Cool R (1986) Let’s Talk About It (LP) Half & Half ST 62525

Cool R

Let’s Talk About It 

1986

Half & Half ST 62525

*** noteworthy

Obviously influenced by every master of funk in the 80s, this has a small-town charm all its own.  While this is a varied set, it grabs you from the get-go with the 8+ minute opener “Dangerous.”  The set is produced and written Nathaniel Phillips, the band’s bass player, and that’s not surprising considering the popping bassline is a huge part of the charm.

Perhaps this offering from Portland, Oregon is not worth what you’d likely end up paying for it, this is certainly worth a listen if you dig obscure funk from the 1980s.

— winch (author of

Willard Burton & the Funky Four

Dirty Dozen Brass Band

photos by winch (author of…)

Henry Butler

photo by winch

Platypus (1979) S/T (LP) Casablanca 7171

Platypus

Platypus

Casablanca 7171
1979
Produced by Platypus

Rating:*** (Noteworthy)

Debut album by this Cincinnati outfit.  A funk disco sound runs through the entire set, but unlike many funk groups of the 70s, this delivered the goods without horns, and in contrast to most disco outfits, this relies much more on a thumping bassline and sometimes rock elements and less on synthesized sounds.

Considering they released this on Casablanca, the Parliament/Funkadelic comparisons were inevitable, and while those comparisons were justified, this has more of a disco sound and also shows influences from fellow Ohio funk outfits the Isley Brothers and Ohio Players, the influence of the Dayton outfit epecially pronounced on “Street Babies,” the influence of the Isley Brothers showing in the absence of a horn section.  The influence of these fellow Cincinnati soul brothers becomes pronounced as “Don’t Go Away” starts out, but the song has its own sound, ends up mixing elements of a rock power ballad with a traditional soul ballad.  While the build up of tension in the power ballad comes out of blues and soul traditions, “Don’t Go Away” clearly sees the influence channeled through the rock tradition.  It’s perhaps not the stand-out cut on the set, but it’s part of several mildly unique elements that makes this album a bit more interesting than most disco funk releases from this era.

This is definitely recommended listening for fans of disco funk, the sound coming out of the 70s and in some ways, clearly headed toward the 80s.  Some of the cuts will also interest others, especially the previously mentioned “Street Babies” and “Don’t Go Away.”  These two songs have little in common, one a hard-funk cut, the other a soul ballad, but both mix rock elements into the sounds.  While they certainly weren’t the only outfit to combine these styles, Platypus sometimes fused these styles to create a sound all their own.  Rock and funk both came out of R&B, but most of the funk outfits that followed Sly Stone’s lead of incorporating rock elements in the soul and funk used horns and lacked the slick polished sound of this outfit.

While this album sold poorly and the band broke up before the release of their second album (Cherry 1980), they managed to leave behind a small legacy with this release.

— winch

Hi-Tension (1978) S/T (LP) Island Records (ILPS 9564)

Hi-Tension

Hi-Tension

Island(ILPS 9564)

1978

Producers: Kofi Ayivor & Alex Sadkin

(Title track produced by Ayivor & Chris Blackwell)

Rating: ***  (Noteworthy)

This English disco-funk outfit found considerable success at home, where both the title track and “British Hustle” were hit singles and dancefloor favorites, but they were mostly ignored in the States where disco fans preferred England’s Hot Chocolate, the German sound, or their own artists.  The band eases into this set with “You’re My Girl,” picking up the pace for “Searchin’,” slowing it down again for “Autumn Love,” before cutting lose on the instrumental “Power and Lightning.”  After that, they continue with the rollercoaster, the second side opening with the pure disco sound of “British Hustle,” slowly it down slightly for “If It Moves You” before launching into “Hi-Tension,” which like “Power and Lightning,” should appeal to fans of funk, the two guitarists and four percussionists burning a groove through the superficial, the horns and organ helping out, punching holes through the disco haze.  This is stylish disco-funk, and fans of bands such as EWF should give this album a listen.

This sole album by this UK outfit is mostly known for the dance cuts “Hi-Tension” and “British Hustle,” but the instrumental “Power and Lightning”  and slower cuts such as “Autumn Love” deserve attention too.  “British Hustle” was timely, but other cuts are more timeless.  While this band wasn’t breaking new ground with this album, they picked the right influences and the right musicians.

— winch

LINK TO SELLERS:

Kiki Gyan (1977) Afro Reggae (LP) P.V.P. 7777

Kiki Gyan

Afro Reggae

P.V.P. 7777 (Holland pressing) 

1977

rating: *** (noteworthy)

African keyboardist Gyan joined Osibisa as a teenager, released this rare solo debut a few years later.  (Apparently, he’d never kick the drug addiction that started here.  It would end up killing him.)  This is African DISCO with some reggae and funk elements but fans of funk or reggae might be disappointed.  He offers some variety and some of the cuts are quite unique, but contrary to some sellers’ brags, this is not really funk but rather a disco-funk sound.  He creates a groove on some of the cuts but often loses the groove or floats over the groove in signature disco style.  He has one horn (soprano sax) and cool African percussion on some cuts, and his synthesizer often sounds very dated—which some listeners might find charming.  

