California Funk 2xLP (Jazzman033)
After several years of extensive work and painstaking research the latest in our explorations into regional US funk obscurities is finally here. Has the wait for California Funk been worth it? Well, let’s see what we have: 21 of the finest, rarest and most desirable funk recordings from the Sunshine state, put together for the first time with the personal blessing of each and every artist represented herein – shoddy bootleg this is not! Both the LP and CD contain in-depth sleeve notes detailing the history of funk and R&B in California and the social conditions which led to the funk explosion of the late ‘60s. In addition there are thoroughly researched notes for every individual track, revealing for the first time the hidden stories behind such revered and enigmatic artists as Leon Gardner, Arthur Monday and Delores Ealy, The double LP is presented on two pieces of 180g virgin vinyl, lavishly housed in a double gatefold sleeve with full colour inners, label scans and extensive liner notes featuring many previously unseen photos of the bands and musicians involved. The CD houses the same in a 24 page colour booklet. BACKGROUNDWhereas the musical profiles of cities such as Detroit and New Orleans are well established and much celebrated, the vast cities of Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area have been mostly skimmed over and not given nearly enough attention. The black music from California of the ‘60s and ‘70s is especially under-appreciated, seemingly unable to stamp its own musical identity on the world.
Yet during this time, many artists were busily plying their trade at a grass roots level in LA and the Bay, releasing 45s literally by hand or through small independents. Today many of those very 45s fetch hundreds and sometimes thousands of pounds at online auction with lovers of real soul and funk desperate to get hold of them. Following on from our previous funk collections of Texas, Florida, the Midwest and the Carolinas, we applied ourselves to what proved to be our most ambitious and far-reaching project yet – to source and compile the best vintage funk that California had to offer. From the rugged street funk of Arthur Monday to the Latino flavours of Enrique Olivarez, from the soulful jazz grooves of blues legend Johnny Heartsman to the aggressive politicising of King Solomon, there is real diversity on offer – these aren’t mere JB sound-a-likes but talented individuals who brought their own voice to the funk sound.
Putting together an album like this is no easy task. It has certainly taken a while to come to light, but we are confident that California Funk, with its divergent sounds and intriguing avenues, will not disappoint, and indeed we hope that it will help raise the standing of California in R&B, soul and funk circles from here on.
KEY POINTS:
· 21 of the rarest, hardest and most coveted funk sounds from California, recorded 1968-77
· Deluxe double LP on thick 180g virgin vinyl with gatefold sleeve, full liner notes and colour printed inners.
· 24 page CD booklet with photographs, label scans and liner notes from our own original research and interviews
· RARE and FINE music reissued only with Jazzman – all because WE DIG DEEPER!
1 Water Color All Bundled into One
2 Arthur Monday What Goes Around Comes Around
3 Leon Gardner Farm Song
4 Chucky Thurmon Turn it Over
5 Delores Ealy Honeydripper
6 Ray Frazier I Who Have Nothing
7 Enrique Olivarez Arriba Tipo
8 4th Coming Cruising Down Sunset
9 King Solomon Political Rag
10 JGD & the New Breed North Richmond Breakaway
11 LA Bare Faxx Supercool Brother
12 Apple & Three Oranges Curse Upon the World
13 Lil' Lavair Cold Heat
14 Rhon Silva Get it Right
15 Billy Larkin Funky Fire
16 California Gold Notes WB302
17 John Heartsman & Circles Talking About my Baby
18 Enrique Olivarez Al's Place
19 Mr Clean What's Going On
20 Edwards Generation Smokin' Tidbits
21 Winter Bones
JM.074 - Mark Capanni - I Believe in Miracles / I Believe in Miracles
Oh YES! The one everyone’s been talking about, the incredible song that’s the talk of the internet, at long last, and with the blessing of Mark Capanni himself, here it is as it should be, the ORIGINAL VERSION of the Jackson Sisters classic rare groove anthem ‘I Believe in Miracles’, out now on DJ friendly Jazzman 7” 45rpm VINYL!!!If you haven’t heard this song yet prepare to be struck down with awe for this is one tune that I guarantee will make your eyes open and jaw drop! Sublime Axelrod-style folk jazz orchestration backs Capanni’s carefree yet poignant vocals on THE original version of the Jackson Sisters ‘I Believe in Miracles’. Recorded in 1973 and performed by Mark Capanni who co-wrote the song, this was completed and ready to go a full 14 months before the Jackson Sisters version hit the streets. Despite the Capanni version having been pressed up it failed to make an impact – too soulful for rock radio but not soulful enough for RnB radio – and the record was pulled. It was the Jackson Sisters with their full-on dancefloor funk that did the business, released in 1974 it’s since gained legendary status, a musical definition of the rare groove era and with a multitude of versions and remixes. BUT it’s only recently that this amazing ORIGINAL version has been discovered, and with original copies of the 45 practically impossible to find, our Jazzman release can only be described as being utterly essential to all DJs, dancers and music lovers, everywhere.
