Re:Discovered

Joe Bataan Salsoul (Mericana) 1973

"Aftershower Funk"
The bridge between Bataan's Fania stint and his next venture, Salsoul captured the idea as well as coined the term for Salsoul Records. While the album was the typical mix of salsa ("Mi Nube") and boogaloo soul ("Johnny"), Bataan followed his instincts, as he did with his previous album, Sweet Soul, and included a trio of instrumental funk with "Fin," "Latin Strut," and "Aftershower Funk." Read our Joe Bataan feature in Issue 19.

Joe Bataan Mestizo (Salsoul) 1980

"Mestizo/ Rap-O Clap-O"
Joe Bataan was supposed to produce and record artists Jeckyll and Hyde doing "Rap-O Clap-O," but "they never showed up to the session," Bataan says in Issue 19, "left me there with the studio bill and the musicians. So I said, 'Well, gee, what is so hard about this? Let me do it.' And I did. In two weeks, the record went around the world like a bullet. It was ahead of its time." Buy Issue 19 now.

H. B. Barnum (Imperial) 1964

"Ska Drums"
Prior to his signing with Capitol in '65, producer extraordinaire H. B. Barnum cut this interesting nugget of wax for Imperial. While the A-side is a cover of the jazz tune "Skokiaan" (dubbed "Skakiaan"), the flipside proves Barnum's prowess at arrangements. "Ska Drums" sounds very little like ska. Instead, it's an orchestrated track with densely layered heavy drums, strings, horns, hand claps, and a twangy guitar thrown in.

The Radiants (Chess) 1965

"Ain't No Big Thing"
Originally on Chess, "Big Thing" hit #14 on the Billboard R&B chart in 1965. Philadelphia's Eric Records started reissuing music in '69 (and continues to this day), and gathered both this and the Radiants' bigger hit, 1964's "Voice Your Choice," on this reissue 45. Penned by fellow Chicagoan Gerald Sims, "Big Thing" takes on Impressions-inspired post-doo-wop soul, whose sophisticated arrangement (esp. the horns) betray its early date.

Jackie Moore (Atlantic) 1973

"If"
While Roc-A-Fella's Bink pilfered the track for Jay-Z's Blueprint declaration ("The Ruler's Back"), "If" more than stands on its own merits. Songwriting partners Bunny Sigler and Phil Hurtt gave Moore a poignant gem, one that will likely forever ring true. Hailing from our editor's hometown of Jacksonville, Florida, Moore brings her Southern touch, grounding the song in raw soul, even when the production tries to smooth it out.

O'Donel Levy Simba (Groove Merchant) 1973

"Nigerian Knights"
Sexy is the only way to end an album crafted for the worship of an African goddess. Levy's improvisation is completely honest in its nakedness, exploring the intimate rolling waves of the Tony Levin bass line. Standing out easily as the most lyrical of the three Levy arrangements on the album, "Nigerian Knights" touches how and where it needs to touch over and over again. Run that back!

Charles Earland The Dynamite Brothers (Prestige) 1973

"Kung Fushion"
This record represents Charles Earland's only venture into the soundtrack genre of blaxploitation. His horn sections are steam drills providing a rugged landscape for the flautist's slithering improvisation. Earland's brief exploits on the album may reflect a dissatisfaction with funk music's lucrative bedfellow, the B movie. Black genius garnishing the illusion of Black mediocrity is the essence of a soul man's pot liquor.

The Tamlins Sly and Robbie Present TAXI (Mango) 1981

"Smiling Faces Sometimes"
On this 1981 side, rhythm legends and label entrepreneurs Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare help the Tamlins work their way through Holland-Dozier-Holland's landmark composition "Smiling Faces Sometimes." Sly and Robbie strip the original's intricate arrangement down to a skeletal and surprisingly treble-inflected whisper, with a chiming guitar line lending a spectral atmosphere to this already unsettling classic.

Sugar Minott Black Roots (Mango) 1979

"Jail House"
Sugar Minott's mournful "Jail House" stands as a quintessential sufferer's anthem, with Minott's wavering tenor reproducing the moody tension of late '70s Kingston under heavy manners. Though Minott is best known for his pioneering dancehall work, his early LPs, Black Roots perhaps foremost among them, give us a glimpse of his origins as a master of the classic roots idiom.

