Mebusas Vol. 1 - Blood Brothers (1973)

The MEBUSAS lone LP Blood Brothers combines elements of American Soul and Funk, Psychedelic Rock, Latin/Carribean rhythms and traditional African music. Innovative arrangements, deep rhythms, and top-notch playing make this 1973 album a true classic. This is the first ever re-issue of this landmark album.

Tracklisting:

01 - Son Of Mr. Bulldog (5:26)
02 - Blood Brothers (6:20)
03 - I Wanna Do It (4:05)
04 - Return-Pada (5:48)
05 - Mr. Bulldog (5:20)
06 - Grooving Out On Life (3:47)
07 - Kwashioko (2:57)
08 - Do You Know (3:26)
09 - Good Bye Friends (3:29)

Son Of Mr. Bulldog

Batty Davis - Betty Davis (1973)

" Betty Davis' debut was an outstanding funk record, driven by her aggressive, no-nonsense songs and a set of howling performances from a crack band. Listeners wouldn't know it from the song's title, but for the opener, "If I'm in Luck I Might Get Picked Up," Davis certainly doesn't play the wallflower; she's a woman on the prowl, positively luring the men in and, best of all, explaining exactly how she does it: "I said I'm wigglin' my fanny, I'm raunchy dancing, I'm-a-doing it doing it/This is my night out." "Game Is My Middle Name" begins at a midtempo lope, but really breaks through on the chorus, with the Pointer Sisters and Sylvester backing up each of her assertions. As overwhelming as Davis' performances are, it's as much the backing group as Davis herself that makes her material so powerful (and believable). Reams of underground cred allowed her to recruit one of the tightest rhythm sections ever heard on record (bassist Larry Graham and drummer Greg Errico, both veterans of Sly & the Family Stone), plus fellow San Francisco luminaries like master keyboardist Merl Saunders and guitarists Neal Schon orDouglas Rodriguez (both associated with Santana at the time). Graham's popping bass and the raw, flamboyant, hooky guitar lines of Schon or Rodriguez make the perfect accompaniment to these songs;Graham's slinky bass is the instrumental equivalent of Davis' vocal gymnastics, and Rodriguez makes his guitar scream during "Your Man My Man." It's hard to tell whether the musicians are pushing so hard because of Davis' performances or if they're egging each other on, but it's an unnecessary question. Everything about Betty Davis' self-titled debut album speaks to Davis the lean-and-mean sexual predator, from songs to performance to backing, and so much the better for it. All of which should've been expected from the woman who was too wild for Miles Davis."

allmusic.com

Tracklisting

1. Betty Davis - If I'm In Luck I Might Get Picked Up (5:00)
2. Betty Davis - Walkin Up The Road (2:55)
3. Betty Davis - Anti Love Song (4:31)
4. Betty Davis - Your Man My Man (3:39)
5. Betty Davis - Ooh Yea (3:09)
6. Betty Davis - Steppin In Her I. Miller Shoes (3:14)
7. Betty Davis - Game Is My Middle Name (5:12)
8. Betty Davis - In The Meantime (2:43)

Betty Davis - If I'm In Luck I Might Get Picked Up

The Baby Huey Story: The Living Legend (1971)

"Baby Huey's only album, released after his untimely death, is titled The Living Legend with good reason. He was legendary in his appearance, a 400-pound man with a penchant for flamboyant clothing and crowned by a woolly Afro, a look that is best illustrated by one of several rare photos included in the Water Records edition that shows our man in a wide-lapeled polka-dot shirt with a lime-green jacket. Beyond his unusual appearance, though, he was graced with a stunning, fierce voice on par with Otis Redding and Howard Tate, wailing and howling one moment and oddly tender and sentimental the next. Nowhere on Living Legend is his range more apparent than the opening track, "Listen to Me," where listeners are introduced to both the enigma of Baby Huey and his diamond-tough psychedelic funk backing band, the Baby Sitters. The high-energy instrumental workout "Mama Get Yourself Together" is worthy of the J.B.'s and a hazy, spiraling ten-minute rendition of Sam Cooke's chestnut "A Change Is Going to Come" confirms that the Baby Sitters could hold their own with Blood, Sweat & Tears. Further lore that catapults The Living Legend from good to great: the production was helmed by Curtis Mayfield, reason enough to make it near essential, and is highlighted by three of his compositions, "Mighty Mighty," which Mayfield and the Impressions recorded a few years earlier; "Running," a classic Mayfieldcut that can only be heard here ripped to glorious bits by a band that is trying to let every member solo; and "Hard Times," which Mayfield himself would revisit on his 1975 album There's No Place Like America Today, although Baby Huey's razor-edged reading remains the definitive version -- no small caveat considering Mayfield not only wrote the tune, but could rightfully be considered one of the architects of soul to boot."

