The Whatnauts and the Whatnaut Band - Message From A Black Man

The Whatnauts and the Whatnaut Band - Message From A Black Man from the A & I Records 45

As we roll into the last offical weekend of Summer, I wanted to shout out to a bunch of people who have been giving me props on my mixes, and FMF in general. A huge shout out to Scholar once again at Souled On , Larry at Funky 16 Corners, Vincent at FuFu Stew, Heavy Soul Brutha Dave at Heavy Soul Brutha, Colin over at In Dangerous Rhythm, and the stacks of people who have stopped by and gave some love. I do have some news, as I have started to dig through the Hip Hop collection and put together some records for the first FMF Hip Hop mix. I spoke with NJ’s premier turntablist (even if he doesn’t think so) and serious crate digger/ beatmaker, DJ Skills, who is ready to collaborate on a mix as well. It’s gonna be a good collaboration. I will keep you informed on that. One last guy I want to put on positive blast: my man Sean from The Offside Rules, who is a bigger football (I’m talking soccer here people) nutter than I am. If you’re even vaguely interested in the game, check him out, his perspective on the World game will keep you glued to the computer screen. Ok, on with the program.

I am still digging out finds in that goldmine box I uncovered a few weeks ago, and this here record would be one of them. Not particularly in the greatest shape, but pretty damn Soulful none the less. I always try to pick up anything I see from this band, mostly on the Stang Label, so when I uncovered The Whatnauts and the Whatnaut Band “Message from a Black Man” on Stang subsidiary A & I Records, I knew I was on to something sweet. Now both sides of this record bang, and the flip is a cover of Sly Stone’s “Dance to the Music”. Unfortunately the damn thing skips so “Message” will have to do. It’s been covered a bunch of times, but I’m finding this non Reggae version (the Heptones version is kinda hot too) is slowly taking over as one of my favorites.

Natives of Baltimore, MD, The Whatnauts consisted of lead vocalist Billy Herndon, Garrett Jones, and Gerald Pinkney. They did not write their own tunes. The Whatnauts were produced by George Kerr, whose other projects included the O’Jays, Linda Jones (N.J.’s all time Queen of Soul), and a small band on the GSF label called, ahem, Skull Snaps. Not that anyone has heard of them or even sampled their drums. Just playing, you know what drums I speak of. Some say overused, played out, but I digress. Focus grasshopper, and get back to the Whatnauts. Not using the original All Platinum house band, Kerr opted for Michael Watson (guitar), Curtis McTeer (bass) and Donald McCoy (drums), to smoke the tunes on stage live, and to flex their studio skills on record. The Whatnaut Band made up for the guys themselves not being able to play instruments, and were a more than decent backing band. Singing mostly of heartache and pain, this trio had a few hits, including “Girls”, with The Moments (which I picked up here in the States and also in Quebec as well), “I’ll Erase Your Pain Away”, and this single. They went on to chart in the 80’s as well with “Help Is On the Way. A mighty fine 12″ if you can get your hands on it, and I think you can.

Written by Norman Whitfield, this political song echoes out the times as the Whatnauts call out: “No matter how hard you try, you can’t stop me now…..”. You can’t stop these guys. Who cares if they couldn’t play instruments or write their own songs. It doesn’t matter, because these boys could sing their collective asses off. Add one of the best unknown backing bands and well, you’ve got a recipe for good music. I know they were not that successful on the charts, but in a music sense, the Whatnauts were some bad ass dudes, putting out music that some 30+ years later still means something. I’ll be back over the weekend with some more goodies for you to savor. Keep Diggin’!

PS: Larry Grogan, DJ Honeydripper, and Sport Casual will be holding it down at the LuckyCat on Grand St. in Brooklyn, NY tonight. They will be opening up and spinning in between one of today’s greatest Afro Soul bands, the Budos Band from Staten Island. It’s only $5, it’s their record release, and if I wasn’t DJing in Asbury Park tonight, I’d be there. Have a great holiday weekend.

