LEARNING THE HARD WAY NEVER SOUNDED SO EASY

Sharon Jones And The Dap-Kings: I Learned The Hard Way
From I Learned The Hard Way (Daptone, 2010)

Sharon Jones And The Dap-Kings have built a reputation over the past decade of being purveyors of the classic, mostly '60s, soul sound. A lot of their previous material, in my opinion, has leaned heavily on cloning that sound, albeit in a very good way. “I Learned The Hard Way,” on the other hand, seems more fresh and contemporary in using that sound as an inspiration instead of the foundation and is a great step forward for the collective.

The album has great synergy between all parties involved. The background singers interplay with Sharon throughout, especially apparent on the title track, while teaming up to address the one who left them scorned. It's not so much a call and response as it is tag team affair.

One of my favorite moments in the entire record is the outro of “Better Things” with the harmonizing on the fadeout featuring the background singers repeating the hook, “Better things to do/Than to remember you,” over and over while Sharon Jones ad libs. It's a classy touch that brings back a slight '60s touch that last for all of about 20 seconds, but it's such a nice nuance.

The blistering “Money” (not a cover of the Barrett Strong song of the same name) is one of the most aggressive and original tracks the group has done with its socially thematic premise. It's a step away from the love theme they've covered in various ways over three previous albums. Come Record Store Day, you'll also be able to find this as a b-side as a cross promotion with the Budos Band's cover of The Beatles' “Day Tripper” on 7-inch wax.

On a different vibe is the closing track, “Mama Don't Like My Man,” which is an acoustic affair that is stylistically different from anything I've heard from the band. If you weren't paying attention, you would think you were listening to a lost Naomi Shelton And The Gospel Queens track given its churchy feeling with handclaps providing the rhythmic timing. Upon first listen, I swore Edna Johnson, Bobbie Gant, or Cynthia Langston of The Gospel Queens were providing background vocals. To my surprise, they weren't featured, however.

Many of the Dap-Kings crew get a writing credit on the set including Tommy “TNT” Brenneck, Bosco Mann, Dave Guy, and Homer Steinwess. The group has certainly developed their own style as you hear bits and pieces that make you recall the Menahan Street Band, which features many of the same players.

It wouldn't be a modern release without spreading several bonus tracks over to different retailers. It's not a practice I'm fond of, but at least you have the option to buy the tracks individually.

Bonus tracks:

Without A Trace (Amazon)
He Said I Can (iTunes)
When I Come Home (Daptone) (If the 30-second clip from the Daptone site doesn't give you all you want to hear, you can also hear the full version of this at Rolling Stone's site.)

MAYER HAWTHORNE AND THE COUNTY IN CONCERT

(Photo from MH's Twitter page. Check the slick red suit!)

Last week, I braved knowing I'd be out late on a work night with the double whammy of already having a cold to catch Mayer Hawthorne And The County stop through my town. After a little medicine got the sniffles under control, I headed out to catch my friend Kyle (part of DJ duo Twinpeaks) do an opening DJ duties to set the mood before the Mudkids provided some local hip hop fare to get the juices flowing, too.

After a slightly later than expected start, Mayer Hawthorne And The County stepped on stage to the famous James Brown intro commonly referred to as “Are You Ready For Star Time?” While this hasn't been Hawthorne and crew's first venture on the road, it was nice to see him bring his band (minus a horn section) to really give a live (figuratively and literally) element to the show. The easy route would have been to have a pre-recorded instrumental while he sang over top of the music. However, he took the high road, and the show was that much better for it. This also allowed him later on to go on some ad libs with the band that were quite entertaining.

The major thing that surprised me was how comfortable Mayer seemed being the front man. While I'm aware that he's been in bands prior to his breakout record, this is the first time he's had all eyes on him. I've seen numerous front men not embrace the role (Dave Matthews, anyone?) with such vigor and professionalism and look so natural at it. Hawthorne was funny and witty while providing great segues, perhaps a show of his DJ prowess of knowing how to move the crowd from song to song.

His bread and butter falsetto was largely abandoned for the show, in part my guess is to keep his voice intact for the length of the tour as well as to have a stronger vocal presence. While it did sneak in occasionally, it was more often than not in the range of songs such as “When I Said Goodbye.” The crowd didn't seem to mind much, though, as nearly everyone at the packed show sang along to every word, aside from one jackass heckler after the first song. (People, if you're at a show, don't be THAT guy. You deserve whatever embarrassment comes your way with that kind of behavior, drunk or not.)

Performing nine of the twelve songs from A Strange Arrangement as well as two b-sides took up a majority of the set list (see below), but he and the band managed to sneak in a few covers such as ELO's “Mr. Blue Sky” (of which you can view a KCRW performance here) as well as a rocked out version of NERD's “Fly Or Die,” where the band got in touch with their inner-headbangers. They also got to show off their performance chops with a few extended takes on songs such as “Green Eyed Love” that lasted well past their album length.

In addition, guitarist Topher Mohr graced us with a nice pop-funk treat in an original of his entitled “Ruthless” (check his MySpace page for a listen). The song has real potential to become a radio hit if given the push. I'm working on getting an interview set up with Topher for a separate piece at a later date.

After the show, the full band (Mayer included) stopped by the merch booth for a lengthy meet-n-greet that was well-received by the appreciative crowd. I got a chance to catch up with Mayer, Quincy (keyboards), Topher (guitar), and Joe (bass) – (Quentin, on drums, was in teardown mode) at the meet-n-greet to discuss how the tour was going. All were pleased with the energy of the crowds night to night and haven't yet hit the proverbial wall during their long tour, which only gets longer with an impending European tour starting in May.