Jermaine Jackson Jermaine (Motown) 1972

"I'm in a Different World"
The Mizell-stacked Corporation packed some juice into Jermaine's sometimes-schmaltzy debut solo joint — though its main commercial draw might have been the gatefold's shirtless-Jermaine-on-the-beach. The plaintive and paranoid Temptations-style cut "Different World" and the frantic go-go rhythms of "Take Me in Your Arms" were written by Holland-Dozier-Holland and are worth the price of the petroleum.

Ted Taylor Taylor Made (Ronn) (1971)

"Houston Town"
A Houston anthem of the first order, Ted Taylor's "Houston Town" opens like a haunting Texas blues, more Lightnin' Hopkins grit than smoothed-out soul. However, as the song slowly develops into a deep-fried Southern steamroller, replete with a shouted-out "Houston!" refrain, one begins to wonder why N.O. Joe or Pimp C haven't gotten their hands on this.

Tasha Thomas (Orbit) 1978

"Shoot Me With Your Love"
Tasha Thomas was the O.G. Auntie Em in the Broadway version of The Wiz alongside homegirl Stephanie Mills. Though Thomas sang backup for Stevie Wonder's Wonderlove, her shining disco moment was super sultry and pretty damn fleeting (this Orbit single preceded a mostly ignored full length released by Atlantic). The live drums have an intense African vibe, especially towards the end as Tasha basically has a restrained orgasm.

Squeechie Nice 1985 Mega Master Hits Vol. 2 (Jammy's)

"Understand Me Man"
"Don't push me, I'm a boss MC!" croaks Squeechie Nice as he custom-fits Melle Mel's Bronx-born slang for the glass-strewn yards of Kingston Town. This track, built upon the Casio-powered bump of the immortal "Sleng Teng" rhythm, offers an unequivocal illustration of the galvanizing effect that hip-hop had upon the delivery of Kingston DJs. Check out King Jammy in Issue 13 for the story of "Sleng Teng."

The Jones Girls (Philadelphia International) 1979

"You Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else"
Hard to keep up with as they gallivanted through the go-go '70s, the Detroit gospel girls-gone-wild worked with Curtom, shared the stage w/ Diana Ross, then settled down with Gamble & Huff in Philly. Like all sibling acts, they produced tight music with pitch-perfect tension embedded in the subtext. A chunky groover with no sweeping overtures, symphonic strings, or other TSOP trappings to get in the way of the fierce call and response.

The Jackson 5 Joyful Jukebox Music (Motown) 1976

"Love Is the Thing You Need"
Joyful is another greed-motivated Motown record, compiled from Skywriter and Get It Together outtakes and rushed out before the J5 released anything on Epic. Fonze Mizell tickles the keyboards and makes it worth seeking out. The Brothers M provide pop perfection with the frenzied, shadowy "Love," with deft vocal interplay between Michael and Jermaine. Don't sleep on the stony cover of the Whitfield/Gaye tune "Pride and Joy."

Impressions Finally Got Myself Together (Curtom) 1973

"Don't Forget What I Told You"
Though the most successful post-Mayfield Impressions release, Finally is sometimes overlooked in favor of the Mayfield-produced Times Have Changed. Producer Ed Townsend, who had just completed sessions for Marvin Gaye's Let's Get It On, gave the group a sound that made Finally stand out amongst the slew of brilliant, but often homogenous-sounding, Mayfield productions that were coming out on Curtom at the time.

Chris Hinze Combination Sister Slick (Columbia) 1974

"Sister Slick"
For those who wished fusion had exhaled its final electric breath, the Chris Hinze Combination remained serenely cacophonic, etching out an underground landscape in the post-Jack Johnson era. The wandering melodic episodes of the title track share space with a driving bass lick and bursts of color-coded eighty-eights that transcend sonically the very moment one might expect them to be devoured by proximity.

King Floyd (Chimneyville) 1971

"Please Don't Leave Me Lonely"
We're posting this in belated tribute to King Floyd, who passed early this March. Though best known for driving Southern funk in the vein of "I Feel Like Dynamite" and the massive "Groove Me," Floyd had been cutting exceptionally soulful ballads since his 1963 debut on Uptown Records. By 1971, Floyd, recording at Jacksonville, Mississippi's Malaco Studios, was hiding low-key burners like this on his B-sides.

Divine Sounds (Specific Records) 1984

"Do or Die Bed Sty"
Many thanks to the previous owner, "DJ Footloose"; dude knew how to keep his records clean. Though forgotten by many, the Divine Sounds' seminal "Do or Die Bed Sty" once stood proudly beside the likes of "Roxanne's Revenge" and "I Need a Beat" on hip-hop radio playlists. Among the first crews to rep one of hip-hop's most prolific neighborhoods, the Divine Sounds never again hit quite as hard as they did on this release.