FMF Guest Mix at Souled On Music: Somethin’ That Means Somethin’

The end of the Summer is bringing all kinds of mix madness here at Flea Market Funk. I had a a review of the Whatnauts featuring the Whatnaut Band doing “Message from a Black Man”, but that is going to drop on Friday. What we have here family is a special treat. Scholar over at Souled On asked me to to contribute to his guest mix series a little while back. Being a fan of the blog, there is no way I could refuse. When I did this mix, I had it in my head that I wanted to do a mix that means somethin’. All in my head, I heard those Pharcyde lyrics on permanent repeat. I then looked at the unorganized mountain of 45’s I had and started digging through them ( Fortunately that said mountain is now organized ). I chose 17 sides that mean somethin’ to me. Nothing deep, I just feel good about these records. Some of them are from new digs, others I have been sitting on, waiting for a mix just like this to use them for, while 3 are reissue records. As a whole, they all mean somethin’. I’m sure that when each of these artists were writing, recording, and performing, each one meant somethin’ to them in their own special way. Let me just say I’m honored to do a mix for Souled On, and I’m hoping this is the first of many collabos we do together. So check out: Somethin’ That Means Somethin’: Flea Market Funk Guests at Souled On Music . This is an all 45 rpm mix.

Tracklist

Delia Gartrell - Fight Fire With Fire/ Right On
The Sweet Cherries - Don’t Give It Away/ T-Neck
Chuck Womack & The Sweet Souls - Ham Hocks& Beans Part 1/ Rejoin
The Village Choir - The Switch/ Paramount
Willie Mitchell - 20-75/Hi
Donald Austin - Crazy Legs/ East Bound
Lee Eldred - Shakin’ Baby Part 1/ Mercury
Latin Breed - I Turn You On/ Funk 45
Chet “Poison” Ivey & His Fabulous Avengers - Shake A Poo Poo/ Tangerine
Record Corporation
The Joneses - Pull My String (Turn Me On)/ MP
Thomas East - Funky Music Part 1/ MGM
James Carr - Coming Back To Me Baby/ Goldwax
Renaldo Domino - Don’t Go Away/ Blue Rock
All Points Bulliten Band - Sexy Legs-Pretty Ways Part 1/ Little City
Abraham and the Metronomes - Party/ Funk 45
Gloria Taylor - You’ve Got To Pay the Price/ Silver Fox
The Witches and the Warlock - I Don’t Want To Live My Life Alone/ Sew City

So what are you waiting for? Get on over to Souled On on download this thing! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did putting it together. Keep Diggin’!

FMF Vol. 12 - Puttin’ Game Down Mix

The weekend is over, and that means one week left of Summer. I have no idea where it went, although I’m not complaining, as the Summer of 2007 was one of the best digging Summers I’ve had in a long time. I managed finally to go to the beach this past weekend, and although the air temperature was in the high 80’s, the water was a bit on the cool side. The day at the beach gave me an idea for an end of the Summer Soul Mix, so I’ve started to put it together. I’ve also got a new addition to the FMF Family, well another tattoo edition. We went to see the guys over at Electric Tattoo, and Robert Ryan did a great owl tattoo on my leg. Now this isn’t any ordinary owl, he’s perched on top of a stack of vinyl, with records kind of flying on the side, reminiscent of a favorite Memphis label of mine. The top label has a little JA flavor, but in general, this wise old owl loves his vinyl.

For now, here’s 10 Deep Funk and Raw Soul tunes to carry you through the start of your work week. Enjoy “Puttin’ Game Down”, an all 45 mix.

$mall Change - Steviano Italiano/ Bastard Boots Nuggets
The Detroit Night Riders – Getting Funky/ Mutt
Delores Ealy - Delores Ealy Is Back With Jerome & His Band/ Re-Joint
Clarence Reid – Nobody But You Babe/ Alston
Osibisa – Wango Wango/ Decca
Luther Ingram – Puttin’ Game Down/ KoKo
The Emperor’s – Karate/ Mala
Maurice Rogers – Coming Out of the Rain/ Double Shot
The Esquires – Get On Up/ Bunky
The True Reflection - Whisper/ ATCO

Listen or Download FMF Vol. 12 - “Puttin’ Game Down”

Enjoy and Keep Diggin’!

Can’t You See I’m Digging here?