As an aside, I did get an answer to a question I had been wondering about for a while regarding the “Love Is Alright” cover found on the bonus disc of the album. Mayer's version is patterned after the Jesse James take (who is the original writer of the song) instead of the more popular version by Cliff Nobles, whose instrumental version is more well-known as “The Horse.” He explained it was simply that he liked the James version better, in part because it's such a simple and fun song with an incredibly easy one-note bass line as much of the riff.

Set list:

Your Easy Lovin' Ain't Pleasin' Nothin'
Make Her Mine
Maybe So, Maybe No (New Holidays cover)
Shiny And New
I Wish It Would Rain
Ruthless (by Topher Mohr)
One Track Mind
Mr. Blue Sky (ELO cover)
Fly Or Die (NERD cover)
Green Eyed Love
Just A Friend (Biz Markie cover)
Just Ain't Gonna Work Out
Love Is Alright (Jesse James cover)
The Ills

Encore:
When I Said Goodbye
Work To Do (Isley Brothers cover)

STREAM THE NEW SHARON JONES AND THE DAP-KINGS NOW!

If you're interested in trying before buying the upcoming Sharon Jones And The Dap-Kings album "I Learned The Hard Way," out of April 6, NPR has the full album streaming now.

Variations On A ‘Funky’ Theme…

As promised, here is the guest post from Larry from The Funky 16 Corners audioblog as he takes us deep into the world of exciting library music. Be sure to check out his site regularly. For my end of the swap, I reviewed The Equatics' reissue entitled "Doin It!!!"




Greetings all.

I was honored when Eric asked me to fall by Record Racks with a ‘guest’ post.

The tracks I bring you today are not only one of the grooviest examples of the ‘library’ music genre, but also represent a peak moment of what might be described as a’micro-genre’, that being reworkings of Keith Mansfield’s ‘Funky Fanfare’.

Keith Mansfield: Funky Fanfare
From KPM 1043 Beat Incidental (KPM, 1969)

Keith Mansfield: Funky Chase
From KPM 1043 Beat Incidental (KPM, 1969)

Keith Mansfield: Funky Flight
From KPM 1043 Beat Incidental (KPM, 1969)

Mansfield as both composer and pianist - often in collaboration with Hammond master Alan Hawkshaw (the man behind the Mohawks) – recorded some truly fantastic music in the late 60s and early 70s (and beyond that), some of it for UK sound libraries like KPM, and some under his own name for a variety of labels (some of which actually saw release in the US).

These ‘libraries’ created musical themes for a variety of uses with the music appearing in the background of motion picture and television soundtracks, behind commercials and public service announcements, and sometimes as just plain old ‘music for listening’.

The selections you’re hearing today are three variations of the ‘Funky Fanfare’ theme from KPM 1043 ‘Beat Incidental’ (from 1969). Though many beat diggers (and listeners in general) may be familiar with certain library themes, until you actually get your hands on one of the albums released by services like KPM or Bruton you don’t realize how brief many of these tunes are.

‘Beat Incidental’ includes more than 20 tracks, very few of them running in excess of two minutes, several – intended as transitional or interstitial themes, running less than ten seconds. The three tracks included here, ‘Funky Fanfare’, ‘Funky Chase’ and

‘Funky Flight’ all run between a minute and a minute and a half, and are all variations on the same instrumental theme.
‘Funky Flight’ is mainly percussion and guitar, ‘Funky Chase’ repeats that, adding vibes, and ‘Funky Fanfare’ the main theme - and no doubt the most familiar - leads with the Hammond (probably Mansfield himself, since Hawkshaw is not credited).

I’ve always found it interesting – at least since I discovered library music – how many of these pieces (including those by Mansfield, Hawkshaw, Syd Dale, John Dankworth and Johnny Pearson*) transcend their utilitarian roots and jump into another dimension entirely. Perhaps it has something to do with their original creation having to do with evocation of a particular mood, or more likely that having done so, they were appropriated by other sources where they entered the public imagination in an unforeseen way. Pearson’s ‘Heavy Action’ (from KPM1136 Industrial Panorama, go check it out on iTunes) entered a huge number of American homes in the 1970s as the theme to Monday Night Football.

If ‘Funky Fanfare’ is indeed familiar, it’s because the theme was reworked more than half a dozen times over the period of a few years, in a fairly wide variety of settings. If you take a close look at the label, there’s a reference to another version (under the ‘Funky Fanfare’ title) on KPM1038. This version was recorded with a much bigger band, includes slightly funkier drums and was used in (but not included on the soundtrack for) Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Kill Bill’, where it was used as I remember it from my childhood, as the background to a coming attractions interstitial from the movies.

Mansfield himself recorded the theme – retitled as ‘Soul Thing’ – on his 1969 ‘All You Need Is Keith Mansfield’ LP (released in a few different countries) with his piano in the lead, opening with a very tasty, very crisp drum break. The tune was recorded again as ‘Soul Thing’, in an arrangement approximating the KPM1038 version of ‘Funky Fanfare’ in 1970 under the name of drummer Tony Newman, with a Hammond lead that sounds a lot like Alan Hawkshaw.

Oddly enough there’s yet another instrumental version of the tune, a progressive/psyche interpretation by a Steve Hillage project called Arzachel. They take the tune at a very slow pace, renaming it ‘Queen Street Gang’.

