Funk my Soul

As you may have already noticed in comments and c-box,  Mr.Moo responded  and kindly provided us with the Anacostia 1977 debut album, we all were so anxious to listen to.  It sounds wonderful from the remastered CD. Furthermore he sent us both vinyl and CD covers.

There’s not much to add about the Smooth Groovy Soul of Anacostia (I am pretty sure you enjoyed their 2nd album). The group consisted of Tony Boyd, Ron Sinclair, Tommy Williams and this one is very sweetly and soulful with nice male falsetto-vocals.

This is a @320 CD rip of the remastered CD including covers

Tracks
1. Heartache In Disguise 6.09
2. Looking Over My Shoulder 3.51
3. Everybody Dance 4.38
4. We Can’t Live Life Alone 3.49
5. Face The Fact 3.52
6. What Kind Of Love 3.46
7. I Can’t Stop Loving Her 4.38
8. Words Spoken Softly At Midnight 3.22
9. Baby I’m Available 3.07

Review from Dusty Groove

Mellow soul and soaring club  all nicely balanced together in this first album from the group Anacostia! There’s a sound here that’s slightly different than some of the other east coast groups of the time  a willingness to slow things down, then groove them up, all with a sound that’s polished, but never in a too-commercial sort of way. In fact, most of these tunes seem to aim for a space that’s pretty far both from radio, and conventional disco, despite the fact that Van McCoy supervised the production, which is mostly handled by Charles Kipps. There’s a fair bit of strings in the backings, and keyboards are by Richard Tee,  on titles that include “Looking Over My Shoulder”, “Heartache In Disguise”, “We Can’t Live Life Alone”, “I Can’t Stop Loving Her”, “Baby I’m Available”, and “Face The Fact”

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Listen up the amazing 45, “On And Off” wonderfully produced by Van Mac Coy. He also did it on later albums with David Ruffin and Peaches & Herb.

Download link

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Now, A MUST HAVE as Raphy mentions : 3 rare 45’s of Anacostia not including on those 2 albums already posted.

1. Love Is Never Wrong 3.37
2. On And Off 3.24
3. You Better Know What You’re Doing 3.27

Download link

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Enjoy the treasure and show your love and gratitude to Mr.Moo and Raphy.

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Well what do we have here ?

A trophy that even Indiana Jones failed to secure.  This is the stuff that dreams are made of – the Dynamic Five’s ‘Love Is The Key’.  A European follower of Funk My Soul, whom we shall call ‘Dr Soul’, has expressed his love and respect for what we do here in our little magazine. Furthermore, he has been extremely gracious in donating this highly sought after rarity for us mere mortals to enjoy.

For those unfamiliar with its iconic status, this simple circle of vinyl managed to attain a winning bid of 3,300 bucks on EBay, the only time I have ever seen it for sale. I was clever enough to keep the covers, in case of a miracle.

Yes miracles still happen.

There is also a massive buzz right now on several blogs desperate to get their eager sweaty hands on this item.  Make no bones about it, this is as rare as it gets !! We are extremely proud to present this wonderful soul treasure for your listening pleasure, so please make sure you acknowledge an appropriately enthusiastic ‘Thank you’ to Dr Soul for this awesome share.

This is a @160 vinyl rip of the original (Manhattan ?) UA records LP including covers.

Tracks
A1  Lovers Lullabye 4.11
A2  Skyboat 4.27
A3  To Get To Heaven 2.45
A4  It’s so lonely 3.10
A5  One Way Or The Other 3.14
B1  So Much Love To Give 3.16
B2  You Got To Get Up 3.18
B3  Beautiful Lady 3.45
B4  Supreme Being 4.25
B5  Love Is The Key 4.30

Review by Trakbuv

The Dynamic Five.  Like some visitors from another galaxy, they swept into our world and were gone by morning.  The only evidence of them ever existing lying in a single long player.  The cover suggests they were normal people like you and I, but wearing spacesuits that could easily be mistaken for groovy pink wide lapelled shirts nestling beneath some dapper white jackets.  Pray look closer, what really lies behind those greeting smiles and that carefully photographed spacecruiser ?  Well, their message reassuringly is one of love, suggesting it to be a truly intergalactic phenomenon.  I managed to hack into NASA records to upload their dossier on the Dynamic Five sighting of 1978, produced by their man-on-the spot, Joe Reed.  This is what I found : Number: Five, Distinguishing trait: Dynamic, Last seen: Manhattan UA Records.  Status: Closed.  However, the US Government must be extremely embarrassed at how their effort to quell the incident has only fuelled the magnitude of its notoriety.  The Dynamic Five have now become the subject of whispers, urban legends and intellectual debate.  Well we are pleased to announce to the world an undoctored, unmitigated source of that elusive recording.

