grange Hill's 'Just Say No'

Next up is Bobby Williams. I picked up this suspicious reissue of Funky Superfly not long after aquainting myself with the 45 of the title track from the LP, which also comes recommended and is much easier to pick up OG than the LP.

Bobby was a James Brown wannabe, but a bloody good one. You can here the distinct J.B. influence in Morning Of Love. Rather than waffle on about how good it is I'll just regurgitate the blurb from the back of the LP

Bobby Williams was born in Washington D.C.
Like so many other entertainers, Bobby's career started in church. He has thrilled thousands of fans across the nation.
All of them hold him in high esteem. His act is so together that all could be said about him is sensational.
After listening to this record you will be saying the same.

Brothers and sisters Bobby Williams.

Slow Like Smack

Bernard Lubat : Slow Motion
From : Vibrations [Telemusic, 1972]
Bernard Lubat : Super Smog, Perdido Paradise
From Vibrations Volume 2 [Telemusic, 1975]

Okay I'm back again with more library music, this time from the Telemusic label. Telemusic is the most common French library label to turn up if you dig for this type of music, and in my opinion one of the most consistent, compared to the vast amount of records they put out.

Bernard lubat is a Vibe's player and has performed as a jazz fusion musician on several commercially released records. On the two volumes of Vibrations I would best describe the music Lubat is playing as Prog jazz-fusion, although the tracks I have selected are the more 'down-tempo' ones.

Expect slow, drawn out, head nod inducing beats, and hazy psyched out other stuff. The perfect substitute or accompaniment to your favourite 'class B', or 'class A' smoking habit's, so if your Blazin, smokin a blunt or even chasing the dragon I hope you can dig it.

Swoopin' through Compton like Batman and Robin

Compton's Most Wanted: I Mean Biznez and Late Night Hype
From: It's A Compton Thang [Orpheus Records,1990]

In the potted history of early nineties gangsta rap, the section on Compton's Most Wanted's contribution appears to have been mislaid. Revisiting their albums recently I'm absolutely buggered if i can work out why. Though less influential than NWA, the group were still a major player in spreading the Compton sound. A perfect example of the change in hip hop that gangsta rap initiated, CMW come full of swagger and the kind of ballistic energy you only have when you're know you're at the leading edge of a movement.

Their debut album, It's A Compton Thang, is the only one of the group's original output that properly features all members of CMW, Chill MC spending much of the rest of the early nineties behind bars. While the later albums offer a slicker and harder feel there's something about the raw energy and enthusiasm of the first album that wins me over everytime, the sound of people grasping their opportunity with two hands and going for it.

I Mean Biznez sets out CMW's stall for those who haven't quite grasped it yet, the two MCs laying out their declaration of intent over stark drums and horn samples in the hardcore style soon to be a thing off the past.

Late Night Hype is a proto g-funk classic, setting the aggression of the lyrics over a laidback melody. This time Eiht and Chill deliver their tales of smoking, jacking and loving in Compton over the smoothest of Rick James samples by The Unknown DJ. They don't make em like this anymore.

Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars

Corcovado – Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto
from the album Getz/Gilberto #2 – Verve – 1964.

Corcovado – Everything But The Girl
from the compilation Red Hot + Rio – Antilles/Verve – 1996.

Corcovado (DJ Marky & XRS Remix) – Everything But The Girl
from 12” – white label – also available on Sambass II (Cuadra) 2004.

My first chance to spin in public came in graduate school scant months after I first got the itch and start buying records. I would play jazz and some soul at this coffee shop in upstate New York for 2-3 hours every Tuesday night. The patrons hated me (or at least a good number of them did) and always asked me to turn the music down because they were studying. Why they were studying in a heavily trafficked café instead of the library or their room I’ll never understand, but they were not to be toyed with. However the manager liked what I played and said, succinctly, “Screw ‘em. Turn it up every time they bitch.” What a boss. However, no matter how bleak the organic chemistry vs. Ornette Coleman divide got I could always win the crowd by playing some of the tracks Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto collaborated on, especially if Joao’s wife Astrud was featured on vocals. It is one of those incomprehensible things that these cats together made music that is genetically encoded to be loved by 100% of humanity (meaning dogs are 98% likely to love it as well).