Carlton and the Shoes Love Me Forever (Studio1) 1968

"Love to Share"
Coxson Dodd's late '60s and early '70s productions are to roots reggae what James Brown's output is to hip-hop. The rhythms crafted by backing groups like the Sound Dimension, who are featured here, went on to provide the musical foundations for countless classic versions. Here, Carlton Manning and the Shoes give us a hypnotic, soul-inspired take on this definitive Studio One rhythm.

Zulema Ms. Z (Sussex) 1973

"Hold Back the Night"
Florida native Zulema Cusseaux came to Hollywood to cut a pair of LPs for Sussex in the early '70s. Taken from her sophomore album, "Hold Back the Night" is classic Los Angeles studio soul, with choir-like backing vocals, frenetic drumming, and slightly progressive chord changes all competing for the listener's attention and clamoring for radio play that would never materialize.

Bill Withers (Sussex) 1972

"Kissing My Love"
Bill Withers reunited with his old rhythm section, the core of the Watts 103rd St. Rhythm Band, for the recording of his career-making sophomore album, Still Bill. Drummer James Gadson clearly takes center stage on this classic cut, anchoring the song with a drum pattern of night-life-altering heaviness. This is one of those rare cuts whose importance cannot be overestimated; spin it a thousand times, it'll never be played out.

Banda Uniao Black S/T (Commonfolk) 2006

"Yeah Yeah Yeah"
Banda Uniao Black's self-titled reunion project came about thanks to a continent-spanning collaborative effort. In a series of sessions in both Brooklyn and Brazil, Uniao Black managed to put together an effort that further solidifies their legacy as one of the leading exponents of the Black Rio sound. On "Yeah Yeah Yeah," drummer Ivan Tiririca, his playing unimpaired by the passage of three decades, leads the group through a celebratory reclamation of their former glory.

Soul Searchers (Sussex) 1974

"Blow Your Whistle"
"Talkin' to the people gettin' down at the go-go!" Chuck Brown calls out to the dance floor, while leveling a finger at the "Watergate Hiders" and exhorting his rhythm section to greater heights of syncopated intensity. By 1974, Chuck Brown's Soul Searchers were hardened veterans of the D.C. club scene, capable of holding down a single groove for hours at a time. For "Blow Your Whistle," however, Brown & Co. needed only three minutes to make their point.

Dorothy Norwood (GRC) 1973

"Get Aboard the Soul Train"
Dorothy Norwood had been a regular on the gospel circuit for decades by the time she cut a handful of funky secular numbers for Georgia-based GRC Records in the early '70s. By the time this single was released, the experience she had garnered backing up greats like Mahalia Jackson was beginning to pay off in the pop market, as Norwood found herself in an opening slot on the Rolling Stones '72 American tour.

March Wind (Stax) 1972

"Do the Sweetback"
Released in the same year as labelmate Melvin Van Peebles's epochal Sweet Sweetback soundtrack, March Wind's lone 45 may have served as a Sweetback-repping cross-promotional effort, or merely as a coincidentally titled dance-floor exhortation. Certainly the minimal lyrics provide few clues. In either case, March Wind gave Stax a minor hit with their kinetic funk burner.

Soul Searchers (Sussex) 1972

"We the People"
Sussex was a true rarity in the music industry; one of those independents that was truly devoted to supporting regional music scenes and keeping a diverse group of quality artists on its roster. Godfather of go-go, and Chocolate City legend Chuck Brown released a pair of scorching proto-go-go albums on Sussex with his group the Soul Searchers. Check the classic breakdown.

The Presidents (Sussex) 1971

"5-10-15-20 (25-30 Years of Love)"
The Presidents were another D.C.-based Sussex act with a strong affinity for Chi-Lites-style harmonies and a unique understanding of parentheses usage. This 1971 ode to matrimonial bliss might seem lyrically asinine, but consider the crisp rhythm section and impeccable harmonies and you might just tear up a little.

Lee Moses (Front Page) 1970

"I Can't Take No More Chances"
Since Ollie Wang's recently released Soul Sides comp has given Lee Moses's "Time and Place" some long-overdue recognition, we thought we'd get in on the action and give you a taste of the flip side. For "I Can't Take No More Chances," Moses eases away from the propulsive groove of "Time and Place" and indulges in some classic deep-soul pleading while the guitarist lays down some gorgeous Mayfield-like arpeggios.

