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)

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

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 

African Music Machine - Water Black Gold (1972)

         "The African Music Machine was an eight-piece funk outfit from New Orleans led by bassist/songwriter Louis Villery. They got their start as a house band for the Jewel/Paula label axis, playing on records by the likes of Fontella Bass, Little Johnny Taylor, Roscoe Robinson, Ted Taylor, Tommie Young, and singer/producer Bobby Patterson, among others. From 1972-1974, they cut several of their own singles for the Patterson-owned Soul Power subsidiary. Most of their work was done in a heavy, James Brown vein, sometimes with a bit of Creole influence mixed in. Their original 45s -- including "Black Water Gold," "Tropical," and "The Dapp" -- later became highly prized items among funk collectors, fetching outlandish prices; a compilation of singles, also titled Black Water Gold, was reissued in 2000. In 2001, Villery assembled a new version of the African Music Machine and released an eponymous album on Singular."

allmusic.com

Tracklisting

1. African Music Machine - Mr. Brown (2:59)
2. African Music Machine - A Girl In France (2:34)
3. African Music Machine - The Dapp (2:45)
4. African Music Machine - Never Name A Baby (Before It's Born) (3:21)
5. African Music Machine - Tropical (2:29)
6. African Music Machine - Making Nassau Fruit Drink (2:35)
7. African Music Machine - Camel Time (3:01)
8. African Music Machine - Black Water Gold (Pearl) (3:12)

African Music Machine - Making Nassau Fruit Drink

Eddie Bo - Hook And Sling

             "A sorely underappreciated veteran of the New Orleans R&B scene, singer/songwriter/producer/pianist Eddie Bo evolved into one of the city's foremost funk players during the late '60s and early '70s, although he never had a national hit commensurate with his musical standing. Born Edwin Joseph Bocage on September 20, 1930, Bo was raised in the Algiers and Ninth Ward sections of New Orleans by a musical family; uncles Peter and Charles and cousin Henry all played in post-WWI jazz orchestras (including A.J. Piron's), and his mother was a pianist in the Professor Longhair style. Bo served in the Army after high school, and returned to New Orleans to study at the Grunewald School of Music, where he discovered bebop pianists like Art Tatum and Oscar Peterson. He started playing around the jam-heavy New Orleans jazz scene, but soon discovered that R&B was more popular and accessible, not to mention better-paying. He joined the house band at Club Tijuana under the name Spider Bocage, and later formed the Spider Bocage Orchestra, a professional backing band that supported many prominent blues and R&B artists of the day, including Ruth Brown, Earl King, Lloyd Price, Big Joe Turner, Smiley Lewis, and Guitar Slim."

allmusic.com

Tracklisting

1. Eddie Bo - Hook & Sling (3:40)
2. Eddie Bo - Sissy Walk (5:07)
3. Eddie Bo - If It's Good To You It's Good For You (5:07)
4. Eddie Bo - Check Your Bucket (4:53)
5. Eddie Bo - How Sweet It Is (3:09)
6. Eddie Bo - The Thang (Part 1) (2:50)
7. Eddie Bo - Funky Jam (2:54)
8. Eddie Bo - Hey Mama Here Comes The Preacher (2:40)
9. Eddie Bo - Funky Yeah (2:29)
10. Eddie Bo - Eddie's Rubber Band (2:54)
11. Eddie Bo - Love Has Been Good (2:35)
12. Eddie Bo - Just Wonder (3:43)
13. Eddie Bo - The Thang (Part 2) (3:04)
14. Eddie Bo - That Certain Someone (2:53)
15. Eddie Bo - Come To Me (2:36)

Eddie Bo - Funky Jam

Gaturs feat.Willie Tee - Wasted (1970)

"The Gaturs were not as well known as the Meters and not as minimalist in their take on funk, but like that group they created a distinct sound based on the party atmosphere for which New Orleans is famous. Led by veteran session musician Willie Tee, the Gaturs' jazz-inflected funk and soul only made it to a handful of singles, but did pave the way for Tee's next project -- as bandleader for the festive chants of Mardi Gras Indians the Wild Magnolias.".

allmusic.com

Tracklisting

1. The Gaturs feat. Willie Tee - Gator Bait (2:44)
2. The Gaturs feat. Willie Tee - Nobody Can Be You (3:50)
3. The Gaturs feat. Willie Tee - Hunk of Funk (2:25)
4. The Gaturs feat. Willie Tee - Funky Funky Twist (3:08)
5. The Gaturs feat. Willie Tee - Wasted (2:29)
6. The Gaturs feat. Willie Tee - Yeah, You're Right (2:20)
7. The Gaturs feat. Willie Tee - Concentrate (3:48)
8. The Gaturs feat. Willie Tee - Get Up (3:33)
9. The Gaturs feat. Willie Tee - First Taste of Hurt (2:46)
10. The Gaturs feat. Willie Tee - One Thrill Fool (3:49)
11. The Gaturs feat. Willie Tee - Man That I Am (3:47)
12. The Gaturs feat. Willie Tee - I'm Gonna Make You Love Me (3:51)
13. The Gaturs feat. Willie Tee - Sweet Thing (3:15)
14. The Gaturs feat. Willie Tee - Booger Man (2:33)
15. The Gaturs feat. Willie Tee - Cold Bear (2:53)

The Gaturs feat. Willie Tee - Gator Bait

The Meters - The Meters (1969)

"The Meters defined New Orleans funk, not only on their own recordings, but also as the backing band for numerous artists, including many produced by Allen Toussaint. Where the funk of Sly Stone and James Brown was wild, careening, and determinedly urban, the Meters were down-home and earthy. Nearly all of their own recordings were instrumentals, putting the emphasis on the organic and complex rhythms. The syncopated, layered percussion intertwined with the gritty grooves of the guitar and organ, creating a distinctive sound that earned a small, devoted cult during the '70s, including musicians like Paul McCartney and Robert Palmer, both of whom used the group as a backing band for recording."
allmusic.com

Tracklisting

1. The Meters - Here Comes The Meterman (2:53)
2. The Meters - Rigor Mortis (2:36)
3. The Meters - Cardova (4:30)
4. The Meters - Live Wire (2:38)
5. The Meters - Art (2:31)
6. The Meters - Sophisticated Cissy (2:57)
7. The Meters - Ease Back (3:15)
8. The Meters - 6V6 LA (2:23)
9. The Meters - Sehorns Farm (2:28)
10. The Meters - Ann (2:43)
11. The Meters - Stormy (3:35)
12. The Meters - Sing A Simple Song (2:56)
13. The Meters - Cissy Strut (Mix Version) (3:04)
14. The Meters - Here Comes The Meter Man (Mix Version) (2:56)
15. The Meters - Live Wire (Mix Version) (2:40)
16. The Meters - Stormy (Mix Version) (3:39)
17. The Meters - Cissy Strut (3:05)

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 The Meters - Cissy Strut