The album is a mix of sweet soul ballads and light funk numbers characteristic of the early 70’s suggesting the outfit not only had the ability of interplanetary motion, but also the gift of travelling back through time from 1978.  A cascade of strings usher the destitute ‘Lover’s lullaby’ introducing the incredible calibre of the tenor and falsetto leads, and the lush, velveteen harmonies.  Bittersweet never felt so good since the Chi-Lites perfected it back at the turn of the decade.  The next track was clearly played to death to extrude any correlation with space travel and their constant reference to ‘Skyboat, in the sky’.  There is an admirable nod towards some of the The Dramatics funkier moments again showcasing wonderful vocal performances.  ‘To get to Heaven’ has a tremendous tenor exalting the prize of leading a virtuous life, skipping along with a slight jazzy gusto.  Lovely.  This is followed by the disco-dabble of ‘It’s so lonely’, which to me is a slight failure due to the screeching falsetto lead and screeching violas competing unnecessarily.  Far more agreeable is the Motown-esque ‘One way or the other’, with a cracking lead squeezing gallons of fizzy emotion from the song accompanied by some delightful chord changes.  Masterful.  ‘So much love to give’ is a frilly pop number that has a great vocal, but little else to offer this listener.  That disappointment remained for the next track, albeit a slight improvement .  Both tracks felt contrived, and not nearly as comfortable as the rest of the LP with a bygone era.  Aaah, that’s much better.  I can soak all that tension away in a silken bath of poignant petals of foam, ‘Beautiful lady’ is simply gorgeous, and wonderfully produced.  A major accomplishment by all concerned.  What sounds like a different member taking centre stage, ‘Supreme being’ is a competent, mildly funky ode to the Lord.  They decide to sign out with the title track, which has the feel of an opus even though it times at only 4 ½ minutes.  It is a very busy, wonderfully creative track consummating the platter on a positive note, reminding me again of The Dramatics which is high praise indeed.

From the evidence before me, I would suggest that these semi-celestial beings are human after all.  The Dynamic Five were without doubt an A Grade troupe that could have easily competed with the best of the best with slightly better production, songs and promotion.  However, this in no way undermines the importance of the record.  This is yet another example of how commerciality deals out the cruellest cut when excellent records like this only find prominence in the hands of fortunate collector’s years after the artists have long been forgotten, assuming they were ever known.  I for one salute Dr Soul for redressing this imbalance and I pray that maybe, just maybe, at least one of the Five has a rye smile on his face at their postponed, richly deserved recognition and the joy they are bringing to you people right now.

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Before you get your shaking hands on the download link button, listen to what myself and Trakbuv consider as the best song of the album. The gorgeous “Beautiful Lady”

Download link

I’d like to thank “Dr Soul” (who prefers to stay anonymous) for this amazing contribution (I couldn’t believe my eyes when I received his mail) and the man behind the charismatic reviews, without him these posts would never been made, Trakbuv.

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One of the most beloved and dedicated followers of the blog, brother Raphy from Jamaica sent this rare gem to me. To be honest, I wasn’t familiar with this cult soul group of the late 70’s and took me sometime to realise how great it was.  Those who love Smooth Soul groups like -  The Moments, The Main Ingreadient, Black Ivory or The Chi-Lites - would be thrilled with the group.  They were known as The Presidents, just before they became Anacostia. They hailed from D.C.

Anacostia make the move to Tabu Records for this sweet second set and they seem to have picked up more of a groove along the way! The same elements as before are firmly in place here  production by Charles Kipps, with supervision from Van McCoy but the groove is a bit more focused, in ways that slide out spaciously with that warmer modern soul feel that made Tabu a real up-and-comer of a soul label in the late 70s. There’s a few nice mellow cuts, mixed with more upbeat groovers (Dusty Groove).