There was also a vocal version of the song entitled ‘House of Jack’ with lyrics by R. Chris Murphy added to Mansfield’s music. As far as I can tell the original vocal version was recorded in the UK by James Royal, then again by Paul Raven* (later known as Gary Glitter) and yet again in the US (in 1971) by a largely anonymous group called The Establishment, released on the King label (probably the easiest of the three to find).

There’s also at least one other version (which may be the same as the KPM1038 recording) under the name of the Carnaby Street Pop Orchestra, which I understand to be basically repackaged (possibly remixed) Mansfield/ KPM content.

No matter how you cut it, Mansfield’s little creation has had a remarkably fruitful life, which is probably why it’s become an ear-worm of sorts, having come to represent a palpable slice of late period Swinging London (or anywhere else for that matter).

It’s interesting to hear Mansfield play with the basic theme in the three KPM1048 tracks. There are two more ‘Funky’ tracks on that album (‘Funky Link 1’ and Funky Link 2’), but neither one of them lasts more than seven seconds.

I hope you dig the sounds.

Peace

Larry

*I’ve never heard the Paul Raven version, but I have seen the label and the lyrics are credited to ‘Raven’, so it may in fact be yet another iteration of the tune

PS Make sure to check out the ‘World of Kane’ blog where Youtube clips of a number of the versions mentioned above are posted (and a few more in the comments) here.

A LITTLE BREAK FOR A LITTLE BREAKESTRA

Unfortunately, I've never gotten to see these guys throw down live, but if I did I'd hope it would be half as much fun as this video shows. This song is perhaps my favorite on their latest album, From Dusk Till Dawn.

SONG OF THE DAY: MARCH 28, 2010

SONG OF THE DAY: MARCH 28, 2010



Miguel Atwood-Ferguson feat. Dwele: A.N.G.E.L.
From VA: Timeless Box Set (Mochilla, 2010)

Lovely track led by Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and produced by Carlos Nino that was part of a tribute to the late Dilla but was not included on the Suite For Ma Dukes EP. Atwood-Ferguson is joined by one of Dilla's friends and collaborators (and fellow Detroit native) Dwele. The arrangement is much more orchestrated and has expanded lyrical content, which is mostly just Dwele freestyling.

The original had a jazzy, organic feel with its heavy dose of Fender Rhodes and those crisp drums. Lyrically, it's about as simple as it gets, but it's really much more reliant on mood than it is on message.

Dwele: A.N.G.E.L.
From Subject (Virgin, 2003)

Meanwhile, Soul-Sides.com is having a contest where you can win the DVD box set where this track comes from.

IN LIFE WE ALL HAVE TO MAKE OUR OWN +'JUSTMENTS

Bill Withers: Stories
From +'Justments (Reissue) (Sussex/Reel Music, 2010)

Previously unissued on CD, +'Justments was recently remastered and released by Reel Music. The music is excellent, as you'd expect from Withers, and the clarity is stunning thanks to the careful transfers done by Vic Anesini and the remastering work by Bill Lacey.

And if the music isn't enough to make you buy this CD, aside from the fact it hasn't been on CD... ever, the 12-page essay inside by A. Scott Galloway makes it well worth the purchase price. It's an excellent companion piece to the Still Bill documentary that yields little down-home nuggets like this one from Withers, “A song is like a hamburger. Either you like it or you don't.”

That quote is in reference to “Can We Pretend,” a song penned by his then-wife Denise Nicholas, who he would soon be divorced from. The song is a poetic ode to a couple saying goodbye to one another. Given that they had been having marital troubles, many assumed that the album opener “You” was some kind of diss towards her, with its scathing lyrical assault. That notion is discussed in detail in the liner notes. Further wisdom is passed along in “Green Grass,” which talks about the illusion of how things appear to be better on the other side of the tracks.

+'Justments, a play on the word “adjustments,” completes the trilogy of studio albums Bill Withers released on Sussex (in addition to the excellent live set from Carnegie Hall). While generally not given as high of praise as “Still Bill” or his debut “Just As I Am,” perhaps because of a relative lack of instantly recognizable “classic” tracks, it's a continuation of his storytelling prowess and backed by the organic and acoustic sound that would change for the most part once he left for Columbia, his new label.

To that end, “Stories,” a little-known track from his canon, perhaps sums up best what Withers' focus and strength was throughout his career.

Who will buy a glad story
That a young man has to tell?
Come into my house of glory
And I will treat you well

Who will buy a sad story
That a widow has to tell?
Come into my house of lonely
And I will treat you well

Young and old we all have stories
That we all must try to sell
Tales of how you get to Heaven
And how we've been through Hell

Who will buy a perfumed story
That a young girl has to tell?
Sleep with me on satin pillows
And I will treat you well

(Side note: For a further explanation of the album's title, Withers can be seen on the album cover writing a paragraph which you can read here.)

DETROIT SOUL IS MORE THAN JUST MOTOWN

The New Holidays: My Baby Ain't No Plaything
From VA: Westbound Detroit Northern Soul (Ace/Kent, 2010)

To some, Motown was Detroit. To others, it was the home of some – but not all – of Detroit's great soul music heritage. Ace/Kent recently released a compilation highlighting some of the lesser known, but not lesser quality, soul songs to come out of Detroit. Instead of the more pop-oriented soul that Berry Gordy saw fit to unleash upon the world, Westbound released more traditional sounding soul. In later years, much of this style of soul was classified as Northern soul.

