Sound Experience - Don’t Fight The Feeling

Sound Experience - Don’t Fight The Feeling from the Soulville 45

I have to give it up again to my man Devil Dick for turning me on to this band, and the guy voted most likely to choke women at his gigs, Jack the Ripper for passing this side along to me. They both know I love the fuzzed, out wah-wah Funk, and I was pretty excited to get a few sides that this overcrowded band had put out. There is a lot going on here at FMF as of late, I have a few mixes in the works, which include a second 12″ Hip Hop mix, an all Latin Mix, plus the return of the Special Request Reggae Mix Part Two. February is looking like a busy month, with some solo gigs, and a few opening up for the likes of Tiger Piss and Dub Trio here in Asbury Park. Do not forget the Asbury Lanes Record Swap on February 24th. It looks to be a good time, with more vendors, and lots of digging. Let’s pimp walk over to The Sound Experience with “Don’t Fight The Feeling” on Soulville Records.

The Sound Experience were formed at Morgan State College in Baltimore, MD in 1970. Led by lead vocalist Arthur Grant, and comprised of Johnny Groman, Reginald Wright, Gregory Holmes, Leroy Frailing, James Lindsey, Anton Scott, and Melvin Miles, The Sound Experience were an East Coast Funk collective that took their fuzzy guitars and wah-wah pedal seriously. Out of Morgan State they built up a fan base, and went under the wing of Stan Watson and his Philly Groove and Soulville labels. A shift to the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia was made, and the Experience were on their way. Early sides were released, such as “40 Acres and A Mule” and “Blow Your Mind”, where they would draw comparisons eventually to Rasputin’s Stash, Black Heat, and of course Funkadelic. The Rock infused Funk can not be denied, and if you like your beats muddy and fuzzy, this is definitely the group for you. Their first full length offering under Watson and Soulville was in 1974, the exact Lp this side resides from. While not a monumental hit, the track “Devil With The Bust” reached cult status in the Funk scene and is still an often sought after record. They also released “Boogie Woogie” a year later in 1975, obviously trying to cash in on the Disco craze which was on the upswing. IMHO, the real sound of this band is in the early singles, and as they said in the day: “Disco Sucks”. I may not agree with that statement 100%, but give me some Funk like they put out any day over the polyester and hair gel infused beats Disco was spreading over dance floors and radio airwaves worldwide. Even though this band did not stick around for too long, Stan Watson continued to produce and put records. The band has been reissued several times, most notably by The Collectibles Label.

The cool thing about this 9 piece outfit was that there was a five piece horn section. Put that along side some fuzzy guitars, and hard hitting beats, and you’ve got a recipe for a muddy sound, which was perfect for the time. This upbeat side is on it’s way to the Disco era, but there is plenty of proof that these fellas out of Morgan State were fighting the feeling of normalcy, and were moving to their own funky beat. It’s always nice to pick up a piece like this, and if the opportunity strikes you, I’d say don’t let it slip away. I’ll be back midweek with some more nuggets to get you through until Friday. Keep Diggin’!