Funk my Soul

Starfire are a self-contained group that released their first LP in 1976. This is their sophomore set, containing two tracks from the debut, and continuing to buck the gimmicky trend of disco with a very fine mixture of funk and ballads. They brought out another LP in the mid-eighties - comprising of tracks of their first two albums suggesting they became Red Dwarfs way before their time. An obscure outfit on an even more obscure label, we are pleased to put this very capable band in the spotlight.

This is a @320 vinyl rip of the original Dynamic Artists LP (supplied by Nikos) including covers.

Tracks
A1 Dancing and Singing 5:51
A2 Super Sensuous Woman 4:34
A3 Get Up Everybody 4:27
A4 If You Can’t Stand The Heat 3:15
B1 I Want To Sing This Song For You 4:11
B2 Loneliness Has Got Me Down 2:25
B3 Lovin’ You Lovin’ Me 3:56
B4 Love You One More Time 4:00
B4 Make The Most Of It 5:04

Review by Trakbuv

Starfire - ‘the baddest 5 stars in the galaxy’ - complete with star signs. So boasts the back cover of this rather splendid LP - and you know you are in the starfighter/zodiac obsessed seventies. This self-contained band of celestial beings comprise of Rudy Leeper (lead vox, percussion), Antwan Garrison (lead, bass), Jay Pryor (guitar, background vox), Willie McWhite (keyboards, background) and Ronnie Cokes (drums, background) all originating from Richmond in the Virginia Constellation. Also, special mention to the Trussel horns - are these the same crew who gave us ‘Love injection’ ? This is actually their second LP, bursting in the galaxy with a solid ten tracker in the shape of “Get off with us”, two earth years earlier. “Dancing and Singing For You” continues to deliver an endearing spectrum of tempos all performed with confidence and style. Just to confuse our fellow stargazers, the LP was repackaged as “Starfire” in 1980 - with a silver cover and fresh tracklisting. The uptempo tracks were also recut/remixed to give a more contemporary disco feel. On the original interplanetary platter we have on display here, the nuggets have been carefully distributed on the two sides of the moon - the light side entitled “Dancing For You” composed of baadaas funk for shaking starbooty - the dark side entitled “Singing For You” composed of luscious delights for when the lights are low.

Appropriately, “Dancing and singing” leads the squadron of goodies, introducing the band as more concerned with having a good time than star system domination. And what could be better than a brickhouse AND a sensuous woman - why its “Super sensuous woman” of course - and with this insightful knowledge, the throttle is turned up a touch while steering an assured course of party action. It’s back to the meaningful lyrics with “Get up everybody” reminding us that our brains are but a mechanism for ensuring we don’t fall over on the dancefloor, and here we have the addition of some laser technology in the shape of synthesizer tricks from the 61st Century. “If you can’t stand the heat” gets a slight nudge on retroblasters with a down-dirty funkgrinder to close side A.

As we enter the twilight sky, side B gently introduces a floating stage of a carefully lit quintet, the lead beaming a strong performance ably assisted by gorgeous harmonies on “I Want To Sing”. Next up is one of the flagships, the big ballad “Loneliness has got me down” - big enough to fit a meteorite cluster and crush it with its tender melancholy. Lovely. “Love you one more time” is a wonderful swayer with both leads working off one another as a team to rival Luke Skywalker and Han Solo. Another of the flagships for me is the rare groover “Make the most it”, a track repeated from their debut - and it’s easy to see why. Wonderfully produced, ultraspacey and quite hypnotic - gorgeous. Joe Carter was responsible for producing the entire album and the tracks were written between him and the band members. And although operating from the small, obscure Dynamic Artists label, the cabin crew operate a very tight ship and deliver a thoroughly commendable job by all. I for one will be recommending they are duly rewarded with the highest honours by Starfleet command.

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You can buy this rare vinyl from Groove Collector for 54 Euro and from BackAtCha for £60. Try their CD with their best songs (1976-1980) from Amazon.

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A heartbreaking classic from Terry Huff and his Special Delivery group - a cool 70s harmony ensemble who deliver some wonderful backup on the set! The record’s a stone east coast classic from way back - arranged and conducted by Al Johnson, with a vibe that’s a slightly more polished take on the harmony modes used by George Kerr over at All-Platinum. Terry Huff has a high-end vocal approach that’s great - never cloying or too-sweet, but nicely crackling and almost in a Ralfi Pagan mode at points. Huff wrote most of the songs (Dusty Groove).

This is a @256 (Japanese Edition) CD rip including covers.