allmusic.com

Tracklisting

1. Baby Huey - Listen To Me (6:41)
2. Baby Huey - Mama Get Yourself Together (6:15)
3. Baby Huey - A Change Is Going To Come (9:31)
4. Baby Huey - Mighty Mighty (2:49)
5. Baby Huey - Hard Times (3:23)
6. Baby Huey - California Dreamin' (4:48)
7. Baby Huey - Running (3:39)
8. Baby Huey - One Dragon Two Dragon (4:03)

Baby Huey - Hard Times

Funkadelic - Live - Meadowbrook, Rochester, Michigan (12 September 1971)

                                                                    "Not released until 1996, this was an unusual gig for the band, which was breaking in a new rhythm section (this may have been this lineup's first show) without much or any rehearsal. You can't tell from this 77-minute disc, which offers a typically amorphous, free-floating set of black rock -- which is to say, judged by most standards, it's not typical music at all. Seguing from spaced-out jams to occasional numbers with vocals by George Clinton, and throwing in imaginative improvisations by guitarist Eddie Hazel and keyboardist Bernie Worrell, it sounds something like a combination of Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, and Sun Ra. The 14-minute "Maggot Brain" verges on prog rock/psychedelia (in the good sense), with its almost mystical guitar lines; earthier pleasures are offered with cuts like "I Call My Baby Pussycat" (two versions). The fidelity is pretty good, though the vocals lack the presence of the instruments. Funkadelic are still shown to their best advantage on their studio recordings of the era, but this is certainly a fascinating find for fans, augmented by detailed liner notes about the gig by Rob Bowman."

allmusic.com

Tracklisting

1. 01 Alice In My Fantasies (with James Wesley Jackson) (6:37)
2. 02 Maggot Brain (14:01)
3. 03 I Call My Baby Pussycat (Fast Version) (5:39)
4. 04 I Call My Baby Pussycat (8:10)
5. 05 Good Old Music (4:28)
6. 06 I Got A Thing, You Got A Thing, Everybody's Got A Thing (8:37)
7. 07 All Your Goodies Are Gone (The Loser's Seat) (15:07)
8. 08 I'll Bet You (5:24)
9. 09 You and Your Folks, Me and My Folks (5:27)
10. 10 Free Your Mind and Your Ass Will Follow (with James Wesley Jackson) (3:40)

Alice In My Fantasies (with James Wesley Jackson)

Mary Jane Hooper - Psychedelphia: Rare & Unreleased New Orleans Funk 1966-1970

"New Orleans funk diva Mary Jane Hooper remains one of the most shadowy figures in Crescent City soul history. Famed for her collaboration with legendary producer Eddie Bo, many believe she is simply an alias employed by singer Inez Cheatham, although Bo himself disputes such assertions. Hooper is in fact the stage name of one Sena Fletcher, who began her career singing gospel before crossing over to secular R&B backing Lee Dorsey. Upon signing to Bo's Scram label in 1966, Hooper issued her debut single, "Don't Change Nothin'." She eventually moved to Bo's Power label, where in 1968 she cut her best-known single, "That's How Strong My Love Is," later licensed for national release by World Pacific. "I've Got Reasons" followed later that year on Bo's renamed Power Pac imprint, but after the release of the two-part "I've Got What You Need" (justly famed for drummer James Black's monster groove),Hooper effectively disappeared. Her vocal similarities to Cheatham (another Eddie Bo protégée) prompted many funk collectors to assume the two singers were one and the same, further muddying the waters of her history and recorded output.

Sorely overlooked by everyone (save for major soul and funk fans) who enjoys soul music, the city of New Orleans was relegated to the backseat by their soul brethren in Detroit, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Nashville, somewhat unjustly. With the recent movement to unearth funk classics and rare vinyl, this wrong has been slowly corrected, most recently with Funky Delicacies' reissue of Sena Fletcher's finest performances. Recording under the guise of Mary Jane Hooper, this collection of singles recorded for Scram Records includes her most well-known hit "Psychedelphia" and is reason alone for beat junkies to consider purchasing this compilation. But there are several other hidden treasures among the pile as well; "I've Got Reasons" and "You've Got What I Want" are but two that could give "Psychedelphia" a run for its money, and Fletcher's version of "Harper Valley PTA" is a beautifully haunting take on the classic "

