Annie Philippe - J'ai Tant De Peine (Barclay 7inch 1965)

This last year I really learned to appreciate French music, and in particular, the works of Serge Gainsbourg. Which inevitably lead to the discovery of the French yeye girls of the sixties. So fate smiled upon me when encountering the here featured Annie Philippe 45 in the bins of our favourite local recordshop Da Capo. Never as big as Gainsbourg-Girl France Gall, with whom she was often compared, Annie Philippe recorded a bunch of really groovy tunes in the sixties, combining angelical French Yeye with American Girl Group and British Sixties garage sounds. From Phil Spector arrangements with a cute-girl style delivery to French pop ballad orchestration with fuzzy guitars, including handclaps. Annie was getting noticed by the time of her 1965 third EP, that included tunes like J’ai Tant de Peine, Trois Petites Tambours, Lui and Le Souffleur De Verre. Covering a broad diversity of styles, however not always with satisfying results, some recordings being too cheesy, even for me. For more of her work, check out her 2Cd compilation L’Integrale Sixties on Magic Records. Listen to J'ai Tant De Peine below:



Born on 17 december 1946, in the Ménilmontant district of Paris, and already taking dance classes when young, she became a DJ, aged 17, at the Twenty One Club, located at the Rue Balzac near the Champs Élysées, and it was here where she met Paul Mariat. Mariat had already worked with Charles Aznavour and would later enjoy huge success with L’Amour Est Blue, launching the career of the Greek-German Vicky Leandros. After auditioning for Mariat, performing songs by Leny Escudero, Marie Laforêt and France Gall, he got Annie her first recording contract on the Riviera label, a sublabel of Barclay, and she released her first EP in 1964 (produced by Paul Mariat and Yzi Spighel, owner of the Twenty One club), including Vous Pouvez Me Dire (in the UK performed by Lulu as He Don’t want your Love Anymore), Une Rose (Presley’s Love Me Tender), Qu’il Le Dise and Je Chante et Je Danse. Unfortunately, she failed to make any impact initially. Her Second EP contained tunes like J’ai Raté Mon Bac, the France Gall-sounding Tout finit à Saint-Tropez, C’est Loin Domani (from the movie Le Rolls Royce Jaune) and a super-cute French version of the Supremes classic Baby Love. Annie was getting noticed by the time of her 1965 third EP, that included tunes like J’ai Tant de Peine (written by Guy Marchand), Trois Petites Tambours (Private John Q by Roger Miller), Lui and Le Souffleur De Verre. The follow up EP contained the handclapping garage stormer On M’a Toujours Dit, Tu Ne Comprends Rien Aux Filles, Quand L’Amour Est A Deux Pas and her biggest hit Ticket De Quai, a sweet ballad which charted in March 1966. After changing to the Philips label, she recorded the dramatic Pour Qui, pour Quoi, Tchakaboum and Cause Donc Toujours, while returning to the charts with the laidback Mes Amis, Mes Copains. Next was the fuzzy Swinging London–like (and one of my personal favourites) C’est La Mode in late 1966 (The EP also included the loungy Ca Fait Pleurer, Soeur Angelique and Le Temps de Poupees) and Le Mannequin in early 1967 (also including tunes like Pas De Taxi, Sensational Jeffrey and Tu Peux Partir Où Tu Voudras, a French version of Mama Cass’s Go Where You Wanna Go. Following her success she recorded an complete album in 1967, containing her hit C’est La Mode, a different version of Pas de Taxi and 2 unreleased songs (Bon Vieux Carillon and Ma Liberté). Now working with Christian Gaubert, the follow up EP, Lettre Pour Annie, also included Coeur Brisé, Coeur En Tête, De Ce Cote De La Riviere and the excellent Pour La Gloire. Next, she recorded the title track for the movie La Blonde de Pekin and the orchestral Les Enfants de Finland, which turned out to be her last chart entry. After her last Philips 1968 EP Une Petite Croix, including Laisse-nous Tranquilles, Bonjour, Bonsoir Et Au Revoir and Le Flingue (written by Frédéric Botton), failed to make an impression, she started working with Claude François on his Flèche label in 1968, releasing tunes like Le Même Amour (again written by Guy Marchand), Croix De Bois, Croix De Fer, Oiseaux de Novembre and Boeing Jet Et Caravelle. Her second Flèche EP included Je Découvre Tout and Laissez Votre Chapeau Monsieur Lee (Move in A Little Closer Baby by Mama Cass). However, sales were disappointing, and she continued to release some work in the seventies but her glory days had passed.

PS
Watch Annie's Le Jouet Extraordinaire on Youtube, I know this tune sucks, but just check the magician in the studio.

90 Minutes of Global Chicano Rock 1970-1978

If you don’t like screaming guitars and lots of percussion, don’t go any further. Latin Soul, Jazz , Rock & Funk, a deft balance between percussive rhythms, instrumental passages and emotional (and romantic) singing in both Spanish and English. Carlos Santana has risen to superstardom with these ingredients. However, there are much more bands, who in the wake of the Chicano Power movement of the late sixties got inspired and started to playing this music. Obviously all over U.S.A. and Latin America, but also as far as the Netherlands (check out the Massada track).