Much of the material falls within the first few years of the '70s, although a few songs were cut at the tail end of 1969. The set starts off with a stomper in Denise Lasalle's “Do Me Right.” With a rhythm section that keeps your foot tapping, horns accent the mixture to keep the momentum going. Denise appears a few songs later in a duet with Abe Tilmon, the lead singer of the Detroit Emeralds (who also appear on the disc), in “Ain't That Lovin',” a track that was previously unissued.

Both Denise and the Emeralds had taken a sabbatical down to Memphis to record some music with Willie Mitchell. Apparently, that influence was carried back as there is more than one song on the compilation that has a bit of that fat backbeat sound. Take Damon Shawn's “Feel The Need,” itself a remake of a previous album cut belonging to the Detroit Emeralds, whose intro cries of the the late Mitchell's handiwork, albeit slightly sped up. Mitchell would've slowed it down a touch to give it more breathing room, but in its faster-paced presentation it also works well. In other Memphis inspired material, Caesar Frazier does his best Al Green vocal interpretation. The music doesn't necessarily remind you of the Hi sound, especially the chorus, but Frazier's inflections along with his enunciation and cadence lean heavily on Green.

The compilation fares its best with songs that do have a distinct Detroit sound to them. The New Holidays, whose music has been brought back to awareness as Mayer Hawthorne covered “Maybe So, Maybe No” last year, with their doo-wop inspired “My Baby Ain't No Plaything” is pure soul goodness. It's happy-go-lucky in sound, although the lyrics are a warning to potential competition encroaching upon the lead's girlfriend.

It's quite an accomplishment when a compilation features a song by Funkadelic (in tamer form from the psychedelic trip they'd wander off for a couple years later) that gets nary a mention and names like Denise LaSalle and Damon Shawn attract the focus. Compilations don't have to feature eight #1 hits that have been beaten to death to be a pleasure to listen to throughout. It's nice to be introduced to new-to-you music, even if it is 40 years old, as this set proves through its 26 tracks.

STILL BILL: THE REVIEW

Still Bill Trailer from B-Side Entertainment on Vimeo.

B-Side Entertainment is releasing a documentary later this spring on Bill Withers as I previously mentioned. What's really cool about the way their distribution works, though, is that you can actually get a screener of it - for free, except for S&H - prior to its release date for purchase, and through their Host Your Own Screening program you can screen it in your home, and even charge admission. The difference in the screening DVD you get and the retail copy that will be released in the coming months is, in part, that the retail version will have bonus features. More details of hosting a screening can be found on their site as linked above. It is certainly a bold alternative to the normal business model for movie distribution and one that I think can truly succeed for certain genres of film.

Now onto the film...

Bill Withers won't soon be confused as an artist to be a representative on the Mount Rushmore of soul. That, however, doesn't make his music any less important. A late bloomer, he didn't have a hit in the music business until his early 30s. His path wasn't about the glitz and glamour, the fame or fortune; it was about telling great stories.

His sound, though, wasn't necessarily what the labels thought it should be. Instead of stories about grandmas and dark corners of love, they felt he should incorporate "horns, gold suits, and 3 chicks." He did it his way, though, proving he didn't need their advice as his first album produced the #3 hit "Ain't No Sunshine." It was a song that led him to a spot on the Johnny Carson show, a call which he got the same night he also got called back to his real job - installing toilets on 747s.

The most enjoyable part of Still Bill: The Movie is not in hearing the music or its background but in hearing HIS background. As anyone could tell who has spent any time with Mr. Withers through their headphones, the music and stories match perfectly with the person that Bill is. He's perhaps the most humble artist/person who has ever topped the charts.

That life started in the shantytown of Slab Fork, West Virginia. A coal mining town to the core, it was also predominantly white. In fact, the black cemetery is now wooded over. While searching for graves of relatives, Bill had to stoop to make his way through. The corresponding white cemetery is well kempt.

It was in a town like this, though, where he learned such a hard work ethic. During a segment where he's talking with Dr. Cornel West and Tavis Smiley, he flipped a commonly held notion on its head. "As an entrepreneur the best sign you can put up is SOLD OUT," he states. The trio go on to discuss how he remained true to himself in his career in which he admits that at times, "Fame was kicking my ass."

That wasn't the only trouble that he encountered in his life. Early on he battled a stuttering problem. He felt labeled as he was told, "You can't do nothing." It led to a self-proclaimed crisis of confidence. From this he learned valuable life lessons. Some of these he passed along to a group of kids with the same affliction in the Our Time Theatre Company as a guest speaker. His time with them hit close to home and brought tears to his eyes.

He has passed many of these life lessons along to his kids of whom one is in law school and another who is aspiring to perform music. In a nugget we could all take to heart in telling ourselves and our own children, Bill offers this advice: "It's okay to head out for wonderful. But on the way to wonderful, you're gonna have to pass through alright. When you get to alright, take a good look around and get used to it because it may be as far as you're gonna go." He himself, though, didn't make a permanent stop in alright. He defied expectations, but only those of others. He knew he had a gift and a story to tell.

While he may not have one of the all-time great singing voices in terms of range, he more than makes up for it in sincerity. His voice exudes confidence - in what he sings about and who he is as a man. Again, he may not be a part of the Mount Rushmore of soul, but he's lived to tell the tale into his septuagenarian years.