allmusic.com

Tracklisting

1. Hooper, Mary Jane - I've Got Reasons (3:08)
2. Hooper, Mary Jane - Don't Change Nothing (3:21)
3. Hooper, Mary Jane - You've Got What I Want (2:49)
4. Hooper, Mary Jane - I Feel a Hurt (4:02)
5. Hooper, Mary Jane - Remember When (3:06)
6. Hooper, Mary Jane - I'm in a Loving Groove (3:33)
7. Hooper, Mary Jane - I've Got What You Need (3:25)
8. Hooper, Mary Jane - How Long (2:15)
9. Hooper, Mary Jane - Harper Valley P.T.A. (3:25)
10. Hooper, Mary Jane - That's How Strong Love Is (3:09)
11. Hooper, Mary Jane - Psychedelphia (3:45)
12. Hooper, Mary Jane - Let My Past Go (3:13)
13. Hooper, Mary Jane - Teach Me (2:30)
14. Hooper, Mary Jane - Stolen Moments (2:26)

Link in comments

Hooper, Mary Jane - I've Got What You Need

The Meters - Live (1978-11-21)

Tracklisting

t01 Fire on the Bayou
t02 Look-Ka Py-Py
t03 Hey Now Baby
t04 Hang 'Em High, Honky Tonk Woman
t05 The World Is a Little Bit Under the Weather
t06 I Wanna Make It With You
t07 Chug Chug Chug-a-Lug
t08 Big Chief
t09 Jungle Man
t10 It Ain't No Use
t11 Hey Pocky A-Way (fade out)

Link in comments

The Meters - Fire on the Bayou

James Brown - Love Power Peace, Live At The Olympia, Paris (1971)

"James Brown is featured here with the then newly formed J.B.'s -- the maestro's second great band, including Bootsy Collins, Phelps Collins, Jabo Starks, Bobby Byrd, and Fred Wesley. Live at the Apollo had caught James Brown the '50s gospel/R&B singer; Love Power Peace captures James Brown the funkster. In the early '70s Brown turned up the funk, recording such litanies for Black America as "Ain't It Funky Now," "Sex Machine," "Give It Up or Turn It Loose," "Super Bad," "Get Up, Get into It, Get Involved," and "Soul Power." They're all here, along with revved-up, white-hot versions of the early- and middle-period classics. Brown had planned to release this as a triple album in 1971. When several bandmembers left shortly after it was recorded, Brown switched from King to Polydor Records, leading him to scrap it and record a new studio album instead. In 1992, Polygram decided to make the recording available for the first time."

allmusic.com

Tracklisting

1. James Brown - Intro (1:12)
2. James Brown - Brother Rapp (3:03)
3. James Brown - Ain't It Funky Now (5:36)
4. James Brown - Georgia On My Mind (6:11)
5. James Brown - It's A New Day
6. James Brown - Bewildered
7. James Brown - Sex Machine
8. James Brown - Try Me
9. James Brown - Medley Papa's Got A Brand New Bag I Got You (I Feel Good) I Got The Feelin'
10. James Brown - Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose
11. James Brown - It's A Man's Man's Man's World
12. James Brown - Please, Please, Please
13. James Brown - Sex Machine (Reprise)
14. James Brown - Super Bad
15. James Brown - Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved
16. James Brown - Soul Power
17. James Brown - Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved (Finale)


James Brown - Ain't It Funky Now

Lee Dorsey - Yes We Can (1970)

"For all but the most dedicated record collector, Lee Dorsey's terrific singles for Amy -- including the hits "Workin' in a Coalmine" and "Ride Your Pony" -- are all anybody knows about Lee Dorsey's collaboration with Allen Toussaint. Those were the recordings that were the hits, those were the recordings that were played on oldies radio, and those were the recordings that were reissued on CD, while the two albums Dorsey and Toussaint made in the '70s seemed lost, never reissued and rarely mentioned in either's discography or biography. That's not to say that the first of their '70s efforts, 1970's Yes We Can, didn't have an impact. Several of the cuts were covered by major artists throughout the decade -- the Pointer Sisters had a hit with the title track, Robert Palmer covered "Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley" for the title track of his 1974 debut, Ringo Starr cut "Occapella," and the Meters' loose-limbed, eclectic groove set the pace for a lot of rock and funk for the '70s (most notably Little Feat, who did a faithful cover of Dorsey's 1971 non-LP single "On Your Way Down"). So while it was possible to hear the reverberations of this album, it was impossible to easily hear this music until it finally saw the light of day on Raven's 2005 two-fer Yes We Can/Night People (which also included "On Your Way Down" and another non-LP single, "When Can I Come Home?," as bonus tracks).