Anikulapo - Global Chicano Rock 1970-1978 by Anikulapo on Mixcloud

download here
http://www.mediafire.com/?r4868579sx938yc

The Boogaloo Combo – Nappy Head (Epic 1972)
Eddie Benitez - Hey Girl (Vaya 1976)
El Chicano - Ron Con Con (Shadybrook 1976)
Toro – Ramona (Coco 1975)
Santana – Oye Como Va (Colombia 1970)
Seguida – Mambo Rock (Fania 1974)
Chango - Mira Pa’ca (ABC 1975)
Coke Escovedo – Te Amo Mas (Sound Triangle 1975)
Azteca – Azteca (Colombia 1972)
Sapo – Can’t Make It (Bell 1974)
Katunga - Bailando Despacito (RCA 1973)
Bwana – Motemba (Caytronics 1972)
Tierra – La Feria (20th Century 1974)
Antiques - Chauca (Sound Triangle? 1973)
Cesar 830 – Azucar (Flying Dutchman 1975)
Massada – Nena (Kendari 1978)
Malo – Oye Mamita (Warner Bros 1972)
Flash & The Dynamics – Electric Latin Soul (Tico 1971?)
Macondo – Cayuco (Atlantic 1972)
Black Sugar – Viajecito (Sono Radio 1970)
Harvey Averne - Cucara Macara (Heavy Duty 1971)

Starting off easy with The Boogaloo Combo from Brazil, doing War´s Nappy Head. Their 1972 album Con Muito Ritmo also features a killer version of James Brown’s Hot Pants Road. Guitarist Eddie Benitez was born in Puerto Rico and raised in Europe, and at the age of 10 his family moved to New York City. Eddie started his musical career back in 1976 when he was signed to Fania/CBS Records at the age of 14. His first release NightLife soared the Latin and jazz charts and he became a West Coast Hero of Latin Rock. Hey Girl was produced by Fania ‘s Louie Ramirez. El Chicano was one of the biggest names on the scene, only second to Santana. This tune is from their later period on an independent label, their albums from the early seventies are also very enjoyable. New York based Toro is next with Ramona, produced by Harvey Averne, who returns with his own band later in the mix. Released in 1972 on Harvey’s Coco label. The Master himself Santana kicks in next with a cover of Tito Puente’s Oye Como Va. Always difficult to chose from such a vast volume of groovy recordings he made in the sixties and seventies. Seguida were a 20 piece latin orchestra from New York, that stood out at the time for combining sythesizers and electric guitars alongside the traditional percussion and brass. Mambo Rock is a serious dancefloor mover, produced by Fania’s Larry Harlow. One of the few latin rock acts on the Fania label, which normally was dominated by salsa. From U.S. East Coast comes the six-piece band Chango. The God Chango is the representative of unbridled sexuality, and here they deliver Mira Pa’Ca in rather West Coast way. After Azteca disbanded, Thomas “Coke” Escovedo toured with Stevie Wonder and signed to Mercury for his formal solo debut: Coke appealed to Latin, jazz and soul listeners. However, with disappointing sales, Escovedo rejoined Santana in the late 70s and played with Herbie Hancock during his disco-funk phase. The earlier mentioned Azteca, was a large Latin Rock band (up to 25 people!), based in San Francisco and including former Santana percussionists such as the brothers Pete & Coke Escovedo (Sheila E. also belongs to the Escovedo family) and Victor Pantoja. The group also included the horn section of Tower of Power and Neil Schon (of Journey) on guitar. They released only two albums in the early seventies on Colombia before disbanding. Also from San Franciso, Sapo, with Richard Bean on vocals, they enjoyed some chart success with Can’t Make It. Katunga hail from Argentina, but recorded most of their tunes in Peru. Balando Despacio, recorded in 1973, is a fine example of South American fusion of funk and rock. Also from the South American continent are Bwana, a mysterious six piece outfit from Colombia with an insane psychedelic Latin Afro-Funk-Rock sound; heavy keyboard grooves, moaning guitars, tribal vocals and conga madness throughout the album. Just as the song featured here, Motemba, the album is filled with long break-filled tracks. Back to the Sunshine State, there The Antiques from Miami, recording for the Sound Triangle label the edgy latin rocker Chauca. Tierra were one of a number of bands formed out of the growing Chicano movement in California. The group featured mainly a Latin-Rock sound, but funk is added in the stormer La Feria. Bolivian pianist-bandleader Cesar Ascarrunz and his group recorded the terrific Cesar 830 album for the Flying Dutchman label. With help of legendary jazz producer Teo Macero (who also did Miles Davis' Bitches Brew and Dave Brubeck's Take Five), he created an exceptional blend of Latino jazz rock fusion. Coming far from the typical Chicano environment, Massada, are an Indo-Dutch band (who sing in English and Spanish!) with a heavy Latin Fusion sound. The tune Nena is from their first and best album Astaganaga, released in 1978 on Kendari. Malo will always be known as the band of Carlos Santana’s brother Jorge, however, in the early seventies they released a series of quality albums, almost sounding fresher than Santana at that time. Oye mamita comes from their second album, simply called Dos, released in 1972. Back in the Big Apple, Flash and the Dynamics, (aka The Sons of El Barrio) combine latin funk & soul and boogaloo with tripped out psychedelic guitars. Electric Latin Soul is food for the brain, please listen to it. Macondo, from Southern California, took their name came from the novel 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Sergio Mendes discovered and produced their 1972 album. The featured tune, Cayuco, again is a Tito Puente composition and you can hear again Victor Pantoja, former member of Santana and Azteca playing congas. Black Sugar is a funky 9-piece Latin-rock band from Peru, released two albums (both with the famous Coco Lagos on percussion). Influences from groups like Tower of Power, Blood Sweat & Tears and Chicago mixed with latin funk flavor, here performing the epic Viajecito. And finally, 70’s latin funkrock frenzy from NY latin mastermind Harvey Averne. Cucara Macara holds lots of percussion, electric guitars and soulfull vocals, resulting in the tasty Nuyorican sound, arranged by Marty Sheller. That´s all folks……. Hasta la proxima.