The directors of this introspective and riveting film have done a superb job in bringing out the man behind the music. While following him around Slab Fork recounting stories from yesteryear, to a class reunion, to honorary concerts, and into the studio where he still records and tinkers today, they have brought us even closer to the man than what he brought us to through his music. It's the touching story of a man having the balls to succeed or fail on his own terms. He left music when many people still thought he had plenty more to accomplish and record, but doing it on others' terms wouldn't be the Bill Withers way.

That aforementioned fame may have been getting the best of him then, but he has persevered and become one of the truly great - and underappreciated - musical songwriters and performers in recorded music history. He's a blue collar guy through and through. Fame never swallowed him. He's been Making Music and Making Friends, as he would say, Just As I Am. Through it all, he is truly Still Bill.

SUPER BOWL SUNDAY

Sunday marks one of the biggest television days of the year. In honor of the big game, here are a few selections of songs from or about the three cities involved: New Orleans and Indianapolis, the two participants, and Miami, the host city.

While New Orleans may be underdogs per the oddsmakers, their city's musical history needs no introduction and has a considerably strong edge over Indianapolis. From zydeco, funk, early rock n roll, they have the bases covered.

Indianapolis, though, is no slouch when it comes to musical history. It has produced jazz legends such as Freddie Hubbard and Wes Montgomery as well as pop/R&B icon Babyface who has had considerable success as a writer, producer, and performer.

Huey Piano Smith And His Clowns: High Blood Pressure
From Having A Good Time: The Very Best Of Volume 1 (Westside, 1999)

Starting with the away team's city, Huey Piano Smith and crew present some classic New Orleans music. While not the song they're primarily associated with (that would be “Rockin Pneumonia And The Boogie Woogie Flu”), “High Blood Pressure” comes from the group's highest charting single that is led primarily by a busy horn section and a simple chord change on piano.

If this Super Bowl is the shootout that many analysts are predicting, high blood pressure may be symptomatic for the viewing audience.

Diplomatics: Hum Bug (Pts 1 and 2)
From Live At The South Dallas Pop Festival 1970 Bonus Disc (Now Again, 2003)

In the mid-60s, high school bands cutting records was not uncommon. In Indianapolis, friends who attended Crispus Attucks and Shortridge High Schools, cut their only work (under this moniker, at least) for Lamp Records. They were striving for a dance-based tune, which funny enough has a kind of New Orleans-ish sound a la The Meters.

Catch the drum break toward the end that's by... a teenager. Mean stuff! Soon, I'm supposed to be meeting with Rodney Stepp, who was the leader of the band, to get more inside info about this track and numerous others he worked on throughout his career for a release that's still in the works.

Will Smith: Miami (Miami Sound Machine Remix)
From Miami (CD Single) (Columbia, 1999)

The last of the bunch is an ode to the host city. Will Smith, unless you've been living under a rock, needs no introduction. This isn't the version you'll be likely to hear on the TV going into commercial break, although you may remember a clip of this version from the official music video. While it lacks the familiar Whispers sample, it more than makes up for it with energy from the Emilio Estefan-overseen remix.

The BPMs are cranked compared to the original, and given the content of the song I have always found the music in this version to be more congruent to the subject matter than the original offers, especially with the Latin music history that Miami is known for.

GOSPEL AND GRIT: THE SOUND OF FUNKY FERVOR

The Inspirational Gospel Singers: Same Thing It Took
From Good God! Born Again Funk (Numero, 2010)

R&B, while built largely on the back of gospel music, has a somewhat dichotomous relationship with gospel's roots, at least from the viewpoint from the latter. During rhythm & blues' birth, many gospel supporters boiled over the idea of R&B artists using hymns as a basis for their songs that had a raunchy undertone and with a rhythm that was thought to derive straight from the devil. Even one of gospel's largest stars, Sam Cooke, wondered if he could ever go back to gospel if his pop career didn't pan out.

So it's surprising, in a sense, then, that songs that lyrically praise the Lord have a musical backing that uses a rhythmic style that would seemingly contradict it from a gospel purist's standpoint. Part of it may be that over time, that feeling subsided, even if only a small bit. On Numero's latest offering - Good God! Born Again Funk - that follows up its first gospel/funk compilation, the merging of styles is further discovered and investigated.

The most startling example is that of Ada Richards' “I'm Drunk And Real High” in which the words in the hook she uses actually sound like a soul that has been tainted by the dark side. She shouts and holy rolls with the best of them in tone and attitude, but with a line like “I'm drunk, Lord Jesus, and I'm real high!” it's no wonder that it hasn't made its way into the local church choir's weekly rotation.

Many of these songs with their lyrical content disregarded, in fact, sound straight out of the R&B canon. “The Same Thing It Took” by The Inspirational Gospel Singers is actually a reworking of sorts of the Impressions song of the same name. Interestingly enough, though, it's more R&B in its musical backdrop than its secular counterpart. With its chunky bass and Jean McInnis' (who sounds like she could be a long lost Franklin family member) vocals, the song is a shining example of what these two genres can sound like when married properly - where fervor and funk both shine equally.

If Heaven has a juke joint, Born Again Funk showcases what Jesus would be listening to while taking a shot of holy water. Some say that most people miss Heaven by 18 inches - the distance from your head to your heart. These songs highlight what gets your soul shaking in a body part 18 inches below your heart: your rump.