The Getz/Gilbert album and the live concert recreating the same (Getz/Gilberto #2 from Oct. 9, 1964) are very well known, so I won’t dwell on them further than saying if you don’t own these albums, start clicking add to cart at your favorite music shop now. Absolutely essential, beautiful stuff. I’ve included my favorite track from the live version along with two stellar remixes of the same.

From the Red Hot + Rio compilation, which was made money for the fight against AIDS proliferation in the mid-90s, Everything But The Girl did a pop-drum & bass mix that keeps the vocals very similar to the original while punching up some decidedly decent beats. The Red Hot + Rio album featured modern producers taking a stab classic Brazilian tracks and some new productions as well. While the album as a whole is a mixed bag of hits and misses, this track really works while straddling the mainstream-adventurous fence.

DJ Marky and XRS offer a harder and more proper d&b remix of EBTG’s remix I like much better for the dancefloor. Big bump bass and some very nice skittery drums without ever getting too agro. Just what I would expect from DJ Marky, who always brings it for Brazilian jungle.

Knockout Ned

Seu Jorge: When I Live My Dream and Ziggy Stardust
From The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions [Hollywood, 2004]

Seu Jorge: Carolina
From Samba Esporte Fino [Indie Records Brazil, 2001]

Who's Knockout Ned?

You might remember him from the groundbreaking film City of God, or perhaps more recently as the musical mastermind behind Wes Anderson's latest The Life Aquatic. Born Jorge Mario de Silva (later nicknamed Seu Jorge) in Rio De Janeiro on June 8, 1970, Seu grew up during the burgeoning Brazilian music scene, and it wasn't until he spent many years living on the streets, distraught by his brother's murder, that he was eventually brought into a nightclub to audition for a musical play.

So begins Seu Jorge's career as an artist. His first instrument was the clarinet, but it was the guitar that he had a true passion for, learning to play during the breaks of shows in bars. In the late 90's he formed the group Farofa Carioca, blending samba, jongo, raggae, funk, rap, circus, and dance. For his first solo effort, Samba Esporte Fino, Seu relied on the one thing that had been the staple of his music his whole life: samba. "Samba is our truth, our particularity, our golden medal, our stronghold, our Brazilian flag," he says.

His work for The Life Aquatic is quite different, however, performing a series of David Bowie tracks translated into Portugese, and delivered with folk and jazz inflections. The sound is completely stripped down from his previous work, but is beautifully executed. Much of this music was never presented in their entirety on screen, and some tracks were ommited alltogether, making this album a must listen for anyone intrigued by the film's lush soundtrack.

As for what's next for Knockout Ned; bigger and better things I'm sure.

Ionic scrabble

Claude Vasori : Ozone, Turbine, Invisibility, Splash
From : Ionic Scrabble [PSI, 1974]

Claude Vasori was an arranger and jazz musician working in France during the sixties and seventies, his output was prolific during this period and its not that uncommon to find his name somewhere on the back of many French pop records from this era. Most of his library work was released on the MPI label , along with other well respected session musicians such as Robert Viger, Vincent Geminiani and Georges Arvanitas.
Ionic scrabble, like its cover has a very modern and minimalist style, yet at the same time, is also full of colour and energy. Ozone, Turbine and Invisibility all exemplify jazz's heavy influence on the music Vasori was making, the crisp uptempo drums, vibes and piano are great listening material during these winter months. The last track Splash shows off Vasori's experimental side, its one of the those tracks that just makes you think, what the fuck? A typical effect of many a good library tune, play this one LOUD it deserves it.

Ain't No Geto Like The One I Got!?

Bobby Bland: "Ain't no Love in the Heart of The City"
Dreamer, ABC/Dunhill, 1974.
Isaac Hayes: "Hung Up On My Baby"
Tough Guys, Stax, 1974.