Tracks
A1. That’s When Love Hurts (4:45)
A2. The Lonely One (LP Version) (3:28)
A3. Why Doesn’t Love Last (4:55)
A4. When You’re Lonely (4:40)
B1. Where There’s A Will (There’s A Way) (3:38)
B2. Poochie (5:33)
B3. I Destroyed Your Love - Part 1 (3:32)
B4. I Destroyed Your Love - Part 2 (3:30)
B5. Just Not Enough Love (4:25)

The Lonely One (45 Version) [Japanese Edition Bonus Track]
Come Back With Love - Pt.1 - Special Delivery [Japanese Edition Bonus Track]
Come Back With Love - Pt.2 - Special Delivery [Japanese Edition Bonus Track]
The Lonely One (Inst.) [Japanese Edition Bonus Track]

By Chris Rizik
Originally called Act 1, the group Special Delivery was a rotating bunch of Washington D.C.-based singers that had a brief moment in the spotlight in 1976.   Led by falsetto singer Terry Huff, the group had its first hit around the Huff-written ballad “I Destroyed Your Love.”  The six minute song (split up into parts for both sides of the 45) only made it halfway up the Soul charts, but was an absolute gem, with excellent harmonies behind Huff’s sweet falsetto voice.  It may be one of the greatest sweet soul cuts of the 70s, with the appeal of some of the top Stylistics and Chi-Lites cuts. The song continued to live on after its initial run, and is still a regular on Urban Adult Contemporary radio 30+ years after its introduction.

The group followed “I Destroyed Your Love” with “The Lonely One“, another excellent Huff ballad that shot up to the Soul Top 10 and seemed to indicate another hot Soul group was in the makings.  Working with writer/producer Al Johnson, the group released the album The Lonely One later that year, and it briefly reached the Soul top 40.  All Music Guide asserts that by the time “The Lonely One” was recorded, Special Delivery had already broken up and that the single and subsequent album were actually recorded by Huff, Johnson and Huff’s brother, but were nonetheless credited to Special Delivery. Huff informed me that his split with Special Delivery occurred two weeks before the release of “I Destroyed Your Love” due to a dispute about songwriting credit for the song (Huff is generally credited as the sole writer of the song).
Special Delivery regrouped in 1977 without Huff, and charted one more time, with 1978’s “This Kind of Love,” before fading into oblivion with their 1981 release Living On the Run.  Though he entertained offers following his split with Special Delivery, Huff’s solo career never materialized, and his national notoriety wound up being limited to two wonderful Soul ballads.
The name Special Delivery was later used by a completely unrelated country/folk act, which released This Is Special Delivery in 1994.  You won’t find Terry Huff’s sweet falsetto on that disc. Just a whole lotta picking and strumming.

Article from http://www.soultracks.com/special_delivery.htm

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Buy a digital copy from Amazon and a lot of vinyl and CD’s from Ebay and Musicstack.

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Terry Huff kindly left a message for his fans and visitors of FMS :

” Greetings!

Wonder what I have been doing all of these years? Go to thesolutiontoallproblems.com and you will see the only thing that has kept me out of my first love: MUSIC!

It took 27 years to complete!

But now that it is, I hope to have new music this year or at the very most, next year!

LOVE YA ALL!  HOLLA AT ME “

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A Tribute to Ron Banks and The Dramatics by Trakbuv

We at FMS are sorry to report the sad loss of Ron Banks on 4th March. He was one of the founding members of the incredible Dramatics formed back in 1962 in Detroit while still at Cleveland Jr High, and was recognised as the group leader. The original line-up was Ron (falsetto/tenor), Larry Demps (baritone), Larry Reed (lead vocal), Elbert Wilkins, and Robert Ellington (replaced by Ron Davis in 1964). Their first single in ‘66 was apparently misprinted as The Dynamics on the first 500 copies, with the vibrant, catchy ‘Bingo’ as the A-side. The B-side was a Temptations-esque ‘Somewhere’, complete with a clear falsetto lead. Could this be Ron Banks first lead vocal outing ? It is well known that he had a more than healthy respect for Eddie Kendricks in tuning his vocal style. The same lead turned up on the Northern Soul favourite ‘Inky Dinky Wang Dang Doo’, also released on Wingate in 1967.