The rain held out today thankfully, and I was able to actually get out of bed early, get on the road, and get to the Flea Market earlier than usual. My digging cohort Jack the Ripper had a late night last night, so unfortunately I went solo. There was a dealer at the spot who came up from Baltimore, MD that I had gotten a few good records from previously. It looks like he frequents the same spots as Vince from FuFu Stew. We spoke briefly about the Fire Hall Vince always talks about, and he told me about a Flea Market that has been around for the last 40 years, but recently was shut down for good. He’s kind of a hippie type, but always has some great stuff. He came yesterday, and apologized for not calling me, but has promised me that he’ll be up again soon with another load of 45s. This trip he brought his reformed feral cat that “he got out of a National Forest”, and has been to over 500 Flea Markets with him. The cat seemed sweet enough, although he did have it on a long nylon leash attached to the inside of his van. I love animals, but I’ll pass on the cat on the leash. I think the cloudy weather scared a bunch of people away, although the usual suspects were wandering about, and I thought I might have to give the elbow to Egg Beard. I mean it wasn’t enough that he got a Jimmy McGriff “Fly Dude” (I have it so I wasn’t that pissed, I do need a good cover though), and something else, but he had to peer over my shoulder like a dog waiting to get fed. I pissed him off by slowing down my digging. Now this is a cat who gets there at like 4am with a flashlight and stops guys coming in to see if they have records. He’s absolutely insane. Step off Eggy, can’t you see I’m digging here?

There were for sure some interesting characters today. A Spanish guy who was offered to sell me a BMX bike so I “could ride it back to Asbury Park”, a man spray painting his van white (see photo below), and a To Catch A Predator looking guy who was very interested in my portable. Here’s how it went:

Me: “How much for the records?”
To Catch a Predator Guy: “Dollar a piece.”
To Catch a Predator Guy: “What is that thing?”
Me: “A portable record player”
To Catch a Predator Guy: “What do you do with it?”
Me: “I listen to record with it.”
To Catch a Predator Guy: “Why?”
Me: “Because I like records.”

Now he’s lit a cigarette and come on my side of the table.

To Catch a Predator Guy: “Fisher Price eh?”

Me: “Mmm Hmm”, hardly paying attention, just digging, then listening to a record.
To Catch a Predator Guy: “What is that, who are they?”
Me: “World Famous Supreme Team. Some 80’s band.”
To Catch a Predator Guy: “Any good, I mean are their records good, worth any money?”
Me: “Just a dollar.”

Dude totally creeped me out. No Saggy Red today, no Mario Brothers (Meatball), no Johnny No Change, definitely no Stinky Steve. There was a good SS story from a few months ago though. Some of the guys get there really early, and they see Steve’s car, but no Steve. They do see a plastic bag on a table (or what they think is a plastic bag). Then the thing starts moving. It’s Steve underneath a garbage bag sleeping on a vendor’s table like it’s a bed. He doesn’t wake (and they don’t wake him), so while he’s off dreaming about his next life (He’s going to be a ballerina, a jazz ballerina in the Modern sense. I swear this was an actual conversation he had with my wife.), all the record guys go get records before he gets up and starts pulling his shady shit. Always a good story with that joker. I am going to try and work on another mix this weekend, so we’ll see where that takes me.

Digs this Saturday:

45s

James Brown – Ain’t That A Groove/ King
James Brown – ( Can You ) Feel It / King
Roy Head – Get Back/ Scepeter
Lee Dorsey – Go Go Girl/ Amy
Lee Dorsey – Working In A Coalmine/ Amy
Deon Jackson – You Said You Loved Me/ Carla
James Carr – Stronger Than Love/ Goldwax
James Carr – A Losing Game/ Gold Wax
Lloyd Price - Stagegr Lee/ ABC-Paramount
Lloyd price – Take All/ Jad
Otis Redding – Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag/ ATCO
Brenda & the Tabulations – Hey Boy/ Dionn
Inez Fox – Jaybirds/ Symbol
Sam & Bill – Beautiful Baby/ Joda
Baby Washington & Don Gardner – Baby Let Me Get Close to You/ Master 5
The Sandpebbles – Love Power/ Calla
Whisper – The True Reflection/ ATCO
Bunker Hill – Hide & Go Seek/ Mala
Howard Roberts - Color Him Funky/ Capitol
Lou Courtney – What Do You Want Me To Do/ Rags
Sunny – Talk to Me/ Tear Drop
Sleepy King – The King Steps Out/ Joy

Lps

Black Caesar Soundtrack
De La Soul – 3 Feet High and Rising/ Tommy Boy
The Word Famous Supreme Team – Hey DJ/ 4th and Broadway

Keep Diggin’!

