A1. Lighty Singers of Estill, SC - In the Morning When the Trumpet Sound A2. Evangelist Loretta Myles - Jesus Will Never Say No A3. Abraham Brothers - Spirit of the Lord A4. Golden Tones of Savannah, GA - I Will Answer When the Roll Is Called A5. White Family of Savannah, GA - I've Been in the Storm So Long A6. Brother Theotis Taylor - Somebody's Gone
B1. Piney Grove Spiritual Singers - Get Back Satan B2. Five Stars of Harmony[Jacksonville, GA] - If I Could Just Hold Out Until Tomorrow B3. Abraham Brothers - Pray While You Have a Chance B4. The True-Tone Singers - Don't Let It Be Said Too Late B5. Lighty Singers of Estill, SC - Serve the Lord B6. White Family of Savannah, GA - Don't Wait on Tomorrow's Sun
'This nicely compiled vinyl set on Mississippi features numbers from soul awakening gospel that's stripped down souful and with a profoundly soaring spirit – beautiful stuff recorded and issued by Waymon Jones, proprietor of Savannah, GA's Gusman Record Shop and issued as 45s & LPs on the Pitch and Gusman labels! It features recordings from the early 60s to late 70s, culled from the same great reservoir of material that spawned Big Legal Mess/Fat Possum 3CD compilation.' - crusty
Guitar [Lead, Rhythm], Vocals, Arranged By - Kevin 'Cornbread' Thornton Piano, Organ, Percussion, Vocals - Michael Greene Saxophone [Tenor, Alto], Percussion [Elec], Backing Vox - Thurron 'Thorn' Mallory Bass, Backing Vocals - Harold Greene Congas, Bongos, Backing Vocals - George 'The Chain' Chainey Drums, Backing Vocals - David "Bra Ping" Sutton Trombone, Organ, Piano, Percussion, Vocals - Vince "Worm" Wormley Trumpet, Percussion, Backing Vocals - Lamont Payne Engineer [Chief] - John Greek
Recorded and Mixed: Artists Recording Studios, Hollywood, California
'A reminder of a brief time when black music effectively synthesized R&B with numerous progressive trends while remaining both optimistic and street-smart. The collision of influences makes itself known right from the opening “Evolution,” with its celebratory/revolutionary lyrics, solid funk groove, James Brown-like horns, bongos, distorted hard rock guitar riffs, and intricate sailing background harmonies. The dragging beats and druggy ambience of 'Your Mind' should recall Sly Stone’s There’s a Riot Goin’ On period to many listeners. The wacky hallucinogenic sex sentiments of 'Natural Juices' wouldn’t sound too out of place in George Clinton’s world, with its spaced-out narration: “some people get off on a needle…then there is a thumb and blanket. But the ultimate pacifier is a warm, wet nipple.” 'Witch Doctor’s Brew' & the more impressive, ten-minute 'Composition Seven,' by contrast, make much use of Miles Davis-ish jazz-rock fusion keyboards in their groove-oriented, jammy passages, the latter tune boosted by an irresistible Latin beat. The album was entirely overlooked in comparison to the more famous artists mining the same grooves, both when it was made and when such sounds have come back into fashion. And it absolutely demands a hearing by anyone who digs these sorts of combinations.' ~ RU, AMG
such a fun n' filthy funk record & by far the tuffest sounding rip i've ever encountered of this piece. as is so often the case, i dunno from whence it came but 320 daps are due thee originilluminator
Vocals, Percussion - Joey Dee, Ray King Guitar - Patrick Patterson Bass - Steve Scipio Congas - Pablo Gonsales Drums - Sam Kelly Saxophone [Alto, Soprano] - Derek Gibbs Saxophone [Alto], Flute, Bongos - Mike Rose Saxophone [Tenor] - Peter Serreo
'Cymande' - originally released 1972, JANUS JLS 3044 'Second Time Round' - originally released 1973, JANUS JLS 3054 'Promised Heights' - originally released 1974, JANUS JXS 7004
Remastered 2-cd set with their 3 albums for Janus, plus 3 previously unreleased trx
Cymande were an eclectic band who released a few albums in the early 1970's. Arriving in London, England from Guyana & Jamaica, they developed a subtle, deep funk style heavily influenced by calypso rhythms, jazz, African music, and American soul. The name Cymande is derived from a Calypso word for Dove, which symbolizes peace and love. By the mid '70s the band members were going their separate ways. It wasn't until 20 years later that they reaped any financial rewards, as their music became a popular source for samplers. Perhaps the band's best known recording is the soulful dancefloor groove 'Bra', later sampled by the American hip-hop group De La Soul in their song 'Change In Speak' [from '3 Feet High & Rising'], by Def Jef on 'Give It Here', & by DJ Kool on 'Let Me Clear My Throat'. The Fugees sampled "Dove" for the title track of their second album, 'The Score' in 1996. The list goes on and on, and it's obvious why: Cymande was da chit & tuffa den allah dem other bands combined :) surprisingly stellar sound fer a remaster from 99. 320 rips!
