Never been able to work out whether this 1971 recording out of Texas (released on the Camaro label, Memphis) used a producer who was totally high or just a guy who shrugged convention by not really knowing what he was doing. But either way, it's a brilliant, totally left-field funk track by a bunch of kids who were still attending high school. Think "Hair" meets Fela Kuti in the 'hood. This is a great example of how a lot of rare 45s represent something much more real and evocative than the polished, manufactured products that made it to the charts. It's more a unique moment in time captured on tape rather than a song on vinyl.
The Fabulous Caprices hailed from Denison, East Texas. The band began life as the Fabulous Capris releasing the super-hard-to-find debut single "Stagger Walk" in 1970. A typo on the label for "Groovy World", their second single, obliged an official name change. For more information, check Sticky Records' band bio.
Artist: The Fabulous Caprices
A: Groovy World
B: My Love
Label: Camaro
Cat#: SW71-6308
Before coming to prominence as a member of brother Art Neville's band The Meters, percussionist and vocalist Cyril Neville cut his debut track for New Orleans label Josie. Not sure why it didn't get big. Maybe the sitar was just too strange for the market at the time? Great, great song and as close to main stream as rare funk 45s get. "Gossip" has been re-issued a bunch of times on various comps (including a Jazzman single with other brother Aaron Neville's song "Hercules" on the flipside) but the original is pretty hard to find - particular the full release version with the song "Tell Me What's On Your Mind" on the b-side.
(Photo via metersbase.com, Cyril Neville in The Meters on right)
1968 New Orleans/Meters style funk out of Los Angeles with "Soul/funk journeyman" Leon Hayward. Hayward moved from Houston, TX, to Los Angeles in the early 60s and played in many local R&B bands. He would later achieve success in the mid-70s with songs like "I Want'a Do Something Freaky To You" and "Strokin'". (Pzazz Records discography here)
Artist: The Soul Machine A: Twitchie Feet B: Bag Of Goodies Label: Pzazz Cat#: 021
Hailing from Detroit, The Fabulous Counts released their first single 'Jan Jan' on the local indy Moira label in 1968. The track was produced by former Motown producer Richard "Popcorn" Wylie.
Unlike most rare funk obscurities, 'Jan Jan' only narrowly missed charting and The Fabulous Counts went on to become fairly successful releasing an album 'Jan Jan' on Cotillion in 1969 and 'Rhythm Changes' on Westbound Records in 1971. They also played and released new music as The Counts until breaking up in 1976. Says Dusty Groove:
"The group's got a hard and heavy sound that mixed conga grooving at the bottom, guitar jamming in the middle, and lots of funky horns over the top – and the instrumental sound of the record is a non-stop funky party all the way through."
Artist: The Fabulous Counts A: Jan Jan B: Girl From Kenya Label: Moira Cat#: 45-103
"The Humpty Dump" is widely miscredited as an Eddie Bo production, rather than a Johnny Otis & Friends project. Sure, it sounds like classic New Orleans funk but it ain't. This much-sampled 1973 'funk bomb' is out of LA (meaning Los Angeles not Louisiana) with the 'Shuggie' on the label being Johnny's then 20-year-old son Shuggie Otis (left).
'The Humpty Dump' feels like catchy Motown pop soul with added fat-back funk. It's a classic song and I'd guess the usual music industry ownership squabbles or distribution issues must have kept it from mainstream success. But it remains huge for hip hop DJs and other connoisseurs of breaks. Heck, Digital Underground even 'sampled' the title along with the song...
Artist: The Vibrettes A: The Humpty Dump Pt. 1 B: The Humpty Dump Pt. 2 Label: Lujon Cat#: 101
I bought this one years ago without hearing it. But how could you resist buying a single with a label that looks like that and boasts an a-side called "This Funky Thing"? A winner...