Musically, Yes We Can is closer to Toussaint's solo LPs for Warner -- collected on Rhino Handmade's excellent 2003 two-disc set The Complete Warner Recordings -- than Dorsey's '60s sides, but it's the best overall album Dorsey ever made and one of the greatest soul albums of the '70s. Here, Dorsey, Toussaint, and the estimable supporting band of the Meters are at an absolute peak. Song for song, this is Toussaint's strongest writing and it's given lively, imaginative interpretations from the Meters. Hardly just a routine collection of New Orleans funk, Yes We Can dips into rampaging Stax-Volt soul on "When the Bill's Paid," diamond-hard funk on "Gator Tail," stylish updates of Dorsey's Amy sound on "O Me-O, My-O" and "Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley," smoky nighttime grooves on "Riverboat," and utterly modern protest soul on "Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further?" while ending on the hilarious standup comedy riff of "Would You?" Not only is there a great variety of styles, sounds, and moods here, but Dorsey, Toussaint, and the Meters all make it sound easy, when it really was the most sophisticated funk and soul of its time. Maybe that sly sophistication is why the album sank commercially in 1970, maybe it's because the music was at once too earthy and elegant to compete with the sound of either Hi or Philadelphia International, maybe it just didn't get the right promotion, but the years have been nothing but kind to Yes We Can, which stands as one of the great soul albums."

allmusic.com

Tracklisting

1. Lee Dorsey - yes we can - part 1 (3:24)
2. Lee Dorsey - riverboat (2:29)
3. Lee Dorsey - tear, tears and more tears (3:11)
4. Lee Dorsey - o me-o, my-o (2:37)
5. Lee Dorsey - sneakin' salley through the alley (2:44)
6. Lee Dorsey - yes we can - part 2 (3:23)
7. Lee Dorsey - who's gonna help brother get further (3:00)
8. Lee Dorsey - games people play (3:16)
9. Lee Dorsey - when the bills paid (2:23)
10. Lee Dorsey - occapella (2:34)
11. Lee Dorsey - gator tail (2:56)
12. Lee Dorsey - would you (3:40)

Lee Dorsey - yes we can - part 1 

Bootsy's Rubber Band - Live In Louisville (1978)

 
                                  "If Bootsy Collins is correct in his contention that faking the funk will cause one's nose to grow, he and his bandmates need not worry: This is one seriously funky live album. In fact, fans of Collins who know him only through his studio recordings will find this set revelatory. There is a ferocity here that is only hinted at on his solo efforts and his work with Parliament and Funkadelic. Collins' vocals throughout this 1978 concert recording are frighteningly powerful, and his always amazing slap bass playing is almost dizzying at points. The rest of the group aren't slouches either. Of course, this is no second-tier road band: All of the key members of the Rubber Band are on board as are most of the Horny Horns (with the obvious exception of trombonist Fred Wesley). Collins and company cover all of the obvious hits and crowd favorites, and in every instance they improve on the already impressive studio versions. Gary "Mudbone" Cooper's vocals shine throughout as do those of Robert "P Nut" Johnson. Collins' brother, guitarist Phelps "Catfish" Collins is strong as always, particularly on incendiary versions of "Very Yes" and "I'd Rather Be With You." The horns -- always among the highlights on the Rubber Band's studio recordings -- are particularly effective here. Check out Maceo Parker's solo spot on "Can't Stay Away" for definitive evidence of his genius. This European release may not be the easiest item in Collins' discography to locate, but it may well be the best. Well worth seeking out."

allmusic.com

Tracklisting

1. Bootsy's Rubber Band - Intro Maceo (0:20)

2. Bootsy's Rubber Band - Bootsy ? (What's The Name Of This Town) (3:12)
3. Bootsy's Rubber Band - Rubber Duckie (0:53)
4. Bootsy's Rubber Band - Psychoticbumpschool (3:14)
5. Bootsy's Rubber Band - Pinnochio Theory (6:26)
6. Bootsy's Rubber Band - Hollywood Square (5:39)
7. Bootsy's Rubber Band - Roto-Rooter (3:44)
8. Bootsy's Rubber Band - Very Yes (5:28)
9. Bootsy's Rubber Band - Can't Stay Away (6:07)
10. Bootsy's Rubber Band - Stretchin' Out (In A Rubber Band) (11:23)
11. Bootsy's Rubber Band - I'd Rather Be WIth You (10:18)
12. Bootsy's Rubber Band - Aah The Name Is Bootsy, Baby (4:25)
13. Bootsy's Rubber Band - Bootzilla (6:22)

