Musical Episode #015: Sophisticated Funk!

King Curtis performing live (with Jimi Hendrix as a session player on far right!)

After a long hiatus I’m happy to present another hour long podcast of funky 45s for all of you out there.  I know the long form podcast is more popular with folks so I’m sorry for the long delay in between these type of posts. 

I just got back from a great trip to Virginia where I scooped up tons of great records which I’ve barely begun to process but definitely lit a little bit of fire.  None of the (excellent) records featured today were picked up on the trip but have been floating in a folder of digitized records I’ve been wanting to write about and I figured if they’re not going to get individual posts after this long of a wait I might as well let the live in a mix.

While I had longer posts planned for lots of these records a couple of notes on the mix will have to suffice.

The track that opens the mix is a favorite.  Steve Colt, a white dude from Boston giving it his best James Brown and definitely delivers with some ultra heavy drums.  The Johnny Guitar Watson track is later than a lot of 45s I usually feature here but I’ve always dug how funky it is and the sing-a-long solo is a favorite.  Marsha Hunt’s “Oh No! Not The Beast Day” is an absolute monster from first to last.  Jean Knight’s “Do Me” is a funky, synthed up sort of re-tread of Mr. Big Stuff but has enough punch to really stand on its own.   

Along with the synth-laden 70′s numbers I kept the mix a little closer to my standard fare with Ken Jones and his killer “Chicken Pot Pie”, the jazzy “Afro-Desia” and the slow burns or John Roberts and J. Gardner.

There’s a range of songs here, some slow, some groovy, some are in the pocket funk but they’re all great tracks I know you’ll enjoy so I’ll let it rest and let you listen!

Till next time,

-Snack Attack / George

Tracks are as follow:

Steve Colt – “Dynamite” (Big Beat, 196?)
Simtec & Wylie –  “Gotta Get Over The Hump” (Mister Chand, 1971)
Ron Holden – “I Need Ya” (Now, 1973)
King Curtis – “8th Wonder” (ATCO, 1968)
Shirley Ellis – “The Puzzle Song” (Congress, 1965)
John Roberts – “Sophisticated Funk (Inst.)” (Duke, 1967)
J. Gardner – “99 Plus 1″ (Blue Rock, 1965)
Johnnie Taylor – “Doing My Own Thing Part II” (Stax, 1971)
Jamo Thomas & His Party Brothers Orchestra – “Snake Hip Mama” (Thomas, 1966)
Spencer Wiggins – “He’s Too Old” (Goldwax, 1968)
The South Suburban Electric Strings – “Sign of The Zodiac (Pisces)” (Nickle, 1969)
Lee Dorsey – “Everything I Do Gohn Be Funky (From Now On)” (Amy, 1969) 
The Soul Society – “Afro-Desia” (Dot, 1968) 
Ken Jones – “Chicken Pot Pie” (Almont Records, 1963)
Johnny Jones and The King Casuals – “Soul Poppin’” (Brunswick, 1968)
Johnny Tolbert – “Take It Off Part 1″ (Jasman, 1970)
Lyn Collins – “Take Me Just As I Am” (People, 1973)
Sentimental Souls –  “It’s Party Time with Getting In The Groove – Part 1″ (P&P, 1970, original issue)
Johnny Guitar Watson – “It’s A Damn Shame” (DJM, 1977)
Marsha Hunt – “Oh No! Not The Beast Day” (Vertigo, 1973)
Jean Knight – “Do Me” (Stax, 1971)
”The Headhunters – “God Made Me Funky” (Arista, 1975)

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