Leon Haywood (20th Century) 1973

"Long as There's You (I've Got Love)"
Too often, Leon Haywood's work is dismissed as derivative by those who feel that his frequent appropriation of more famous material betrays a lack of ideas or originality. Though the spidery, fuzzed-out lead guitar work on "Long as There's You" owes more than a little to Michael Toles's work on "Walk on By," Haywood employs his skills as a producer and arranger to fashion a compellingly original piece.

Creative Source (Sussex) 1974

"Who Is He and What Is He to You?"
The down-home West Virginia persona that Bill Withers repped on his album covers and embodied in his music couldn't have been further removed from the baroque psychedelic constructions of fellow Sussex act Creative Source. Nonetheless, Creative Source, or perhaps more properly, their producer Mike Stokes, successfully stretched the protean stomp of Withers's "Who Is He" into a flute-laden dance opus with a run time that might have made Isaac Hayes blush.

Creative Source (Sussex) 1973

"You Can't Hide Love"
Creative Source return with more gossamer vocals, relentless drumming, and, of course, funky flute on this slightly more concise dance-floor burner from their self-titled Sussex debut. Manager Ron Townsend hoped to position the Creative Source as inheritors of the 5th Dimension's radio-friendly, flower-child style soul, but the propulsive drumming that provided the backbone to the Creative Source's best work was more a harbinger of disco-to-come than a nostalgic throwback.

The Voices of East Harlem Can You Feel It (Just Sunshine) 1974

"Can You Feel It"
By the time that the Voices of East Harlem recorded Can You Feel It with Mayfield disciple Leroy Hutson, they had switched their style from the rough-edged gospel/funk they had honed at venues like the Filmore East to a more laid-back Chicago sound reminiscent of Hutson-produced Curtom stalwarts the Natural Four.

Little Sister (Stone Flower) 1970

"You're the One, Part I"
It seems appropriate that, in the wake of Sly Stone's somewhat bewildering Grammy appearance, we take some time out to unearth a rarity from Sly's heyday. Little Sister, a vocal trio fronted by sister Vaetta Stewart and backed by the Family Stone, recorded a handful of singles for Sly's Stoneflower label in the early '70s. These singles remain out of print despite their considerable commercial and artistic success.

Ripple (GRC) 1973

"I Don't Know What It Is, but It Sure Is Funky"
While lacking the Meters' loose-limbed spontaneity, Ripple's "I Don't Know What It Is but It Sure Is Funky" cribs some of their better-known moves — stuttering two-note bass drops and nonsensical group chanting for the chorus — while adding a restrained, dance-floor friendly studio polish not dissimilar to the Meters' later work for Reprise.

Ollie Nightingale (Memphis) 1971

"It's a Sad Thing"
With drums racing in a breathless, Al Jackson-like double time, defiantly extroverted horns, and multi-tracked deep-soul shouting, Ollie Nightingale's "It's a Sad Thing" bursts out of the gates sounding like a Sam & Dave barnstormer circa 1968. Willie Mitchell disciple and ubiquitous Memphis arranger Gene "Bowlegs" Miller invokes the sound that made Stax famous, while Nightingale's sexually frank lyrics hint at the track's true vintage.

Latimore (Glades) (1974)

"Let's Straighten It Out"
A massive hit upon its release and a definitive document of the mid-'70s Miami sound, Latimore's "Let's Straighten It Out" borrows something from Willie Mitchell's understated aesthetic but nonetheless manages to stake out its own distinctly Floridian musical territory. Latimore's chiming, tentative keys lazily struggle against a molasses-slow bass pattern to effortlessly evoke the muggy stillness of a Florida night.

Honey Cone (Hot Wax) 1973

"Woman Can't Live by Bread Alone"
Following the tremendous success of their 1971 "Want Ads" single, Honey Cone seemed unable to resist anthems of female empowerment, flipping scripture into feminism for "Woman Can't Live by Bread Alone." Resident Hot Wax songwriter/ producer Greg Perry swathes Honey Cone's vocals in gossamer strings and helps to drive their message home with some relaxed proto-disco vamping.

The Honey Cone (Hot Wax) (1969)

"Take My Love"
Berry Gordy began restructuring the Motown songwriting and production apparatus in the late '60s, splitting with Lamont Dozier and the Holland brothers, and contemplating the westward move that would eventually bring the Mizell Brothers into the Motown fold. This left Dozier & Co. free to start their Hot Wax and Invictus labels. Invictus's first signing, Los Angeles vocal trio the Honey Cone grace us with an updated version of the Supreme's sound.