This is a @256 vinyl rip of the original Tabu Records LP including covers.

Tracks
A1. Ain’t Nothing To It 3.35
A2. Take It Or Leave It 3.23
A3. Baby Don’t Ever Leave Me 3.03
A4. Anything For You 3.31
A5. Another City Morning 3.06
B1. You’ve Got Love On Your Side 2.26
B2. Your Unchanging Love 3.14
B3. I Don’t Need 3.11
B4. Someone Else’s Eyes 2.27
B5. All For You 3.21

Raphy in his own words:

“I ripped this Album especially for Nikos and all the crew & friends of Funkmysoul from my personal collection of vinyl records I acquired over the 11 years I’ve been collecting….. It may seems a very short time to some, but it’s the volume that counts. I have over 4,500 Lps and countless singles. So that feat left me …pennyless! But I’m not complaining. What I have is GOLD, where as the value always appreciate… Nikos has shown me the real meaning of Kindness, and so to show my appreciation, I’m giving back!!

When Nikos asked me to write a short review, I thought it would be easy. So I instinctly googled the name….and, ‘Click-Click’….Nothing of worth comes up!!!! So I am just using the little knowledge I have re this classic group.

The first time I came to know this group was the released of the singles “You Better Know What You’re Doing” and “On and Off”…Two Smash Hits in Jamaica…

This particular album has at least two Great Lovey-Dovey Classic, that still being rotated on all the major Radio Stations & Sound Systems. (1) “Baby Don’t Ever Leave Me” and  (2) “I Don’t Need”

Those two songs have cemented in the psychie of all music lovers.

There are other good Shots on the album, for example, The acoustic sound of “Another City Morning” and the Up Tempo “Ain’t Nothing To It” & “Take It Or Leave It”. What Can I say about the deep ballad, “All For You”….So sweet!!

It’s a bit difficult to compare this group to others, because of the great balance of Sweet Ballad & funky Up Tempo, somehow they deliver with soothing ease. The group “New York City” probably comes close..

Let’s not forget the magician behind this all. No other than the GREAT MAN Van McCoy….

So folks, Enjoy this Collector’s Gem”

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There was a CD released in 2006 but it is out of stock almost everywhere. Get your change here and buy the vinyl here. Now listen their unique sound from their first album : “I Can’t Stop Loving Her”

Download link

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Excellent and rare bluesy soul LP from Tina Britt, produced by Juggy Murray. For a soul singer with two Top 40 R&B hits, very little is known about Tina Britt. Very little. This is her debut 1969 LP on Minit which is her only complete solo output. Tina Britt was famous for recording tracks by other great writers and musicians including ‘God Bless The Child’ (by Billie Holliday), ‘Jonny I Love You’ (by Booker T), ‘My Lovers Prayer’ (by Otis Redding) and ‘Sookie Sookie (by Steve Cropper and Don Covay).

This is a wonderful find and I let Trakbuv to review the album in his unique delightful way.

This is a @320 vinyl rip of the original Minit LP including covers.

Tracks
A1 Who Was That 2.46
A2 God Bless the Child 3.56
A3 Johnny I Love You 2.56
A4 Sookie Sookie 3.16
A5 Hawg For You 4.07
A6 My Lover’s Prayer 3.00
B1 Born on a Bayou 2.24
B2 I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know 5.27
B3 Dr. Feelgood 3.08
B4 Bright Lights Big City 2.26
B5 Key to the Highway 2.39
B6 You Ain’t Nothing but in the Way 4.43