Lou Johnson - Unsatisfied

Lou Johnson - Unsatisfied from the Big Top 45

Well I am praying that this weekend is a dry one, as I’ve definitely got my mind set on getting in a good dig this weekend. Sorry for the short post on Wednesday, but life does get in the way sometimes, and I think that One G Plus Three really laid down some proper Latin Soul Jazz heat, and the side spoke for itself. Before I get into this post fully, let me remind you all that the next installment of the Asbury Park 45 Sessions is coming up on Sept. 14th. We have two really great guests, and I’d advise anyone who is within driving distance to come check it out. Those of you who are not, well, I’m hoping this special treat will bring the FMF family a little closer. Asbury Lanes has been working on a live broadcast via the internet, complete with archives. That’s right folks, you will be able to listen (fingers crossed!) to the 45 sessions live or at your leisure, basically any time you want. I’m hoping it’s all sorted out by then, but I figured I’d give all you the heads up. I’m very excited about this one, because it will give people a chance to hear the great DJs and music we have here in Asbury Park. It’s not all Bruce Springsteen people, there are some great things happening in the ghetto by the seashore.

It’s Friday, and I was listening to a bunch of Soul this week. I took this record out of my Soul pile, and thought, man this tune is so good, I have to push it to the top of the review que. When I bought it, I didn’t realize that it was kind of expensive ( I think I might have paid about $2 or $3 bucks), but then again, I don’t spend big money on records anyway. I’m not a Northern Soul expert, and I’m told that this record in particular was a Northern Soul favorite. Either way, it’s a great side. Let’s get into “Unsatisfied” by Lou Johnson on Big Top from 1965.

Born in 1941, and eventually becoming a member of the Zionettes, Johnson broke out and went solo in 1963. Signing to the New York record Label Big Top, a label owned by Julian and Jean Aberbach as a subsidiary of Hill and Range Music. Big Top was primarily Pop, rock, and evn some Comedy. There were some Mad Magazine records issued on the label, all Alfred E. Neuman style. His label mates were artists like Del Shannon, Cliff Richard, O.C. Smith, Johnny & the Hurricanes and Don Covay among others. Johnson would go on to record sides by the writing team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David. As a whole, Johnson was most likely just and unsatisfied with his career as the title of this song, the single really didn’t do much commercially. To top it off, most of the other songs he sang written by Bacharach & David went on to be hits for other artists at a later time (Dionne Warwick, Sandie Shaw, Adam Faith). This is not to say he didn’t have a bit of cult success before he moved from Big Top to Atlantic subsidiary Cotillion, with a B-side entitled “The Last One To Be Loved”. His “Sweet Southern Soul” album recorded on Cotillion after he was recruited by A & R genius/ nut Jerry Wrexler, is an interesting batch of Sweet and Country influenced Soul. Again, nothing to write home about, but a decent Soul record as Soul records go. He moved on to Volt label in 1971 and put out “With You In Mind”. A record can’t be bad if Allan Touissant is involved with it. The song “Rock Me Baby” was an underground groover, but Johnson eventually ended up playing the night club circuit in Los Angeles as opposed to a further career recording.

Starting off with some great horns, the tune is Sweet Soul through and through: sweet harmonies, upbeat (but not too fast), and a Love lost. I can definitely see 70’s haircuts, polyester pants, karate kicks, and pre-break dancing moves at some Soul All Nighter, all to this tune. It breaks down several times where Johnson just pours his heart out before hitting that final series of high notes, and fading out, unfortunately much like his career did. There is even a YouTube video of this song, with an older looking Johnson lip syncing to the song. See if you can search it out. I’ll be back tomorrow with more flea market characters and digging stories. Keep Diggin’!

