2024 Funk / Soul Journal Vol. 2 - Complete

Silver, Platinum & Gold - Hollywood. 1981 Neptune promo (LP). Purchased with the David Astri (Jun). A more typical disco album with plenty of synthesizer moving it into the boogie category. Too many vocals and a few handclaps sink it for me, but it does have some stellar moments, especially the guitar. Very obscure album.

David Astri - Do it Right. 1983 Award (LP). From an antique mall (Jun). This was an extension of the sale below. The records were more expensive, but so are their worth. I only paid a fraction of going rates. Musically quite a good mix of electronic, disco, and boogie. As good as THP Orchestra, more 80s though. I'd consider keeping it but I think I'll take the profit since it's not really my genre of choice.

*T.H.P. Orchestra - Two Hot for Love. 1977 Butterfly (LP). From a large garage sale purchase also cataloged in the Jazz journal and others (Jun). This is their "debut" though in reality there's one prior to this. All of side 1 and the first half of side 2 is just as great as the Tender album. Hardcore driving disco that keeps your toes tapping. The latter two tracks seem to be almost a different band and the disco is far more trite. All the same, I rate the two albums similar. About as good as it gets for the genre.

Cousin Ice. 1980 Urban Rock (LP). More from the garage sale (Jun). Ira Crossin was a rich kid from the Upper West Side buying his way into the Studio 54 set. He played sax and flute, but rather than join the conservatory circuit, he goes in for disco to get the hookers and blow presumably. This album should be a killer but it lacks the melodies necessary to make it work. All the same it's a pretty rare album that we'll be reselling.

Ozone - Glasses. 1983 Motown promo (LP). Same garage sale (Jun). A very different Ozone has emerged from the boogie inspired group of their 1980 debut. Glasses offers a unique blend of British styled new wave and American soul/funk. Never really heard anything like it before and for that it gets points. This was to be Ozone's final album, as I don't think they ever caught on with the general public. 

*Mandrill - We Are One. 1977 Arista promo (LP). Same garage sale (Jun). This is my second time to own this, the other going back 20 years without as much context as I have today. Mandrill were never a group to be pigeonholed and We Are One is no different. They've moved on from their proggy funk days over to the disco movement, but this isn't a garden variety album of that genre either. They're a large ensemble that remains very musical and there are many gems throughout. A worthy addition to the Mandrill catalog, just keep your expectations in check as to the contents.

*T.H.P. Orchestra - #2 Tender is the Night. 1978 Butterfly (LP). White vinyl. Same garage sale (Jun). This is the album that made me think twice about disco. A friend gave it to me in the early 90s. I wouldn't allow myself to like it, but I secretly did anyway lol. I eventually gave it away, but now have a different perspective. Besides this copy is much nicer. And I like it far more than I ever thought I would. This is a great example of composed music - with high quality musicians - performing what is perceived as simple. While the metrics aren't complicated per medium protocol, the bass player could care less and decides to make it complicated anyway. Ha! On Tender is the Night there is a 6 piece rock band, 6 more on horns, and no less than 10 folks on strings. Plus two female vocalists. So take that Mr./Ms. DIY stay-at-home computer musician! All these tracks are catchy as heck too. They just make you feel good. And want to make you dance for those who know how to do such a thing. I would have no idea honestly. The collective is from Toronto and were attempting to emulate the European disco craze. I think they surpassed it. The repetitiveness would prove to be its only weakness. Then again, repetition is the key to learning.

* - Keeping for the collection

2022 Funk / Soul Journal Vol. 1 - Complete

*Rhythm Heritage - Disco-fied. 1976 ABC (LP). For their breakout single 'Theme from S.W.A.T.' (1975) I wrote the following almost exactly 2 years ago: "It all started here for me. Yep, this is the first vinyl I ever bought. My aunt stuck a couple of bucks in my pocket to buy a record and to subsequently piss off my parents. It worked (aunt's are good that way). By 1976 I had accumulated a couple of handfuls of 45s such as this, and then got tired of it (sold in a garage sale), and went back to collecting the more familiar ball cards. No more music for me I said! Yea, there's a grand proclamation that held... for about a year. In any case, how screwed up of a 10 year old was I to get this anyway? What kid runs out to buy 'Theme from S.W.A.T.'? I didn't even like the show! 45 years later, as I was buying a pile of records, I saw this for $1. Had to have it. Honestly I had forgotten all about what it sounded like. You know what though? This is a really great mid 70s heavy instrumental funk track! And the flip side is good too, with some cool Moog soloing. I'm keeping it this time." That flip side is not on this album though. For disco music, this is a good title throughout. The arrangements are excellent, great analog instrumentation, and plenty of good musicianship. I can only imagine that they simplified from here, though I'll have to try one out if I see it, which I'm sure I will. I don't have high hopes for Disco Derby, but would you believe it's quite scarce and expensive, despite being on MCA? Huh. (Dec)