LES SANGANAS

Last week I was in for a nice surprise when my uncle called, telling me to come by and pick up his record collection. He didn't want anything in return for it, but I wasn't allowed to leave anything behind either. Obviously I didn't, which left me with an almost complete back catalogue of punk and new wave's finest. And while jiving to oldies but goodies like the Clash, the Jam, The Undertones and all them, I found a little pile of 7"s, tucked in between some records. One of them was by a group called "Les Sanganas," wrapped in a "not too promising" sleeve, you might know the kind: musicians in traditional clothing, masks, hats and drums all over the place...Very much like those terrible "world music" records that flooded the market in the mid 80's. Some further investigation of the sleeve learned that the two songs weren't recorded in some dusty studio in say..Lagos or Accra; nope, they were caught on disc in 1977 in a little studio in "funky" Breda, the Netherlands, by a producer named Tony Dirne (who recorded a lot of dutch groups in the 60's and 70's, some pop, some rock but most of them traditional dutch folk and easy listening.)

Yeah...I guess it's safe to say I wasn't expecting too much of this little gem when I finally put it on.
And then it blew me away...

Opener "Sibily Day" is nothing short of an afrobeat anthem pur sang, opening with- and superbly riding an ultra funky guitar riff, this song shreds all the way untill the very end. It's harbouring influences from blues, soul, funk, high life and gospel and it simply has got it all. It's more Orlando Julius than Fela Kuti, it's more proto type afrobeat if you'd like, but therefore more than welcome in my musical world. Fela was brilliant, but he's got way too many clones who simply copied his music without adding anything to it. Frankly: I'm tired of hearing the same song over and over and I just quit listening to newer afrobeat bands if their first few notes sounded anything like Fela. Orlando Julius was one the musicians that influenced Fela when he created his unique blend. Les Sangaras clearly were influenced by Orlando & Fela too, as they were also by James Brown and probably some others we never heard of, but this here, this is the kind of afrobeat I like hear. For all the reasons above.

B-side "Satata" follows the same formula as the A side, and it does so in the same effective way. It sounds like a traditional african folk song being funkified to the max. The whistle is silver, the break is golden, but I bet the song didn't make platinum at the time...

A search on the net didn't really give me any info about "Les Sanganas", unfortunately. Credits on the 7" are given to "Nganga, Joseph, Delvis" and "Nkeoua Ali M" but I couldn't find anything on them either. Too bad really...I guess I'm now the proud owner of a very obscure afrobeat treasure.

Well..here it is. Enjoy!

Sibily Day


Satata

R.I.P NORMAN WHITFIELD

Legendary producer and songwriter Norman Whitfield died on september 16th at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He was 67 years of age. Whitfield had struggled for months with complications from diabetes, and his prognosis had been day-to-day for several weeks. He had recently emerged from a coma. With collaborator Barrett Strong — himself in a Detroit hospital recovering from a stroke — Whitfield co-wrote many of Motown’s biggest hits, including its single most successful song, “I Heard it Through the Grapevine,” recorded by Marvin Gaye and Gladys Knight & the Pips. (source: freep)

Norman Whitfield first came to my attention listening to the Impressions' "Pyschedelic Shack" lp. The song that most notably "did it" for me on this album is called "Take a stroll through your mind," an epic, psychedelic and ganja flavoured musical epos, clocking in well over 8 eight minutes. Surely, that was not something I expected to hear from a Motown group with sweet hits to their name such as "It's allright", but dammit, this song struck me! It got to me big time and I just kept playing it over and over again. Soon I discovered that it was the producer, not the group, who was responsible for my newly beloved sound and I found myself digging for more of those psychedelic Norman Whitfield productions. Some were good, some were great and some dazzled me: I still remember the day my fellow Lock it Down writer Elephant Soundz put on the Jackson 5 version of "Hum along and dance" for me, which simply left me in awe...

Although certainly not all his productions are my cup of tea, Rose Royce's "car wash", for instance, is really a step too far for me, but it is without doubt that Norman Whitfield was a true talent. One of the kind that don't come up too often. A remarkable sound originator, a very gifted songwriter and, on a more personal level, one of the few producers who managed to create a signature sound that keeps me digging for more and more. His musical input is still greatly appreciated over here at Lock it Down. Think I'm gonna play the Velvelettes' "Needle in a haystack" some more....or "Ball of Confusion" or "Cloud Nine" or...

