Melvin Van Peebles - You Gotta Be Holdin’ Out Five Dollars on Me

Melvin Van Peebles - You Gotta Be Holdin’ Out Five Dollars on Me on A&M Records

You know what I like most about doing this blog? The people I meet and speak to on a regular basis. Whether it’s an old or new DJ friend who passes on some info, or someone who digs what I’m doing, or most of all, someone who lets me know what’s up with a particular record. Thanks Alan for setting the record straight with the info on a track on my Sound of Now! Mix. I was under the impression that Vampisoul reissued the “Yeah Yeah Yeah” tune, when in fact it was made last year, produced by a cat in Brooklyn. Good lookin’ out my brother, and welcome to the FMF family. That being said, it’s Friday, and I have another treat for you.

I almost passed this record this past weekend digging. Until I brought my stack up to pay my local guy, near the trunk of his car. Hey kid, need some Funk or Soul, reeeeeal cheap man. I always feel like I’m buying drugs or something, but of course it’s a legal drug, vinyl. He said: “You interested in a Melvin Van Peebles record?” Of course I said. I look out for stuff by him, but didn’t realize he’d done a Broadway record. It was in the dollar pile, and I mean can you really go wrong for a buck? It was Melvin Van Peebles after all. The side I’m bringing to light today is “You Gotta Be Holdin’ Out Five Dollars On Me”, from the Soundtrack to the Broadway Musical: “Ain’t Supposed To Die A Natural Death, Tunes From Blackness” on A & M Records.

Melvin Van Peebles is best known for his Blaxploitation films, “Sweet Sweetback’s Badasssss Song”, “The Watermelon Man”, and “The Story of a Three Day Pass”, which he had total control over. The man wrote, directed, and scored the music for each of those films. He was also responsible for such classic records as “Br’er Soul, “As Serious As a Heart Attack”, and “Don’t Play Us Cheap” on A&M, before moving over to Atlantic to release “What the….You Mean I Can’t Sing”. Van Peebles is known as a forefather of modern rap music, with his ebullient delivery style and fusion of Soul, Free Jazz, and Funk. His music was revolutionary, as were the times, and a lot of artists today owe Melvin Van Peebles for what the man did for Black Music. This guy was doing this stuff in the lates 60’s any way he wanted. When A & M gave him some static, he just went over to Atlantic and did his thing there. He wrote songs from real life experiences which spilled over into his music.

The whole record itself is one Funk filled, Free Jazz, Soul Brotha Number One, Ghettotastic piece of Broadway. Iceberg Slim had nothing on him. Easily the funkiest score to a play ( or Broadway show) I’ve ever come across. It starts off with a great Bluesy riff, but here comes that funky ass bass line creepin’ in and a drum beat that could easily have been Bernard Purdie, but was actually Richard Pratt, an ex-New York Giants football player who was a severely talented professional musician as well and a veteran on the NY music scene. The guitar of Lloyd Davis (who has played with Reuben Wilson and Dave Brubeck) moves from the Blues and funks up this pimps background as one of his ladies is holdin’ out five dollars from him. With Harold Wheeler laying down the keyboard and the horn section of Charles Sullivan and Robert Carten doing some cool free jazz improvising, I can see what’s unfolding on vinyl in my mind. It’s a blaxploitation film adaptation right on Broadway, as only Melvin Van Peebles can do. Way ahead of his time, this man foreshadowed Ganster Rap. You know Dre, Eazy, and Cube were grooving to him, not just Charles Wright records. He was a great example of an individual saying fuck it, fuck what people say, fuck the system, I’m doing things my own damn self. He’s a bad mother, shut your mouth….I’m really just talkin’ about Melvin. I can’t stress enough that this guy was way, way, way ahead of his time. He made a come back in 1995 with “Ghetto Logic”, and was still well received some 20 years later. A stone cold pimp who took his street saavy ways and put them to music, Melvin Van Peebles is an innovator and a great contributor to Black Music. In the late 90’s the high pitched alter ego of Madlib, was all over this full length on the Quasimoto record, “The Unseen”. He sampled several songs from “Ain’t Supposed To”, and sampled this very song for his rendition of “Good Morning Sunshine”. As a matter of fact, a Madlib/ Van Peebles collaboration is going to occur on Stones Throw by way of a double disc release by the genius minds of the two. Stay tuned for that. In the meantime, here’s a primer to the official collaboration, Madlib’s use of the Van Peeble’s legacy, obviously impressing the legend himself so much he agreed to do a record with him.