Bootsy's Rubber Band - Psychoticbumpschool

Ohio Players - Jam (1977)

 "With their slinky, horn-powered grooves, impeccable musicianship, and eye-popping album covers, the Ohio Players were among the top funk bands of the mid-'70s. Emerging from the musical hotbed of Dayton in 1959, the group was originally dubbed the Ohio Untouchables, and initially comprised singer/guitarist Robert Ward, bassist Marshall "Rock" Jones, saxophonist/guitarist Clarence "Satch" Satchell, drummer Cornelius Johnson, and trumpeter/trombonist Ralph "Pee Wee" Middlebrooks. In late 1961, a relative of Ward's founded the Detroit-based Lupine Records, and the group traveled north to the Motor City to back the Falcons on their hit "I Found a Love"; the Ohio Untouchables soon made their headlining debut with "Love Is Amazing," but when Ward subsequently exited for a solo career, the group essentially disbanded.

At Mercury, the Ohio Players enjoyed their greatest success; not only did their sound coalesce, but they became notorious for their sexually provocative LP covers, a tradition begun during their Westbound tenure. Their 1974 Mercury debut, Skin Tight, was their first unequivocal classic, launching the hit title track as well as "Jive Turkey." Its follow-up, Fire, remains the Players' masterpiece, topping the pop charts on the strength of its bone-rattling title cut, itself a number one hit; "I Want to Be Free," one of the band's few attempts at social commentary, was also highly successful. 1975's Honey -- which featured perhaps the Players' most controversial and erotic cover to date -- was another monster, generating the chart-topping masterpiece "Love Rollercoaster" in addition to the hits "Sweet Sticky Thing" and "Fopp."

allmusic.com

Tracklisting

1. Ohio Players - Merry Go Round (4:52)
2. Ohio Players - Love Rollercoaster (5:57)
3. Ohio Players - Alone (8:02)
4. Ohio Players - Skin Tight (4:34)
5. Ohio Players - Fopp (4:28)
6. Ohio Players - Magic Trick (3:53)
7. Ohio Players - Good Luck Charm (7:43)
8. Ohio Players - Fire (11:00)
9. Ohio Players - O-H-I-O (3:49)
10. Ohio Players - Sugar's Blues (2:49)
11. Ohio Players - O-H-I-O (Reprise) (1:25)

Ohio Players -  O-H-I-O

O'Donel Levy - Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky (1973)

"Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky, O'Donel Levy's follow-up to his excellent Simba, is something of a letdown in comparison. Simba featured a bunch of solid tunes, written and dynamically arranged by Manny Albam. Although both albums were produced by label head Sonny Lester, without Albam's input these sessions seem somewhat lost. The title cut is not a direct ripoff of the Allen Toussaint tune, but it is fairly derivative. The second tune is a direct ripoff. "Marbles," credited to Levy, is actually a John McLaughlin tune, from his album Devotion, and it's downhill from there. Billy Preston's "Will It Go Round in Circles" is taken at breakneck speed, and let's just say Levy is better off sticking with instrumentals. "Livin' for the City" gets a heavy wah-wah makeover, but is one of the better tracks on the album. The rest is just unremarkable. "Sideshow" shows the ballad side of Levy's playing, and the standard "Willow Weep for Me" is treated as a pretty straight blues. None of this is awful; it just lacks the great tunes and arrangements of its predecessor. Unless you simply can't get enough O'Donel Levy, skip Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky and stick with Simba."

allmusic.com

Tracklisting

1. O'Donel Levy - Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky (3:23)
2. O'Donel Levy - Marbles (6:29)
3. O'Donel Levy - Will It Got Round In Circles (3:23)
4. O'Donel Levy - Living For The City (5:03)
5. O'Donel Levy - Side Show (4:47)
6. O'Donel Levy - Willow Weep For Me (6:18)
7. O'Donel Levy - Hey, Love! (3:19)
8. O'Donel Levy - Are You Foolin' Me (3:10)

O'Donel Levy - Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky

Kool And The Gang - Live At P.J.'S (1971)