World's largest record collection drama

The Archive from Sean Dunne on Vimeo.

In today’s world, everyone downloads and buys music from the internet, making physical record albums obsolete, which is very sad news for Paul Mawhinney. Paul has the world’s largest record collection that he has been accumulated throughout his lifetime. He used to run a record store, and he would always put away the last copy of an album for himself. Due to his declining health and old age, Paul has decided to put the collection on sale for a mere $3 million when it was appraised at a whooping $50 million, yet no one has given a solid offer. Regardless of our technological advances, sometimes holding an album in your hands just feels a little bit different.

thanx to PVC for the link!

Dub Echoes Trailer

more info: http://www.dubechoes.com/

a little Tribute to Joe Gibbs R.I.P. mix

As a tribute I made a nice little mix of some of my Joe Gibbs Productions. May Joe Rest In Peace! check it below
(see http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20080226/ent/ent4.html)

Roy Shirley- Hold them
Sylford Walker - Burn Babylon
Shorty the President - Natty pass his CGE
Clint Eastwood - Badda Than You
Barrington Levy - My Woman
Dillinger - Take a Dip
Soul Sisters - Wrecka Buddy
Lady Ann - Murderer
Prince Mohammed - Bubbling Love
Dennis Brown - Let Me Live
Dennis Brown - Ghetto Girl
Joe Gibbs - Entebbe Affair
Culture - I'm Not Ashamed
Lee Perry - The Upsetter
Sammy Dread - Dreadlocks Girl
Eekamouse - Virgin Girl
Junior Murvin - Cool out Son
Lui Lepke - Love from Jamdown
Jacob Miller - I'm Just A Dread
June Lodge - Someone Love You

HIPLIFE TAKING OVER?

In 2008 Ghana’s youth is no longer dancing to "highlife," the music that was so popular back in the sixties and seventies, but to Hiplife, the local mix of Hip-Hop, Highlife, Reggae and Dancehall. Hiplife gained prominence about 10 years ago with Reggie Rockstone, who is known as the “Godfather of Hiplife” and was the first to rap in Twi, the most common language in Ghana. Hiplife is everywhere in Ghana now; it has developed into one of the most popular music styles in the country and has broadened into several sub-genres.

Out Here Records’ Georg Milz (also of the Munich-based Daladala Soundz sound system), compiled an excellent sampler, called: "Black Stars – Ghana’s Hiplife Generation," containing some of the most popular Hiplife artists. And you'd better believe us when we boldly state that anybody out there who enjoyed the "African Rebels" and "Lagos Stori Plenti" samplers should certainly check out this new release, or better yet: buy it instantly. Black Stars is a more than welcome supplement to said samplers, continuing the high standard, both musically as informationwise, all Out Here records display and on top of that: the music is kicking arse! Picture the mighty M.I.A. making an african album, add a bunch of fun and a complete own look on nowadays popular music and you'll get a slight idea of what HipLife sounds like. If this is to vague, which it probably is, but hey: I'm trying, go check out the samples on the OutHere Black Stars page or, if you're a Myspace user, link up at Ghana's Hiplife Generation It's worth it..

NNEKA NO LONGER AT EASE

Originally scheduled for release in january 2008, the new and eagerly awaited second outing of souldiva Nnneka got postponed and postponed, but it finally seems to be finished: The album "No longer at ease" will be unleashed on the 25th of april on YoMama records.

Prior to the forthcoming album, the new single "Heartbeat" will be released as well, showcasing Nneka going further down the musical road she has succesfuly been trodding. Heartbeat is quite an impressive single: Nneka's performance is stumbling and frankly, spoiled as we are, we wouldn't settle for less. The hectic drumming gives the song its heartbeat and works perfectly together with the songlines. I've seen Nneka on stage quite a few times and it seems that she succeeded to haul the energy she and her band display on stage into the studio and on tape. If this is what the album is going to sound like, I take it that fans around the world will not be dissapointed. Bring it on, Nneka!

Go catch her live on stage whenever she in the hood!

Producer Joe Gibbs dead at 65

From the Jamaica Gleaner:

RECORD producer Joel 'Joe Gibbs' Gibson, whose partnership with singer Dennis Brown yielded a string of hit songs during the 1970s, died last Thursday at the University Hospital of the West Indies.
Gibbs' son, Rocky, told The Gleaner that his father died shortly after suffering a heart attack. He was 65 years old.
The Montego Bay-born Gibbs began producing on his Amalgamated label in the 1960s. His first major hit was singer Roy Shirley's Hold Them, but it was in the next decade that Gibbs really hit his stride.
Brown, a former prodigy, cut a series of songs for Gibbs that were rarely off the charts. These included Money In My Pockets, Should I, Stay at Home, Love Has Found Its Way and How Could I Live.
Other productions
Gibbs also produced Culture's massive Two Sevens Clash, George Nooks' Tribal War and Althea and Donna's Uptown Top Ranking which made the British pop charts in 1977. His last major hit was singer J.C. Lodge's Someone Loves You Honey, a song originally done by African-American country singer Charlie Pride.
Bass player Lloyd Parkes was a senior member of Gibbs' house band, The Professionals. He said while Gibbs was an astute businessman, he was not the great producer many believed.
"I would call him an executive producer, most of the production was done by Errol Thompson and the musicians," Parkes said.
Thompson was the engineer at Gibbs' Retirement Road studio. He died in 2004.
Gibbs is survived by 11 children.