Buy the Melvin Van Peebles samplefest on Quasimoto’s “The Unseen” at Turntable Lab

See you around the flea market, I’ll be the guy buying records out of a trunk. Keep diggin’!

The Equals - Black Skinned Blue Eyed Boys

The Equals - Black Skinned Blue Eyed Boys from the Shout 45

What a weekend! I feel refreshed, and ready to drop some more records to the FMF Family. I want to send a shout out to PJ from Galactic Fractures who has been cool enough to throw us up on the links and give us some exposure. Big ups to him. Big ups to Jeff Stress from the Sub Hoodz and The Lordz. It was nice to see him and catch up over the weekend. I’m hoping that there will a collaboration between the both of us in the near future. Look out for that. Ok, since the last record I did was Cymande, (a favorite of Dr. Know’s from Bad Brains I found out this past weekend), I wanted to keep the UK vibe going on for a minute. This band was ahead of it’s time, a multi-racial group with a fine mixture of music genres.

I got turned on to this band by a guy who is all about music. He’s a talented guitar player (Lord Sterling, Splitting Headache and Full Speed Ahead among others) , one of the best tattoo artists in NJ, and an 80’s skateboard afficionado. Check out some info on him: Mike the Spike. We used to trade music a lot. He mentioned that this was a band I might dig, and handed me a greatest hits package. So off I went into a record frenzy as usual, looking high and low while I was digging, and what do you know? A copy of this record showed up at my local digging spot for 50 cents. Here we have it today at FMF. The band I’m referring to (as if you haven’t read the blog entry title and just clicked on today’s date) is The Equals and “Black Skinned Blue Eyed Boys”.

The Equals were formed in 1965, and they predated the Rudies of Two Tone fame. A multi-racial band that was unique in their own right by their look and sound. Fusing Soul, Pop, Rock, Ska, and the sounds of the West Indies, they broke onto the club and pub circuit strong. The band was made up of Eddy Grant (guitar, and yes Grant of “Electric Avenue” fame), the brothers Gordon and Lincoln Derv (one a guitar player the other a singer), Pat Lloyd (bass), and drummer John Hall. Their hard work paid off and they signed to President Records in 1967. Their early singles didn’t fare to welll in the UK, but they finally got some success with “I Get So Excited” and “Hold Me Closer” in 1968. The latter put them top of the charts in Germany, which spread across through Europe like a case of mono, eventually reaching their homes in the UK and then on to the US. The band releases a couple of more singles, which were kind of flops. Eddy Grant, however, was not done. In 1970 he started Torpedo Records, which focused his attention on various British Reggae artists, the Equals, and a few records he put out under the monicker Little Grant. It was on here they gave us “Black Skinned Blue Eyed Boys” in 1970. Grant went on to have a heart attack at the age of 23 (rumoured to be because of their hectic touring schedule), which pretty much led to his exit and the demise of the band. The copy of the record I have is on Shout, which was a subsidiary of Bang Records out of New York City, which existed from 1967-1972, then got sold to Columbia.

Starting off guitar heavy and moving in with a decent drum beat, the Equals belt out a political song filled with a mixture of their signature Rock, Ska, and Soul. Obviously the Vietnam War was going strong, adding fuel to this already blazing fire of a song. Although they were based out of the UK, there is no doubt that the band was aware of the social/ political issues going on in the world. Being a mixed race band from their inception “Black Skinned/ Blue Eyed Boys/ Ain’t Gonna Fight No Dog Gone War” is a heavy lyric people. It seems that they could see it from both sides of the racial spectrum. Heavy as the lyrics and song was, to me, the song is still soulful as hell. Yes I said it. The Equals had Soul. They sent out a political message in their music were able to achieve racial harmony through it. They made a splash with the song on the UK singles charts, reaching number 9 in 1970. This would be the last song with Eddie Grant, as he moved on to his solo career. Although the Grant left the band to do his thing, there was a resurgence of their material when The Clash covered “Police on My Back” in the latter part of the 70’s, and Pato Banton did his reggae cover version of “Baby Come Back” in 1994. The band did continue on without Grant, and continues to tour under the same name.

I’m working on a Soul mix which I’m gonna be dropping shortly, and of course will be back this weekend with some more goodness. Keep Diggin’!

