AFRICAN SCREAM CONTEST + NIGERIA SPECIAL

El Rego Et Ses Commandos : Se Na Min
From African Scream Contest (Analog Africa, 2008)

Dan Satch & His Atomic 8 Dance Band Of Aba : Alabeke
From Nigeria Special: 1970-1976 Vol. 1 (Soundway, 2008)



Sorry for the lack of post, I had to finish a memoir for the end of February.


After both reissues of the sound of Zimbabwean township 70s music scene with The Green Arrows and Hallelujah Chicken Run Band at the time led by Thomas Mapfumo, I was curious of what the new Analog Africa serie could sounds like. Especially since they open an incredible blog.

It's the surprise that came out firstly. Because their third reissue focuses on Benin and Togo and not yet on Zimbabwe. And also 'cause that new compilation called "African Scream Contest" allow to Analog Africa to place them in the court of the great afro-beat compilation ever release. Words weigh.

Their first post seemed to mark these new direction. ASC comes complete the TP Orchestre Soundway release and the rare digs on Beninese and Togolese afro-beat come stir up our interest on a very obscure scene. We all usually use to digs some Nigerian and Ghanean afro-beat.

Except the comp' Kings Of Benin Urban Groove T.P. Orchestre Poly-Rythmo we actually have a few documentation on Benin Afro-beat and surely less on Togo Afro-beat. Therefore Benin and Togo are neighbouring countries with Ghana and Nigeria. And with his Nigeria Special series Miles Cleret show us that we have again many thing to learn about the Nigerian scene after the Biafran war. So we can thank Analog Africa and Miles Cleret for what they do for us. Maybe they'll suggere us a sort of crazy catalog of West African Funk as Love Peace and Poetry Series, Numero Group Series, or as Buda Musique do with the Ethiopiques Series in the late 90s ?

On African Scream Contest, listeners could easily associate some tunes they already heard on Kings Of Benin Urban Groove, Booniay and Danque such as the tune Chieddatby Jedba (Djanfa Magni) on ASC and Bright Engleberts featured tune on both Afrodisiac comp. But there, you'll listen an exception even if some tunes recalls you other great stuff - standard - that every afro-beat amateur already known. ASC suggere "Raw & Psychedelic Afro Sounds". It's crazy, nasty, deep, raw and psyched-out. That the specifity of ASC, crazy afro-funk and psychedelic digs.

El Rego et Ses Commandos was one the first band to catch the growing interest that students had with the James Brown style... The rest is in the excellent liner notes. Nothing to add, just remember that video.




*** UPDATE *** UPDATE *** UPDATE *** UPDATE *** UPDATE *** UPDATE ***

Thanks all those who email me for this :

http://www.nigeriaspecial.info/
http://www.youtube.com/MONCADAS plus his dope Beware mix on Voodoo Funk

"What’s Going On? Everything Soul is New Again"

The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker: Can You Feel It?
From Kaboom! (Outta Sight Records, 2007)

[youtube]

This is extract from a title of NY Times article from February 2007. Says loud and clear: soul music is making a formidable comeback. “More than at any time in recent memory, soul music’s pressing syncopation and stirring hollers are churning within the popular mainstream.”

If the first attention-grabbing horn lines of The Dynamites album Kaboom! evoke a dramatic curtain call from a late ‘60s funk concert at the Apollo Theater, it’s no accident. After all, that’s exactly where Charles Walker, the band’s singer and front man, first cut his teeth as a performer. When the revolutionary ‘new bag’ now known as funk first made the scene, Walker was right there in the thick of it, opening for the likes of James Brown, Etta James, and Wilson Pickett, and imbibing himself in a cultural movement’s genesis.