But despite its promise, I have to say I never cared too much for "This Funky Thing". Instead, I always loved the straight ahead jam session on the b-side. "Spook-A-Delic" sounds like the band were just having fun and the engineer decided to hit record when the groove got interesting. It's a great late 60s R&B/Boogaloo breakdown with a hypnotic bass line and mad guitar skills. Love it!
"This Funky Thing" was picked up and sampled by DJ Shadow which spiked awareness and demand for a while. It's also on a lot of Funk comps but, as usual, I know squat about the artist or label so info gratefully received.
Artist: Don Pierce A: This Funky Thing B: Spook-A-Delic Label: Majesty Cat#: MAJ-1041
A slightly later era funk tune out of New York, this b-side has a really cool Hammond organ section at the start that begs to be sampled and looped. Don't know anything about Hot Ice Company or Lionel Records except it was a Mercury subsidiary so chances are there's quite a few copies out there. Dusty Groove says:
"Their name's a bit silly, but this group is a lot harder than you might expect! "I Got The Love You Need" is the real winner here – a sinister batch of wicked, wiggly guitar funk – all wound around each other tightly as some horns pepper the top half of the track! A great little instrumental!"
Artist: Hot Ice Company A: Fat Back Jack's Shack B: I Got The Love You Need Label: Lionel Cat#: L-3212
Easily one of the best, this track is like the '57 Chevy of Funk: it's a quintessential classic everyone knows but only a few own. I was lucky to get mine in the early 90s for $6 at Camden Market, London and it was one of the first items in my Funk 45 collection.
Don't know anything much apart from it's out of Brooklyn and was released in 1973... just in time for the oil crisis - hence the thin, brittle nature of the vinyl which makes it very hard to find pressings that aren't either cracked or needle-burned or both. Unfortunately, I needle-burned mine and generally beat it up deejaying so the sale value has taken a knock.
Have to assume something disastrous must have befallen the careers of such talents as James Lewis Fields and producer Jerry Washington that so little is now known about them. Info gratefully received.
Artist: James Lewis Fields A: How Long Shall I Wait B: I really Love You Label: Top Pop Cat#: 2262
The late 60s and early 70s were full of soul bands putting on James Brown impersonations and releasing 45s that mostly disappeared into obscurity. That's not to say some damn fine tunes were not crafted by guys trying to cash in on the Godfather's innovation. Even in Nigeria which is where I'm guessing this 45 comes from. Who knows who these guys are? Me neither.
Artist: Thomas St John & Winston J A: Funky Woman B: Don't Leave Me Here Label: Soul-Fa International Cat#: SA01
Recorded in PA and released on the King James label out of Ohio, this 1974 obscurity is a definite hard-edge funk soul anthem. What we used to call Rare Groove back in the day... sigh.
It's featured on the CD comp 'Funky Jams V' (1996) but seems otherwise fairly unknown.
Artist: Samson & Delilah The BOSS Six A: Living In A World Of Trouble B: Don't Leave Me Here Label: King James Cat#: KJ401
Before coming to prominence as a member of brother Art Neville's band The Meters, percussionist and vocalist Cyril Neville cut his debut track for New Orleans label Josie. Not sure why it didn't get big. Maybe the sitar was just too strange for the market at the time? Great, great song and as close to main stream as rare funk 45s get. "Gossip" has been re-issued a bunch of times on various comps (including a Jazzman single with other brother Aaron Neville's song "Hercules" on the flipside) but the original is pretty hard to find - particular the full release version with the song "Tell Me What's On Your Mind" on the b-side.
Hailing from Detroit, The Fabulous Counts released their first single 'Jan Jan' on the local indy Moira label in 1968. The track was produced by former Motown producer Richard "Popcorn" Wylie.
"The Humpty Dump" is widely miscredited as an Eddie Bo production, rather than a Johnny Otis & Friends project. Sure, it sounds like classic New Orleans funk but it ain't. This much-sampled 1973 'funk bomb' is out of LA (meaning Los Angeles not Louisiana) with the 'Shuggie' on the label being Johnny's then 20-year-old son Shuggie Otis (left).