"Live at P.J.'s, the third Kool & the Gang record (and second live album in a row), betters the previous Live at the Sex Machine with a committed set balancing funky workouts ("Ronnie's Groove") with more exploratory soul-jazz ("Sombrero Sam"), and occasionally trying both on the same track ("N.T."). A night-after-night schedule of concerts all over the country had given Kool & the Gang the chops to become one of the best bands of the '70s, but it also enabled them to construct tight, interesting sets (this release would've undoubtedly sounded even better had the original compilers trusted the artists themselves and reissued the show in the correct running order). The opener is a version of "N.T." (short for no title), oddly slower than it was heard on record, though the relaxed tempo allowed plenty of room for solos and stretching out. At this point, Kool & the Gang had more in common with soul-jazz units like the Crusaders than a funk band, giving nearly every member a chance to shine, but especially Dennis Thomas on flute (he has some great vocalizing on "Sombrero Sam"), Khalis Bayyan on tenor and soprano sax, and Robert "Spike" Mickens on trumpet. The only misstep is a pair of covers originally heard on Isaac Hayes' ...To Be Continued, the first a regal version of "Ike's Mood" that suddenly descends into MOR soul via a misguided attempt at "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling." Mercury's CD reissue added a great bonus track, "The Penguin."

allmusic.com

Tracklisting

1. Kool And The Gang - N.T. (6:31)
2. Kool And The Gang - Ricksonata (5:41)
3. Kool And The Gang - Sombrero Sam (6:41)
4. Kool And The Gang - Ronnie's Groove (2:59)
5. Kool And The Gang - Ike's Mood/You've Lost That Loving Feeling (10:29)
6. Kool And The Gang - Lucky For Me (3:06)
7. Kool And The Gang - Dujii (6:02)
8. Kool And The Gang - The Penguin (5:26)

Kool And The Gang - Dujii

Bubbha Thomas & The Lightmen - Country Fried Chicken (1975)

"Drummer Bubbha Thomas is working here in a mode that's kind of an electrified 70s take on the Texas showband style of earlier years – a mode that has the core funky combo augmented by electric keys and moog in just the right places! The tunes on the set are all instrumentals – jamming along in a sweet little style that mixes funky jazz with some of the rougher touches of the indie 45 scene – letting the band stretch out on extended solos on most cuts, but still keeping the rhythms very tight and in the pocket! In a way, the approach almost feels like some of the funkier work on Tribe Records from Detroit, especially on tracks that have more ambitious solo work. Players include Doug Harris on flute and tenor, Ronnie Laws on tenor, John Henderson on electric piano, and a young Hugh Ragin on trombone – and titles include "Herbs Of Life", "Sweet Ray", "Famous Last Words", "Country Fried Chicken", and "Survival Song"."

http://www.dustygroove.com

Tracklisting

1. Bubbha Thomas & The Lightmen - Country Fried Chicken (6:09)
2. Bubbha Thomas & The Lightmen - All In Love Is Fair (5:06)
3. Bubbha Thomas & The Lightmen - Survival Song (6:48)
4. Bubbha Thomas & The Lightmen - Herbs (Of Life) (4:54)
5. Bubbha Thomas & The Lightmen - Famous Last Words (5:41)
6. Bubbha Thomas & The Lightmen - Sweet Ray (10:33)

Bubbha Thomas & The Lightmen - Sweet Ray

16 Heavy Funk Ballads

Hello, my dear friends =)
This year is coming to the end and I decided to show up at last with the new comp i wanted to do a long time ago for you. So I hope you like my NY present because it was made with all my heart and soul =)

I wish you Happy New Year brothers and sisters. Hope to see ya in the next =)

Faithfully yours, FunkyBoss =)

Tracklisting

1. The Kashmere Stage Band - Ain't No Sunshine (live) (4:21)
2. The Mickey & The Soul Generation - Help (I Need Your Love) (live) (3:50)
3. The Dayton Sidewinders - Phoenix (3:25)
4. The Hot Chocolate - We Had True Love (6:13)
5. The Meters - Stormy (3:31)
6. The Equatics - Where Is Love? (4:36)
7. The Black Merda - Reality (1:58)
8. The Ebony Rhythm Band - Can I Call You Baby (The Pearls) (3:35)
9. The Innersouls - Thoughts (3:22)
10. The Darling Dears - And I Love You (3:29)
11. The Wille & The Mighty Magnificents - Sundry (2:55)
12. Fugi - Can't You Hear Me Call You, Woman (4:25)
13. The Ultimates - Progressive Movement (3:49)
14. Jhonny Cameron & The Camerons - I Love You (Yes I Do) (2:50)
15. Boobie Knight & The Soulciety - April (5:23)
16. The Black on White Affair - Auld Lang Syne (4:01)