Walker recorded on many of the most reputed soul labels of the era, including Champion, Chess and Decca. In the early ‘60s, his group ‘Little Charles and the Sidewinders’ became one of the hottest acts on the New York club scene. All this, combined with his Tennessee upbringing, made Walker a natural to be included in the Country Music Hall of Fame’s Night Train to Nashville exhibit. As Doyle Davis, now The Dynamites’ manager, milled through the exhibit, curator Michael Gray raved about Walker’s recent performance at an event promoting the exhibit’s Night Train to Nashville release on Lost Highway Records. Davis knew then and there that he’d found the singer that Bill Elder, The Dynamites’ founder, had been searching for. The rest is history.

Absolutely Funky Mule

Marvin Holmes & The Uptights: The Funky Mule (Pt. 1) and (Pt. 2)
From Absolute Funk Vol. 4 (Body and Soul, 2007)

Buddy Miles Express: Funky Mule
From Expressway to Your Skull (Mercury, 1968)

Ike Turner and the Kings of Rhythm: Funky Mule
From Black Man's Soul (Pompeii, 1969)


First of all, I would like introduce this post by a great news! Seun Kuti comes in Paris! Ness (Voodoo Night) send me the information these dayzzz. Ness is a Djay, and music writer for the renown french audioblog parisdjs.com and for the Teaser magazine. I learn on his myspace that his father introduced him to culture and music and that Manu Dibango, Don Cherry and Fela Kuti were friends of the family. Damn!!! So... next Teaser coverage is about Afrobeat.

See all details about Seun Kuti in Paris here.

---

"In the footsteps of the monkey, the camel, the penguin and the chicken, animal names often inspired dance moves to the black American community. Oakland-bred California funk pioneers Marvin Holmes & The Uptights parade on their Funky Mule, Parts 1 & 2, a song first released on the Boola Boola label in 1968, before being soon born again as Ride Your Mule on Revue. One find it overly hard not to be swept away by that glamourous bragging brass as it fans it's tail right on one's face, by those frenzied rythmics, by the bare bone Jimmy 'Chank' Nolan-style guitar riffs and by Holmes wild exhorting to dance. The song was mainly reinterpreted by Buddy Miles Express and Ike Turner & The Kings Of Rhythm. Their following single, the memorable Ooh-Ooh The Dragon, became the combo's only hit, through they did altogether record four albums." (extracted from liner notes).

Otherwise, I can't tell you better myself than Florent Mazzoleni(*) about the story of these tune. Excepted that we tune Ooh-Oh The Dragon on our last radio show.


Check out the playlist [mp3].

---

(*) Florent Mazzoleni is the author of James Brown, Black America, Soul and Funk (Les Editions Hors Collection, 2005) - information here in french.

Grand Bahama Goombay

Cyril Ferguson: Gonna Build A Nation
Sylvia Hall: Don't Touch That Thing

From Cult Cargo: Grand Bahama Goombay (Numero Group, 2007)

Second Opus for Cult Cargo serie. The deep funk tunes from Bahama recall me the compilation Panama! released last year on Soundway. Preceded by Belize Boil Up, Grand Bahama Goombay is full wah wah charged and propose some deep covers. Besides the excellent Jay Mitchell's Funky Fever was allready available on the compilation The Kings Of Diggin'. With this Cult Cargo you'll listen some covers such as 'I Am The Man For You Baby', 'Take Five', 'Theme From Shaft' and 'Mustang Sally'. The other Jay Mitchell tune called 'Goombay Bump' place these comp' between Rufus Thomas's Do The Funky Chicken, The Beggining Of The End's Funky Nassau and in a way Funky 16 Corners.

The Politicians

The Politicians: The World We Live In and Free Your Mind
From Psycha-Soula-Funkadelic: The Hot Wax Sessions (Hot Wax, 1972)

Since yesterday, you could see a new logo. Something we miss a lot here. Nothing gonna change. Just the banner. It's a logo designed by Tom Griswold, from San Diego, California. He propose me to use free last week with send me it by email... before finding Loaded through O-Dub 's blog roll... Pretty cool. See here his incredible and nice site called La Dimension Du Stratos. This title remind me an other broadcast on WNYU called Plastic Tales From The Marshmallow Dimension. This blog is a selection of great posts ever from some mp3 blogs. Thank you, great work!