DJing the Bad Brains Show in Asbury Park

When I was approached to DJ the Paul Green School of Rock Fest I said yes, but under one condition. I had to open up before Bad Brains. I’ve been a fan since high school, and like a lot of the music I review in this blog, it really changed my life. The supercharged energy of hardcore music fused with a Rastafarian mind state and Reggae riddims would never be matched IMHO by any other band. A chance to open up for them was something I jumped on. I called my old friend and DJ partner DJ Un-G to lend a hand as well, as he is just as huge fan as I am. The day itself went well, even if the production company did not bring a mixer, and opted for 3 turntables with no monitor. We came through with the missing pieces though. Jack the Ripper started the day off with his mix of Punk Rock, dirty Soul, and some classic reggae inspired bands. DJ Un-G and I took over mid day, and working doubles of classic Rock, some 90’s Alternative gems, Hip-Hop, and Funk and Soul. The mixed crowd of Rocker Moms, punk kids, old school heads and locals responded well to what we were playing. There even was some impromptu pop locking by a full on Skinhead with braces and 10 hole Docs when “Planet RocK” hit the sound system. Before the Bad Brains came on, we got to see a lot of talented students of the School of Rock, as well as guys like Vernon Reid, Adrian Belew, McRad (Philly skate rock what!), and the rantings of Jello Biafra. I had heard notorious stories of him being a dick, and well, they were true. After telling him that seeing him perform and anticipation for the Bad Brains playing made me feel like I was in 9th grade again, he shot back with: “As if that’s a good thing.” What a crochity old man. He then jumped into his rented Ford Focus and took his out of shape middle age body back to California or wherever he lives. He ranted about Governor Arnold on the stage, during “California Über Alles changing lyrics to chastise the Governator. His set sounded great even with a student band, but his rants grew tiresome.

I had an idea of what I wanted to play during the set before the Bad Brains, and dropped a lot of classic Dub, Rocksteady, and Roots stuff, improvising on to what the crowd was feeling. It definitely set up a good vibe for the band and the fans. Dr. Know, guitarist for the Bad Brains was feeling the vibe, and let me know it after the gig. For me, meeting him and HR, plus getting props from them for my set made my day. I got to watch most of their set from the stage. The show itself was intense, from opening up with “I Against I” to some new material to classics like “Soul Craft”, “Banned In DC”, “I and I Survive”, and my favorite “Attitude”. HR was not the energetic front man he once was, but the rest of the guys had the energy from the old days and put on a really great show. Here are some photos from the show, and a video as well. I will be back midweek with a new review. Keep Diggin’!

Photos
DJ Prestige and the mighty HR

DJ Prestige

DJ Un-G

Dr. Know

HR and Daryl

HR

Videos
Bad Brains Live in Asbury Park at the Paul Green School of Rock Festival Video 1

Bad Brains Live in Asbury Park at the Paul Green School of Rock Festival Video 2

Stinky Steve Appreciation

Just a short post this morning as I am off to DJ before the Bad Brains, Bouncing Souls and tons of other bands at the Paul Green School of Rock Festival here in Asbury Park. It should be a good time. The original Bad Brains line up featuring HR. This gig is definitely special to me, I’m a huge Bad Brains fan!

Here’s a photo of Stinky Steve doing some yoga and Transcendental Meditation before setting up at the spot on Saturday. I got yelled at for digging too early. I did manage to get some great records, the guy is always on point. See y’all tomorrow.