Bobby Bland gifted rap fans when BK's HOVA -related: Dipset vs ROC!?- dropped, "Heart of the City" on the Blueprint. "Ain't no Love in the Heart of The City" has a sound uncanny to NYC, but Bland is Tennessee born, and to assume Memphis is that city would not be a lofty claim.

Bobby's `74 release, Dreamer, was iffy and did not leave an impression on many. The flop confirmed that Bland's career was shook after Duke Records was bought by ABC Records in `73. Whitesnake used Bobby's song in 1980, Mary Coughlan in `02 and Paul Weller in 2003 -Bobby's blues have become a standard. All-star jazz guitarist, Larry Carlton, makes this track with bassist, Wilton Felder. Add credit to Kanye's sample for HOVA's "Heart of The City" and Bland's song is brown bag ripe for another sample clearance in Rap's future.

Enough with the B-A-N-A-N-A-S, it's lame.

Also in `74, Isaac Hayes played Lee Stevens -a badass cop way before John McClane- who battled Fred Williamson in Three Tough Guys (propers to Bedazzled!). Apparently the cats at Second Hand Songs think Cube's "You Know How We Do It" sampled Hayes' joint, but Geto Boys, "My Mind's Playing Tricks On Me" is the most popular sample of "Hung Up On My Baby."

Either guitarists, Michael Toles or Charles Pitts (both were with Hayes from `71 to `78ish) are responsible for a guitar solo that is Ron Superior hard.

Note: RIP Wilson Pickett. Our friend at Soul Shower did a great post with three Wilson Pickett mp3s.

Just a Walkin' Down the Street in a Snakeskin Garter

Manfred Mann: Snakeskin Garter, One Way Glass and Traveling Lady
From Manfred Mann Chapter 3 (Polydor, 1969)


Psychedelic Rock has been obsessively collected by smelly longhaired guys with glasses since, well, the psychedelic era. Within the last several years, the genre has enjoyed a renaissance amoung hip hop producers and beat heads due to the chunky drums, sparce arrangements, and extremely heavy fuzz found in the better output of bands with names like Boysenberry Imagination or Os Panteras Inflamables. While original records by local or obscure acid rockers can easily set you back a G or more, there are few which in my opionion can top a releatively accessable record by the same r&b/poppers who brought you "Doo Wah Diddy."

Manfredd Mann Chapter Three was formed by original Mann members Mike Huggins and Manfredd Mann after mounting frustration with melding their jazz and r&b influenced rock with the changing pop sensibilities of the time. Whether they ended up making, as the liner notes say "what we personally have been wanting to do for some years" or not, the record is pretty fantastic by today's standards. The drum sound pretty much smacks you in the face on every single song, especially Snakeskin Garter, which has a nasty drum and fuzz bass breakdown towards the end. Aside from the generic "oooh, this his drums" aspect, Chapter Three features excellent songwriting and (its secret weapon) wonderful horn arrangments. It's definitely evident that these are pop musicians with a background in jazz and music theory.

While this record gets grabbed pretty quickly, it isn't an impossible find by any means. For a listener developing a psychedelic itch, this will find a nice place in the collection filed under "albums where every single song is worth listening to."

Roy Buchanan

Roy Buchanan: The Messiah Will Come Again
From: Roy Buchanan, 1972

Roy Buchanan: I'm A Ram
From: In the Beginning, 1974

Roy Buchanan was a guitarist's guitarist. Highly influential but relatively unknown, sort of like Scarface before the rap world started paying attention to Texas. Taught Robbie Robertson to play guitar. Known for spending hours in the studio recording jaw-dropping solos, then recording over them with some even more impressive shit. Kind of a strange dude.

"Messiah" is a phenomenal track on its own, no doubt. Quiet organ with somber guitar noodling. Roy muttering about "a strange little town called the world." And then it breaks wide open with a three minute solo. But what's more strange is that directly after this song on his self-titled album comes the cheesey country-rock track called "Hey Good Lookin." I would have included it for contrast, but it's really terrible; instead you get Roy's very good Al Green Cover.