Back to the roots. I've been long time without post some psych/soul/rock tunes. Last time, it was about the band Amnesty. Incredible band! Here the real name of the band is The Politicians featuring Mc Kinley Jackson. An arranger who worked with Freda Payne, Laura Lee and the trio Holland-Dazier-Holland. Psycha-Soula-Funkadelic is an instrumental album. The Politicians are also available on both excellent compilations such as Invictus Box Set and Ultimate Breaks and Beats - Ultimate Collection.

Black Heat (part 2)

Black Heat: The Jungle and Chicken Heads
From Black Heat (Atlantic, 1972)

Remember this. Two years ago. What happens for Soul Shower? Does anybody know? Whatelse I could add about this band? I discovered their second album by reading this post on ear fuzz. Since I found a copy in Paris of the excellent reedition Declassified Grooves -- Black Heat/No Time To Burn It's very difficult to get some information about this excellent funk group called Black Heat. When Junior posted the tune 'Super Cool' it remind me the other one 'Super Cool' performed by Carrie Riley & the Fascination - on Florida Funk. So I was wondering if there was link between these both tunes. Not really. Or something about the next Luv'n Haight funky compilation 'Super Cool, California Soul Vol. 2'? I never heard before version performed by Pat Hunt. Maybe soon!

Loaded Back

Michael Liggins & The Super Souls: Loaded Back
We The People: Function Underground and People, Open Your Eyes And See

Both from Mighty Mike Lenaburg (Numero, 2006)

Diggin' Numero releases. While the label Street decide to release all his compilation in a 'Ultimate Breaks & Beats: The Complete Collection' with some groups such as Foster Sylvers, the volume 003 and 002 focus on an obscure teenage band called Altyrone Deno Brown. This two bands emerged when the popularity of The Jackson 5 began to decline. Altyrone Deno Brown began his career in 1973 while Foster Sylvers recorded their first hits 'Fool's Paradise' and 'Wish That I Could Talk to You' in 1972. Anyway, next post will be about.

Now, always in the search of psychedelic soul sounds, I buy another release of Normal records called Mighty Mike Lenaburg. In other words the producer who wrote incredible tune for Soulsations, Newlyweds, Michael Liggins & the Super Souls, We The People... Mike Lenaburg is also credited on a compilation called SuperFunk3 released in 2002. I never heard nothing about the Soul Senders. Richie Unterberger wrote the tune Soul Brother's Testify "has some scorching Jimi Hendrix-influenced guitar". I also read DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist include this tune for the Brainfreeze Breaks - see here the tracklist. Enough for me to keep on the search of this great sound.

1957, a new label was founded

Dale Warren & The Wattstax' 72 Orchestra: Salvation Symphony
Lee Sain: Them Hot Pants
The Emotions: Group Introduction/Show Me How and Peace Be Still

From Music From The Wattstax Festival & Film (Stax, 1972)

As I was reading an article on the last issue of Vibrations, Swiss magazine from Lausanne, I think it was a good idea to post something about. This time the review deals with Stax label that was created in 1957. Check out this both web links on official myspace site and also Stax50.com. Tunes here are extracted from the excellent 'Music From The Wattstax Festival & Film' produced by Roger Armstrong. On this, there's songs performed at Wattstax by Albert King, Carla & Rufus Thomas, William Bell, The Soul Children, ..., many others, and of course, Isaac Hayes. Here I focuse on The Emotions because their performance give me the creeps.

On myspace, you could also read an article written by Matt Cibula few days ago. "The Stax story begins in 1957. Jim Stewart, a fiddle player, founded Satellite Records in a north Memphis garage, focusing mostly on country and rockabily. He convinded his older sister, Estelle Axton, to mortgage her home and go into business with him. They released a few singles that didn't go anywhere. In 1960, Stewart and Axton (now on her second re-finance) bought the Capitol Theatre building on McLemore. They built a studio and converted the theater lobby into a combination candy shop and record store. There, they could make some money on the side, and Estelle could play brand new releases and see if they caught the ears of the teenaged clientele---virtually all of them African American."