Peter Tosh 7 Inch Box from Randy's

As I am a huge fan of Impact and Randys the following news is very good news (From the DanceCrasher site):
Clive Chin is putting together a box set of late 60’s Peter Tosh singles with help from UK record dealer Bob Brooks from Reggae Revive. All will be Randy’s productions except record 2 which is a Lee Perry production. The release date is slated for early March.

Record 1
A. You Can’t Fool Me Again (RANDY’S PRE DYNA RANDY 414-1 (1969) JA(a Tosh vocal on an uptempo early Reggae rhythm, this was reissued on a Randy’s 7″ a few years ago)
B. Green Duck (RANDY’S PRE DYNA RANDY 415-1 (1969) JA(the same rhythm that was used on the UK produced Torpedo release Skinheads Don’t Fear, when I asked Clive about this he had not heard the Torpedo release before and had no idea how they got hold of the rhythm)
Record 2
A. Rightful Ruler - Peter Tosh & U-Roy(UPSETTER PRE DYNA UPSETTER 718-1 (1969) JA / KEITH’S KR 200 B (1969) US **(some argue that this was the first tune U Roy voiced but there are competing claims on this, mainly the tunes for Keith Hudson or Lloyd Daley)
B. Memphis (SOUL REVOLUTION ALBUM (1971) JA/UK – FIRST TIME EVER ON 7″ **
Record 3
A. The Return Of Al Capone (UNITY UN 525 A (1969) UK
B. Sun Valley (UNITY UN 529 A (1969) UK(Two cuts with Tosh on the organ. His playing is a bit of an aquired taste, Sun Valley (on the Everybody Needs Love rhythm) is particularly eccentric).
Record 4
A. Little Green Apples (RANDY’S PRE DYNA VC 957 (1970) JA
B. The Crimson Pirate (JACKPOT JP 706 A (1970) UK(Crimson Pirate is an organ cut of Slim Smith’s Somebody To Love)
Record 5
A. Stick Up - Peter Tosh & Count Machukie (RANDY’S DYNA VC 956-1 (1970)
B. Moon Dust - JACKPOT JP 706 B (1970)(Moon Dust is titled Moon Duck on the Jackpot issue, another organ piece).
Record 6
A. Man’s Greatest Adventure – (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED (1969)
B. Selassie Serenade - BULLET BU 414 B (1969)(Selassie Serenade is another organ cut, the rhythm is a fairly obvious one, probably from the Bunny Lee camp but I can’t place it at the moment).
Record 7
A. 30-60-90 - RANDY’S RRM STUDIO 17-4 (1969)
B. Whistling Jane - RANDY’S DYNA RANDY 971-1 (1969)(a cut of Alton Ellis’s What Does It Take To Win Your Love, apparently with Jackie Mittoo on organ nd Peter Tosh whistling)

BRENKY GOES TO HOLLYWOOD

And yet another fine example of instrumental hiphop is about to hit the streets. Beatmaker Brenk, hailing from Vienna, will release his debutalbum "Brenk Gumbo" on the 22nd of februari and according to the snippets that were sent to Lock it Down, it's going to be a good one! Picture the mighty Modeselektor (in a hiphop mood) in the studio with Wax Tailor and you've got a general idea what this Brenk character sounds like. R 'n B, funk and hiphop gently merge into a very nice, fat, loungy yet uplifting blend. What makes Brenk different than other instrumental hiphop artists that we wrote about (i.e: Wax Tailor, Guts), is that he's a bit rougher than them. More hiphop. The sound on Brenk Gumbo almost makes you want to write lyrics to the songs, but for the sake of the musiclovers out there, I'll just keep mumbling those inside my head and leave it to the prof's.

Check Brenk on myspace.

'Vinyl has been eliminated'

In Jamaica, seven-inch singles are completely extinct; DJs have ditched their turntables. Will the digital revolution mean the end of traditional reggae?
read the full article in the Guardian here...
thanx to Mr T for the link!

New Souljazz release: The Sound Dimension

An essential new compilation of classic recordings from the funkiest group in the history of Reggae! Available to buy in all good record stores or online here now at Soul Jazz Records The Sound Dimension have recorded some of the most important songs in Reggae music; songs such as “Real Rock”, “Drum Song”, “Heavy Rock”, “Rockfort Rock”, “In Cold Blood” – all classic songs that have become the ‘foundation’ of Reggae music, endlessly versioned and re-versioned by Jamaican artists since the time they were first recorded to the present day. As the in-house band at Studio One in the late 1960’s, The Sound Dimension also played alongside everyone from The Heptones, Alton Ellis, Ken Boothe, Marcia Griffiths and more. Similar to their US counterparts The Funk Brothers at Motown and Booker T and The MGs at Stax, The Sound Dimension recorded on a daily basis incredibly catchy and funky tunes matched by a seamless musicality.Featuring musicians of the calibre of Ernest Ranglin, Jackie Mittoo, Eric Frater, Leroy Sibbles, Don Drummond Jnr, Deadley Headley and more, the Sound Dimension existed from around 1967-70 and all the recordings featured here were originally released during this period. For a band with a fluid line-up, they had an amazingly consistent sound laying down classic rhythms for the singers of the day at Studio One as well as stretching out with their own recordings. None of this can explain the importance of this music. “Real Rock”, “Mojo Rocksteady”, “Rockfort Rock”, “Drum Song”, “In Cold Blood” – the melodies to these classic songs are a thousand times better known than the musicians who originally created them. Played and re-played by every house band for every producer on the island, these iconic rhythms became the basis for dancehall and laid the foundations for the future of Jamaican music.This album can be seen as a companion to the earlier Sound Dimension release “Jamaica Soul Shake” and together these two albums make a unique and definitive document of a seriously important set of recordings.