The Budos Band Live at the Lucky Cat, Brooklyn, NY

Phew! After a long night of live Afro Funk and Soul, piles of 45s, an extra hot club (in the words of Keb Darge: “Your balls would sweat like nothing else!), I bring an early morning post on The Budos Band, live at The Lucky Cat in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, NY. This is a band that can not be stopped. Hailing from Staten Island NY, they brought their brand of Funky Afro Soul to a packed house of hipster singlespeed riders, Soul Strut posters (Roberto and Mark what up!) to BK, and represented SI to the fullest. At one time I counted 9 guys on stage, plus 2 more (an organist and percussion player on the floor). They rarely stopped for air (but did for beer) and tore through songs from self titled record “The Budos”, plus new material from their new record on Daptone, cleverly entitled “The Budos Band II”. Let’s not forget the scorpion on the cover, as one band member put it: “Because scorpions are fucking cool”. A huge highlight (I mean athe entire show was hot from start to finish) was a super upbeat instrumental cover of “My Girl”. I had the honor to DJ with the lovely Honeydripper out of the Daptone Record family and resident label DJ. She wooed the audience with some Northern Soul and female vocals. I’m talking deep shit y’all, and the crowd was loving every minute of it. I opted for some Funky Soul and some upbeat Philly stuff, while peppering in some Rare Grooves and my signature Deep Funk. It was indeed an all 45 night, and when Sport Casual got on the decks, many Peroni’s later, he laced us with the new Binky Griptite, as well as the new Charles Bradley record (out on Daptone), along with some Soul that would make you wanna call your mom. I was not surprised at the Soul savvy crowd, but when I threw on The Interpretations “Soul Affection”, and Panic Buttons “O-Wow”, I looked up to see a dance floor of people grooving like my parents did, and that made my whole night. I’m tired, but going out to dig, I’m in a Soul mood and I need to find some Soul 45s. Stay tuned, more to come this weekend. Keep Diggin’!

Click here for a short Video of the Budos Band.

Summer Special - FleaMarket Funk Podcast#9

Well, since yesterday was the official first day of Summer, and today is my birthday, I got inspired on a Thursday night to put together a few tracks to celebrate both. Of course there is something for everyone here, but again I’m being a bit selfish and I chose some sides that I was feeling at that particular moment. I had to hit you off with another Cymnande tune, and I did mention the track briefly last post (which I probably will review in future episodes). Ramsey Lewis has so many good records, from straight forward Jazz to Funky Soul, his cover was a must for the start of Summer. I still am on the search for the Main Ingredient version. I have Funky 16 Corners to thank for this next Young-Holt Unlimited tune, because I almost missed it while we were digging. Jack McDuff (the Brother) is a genius, and I had to put this because it reminds me of just sitting in the back yard having a BBQ. Seriously, what’s a BBQ without a hot dog? Herbie Mann flips this Rufus Thomas cover nicely. The next selection from the Serpico Soundtrack has got summertime written all over it. The good Mr. Richard “Groove” Holmes is up next, serving up a message of Soul and Hammond organ. You might recognize the break in the Ballin’ Jack tune, as ghostwriter and 80’s pop rap superstar Marvin Young aka Young MC used it on his biggest hit. (remember Flea from the RHCP in the video, or were you too focused on the girl?) Roy Ayers Ubiquity continues on with one of my absolutely favorite (and Part 2 as well) songs. Finishing off I chose one of the greats of Latin Jazz, Funk and Soul, Mongo Santamaria. What’s a Summertime mix with out some Latin music? Mongo never disappoints, and I’m hoping he doesn’t for you.

So without any more delay here is the:

Summer Special - FMF Podcast #9

Cymande - Genevieve/ Janus
Ramsey Lewis - Summer Breeze/ Columbia
Jack McDuff - To Be Named Later/ Chess
Young-Holt Unlimited - Yes We Can Can/ Atlantic
Herbie Mann - Philly Dog/ Altantic
Mikis Theodorakis(Serpico Soundtrack) - On the Streets/ Paramount
Groove Holmes - Soul Message/ Prestige
Ballin’ Jack - Found a Child
Roy Ayers Ubiquity - Life is Just a Moment Part 1
Mongo Santamaria - Coconut Milk/ Columbia

Listen to Summer Special - FMF Podcast #9

**If you’re in Brooklyn, NY tonight, I will be spinning some tasty treats of Funk, Soul, and Rare Grooves at the The Lucky Cat. Keep Diggin’!

Cymande - The Message

Cymande - The Message from the Janus Records 45

Good midweek to the FleaMarket Funk family. I hoped you all enjoyed the Soulful tribute I gave to my father, I mean if it wasn’t for the man, well, there would be no FMF. Thanks Pop. I just want to give a shout out to Deano at Mood Mosaic, who’s been a big supporter of this blog. Also, whoever made me a featured blog of the day on WordPress the other day, I love you. At any rate, it’s my birthday on Friday, and I’m spending it spinning some records in Brooklyn. I’ll be in the DJ lineup at The Lucky Cat , opening up for The Budos Band on June 22nd. There will be some great DJs involved, Nick Cope (of Hot, Funky, and Sweaty Fame) and Honey Dripper, (the Daptone Records DJ). Props to Sport Casual for putting me on the roster. The doors are at 10, and there is tell of some great drinks, good pizza, and of course a lot of good music. This time around, I’m gonna get selfish and talk about a record that I really enjoy, so please bear with me if you know it. In fact, I’m sure most of you know it, their catalog was reissued in the 90’s, and a whole new audience was exposed to them. They have been covered by the likes of Greyboy and by various funk bands who still carry on the tradition of their sound. The band is Cymande with “The Message” on Janus Records. I first was exposed to this record in the 90’s by my fine DJing partner of 10 years DJ Un-G . He turned me on to their first record (which I got for 25 cents, and consequently turned down a MINTY copy for $5, I’m still kicking myself for it), and from that day on, I was a fan. I believe it was “Bra” that caught my ear, but there is a lot more than that rediscovered funk gem unearthed oh so many moons ago in the early stages of my DJing.