Florida Funk

Oceanliners: Cutting Room (Hot Pants)
Luis Santi Y Su Conjunto: Los Feligreses

Both available on Florida Funk (Jazzman, 2006)

Again! Right we're very fan here. Don't forget the title of this blog 'Loaded To The Gills' by Michael Liggins and The Supersoul. Wow! This tune is all what I appreciate, sounds across deep funk and psychedelic soul stuff. I read somewhere that soon Now Again will license these compilation, with a new cover art as you can see here. Probably you can still waiting 2 weeks. Not amazing that these compilation - Florida Funk 1968 1975 - contains some latins groove, it was already the case with the other Texas Funk 1968 1975, released in 2005. Remember the tunes 'Sissy Strut' and 'Psycho (Pts 1 & 2)' performed by Joe Bravo and The Fabulous Mark III. I guess hardly what else I could add. Except: keep on the good work Now Again!

Amnesty

Amnesty: Love Fades and Mister President
From Free Your Mind - The 700 West Sessions (Now Again, 2007)

Support to President Bush fades!

By reading the last posts you could easily imagine that the tune 'Mister President' is nearly what I very want to support here. Tunes sound like some cuts from Demon Fuzz"s Afreaka album. A cross-cultural music between Chicago, Buddy Miles Express, Sly & the Family Stone, Funkadelic and Hendrix. Check out here a truly great library posted by Junior. Does Egon prepare a next Cold Heat heavier and deepier? Yeh, same beat than 'Mister President' with the fuzz effect and wah-wah pedal of Stark Reality's 'Comrades'. Don't be deceived. First tune 'Can I Help You?' is more jazzy and the last ones are not so strong. Clearly if you liked Kashmere Stage Band, The LA Carnival or South Dallas Pop Festival 1970 (I'll try to post about soon) you might be very interested in. Maybe the two tunes 'Love Fades' and 'Mister President' could give a general idea for the next volume of Cold Heat compilation. Could hope a compilation - Heavy Psychedelic Soul - heavier and deeper than the tunes 'Loaded To The Gills' performed by Michael Liggins & the Super Souls, '69 Freedom Special' covered by Lil' Lavair & The Fabulous Jades on Cold Heat Vol.1 and 'Them Changes' covered by The Apollo Commanders With Eddie Finley on South Dallas Funk Festival 1970. With reading this post, you could read/listened that Egon was already in this position. Since the release of Cold Heat Vol.1, I use the track 'Free Your Mind' performed by Amnesty to introduce my broadcast.

"In 1970, independent of each other, The Embers and The Crimson Tide broke up. Massie, Williams and Alexander continued to play together and, in 1972, convinced the others to rejoin their group with the addition of extra addition. This time their musical sound was more in the direction of Massie's tastes, which, at the time, included Chicago, Blood Sweat & Tears, Jimi Hendrix and Earth Wind & Fire." Egon

Check out more information about Amnesty here and here.

Heavy Heavy Heavy!

Buddy Miles Express: Train
From Expressway To Your Skull (Mercury, 1968)

Funkadelic: I Bet You
From Funkadelic (Westbound, 1970)

At the beginning, I was thinking to post something about "You're the One (That I Adore)" performed by Buddy Miles Express. Because the tune remind me another track of Sly Stone "Time". First minutes sung in "You're The One" seems to be near of "Time / Needs another minute, at least / Take your time / But you've got a limit". By moment I wonder if Buddy Miles haven't get influenced Sly Stone during this year. Maybe "You're the One (That I Adore)" have influenced "You're The One" performed in 1970 by the Little Sisters in the Stone Flower Production. I guess Buddy Miles on the drums completly stoned in the sleeve of Riot but he's still not credited.