Andrea True Connection - More, More, More. 1976 Buddah (LP). I remember the hit single from when I first started collecting 45s at the tender age of 10 and 11. Amazing what they allowed on AM radio back then for young ears. Of course it's well known now that Andrea True was a porn star - and continued in that industry afterward. At that age I would have had no idea what that meant, though I don't think the general populace was tapped into that knowledge either. No more than Marilyn Chambers was the 99.44% pure girl for Ivory Snow. The album titles are filled with sexual innuendo. But why is it any good in the first place? She's a reasonably good singer but didn't really have strong stage presence or even a Donna Summers like voice. Gregg Diamond. He was the mastermind behind the project. Anyway, easy listening background music that brings back the mid 70s for me. (Dec)

Big Apple Brass - Opus de Metropolis. 1978 Royal Flush white label promo (LP). Thrift shop find (Dec). This one looked obscure and the first two titles read very intriguing: 'West Side Rock' and 'Funk Latino'. Followed by 'Big Apple Boogie' and 'Finger Lickin Disco' so I guess there was that to consider too. In any case, the Big Apple Brass were one of those large horn bands that decided to hop onto the disco bandwagon. There's some nicely performed horn charts and some rock elements - though guitar is strangely missing from 'West Side Rock', one of the more overt disco tracks here. Ah well, fairly harmless stuff. Not bad, but not the best the genre has to offer. 

Mazarati. 1986 Paisley Press (LP). From the Denver Record show (Oct). No idea what it was but it looked intriguing. And it's certainly going for more than the $1 they charged for it. Beautiful copy too. Ten seconds in and I proclaim "this sounds like Prince!" Well yea, duh. I'm always on top of things, eh? A closer look makes this incredibly obvious. First of all they look like Prince. Well - except the white guys, who look like A Flock of Seagulls rejects. The album is on Prince's label and they're from Minneapolis. This is pretty much copycat music - but that means there's some fine guitar. Good on the whole, but no room in the collection for this title I'm afraid.

Ozone - Walk On. 1980 Motown (LP). Found this at a thrift shop (May). It looks like your everyday worthless disco album. But I'd never seen it before so I look them all up anyway as a matter of course. And sure enough, this isn't disco but rather what is known as boogie - or boogie funk. There are some really inventive and complex horn charts here. But for the most part it's still too smooth for my liking. I like my funk raw and dirty, and this is more radio friendly, which the cover indicated all along.

*Sylvia - Pillow Talk. 1973 Vibration (LP). This is not a cover you're likely to miss. To find this cheap ($4) at a local store is also surprising. This album just oozes sex. It's soul/funk, about 50/50 on that scale, but her sultry vocals make the soul music more interesting. I have a rare single from her as well, that I found for a quarter in Cheyenne, Wyoming (?!) just before the pandemic. This album is probably borderline exploitation, but Ms. Robinson puts in an authentic performance. Well worth keeping. Unique at the very least. (Apr)

*Shuggie Otis - Inspiration Information. 2001 Luaka Bop (1974) (CD). Thrift shop find (Apr). Otis' name came up last year on the review for The Brothers Johnson cover of 'Strawberry Letter #23', as he was the author of the piece. A piece I might add that is extraordinary in its strangeness. While it's not on the album proper, it is included on this CD. In some ways Otis' album is like Timmy Thomas' Why Can't We Live Together. That is to say, it's almost entirely a solo album and the music is unusually composed. Today this album has an enormous reputation for its groundbreaking ideas. And while it was hardly alone, sometimes it takes the right source to notice and promote. It's soul music by design, but it sits alone in its creativity. Great CD as well, loaded with historical details and four bonus tracks (all taken from Freedom Flight which I have yet to hear but hope to eventually).

The Jimmy Castor Bunch - E-Man Groovin'. 1976 Atlantic (LP). I've got a review of The Jimmy Castor Bunch's first two albums buried in this site. It's Just Begun is an absolute killer whereas Phase Two is pretty silly. Five albums later and not much has changed from Phase Two. At this point, Castor could be considered P-Funk even if we wasn't a member. Similar irreverence with a bit too much soul thrown in the mix. Too bad as it features an eye catching album cover. I'll pick these up as I go, but I suspect I'll end up just keeping that 2 for 1 CD, and the first LP if I find it. (Mar)

The Blackbyrds - Action. 1977 Fantasy (LP). Pulled this out of a 50 cent binner in October. This is my second go round with The Blackbyrds, having already commented on their debut. Only three years later, this would be the prolific band's 6th album. Really not that much different from the Faze-O I spoke of a couple of days ago. Not quite as much soul (though some), and it does stay with the funk for the most part. But it's of the stringsy variety, hovering around disco, but not quite committing to it. Nice gatefold cover - but gotta let this one go too. Though the beautiful closer 'Dreaming About You' had me a bit weak-kneed. Had to hang tough. (Jan)

* - Keeping for the collection