2 podcasts in the space of one month? That’s got to be some sort of record from me lately! That aside, show 58 comes at you with a 45 minute mix of disco from the likes of Leeroy Burgess and Tommy Stewart, soul from Marva Whitney and stone cold classics in the shape of The Beginning of the End’s ‘Funky Nassau’ and ‘I Like it’ from The Players Association. Anyway, less waffling - get downloading!
The Live Band - Chance for Hope
Leroy Burgess - Heartbreaker
Tommy Stewart - Fulton County Line
The Players Association - I Like It
The Beginning of the End - Funky Nassau pt 1
Marva Whitney, Lyn Collins & James Brown - Things got to get Better (get together)
C$ Money & DJ Chase - Put `em to Rest
Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings - Your Thing is a Drag
Nicole Willis & the Soul Investigators - If This Aint Love
Richard Berry & The Pharaohs - Louie Louie
Porgy Jones - Dap
The Village Callers - I Heard it Through the Grapevine
Crikey - it has been a while hasn’t it? The podcast returns with a 75 minute mix of jazz, reggae, hip hop, african funk and more than a dash of brass band action. Highlights include a super heavy BDP produced reggae number from Mad Lion as well as one of my favourite tunes of the year in the form of the Hackney Colliery Band’s take on Blackstreet’s ‘No Diggity’. All you need to do is right click the download and click ’save as’. Enjoy!
Fertile Ground - One Mo Gin
Reggie Stepper - Winding Skill
Mad Lion- Real Ting
Mr Scruff - Ug
Asheru & Blue Black - Soul
The Vibrations - Shake it up
Judah Eskender Tafari - Danger in Your Eyes
Skin, Flesh & Bones - Reggae Stomp Dub
Hopetown Lewis - Express Yourself
The Deltones - Chopsticks
JJ All Stars - Soup
Frankie Beverley & the Butlers - Love Your Pain Goes Deep
Well it’s been a little while, hasn’t it? With all these bank holidays we’ve been treated to I’ve finally got round to starting the podasts up again. Show 56 kicks off with some fantastic brass band action courtesy of the Hackney Colliery Band who have put out a couple of amazing 7″s recently - so track those down! We carry on with a selection of jazz and funk from Ramsey Lewis, Marva Whitney and a modern classic from the Quantic Soul Orchestra. Hope you like it!
Hackney Colliery Band - Money
Ramsey Lewis - Party Time
Reuben Howell - You Made Your Bed
Eugene Blacknell - We Know We Got to Live Together
The Soul Company - Hump the Bump
The Pazant Brothers - Work Song
Wallace Brothers - Watcha Feel is Watcha Gonna Get
Never thought that that the Black Eyed Peas made good music? Show 55 kicks off with a reminder that they could once make credible hip hop with some delightful nu-soul from frontman Will.I.Am. Such a shame about the ringtones and McMusic that pass for their current output! We continue on in a downtempo and mellow mood through an eclectic selection of hip hop, classic soul, columbian and disco records before finishing off where we began with a short medley of sublime nu-soul. Hope you like - get downloading!
Will.i.am - Lay Me Down
Lords of the Underground - No Pain
St Germain - Land of…
James Brown - You Can Have Watergate
Adriana Evans - Remember Love
Airto Mareira - The Happy People
The Latin Brothers - Las Calenas son como las Flores
The last place you would expect a band specialising in authentic afro and latin soul to originate from is Canada, yet that is exactly what you get from Ottowa based Soul Jazz Orchestra. Formed in 2002 the 6 member band recreate the afro grooves of the 60s and 70s to devastating effect whilst delivering a message that is both political and spiritual.
The track from the latest podcast was taken from the band’s 2nd studio album, ‘Freedom No Go Die’ on the Do Right label and garnered extensive support from the likes of Gilles Peterson and Dom Servini. It’s one of those rare albums where every track is a winner and there’s no filler material whatsoever.