Cry Baby Cry

Ramsey Lewis: Cry Baby Cry and Dear Prudence
From: Mother Nature's Son [Cadet, 1969]

At least 90% of cover songs are pointless exercises. This percentage is getting higher every year. For a cover song to prove it's worth and justify it's existence it needs to bring something else to the party rather than rehashing the original. Whether that something else is the vocals of the artist, the different genre they perform in, or a reimagining of the song itself, when it works the results can be amazing.

Proving that, when done right, it's certainly worthwhile is the cover album Ramsey Lewis' Mother Nature's Son. Recorded just months after the White album the record is Ramsey's own tribute to the Beatle's double vinyl. I seem to remember Oliver posting the great track Julia from this album on Soulsides in 2004 but there's no way I could do a series of posts on covers and not include one of my favourite cover albums of all time.

While a big fan of Ramsey Lewis - I'm always surprised by how slept on much of his output is - what really sells this collection is the production work of Chess/Cadet supremos Charles Stepney and Marshall Chess. As mentioned in my post on Rotary Connection, I'm a major fan of their brand of sound.

The first track I ever heard off this collection was on the outro to The BUMS Lyfe n Tyme as Ramsey's cover off Cry Baby Cry accompanied their spoken word agenda. Instantly hooked I tracked it down and it's been regularly played out since. It's hard to put my finger on what kills me on this but I love the way the song starts off as a faithful lounge style cover before Ramsey expands the sound, turning the original's intentionally simple melody into something on a grander widescreen scale.

Dear Prudence is another cracking cover, Ramsey building the track from it's mellow beginnings to an epic orchestral piece with that trademark Chess layered sound. Just listen to the crash of the drums on this and the momentum that builds as the piano playing become more frantic and the strings get louder, majestic stuff. A great covers album and a great album cover as well.

Revisiting The Tags Of The Times

Mike Ladd Feat Company Flow: Bladerunners (Company Flow Remix)
Mr No No (AKA Saafir): Scand'lous
From: Tags Of The Times Version 2.0 [Mary Joy Recordings, 1999]

Back at the end of the nineties when I had finished uni and failed to sort myself out with a job of any merit the only way to keep up with what was going on in the world of hip hop was to snap up compilations that appeared in the racks of my local record shop, Time.

Half the excitement was picking up a release that I knew nothing about, dropping it on the shop turntable and waiting to hear what came out. One of the most unlikely of these was the Tags Of The Times records. Put together by the Tokyo based Mary Joy Recordings, the compilations brought together underground rap of the time from America, Japan and, of course, Finland(?).

Revisiting these compilations now it quickly becomes clear how much of the underground rap at the time sounded the same, 80% of these songs jacking their style from man of the moment DJ Hi-Tek. However, as the dust cleared off my vinyl copy of Tags Of The Times Volume 2 I was surprised to rediscover non album tracks from both Company Flow and Saafir so thought I'd share the love with you.

Bladerunners is a remix of the Mike Ladd track that originally featured on his shamefully forgotten Welcome To The Afterfuture album and is even better than the original. While Mike Ladd's version kept the Vangelis track as an underlying source to the bass heavy melody the remix throws the synths up in front, breaking down the rhythm to give the track a more freeform nature, crashes and vocal snippets popping in and out of the mix. I'm a sucker for a bit of Vangelis at the best of times so this track truly does it for me.

I'm not the first to declare it but I truly love Boxcar Sessions so anything by Saafir is ok with me. This, from his Mr No No period, is a more party styled anthem than the heavier sound of Boxcar with a warped disco vibe. While nowhere near as powerful as his earlier work this track is a grower and Saafir's voice is so good it really doesn't matter what the dude is rhyming over. I can't top Noz's description of his vocal class so I'll just quote it instead, "homie sounds like he could swallow the fucking planet".

Also, on a sad note, check out the quality artwork on this album's front cover by Master Matthew AC Reid AKA Matt Doo who sadly took his own life and whose memory the album is dedicated to. Matt was also responsible for Organized Konfusion's Stress: The Extinction Agenda front cover and Prince Po later honoured the artist's life in the song Be Easy. RIP.

