“MINDBLOWERS”   The VAST Majority

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings  “I Learned the Hard Way”  Release Date:  April 6, 2010 Daptone Records Our first post of a new record!  Because we love Sharon Jones and the sound of the Dap-Kings and Daptone records.   The single just gets better with every spin.

Produced by Bosco Mann and recorded on an Ampex eight-track tape machine by Gabriel Roth in Daptone Records’ House of Soul studios, this record drips with a warmth and spontaneity rarely found since the golden days of Muscle Shoals and Stax.  Sharon’s raw power, rhythmic swagger, moaning soulfulness, and melodic command set her firmly alongside Tina Turner, James Brown, Mavis Staples, and Aretha as a fixture in the canon of soul music.  From the lush Philly-Soul fanfare that ushers in “The Game Gets Old” at the top of the record, to the stripped down Sam Cooke-style “Mama Don’t Like My Man” at the tail, the Dap-Kings dance seamlessly through both the most crafted and simple arrangements with subtlety and discipline. I Learned the Hard Way is the “Daptone Sound” at its finest.

Richard “Groove” Holmes  “Six Million Dollar Man” (1975) Flying Dutchman Records  Arrangements by Oliver Nelson.   300 lps of funky organ jazz from the big man behind the B3!

One of Groove Holmes’ best albums of the 70s — thanks to some electric blacksploitation arrangements from the great Oliver Nelson! The format’s a bit tighter here than on some of Holmes’ Groove Merchant albums from the earlier part of the decade — an approach that’s almost like soundtrack scoring at times, but which allows Groove to stretch out a bit more on the solos, and take things way past the already-funky head arrangements penned by Nelson. Mike Wofford’s also on the record, throwing in some great electric piano and Arp in underneath Holmes’ own funky Hammond — and other players include Tom Scott, David T Walker, and Oscar Brashear — who all contribute nicely to the record. Titles include “Disc-o-Mite”, “Salsa de Alma”, “Dumpy Mama”, “Mama’s Groove”, “125th & 7th Ave”, and “Six Million Dollar Man”, the theme from the TV show! © 1996-2010, Dusty Groove America, Inc.

The Soulful Dynamics “Wildcats” London Records  (1972) The Soulful Dynamics from Liberia.

360 Degrees of Billy Paul featuring “Me and Mrs. Jones”  Philadelphia International Records  In late 1972/early 1973 this number one hit (penned by Gamble and Huff) was on heavy rotation on WJMO in Cleveland (and in my head!).  The album also includes the mighty “Am I Black Enough For Ya”.

The Sweet Inspirations  Atlantic Records (1967)  Includes “Why (Am I Treated So Bad),” a song previously recorded by The Staple Singers and a soulful version of “Let It Be Me”, a French song which had been a pop and R&B hit for Betty Everett & Jerry Butler.

The Sweet Inspirations was founded by Cissy Houston, mother of Whitney Houston and sister of Lee Warrick, (herself the mother of well-known sisters Dee Dee and Dionne Warwick).   The group at the time of this first Atlantic recording session also included Myra Smith and Estelle Brown

In a recording session in 1967, The Sweet Inspirations provided the back up vocals for Van Morrison on his classic hit “Brown Eyed Girl”  In 1968, the group did studio work on Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Ladyland album, performing backing vocals for the track “Burning of the Midnight Lamp.” They also backed Dusty Springfield on her album “Dusty in Memphis”

In 1969,  The Sweet Inspirations began working with Elvis Presley as both background singers and his warm-up act, as well as doing occasional ‘live’ dates with Aretha Franklin.

Sweet Linda Divine  “I’ll Say It Again” Columbia Records (1970)   I’ll say it again, the best beat diggers know that this has some funky cuts.

Rocky Roberts “Ma Non Ti Lascio Appassionatament”  Durium Records Italy  Check him out on Youtube!

“All-Star Rock and Roll”  An Atlantic Records EP from the early days of “rock and roll” which really means the R&B stars of the day like Ivory Joe Hunter, Clyde McPhatter, Ruth Brown and LaVern Baker.

Pete Rodriguez (aka “The King Of The Boogaloo” ) “I Like It Like That (A Mi Me Gusta Asi)”  Alegre Records.  A Latin Soul classic. Personnel include: Pete Rodriguez (piano); Tony Pabon (vocals, trumpet); Alberto Gonzalez, Richie Rodriguez (vocals); Angelo Rodriguez (trumpet); Gilberto “Tiny” Archeval (bass guitar); Manny Rodriguez (congas); Benny Bonilla (timbales).  The group’s having a non-stop party on the album with heavy piano lines, rumbling bass underneath the grooves, tight timbales, and some shouted lyrics in English that are always very catchy.  The title cut, “I Like It Like That”, is the sort of groover that you’ll be singing for years — even after hearing it only once — and the album’s filled with other great cuts, like “Pete’s Madness”, “Micaela”, and “3 and 1″ (Dusty Groove)

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