Father’s Day Funk From Joe Quarterman!

Joe Quarterman & Free Soul “Thanks Dad Pt. 1 & 2” (GSF, 1973)
  • Listen to this song on youtube: Thanks Dad
  • Listen to these 45s in a Spotify playlist here  with other 45s from the blog (though note, spotify doesn’t have all / many of the songs featured on the site so some playlists may be incomplete or feature slightly different versions than the original 45s I’m referring to here.
  • This song is available on Musical Episode #013: Singles Mixer v. 4

Joe Quarterman and his Free Soul hail from Washington, DC and are best known for their absolutely sick 45 “I Got So Much Trouble In My Mind” though check this link for the LP version which features a whole lot more fuzz guitar solo-ing.  Today’s track, though post to recognize all the Fathers out there, is worthy of your ear-time regardless of occasion or the results of your paternity test.  In particular side 2 is like a tailor made slice of funk; “You want some ultra-funky arpeggiated organ?  How about a bongo breakdown?  Fuzz and wah guitar you say?  Shall we add some horns?  Welllllllllll, here you go!”

This record also continues my love for the weirdness of Lloyd Price who I’ve featured on here a few times.  Lloyd had returned to the states after living in Africa for some time and was getting back into the game.  GSF was one of his many labels which were criminally short lived as the man had a remarkable ear for talent and releasing great records (his own and others.)  The most famous on GSF is probably the Skull Snaps LP but his work on GSF is really beautiful stuff that definitely deserved more visibility.  (Check out him out ‘performing’ one of my favorite tracks from his GSF catalog “Love Music” on Soul Train here.)

While I stand by my passion for 45s, this LP is definitely worth picking up for the extended versions and the amazingly crude cover art which was just a sketch Joe drew up as concept art and the label just said “Hell with it, that’s what we’re printing!” 

A Happy Father’s Day to all the dads, single moms and people helping to support and guide young minds in a positive direction.

Hope you enjoy today’s sides.

-Snack Attack / George

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