A WHOLE LOT OF 7"S

Continuing their 30th Anniversary in fine style, Greensleeves presents the ‘Rewind & Come Again’ box set.

Packed in special a die-cut card box (designed to look like a turntable) with each 7” sporting the original old school labels..

Each 7” has two classic cuts (Double A sides) from the Greensleeves archive featuring tracks by legends such as: Wailing Souls, Eek-a-Mouse, Yellowman, Black Uhuru, John Holt, Barrington Levy, Dennis Brown, Gregory Isaacs and many more..

Limited to 1000 copies, first come first served

COMING UP: NEW SOUNDWAY RELEASE

Although their own website doesn't mention this release yet, Soundway is about to release a 2 cd/4 lp set called:
Nigeria Special: Modern Highlife, Afro sounds & Nigerian Blues 1970-6

If the standard is as high as all the other Soundway releases, this might very well be the definitive collection on Nigerian funk. It sure looks promising! Amazon.com posted the setlist a while ago and added soundsamples as well. According to them, this is what Nigeria Special is going to look and sound like:

Disc 1:
1. Ayamma - The Anambra Beats
2. Okwukwe Na Nchekwube - Celestine Ukwu & His Philosophers National
3. Amalinja - The Don Isaac Ezekiel Combination
4. Akula Owu Onyeara - The Funkees
5. Oja Omoba - Dele Ojo & His Star Brothers Band
6. Koma Mosi - The Harbours Band
7. Nekwaha Semi Colon - The Semi Colon
8. Osalobua Rekpama - Sir Victor Uwaifo & His Melody Maestros
9. Onwu Ama Dike - St. Augustine & His Rovers Dance Band
10. Feso Jaiye - The Sahara All Stars Of Jos
11. Eme Kowa Iasa Ile Wa - Mono Mono
12. To Whom It May Concern - Tunji Oyelana & The Benders
13. Ugali - The Tony Benson Sextet

Disc 2:
1. Asiko Mi Ni - The Nigerian Police Force Band 'The Force 7'
2. Torri Wow - Godwin Ezike & the Ambassadors
3. Belema - Opotopo (Easy Kabaka Brown)
4. Alabeke - Dan Satch & His Atomic 8 Dance Band Of Aba
5. Arraino - Popular Cooper & His All Beats Band
6. Simini-Yaya - Collins Oke Elaiho & His Odoligie Nobles Dance Band
7. Buroda Mase - Bola Johnson & His Easy Life To pBeats
8. I Want a Break Thru - The Hykkers
9. Business Before Pleasure - George Akaeze & His Augmented Hits
10. Omo Yen Wu Mi - Shadow Abraham With Mono Mono Friends
11. Blak Sound - Leo Fadaka & the Heroes
12. Eguae Oba - Osayomore Joseph & the Creative 7
13. Akpaisong - Etubom Rex Williams & His Nigerian Artistes

Go have listen.

Release date: february 5th

Big One!

NEW FABRIC LIVE: CASPA & RUSKO

Dubstep lovers watch out: two real heavyweight dubstep producers/dj's have been recruited to mix cd number 37 in the almost legendary Fabric Live series:
Caspa back to back with Rusko.

Both Caspa and Rusko have had a very succesfull and prolific 2007: the first saw his career skyrocketing after several years of hard work running his Storming Productions empire (which includes the Dub Police and Sub Soldiers labels) on which Rusko released his fresh material, resulting in the mega mega hit "Cockney Thug" which allows him to travel the world and party alongside Caspa and fellow dj Reso.

This new mix on Fabric is the crown on their work so far and is well deserved. It includes all the smash hits of 2007: Spongebob, Cockney Violin, Africa and Round the World girls (on Gibbo's "Hard Time" riddim") but also treats us with a new Skream dubplate and a nice remix of Cockney Thug by Portugese bubblers Buraka Som Sistema.

Fabric Live is eagerly awaited by Lock it Down, but will not be released untill december 3rd..Mini mini excerpts can be found through this link. For those wanting a bit more: Dutch agency Planet KL booked Caspa a while ago and posted his excellent live set in their news section.

Aaah, sweet anticipation....

STUDIO ONE MUSEUM

The Jamaica Gleaner runs an interesting interview with Norma Dodd, widow of Clement "Coxsone" Dodd, founding father of the legendary Studio One recording facility, in wich she unveils the plans for the establishment of a Studio One museum. Although Jamaica already is a hotspot for reggae afficionados, with the King Tubby, Treasure Isle and Joe Gibbs studios still intact, this new museum sure sounds promising enough to again tickle my urge to get on a plane and cross the ocean...

