Tommy Mcgee: Come On and We Ought To Be Together
From: Positive Negative [MTMG, 197?]
In our typical understated and in no way unorganised manner, Ear Fuzz actually passed the five year anniversary over the past week. It seems like only yesterday when I closed down my own blog and moved here but over that period we’ve had numerous site breakdowns, been taken offline for a month, made lots of friends, had some harmless ebeef, changed colour and style about thirty times and also, with any luck, shared some great music with you all.
I don’t want to go all Gwyneth on here but I do feel that the following people have to be acknowledged as without them the site wouldn’t be where it is today. So shouts out to those who have since moved on including the originator DJ Maru (who has his own site now in case you haven’t checked), Killermike, dtglass, MattW, floodwatch and G10947. Also thanks as always to those who are still contributing, btieman, chuckdafonk, dane, Independent J, Kevin and of course Still Life who has been here since day one and is still going strong.
Damn it, I promised myself I wouldn’t cry.
Anyway, I don’t want to waste any more of your time reminiscing so how about some music to reward you for sitting patiently through my ramblings? Kind of appropriate that I won’t even try and pretend that I have ever even been in the same county as the record I posted today but I just feel like I have to share its brilliance with you.
Oscar Brown, Jr.: A Dime Away from A Hotdog
From:Movin on
Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers: Bustin’ Loose
From:Bustin’ Loose
Phirpo Y Sus Caribes: Comencemos
From: Parilla Caliente [Phillips, 1973]
Bobby Pauneto: El Senor Sid
From: El Sonido Morderno [Mardi Gras, 196?]
Bobby Hutcherson feat. Harold Land : Goin’ Down South
From: San Francisco
Max Roach: January V
From: M’Boom
Back with an odds and sods post today though be assured that this has been handpicked for that EarFuzz seal of quality and all tracks are suitably fantastic.
Kings Go Forth: One Day
From: The Outsiders Are Back [Luaka Bop, 2010]
Holy hell. This just dropped into my inbox and shook every single January cobweb out of my head. From the upcoming Kings Go Forth’s debut album, The Outsiders Are Back, this is an absolutely fantastic slice of soulful funk. Like something transported right out of my private mind garden the track has it all - from the relentlessly driving rhythm section, to the horns, to the soaring vocals, to the breakdown, everything clicks. Excuse the gushing but this is something a bit special indeed.
Co-founded by Lotus Land record shop owner Andy Noble and veteran singer Black Wolf the album is also going to feature artwork by Ear Fuzz favourite Mingering Mike. Talk about ticking all the right boxes.
You can find out more about the artists and their release date here.
What a way to start the weekend.
Lou Ragland: Understand Each Other and The Next World
From: Is Conveyor [SMH, 1977]
So, been a while since I popped up with a music post but my fellow fuzzers? Fuzzists? have put up some sterling posts. Please do not sleep on the treasures on offer on the site, some stunning music in the last month alone.
On a positive note we now appear to be over the worst of the move from blogger to wordpress though drop me a line if you think something is still not right. One issue I am aware of is that the response/comment box link on the post is currently very small which I can only assume is the reason why people aren’t leaving comments left right and centre. Don’t be shy, mi casa es su casa and all that. Another plus point is that we’re now leaving songs up longer for you to get your mitts on because we’re that wonderful. Really, we are.
Anyway, on to the music and another shamefully hard to grab release, Lou Ragland Is Conveyor. An artist whose recording career started in the mid sixties, Ragland was already an old hand of the industry by the end of the decade, having been both a vice president of a record label (SARU Records) and a producer of the acts. Ragland then went on to form the first of his record labels and release his Hot Chocolate LP with the band of the same name. Not to be confused with the Errol Brown group of the same name, Ragland’s work was decidedly more funky.
Never stopping still Ragland then moved on and created a whole new label, SMH which is where he released the subject of today’s post, Is Conveyor. An album put together with the confidence and skill of someone who has earnt their place in the recording studio, it offers up a mixture of late seventies funk and smoother grooves which is just, for want of a better word, fantastic.
Understand Each Other starts off with a great descending guitar and organ line over drums before settling into six plus minutes of absolute top drawer soul music. The strangest thing about a track like this is that it’s so spot on, so polished, so obviously a classic of the genre that it boggles the mind to think that it’s rare as hell to get a hold off.
The Next World is more of that good shit. The funkier side of Ragland including organ stabs and semi psychedelic lyrics, it’s another great example of (a) what a talent this man has and (b) the absolute insanity that this hasn’t be reissued for the wider public’s consumption.
Don’t delay, listen today and respect the architect that is Ragland. Fantastic front cover too.
Willie Mitchell 1928-2010 Teddy Pendergrass 1950-2010
It seems I only pop up on here at the moment to mark the sad passing of another legend but while I had held off as long as possible I felt I had to post something to reflect the passing of both Willie Mitchell and Teddy Pendergrass.
Two extremely different artists, both men have soundtracked some of the most romantic and downright dirty moments of my life. This isn’t in anyway trying to cheapen their music, Teddy’s solo work was well versed on the art of seduction and heartbreak (that voice!) and Mitchell’s instantly recognisable sound was the perfect accompaniment to Green’s sexual growls and Peeble’s strident voice amog many others.