The Flaming Ember (Hot Wax) (1969)

"Westbound #9"
In the early days of Hot Wax, Holland-Dozier-Holland, still tied up in labyrinthine legal proceedings against Motown, published under almost comically bland pseudonyms in order to avoid further arousing Gordy's ire. On "Westbound #9," songwriters "R. Dunbar" and "E. Wayne" provide the Flaming Ember with a Box Tops-style number that stands as one of the best blue-eyed soul hits of the era.

Lou Courtney (Rags) (1973)

"Beware"
Lou Courtney recorded a wealth of consistently funky sides between 1963 and 1976, including the infamously unhinged "Hey Joyce"; its Shadow-sampled intensity is largely responsible for Courtney's current reputation among collectors. While Courtney had clearly mellowed out a bit by the time he laid vocals over "Beware"'s slithering mid-tempo groove, the track is nonetheless as engaging as any of his earlier work.

100 Proof Aged in Soul (Hot Wax) 1969

"If I Could See the Light in the Window"
As Motown began to shift its focus away from the Detroit area, labels such as Invictus, Hot Wax, and Westbound picked up the slack, giving local artists a chance get national exposure and making room for musical styles that offered an alternative to the familiar Motown sound. Check 100 Proof Aged in Soul's potent blend of convoluted adultery narratives, deep soul shouting, and gospel imagery for a taste of what Motown was missing.

Toots and the Maytals Slatyam Stoot (Dynamic) 1972

"Come Reggay"
Ubiquitous Jamaican bass talent Jackie Jackson serves up some rapid-fire riffing on this 1972 side, one of several "Reggay"-themed tunes that Toots & Co. put out in the wake of the success of 1968's "Do the Reggay." While Toots claims that the song introduced the term "reggae" to the world, Clancy Eccles disputes this with his testimony in Issue 14.

Ramsey Lewis (Columbia) 1972

"Collage"
Even after abandoning Chess's Cadet subsidiary and the wildly experimental leanings of its in-house producer/resident musical visionary Charles Stepney (with whom he would reunite on 1974's Sun Goddess), Ramsey Lewis continued to broaden his sonic palate on 1972's Upendo Ni Pamoja, from which this single is drawn. The track strikes a balance between dub-like disorientation and infectious funk that makes its experimental leanings go down easy.

Ben E. King Rough Edges (Maxwell) 1970

"In the Midnight Hour"
Wilson Pickett and Steve Cropper's "In the Midnight Hour" has proved durable enough to survive countless interpretations over the years. This version shows up on King's aptly named Rough Edges, a 1970 one-off LP for Maxwell Records. The record finds the former Drifter delivering an uncharacteristically loose, but truly gorgeous, set of almost psychedelic country-soul. King would never release another record like this, so enjoy.

Gladys Knight & the Pips (Motown) 1973

"Daddy Could Swear, I Declare"
Axelrod's onetime collaborator H. B. Barnum was a musical journeyman who lent his formidable talents as an arranger to a huge number of wildly eclectic musical projects. So it's no surprise that upon making the westward move to Los Angeles, Motown enlisted his aid on this unusually funky Gladys Knight number. Barnum lays a razor-thin acoustic strut under Knight's vocals, giving the track some much-needed dance-floor appeal.

Fatback Band (Perception) 1972

"Street Dance"
While James Brown & Co. always managed to bring a touch of Georgia rusticity to even the most futuristic funk shockers, the Fatback Band's grooves were pure "street" and proud of it. Close your eyes while listening to this 1972 b-boy special and try not to envision worn Chuck T's gliding over cracked pavement.

Betty Everett (Fantasy) 1974

"Sweet Dan"
Love Rhymes was co-produced by David Axelrod and Johnny Watson, with a couple tracks being handled by Hi's Willie Mitchell, giving the album an inconsistent sound, however strong in toto. Within the first few seconds of "Sweet Dan," its horn charts leave no doubt as to the producer/arranger. Not to mention that Rudy Copeland's Moog bass lines were prevalent throughout Axe's Fantasy productions.

Detroit Emeralds (Westbound) 1972

"Baby Let Me Take You (In My Arms)"
Detroit's Westbound records was home to some of the best soul and funk artists of the early '70s, including Funkadelic, the Ohio Players, and the Detroit Emeralds. In recent years, Westbound has become one of the most litigious participants in the ongoing sample wars. To date, they have filed more than 450 copyright infringement lawsuits against the recording industry, while gems on the order of "Baby Let Me Take You" have yet to be reissued domestically.