Janus Records, a subsidiary of the Chess record label, put out a lot of different artists. They released sides by Demon Fuzz, Minnie Ripperton, Al Stewart, soundtracks like “The Devil In miss Jones”, and novelty records as such as “The Streak” by Ray Stevens. For me, most of the artists on the label, sans Demon Fuzz, did not have a sound like Cymande. As a matter of fact, not many did at the time. The year this 45 was released, 1972, you had a lot of good music going on: Rock, Jazz, Soul, Psychedelic, Reggae and Funk. Cymande fused all of these sounds. They called it Nyah-Rock, a mixture of Funk, Soul, Reggae, Rhythm & Blues, and African rhythms. The band itself hailed from such places as Guyana, St. Vincent, and Jamaica, which can easily explain the core roots and influences of the band’s sound. They did form and record it in the UK, however. The sounds coming from those previously mentioned regions are all about the drum. From ancient times up until now, the basis of the music has alway been and will continue to be all about the drum. This basic drum beat was a major contribution to their unique sound, which the remaining members (of the 9 original) did not reap the benefits of until some 20 odd years later. This sound echoes throughout “The Message”, from the opening beat until the end. What falls in between is what only can be described as genius for the time. A Hippie/ Rasta mentality that was evident in their music. The message, IMHO is about where this music can take you: “Together/ Before We Go/ Forever/ Like It Was Before/ Remember You’ve Been Told/ Together We Can Go.” Whether it’s to a higher astral plane (yeah I just quoted “Deamweaver” by Gary Wright) or state of that Cymande’s music gets your mind in, and for 1972, it could have been in many places. The infectious bass groove coupled with the Reggae horns, the drums (which have been sampled many times, and always include some African percussion), and an almost Ethiopiques style horn solo make this record a keeper. It’s one of my favorite tunes. It flows naturally, and whoever rediscovered this band and got them back into the public ear, deserves a medal. This is what music is all about people. The fusion of culture, rhythms, and the diverse sounds from all over coming together via the West Indies and recording this heavy sounding fusion (because that’s really what it is, a fusion of different genres of music) side. They have three Lps in total, plus a couple of reissue CDs , such as Renegades of Funk, which is a retrospective of the three records. I’ve heard Cymande referred to as the “the most under rated overly sampled band” before, and I can agree. Thank God for that, not only did they finally start to get paid after all these years, but their music reached places they never did back in the early 70’s. So there’s my selfish early birthday pick for myself. It’s a tune that defines what I’m all about here at FMF, open ears, open styles, and nothing but good music. If you’re in or around Williamsburg Brooklyn on Friday night, the show is only $5, and it will be a helluva a good time. You can also see me spinning Rock, Funk, Punk, Soul and Classic Hip Hop at the Paul Green School of Rock Festival on Sunday June 24th. Keep Diggin’!

**For those interested a bit more on the band, Funk Brother Numero Uno at Funky 16 Corners did a review on “Bra” in January of this past year.