Link in comments

The Innersouls - Thoughts

The Equatics - Doin It!!! (1972)

"The stories of great high school funk bands are, thanks to an abundance of reissues, commonplace. The tales of great high school soul-bands are still rare. A ballad or two on the random Douglass High School Stage Band album or Timeless Legend’s mesmerizing entry on Columbus’s 1972 1st Annual Inner City Talent Expo notwithstanding, high school bands rarely struck into the realm of “grown folks” music. Enter The Equatics and their brooding masterpiece Doin’ It!!!!

If this is categorized as a “funk” album – and it was for the last ten years, by those few lucky enough to own an original copy – it holds its own. But it was as a soul band – one as inspired by the melancholic musings of Bill Withers as the psychedelic-pop of the self-proclaimed “Black Moses,” Issac Hayes – that the Equatics shone. These young souls offered world-weary, beat-heavy ballads that stand on par with any of the great independent organizations of the early 1970s. That a group of teenagers could offer such an angst-ridden plea as that of Leo Davis’s “Merry Go Round” not only transcends the limitations that came from the band’s average age (seventeen, at the time of the album’s recording), but also the barriers the stood in front of this group of small-city hopefuls."

http://www.nowagainrecords.com/

Tracklisting

1. The Equatics - What They Doin? (3:26)
2. The Equatics - Walk On By (3:57)
3. The Equatics - Merry Go Round (2:43)
4. The Equatics - Santana Part 1 (3:01)
5. The Equatics - The Touch Of You (3:36)
6. The Equatics - Santana Part II (2:59)
7. The Equatics - Ain't No Sunshine (3:33)
8. The Equatics - Cisco Fare (3:53)
9. The Equatics - Where Is Love? (4:36)

The Equatics - Walk On By

Soul Brothers Six - Funky Funky Way Of Makin Love

Tracklisting

1. Soul brothers six - Funky Funky Way Of Making Love (3:30)
2. Soul brothers six - If It's Alright It;s Goanna Be All Night (5:11)
3. Soul brothers six - When You Goanna Find Another Fool (4:01)
4. Soul brothers six - Give Me Some More Of Your Funky Good Lovin (3:04)
5. Soul brothers six - Let Me Do What We Ain't Doin (3:14)
6. Soul brothers six - Doggone Good Feelin (3:13)
7. Soul brothers six - All I Want Is Your Love (2:56)
8. Soul brothers six - You're My Love (3:19)
9. Soul brothers six - You Gotta Come A Little Closer (3:00)
10. Soul brothers six - Lost The Will To Live (3:07)
11. Soul brothers six - Let Me Be The One (4:14)
12. Soul brothers six - I'm GIving Up On Love (3:28)
13. Soul brothers six - You've Got To Have Rhythm (3:02)
14. Soul brothers six - Makin Love Makes Me High (3:07)
15. Soul brothers six - Wipe That Smile Off Your Face (3:21)
16. Soul brothers six - Share Your Love With Me (2:11)
17. Soul brothers six - Let Me Get Next To You (3:36)
18. Soul brothers six - Nodding (3:17)

Soul brothers six - Let Me Do What We Ain't Doin

The Counts - What's Up Front That Counts (1971)

                      "In the early '70s, the boundaries of black pop became more fluid. Soul and funk could intermingle with jazz, hard rock, psychedelia, and singer/songwriting. The Counts were not one of the more exceptional outfits that brewed these influences together; for one thing, they never stuck to any one mixture long enough for listeners to get a handle on the group. They were, however, emblematic of the currents sweeping through R&B at the time, even if they were hardly as innovative as, say, Funkadelic, or Marvin Gaye in his What's Going On period. Offering both vocal and instrumental tracks, the group could lay down loping, jazzy instrumental grooves heavy on the sax and organ. In a heartbeat, they could switch gears into spacy novelties like "Flies Over Watermelon!" and "The Munchies." In between there were some sweet soul ballads, and even a sop to the mainstream with a cover of Carole King's "Jazzman."

