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CENTRALETTS
L&L
If nothing else, this is the best name ever for a song/band. Can you
imagine walking into a record store in the 1970s and asking for a copy
of "Come On Centralites and Get Down Tonight (And Do It) by Centraletts,
Central Sounds, Centralites please"? No? Maybe that's why it didn't
do so well then.
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PLAZA SUITE
JOEY'S
TUNE
THUNDER
Don't know who Joey is, but his tune's good. You'd be forgiven for going
straight to the A side as it's called "Disco Dancing", but I
wouldn't bother.. the B side's where the good shit is. There's something
really cool about strings on a low budget record - they don't sound right,
which makes them sound great.
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AL TANNER
DOING
OUR OWN THANG
TYMO
OK, it's time to review this one - it's been lying around here a while
and released as a cover up by someone recently. Never fails to spark interest,
but is just too fast. This is what you call backstreet. I bet it would
cost you more to buy a copy than it cost to make the record.
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THE SENSATIONAL SHOWMAN
BOMP
OWL
I love these slightly weird records that do their own thing, but don't
veer too far from discofunksoul territory. This is pretty fucking groovy,
apart from the guitar solo, but that'll be gone the minute I get it loaded
onto this computer!
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PATRICIA WHITE
SWEET
DISCO/COSMIC DISCO
STYLETONE DISCO CO
This is a record you'll either love or hate. Personally, I love it. What's
not to love about a record that sounds like it was recorded during a primary
school music lesson? With the teacher doing the singing, the kids playing
everything they could find in the music cupboard and some crazy drugged
up producer doing the mix. Does it get any better than that??
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CHOCOLATE + JOY
DOG
IT
DISCO SEX
Disco Sex! Imagine a record label called Disco Sex! That's a good enough
reason to buy this record. Do you even need to hear it? But, if you need
to know any more - this was covered up for one of the Disco Demands albums.
Both sides have completely different titles, but are pretty much the same
songs, with slightly different "lyrics" - if "Shake n Bake", "Honky Tonk"
and "Dog it Up" can really be described as lyrics. Musically though, this
has great re-edit potential. Nice tight drums, cool bass line, keys, synths,
all very well mixed, and plenty of changes to play with.
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BILL AVERY & LOVE CO
DISCO
FEVER
BIG DEE
I'm always a bit wary of records called Disco fever, or Disco Anything
really. There's a good chance they'll turn out to be rubbish. But it's
hard to resist checking just in case. This one's not rubbish. It's Disco
Funk, with a nice B Boy intro, and syn drums. That should be enough info.
If Disco Funk, B Boy intros and syn drums don't get you excited, then
you're on the wrong site.
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THE FOUR SONICS
IF
IT WASN'T FOR MY BABY
JMC
If you're a fan of that northern sound, as in Ian Levine/Blackpool Mecca,
then this one's for you. Nice duet, great vocals, strings, and a right
good groove for shuffling to. If you're a fan of that disco sound then
you'll like the fact the hats are too high in the mix.
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TC & COMPANY
LET'S
GO DISCO
CARRIE
Any record company that uses Brush Script for their logo is alright in
my book. If they release a record that's all just drums and bass and clav
with people shouting "Make it funky at the disco" then all the better.
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FAJARDO
C'MON
BABY, DO THE LATIN HUSTLE
COCO
The first thing I have to say about this record is, if the 12" exists
and anyone would like to sell me it.. thanks in advance.
Other than that, this one's quite Latin, and quite Hustley. It was mixed
by Tom Moulton too.
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PAT ROSS
LOVE
COMES AND GOES
ASTRO
Is there anything better in this world than a privately pressed 12"
single on some crappy home made label? Yes, a privately pressed 12"
single on some crappy home made label with an advert for Conrad's West Indian bakery
on the sleeve.
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SWEET DADDY FLOYD
I
JUST CAN'T HELP MYSELF
SUPER STAR
Bought originally for the B Boy drums, this one's slowly grown on me,
till it's now one of my favourite records. The weird Bryan Ferry style
vocals I dismissed on first listen are the best, and the hi hats are good
too, if that's important to you.
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JABO
DANCING
AT THE DISCO
RAGTIME
A double sider, with A & B being equally as good as each other. Both
are quite slow compared to the majority of the rest of the stuff reviewed
here, quite reminiscent of that Smile Street People 45. And nice and rare
too.
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CATHY DAVIS
COME
BACK HOME
TWELVE O'CLOCK
This is one of those funny records that you never knew existed, bought
for pennies, then discovered everyone's paying silly money on ebay for.
It's nice. Soulful, stringy, quite laid back and arranged by Tommy Stewart.