'To hear him tell it, Syl Johnson could have been as big as James Brown or Al Green. #1 on the charts, top billing on the marquee, Hall of Fame inductions, tearful tributes... all within his reach, and yet never in his hands. Something, someone, and sometimes - if you believe his lyrics - the sole of a shoe was holding him back. Was it because he’s black? Not likely, though his inability to crossover to the pop charts never did him any favors. “I made my opportunities, but I never got the breaks I should have gotten. I was a jack-of-all-trades. More soul than Marvin, more funk than James. If I’d gone pop, you’d be talkin’ about me, not them. I rate right at the top, though I’ve been underrated all my life.”
Laced with that unique brand of bravado, the Syl Johnson interview tends to veer toward harrowing voyages through interruption, correction, and deliberate obfuscation. “Back up, hold on, slow down… Wu Tang, Kid Rock, Michael Jackson… Jimmy Reed, Jimmy Johnson, Jimmy Jones….” Johnson has a habit of insisting that everything printed before—every verbatim transcript read directly back to him—is a blatant misquote or misunderstanding…and sometimes both. His date of birth and place of birth, his surname change from Thompson to Johnson, the murky beginnings of the Twinight record label—Syl Johnson weaves them all into one convoluted narrative, a daunting challenge for historians and fans alike to follow. Resolving his life story for this collection became an exercise in patience and diligence, as we chased the rabbit through even more big-hole 45s than bear his name.
The blues was always a genre riddled with myth and legend—its half-truths muttered on sun-baked Mississippi porches have long-since morphed into biographical foundations. From Robert Johnson’s midnight bargain with the devil at the crossroads near Dockery Plantation to Bo Diddley’s divergent claims about the origin of his name, fabrication is fully ingrained in blues tradition.
Syl Johnson’s apple never fell far from that tree. When this bluesman-at-heart felt his career tapering off early in the 1980s, his tendency toward self-mythologizing gained momentum. If he couldn’t enjoy the successes of an Al Green or a James Brown, he could surely concoct for himself a more mysterious history. Forget hot grits and armed robbery, Syl Johnson’s illegitimate father would be Robert Johnson. Or so he began to claim….
For decades, Johnson has been toeing the edge of a wide chasm that separates soul’s upper and middle classes, overshadowed across his career by the bill-paying stars of the Federal and Hi labels. He’s joined by the likes of Otis Clay and Candi Staton in a pantheon of great soul singers who maintained viable careers over several decades but never achieved that national #1 smash. Consequently, he’s been eschewed by oldies stations and Final Jeopardy questions, never having scattered the cultural detritus that keep even one-hit wonders in the periphery of the national consciousness. The litany of his largely regional hits—“Come On Sock It To Me,” “Different Strokes,” “Is It Because I’m Black,” “We Did It,” “Back For A Taste Of Your Love,” and “Take Me To The River”—is undeniable, a list that dwarfs the tally of winning output in his caste. Even so, Johnson’s reevaluation as a serious artist has yet to arrive.
By sheer quantity of singles issued, Syl Johnson should be an oldies radio staple. He’s issued more than 60 unique 45s, at last count—and that excludes international pressings and what he refers to as “booties.” Of those, 28 are collected here, in addition to extant cuts from his two Twinight LPs and a swath of period outtakes. Johnson’s Hi singles and albums have been compiled comprehensively, and recently, so we’ve chosen to focus on his work prior to joining the Memphis powerhouse in 1971. In cases where no dates could be found, we’ve taken pains to place them within the chronology Syl himself provided over the last four years. But with Syl Johnson, those dates seem to shift every time they’re about to be confirmed. We’ve broken our own Syl Johnson biography into discrete sections, headed by topical quotations even the man himself can’t rightly deny. When grilled, Johnson just shrugs and says, “Gotta keep some mysteries unsolved….' press
A1 I Just Want A Little Bit [The Animals] 3:03 A2 What Have I Done Wrong 3:10 A3 Easy, Baby 3:54 A4 You Belong To Me 4:05 A5 It's All Your Fault [B.B. King] 4:50
B1 I Have The Same Old Blues 3:32 B2 You Don't Love Me, Baby 3:29 B3 San Jose 3:53 B4 Stop! You're Hurting Me 4:47 B5 Keep Loving Me Baby
Magic Sam - guitar, vocals Mighty Joe Young - guitar Eddie Shaw - tenor sax Lafayette Leake - piano Mack Thompson - bass Odie Payne - drums
'This album's color cover photo is an action shot, showing Magic Sam in the process of choking and bending his strings, a good hike up the fretboard. It isn't clear exactly what he is playing from the picture, although that certainly didn't stop dozens of pimply hippie guitar players from trying to figure it out. In the meantime, the record goes on and the first soloist out of the gate is Eddie Shaw, playing tenor sax. He is blowing over the top of an R&B riff that, although not out of the syntax of Chicago blues, would also have been quite fitting on a Wilson Pickett record. It is unfortunate that Magic Sam's recording career came to such an abrupt end, as he was one of the best artists working in the musical area between the urban blues tradition and newly developing soul music forms. This fusion was on the minds of many blues artists during the late '60s, and not just because it was aesthetically conceivable. It was also a matter of commerce, as audiences -- particularly black audiences -- didn't want to hear any blues that sounded too much like something their parents might have listened to. The harmonica player Junior Wells was another one who decided to get a bit of James Brown into his act, not always with great results. What listeners have here, on the other hand, is frankly delicious, the results of the surplus of talent Magic Sam possessed, a triple threat as a guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Yet with all this talent, the label should also get some credit. This period of the Delmark discography set a high standard for blues recordings, the sound quality and tight interplay among the musicians every bit the equal of the classic jazz recordings on labels such as Blue Note and Prestige. There is nothing fancy about the production, and no gimmicks. It is just a great band, allowed to play the music exactly the way it wanted to. The musicians have obviously worked together a great deal and either had these arrangements down cold from live gigs or had plenty of time to get things tight. This doesn't mean that the music doesn't breathe, as there are plenty of little touches such as drum fills and turnarounds that show the presence of musicians thinking on their feet.