Review by Trakbuv

” Well, Nikos tentatively asked me to review what he may have suspected to be out of my comfort zone. He was right - the prospect of a bluesy singer I’d never heard of covering other people’s toons failed to dampen my appetite.  But, hey, never say never – and I needed the exercise, not to mention a threadbare pocket lining that needed resuscitating.  Rubbing down the usual suspects didn’t turn up many leads as to the dame’s whereabouts.  Seemed like I was going to have to fly this one with no parachute…or wings.  Did manage to track down that the lady had operated under an alias, being born originally Tina Brittingham back in ‘38.  False names always give me the jitters, but things started cooking when I got drift that she had a couple of Top 40 R&B hits, with her biggest hit, ‘The Real Thing’, reaching the dizzy heights of #20.  This broad sure had some pedigree, that’s for sure.  Seemed she’d had several rotating plastic discs issued, and this is where I managed to pick up her scent.  I followed her from Eastern Records, Veep, and eventually to Minit Records – this wasn’t gonna be cheap on Nikos’ expenses kitty.  Finally, I managed to find her hideway – a jook joint on the corner of 33 and a third, caught helplessly between the grooves of ‘Blues All The Way’.  Released in 1969 on Minit, and produced by her ever faithful side-kick and muscle, Henry ‘Juggy’ Murray.  Knew him from his stretch at Sue records – smooth operator I recall.  Anyways, I take a corner seat at the back of the gig, and fire up a smoke.

Lady T enters stage in a slinky number and is immediately greeted with a steel guitar and a whoop of applause.  She gets straight down dirty with some solid rhythm and blues in ‘Who was that’ and its ‘who’s shoes are under my bed’ pointed accusation.  I immediately push my hat out my face and lean forward – this mama is the real deal.  The sweet laidback sassiness of Billie coupled with the commanding spunkiness of Aretha or Carla, this girl ripped the beer-stained carpet from under me.  Unbelievable – rivet, rivet, rivet.  Then the lights turn low, and the spotlight reveals Tina now propping up a white piano.  My face turns white too, my stomach curls into a small ball, and; Oh Lord, I can’t breath or blink !  ‘Thems that got shall get, them that’s not shall lose’ reaches into my rib cage and has my heartbeat in its hands.  Damn me to hell, but I think this version of ‘God bless the child’ outdoes Billie !  I’m a lovesick fool for you, Lady T, and the night’s hardly begun.  She takes a sip from a tall glass, which then accompanies her to the mic upright.  ‘Johnny I love you’ plays like a doped up Esther Phillips – this girl is positively horizontal on this enticing, cool cucumber.  Then we break out with ‘Sookie Sookie’ and tables are immediately cleared to give the audience some room to move.  I’m the only one sat at this point as she infuses a coquette razzle into the midnight air.   Then it’s bluesville complete with horn section taking ‘Hawg for you’ all the way home.  A choir then introduces ‘My lover’s prayer’, with Ms Britt cooing in a mock weaping wail.  The lights suddenly turn out – silence – is the set over ?

The lights come straight back up, brighter than before with Tina somehow wearing a totally different outfit.  ‘Born on a Bayou’ oozes class, Tina totally faultless as ever and utterly gorgeous horns piping the cream on a luxuriant cake.  Outstanding.  The perennial favourite ‘I love you more’ blends fatefully with the smoke-riddled air, conveying the despair on its choking fumes.  Another standard gets the Tina treatment, ‘Dr Feelgood’ booming those familiar accolades from the stage and clear across town, before cranking it up a touch for ‘Bright lights, big city’.  She now enters a gentle swagger to accompany the chugging ‘Key to the highway’ with an effortlessly mesmeric performance. The acidic ‘You ain’t nothing but in the way’ burns from a glistening wound as she tears the lyric sheet to threads. I have no connection with space or time.  I live only for her next phrase.  The lights suddenly turn off and on again, but Ms Britt is nowhere to be found.  I check backstage for the dressing room, but find only a yard full of overturned empty barrels.  I re-enter the building and I’m greeted with an empty abandoned saloon.  Was it all some crazy dream – I’ll leave you to be the judge. ”
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In 2006 the album was released for the first time on cd including bonus tracks from her early work which was influenced by Berry Gordy’s music machine. The songs are great slices of uptempo soul and included her biggest hit, The Real Thing, which climbed sure-footedly to #20 on Billboard’s R&B chart.  Buy it here.

Now listen “Who Was That” and enjoy the rest of the album.

Download link

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Betty Wright - 1968 - My First Time Around

A late 60s southern soul gem from then 14-year-old belter Betty Wright, her early singles for the Alston label that eventually became her debut album for Atlantic.  Clarence Reid wrote most of the tracks, with arrangements and production handled by Steve Alaimo’s Marlin Productions. It’s done in the raw southern soul style which made that organization’s name at the time  and Betty carries that groove incredibly well, as well as a woman of any age group! Essential!