This second tune used in show 54 of my podcast is a real favourite with me at the moment. The distinctive falsetto singing is a trademark of American singer, Eddie Kendricks.
Born in Alabama Eddie Kendricks was one of the cofounders of Motown legends, The Temptations who went on to become one of the most successful male groups of the 1960s. At the time Kendricks was responsible for writing most of group’s vocal arrangements and was even responsible for the group’s wardrobe.
Kendricks left the Temptations in 1971 and went on to sing a solo deal with Motown’s Tamla imprint. Though his solo career got off to a slow start, trracks from his 1972 album ‘People…Hold On’ was a staple of many New York disco DJs of the time. The epic ‘Girl You Need a Change of Mind is taken from that album’.
Also worth tracking down is the classic track ‘Happy‘ which gained notoriety when it was sampled by Max Sedgley for his track of the same name released on Irma Records. The tune was later re-released on Rob da Bank’s Sunday Best label where it would appear the sample had been re-created by a live singer.
I thought it’d be rather nice if I started to give you a bit of background to some of the artists tunes I play in the podcasts - so here we go kicking off with the tune that introduces show 54.
Terry Callier is a Chicago born soul singer-songwriter and folk guitarist. Born in 1945, he learned piano throughout his childhood before eventually going on to join doo-wop groups in his teens. Eventually he would go on to audition for the now legendary Chess Records in 1962 where he then recorded his first single. Callier went on to perform in clubs abd coffee houses in Chicago, taking with him his influence of the music of the great jazz saxophonist John Coltrane.
His first album, ‘The Folk Sound’ of Terry Callier was eventually released in 1968 after which he continued to write material for the Chess label. This followed with three further albums: ‘Occasional Rain’, ‘What colour is Love’ and ‘I Just Can’t Help Myself’.
Show 54 of the podcast features ‘You Goin Miss Your Candyman’ taken from the album ‘What Color is Love’ which was originally released in 1972. The song is a slight departure from the other tunes on the album, taking a more soulful approach to his usual folk sound. The unnassuming guitar introduction makes the appearance of the huge bass that much more surprising and the song goes on through energetic peaks and troughs of energetic dancefloor friendly fare.
Terry Callier carried on performing until 1983 when he took the decision to retire from music and take classes in - of all things - computer programming and he eventually went on to pursue a degree in sociology. It was only in the late 1980s that he re-emerged after British DJs rediscovered his old recordings and began playing them in clubs. In 1991 Callier starting touring again and does to this day where he has since recorded five further albums.
There is good news for Manchester residents as he will be playing at band on the wall in October!
Show 54 kicks off with some sublime soul from Terry Callier and Eddie Kendricks and then goes on to pick up the pace through a selection of choice disco numbers. We round off the hour with some dancefloor disturbing afro numbers, culminating in the modern classic by RSL - the awesome ‘Wesley Music’. Download it and Enjoy!
Terry Callier - You Goin’ Miss Your Candyman
Eddie Kendricks - Girl You Need a Change of Mind
Salsoul Orchestra - Take Some Time Out For Love
Melvin Sparks - Get Ya Some
The Fantastic Aleems - Hooked on Your Love
Clyde Alexander - Got to Have Your Love
Louise Freeman - I Can do it
In Search of Orchestra - Phenomena Theme (Inst)
The soul Jazz Orchestra - The Blind Leading the Blind
I for one am pretty bored of hearing Michael Jackson tunes…you couldn’t seem to escape them after he popped his clogs last year. It’s a shame as some of them were fantastic but lots of them were complete crap (’The Girl is Mine’, anyone?). I love a good cover version and I love brass bands so what better way to breathe some new life into some well worn tunes by combining the two. Read the rest of this entry »
Gracious, it’s been a while since I’ve added a new podcast to this page. Promise I’ll be more regular from now on! Anyway, this time round it’s a bit of a technical treat as I’ve managed to cram 12 tunes into just over half an hour! We kick off with a selection of blues, starting with the mighty BB King and building up through an assortment of jazz, soul, disco, funk, dubstep and dub.