Read the full article here

1000 TNW ÷ 10 = 100 TNW's

The lads over at 't Nieuwe Werck are on a roll and currently celebrating their 100th internet release. Quite an achievement considering their first release was only posted about a year ago. Here on Lock it Down we already posted about the fun and variety of mixes run by 't Nieuwe Werck, but their last effort, mixed by "The TNW All Stars" (Knoflooksaus, Graafmeester Tijn, Dj √69, Schobbejak) is really something. Come and count with us: In 1000 seconds they mixed 10 tracks that have been used in their TNW mixes in the past, that makes this mix '10÷1000=100'!! On a special moment in the mix you'll hear 10 samples (of 10 used tracks too) in 10 seconds, again 100 (10x10)! Got it??

Luckily for us, TNW secured the listening pleasure as well. TNW 100 is a nice blend of, and here we go counting again: electronica, trip hop, hip hop, dubstep, house, old italian mafia songs, prison work songs & rock 'n roll mash-ups. That'll make a nice celebration cake, I'd say. The only thing dissapointing about this mix is that a 1000 seconds really isn't that long...we want more!

Check out, or download the mix here

and be sure to contribute your mix as well!

FUNKY DISCO DUBSTEP?

Now this is what we like, here at Lock it Down! Regular readers may have noticed we cover a wide area of music, from dubstep to soul via latin with a de-route through reggae: if it's about good vibes, we'll write about it. Luckily for us, there are kindred spirits out there with an equal broad taste in music. That said, it's the godshonest truth that the podcast that started this whole post even surprised the hell out of Lock it Down! Why? Well...picture a dubstep mogul mixing disco funk and disco funk only on a dubstep radioshow...Funny picture isn't it?

Past that, the mighty Skream really managed to unite the best of both worlds: his excellent mixing techniques makes this funky set a true pleasure to listen to. Combine that with the occasional "pull up," a jamaican dancehall scene gimmick, and the picture is complete: this is Lock it Down style podcasting, this is what we like to see.

What makes the mix extra fun are Skream's constant defense offerings: "...this is what I like; this is personal; I love this track; this one's got big bass!"

Nice, really nice!

Listen to Skream's "long awai'ed funk set" here

Big up and props to Rinse FM for airing this.

LUCKY DUBE SHOT DEAD

Reggae musician Lucky Dube was shot dead in a hijacking yesterday in Rosettenville, Johannesburg, South Africa, police say.

The report of the singer's death was published yesterday by the Independent online, an Internet-based news site.

Captain Cheryl Engelbrecht, who reported on the incident, told the news site that the incident took place around 8.20 p.m. when Dube was driving a blue Polo in the Johannesburg suburb.

The report was also carried by the BBC World Service last night.

The Independent online story reported Captain Engelbrecht as saying that the Rastafarian singer was dropping off his son in the area when he was attacked.

"His son was already out of the car. When he saw what was happening, he ran to ask for help," the Independent online said.

Lucky Dube, who said he was inspired by late Reggae star Peter Tosh, last performed in Jamaica at the Cricket World Cup opening ceremony at the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium.

Dube, who was born in Johannesburg on August 3, 1964, was named 'Lucky' as he was born in poor health and doctors thought he would die, according to Wikipedia.

But Dube survived and went on to become a front-line artist in the reggae genre.

May he rest in peace

source: Jamaican Gleaner

BOB MARLEY UNCOVERED

Heartbeat Records is pleased to announce the release of Bob Marley & the Wailers - Another Dance – Rare Sides from Studio One on October 16.

This album consists of 18 rare Wailers titles, alternate takes, and original single mixes, all recorded between 1964 and 1966 for late producer Clement Dodd at his Studio One recording studio in Kingston, Jamaica. The release of these seldom-heard tracks will be a cause for celebration among true Wailers collectors. All titles, takes, and mixes presented here were issued as singles in Jamaica on Dodd-owned labels like Coxsone, Studio One, Supreme, Tabernacle, and Wincox.

Over the years, Dodd supplied tapes with post production overdubs to companies leasing his material for foreign issue. Although Heartbeat always sought the original mix of each song, Dodd sometimes provided the overdubbed tape when he could not locate the original mix. This album restores the original single mixes of seven Wailers classics including signature Bob Marley songs like “One Love,” “I’m Still Waiting,” and “Lonesome Feeling.” Neville Livingston, when interviewed in 1990, reported that the Wailers nearly always recorded alternate takes of songs recorded for Dodd. This album includes alternate takes of eight well-known Wailers recordings. They are completely different than the takes used on previous Heartbeat albums by the group. In addition, this album restores to the catalogue four rare titles never previously released on Heartbeat in any form.

Track Listing:
1. Another Dance
2. I’m Still Waiting
3. Ska Jerk
4. Playboy
5. Love Won’t Be Mine
6. Don’t Ever Leave Me
7. Straight and Narrow Way
8. Lonesome Feeling
9. Cry to Me
10. One Love
11. Somewhere to Lay My Head
12. It Hurts to Be Alone
13. Where Will I Find
14. Lonesome Track
15. Let Him Go
16. Love and Affection
17. Guajara Ska
18. I Left My Sins

JOE GIBBS GONE SHOPPING

After the installment of a Joe Gibbs Europe imprint some two years ago, re-unleashing all heavyweight dub 'n reggae bombs from the seventies, it seems that Joe Gibbs went shopping again. VP records announces a forthcoming "reggae 1977 rewind" series featuring, yet again, all volumes of the African Dub Almighty albums, Dennis Browns "Visions" and some christmas samplers that were never worthwhile listening to. All the albums come in their original sleeves, but there is no sign that the new cd's will feature extra tracks.
Is this the end of Joe Gibbs Europe?