One G Plus Three - Poquito Soul

One G Plus Three - Poquito Soul from the Paramount 45

The short midweek post must be going around, as I see Larry over at Funky 16 Corners and I are on the same wavelength. Although sometimes life does get in the way of records, I love writing this blog way too much to not drop a new nugget for you all to take in. I was looking for a copy of this record, well, more specifically the flip side “Summertime” on Gordo, or the reissue on Vampisoul for a while. ( If you’ve been under a rock, in a closet, or just plain out of it, Vampisoul is reissuing some great records. From Eddie Bo to Betty Davis to Andre Williams, if you don’t have the cheddar to shell out for the OG record, you can still own some really great sides for a fraction of the price. ) Thankfully, a couple copies showed up on a dig about a month or so ago, and here we are today. Even though I am digging the cooler weather we have been having (despite the downpours and constant rain ), I wanted to hang on to Summer just a little bit longer. Honestly, I am down with September weather, but I would like to sport the new straw fedora I got from Pauley this past week ( the guy he bought it from said it was Sinatra’s summer hat ). I figured that the flip “Poquito Soul”, on Paramount would let me savor the last week or two. I mean the bennies will be gone soon, hopefully the digging spot will clear up a bit, and I’ll be able to get a parking spot on my block. So why not savor some Latin Soul Jazz?

I couldn’t dig up too much info on this band, other than the fact that this East LA Sounding band made up of Mexican Americans knew how to throw out some great Jazzy Latin Soul. The song is credited to Chuck Miller as the band’s other name is Maschicano + One Gringo. As far as I know, they only put out these two sides, but they were both enough become a sought after double banger. Originally put out on Eddie Davis’s Rampart Records , the Motown of the Chicano culture, this tune could definitely be heard blasting towards the back seat of a Low Rider on a hot Summer night. So enjoy this end of the Summer treat and a little piece of “Pachuco Soul” courtesy of Flea Market Funk and One G Plus Three. The slow churning Hammond will pull you in, and the Latin Groove will keep your head nodding until the temperature drops. See you on Friday. Keep Diggin’!

Masters of Soul - I Hate You (In the Daytime and Love You at Night)

Masters of Soul - I Hate You (In the Daytime and Love You at Night) from the Duke 45

What started out as a great weekend of digging and the New York metro area debut of David Beckham captaining the LA Galaxy versus the NY Red Bulls ( I actually had great seats!), finished up wet and soggy. With no end in sight supposedly for about 9 days (that’s 9 days of rain people), I dare not to think on how I will get by next weekend without digging. I’ll figure that out during the week….road trip? Perhaps. After reading Vincent over at FuFu Stew’s post regarding my anger over digging etiquette, it feels good to know there are a few of us that are civil while digging. When I picked up this record I was with the one and only Devil Dick, and we were up to our ears in 45 boxes, someone forgot their wallet (Doh!), and there were R.Crumb looking collectors hounding me for Gospel records on Savoy specifically. After really only seeing Bobby Bland records most of the time I’m digging, it was a relief to dig up a copy of the Master of Soul’s 1972 side “I Hate You (In the Daytime and Love You at Night)” on Duke Records. I swear if I dig up another copy DD it’s all yours. I know you’re in love with the fuzzy guitar!

Formed in 1952 by Bill Fitzgerald and David Mattis, Duke Records was based in Memphis, Tennessee. However, sometime during that year the label combined with Don Robey’s Peacock Records (Wille Mae, Floyd Dixon, Big Mama Thornton, etc.). In 1953 Robey took complete control and moved the label to Houston, Texas. Duke’s roster included artists such as Bobby “Blue” Bland, Junior Parker, Johnny Ace, and this group mentioned here, Masters of Soul. Robey would go on to sell Duke/Peacock to ABC-Dunhill in 1973, but stay on as a consultant until his death in 1975. The Backbeat Record label was a subsidiary of Duke, and featured artists like Carl Carlton, Joe Hinton, O.V. Wright and would even garnish some hits for Bobby Bland and Junior Parker as well. This particular side was the third label color of the Duke Records, the orange label. I always see a ton of Bland records on the orange Duke label, and have recently picked up a few of the Carl (”Little Carl”) Carlton on Back Beat, definitely some really good Soul.

I do not know too much about this record, other than it smokes. The fuzzed out guitar and piano drops had me hooked from the first needle drop (as do a lot of my digs). This song is a really great example of some Soulful harmonies. It could teeter on the edge of Funky Soul, but as a whole, the band was known for Soulful sides. Whether they were drawing some influence from guys like Sly Stone, or any of the myriad of Houston, Texas Funk and Soul bands they originally shared a home with on Ovide Records; bands like Archie Bell and the Drells, TSU Tornadoes, Soul Meditaions and the like, is still to be determined. Wherever they drew their influences from, the Masters of Soul were a band that will light your speakers on fire. This record is not a rare side, and if you can get a copy of it, I’d say don’t sleep on it. See you midweek. Keep Diggin’!