TEDDY P AS REMEMBERED BY HIS SON

As great as it is to read about how people remember music artists for their art and its inspiration, it's easy to get lost in the mix that these people were family men and women, too.

I read this great piece by Teddy Pendergrass' son over at CNN today. Not one word was uttered about how music's role at their home. Instead he talks about a trip to Chuck E. Cheese and driving in his father's fast cars.

In reality, it's these simple things that truly matter.

SO LONG TEDDY P

Harold Melvin And The Blue Notes: Bad Luck
From To Be True (Philadelphia International/Epic, 1975)

In another week's time, another soul legend has passed on. Last week Willie Mitchell, and now Teddy P. Each left their indelible marks on popular music. Teddy really hit his high point with his Ladies Only concerts that wouldn't have been made possible without that bedroom baritone delivered with such raw energy whether on a dance number or a slow song.

His professional training ground was with the popular Philly group Harold Melvin And The Blue Notes for which he used to play drums. Incidentally, when Gamble and Huff heard him sing, he was asked to do lead vocals during their most fruitful period in the early to mid-70s.

Around my house growing up, my mom was (and still is) a huge fan of disco. We listened to “Bad Luck” so many times that the cassette it was on is probably in shreds by now. It wasn't the group's only foray into disco as another album they released within the same year had the original version of “Don't Leave Me This Way” that is better known to most through the Thelma Houston version.

His solo career saw equal, if not greater, success with songs such as “Love TKO” and “Close The Door” - songs that could get anyone in the mood, even Sherman Klump from “The Nutty Professor.” The minister of love has left us, but not before making some beautiful sermons through music during the last 35 years.

BILL WITHERS: ON FILM

Still Bill Trailer from B-Side Entertainment on Vimeo.

Bill is such a great songwriter and singer. Tonight I found out, by chance, that a documentary had been made about this fine musician. Unfortunately, it just so happened that it was also a night in which it was screening in my town, but I couldn't attend. Finding out 30 minutes prior to the event wasn't enough time to make it.

I'm looking forward to catching it in the future, though. You can read more about it and pre-order it at the official site.

“POPPA” WILLIE MITCHELL, YOU'LL BE MISSED

It's so sad to see another legend of the soul scene pass away. We're watching a generation of great singers, writers, producers, arrangers, session members – of which Willie was most of these – being wiped away in front of our eyes, slowly but surely, while the grim reaper plays a life-and-death Duck-Duck-Goose, the next victim unsuspecting that s/he is next. All we can do is appreciate them while they're here. Mitchell, who had his own solo career, before taking the producer/arranger chair at Hi was a mastermind of music, soul in particular, of songs that have defined the genre and are worthy of a place in a time capsule of popular music.

Al Green: I'm A Ram
From Gets Next To You (Hi, 1971)

Only a couple nights ago I was listening to the Reverend Green's “Gets Next To You” album, perhaps my favorite full length of his. The pleading in “Are You Lonely For Me Baby” is an exercise in sexual tension being released. “I'm A Ram,” a sweatbox of soul, boils under the surface with its slowed tempo that pops with horn stabs throughout. Al was the force that helped to gain the Hi Sound popularity nationwide, but he wasn't the only one that Mitchell was working with...

Ann Peebles: If We Can't Trust Each Other
From I Can't Stand The Rain (Hi, 1974)

Ann Peebles (who may be most familiar to people by way of the sample of “I Can't Stand The Rain” in Missy Elliott's “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” thanks in large part to one Mr. Tim Mosley), who had married Don Bryant – a songwriter for Hi, also worked closely with Mitchell. “If We Can't Trust Each Other” is a sweet bit of mid-70s soul punctuated by the Hi Sound, notably the crisp snare and its simple, yet effective, associated backbeat and affectionate horns. Her voice is markedly sweet, simply hitting the notes that need to be hit, without overly expressing anguish but still hitting on the emotions tapping into the core of the song. Very well performed and produced.

O.V. Wright: Let's Straighten It Out
From The Complete O.V. Wright On Hi Records, Vol. 1 (Hi, 1999)

O.V. Wright, on the other hand, has more of a longing in this song, capitulating to the anguish that Peebles wouldn't quite relent to. It almost sounds like it could be either the beginning or the end of the conversation that Peebles was singing about above. While at times resorting to a tickling of 16th-notes that suggest a nervousness, as in flicking a cigarette's ashes, provide a contrast to the driving chords that permeate the verses. More bluesy in nature, it has some nuances like the aforementioned piano work and some drum fills that segue into new sections of the song providing a palatable breaking up of sorts, not unlike where the characters in the song itself may be heading.

Willie Mitchell: Bootleg
From Ooh Baby You Turn Me On/Live At The Royal (Hi, 1968)

Lastly, a song as performed by Poppa Willie himself is “Bootleg” that is a different sound altogether from those above. With its party vibe that defines what a juke joint should sound like, it's enhanced by crowd noises heard in the background, which some have speculated were overdubbed, thus not making it a true live recording, but that provide another level of atmosphere. In much the same way that the soul classic “Shotgun” by Jr. Walker And The All Stars does, perhaps its soulful American cousin, “Bootleg” provides a glimpse into time when dancing and good music – and perhaps a drink in hand – trumped all else on a Saturday night.

Poppa Willie helped provide the soundtrack for many of those parties, and their associated afterparties in the bedroom or back of a car. Not a bad way to define your legacy. Thanks Poppa.

To read even more about this underappreciated legend, check out WaxPoetics issue 9.