Denise LaSalle (Westbound) 1972

"A Man Sized Job"
Veteran Memphis trumpeter/bandleader Gene "Bowlegs" Miller had been playing on sides for Chess and Stax for almost a decade by the time he crafted this hard-driving, string-laced arrangement on Detroit's Westbound in 1972. Bowlegs had previously served as an apprentice to Hi's Willie Mitchell, arranging and co-producing some of the earlier Ann Peebles sides for the label. So don't be surprised by this track's frequent cross-border raids on Mitchell's musical trademarks.

Donald Byrd Places and Spaces (Blue Note) 1976

"Dominoes"
Byrd's fifth straight collaboration with the Mizell Brothers yielded an album full of smooth but tricky dance-floor grooves and staggering yet unobtrusive musical dynamism. Chuck Rainey's deft Fender-bass work provides "Dominoes" with an eminently sample-ready musical foundation but also colors Byrd's music with a barely perceptible, and often overlooked, tinge of unease.

Bobby Bland (Duke) 1964

"Honey Child"
Our copy is worn, but our love is strong...so hold on. If you can pick your way through the scratch-strewn undergrowth on this side, you'll be rewarded by a taste of John "Jab'O" Starks thumping his way through a Latin-tinged shuffle behind Bland's trademark growl. In Issue 5, Jab'O, later a member of the JB's, remembers life on the road with Brown and Bland, and reminds us to keep up on our music history.

Brothers and Sisters (Capitol) late '60s

"The Ali Shuffle"
After they saw the Greatest bragging about his new move on TV, David Axelrod and H. B. Barnum wrote this song over the phone in one night and recorded it the next morning with friends. What was meant to be a novelty song turned out to be a funky mod dancer, which is only now getting some deserving spins.

Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band (Warner Bros.) 1968

"A Dance, a Kiss and a Song"
Blame songwriter/drum maestro James Gadson if the arrangement of this 1968 single, taken from the Rhythm Band's sophomore album, Together, seems to be leisurely draped around his powerful stop-start drumming. Don't blame the man too quickly though. When the funky, Stax-by-way-of-Sly horn riff is driven home by Gadson's monster snare hits, you'll probably find yourself thanking him.

Wilson Pickett I'm in Love (Atlantic) 1968

"Jealous Love"
RIP. At this rate, soul shouters will soon be as rare as the delta bluesmen they cribbed from. Pickett (1941-2006) sported finely tailored suits and a slightly off-kilter, wild-eyed stare on every one of his album covers, and the music was as consistent as the sleeves. On "Jealous Love," horns and strings limp around a slow organ riff with a majestic swagger that mimics the violence and resentment oozing from Pickett's raw-throated delivery.

Lou Rawls Your Good Thing (Capitol) 1969

"I Can't Make It Alone"
Pour a little Hennessy out for our man Lou Rawls, who passed away on Friday, January 6, 2006. His amazing baritone can be heard on this David Axelrod-produced soul masterpiece, aided with funky drums and bass, sparse piano, and a sly vibraphone arrangement. Rest in Peace. They ain't making them like they used to.

Billy Preston (Capitol) c. 1967

"Can't She Tell"
Before he became known as the fifth Beatle, and his solo career subsequently skyrocketed, Preston was a keyboard prodigy, recording and touring at a very young age. Just before his crossover to pop success, Preston recorded some sides for Capitol, with the help from Sly Stone, who co-wrote this Axelrod-produced tune and arranged an album's worth of material for him.

David Porter Into a Real Thing (Enterprise) 1969

"Hang on Sloopy"
While David Porter shared Isaac Hayes's penchant for transforming potentially flaccid rock and pop standards into epic funk juggernauts, his ADD-addled arrangements, which vacillate between jaw-dropping brilliance and head-scratching weirdness, are universes away from Hayes's monochord meditations. Here we cut through the innumerable preludes and bring you the oft-sampled climax of Porter's "Hang on Sloopy."

Patrice Rushen Shout It Out (Prestige) '77

"Roll with the Punches"
During the 1970s and '80s, drummer James Gadson gigged on countless jazz, pop, R&B, and disco studio dates, including this slick Patrice Rushen outing. Maybe this is where they sampled his drums for the LinnDrum, as Gadson claims in Issue 14 of Wax Poetics.