Expressway To Your Skull is the first album of Buddy Miles Express, second is Electric Church and the third We've Go To Live Together is right a remaining of "Everybody People" that the Band of Gypsys played during the Live in January 1970. I believe it was in 1968 that Buddy Miles Express, Cream and Jimi Hendrix Experience were touring in concert in the worldwilde.

Heavy drums in "Train" is an equivalent sound drums played by Ramon Tiki Fulwood. Surely Expressway To Your Skull's album, as well as Band Of Gypsys's project were highly recommended by George Clinton when he turned into the first Funkadelic album. After the death of Jimi Hendrix, he asked Eddie Hazel to find an equivalent guitar form. And the sleeve in the direct influenced of The Chambers Brothers's New Generation album. Or "vice-versa". A sort of generation of mandala sleeves. By the way, get the heavy drums in mind sounded with psychedelic fuzz.

re-fresh

The Soul Lifters: Hot, Funky, and Sweaty
From 7"
also available on the comp. Hot, Funky and Sweaty (Soul Patrol, 1999)

Chicago: Introduction
From Chicago Transit Authority (Rhino, 1969)

+ Sly and the Family Stone: M'Lady
From Live at the Fillmore East (Epic, 1968)

New reedtion of Fresh, Stand and others album (+ bonus tracks) will be released soon in 2007. The album Fresh has already been released in two different versions and some fans think that the new release of Fresh could be the third... My favourite version is the second. "Epic/Legacy will on March 20 unveil remastered editions of Sly & the Family Stone's first seven studio albums, each with several bonus tracks and new liner notes. Not included in this batch are group leader Sly Stone's 1975 solo album High on You or the Family Stone's final studio set, 1979's Back on the Right Track." from Billboard.com

Two compilations propose the track "Hot, Funky, and Sweaty" by The Soul Lifters. The first I buy is The World's Rarest Funk 45s releases on Quantic and the other is Hot, Funky and Sweaty on Soul Patrol. There's an other covered version of this tune, see also the other compilation Hot, Sweaty and Funky release on Hard Soul Records in 2005. Sorry for the lack of information about The Soul Lifters, I forgot The World's Rarest Funk 45s, which is more detailed, in a radio station based in Paris where actually I do a training course... (That's why I alert you for some "Interruption").

If you're a big fan of Sly Stone, this tune could not be a surprise for you. Myself I've been very very surprised when I listened the track 'Mama Lolo" by The Entertainers here (check out, Brent recently update it!). As Robert said in the comment: "The Entertainer’s 45 is exactly the same as “Introduction” on the Chicago Transit Authority album". Chicago was a band musicaly familiar/similar to Electric Flag, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Buddy Miles Express, Paul Butterfield and Mike Bloomfield. Anyway, before the debut of Chicago, before the recordings of Stand and Electric Ladyland, and while Buddy Miles Express was recording the excellent album Expressway to Your Skull, Sly and The Family Stone was opening the show at the Live at The Fillmore East in 1968, Jimi Hendrix played next.

Little Red Riding Hood Hit the Road

Bappi Lahiri & Salma Agha: Come Closer
From Indiavision (Buda Musique, 2005)

Vern Blair Debate: Ooh Ah Ee
From The World's Rarest Funk 45s (Quantic, 2006)

Robert Wyatt: Little Red Riding Hood Hit the Road
From Rock Bottom (Hannibal, 1974)

Mulatu Astatqe: Netsanet
From Ethiopiques Vol. 4: Ethio Jazz 1969-1974 (Buda Musique, 1998)

Nothing really coherent between these Bollywood Disco, Deep Funk, Prog-Rock and Ethiopian Groove tunes. No have the time to post something as usual. I only hope you'll enjoy the psychedelic sound. Ten years ago, a cousin offered me Rock Bottom and wow! still today I don't really hate listen it again and again. It is the second Robert Wyatt album solo. Maybe his greatest one for the former drummer of Soft Machine...