DAPTONE RETROSPECTIVE

Cynthia Langston And The Gospel Queens: I Need You To Hold My Hand
From Daptone Gold (Daptone, 2009)

This time of year everyone is looking back on the year that was, or, as the case is now that 2010 is near, the decade that was. Daptone is doing the latter with Daptone Gold, meant not so much to signify the best is in the past, as many greatest hits packages normally imply, but as a retrospective of where they've been.

Although the label hasn't been around for a full decade (at least not as Daptone, they rose from Desco Records) – Daptone's first full length was in 2002 – now seemed as appropriate time as any to reflect. The album successfully meets is goal of covering a variety of releases, some even previously unreleased, but just as successfully avoids repeating many of the selections from their digital-only compilations The Daptone 7-Inch Singles Collection Vol. 1 and Vol. 2.

Over one-third of the album features its flagship act, Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings, in some shape or form. They've certainly been at the forefront of not only the label but of keeping a light on feel good soul music over the last decade. However, when given a chance, other acts shine just as brightly. Take the gospel number “I Need You To Hold My Hand,” which starts out with a “Having A Party”-like intro before pleading with the Lord to accompany the singer (Cynthia Langston), who didn't even get top billing on the album from which it came, through life's journey.

Three previously unreleased tracks make their way here for the first time: the instrumental backing the introduction song, “Giving Up” by Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings – an acceptable cover of the Gladys Knight classic but in no way touching the Donny Hathaway version, and “A Lover Like Me” by Binky Griptite with The Sugarman Three.

It's a great sampler for those who have yet to fully dive in to the Daptone sound, and even for those who have, the previously unreleased songs as well as five songs formerly only available on 45s (that may now be out of print) make it a worthy album to purchase. They have done a great job of trying to play both sides of the fence making it a place where you can hang out with old friends and meet some new ones along the way.

SEASON'S GREETINGS FROM AN OLD FRIEND

Michael Jackson: Season's Greetings
From Ultimate Christmas Collection (Motown, 2009)

It's still hard to believe that MJ is gone. It was hardly even yesterday when he recorded this short little Christmas greeting. In a second half of the year, he dominated headlines – for better or for worse. Sure, the circumstances weren't ideal, but it's great to see him get some positive publicity instead of the negativity that surround him the decade prior.

This little greeting is on the reissued Christmas collection that you can either buy the CD from the link above or through Christmas Eve can get the MP3 download through Amazonof the whole album for $2.99. That's under $3!!! Take a stroll down memory lane with those crazy kids from Indiana.

It's actually a really well done compilation. Not only do you get the entire original issue of the music, but you get greetings from the all the original J5 except Marlon, a few stripped mixes of their Christmas tunes, and a nice medley.

IN THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

Electric Jungle: Funky Funky Christmas
From In The Christmas Groove (Strut, 2009)

It's that time of the year again where we get to hear yuletide songs everywhere. Where I live there's a radio station that gets flipped every year (starting in late October/early November) to play only Christmas music. It can take its toll on your nerves as you hear standard after standard or (bad) cover after (bad) cover.

Don't get me wrong, Christmas music can be great, but it has about a one week shelf life year in and year out. The one exception for me is Donny Hathaway's “This Christmas,” which I could listen to on a hot July day (and have).

So if you need some new (or new to you) Christmas tunes to listen to, Strut has just released a great compilation that gathers some odds and ends from mostly unknowns, aside from Jimmy Reed and the Harvey Averne Band. Songs range from Reed's soul-blues “Christmas Present Blues” (wow, what a harmonica!!) to a sleigh bell-infused instrumental jam in Milly & Silly's “Gettin Down For Xmas” to an almost melancholy “Black Christmas” by the Harlem Children's Choir.

Electric Jungle takes you on a “Funky Funky Christmas” journey – not to be confused with this. Instead, they jam like they've OD'd on egg nog and are hyper from eating the plate of cookies left for Santa.

These are the kind of gifts you hope for as a stocking stuffer. Speaking of which, Daptone has a new 45 out of Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings on the A-Side with Binky Griptite spitting a holiday message on the flip that you can either 1) buy, 2) get free with the purchase of $30 from their online store, or 3) get a free digital copy of just by signing up for their online newsletter. You can preview the A-side here.

Now that's some Christmas spirit!

THEN AND NOW: CHARLES WALKER

Charles Walker And The Daffodils: No Fool No More
From Night Train To Nashville, Vol. 2: Music City Rhythm & Blues 1945-1970 (Lost Highway, 2005)

Then...

Charles Walker with The Daffodils singing a 1950's style doo wop (1959 to be exact) with a tune written by Ted Jarett (who passed in March of 2009). Making an appearance is Johnny Jones on guitar, who I read recently had also passed in October. Jones was part of the house band on The !!!! Beat TV show from 1966. You can buy the entire series on DVD, which is expensive but worth every penny.

The Dynamites Featuring Charles Walker: Burn It Down
From Burn It Down (Outta Sight/Thirty Tigers, 2009)

Now...

Making a career revival of sorts with fellow Music City band The Dynamites, Walker is throwing down harder soul Dap-Kings style. If you're in ATL around New Year's Eve, you can catch them at The Tabernacle for a 2-night stint.

GREAT DEAL ON DIGITAL DAPTONE GOLD RIGHT NOW

UPDATE: This sale is on through Monday, November 23.