Gwen McCrae (Cat) 1975

"It Keeps on Raining"
After a string of stunning but financially moribund singles for Columbia in the early '70s, Gwen McCrae returned to Miami, where Alston founder Henry Stone paired her with producer/ songwriter Clarence Reid to record a series of career-making sides for Alston subsidiary Cat Records. For "Raining," Reid hunkered down behind the piano and led Gwen and the Alston house band through one of his most distinctive arrangements.

Barbara Mason Lady Love (Buddah) 1973

"World War Three"
Barbara Mason brought a touch of the Chicago sound into Philly's Sigma Studios when she recorded her Mayfield-quoting, fire-and-brimstone-slinging, political prophecy, "World War Three," for Buddah in 1973. Philadelphia International's Leon Huff guests on keys while Mason's phased and reverbed vocals invoke the Curtom sound with hellacious intensity.

Luther Ingram I've Been Here All the Time (KoKo) 1971

"Be Good to Me Baby"
Luther Ingram had the good fortune to sign to the Stax subsidiary KoKo just as Al Bell undertook a massive re-ordering of the label's musical priorities. While KoKo label head Johnny Baylor is credited with production, the heavy-as-lead arrangement and pseudo-orchestral production flourishes are pure Hayes/Porter.

Laura Lee Women's Love Rights (Hot Wax) 1971

"It's Not What You Fall for, It's What You Stand For"
In the early '70s, Buddah Records, which had previously built its reputation on an odd melange of bubble-gum pop (Tommy James & the Shondells), and experimental rock (Captain Beefheart), began to transform itself into a soul stronghold, counting Bill Withers's Sussex, Mayfield's Curtom, and Holland-Dozier-Holland's Hot Wax amongst its subsidiaries. This Laura Lee track is a testament to the wisdom of that transformation.

Latimore (Glades) 1973

"There's No End"
Miami session pianist Latimore steps out of the shadows and oozes suave promises of "Castles in Spain and a ski lodge in Maine" over a relaxed proto-disco groove on this Clarence Reid-written and -produced Glades B-side. While Latimore's lascivious tone may lead one to call his sincerity into question, the infectiousness of the arrangement makes his offers hard to resist.

Marcia Griffiths Sweet Bitter Love (Trojan) 1974

"Here I Am (Come and Take Me)"
Flip back to our Willie Mitchell profile in Issue 9, and you'll notice that the Hi sound was crafted by sets of siblings: the Hodges brothers on the rhythm, and the Mitchells on the horns and behind the board. The thick-as-blood intimacy of the Hi recordings resonated with ad hoc musical families around the world. Here Lloyd Charmers and his Hippy Boys back up Marcia Griffiths for a Kingston take on the Hi sound.

Galt MacDermot Woman Is Sweeter (Kilmarock) 1968

"Princess Gika"
A dizzyingly sweet violin line, a wheezy organ riff escaped from the carnival, and understated yet funky drumming all compete for attention on this mini-symphony from Galt's 1968 Woman Is Sweeter soundtrack. Galt's been sampled more times than we can count over the years, but despite the recent appearance of some admirable reissue projects, large portions of his catalogue still remain unavailable.

Dyke and the Blazers (Original Sound) 1969

"Let a Woman Be a Woman, Let a Man Be a Man"
Buffalo's own Arlester "Dyke" Christian enlisted a few members of the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, including inimitable sticks man James Gadson, to light a fire under this funk classic. Dyke and his band continued to cut ridiculously heavy, unabashedly groove-oriented sides for Original Sound until Dyke was shot dead on the streets of Phoenix in 1971.

Ernie K. Doe S/T (Janus) 1970

"Who Ever's Thrilling You (Is Killing Me)"
The endearingly frog-throated Ernie K. may have passed on in 2001, and his infamous Mother-in-Law Lounge may be swept by floodwaters, but the Meters-backed, Toussaint-produced sides he cut in the early '70s remain. Keep your ears open for Toussaint's distinctive croon in the background and the Meter's deep NOLIA rhythmic sensibility in the foreground.

Don Covay (Mercury) 1972

"The Overtime Man"
On "The Overtime Man," Covay spins a tale of infidelity in the vein of Betty Wright's "Clean Up Woman," with the braggadocio of an accomplished lothario. Though Covay might be stretching a bit when he claims to be "Shaft and Sweetback rolled into one," his audience must have appreciated both the sly reference and the generous drum break that Covay produces to support his claims.

