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Brenton Wood “Oogum Boogum” Double Shot Records. (1967) This lp features the AM radio staple “Gimme Little Sign” and “Oogum Boogum” another charting hit. Coming out of Compton, Los Angeles there’s a Chicano or Latin-soul vibe to Brenton’s records. I love his songs, especially the sweet soul sounds of “Catch You On the Rebound,” “Baby You Got It” and also on this album “I Like the Way You Love Me”.
(24 votes, average: 3.13 out of 5)
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A French picture sleeve for an early “Little” Stevie Wonder single. It’s fun to see the great photographs that only made their way onto foreign covers. This is Motown, of course, released in France by Barclay. Circa 1966.
(38 votes, average: 3.76 out of 5) Loading ...
Laura Nyro and Labelle “Gonna Take A Miracle” Columbia Records (1971) Laura Nyro has long been my favorite singer-songwriter. As a kid, I listened over and over again to all of her first records. When she came back to touring in 1976, I saw her at Tanglewood (released as the live record “Season of Lights”) and at Case Western University in Cleveland. Her first four records were her greatest, but as each new record came out during her middle period (“Smile,” “Nested,” “Mother’s Spiritual”), I bought them right away and found something special in each one. In the late 80’s I saw her at the Bottom Line a few times. I have her records from the 90’s and, while I don’t have the same emotional connection to those songs, her voice remains soulful and warm and familiar to me. I like her covers of r&b songs on those last records – which brings me back to “Gonna Take a Miracle” which is all covers of sixties soul songs with background vocals by Patti Labelle and Labelle. Laura grew up singing these songs accapella with her friends on the streets and in the subways of New York. Making this record must have been a labor of love. Sadly, she died in 1997 at only 49 years old.
(43 votes, average: 3.88 out of 5) Loading ...
A nice French ep by The Miracles and The Contours two early Motown hitmakers. Jerk it like you feel it.
(24 votes, average: 3.50 out of 5) Loading ...
The Marvelettes – A French Tamla Motown EP release.
(33 votes, average: 3.70 out of 5) Loading ...
The only LP by the mysterious funk group the Skull Snaps on the GSF Label (1973) They were in fact the group originally known as The Diplomats who had released numerous singles between 1963 and 1970 with middling success. Following this Skull Snaps session the group recorded a cover version of the underground hit “Soul Makossa” using the name All Dyrections, for the Buddah label. Two years later they recorded one final single under the Skull Snaps name, ‘Ain’t that lovin’ you’ b/w ‘Al’s razor blade’, for Grill records. Soul Snaps drum breaks have been sampled by rap and hip-hop artists including Ol’ Dirty Bastard and The Prodigy.
(27 votes, average: 2.81 out of 5) Loading ...
Freddie Mack “Kung Fu Man” / “Ultra Funk” (1974)
(26 votes, average: 3.69 out of 5) Loading ...
James Brown and his Famous Flames “Try Me!” King Records A collection of James Brown’s earliest R&B singles from 1959.
(31 votes, average: 3.81 out of 5) Loading ...