Lightning Doesn’t Strike Twice Plus It’s Getting Crowded Here

I should have known that lightning never strikes twice in the same spot, although it does, rarely. Even though the balmy mid August weather was great at 7AM, there were slim pickings this week at the spot. There was no absence of people trying to get records though. My worst fears have come true (yes Tommy you called it). It’s getting too crowded, and there are more people than there are records. I can definitely remember when the presence of a portable was a startling thing to sellers. They’re a dime a dozen now, and some sellers even have their own so you can sample. I guess that should have been one of the tip offs. It wouldn’t be so bad if instead of just letting people sample, you didn’t have to hear some inaudible mess while you’re trying to listen to your stack. It holds true for the record shows as well. I do come prepared with headphones, but sometimes that isn’t enough. The crowding is unfortunate, but I guess that happens when a spot gets known for vinyl. With the presence of E Bay, the internet, and things along that line, everybody is a so called digger. I’m sounding like a broken record (which there were no shortages of today), but I never really thought about it when other old time diggers from my area said to me what I am saying now. I actually pushed it aside, and let it be. It kind of hit me today, and it also made me think that there really is no digging etiquette any more. People are just running around with guns blazing everywhere, not caring if anyone else is there or not. For me, I pick a crate, dig through it, sample it, buy it and move on. Since the winter I have seen crazy stuff, more jostling for position than ever, and even rummaging multiple tables at once ( a Stinky Steve patented move, along with spreading records out you’re looking at so no one can get into any crates). On more than one occasion someone has even tried to get into the same crate I was deep into, which seriously, is completely rude. I don’t care if you’re fucking DJ Premier, step the fuck off buddy, I was here first. Everyone has different motives for records; whether it be as a collector, a dealer, a DJ, or someone who’s selling on E Bay. Most of the so called sellers have no idea what they have, and inflate shit way too much. I even saw a cat today with a crate labeled: “Hard to Get Stuff”, which had more Ferrani & Techer records than a Florida thrift shop. But I digress, there were a few pieces to be had today, and Jack the Ripper and I managed to get some leftovers. ( nice come up on the “Purple Haze” cover Jack!) In the words of Guru: “It’s Getting Kinda Hectic” at the spot, which makes me guard my other secret stashes even more.

At least there were a few crazies out early, including the Wine Guy who had on the gnarliest pair of stained sweatpants on and a tight t-shirt that accented his beer belly really well. We were also treated to a girl who used to be a customer of mine when I had a business. Her nickname was Space Girl, because she was always on another planet. She was now about 50 lbs. heavier than she was since the last time I saw her, and selling piles of her underwear on a tarp on the ground. She seemed a little “on edge” when we were walking by, and even got a bit pissed because she thought that I had snubbed her. I was pleasant, but she had that crazy look in her eye. The funny thing about her is that when she was younger, she was a pretty girl. She was the girl in the Sonic Youth video for “Dirty Boots” at age 17. She clings to that story, even going as far as to have a copy of it in the back of her Chevette she used to drive around in. I didn’t bring it up today and spared my digging compadres the long drawn out story. It looks as if she’s come a long way, from videos on MTV to selling her knickers at the flea market. There is no end in sight with these characters people.

These sides I managed to get today will definitely show up for review in the future:

45’s
The Emperor’s - Karate/ Mala
Morse Code Instructional Course
Gizmo and the Gremlins Story/ WB
The Chi-Lites - (For God’s Sake) Give More Power to the People/ Brunswick
Eddie Kendricks - Darling Come Back Home/ Tamla (Promo)
The Toys - See How They Run/ dynoVoice
Merrilee Rush & the Turnabouts - Reap What You Sow/ Bell
Sly and the Family Stone - Frisky/ Epic
Kraftwerk - Autobahn/ Vertigo
Shirley Ellis - The Nitty Gritty/ Congress
Major Lance - Sweet Music/ Okeh
Little Carl Carlton - Competition Ain’t Nuthin
El Coco - Heartbeat Part 1 & 2/ AVI
Essence - Black Reflections/ Ronn
The Mirettes - The Real Thing/ Revue
The Five Stair Steps - Playgirl’s Love/ Windy C
Ralph MacDonald - Jam On the Groove/ Marlin
Willie & the Mighty Magnificents - Funky ( Corners/ All Platinum
Little Beaver - Party Down/ CAt
The Tempress - Love’s MAze/ We Produce
Maurice Rodgers - Coo Coo Ca Choo/ Double Shot

Keep Diggin’!