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By the same band who gave us "My Baby Knows..." (credited on 12" to The
New Yorkers - reviewed elsewhere here). This is another perfect slice
of discofunk. Can't decide which side I prefer - part 1 or 2. Both have
their plus points - part 2 has nice flute and vox, while the other side
doesn't, but that means you get to hear the drums better.
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Way back when I first discovered northern soul, this was a massive record.
Like most records you know for an eternity, it's easy to forget how good
some things are. But with Norman Harris at the controls in 1975, you know
you can't go wrong. Though I guess the lyrics are slightly cheesy; singing
about wanting to marry a prostitute is just wrong.
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Oh my God! I couldn't believe it when I discovered this was widely available
at a cheap price!! I assumed for years it was super rare and I'd never
find a copy.
From the album "The Best Is Yet To Come" (title track is a cover of the
Bessie Banks tune), this is beautiful, laid back and soulful; produced
to perfection. It explodes into a more funked up section towards the end,
which possibly detracts a bit, but certainly makes it a nice builder.
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The Brecker Brothers were a couple of bearded jazzers who obviously
jumped on the disco bandwagon with this, from the album of the same name.
It doesn't do much, but what it does, it does well. Grooves along on nothing
much more than piano and drums, with little bits of vox and big stringy
horny bits from time to time. This 12" isn't too hard to find, but I've
been asked about it a lot, and it's promo only, so it probably soon will
be.
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Another one we've only ever come across on 45, but with plenty of moments
to make your very own 12" version with. We did. There seem to be plenty
of these floating around, so it's either very common, or pretty unknown.
Either way, it's a great record, just sitting right in the middle between
disco & funk, fast enough to be disco, gritty enough to be funk. Just
the way we like 'em.
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With a title like this, the vocal side's obviously going to be a bit
ropey, so go straight to the flip for the instrumental where it's all
going on - big strings and blasting horns over a super-tight backing.
If only there was a Tom Moulton 12" of this.. it would then be perfect.
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Sounds kind of like a P&P record: badly produced, overly long, crap
vocals, but with a certain charm. The bassline & clav groove along, the
female vox are nice, but the guy needs edited out - he's rubbish.
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CORDIAL
WAVE
TOLIMAR
Bit of a strange looking record this. It comes in a full pic sleeve
that looks more like an album. The B side was the selling point as it's
quite a big modern northern thing, but the song is actually pretty lightweight.
The A side's more like it though - An instrumental full of strings, flute,
and a proper disco breakdown.
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NORTH BY NORTHEAST
DISCO
UNUSUAL
RED LINE
A 45 split over two sides.. wasn't sure what to expect of this as so
many records with the word "disco" in the title tend to be cash in records,
and therefore pretty crap. But this is nice. Gritty, with not much more
than a rhythm section, horns and vox. And some nice wobbly breakdowns
that would probably sound good on drugs.
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From the off you know this is going to be good; the opening organ groove
is quickly backed up with tough drums before the bass, wah and strings
kick in. Sadly, Jimmy's vocals kill it a bit for a minute or two (he was
originally a traditional salsa musician who started working in the early
'60s), but the best is still to come... Check the break! A killer bass
line and funky wah-wah take the lead before the string line comes back
in, and just goes on forever. Well, a few minutes anyway. And that's basically
what makes this record what it is - THAT break.
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Not strictly a "Disco" record, but since they pressed it on 12" someone
must've been aiming it at DJs. Though it seems that they've simply edited
(very poorly) two takes together to make a longer 12" mix. If this wasn't
on a major label it would be perfect for the modern soul scene and would
be worth a fortune. If you like proper soulful music, perfectly delivered,
this one's for you. And if, like me, synth solos in soul records make
you smile, then all-the-better, 'cos there's two.
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It scares me to think how long I've owned this record, yet it's still
regularly in my box, and I still get asked about it constantly. Even big
time Disco collectors seem to've let this one pass them by. Tucked away
at the end of side one of a pretty average funk album, and on a pretty
dodgy label, it's not surprising that there's been little interest shown
over the years. But it's only a matter of time - this track is easily
as good as any $300 12". Full of horns and strings, super cool cool bass
line and one of the world's most uplifting choruses. If that isn't enough,
then there are breaks galore all over this song, and a nice big synth
solo to end on.
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CROSSTOWN TRAFFIC
PARTY
PEOPLE
DC RECORDS
Someone described this record to me as "pretty average backstreet disco
- and you've got enough of those already". But I'm not sure you could
ever have enough average backstreet disco.
Actually, this is above average, but is certainly backstreet, right down
to the fact they squeezed both tracks on to one side of a 12".