This is a @320 vinyl rip(supplied by Nikos) of the original Stax/Volt LP including covers

Tracks
A1 The Devil Is Dope 5:24
A2 You Could Become the Very Heart of Me 2:47
A3 Now You Got Me Loving You 4:23
A4 Fell for You 3:22
B1 Jim, What’s Wrong With Him 4:49
B2 Hey You! Get Off My Mountain 3:38
B3 Beautiful People 3:50
B4 Beware of the Man (With the Candy in His Hand) 2:57

Their first chart success was for Sport Records in 1967, with the beautiful ballad ‘If you haven’t got love’ hitting #43 - the polish was really beginning to shine. In 1968, Larry Reed and Ron Davis were replaced by William ‘WeeGee’ Howard (lead) and Willie Ford, respectively. Soon thereafter, they hooked up with Stax Records and had a series of hits on the Volt outlet. History was in the making, although their first release (‘Your love is strange’) failed to set the world alight in 1969 (the flipside ‘Since I fell in love’ showcased the quality of the multi-leads). And although they had to wait until 1971 for their second release, the planetary alignment across our solar system was about to be disturbed forever. ‘Whatcha see is whatcha get’ really is the PERFECT record performed by the PERFECT group. Scoring number 3 and 9 on the Billboard R&B and Pop Charts, respectively, before attaining Gold status - there could have been no better fanfare to introduce The Dramatics to the forefront of Soul Harmony Groups - forever. Elbert giving the baritone intro, Ron the falsetto, then Larry, followed by Willie, before Wee Gee hits the floor running. For me, one of the greatest triumphs for male harmonising ever. And it can’t be stressed enough at how Ron’s perfect frills really MAKE this record that so special.

Ron Banks became more involved in both writing and producing as part of The Dramatics, before extending those talents to his brother’s outfit, the vastly overlooked Five Special. He later produced a very fine and successful solo album entitled ‘Truly Bad’ in 1983, and also assisted Brittany Blake in 1993 on a delightful duet entitled ‘Forever’.  He even recorded a song by the renowned boxer Thomas “Hitman” Hearns in the early ’80s - Ron was a very talented sportsman himself, winning scholarships in both baseball and American football on graduating from Northern High School. His charm, humble persona and active charity work have been widely acknowledged, as well as being the lighthouse rock that held the Dramatics together in many formats over the years. Fellow Dramatic and close friend LJ Reynolds was duly stunned and deeply upset by the news of Ron’s passing. Of concert dates due to start around the same time, he commented “The show must go on. If it was me I’d want them to go ahead and I’m sure he’d feel the same way. It’ll be a long, silent ride there. But we’ll take Ron’s mike and put it up onstage, and let it stand there”. Ron Banks is survived by his wife, Sandy Banks, four daughters and two sons (1951-2010).

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To the albums, and their sophomore set, “A Dramatic Experience” is a beautiful time capsule of a band in transition. Half the songs feature William ‘WeeGee’ Howard and Elbert Wilkins, the other half their replacements, LJ Reynolds (from Chocolate Syrup) and Lenny Mayes. So essentially we have a septet of artists all vying for centre stage !! For me, Ron Banks really stands out on this platter as the pivotal peg for this revolving door. His best performance and one of the Dramatics finest, ‘Now you got me loving me’ is one of the standout cuts. The other is the incredible duet between Ron and Wee Gee on the gorgeously defiant ‘Hey you ! Get off my mountain’, attaining #5 and #43 on the R&B and Pop Charts, respectively. Fantastic LP.

This is a @320 vinyl rip (supplied by Nikos) of the original Stax/Volt LP including covers

Tracks

A1 And I Panicked 3:53
A2 I Dedicate My Life to You 3:30
A3 You’re Got Me Going Through a Thing 4:19
A4 I Pray She’ll Never Go Away 4:37
B1 I Made Myself Lonely 3:49
B2 Highway to Heaven 3:54
B3 Beautiful Feeling 3:57
B4 Toast to the Fool 5:32
B5 It’s So Hard Trying to Get Over You 3:56

On departing, Wee Gee and Elbert actually formed their own ‘The Dramatics’ releasing ‘No rebate on love’ on Mainstream in 1975, a slightly pop-flavoured item that definitely tried hard to be a dead ringer for the original Dramatics. Their follow-up, ‘Sho nuff good feelin” (now as ‘The Dramatic Experience’) was even more forgettable (although its flip ‘Someday, somewhere’ is very pretty). As a consequence, Ron officially took the helm to distinguish the two outfits, re-branding as “Ron Banks and The Dramatics” for the next two albums.

Personally, I think the addition of LJ and Lenny sealed their fate as my favourite all-time male harmony outfit. LJ had a more expressive voice than Wee Gee and Lenny provided a critical link between Ron and LJ that was often seamless. And I feel that their harmonies gained a unique warmth. Their third release was business as usual, “Dramatically Yours” sustaining that deft mix of beautifully arranged mid- and uptempo grabbers with gentle crushers. Here, LJ stamps his authority all over the plaintive ‘And I panicked’ - utterly devastating.  ‘Toast to the fool’ is another important track that reached #18/67 R&B/Pop Charts - and another testament to the incredible harmonising and interactive vocalising of the Dramatics. Maybe not quite the household name as some of their peers, but the endurance and collective talent of Ron Banks and The Dramatics is, to me, equal to any band and second to none.  We salute you.