The passage of time also increases the musical value of this music, as the eventual popularity of commercial projects such as the Blues Brothers has only served to dilute the power of urban blues. Labels big and small have forsaken this type of honest and straightforward production, preferring to try concocting a higher level of funkiness through extravagent over-production, boring superstar guest appearances, and insipid studio practices such as prerecorded rhythm tracks and dipstick guitar solos punched in a note at the time. Forget all this jive and check out a track such as 'You Belong to Me,' where the guitarist cuts loose with a restrained solo that sometimes dances ahead of the beat like a country fiddler while the band pumps away on a superb riff. The players here, including the fine guitarist Mighty Joe Young, pianist Lafayette Leake, and a muscular rhythm section, are the best of the best. None are too obviously adopted from standards, but the opening 'I Just Want a Little Bit' was much copied by other blues artists. 'I Have the Same Old Blues' has a medium, loping blues tempo that swings so perfectly it should be used as an instruction course for lame blues bar bands.' ~ Eugene Chadbourne, AMG
rare early french pressing of this, sam's 2nd lp for delmark. while some say it aint as tight as west side soul, i still dig this set immensely, specially the piano & tremulous timbre of sam's fine voice, steeped in slapback echo. a 320 vinyl rip. thanks to tha og rypupa
A1 Evil World A2 Rap On A3 Walking On A4 Speak To Me A5 Leave Something Worthwhile A6 Heaven Help Us All
B1 Don't Let Me Fall B2 This World Is Moving Too Fast B3 True Love Is Hard To Find B4 Free At Last B5 Goodbye World
Original recordings from 1971 to 1975. Tracks A1, A5, A6, B3 and B5 previously unreleased. hype: 'super obscure gospel funk album from Texas based band The Relatives, brought together by veteran Gospel singer Gean West in 1971, their sound bridges the gap between traditional Gospel, Soul and Psychedelia. Over a span of four years, The Relatives recorded three obscure 45’s and a session with legendary North Texas engineer Phil York. These powerful, genre-busting recordings stand up alongside the best Group Soul and Funk recordings of the 1970’s—and give praise to the Lord like you’ve never heard before. This is a collection of all of The Relatives’ singles and five previously unreleased tracks for their first-ever full length release, 'Don’t Let Me Fall.' Fans of Numero's 'Good God Gospel' compilations will love this! Highly recommended!'
best believe the hype. the vox is raw, the grooves is smokin & the lyrics be memorable, quotable & totally on point. 'this world is movin too fast... thank gawd owlmighty i'm free at last'. utterly essential. 320k for yall bitrate braggers
A 1. Free Angela 2. This World 3. Old Uncle Tom Is Dead 4. Where Did Peace Go? 5. Nobody Knows
B 6. I Can Be 7. Baby Can't You See 8. Paradise 9. Geraldine Jones 10. Leave Me alone
An incredibly righteous bit of soul -- one of the few albums ever cut by 70s mellow soul genius Larry Saunders, and an amazing tribute to Angela Davis! Larry's got a fantastic voice -- one that we'd rank right up there with Donny Hathaway or Marvin Gaye, and which is recorded here with sublimely spare arrangements that have a slight southern soul touch, but which are more in the east coast indie mode in which he often worked. The whole album's amazing -- almost like finding a part 2 to What's Going On, or listening into what Otis Redding might have sounded like, had he made it to the 70s -- the tunes alone speak volumes!
i totally agree with the assertion above. this whole album is incredibly righteous & amazing [hooks abound!] so i got hella happy when i stumbled upon this treasure just floating around out there in cyberspace & thusly spread this same love to you, dear reader. let's all feel good. 320k in full effect. shout out to velociraptor