The set is somewhat typical of bands led by keyboardists—typically not a good sign— but he keeps it playful and doesn’t waste much time showing off his chops.  The best cut is “Doing My Thing,” but other selections have some charm as well.  For fans of rare disco or African 70s music, this is a worthwhile listen.

Kiki Gyan (fender rhodes, piano, synthesizer, organ, bass, lead vocals, production), Jake Sollo(guitars), Richard Bailey (drums), Ray Allen (sax), Kofi Ayivor (percussion), Liza Strike, Helen Chappelle & Joan Stone (backing vocals).  Recorded in London.

— winch

Don Pullen (LP) Tomorrow’s Promises (1977) Atlantic 1699

Don Pullen

Tomorrow’s Promises

Atlantic 1699
Produced by Ilhan Mimaroglu

1977

Rating:**** (Recommended)

Offering healthy doses of the avant garde but grounded in a blend of hard bop and R&B (60s groove and 70s funk), this set opens with a hard-driving 10+ minute Pullen original called “Big Alice,” George Adams on alto, Michael Urbaniak on electric violin, Randy Brecker on trumpet, Pullen on piano, each getting time for solos as the rhythm section (bass plus three percussionists) keeps the sound powering along, a fairly funky freight train bouncing down the line.  After the reflective post bop of “Autumn Song,” the side picks up the pace again, closing with “Poodie Pie” (Pullen, Morgan Burton, Sterling ” Satan” Magee), Mr. Satan’s guitar work more pronounced and helping carve out the groove, the cut featuring Pullen on clavinet, producer Mimaroglu with electronic tracks. While the groove moves through various tempos and moods, it never completely forgets where it started.

The second side opens with another stand-out Pullen original called “Kadji,” this number featuring an almost hip-shaking tempo but sounding like it owes something to Coltrane’s explorations of the African continent.  After a free-form duet with Pullen and Adams, the set closes with a vocal cut, a reflective message song called “Let’s Be Friends” featuring the pipes of Rita DaCosta.  While this set doesn’t end as strong as it opens, it remains interesting and enjoyable, moving through moods and tempos to create a totality of effect.  There’s certainly enough solid material to make this recommended listening.

— winch

http://www.eight-track.com/

The Impressions: This Is My Country (1968) Curtom CRS-8001

The Impressions

This Is My Country

Curtom CRS-8001

1968

Producer: Curtis Mayfield

Rating: **** (Recommended)

Impressions’ first album for Mayfield’s Curtom label.  The title track and “They Don’t Know” foreshadow the direction Mayfield would soon take, but for the most part this continues with the sound they’d established with ABC-Paramount.  The set is written by Mayfield with two cuts co-written with Donny Hathaway–another pioneer of the social-themed soul of the 70s.    

Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band Meets King Penett (1978) RCA (AFL1-2402)

Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band

Meets King Penett

RCA (AFL1-2402)

1978

Producer: Stony Browder, Jr.

Rating: **** (Recommended)

This NYC outfit was primed for continued success but with this second album, they pulled further back into their own thing and offered more focus on acoustic instrumentation.  This is quite similar to the debut, except with less of the blatant disco elements.  All this didn’t help this group commercially, but it certainly helped create another timeless set.

   

While this again mixes all kinds of styles from the past and takes plenty of risks, it’s also quite cohesive.  Some have pointed out an experimental quality to this album, but the songs are also accessible pop music.  This blending of pop styles must have had an influence on other artists.  

While the instrumentations come from many sources, Cory Daye’s wonderful vocals are at the front of much of the material, and the influence this band had on vocalist Sade is especially clear on this album.  Of course, this is a bit more playful and considerably more interesting.

And the influences go beyond the obvious.

While Quincy Jones likely had an influence on this music, this band probably also inspired Mr. Jones.  And I can’t help wonder if we would have had Purple Rain without albums such as this one.  Rain is a completely different album, but both sets have an ambitious and adventurous quality, and both run through a variety of sounds while still sounding cohesive.

While this didn’t sell well, and even today some might find this set a disappointment after their classic debut, this still has plenty of charm.  In fact, it has charm to spare.

It’s a set you could play for your great-grandma or your teenage daughter, and you’d probably get grins from both of them.  It’s another fine example of their neo-retro pop music.

— winch

Stoney Browder, Jr.: production, music, vocals, guitar, piano

August Darnell: lyrics, vocals, bass

Cory Daye: vocals

Mickey Sevilla: drums

Andy Hernandez: vibes, marimba, accordion

Orchestrations: Jimmy Haskell & Van Alexander