Myra Barnes - Super Good (Answer To Super Bad)

Myra Barnes - Super Good (Answer to Super Bad) from the King 45

Like I wrote last week, every once in a while you take a chance with a box of dirty, dusty, sleeveless records, and you get lucky. Last weekend was one of those days. This record is something I pulled out of that mess. In fact, there is going to be a Guest Mix over at Souled On Music in the near future with a whole bunch of the records I pulled out of the “Box of Gold”, as well as some heaters I’ve been saving up. Scholar hit me up and asked me to contribute to his Guest Mix/ Blog article series, and well, I just couldn’t say no. He’s got some great stuff going on over there, and was one of the first blogs (of someone that I didn’t know) that gave me props. He took a chance on a newbie and it has definitely paid off, because the FMF Family has gotten some great exposure from Souled On, as well as the many other blogs that have given my ramblings and dusty crates a chance. I definitely appreciate it. I’ll probably be using some of the Goldmine finds for my set at the Sept. 14th edition of the Asbury Park 45 Sessions as well. More on that later. This time we’re gonna visit Ms.Myra Barnes with “Super Good (Answer to Super Bad)” on King Records, circa 1970.

If you are new to the Funk genre (which I hope you’re not…but that’s ok, stick around!), and if you aren’t, you will already know that Vicki Anderson was one of James Brown’s Soul Sisters, who was featured in his traveling Soul revue. She kept up with the likes of the Fabulous Flames and the JB’s, earning her the distinct title of “the best female singer in his revue” according to the late, great Godfather of Soul. Replacing Anna King in 1965, then getting replaced herself by Marva Whitney some 3 years later, only to rejoin James in 1969 after Whitney hit the road, she again was queen of the revue until 1972. During the time she was with JB, she recorded under aliases Vicki Anderson Momie-O, and her real name Myra Barnes. It wasn’t until she had to travel overseas that her real name was discovered. You see, she too started out singing Gospel, and did not want the church to find out her secular singing. Throughout her career, she made the rounds on labels such as Fontana, New Breed, King, Deluxe, Brownstone, Dash, I-Dentify, and Irma. She seemingly was not just the queen of the James Brown Soul revue, but the queen of the answer record as well. Answering Jean Knight’s “Mr. Big Stuff” with her “I’m Too Tough for Mr. Big Stuff”, and this record to the Godfather’s “Super Bad”, as well as “The Answer To Mother Popcorn”, Anderson was well her way to a great career. It didn’t hurt that she was married to Bobby Byrd (a marriage that would birth UK phenom Carleen Anderson). Anderson eventually left the revue to cut some great sides, notably “Message from the Soul Sisters”, a cover of Rufus and Chaka Khan’s ” Once You Get Started” and Bobby Womack’s “Stop On By”, then ducked in and out of touring gigs and studio time until the early 90’s. She then proceeded to cut a cover of Gil Scott-Heron’s “Home Is Where the Hatred Is” with Bossa Nostrathat fared pretty well. Being a part of the JB Revue was not always easy, although they were paid handsomely (and fined at the drop of a hat, missed note, or misplaced wig), the long term payoff was not there. Writing credits were often changed to Brown’s name, others changed to close associates names, would not fare well for Anderson or the extended JB family. Sampling would be even harsher on Anderson, who’s been sampled by everyone from Biz Markie to Gangstarr to Main Source to Lil’ Kim and the Geto Boys, and she claims she has seen little or no benefit financially from it. “Even though I’m very happy that someone loves my music enough to do something with it,” Anderson says, “more than anything, I would also like to be recognized financially for the work I’ve done.”

Anderson shines on this side, getting into it, doing it, ya know, like a female version of James herself, maybe even a Sex Machine. Name checking a myriad of JB titles, and laying it down hard, she wails: ” A Soul Sister like me don’t grow on trees!” She is not kidding. JB takes the back seat, throwing out his trademark screams here and there, but clearly he’s just letting Anderson do her thang. With the JB’s backing her up, she has no problem keeping up, and being the leader on this one. I always have a hard time picking my favorite JB Diva, whether it be Lyn Collins, Marva Whitney, or Vicki Anderson ( or Myra Barnes). I think it’s too close to call, so a tie goes to all three. These Soul divas were running things back then. If only the spoiled brats of today’s music world could take a page out of their book and put out the kind of music the three were dishing out, whether it be live or on tape, the music world would be a better place. Thank You Vicki Anderson, Myra Banks and Momi-O for being the strong Soul Sister you were. The Funk and Soul world is definitely a much better place because of your music. Keep Diggin’!