Originally a Detroit-based sextet, the Counts' first LP was an instrumental outing on Cotillion, with noted Michigan producer Ollie McLaughlin taking the co-writing credits on all of the songs. A few years later, the group moved to Atlanta, paring down to a quartet by the time they recorded the Love Sign album for the Aware label in 1973. An expanded lineup recorded the Funk Pump album for the same company in 1975; the two Aware albums formed the basis for CD reissues of the Counts' work in the mid-'90s, when their brand of soul-funk-jazz was becoming hip again."

allmusic.com

Tracklisting

1. The Counts - What's Up Front That - Counts (7:45)
2. The Counts - Rhythm Changes (3:07)
3. The Counts - Thinking Single (3:10)
4. The Counts - Why Not Start All Over Again (6:48)
5. The Counts - Pack Of Lies (4:14)
6. The Counts - Bills (2:53)
7. The Counts - Motor City (3:42)
8. The Counts - What's It All About (2:25)

The Counts - Rhythm Changes

Amnesty - Free Your Mind (1973)

"Fans of the exquisite, often never-before-released funk championed by Now Again Records are no stranger to Amnesty. Based in Indianapolis in the early 1970s, the group released only two obscure 45s in their recording career. Birthed from the same scene as the Ebony Rhythm Band (Soul Heart Transplant – NA 5011), Amnesty had a poltical edge similar to LA Carnival (Would Like To Pose A Question – NA 5009) and the hardest brass section since The Kashmere Stage Band (Texas Thunder Soul – NA 5023).

This previously unreleased anthology comes from the same sessions as “Free Your Mind”. In 1973 Amnesty recorded five hard, vocal funk numbers alongside some ballads and a handful of demos based around nothing more than guitar accompaniment. Only two songs were ever released; Amnesty’s biting, difficult-to-categorize prog/rock/soul/funk stretched far beyond Indianpolis’s bounds and the band didn’t have a label to take them to the next level.

Obviously influenced by, but by no means simply imitators of, the sound of early Parliament and Funkadelic, Amnesty also responds to the grooves of Earth Wind and Fire and Sly and The Family Stone in their own way. Finally made available thirty three years after they were recorded, these songs are funk arranged with dangerous complexity and performed with precision – arguably the most unique funk to originate from Naptown, and some of the best music of its kind."

http://www.nowagainrecords.com

Tracklisting

1. Amnesty - Can I Help You (7:41)
2. Amnesty - Love Fades (3:32)
3. Amnesty - Mister President (4:19)
4. Amnesty - Free Your Mind (5:51)
5. Amnesty - We Have Love (4:32)
6. Amnesty - Lord Help Me (3:38)
7. Amnesty - Three Cheers For My Baby (4:10)
8. Amnesty - Trouble Will Remain (2:34)
9. Amnesty - We've Come Along Way (1:54)
10. Amnesty - Liberty (2:40)

Amnesty - Love Fades

16 Heavy Funk Rarities

Hi! Here is my little comp, folks. Hope you like it =)


Tracklisting

1. Fabulous Souls - Take Me (2:55)
2. Amnesty - Love Fades (3:32)
3. Dayton Sidewinders - Go Ahead On (2:30)
4. Soul Patrol - Don't knock the cop (2:28)
5. Little Curtis & The Blues - Soul Desire (3:39)
6. Fabulous Souls - Baby I've Got It (2:15)
7. Mary Jane Hooper - I've Got What You Need (2:43)
8. Soul Patrol - Peter Pan (2:49)
9. Seay, Frankie & The Soul Riders - Soul Food (3:18)
10. Apollo Commanders - [Untitled Track] (3:40)
11. Billy Larkin And The Delegates - Funky Fire (3:38)
12. Highlighters - Poppin' Popcorn (3:15)
13. Richard Marks - Funky Four Corners (Instrumental) (2:31)
14. Don Julian (and The Larks) - Shorty The Pimp Pt1 (5:22)
15. The Devils - The X-sorcist (3:22)
16. Dyke & The Blazers - You Are My Sunshine (2:27)


Apollo Commanders - [Untitled Track]

Funky L.A. - Lost Funk & Rare Grooves From the Los Angeles Underground (1970-1975)

Tracklisting

1. Wardell Howard - Down On My Luck (2:16)
2. Charles Miller - Black Nursery (4:51)
3. Marie Adams - Get Up And Do It (2:35)
4. Bill Spencer - The Jacksons Part 1&amp2 (4:58)
5. Blockbusters - Moody (2:28)
6. Soul Primers - Can´t Resist It Part 1 (3:17)
7. Soul Primers - Can´t Resist It Part 2 (3:12)
8. Caprells - Close Your Eyes (3:17)
9. Baraka - Sower Of Seeds (3:39)

Wardell Howard - Down On My Luck