I Got My Soul From Dad - FMF Podcast#8

Listen to I Got My Soul From Dad - FMF Podcast#8

I thought since I made a special post for Mother’s Day, there was no way I could leave Father’s Day out. I know many of you out there are Fathers, so let me wish you a Happy Father’s Day. This leads me to the theme of this particular podcast: I Got My Soul From Dad - FMF Podcast#8. If it weren’t for my Dad’s musical tastes, his appetite for Doo Wop, Soul, Rock, and beyond, I would not be doing what I’m doing today. Of course I’d still be into music, but it’s what I was introduced to early on in life in my house that has always influenced me. I remember my father’s record collection (which I was not allowed to touch), that had Motown artists, Acapella groups, The Beatles, and a band that I would always hold in high regards: Booker T. and the M.G.’s. Our house always had something great playing through the Panasonic stereo he got during his service in the military. We also listened to Jerry Blavet every Saturday night (the geeter with the heeter, the Big Boss with the Hot Sauce!) out of Philadelphia, and there were many late nights singing and dancing (sometimes even playing guitar) on the weekends. You might notice that every single track on this mix has the word Soul in it. We’ve got some female Soul. We’ve got some Latin Soul. We’ve got some Philly Soul. We have some Detroit Soul. We’ve got some Cali-Soul. Hell, we even have some Psychedelic Soul. My pops has Soul, and I wanted to pay respect to the man who introduced me to music from day 1. I can not think of a better way than through music. So here’s to my father and all the Dad’s out there. This mix is for you. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Here is the track listing:

Aretha Franklin - Soulville/ Columbia
Jake Wade and the Soul Searchers - Searching for Soul/ Mutt
Dyke and the Blazers - We Got More Soul/ original Sound
Booker T. and the M.G.s - Soul Clap ‘69/ Stax
King Curtis and the Noble Nights - Soul Twist/ Enjoy
Senor Soul - Soul Sermon/ Gee Whiz
Ray Baretto - Soul Drummers/ Fania
The Interpretations - Soul Affection/ Bell
The Soul Searchers - Soul To the People/ Sussex
Ohio Players - A Little Soul Party/ Trip
Bud Harper - Mr. Soul/ Peacock
Dick Hyman - Double o Soul/ Command

Keep Diggin’!

Etta James & Sugar Pie DeSanto - In The Basement

Etta James & Sugar Pie DeSanto - In the Basement/ Cadet

I’m still trying to catch up on some sleep from a great night out this past week. The Original Upsetter, Lee Perry played here in Asbury Park at the legendary Stone Pony. The man, every bit of his mid 70’s, showed no signs of slowing down, and commanded the crowd while leading his backing band Dub is a Weapon with great fervor. As well as being a super tight band, they had another journeyman legend among them Larry McDonald, who’s played with Gil Scott-Heron, Peter Tosh, Bad Brains, and Taj Majal among others. If you can check the show out at a venue near you, FMF says do it. I’d like to give some shout outs before I bring you this next dusty gem. I want to big up Semantik from Crate Kings, and Bobbalin’ Hot from Mama Feelgood Music, who are the newest members of the FMF family. Check out what they have going on repectively at their spots. Because really, it’s a family affair here. Ok, on to some music, this time we’re going to Chicago via Oakland and Los Angeles with Etta James & Sugar Pie DeSanto doing “In The Basement” on Cadet.

Both of these Funky Divas have definitely been down the path of success on their own, releasing records and touring extensively in their own right. Where Etta was more of the commercially successful artist, Sugar Pie did not achieve that commercial notarity that songs like “At Last” gave James. Sugar Pie did have “Git Back”, which was the song that got me keeping an eye out for her records, but it seems to me DeSanto was an artist that was always on the cusp of great things, not in the great things that James’ career path took her down. Both women were discovered by Johnny Otis, and then went further on, making great contributions to the Soul, R&B, and Jazz genres. Sugar Pie was hired by the Godfather himself, James Brown, to be his opening act for a couple of years. During her career, she established herself as a strong songwriter, not just a performer, penning songs for Billy Stewart, Little Milton, the Dells, Bobby McClure, Minnie Riperton, Jesse James, the Whispers and Fontella Bass . I’m not saying DeSanto was not successful, just not as successful in some eyes as James. She was a powerhouse of a singer/song writer, a stick of dynamite in a five foot frame ready to explode with her sound. Etta moved from her Gospel beginnings to her vocal group The Peaches to R&B sides on Modern, which eventually landed her on Chess subsidiary Argo in 1960. These two female titans would come together musically in 1966 on the Cadet label with this very tune here.