ADOPTED ALBUMS #1

L.A. Carnival: Blind Man
L.A. Carnival: Seven Steps To Nowhere
From: Would Like To Pose A Question, Now-Again Records, 2003.

Adoptee #1

Album: L.A. Carnival's, Would Like To Pose A Question, Now-Again Records, 2003.
Cost: $7.49 (CND), used.

A decent supplier will have L.A. Carnival in stock, but catching this disc for $7.49 is Pat Robertson crazy. The value in the liner notes written by Stones Throw's Egon, who heads Now-Again Records, is incalculable. Lamping with soul musicians helps Egon's research, which naturally lines up projects like The Funky 16 Corners. All songs on Would Like To Pose A Question were recorded between `69 and `71. Racial divides were big in Omaha making L.A. Carnival's music civil rights movement anthems - bangers? They're comprised of a multi-ethnic blend and that makes a wave out of a splash if living in 1960 Omaha.

The roster:
Lester Abrams: drums, vocals, organ, acoustic piano and percussion.
Arno Lucas: vocals and percussion.
Leslie Smith: vocals.
Rick Chudacoff: electric bass and backup vocals.
Ron Cooley: electric and acoustic guitar.
Geno DeVaughn: trumpet.
Percy Marion: tenor saxophone and flute.
Michael Patterson: alto saxophone.

"Blind Man" is an instant replay with a formula that sounds like a Northern Soul song. Lester Abrams supplies tear jerking vocals on this track that get grown men open like Dorando's "Didn't I." Abrams carries lead on the organ with a solid drum beat in the background and the song explodes with horns. This song would speak for itself, but it is too busy staying cool - cop it.

"Seven Steps To Nowhere" starts off in a generic funky tone, but still catches the ear. Wait, not yet, yeah right there eleven seconds past the minute mark. Who is on that horn? Either it is Patterson, or Marion - sounds like an alto so Patterson it is - that lays down the saxophone like a `93 horn loop. Through one minute at a time tempo changes, this song blows the mind.

Adopting this album for $7.49 is spending smart money. undressing the cash register.

*Note RIP on Lou Rawls, he was 72 when he died - this is how I found out.

Food For Thought

Food: Forever is a Dream and Leaves
From Forever is a Dream [Capitol, 1969]

Food was a band from Chicago who's only release was this 1969 album of somber psychedelic tunes, which is quite ironic given how cheerful they all look on the cover. There's not a lot to be said about these guys since there's not a lot of information out there, but the music speaks for itself. As melancholic as their music is, both lyrically and aurally, there's definitely something beautiful and optimistic about their sound. Both the title track and "Leaves" are sonically profound, carefully orchestrated and arranged to provide music capable of enduring nearly fifty years of aging.

Relating A Message To You

Cane & Able: Be Free and Gemma Morett
From: Relating A Message To You [Epic, 1972]

Not to be confused with the biblical brothers of a similar name, Cane & Able were one of a number of groups to surface from the legendary Parisian collective the Lafayette Afro-Rock Band. Focusing less on the African influences of Lafayette and more on the heavy funk side of things, the band's sound is nigh on impossible to distinguish from many of the top American funk groups of the same era.

Relating A Message To You, the second of the group's two albums, has been a long time favourite of mine with its tight sound and overall consistency of goodness.

Be Free kicks off the album perfectly. A brooding funk song waiting for a Blaxploitation film to accompany it, the track uses its instrumentation sparingly, slowly building the groove over the verse and harmonies of the chorus before finally bringing in the trumpets and bongos for the final minute.

Gemma Morett appears at the tail end of the album and took me by total surprise the first time I laid ears on it. Gone are the soulful vocals from the rest of the album, instead replaced by a raw stripped down instrumental jam that is more jazz than funk. Tailor made for breaks heads, the tune features more drum breakdowns than I can count (i.e. more than 3) including a facemeltingly heavy bass interlude a minute and a half in before the full instruments including distorted guitars wrap up proceedings nicely.

Enjoy and, almost forgot, Happy New Year too.