*PS: Rest In Peace Max Roach. Your drumming will always be remembered.

Phil Upchurch - Darkness Darkness Part 1

Phil Upchurch - Darkness Darkness Part 1 from the Blue Thumb 45

It’s been a wild ride this past weekend and up to midweek here. The blogswarm brought on a huge amount of traffic here at FleaMarket Funk, and a link from Word Magazine over in the UK. I definitely appreciate the exposure, and to all the new readers who have shown up, welcome to the family. Today I’m hitting up Chicago, and a session musician who is a lot more than just a session guy, he’s a talented artist and band leader in his own right.

When this record showed up from my local guy, I immediately recognized the Blue Thumb label (Pointer Sisters doing ‘Wang Dang Doodle”, Ike and Tina Turner’s “Bold Soul Sister” among others), but did not know Phil Upchurch was involved with the label. As soon as I dropped the needle from my portable, I knew it was a keeper, both Soulful and Jazzy, maybe even a tiny bit Funky, “Darkness Darkness” from 1972 showcased Upchurch’s talent as a multi-genre musician.

A well know guitarist in Chicago since the 50’s, Phil Upchurch made his mark musically in 1961, with The Phil Upchurch Combo hit “You Can’t Sit Down” on Boyd Records. Also known as a veteran session guy, he started out doing sessions for Windy City artists like Gene Chandler and Jerry Butler, and greats like Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, The Kool Gents, The Spaniels, and The Dells. Moving from label Sue to Cadet in the 60’s, he finally settled in a Blue Thumb, where he did double session time recording with the Crusaders as well as recording his solo stuff. Blue Thumb was started by former King and Kama Sutra Records head Bob Krasnow, alongside Tommy LiPuma & Don Graham, executives from A & M. The label itself was distributed by ABC until 1974, where it was purchased outright by ABC, and today falls under the umbrella of Verve Records. Although Upchurch tried to equal his 1961 hit, he had little success doing so, but was able to make it by becoming a notable session guy. He did sessions in the mid 70’s and 80’s with George Benson, Chaka Khan, Marlena Shaw, Booket T. Jones, and Michael Jackson. Upchurch did a record for one of my favorite record guys, Creed Taylor from CTI, on his KUDU imprint. The record he did was with vocalist/pianist Tennyson Stephens in 1975. The man has sessioned with hundreds of musicians from many genres: Jazz, Soul, Funk, Pop, Blues and the like. While not sessioning, he has done records as a band leader, toured, done radio and TV jingles, and continues to do both as I write this.

Playing guitar along the same lines as a Grant Green (who was a session man as well as a solo artist himself for Blue Note), Upchurch makes you not only hear it, but feel it. The echo in the guitar, the fading in and out of the whole song itself, however he’s perceived the darkness coming, you’re right with him. This cover, written by Jesse Colin Young of The Youngbloods fame is a great example of the range Upchurch had, not only as a musician, but as a leader as well. Like I said earlier, it’s got some Jazz, Soul, Funk, even a tinge of Psychedelic Soul in it (not too much, but remember it’s 1972, music is drawing influences from all kinds of things), with a fuzzed out guitar and that deep bass line. It even sounds a bit like the guitar in Bob Marley’s “Concrete Jungle”. Jungle was released in 1973, so who knows, maybe Bob lifted a bit of the opening riff from Upchurch. Then again, maybe Upchurch was borrowing from guys like Carlos Santana or George Benson, or even the aforementioned Grant Green. He simply was just trying to keep up with the times, as I have talked about so much in the past. Rather than give up, these guys adapted to what was around them, or in the case of Phil Upchurch, elevated himself and combined a few genres to give himself a unique sound that would stand out all these years later. Not bad, Chicago, Illinois to Asbury Park, New Jersey 35 years later and still sounding good.

I’ll see you Friday with another gem Keep Diggin’!