Funk my Soul

The Vibrations were a smooth harmonizing soul group in the tradition of the Temptations and the Delfonics.  Originally known as the Jayhawks, the Vibrations were notable for being equally proficient with smooth ballads, such as ‘Oh Cindy’ (1962), and exuberant dance tunes like ‘Sloop Dance’ (1964).  Following a string of minor hits in the late 60s, they temporarily disbanded just prior to recording “Taking A New Step”, with the lead single “Wind up toy” revitalising their good fortunes.  They eventually became a nightclub act in the mid 1970s, before officially dissolving the group in 1976.  This is wonderful tribute to a band that managed to move through 3 decades and still sound scintillatingly fresh.  This is one fabulous group soul album.

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

Tracks
A1 Wind Up Toy 2.47
A2 Ain’t No Greens In Harlem 3.22
A3 Run For Your Lives 3.31
A4 Take A Step 3.51
A5 Midnight Rider 2.38
A6 Kazoo 2.40
B1 Man Overboard 2.36
B2 The Man 4.02
B3 Silver Dollar 2.56
B4 Whiskey Man 2.44
B5 Bolder, Green & Jones 5.25

Review by Trakbuv

Well it would seem that if you weren’t a ‘-tion’ or an ‘-ic’, you weren’t a soul harmony group at one point in time. However, the Vibrations had several incarnations prior to this glorious release, and had originally formed as The Heart Thrills way back in ’55. Hailing from Los Angeles, the original members included Carl Fisher, Cleo White and Dave Govan. They then changed their name to the Jayhawks the following year and released “Counting my teardrops” on the Flash imprint. I’m guessing they weren’t counting too many royalties after it flung open the door to fame and fortune. They eventually scored with “Stranded in the jungle” in ‘56 (US Soul Charts #18), before changing their name momentarily to The Vibes in 1959, just before presumably realising that including ‘-tions’ was the necessary ingredient for continued success. And it duly followed in the form of “The Watusi” in ’61 (#21). They even had time to moonlight as The Marathons at the behest of HB Barnum who had a novelty record for another act (The Olympics). The Olympics were unfortunately away on tour and the single, titled “Peanut butter”, became a US Top 20 hit.

Although having several line-ups, the core unit became Carl Fisher, Dave Govan, Jimmy Johnson, Don Bradley and Richard Owens. They had gained a reputation of being equally at ease with slow and upbeat numbers, and had continued success with numbers like “My Girl Sloopy” (’64), “Misty” (’65) and “And I love her” (’66). The Vibrations briefly broke up in 1971 whereupon Richard had a short stay with the Temptations. I guess “Taking A New Step” is the fruits of their reunion, and musically I believe the LP title conveys their new direction aptly. “Wind up toy” is a song I am familiar with and is a firm favourite with the Northern Soul crowd. That gentle, gleeful jingle jangle of the guitar is quite hypnotic and was an assured pop-laced single to lead the LP. Sterling stuff. The other track that I have cherished for many years now is the glorious “Take a step” - wonderful midtempo group soul of the highest order. Spectacular.

What I was not prepared for was the FUNK !! This LP has managed to capture the rawness, dirt, mayhem and rhythm, all essential funk ingredients, in an utterly convincing sauce. Check out my favourites “The Man” and “Kazoo” (oh my) for some zappy happy butt-gnawing grits – slide baby, sliiiiide !! Or the audacious boldness of “Bolder, Green & Jones” – just try and stop those goosebumps popping. “Silver dollar” keeps the message ringing to a fatback jive; they present a great version of the Allman Brothers classic “Midnight rider”; and slaphappy funk in “Ain’t no greens in Harlem”. “Whiskey man” gives a slight whimsical approach to the sad tale of lost love - another beautiful inclusion. And just to run the full gamut of musical influences, we have some country-honky tonk pop in the form of “Run for your lives”.

I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed the scope of this LP which reminded me of my melted emotional state after hearing the Skull Snaps LP the first time. And I cannot stop playing ‘Kazoo’ - I’ve even ordered one on-line. If I had formed a band, I think I would have called ourselves ‘The Contradictions’ and had the benefit of both an ‘-ic’ and a ‘-tion’, but we best not go to a place where I also wish I could sing and had an afro haircut.

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I admit I was totally unfamiliar  with Lady Tata.  This album her second on Motown is another great choice of Trakbuv which proves - once more - why I totally trust him posting anything in this blog.

With Motown, Táta released four solo albums on the Tamla label: Full Speed Ahead (1976), Totally Táta (1977), Try My Love (1978), and Givin’ All My Love (1981). These albums feature a diverse range of genres, including classic Motown soul, country or southern soul, disco, jazz, funk, country, Latin, doo-wop, and gospel.

She has had an active career as a back-up singer, working with Stevie Wonder, Andraé Crouch, Lou Rawls,(Duet) Rare Earth,(Duet) Chaka Kahn, Patti LaBelle, Michael Jackson, Ray Charles, and Madonna. She also worked in film, performing the voice of Shug Avery in The Color Purple; she is featured on four songs on the 1986 soundtrack album, one of which, Miss Celie’s Blues (Sister), was nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Song category.

Thanks Trak for one of the most colourful and playful voices ever heard…. you were absolutely right!