Buddy Miles & The Fabulous Jades

Buddy Miles Express: 69 Freedom Special
From Electric Church (Mercury, 1969)

Lil' Lavair & The Fabulous Jades: Cold Heat
From 7" (Lennan Records, 1970?)
see also: Cold Heat - Heavy Funk Rarities, Vol. 1: 1968-1974

This post is about a great deep funk dj and producer. Without telling his name, maybe you already know him by listening The New Mastersounds (here and here) or Connie Price & The Keystones (here). What's the link between this two bands? A sort of new scene in the worldwide funk era. Keb Darge, aka the Godfather of Deep Funk, produced The New Mastersounds and included Connie Price & The Keystones in the compilation Funk For The 21st Century.

What's about Buddy Miles Express and The Fabulous Jades? With reading Cold Heat Vol.1 liner notes, written by Egon, I learned that "Keb Darge started spinning their rarely heard B-side "Cold Heat" in the late 90s at London's legendary nightspot Madame Jojo's". Cold Heat was discovered after by Now Again. Unfortunately liner notes not evoke the link between this two tracks. Egon only added The Fabulous Jades were "under the spell of James Brown". And yet, after listening the horn section of 69 Freedom Special, the ressemblance to Cold Heat horn section is very clear. So probably Cold Heat is a coverage of 69 Freedom Special.

Gimme Some More

The J.B.'s: (It's Not The Express)It's The J.B.'s Monaurail and Thank You For Letting Me Be Myself And You Be Yours
From Hustle With Speed (People, 1975)

Both tunes are extracted from the Japan release.

James Brown and Sly Stone didn't really cover each other. Except few original tunes covered in very singular version. Without reading the title of the track, you can't really guess it. In 1969, Sly Stone covered Sex Machine, it sounds like a psychedelic blue/funk. Thank You For Letting Me Be Myself by The J.B.'s is also different of the original, but it's a long funky jam. Since a long time, I've been on the search of Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) covers. In the J.B's area, Maceo Parker's one is not the most exciting. Other tune, (It's Not The Express) It's The J.B.'s Monaurail, sounds like a groovy jazz... this one is my favourite.

I think James Brown agreed to form The J.B.'s because he had to concede he was not the only the funkmeister in the early 1970's. That's why he allowed Fred Welsey and Maceo Parker to produce creative and innovative album. Produced in 1975 when disco grew to be the new leitmotiv, Hustle With Speed was their fifth and last album. Fred Wesley assembled The J.B.'s to record it. At this time, "the handwriting was on the wall. Morale problems were eroding another classic James Brown band. At first Fred tried to fight the inevitable, but he turned out to be the first victim" recalled Alan Leeds. And when he was recording Sex Machine Today, in 1975, James Brown seemed to have run out of ideas. Soon, Welsey quit the group to join up with George Clinton, and Maceo Parker followed.

So Soul Sistas

Gwen Mc Crae feat. The Soulpower Allstars: 90% of Me Is You
From Live In Paris (Hi&Fly Records, 2006)

Lyn Collins feat. Martha High, Marva Whitney & Gwen Mc Crae: Think (about it)
From Mama Feelgood (Hi&Fly Records, 2006)

Even if I didn't yet post soul tunes since the one about Laura Lee, Loaded likes soul music too. And in particular, that kind of music performed in the J.B.'s area. I'll try to post one later. Here I propose you two classic tunes of two great soul divas: Gwen Mc Crae and Lyn Collins. Lyn died last year in February 2005... rest in peace. Recently Hi&Fly Records issued this live recording and... maybe... the label will reissue other live of other soul divas. But I can't assure it. So I can't only imagine that Hi&Fly is preparing a collection. If you have any information, write below a comment.