Party People is nice, in the same vein as the New Yorkers record reviewed
elsewhere, with the strangest use of a string synth, and breaks too! Love
Your Family initially sounds slow and not particularly funky, but given
time, it picks up the pace, and builds into a pretty cool groove. With
breaks!
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A record that's sure to be worth money some day. More perfect disco funk,
this has got the lot - amazing bassline, tight drums, strings, and super
cool vocals. Go find a copy while you can still afford one.
It's probably worth mentioning that most people know the true identity
of this record now. But covering up is still fun.
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SILVER, PLATINUM & GOLD
JUST
FRIENDS
FARR
Here's a record that doesn't mess about... No simple intro for the DJs,
no gentle build up, it just kicks straight off with a big thumping groove
and doesn't stop for four minutes fifty two seconds. Dimitri comped the
flip "I Got A Thing" once, but this is by far the better side. The vocal
delivery is in the same gutsy vein as say, Two Tons of Fun, but the backing
has so much more clout, all driven along by an amazing horn section.
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FREQUENCY
LOOSEN
UP
HARD BOILED
This is what our American friends used to call "Slammin'". There's nothing
clever at all about this record, it's aimed straight at the dancefloor,
and doesn't miss. Opens with a big stomping bassline that hooks you straight
away, followed by loads of synth action and plenty of breaks.
There's a song in there somewhere, but that's pretty insignificant in
comparison to the instrumental parts.
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One for the soulies this, although strangely, there doesn't seem to
be a 45 for this record. Instead we have a four and a half minute song
on 12" with a big giant run out groove at the end. BBC obviously didn't
understand the concept.
Anyway, it's a lovely, well delivered song that you'd probably have heard
at Stafford or something. Although it's perhaps not trad disco enough
for some, it definitely has lots of disco elements in there. The flip
"Young Single and Free" is more on the disco tip, mostly instrumental
with some nice bass and horn action.
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THE INDEPENDENT MOVEMENT
SLIPPIN'
AWAY
POLYDOR
Why this record isn't in big demand is completely beyond me. I regularly
see it going for really low prices, or finishing on ebay with zero bids.
It's a promo only 12 inch and a pretty perfect disco record, mixed by
Rick Gianatos.
There's a short intro for the DJs before it drops into a killer bassline,
then keys, percussion, strings and an awesome song. Everything about this
just oozes class, from the vocal delivery to the super-tight musicianship.
And there's a big long old school break in there too. What more do you
want from a record??
It's probably worth mentioning that this record no longer receives zero
bids on ebay!
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It seems that Mr Q was a Canadian rapper and/or vocalist, and it's his
vocals that appeal on this release, rather than his rap on the other side.
The track plods along nicely on a killer groove of bass and percussion
with a couple of breaks here and there. But it's the lyrics themselves
that make this such a good record, as Q tells us about the house party
he's hosting. With his stereo up loud.
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You'd be forgiven for thinking this is Cloud One as Patrick Adams turns
in a killer P+P style production on this awesome 12" release. I'd forgotten
how much I liked this record until recently. Opens with slightly afro-ish
drums, which are soon joined by a deep, deep bassline, then it's synth
city all the way, apart from the occasional percussion break. Slightly
dark in places, but always funky, This is deep, hypnotic disco at its
best.
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From their self titled album, this is another one for dancing on a pile
of talc, with a strong northern feel to it. Scepter Records in 1975 was
definitely a label worth checking, but sadly, this is the only track of
any interest off this slightly rocky album.
Opening with a big stomping piano groove (which is begging to be sampled),
joined by horns & strings before the song does its thing. The last 4 minutes
of this are driven relentlessly by the orchestra, with bits of adlib thrown
in from time to time. Clocking in at 7.12 minutes, it's just a shame this
never made it onto a 12".
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THE DUPREES
DELICIOUS
DISCO INTERNATIONAL
Shut your eyes, sweat loads, spray yourself with Brut 33 and shake some
baby powder round your feet and you could easily be transported back to
the Blackpool Mecca with this one. Most definitely a Levine favourite
and very much in the same vein as Four below zero. A record that's well
worth tracking down if you like big stringy northern monsters. And the
strings are what this record's all about..
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Nice for the instrumental B side, I never really took to the vocal.
This is proper stompin' disco music with a slight Salsoul Orchestra influence
(think Street Sense). Big big bassline and tons of brass. Loads of breaks
on here, even if they are a bit short. But hey, that's why we invented
re-editing.