There’s been some great tributes to Mitchell on our blog list over the last week and I expect something similar for Pendergrass so I’ll leave you for now with a couple of youtube clips after the jump that sums up their talent. Back with some hopefully happier posts shortly.
Anyone else psyched about the return of the lovely Sade? [new album drops: 2.8.2010]
Sade: Soldier of Love
From: Soldier of Love [Epic, 2010]
I’m a long-time fan, and, the new single doesn’t disappoint. It retains her patented smooth and adds some nice trip hop elements. Pure class. Aging gracefully. Hard to believe she’s 50!
On a semi-related note: I’d like to devote some Earfuzz time this year to exploring our favorite women on the mic. To narrow the focus a bit, I’m thinking MC’s: Da Brat. Missy. Trina. MC Lyte. MIA. etc.
Readers, any votes/suggestions? I’d really like to get into this a bit.
Continental IV: Day By Day (Every Minute Of The Hour) and Running Away (From Love)
Featured on: Dream World
Astute followers of the Fuzz may have picked up that I’m British and therefore more than mildly obsessed with the weather on any given day of the week. Because the summer season tends to last approximately 3 days I always rush to fit in as much sweet soul music as possible into the time frame before sadly packing it away again along with the shorts and my dreams.
This music for moods tradition makes it even more astonishing to me that I haven’t previously featured anything by the Continental IV. Sweet, soulful, and also very very good, I’ve been a big fan of them ever since I first got hipped by London Lee back in 2004.
Led by the haunting falsetto of Freddie Kelly and produced by Bobby Martin, the band seemed to have all the right ingredients and timing to hit the big league but, for whatever reason, it never quite came together for them. Despite obviously having depth to their sound, as far as I can tell they only ever released a number of 7″ singles in the early seventies and it’s from a compilation of these that I bring you the two tracks featured today.
Day By Day (Every Minute Of The Hour) was the group’s first single and a great example of why the band should have been so much bigger than they were. Strings, Kelly’s falsetto and perfect harmonies over the heartbreak lyrics just make this a gorgeous listening experience. It’s ironic that, for music that is so sweet, I find it really hits home when blared out as loud as you can get it.
As well as being further proof of the group’s preference for including further details in brackets (five out of the ten songs on offer here follows this trend), Running Away (From Love) is a fine fine fine example of sweet soul.
A song that manages to be both effortless and yet pushes all the right buttons, it features horns, beautiful falsetto vocals, a change up in tempo for the rousing chorus and even a switch to double time drumming leading to the big finale. The real deal, this is magnificent soul music.
Here’s hoping the hot weather continues so I can keep on playing these out for a few weeks yet. No excuses for why it’s taken me so long to feature them on them on the site, it won’t happen again.
Ray Alexander Technique: My World and I Don’t Bite
From: Let’s Talk [Harlem Sound, 197?]
Sweet soulful funk in the house today with the rather superbly named Ray Alexander Technique. Info on this group appears to be minimal to say the least but I can pretty confidently state that the group were arranged by Raymond Jenkins, come from NYC and feature a Billy Gardner on organ who I’m going to assume is the same Billy Gardner of Sugar Billy Super Duper Love fame.
Considering Gardner’s involvement you would expect this album to offer up a) funk and b) funky organ and, while it doesn’t disappoint on either of these, the overall feel of the longplayer is of crossover soul with a funk tinged vibe.
My World is a nice example of the music the band deliver which, thanks in part to the organ, resonates with an extremely warm overall sound to the production. One of those slow burners that creeps up on you over the course of its three minutes playing time this is a great mid tempo soul funk tune.
I Don’t Bite is a far sweeter soul tune than the title would suggest. A slow number with falling chords and ratatat drums the track features the kind of falsetto backing vocals that win me over every single time (seriously, I’m struggling to think of any track where these don’t do it for me).
I’m still struggling to pinpoint a date for this release as, while the instrumentation sounds very early seventies, for some reason lead vocalist Chris Bartley’s voice always makes me feel like I’m listening to something recorded nearer the end of the decade. Any ideas?
Michael Jackson 1958 – 2009
Rest in peace to a man whose music recordings from the sixties, seventies and eighties has stuck with me throughout my life and who was a true childhood hero of mine. Despite all that has happened to him in the last twenty years at a time like this I’d like to separate the media stories from the music. I’ll never forget practising my MJ dance in front of the mirror before school discos and his music will forever be associated with many great memories for me.
If you have the chance, play at least one Michael Jackson song today and remind yourself that, whatever is true or false with all the stories that have come out over the years, just how much amazing music he left behind in his forty year career.
Everyone has their own favourite period of Michael Jackson’s career, be it his early soul, the move to the more loose funk sound, the disco or the power pop. The fact of the matter is that he made classics in all these genres.
There’s not really such a thing as a rare Jackson release and I don’t want to put up his entire catalogue so here are a few personal favourites that will be being played out in my household today.
Jackson Five: 2-4-6-8
Jackson Five: Maybe Tomorrow
Jackson Five: Mamma Got A Brand New Thing
Michael Jackson: Off The Wall
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