Ain't no particular

Lefties Soul Connection : Organ Donor
From Huspot (Melting Pot Music, 2006)
Orgone : Funky Nassau
From 7" (Nuffrope records, 2006)

Both available on Party-Keller Vol. 2 (Compost, 2006)

Compiled by Florian Keller, Party-Keller is a selection of Funk, Boogie, Soulful Reggae and Afrobeat. Lefties Soul Connection and Orgone are actual groups, its sound like a very very deep funk. Lefties Soul Connection is a group from Netherlands. I think Hupsot is their second album. "Organ Donor" which is a take on DJ Shadow's song of the same name, itself in turn a take on Giorgio Moroder's "Tears" (1972), which Keller had included on his previous volume. And "Funky Nassau", a classic tunes from The Beginning Of The End, that Orgone mixed with afro sound.

Today Tomorrow and Always

Mark Holder : Music Turns Me On
From Today Tomorrow and Always (Dervia, 1974)

Also available on Funk Power Black Power (Soul Patrol, 2001)

Last week, after listening 'Sweet Carolina' I've been astonished to listen for the first time a reggae tune of Mark Holder. Last year I've been introduced on Mark Holder music with this compilation. On this, most of them are obscure funk band. 'Music Turns Me On' sounds like Funkadelic genre mixed with 'Slipping into Darkness' War tune. Nicolas Magneron, aka DJ Nico, was looking to feature some lost and rare tunes. There's no information about Mark Holder on the sleeve. And I only could propose you to click here, for more details about Today Tomorrow and Always, or here, to see his releases.

Mark Holder incomplete discography :
Where There's a Will, There's a Way (Deriva, 1973)
Coming On Strong (Maholta, 1974)
Today Tomorrow And Always (Deriva, 1974)

If you have informations, or else, about him please sent below your comment...

Back On The Right Track

6ix : I'm Just Like You
Little Sister : Stanga
Both available on What It Is!: Funky Soul And Rare Grooves (Rhino, 2006)

Sly & The Family Stone : Spaced Cowboy
From There's A Riot Goin' On (Epic, 1971)

Some says Sly was helped by his friend Buddy Miles when he begun to produce Abaco Dream, Joe Hicks, Little Sister and 6ix in his own label Stone Flower. Some LPs released in the early 70s will announce a new direction for the Family Stone and in particular by the using of the drum machine.

Sly appreciated a lot the country-soul fusion he heard on Harlan County's Jim Ford album released in 1969. I'm Just Like You, a rare Sly Stone song under 6ix pseudonym, is probably a good exemple. I'm Just Like You is like a "missing link" between Stanga and Spaced Cowboy.

---

"The third, "Life and Death in G & A," was a minor Sly composition recorded by Joe Hicks and has been out of print for almost 35 years. And the last was "I'm Just Like You," credited to 6ix, which reappeared in 2004 on a British rare-funk compilation, Funk Drops 3. 6ix, it turns out, is obviously Stone by himself, from the period when he was recording 1971's There's a Riot Goin' On: wah-wah guitar, a primitive drum machine tapping and hissing, a bass line that he later reworked for "If You Want Me to Stay," and Sly half- swallowing his own voice the way he did on Riot tracks like "Poet." The lyrics, at least as far as they're possible to make out, seem to be Stone expressing guarded sympathy with his confused audience. It's a trivial song—self-consciously trivial—but it's a Sly Stone song, from the period of his deepest, best music. There aren't going to be more like it."

By Douglas Wolk for Seattle Weekly

Next One Hundred Years

Eddie Fisher: Land Of Our Father and Either Or
From Eddie Fisher & The Next One Hundred Years (Cadet, 1971)

Famous wah wah jazz funk guitarist at Chess records. Fisher was a longtime R&B sideman behind greats including Solomon Burke and Albert King. In 1970 Eddie Fisher sound was nearest Sly Stone, Hendrix and Eddie Hazel's sound than Wes Montgomery even if the jazz guitarist has a strong influence with him. Next One Hundred Years seems to be his third album and the second at Chess.