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One of many versions of Glenn Dorsey's "Moving On",this is slightly
Burgess-ish, reminiscent of Hooked On Your Love or his Dazzle gear. The
B side is where it's at; same wicked bassline as the shorter A side, same
fucking amazing strings, same summer groove. But where the A side fades
out, the vocal comes in. And it sounds so much better when it takes four
minutes to start. Honestly, if you're not smiling when you hear this,
give up now.
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ALLAN HARRIS AND PERPETUAL MOTION
GET
READY
EXACT CHANGE
If this record was on Heavenly Star it would be worth a grand. On a
tiny indie label, the production and arrangement by Al Johnson and Billy
Butler are awesome - right up there with Bernard and Nile, and Harris'
vocal is perfect. This is easily one of my favourite records. Until relatively
recently you could've picked this up for a few quid. It's always been
a modern soul fave, and the 12 inch was never in great demand compared
to the 45. But with the rise in demand for twelves, they've all but gone
and the price is creeping up.
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Two versions here - one disco and one radio, with the radio version being
my pick, although they're only slightly different in places. As the name
suggests, Take the Music to the Party verges on happy clappy territory,
but thankfully knows where to draw the line, saved in no small part by
a squelchy synth line that carries the track along.
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From the "Call Me" album, but extra nice on this 12". This was originally
released on the B side of the northern favourite "Happy". In fact, I bought
this 12" thinking I'd maybe discovered a longer mix of Happy, but it's
just an edited version on the flip. Who needs it though. This side's infinitely
better. The first half is what you'll hear on the 45 - all falsetto vocals
and tight musicianship. But the second half takes things to another level
altogether: six minutes of glorious instrumentation that manages to hold
your attention with lots of subtle changes. Great strings and horns too;
I love these tracks by funk bands when they do disco, and this is a great
example.
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This is one of those records that you see so often, and for such a low
price, that you assume it must be shit. But it's not. Lyrically, it's
the standard story of a father on his dying bed giving his boy one final
piece of advice, backed up with a strong string and horn arrangement and
some nice Clav led breaks (which are too short). Sonically, the production
is quite similar to a Walter Gibbons mix, lacking only Walter's understanding
of arrangement to suit the dancefloor.
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From 1981, but sounding more like '76, this one's a cool, stripped down
groover, with a chanted, almost rapped vocal hook. Part One on side A
is the more musical of the two versions, but Part Two is the one for the
DJs. Things are stripped down to a solid, funky, drum & bass workout,
with occasional added clav, synth drums and chants to lift it here and
there. Some nice breaks here - nice long breaks - just the way we like
'em.
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With a name like Disco Warriors this one was always going to be a bit
hit & miss, but sometimes curiosity gets the better of me... Released
on a tiny indie label, it's poorly produced and badly pressed, in a good
way. A slightly afro-ish feel, the drums and percussion are the key here,
and some of the breaks are the bomb. Hell, even the dumb "Cumbayah" backing
vocal start to sound good after a while..
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Another B side goody, this is the flip of "Love to Live", which is a
nice enough track, and from a DJ point of view is probably the stronger
of the two. But I go for this side because I'd imagine it being big up
north back in the day. Slightly gospel vocal over a good strong backing
with great drums. If I had to make a comparison I'd say there's a bit
of Van McCoy about it. Except with the bass turned up.
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More of a funk record than disco I guess, but from a time before pigeonholes
were invented and there was no distinction between the two. On another
small Bronx indie, both sides of this record are worth a spin. Side A
is the vocal, but doesn't say much other than a few lines here and there.
Nice breaks all over this one - strong percussion, punchy horns and a
bit of synth action. Side B is the more interesting of the two though.
Billed as the instrumental, it's actually a bit more than that and would
be better described as part two, as it seems to carry on from where the
vocal side leaves off. The synth comes into its own here, leading the
way for another funky drum, bass, clav and horn workout.
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Written and produced by Northern Soul hero Luther Ingram, and once again
on a lil NY indie, this had to be worth a try. And, like the aforementioned
Disco Warriors, this record is so badly put together it shouldn't really
exist. If you listen closely you can hear the horn section completely
miss most of their notes. But somehow, thanks to its simple, funky arrangement,
it works. It's a pretty average song, but with a great groove, and some
nice breaks. And there's a great squelchy synth break that adds a lot
of charm.
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CHEMISTRY
SKATEBOARD
MASTERPIECE
Another one that's been lying about here ignored for ages. Until I saw
how much it went for on ebay and thought it must be worth checking out
again. And was pleasantly surprised. It could probably do with an edit
to get rid of the dodgy lyrics, but other than that, the horns and strings
are to die for. And if that wasn't enough, the B side's a good un too.