The side starts off with some dirty guitar and nice little drum break. From there, the two let loose and combine a 50’s Rock and Roll beat with gritty Funk and supercharged Soul which results in one helluva tune. They’re letting it all hang out and doing whatever they want in the basement. It’s like Vegas, what goes on in the basement stays there, because you dare not do those things in the outside world. I mean that’s why you go to the basement: “Where can you go/When your money is low?” The basement of course. You can dance to any music you want, party all night long, do the dance you want to do; PLUS there’s all the comforts of home, and the food and drinks are free. Hell, you can even take shelter from the storm. Now they both didn’t say which storm. Etta may have been referring to the drugs (James battled heroin most of her career, rumoured to have picked up a habit while on tour with Little Richard years earlier), or alcohol, but the basement, no matter the reference, was a safe haven for living and enjoying whatever you wanted. I am a fan of this record, it’s got some grit and grime to it, and it’s the years both of these women spent on the road with the boys touring that gives this record that bit of grittiness that makes it work. Both women have gone on to have great careers, recording, touring and living their life the way they wanted to, sort of the same philosophy as hanging out in the basement. I’ll be back over the weekend with some more treats. Keep Diggin’!

Joe Simon - Come and Get It

Joe Simon - Come and Get It from the Sound Stage 7 45

From the amount of hits I had early this week, I am assuming that the FMF family has been digging on The Sound of Now! Mix. I was really feeling all of those records, and of course it’s my pleasure to pass them along to you. Whether you know all of the records, some of them, or none of them, there is a little something for everyone in there. I have a little announcement, as I’ve just found out that I will be on the DJ roster at The Lucky Cat , opening up for The Budos Band on Friday June 22nd. I will be DJing alongside some 45 DJ greatness, namely Nick Cope (of Hot, Funky, and Sweaty Fame) and Honey Dripper, (the Daptone Records DJ). Big ups to Sport Casual for hooking me up with the gig. I’ve got a few gigs coming up, the aforementioned one and another Asbury Park 45 Sessions on July 6th. Plus if you’re interested, I’ll be opening up for the Bad Brains, Bouncing Souls, McRad, and a whole slew of other bands at The Paul Green School of Rock Festival at the Asbury Lanes on the second day of the festival, June 24th.

This next record was one I picked up recently, and I have to be honest, I almost didn’t get it. “The Theme from Cleopatra Jones” is a nice little piece, but other than a promo Disco 12″ I dug on Spring, I was gonna give up old Joe Simon. When I dropped the needle on the B-Side of his biggest hit “The Chokin’ Kind” from 1969, I knew that “Come and Get It” on Sound Stage 7 was a keeper.

Born in Simmesport, LA in 1943 Simon eventually relocated to Oakland, CA and released “My Adorable One”, a small blip on the radio radar. He recorded at the famous Muscle Shoals while doing sides for Vee-Jay, and in a short time, he’d be making moves on a national level. Things would soon change (making him more of an appealing artist) after he met John Richbourg. Richbourg was a disc jockey out of Nashville, and helped to guide Simon’s career path in music, specifically on the Sound Stage 7 label, the very label this record is on. He showed Simon how he could mix Country and Soul, a formula that would work for Simon over the years. Throughout his musical career, he would score hits with “Nine Pound Steel”, “Teenager’s Prayer” and “The Chokin’ Kind”. His eventual move to Spring, would produce “Cleopatra Jones”, “Drowning In The Sea of Love” (produced by Gamble & Huff), “Step by Step”, and “The Power of Love”.

“Come and Get It” is a pleasant mix of Funk and Soul, with a dash of that Country style he was known to infuse his records with. The twangy guitar, sweet horn section, and tinge of organ (Stax imitation or ripoff?) flow nicely as Simon pours out his baritone coolness and willingness to give it all to this woman (everything he has baby). Were this song recorded with a fiddle and slide guitar, slowed down a bit, and put on the local Nashville AM station, it would seem fit to be blasting out of a jacked up pick-up truck with a gun rack, a la Country style. However, this version IMHO was probably blaring late night out of a dime juke box joint where the patrons were bumping and grinding while finishing their half glasses of Schaefer beer. What I’m saying is these lyrics, and Simon’s knack for recording basically Country/Soul records, are versatile, and his years in Nashville under the tutalege of John Richbourg did him a lot of good. He was able to develop a unique sound, that was obvious long after he left Sound Stage 7. I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did. See you around the flea market. Keep Diggin’!

**For those of you in the Central Jersey or Tri-State area: Lee “Scratch” Perry is performing at the Stone Pony with Dub is a Weapon. Run, drive, walk, jog, take a bus, travel by dragonfly like Jimi Hendrix, but see this man. He’s in his late 70’s and he’s not gonna be in AP ever again. He goes on at 9:45. Cheers.