This is a @320 vinyl rip of the original Atco LP including covers

Tracks
A1   Girls Can’t Do What The Guys Do (2:04)
A2   Funny How Love Grows Cold (2:51)
A3   I’m Gonna Hate Myself In The Morning (2:11)
A4   Circle Of Heartbreak (2:58)
A5   Sweet Lovin’ Daddy (2:25)
A6   Cry Like A Baby (2:34)
B1   Watch Out Love (2:41)
B2   He’s Bad, Bad, Bad (2:22)
B3   I Can’t Stop My Heart (3:24)
B4   I’m Thankful (2:03)
B5   The Best Girls Don’t Always Win (3:08)
B6   Just You (3:06)

Betty Wright is like the female Bill Withers; that is to say, she’s an excellent soul artist even more criminally overlooked in current times than Withers, who had his own recent critical revival. The re-release of My First Time Around, one of Wright’s first records to really show her talent, might help getting her own movement going. As a barely-known album, recorded when Wright was just 14 years old, this re-release sounds like the revelation it must have been to the few people to catch it its first time around.

Remembered primarily for one Atlantic hit, “Clean Up Woman,” Ms. Wright has been in the news lately for helping 18-year-old Joss Stone sound like a credible soul singer. Wright was writing her own songs at an even younger age: My First Time Around has crackling stories of the kind of love you regret even while you’re making it (“I’m Gonna Hate Myself In The Morning”), with men you should be ashamed to know (“He’s Bad, Bad, Bad”). It’s hard to imagine how a 14-year-old Wright knew so much about that sort of subject matter, but no song here strikes a false note, not even the few happy spots, like the romantic hymnal “I’m Thankful.”

The music, provided by a fairly unknown group of musicians then working for Henry Stone’s Alston label, is note-for-note perfect, from the organ accenting “Circle of Heartbreak” to the horn section on “Girls Can’t Do What The Guys Do,” appropriately the record’s hit single. In an alternate universe where artists get the recognition they deserve, Betty Wright is as well-known as Aretha Franklin. Now that My First Time Around is available again, hopefully the rest of us in this dimension will finally catch up. (By Josh Drimmer)

Since there’s no available video of this album, enjoy “The Babysitter” from “Hard To Stop”

Download link

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Betty Wright - 1973 - Hard To Stop

A deep soul classic from Betty Wright  one of her earliest albums of the 70s, and a Miami soul landmark that was one of the greatest female southern soul records of the time! Although Betty was well known for her earlier hit “Clean Up Woman”, she didn’t give into that fame — and keeps things mighty real on this set by working in a slow-burning deep soul mode. The vibe is nice and laidback, with plenty of mellow keyboard touches, subdued horn passages, and round, full sound served up to perfection by producers Clarence Reid and Willie Clarke.

This is a @320 vinyl rip of the original Alston LP including covers

Tracks
A1   I Am Woman (4:20)
A2   Sweet Wonder (2:26)
A3   The Experts (3:02)
A4   We The Two Of Us (3:00)
A5   Let Me Go Down (2:57)
B1   Gimme Back My Man (3:28)
B2   Who’ll Be The Fool (3:17)
B3  The Babysitter (3:02)
B4   If You Think You’ve Got Soul (2:15)
B5   It’s Hard To Stop (Doing Something When It’s Good To You) (3:14)

While Hard to Stop lacked a big classic hit on the order of “Clean Up Woman,” it was a very solid and varied platter of early-’70s soul. Distinguished by the tight, lean Miami funk-soul of the backup players (particularly guitarist Willie “Little Beaver” Hale), it did offer a couple of pretty big R&B hits with the jittery rhythms of “The Babysitter” and “It’s Hard to Stop (Doing Something When It’s Good to You),” which was about as bluesy as soul got in 1973. A far more off-the-wall highlight was the radical reinterpretation of Helen Reddy’s “I Am Woman,” which changed it from a hokey pop tune into something that sounded far more grittily proud and defiant. However, it’s a pretty consistent record throughout, with other cuts of note including “We the Two of Us,” which has a great effervescent Miami organ, and “If You Think You’ve Got Soul,” which weaves in and out of a quasi-tropical groove. The “Clean Up Woman” guitar rhythm is reprised on “Gimme Back My Man,” though to less memorable effect than on the hit single.