An insanely tight discofunk synth frenzy.
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Everyone loves a bit of Kellee, but for some reason this one's been overlooked.
Don't know why as it's probably one of her strongest songs, especially
for the disco heads. From the "All The Things You Are" album, it's all
there - great guitar line, breaks, strings and Kellee just oozes class.
And it goes on for nearly seven minutes. But is there a 12inch!? Of course
not. Stupid.
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There can't be too many soul records with an intro that sounds like the
theme tune to Minder. But here's one. Originally thought to be an LP only
track, from the "Loving You" album, a 45 surfaced recently. But it's so
rare you might as well forget I even mentioned it. Again, an old northern
soul number, just as easily described as disco. It's just a fucking great
song! Bassline, strings, vocals. And tambourine. The soulies like L.O.V.E.
from this album too. And if you like kinda slow group harmonies that speed
up towards the end then you will too.
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Here's a record that's been with me for a long time, forgotten until
recently. There's no date on it, but I'm guessing early '80s due to the
tinny synth that almost spoils it. But Tommy's voice makes up for that.
It's far too fast though.
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Not sure how well known this record is as it only got a UK release. And
it comes in such a crappy sleeve it's not likely to catch your eye. But
it's surprisingly nice. Forget the vocal though and go straight for the
instrumental B side for some great percussion breaks, tight bassline and
some real nice horns and strings. The only down side is the mix itself
- the strings are buried deep when they really should be jumping out of
the speakers. You fucking idiot Paul Armstrong.
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Now, this is a classy record. Around for ages on the northern scene,
but largely ignored until recently, this is proper northernmoderndiscofunk.
It's all here - killer bassline, percussion, horns, wah wah, a great song,
uplifting chorus. And what a string line. It's so good you might want
to just put it back to the start and play it again. In fact I just did.
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The following reviews were supplied by DC's Deep Sang, with special thanks
to Kevin @ DCsoulrecordings.
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Not a disco track. Such a great boogie/funk track though. With the obligatory
croaking moog line, hand clap drums, and a short vocoder section at the
end, Hang With The Gang rides a stomping groove through its 5 1/2 minute
length and has, for my money, one of the sickest neck-snapping breaks
of the genre. The vocal is not particularly strong, however, and almost
seems like an afterthought in a song that really relies on the driving
guitar/drum combination. Gotta love the sounds of a party going on in
the background through the entire track. Hang With The Gang is also available
on a 12 inch single and features an instrumental version on both the EP
and 12 inch.
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The last track off Dyson's Faces' second self-titled release, Till I've
Got... comes barreling out of the gates with a giant rhythm section, punchy
horns and soaring violins courtesy of Eddie Drennon. This is an extremely
well balanced composition produced and arranged by local legend Clifton
Dyson- every member of the band gets a chance to shine and there's not
a dull moment as band members trade the lead back and forth. There is
a vocal version on the album as well, but the instrumental is where it's
at. This LP is a pretty tough pull, but there is a reissue readily available.
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This 45 only cut starts out with a big funk break before dropping into
a deep melodic groove. The vocalist, somewhat reminiscent of Debbie Harry,
is a little syrupy for my taste, but the touch of reverb through the chorus
kind of saves it as the title line "lady beware" floats hauntingly above
the instrumentation. It's a smartly arranged song that makes good use
of the 45 format with well paced verses and choruses, tight instrumental
bridges and a short sax solo. The flip side is an average late seventies
funk track.
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GEORGE FRANKLIN SMALLWOOD & MARSHMELLOW BAND
LADY
DISCO
SMALLWOOD
Smallwood is best known for his soul and funk recordings and this track
exhibits his talent at both. To me, soulful disco does not get much better
than this. Everything fits together perfectly, from the strong lead and
backing vocalists, to the punctuating organ, to the snappy drums and backing
guitar and bass lines. Recorded in his basement, the low fi production
captures a kind of innocence only found on these local indie releases.
This track was also released on a 45, but an extra section is edited,
albeit a little offbeat, into the end of this version (think Jakki Sun...Sun...Sun)
that is only available on the Four You LP.
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AGGRESSION
TAG
SRI
This track has a bit of everything I love- it starts out with a steady
drum and bass combination, brings in some spaced out electronics, then
breaks out into about as funky a guitar riff as you ever hear in disco.
It's a straight ahead 8-minute long instrumental burner with enough variation
to keep it interesting and a couple of huge breaks. An overly indulgent
guitar solo midway through is the only blemish in this monster dancefloor
filler. It's a small-hole 45 only release on a local studio label that
has been pretty unknown and affordable, but can't stay that way for long
and doesn't turn up too often.
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