it's all good…
Archive for the '1970s' Category
31st January, 2009 | 148 views
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A funk bomb fo’ yo’ earz. I went through a phase of getting into all things funk in the early to mid nineties but balking at the cost that original seven inch singles seemed to change hands for, settled for buying a few Classic Funk Mastercuts compilations albums instead, amongst others. My then tall lanky flatmate had this on a War compilation which, along with Low Rider, were frequently gracing the turntables and delivering the funk.
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30th January, 2009 | 108 views
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Must admit that the first thing that attracted me to this (probably unofficial) compilation, were the words “unreleased extended version” not that I was familiar with the track at the time. It’s just a default position, I mean why settle for a version that’s been edited by someone else when the fade control fulfils pretty much the same purpose and is under your control? Anyway, the original release of this laid back stoned disco-funk groover looks like it doesn’t grow on trees, so this compilation (which isn’t that common either) is a blessing. Chugs along nicely for over eleven minutes, a real treat and prime material to visit the restroom if you’re trapped behind the decks although I must say, time that would be better spent out in front, bumpin’ and hustlin’ yourself.
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7th January, 2009 | 206 views
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Another track brought to my attention by ck a few years ago: freshly back from a business trip to Los Angeles, he’d managed to squeeze a visit to some vinyl emporium to perform the ritual of the vinyl junkie, getting the fingertips dirty, diggin’ amongst the crates. The album Masterjam was amongst the booty he brought back over the pond and although this song is by no means the only decent track on what is a tidy Quincy Jones produced slab of West Coast disco/soul, it was the first track he played to me from it and is my favourite.
The pictures below are from the Any Love release on twelve that I recently got hold of, which has it spread across one side of vinyl in all it’s analogue glory. I really wish they had released a longer mix rather than just pressing up what was available on the album because as it fades out, it just starts to get going in my opinion, the phrases “There’s an ill wind blowin’, can’t you feel it blowin’?” and “Something’s going on tonight” repeated over each other. It just seems to be revving up, with the promise of the track going to another level. I wonder if Rufus, Chaka or Quincy thought the same and tried to find that way without sucess. More likely they were happy to leave as is – a cautionary song about living life in a fast lane without appreciating the view before the scenary changes.
4th July, 2008 | 1,245 views
10th June, 2008 | 126 views
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An ode to enjoying the present and not letting life pass you by:
We’ve got to live some life, before we’re old
We’ve got to live some life, before we’re cold
Time is short so hear me man
Let’s live the life the best we can
Time is short so hear me man
Remember here’s another day
With the Lee Perry production drenched in a dense cloud of ganja smoke, created in his Black Ark studio and the album it’s from, regarded as one of his finest efforts as a producer. I’ve got it on the subsequent compilation seen below, still worth procuring as it collates his efforts with different artists from around the same time. I find it an incredibly positive and uplifting song.
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3rd June, 2008 | 233 views
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Music can be such a personal thing, alot of the time your impressions are formed within the first few moments as the sounds cut through the noisy detritus of life to arrest your attention. Other times the subtlety of some tracks need repeated listens before, having initially been dismissed, you appreciate them; this is one of the former. I got handed a mixtape one night back in ’99 when running the bar in Thailand as I used play mixes using my walkman (remember those?) and was dead impressed by it. It mixed psychedelic rock with funk, mostly stuff from the 60s/70s if I recall correctly, excellent transitions between the tracks considering the material. I’m sure I’ve still got it (the guy who gave it to me in Thailand never came back to collect it; I remember when I first put it on, seeing him nodding sagely to it whilst sipping a beer.) but it will be in storage, I’ll definitely put it up on TipTop once retrieved.
It wasn’t until I saw and bought this re-release of the album that it’s from that I found out that it was played at 45rpm and pitched right down on the mixtape! Played at the correct speed it just sounds way too slow and just wrong – my impression was formed from listening to it on the mixtape and I have to listen to it now the same way. I’ve put both versions up here, the first is the original track and the second one was recorded at 45rpm but pitched down 8%; what do you think? Sped up, the bass almost sounds acidic, when I first heard this I thought it was until the track was id’ed, reminds me a little of Jean-Jacques Perrey’s track, “E.V.A.“. There must be whole websites devoted to highlighting tracks that sound either as good or better played the wrong speed and I also recall a compilation album years ago using this as it’s theme. Welcome to the weird and wonderful world of music.
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12th May, 2008 | 95 views
9th May, 2008 | 1,473 views
Disco synth-god, Giorgio Moroder, pens a catchy dancefloor chugger with slightly suggestive lyrical content.
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