Bobby Bland (Duke) 1972

"I'm So Tired"
In Issue 10, Al Bell and Chuck D identify Rufus Thomas as heir to vocal and performance traditions dating back to the Black minstrel-show culture of the late nineteenth century. On this early '70s side, Bobby Bland, a teenage member of Memphis's Beale Streeters in the late '40s, yokes his similarly ageless, raw-throated vocal style to a circular funk riff so insistent that to loop it would be redundant.

Africa Music from "Lil Brown" (Ode) 1968

"Widow"
A real oddity, Music from "Lil Brown" is a Lou Adler-produced one-off on Ode that features a clutch of L.A. R&B veterans running through a set of loose, heavily faded, acoustic funk. In between joyfully demolishing standards like "Paint It Black" and "Light My Fire," Africa worked up a pair of originals that still burn. Also, check the hilariously dead-on Band-baiting cover art.

Betty Wright (Alston 3713) 1975

"My Baby Ain't My Baby Anymore"
While the H. W. Casey-penned "Where Is the Love" brought Betty Wright some long overdue (if slightly dubious) recognition from the music industry in the form of a Grammy, it is soundly trounced by the classic Reid/Wright collaboration on the flipside. Eschewing disco populism for a slow-burning, down-home groove -- replete with a Millie Jackson-like introductory monologue -- this track provides yet another example of Reid's skills as an arranger, producer, and songwriter.

Betty Wright (Alston 4571) 1968

"He's Bad Bad Bad"
For the second single off of Wright's debut, Alston songwriting duo Clarence "Blowfly" Reid and Willie Clarke slyly forced a swinging 3/4 Miracles riff into a boxier 4/4, introducing the unhurried yet funky rhythmic kick that would become an Alston trademark. While Reid would find infamy with brazen acts of melodic and lyrical theft, his talent for the appropriation and transformation of soul standards was first displayed here.

Dennis Linde Trapped in the Suburbs (Elektra) 1974

"Trapped in the Suburbs"
Another record that an eBay seller used as padding. Linde penned Elvis's 1972 hit, "Burning Love," and continues to write country hits today. In the country-got-soul category, Linde wasn't afraid to incorporate horns and funky organ and Clavinet into his version of Nashville. Check the script: "Well, it's hard to witness Soul Train in the suburbs... I'm stuck on a lawn in a split-level home full of honkies." Ben Folds jacked Linde.

Clarence Reid (Alston 4584) 1970

"That's How It Is"
Graced by the funky chicken-scratch guitar of noted Miami bandleader James Knight, this 1970 B-side displays a level of musical cohesion between songwriter, producer, and musician most commonly associated with names like Whitfield, Mitchell, and Toussaint. While the lyric employs a universal soul trope—
the transformative power of love—Reid's arrangement, soul deep but dance-floor strong, defines the unmistakable Miami sound.

Mulatu Afro-Latin Soul (Worthy) 1966

"I Faram Gami I Faram"
"It's always African music," Mulatu says in Issue 14, but what makes it Latin is the montuno," the syncopated piano vamp. Mulatu's later work fused funk with Ethiopian; this album reflects the NYC Latin-music scene he witnessed during the mid-'60s. At times, it has an airy, loungey feel, with exotica tendencies (wild-animal sound effects), but its hard-core Latin rhythms and subtle Afro underpinnings make this record uniquely real.

David Axelrod The Messiah (RCA) 1971

"And the Angel Said Unto Them"
Christmastime ain't over yet! Not before we break out The Messiah. Leave it to David Axelrod to bring out the soul and groove of Handel. Don't miss this winter's Issue 15, in which Axelrod tells the story of chasing the producer of this record around a desk after he saw that the cover read Rock Interpretation of Handel's Messiah.

Arthur Lyman Taboo Vol. 2 (Hi-Fi) c. 1960

"Love Dance"
It wasn't until our own Issue 14 that people associated David Axelrod with Arthur Lyman's Taboo 2, which Axe produced. While the atmospheric vibes and bird calls exemplify exotica, the cover of Les Baxter's "Love Dance," with its Latinesque vamp and percussion, still proves playable today. This was the original headhunter cover, soon replaced by a less-offensive erupting volcano.

Karen Young "Hot Shot" (West End) 1978

"Hot Shot (Instrumental)"
Funny thing happened the other day. We won some crappy record on eBay and the seller used Karen Young's famous 12-inch as padding when they shipped it. Anyone who knows the history of hip-hop knows this disco break, played in clubs and parks alike at the dawn of hip-hop. God bless West End. Sure, we've seen cleaner copies, but it's still better than the record we actually paid for.

Hardwater Hardwater (Capitol) c. 1967-68