Before it makes its official physical debut, Amazon.com has the upcoming Daptone Gold compilation out for an astounding $2.99 NOW, which includes an exclusive bonus track to boot. While I'm not sure how long this special will be going on, at this low price you have no reason to not hop on board.

Check it out. A review is forthcoming here at Record Racks!

HE'S STILL A BAD MUTHA (JUST NOW IN REMASTERED CLARITY)

Isaac Hayes: Early Sunday Morning
From Shaft (Stax, 1971/2009)

Almost 30 years after it was originally released, the legendary Shaft soundtrack has been reissued in remastered form. It was a landmark album due to it being the first soul soundtrack to a major movie release while garnering major awards and accolades. More importantly, it was a remarkable musical accomplishment, in its breadth of styles.

Sure, nearly everyone knows the iconic title song. However, the rest of the album, most of which is instrumental, has mostly been forgotten, not because it's not memorable – but because the market for popular instrumental music has dried up throughout the years. It's a lost artform in this age of marketable catchy hooks and ringtone fodder.

One of the more laidback mood pieces on the album is “Early Sunday Morning.” With its breezy jazz-soul stylings, you're taken away from your troubles. Its underpinning strings lift it to celestial heights while the cool horns are the sunrise's aural backdrop.

On the flipside you have the more popped-collar funkiness in “Do Your Thing,” which was most likely inspired by fellow composer Tom McIntosh who consulted with Hayes on the movie when he told Isaac to “do your thing” and not worry about making varied stylings incorporate into the album. It has a fuzzed-out guitar that borders on psychedelic soul.

In addition to the original tracklisting, you also get a bonus 2009 mix of the title song. For the life of me, though, I can't quite hear much of a difference aside from the countoff in the intro. While this alone may not make it a must purchase for those who already own the soundtrack, the reissue reminds us of the mastermind that Hayes was in his compositional prowess.

Right on!

DY-NO-MITE!!!

If you didn't know any better, you'd think you were back at the cinema 35 years ago watching a Shaft spinoff. But you're not. It's 2009, and the blaxploitation craze is back after a long hiatus - ready to kick you in the teeth and then sleep with your lady.

The movie is being released slowly to various markets, but you can vote for it to come to a town near you here. What you don't have to wait on, though, is the funky music that accompanies the movie. There are 2 releases associated: the score and the soundtrack. (Take a listen to each in full over in the music section of the official movie site.)

The soundtrack pulls together various library music from the likes of Alan Tew, Brian Bennett, and Nino Nardini to name a few. Some of these tracks have been used in other crime drams previously, hence the “library” moniker. If you've heard other blaxploitation soundtracks before, then you know the sound well: fuzz guitar, funked-out bass, and plenty of bass clef piano thuds hinting at trouble waiting just around the corner.

The score was masterminded by multi-instrumentalist Adrian Younge. The record has such a vintage feel that it's hard to believe that this truly isn't some piece of unearthed long-lost goodness from the vaults. Much of the grittiness can be attributed to its recording process. Younge composed and played the album in his apartment on analog equipment.

No true blaxploitation score would be complete without a theme song. Sir Charles Hughes does the honor in coronating our hero. A brief introduction of Black Dynamite tells us how the grass withers wherever he walks and King Kong steps aside as he passes. Yes, he's a badass so step out of his way. That doesn't quite prepare us for “Chicago Wind,” with a haunting vocal that I'll be surprised if it isn't sampled by a Chicago native like Kanye West or Common in the next couple of years. It's already got the boom bap drums laid at its foundation and a slinky synth laid over top. The lyrics aren't as potent as the melody itself, but it's such a strong track, namely for the aforementioned vocals that breeze through like the gusty Chicago wind it speaks of through a cracked window, howling into your soul.

Early reviews of the movie indicate that it rides the line between homage and parody of the genre. The score is more the former as it's a reproduction of the sound. No new ground has been tread, but it's none the worse for wear. It reminds us of a time when composers other than John Williams told the story of characters not in visual action but in tone and soundscapes. It's nice to be reintroduced to that ideal.

SOULFUL GROOVIN'

N'Dambi: Daisy Chain
From Pink Elephant (Stax, 2009)

Believe it or not, this album marks the 10th year that N'Dambi has been putting out solo material. Prior to that, she was a backup singer for Erykah Badu. It is fitting that a singer whose roots are deeply entrenched in earthy sounds put out material on the revamped Stax label, which needs no introduction with its historic soul music breeding grounds.

Sound-wise it's an extension of her earliest work but advances the coffeehouse jazzy/neo soul vibes with songs that still brew with groovy undertones but with a modern twist. While it's not as rootsy as her earlier work, it still brims with funky jams aided by the production by soul music veteran Leon Sylvers III.

Reminiscent of the recent work by Leela James, N'Dambi finds a way to expand her sound with more uptempo numbers such as the cowbell-aided, tom-tom jam “The World Is A Beat,” which stops short of seethe, but nonetheless is irritated of music that is based only on head nodding backbeats. In an ironic twist, the beat of the song is what really elevates it – but you get what she's saying.

The album is at its grooving best on “Daisy Chain,” with its catchy hook and catchier melody, itself a nod to former Stax residents The Staple Singers. Playing the role of the woman being led astray by a can't-make-up-his-mind suitor who has more than her in his little black book. Perhaps that's where she gets that attitude on the follow-up “Can't Hardly Wait” where she questions why she can't quite quit him.

While it breaks no new ground in the genre, it certainly is a worthy addition to the expressive nature and sound that is soul music.