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

Tracks
A1  Mr. Troublemaker 3.43
A2  Blame It on the Sun 4.26
A3  Come in Heaven Earth Is Calling 9.03
A4  Deep Inside 4.53
B1  Jesus Take Me Higher 5.10
B2  Love Comes from the Most Unexpected Places 3.27
B3  It’s Too Late 3.32
B4  You’ll Never Rock Alone 3.20
B5  Ever So Lovingly 5.34

Review by Trakbuv

In honour of Nikos and his wonderful tribute to all things Tamla and Motown, I have resurrected one of my personal forgotten glories from its illustrious catalogue.  Tata Vega – a name that rolls off the tongue like Teena Marie or Chaka Khan, but never becoming as household as those luminaries - yet certainly a force to be reckoned alongside them.  Christened Carmen Rosa Vega in Queens, Long Island back in 1951, it was dear old dad who gave her the nickname of Tata in remembrance of her first uttered words.  Dad also had the knack of uprooting her every now and then due to his commitment to the US Air Force, before finally touching down in Miami when she was in her teens.  At seventeen (nice title for a song methinks), she travelled to LA in hope of fame and, after struggling as a street musician for a year, finally hit paydirt as part of the Broadway musical ‘Hair’ (1969-70), alongside Dobie Gray.  Dobie then left to form a band, Pollution, and invited Tata to join the entourage.  They released a couple of very busy, unfocussed LPs that employed much of the theatrical styling that was ‘Hair’.  Neither LP really showed Tata (or Dobie) in their best light.  She then joined Earthquire, releasing an LP in 1973 that reminds me a little of the rawness of Rufus’s debut.  Tata was definitely finding her comfort zone vocally, if still a little unrestrained.

Her debut ‘Full Speed Ahead’ (1976) finally offered an uncluttered environment to really allow Tata’s now fully developed larynx to excel.  The material however was lacklustre, with only a few cuts being memorable, including the gorgeous ‘Just when things are getting good’.   However Motown persevered, and her follow-up set was the perfect meat to really capture her awesome piquant flavour.  Side One is one of my favourite faces of any LP.  It really puts Tata firmly in the spotlight with material that summons her huge variety of vocal techniques and phrasings that still beggar belief.  ‘Mr. Troublemaker’ unleashes her extraordinary audacity and assured playfulness over a fabulous funky backdrop, this has to be played over and over again to appreciate just how much LIFE is crammed into it.  Unbelievable.  This very cleverly leads directly into Stevie’s ‘Blame it on the sun’.  I know that many may disagree (Nikos included), but I believe this is far superior to the original, with Tata giving a much more dramatic, pathos-riddled performance.  I can’t think of another instance where I can say that about a Stevie song, can you ?  And just when you think I cannot get more enthused about Tata, we have the third track, ‘Come in Heaven’.  This is the first song I ever heard her sing – and still ranks among the finest songs ever sung.  Tata really shames every singer with something from a place that defies earthly ability.  Astounding, inspired and captivating, Al Johnson’s vocal incursions just adding to the splendour - the first half boasts a yearning plea that MAKES the Lord cry tears.  Then mid-way, she makes the Lord boogie with all his heavenly might – displaying that dynamite dynamism she catapults so freely from within her petite frame.  Staggering ingenuity.  And finally to round off a perfect 22 minutes, we have the gorgeous, heartwrenching ‘Deep inside’.  Utterly spellbinding.

Poor old Side Two – always destined to be the poor relative.  Fortunately, there is still plenty for me get excited about in my search for more superlatives !  It begins with ‘Jesus takes me higher’, the weakest track for me.  However, the reggae-influenced ‘Love comes from the most unexpected places’ is a lovely change of pace, and the break where she coos ‘I really love you’ is an excerpt that I used to play repeatedly in my teens – it really is that good.  Then it’s good ol’ honky-tonk funk in the form of ‘Too late’, a nice tuneful groove with a hint of disco in the string arrangement.  Next up is a very capable version of Brian & Brenda Russell’s ‘You’ll never rock alone’, a upbeat felicitous affair.  We exit in very mournful mood with ‘Ever so lovingly’ – caked in tragedy and pain.  The trouble is that the lyrics speak of the glory of love, which seems so at odds with the music.  An anomaly that I still struggle with, but as a record – achingly beautiful.

One of the greatest failures of Motown - how this lady did not attain superstardom ranks with how Stevie’s ‘I just called to say I love you’ became such a hit as two of the greatest mysteries of the music industry.  Let’s hear some heartfelt commendations of how she reaches ‘deep inside’ you with that charismatic rack of chords.  To paraphrase Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson – “we want to Tata you” !!

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Buy the import CD (P-Vine, Japan) through Amazon or CD Universe. Buy the vinyl at a decent price on Ebay or Records Connection.

While downloading enjoy Tata singing “Mr. Troublemaker”!!

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In 2003, the UK’s Soul Jazz label released a superb collection or rare and previously “lost” hard funk classics from Miami’s fertile music scene of the late 1960s and early 1970s. The album was titled “Miami Sound: Rare Funk & Soul from Miami Florida 1967-1974,” and it includes a brilliant set of chunky, sweaty grooves from local Miami artists who never hit the big time but who could obviously Bring It in a serious way.This was powerful, raw music, recorded low-fi, but with a swinging energy and an all-around strutting attitude influenced by James Brown, Stax Records and the Afro-Cuban grooves drifting over Miami radio. It’s a winning combination, and many of these tunes deserve to be classics: “Funkadelic Sound” by Little Beaver; “Cramp Your Style” by All The People; “Do It To Me One More Time,” Joey Gilmore; “Fantasy World,” James McKnight, etc.

Tracks

Get Funky here 320@

part 1

part 2

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