Mr Sad Head - Hot Weather Blues / Sad Head Blues 7" (Jukebox Jam)
A whole raft of top notch Jump Blues was issued on the RCA Victor label in the first half of the 50s but it seemed that the company wasnt fully sure of how to push the huge amount of vibrant R&B talent they had amassed on their roster. Even though RCA was a leading major, artists such as Mr. Sad Head, who issued 4 high quality singles on the label, are now amongst the more mysterious and obscure names in vintage R&B.Here are the pick of the Mr. Sad Head releases right here in this two sider 45. The flip, Sad Head Blues, is a straight ahead West Coast Jiver with the classic big city sound. However, Hot Weather Blues is the BIG tune so it gets on the A side on our limited run reissue. Alternating between a mambo-inflected minor key riff and a regular jiving rhythm, Hot Weather Blues is the kind of unique and quirky sound we actively seek out at the Jukebox Jam club night. The song was also recently played by none other than Bob Dylan on his radio show, so it seems Jukebox Jam are not the only Sad Head admirers..!
Target - Give Me One More Chance / Cleveland 7" (Soul7)
Another modern soul rarity out now on SOUL7!!! This little beauty was recorded in upstate New York in 1973 and is just the ticket for an neat uptempo shuffle in the modern room. As usual this SOUL7 reissue is FULLY LICENSED and restored from the ORIGINAL MASTER TAPES so it SOUNDS GREAT – unlike what you get from SHODDY BOOTLEGS! And in keeping with the spirit of collecting the pressing run is limited to ONLY 500 COPIES worldwide!
THE STORY BEHIND THIS RECORDING:
When 4 close friends – Dean, Brian, Shelly and Vince - got together in the small town of Rome in upstate New York to form a band, little did they know that the music they made would still be raising dancefloor dust over 30 years later! Self-funded and pressed in only 500 copies back in 1973, the 45 featuring the catchy ‘Give Me One More Chance’ was sold from the very bandstands they performed from while gigging up and down the East Coast. The record was made just as much as a ‘thank you’ to fans as well as a shout to the bigger record companies in the hope of making it big. Another single did appear later, but with zero distribution and little knowledge about the workings of the record biz meant the lucrative recording contract they hoped for failed to appear. Dean and Vincent still perform to this day, as the duo act D.V.D. the Band.
Bonobo - Eyes Down 12" (Ninja Tune)
"Eyesdown" is the second single from Bonobo’s forthcoming and highly anticipated new album "Black Sands", featuring vocals from Ninja’s hot new signing Andreya Triana. The original version mixes a rolling break with a subtle bassline and Triana's wonderful soul-jazz vocals. Future broken beats? Nu-nu-jazz? Dubstep-light? Whatever we're calling it, this is a bit spesh. I'm sure the remixes have caught your attention already, but here's a quick rundown if you're slow on the uptake: That man Floating Points reworks the track in a slightly more techy style, with Detroit-meets-jazz influences oozing out of the vinyl. Warrior One ramps it up a bit in a broken UK funky style with a touch of rave. Which leaves Appleblim & Komonasmuk to supply a version that's more minimal house than dubstep. Quality all round." (Piccadilly Records)1 Eyesdown (Radio Edit)
2 Eyesdown (Floating Points Remix)
3 Eyesdown (Warrior 1 Remix)
4 Eyesdown (Appleblim & Komonazmuk Remix)
5 Eyesdown (Instrumental)
6 Eyesdown (Album Version)
Madlib - Medicine Show 3 (Deluxe 3xLP)
"3LP DELUXE Limited edition, 3 disc, 43-track version. The album covers are individually silk screened and numbered by Hit+Run in variations of black, gold, and red. 1250 of this edition will be made.Beat Konducta in Africa is an instrumental hip-hop album produced & mixed with Madlib, featuring J. Rocc. This album bases itself on the obscure vinyl gems from the afro-beat, funk, psych-rock, garage-rock & soul movements of African countries as diverse as Zambia, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, Botswana and Ivory Coast.
Madlib's Beat Konducta instrumental series - created from Madlib's raw beat tapes - began in 2006 with Movie Scenes, an imaginary movie & TV soundtrack with the feel of Blaxpoitation soul, afro-psychedelia and moody progressive rock. Beat Konducta in India (Vol. 3-4) and A Tribute to J Dilla (Vol. 5-6) followed in 2007 and 2009".
Floating Points - Peoples Potential / Shark Chase 12" (Eglo Recordings)
"This is now the official release after the limited whites we had last month and I'm sure many of you will be having to buy it again after the inclusion of the new b-side "Shark Chase" - much better for us than the A-side (and that wasnt half bad too!!). Its a menacing brass-prodded organic house track with the deep brass sounds building up to a crescendo which, as the title suggests, brings to mind the Jaws soundtrack. However, John Williams never had these rhythms - a winner, reminiscent of classic techno too such as "Knights of the Jaguar" or even "The Man with the Red Face" or proper Carl Craig - its that good! "Peoples Potential" is enough reason to buy anyway, a jazzy acidic house track much like the Floating Points sound we expect - high standards indeed!"Tracklisting
1 Peoples Potential
2. Shark Chase
Anthony Red Rose - Electric Chair 7" (Dug Out)
A stinging, thumping, futuristic soundboy frightener, terrible and remorseless, this was originally brandished by JA producer Dennis ‘Star’ Hayles in 1989, caged in a label sampler. Mid-decade, Red Rose had a smash hit for King Tubby with an immortal song about a rhythm with fierce tempo; by now it has mutated into a killing machine, controls set to vaporize all zinc pan, super-charged with the shock treatment of all dibbi dibbi.