Uncut - p.122 4 stars out of 5 - “The album finds her growing effortlessly into her role as the leading lady of Miami soul with powerful treatises on love and womanhood…”
Mojo  - p.116 “A solid example of pre-disco Miami soul, featuring rubbery grooves much looser than Memphis stuff.”

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Buy her vinyl and cd here and listen her biggest hit “Clean Up Woman”

Download link

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But Betty’s best career album is “Danger High Voltage” which you can find it here in our back pages.

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A funky holy grail, one of the rarest of the rare, and the only album ever cut by funky guitarist Carl “Sherlock” Holmes! Carl’s work on the guitar is incredible fast riffing and jazzy, with a style that’s dirtier and messier than some of his 70s jazz funk contemporaries, but which also lays back on a few tracks so that Carl can deliver a sweetly soulful vocal. The album’s a real blend of styles, all handled pretty darn well  from the hard funk of “Black Bag” and “Investigation”, to the Latin jamming of “Modesa”, the fast grooving of “Get Down Philly Town”, and the mellow soul of “Think It Over” and “Your Game”. Great stuff  and a real treat to finally have reissuedThis is a super rare soul/funk record where Carl tries to close “the gap between R&B, jazz and psychedelic rock by the creation of a sound that is funky, mellow, intricately soulful and explosive, yet uniquely disciplined in its complexity!

“This is a super rare soul/funk record where Carl tries to close “the gap between R&B, jazz and psychedelic rock by the creation of a sound that is funky, mellow, intricately soulful and explosive, yet uniquely disciplined in its complexity”

This is a @320 vinyl rip of the reissue CRS records LP, including covers.

Tracks
A1.Investigation 4.05
A2.Close To You 5.07
A3.Black Bag 3.20
A4.Think Is Over 3.25
B1.Modesa 4.59
B2.Your Game 4.16
B3.Get Down Philly Town 2.59
B4.It Ain’t Wright 3.07

Review by Groovy Emmanuel

Well, well, well.. It’s time now for some to the dirtier side of funkiness grooves of the early seventies, painted with some to the mellower side soul touches of the same era. And it’s a fine little record from one of the less familiar names around, Philly guitarist and vocalist Carl “Sherlock” Holmes.

Carl started gigging in the early sixties forming Carl Holmes and The Commanders with whom he recorded a full length album for Atlantic in 1962 entitled «Twist Party At The Roundtable», and a couple of 45’s for Parkway and Verve later on. They even gigged with one Jimi Hendrix in 1966 but alas never recorded. After a final 45 for the local Philly label Black Jack, the group disbanded and Carl formed the Sherlock Holmes Investigation a solid outfit backed by a strong rhythm section packed with congas, vibes, flute, organ and sax. Philly’s Sigma Sound Studio was the place they recorded their sole album and Custis R. Staten’s CRS Records was the label that released it. And here we are.

Smokin funk breaks in «Black Bag», «Investigation», «Get Down Philly Town», «It Ain’t Right» and some syncopated latin-inspired jams in «Modesa» all coming out of the legendary Philly studio?… Yeah, why not? Music is One, or isn’t it? Ouch. All these coupled nicely by some fine mellow numbers in «Close To You», «Think It Over» and «Your Game» . ouch again! And all but one (Bacarach/David’s «Close To You») written by a guy named Len Woods. A remarkable blend of styles, no doubt!

Finally there’s a little confusion on when this little record was released. Is it late sixties, early seventies or mid seventies? Having that in mind, just listen to «Your Game». and focus on the break midway to the end, 2:55 to 3:14 of total 4:12 minutes the song lasts. Well, I thought I saw a pussycat, as Tweetie the cartoon used to say. Is it Marvin’s  «What’s Going On?» .? Did this little record come out before or after Marvin’s record? Ouch once more. But nevertheless, pay no attention at all, cause music is still the best no matter when or where or whatever, as long it is good. And last but not least, who the heck is Len Woods? The guy is a hell of a songwriter. Is he Carl himself or someone else? A final ouch to the end.

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Buy the LP or CD here and listen “Investigation”

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