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Listen up to their amazing debut album “Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get” including “In The Rain” in our back pages here and finally buy almost every one of their albums on CD from Amazon. ..….and please leave a comment. We always need your views on the albums and posts.

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You should all be really happy that we have Mr.Moo within our contributors cause he shares with us great albums like this one. Eddie Floyd’s 2nd LP “I’ve Never Found A Girl”, a Southern Soul diamond.

In 1966, Floyd recorded a song intended for Otis Redding. Wexler convinced Stax president Jim Stewart to release Floyd’s version. The Steve Cropper/Eddie Floyd “Knock On Wood” launched Floyd’s solo career and has been cut by over a hundred different artists from David Bowie to Count Basie. It became a disco hit for Amii Stewart in 1979.

Floyd was one of Stax’s most consistent and versatile artists. He scored several more hits on his own, including “I Never Found a Girl (To Love Me Like You Do)” and “Raise Your Hand”, which was covered by both Janis Joplin and Bruce Springsteen.

This is a @320 vinyl rip (supplied by Mr.Moo) of the original Stax Records Lp including covers.

Tracks
A1. Bring It On Home To Me 2.29
A2. Never Give You Up 2.40
A3. Girl I Love You 3.15
A4. Hobo 2.55
A5. I Need You Woman 2.13
A6. I’ve Never Found A Girl 2.40
B1. I’ll Take Her 2.33
B2. Slip Away 3.21
B3. I’m Just The Kind Of Fool 3.13
B4. Water 3.03
B5. Sweet Things You Do 2.10

Review by Soulmakossa

The fantastic, highly original spin on Sam Cooke’s “Bring It on Home to Me” opens Eddie Floyd’s second album with the same fire and passion that exuded out of Floyd’s own classic, “Knock on Wood“. The Memphis Horns and Booker T. and his M.G.’s cook up a monster of a groove here, and the track rightfully became a big R&B hit when released on single. But there is so much more on this highly underrated album…

Eddie’s take on Jerry Butler’s “Never Give You Up” is fantastic: Al Jackson keeps the beat right in the pocket, while strings and even the French horn are put to use here, wonderfully embellishing this solid tune. “Girl I Love You” is rooted more firmly in the blues-drenched Memphis tradition. Steve Cropper churns out some mighty fine guitar fills while the Memphis Horns wail on infectiously behind him. “Hobo” surely ranks as one of Floyd’s finest soulful rock compositions (along with the classic “Big Bird”), with its incessant beat and catchy backing vocals. Nonetheless, it was relegated to LP-only status forever, and thus is one of Eddie’s least known soulful stompers. Even stronger is the high powered “I Need You Woman“, one of those inimitable Stax-gems with the entire band and Floyd ripping it up. Especially tantalizing ’bout this tune is the clever incorporation of some elements of Sam & Dave’s massive “Soul Man” in the middle of the song.

The title tune is just gorgeous. Soul perfection. Eddie’s huge voice, the thick, steady rolling bass, and those irrestistible strings rightfully turned this into Floyd’s second biggest hit ever. What’s more remarkable about this tune is that aside drummer Al Jackson and the Memphis Horns, all instruments are played and arranged by Booker T. Jones, including the right-on-the-money, sweet guitar solo. A Southern Soul must! The upbeat mood doesn’t falter after that; the busy, horn-infected “I’ll Take Her” - featuring superb harmony vocalizing - and Floyd’s spin on Clarence Carter’s “Slip Away” are energetic, stomping slices of supreme, grade A Southern Soul. But when Floyd decides to slow things down a bit, he really goes for broke. The indescribably beautiful “I’m Just the Kind of Fool” is, in my opinion, almost the equal to James Carr’s “Dark End of the Street”. Eddie’s lamenting voice, the moody, hazey beat, the wailing horns and Booker T.’s haunting, gospelish Hammond fills certainly created someting very VERY special here. A track that will not let you go. Essential. And despite “Water” being upbeat, jolly and almost carefree in its sound, the lyrics are completely in sync with the despair uttered in “I’m Just the Kind of Fool”. Nonetheless, Eddie’s the kinda guy that is, from the heart, an optimist. And the LP ends on a likeminded note, with the rockin’, supergroove of “Sweet Things You Do“, a joyous celebration of sweet, sweet lovin’.

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Biography, discography and more from AllMusic here.

This album wasn’t reissued, except as part of this 1993 combi CD release here. Buy this one on vinyl and a lot of his other LP’s and CD’s on Ebay.

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