NEW BOX OF DUB & BURIAL DUE

After the debut "Box of Dub" released earlier in the year the amazing amount of publicity around the Dubstep movement continues to get bigger by the day: Skream fronting the cover of DJ Magazine and rave reviews and features in all the leading publications such as The Observer alongside other key dance press.

Box Of Dub 2 once again clearly shows the influences of original electronic dub pioneers such as King Tubby, Scientist and King Jammys have had on the new generation of artists and producers featured on this excellent album

Emerging out of South London, Dubstep has grown from its roots in Grime and Drum and Bass scenes to create a new movement of artists influenced by Sound-system culture as well as technology. With heavy bass-lines and complex drum patterns, this is dance music that works for the mind, being both progressive and innovative.

The second instalment is due on nthe first of november and continues the onward journey of dubstep, with scene favourites such as Digital Mystikz, Kode 9, Pinch drawing upon new sounds and influences to bring some of the freshest sounds heard in dance music in recent times. With a distinctly UK urban sound, this new album also continues to show the music's nod towards Jamaican Dub and electronic wizardry.

For those of you who can't wait there'll be a a super-limited one-off pressing of two killer tracks from the album: one track by Digital Mystikz and one by Kode 9.

Check the sounds here










After the surprise success of his self-titled, low-key debut on Hyperdub , Burial returns with an eagerly awaited follow up album, ‘Untrue’. The new record is weird soul music, hypersoul, lovingly processing spectral female voices into vaporised R&B and smudged 2step garage. Voices are blurred, smeared, pitched up, pitched down and pitch bent until their content becomes irrelevant and they whisper their saccharin sweet nothings into the void.

UNTRUE continues with the first album’s crackle drenched yearning and bustling syncopations haunted by the ghosts of rave, but also reveals some new Burial treats with a more glowing, upbeat energy. UNTRUE kicks off with the skittering 2step syncopations and vocal science of ‘Archangel’, ‘Near Dark’ and ‘Ghost Hardware’, before descending into a space of radiant divas and ambience. While Burial’s first album was humid, suffocating and unrelentingly sad, UNTRUE is less sunless. Many of the tracks are so sweet, they become toxic, underscored by the almost geological rumbles of growling basslines. Whereas the mood of Burial’s first album was overpoweringly melancholy, its now better described as a downcast euphoria typified by the epic, muted optimism of the album’s last track ‘Raver’. Forget central heating. The radioactivity of this album is all that you’ll need to keep you warm this winter.

Check an interview with Burial here

SHARON JONES UNLEASHES NEW ALBUM

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings will release their latest full length, 100 Days, 100 Nights, on October 2nd on Daptone Records. 100 Days, 100 Nights is the group’s third full-length since they burst on the scene with their 2002 release, Dap Dippin’ With Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. Since that time, the band has released 2005’s Naturally, and The Dap-Kings became sought after by artists ranging from Amy Winehouse (performing as the backing band on Winehouse’s Back to Black album and tour), Kanye West, Mark Ronson, Public Enemy’s Hank Shocklee, Lilly Allen, and more. In addition, Sharon contributed vocals to projects with Lou Reed, Rufus Wainwright, and They Might Be Giants. 100 Days, 100 Nights was recorded in the same Bushwick, Brooklyn Daptone studio as its predecessors, using all analog equipment to achieve the signature hard-hitting funk and soul sound that has made the band so in demand among musicians and fans alike.

Here's a taster of the upcoming album.

Thanks to Chris Tams of the Orchard for the info and the taster.

COLD SWEAT presents LOCK IT DOWN

One thing leads to another, that's a godgiven fact. After writing the piece below about D-Rok's mix, the owner of 'T Nieuwe Werck immediately contacted me. Said he was interested in that "soul versus reggae" mix that is still not finished. As replacement I sent him another mix: a straight forward reggae mix, featuring the hottest new riddims of the day, which he fortunately liked very much as well.
So here we are: my first internet mix is now online, which is a bit funny in a way: I make these kind of compilations all the time, but the idea of putting 'em online never dawned me, really. Call me old fashioned, but I'm the kinda guy that makes cd's out of these mixes and then pass 'em along to whoever's interested. I know..I know...

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this mix, and if so, pass it forward! You can either listen or download the mix.

Listen and download here

D-ROK :: ORIGINALS vs REMAKES

While listening to hiphop, did you ever wonder where that massive intro/break/hook came from? Well, I do. Actually it happens to me all the time: while listening to reggae (lots of Impressions/Al Green/ Drifters/ Brook Benton and so on covers to be found here), dubstep (lots of contemporary roots reggae to be found here), instrumental hiphop ( example: Wax Tailor's new album starts with that great "museum dubplate" made by Nate Harrison about the "amen break") and the good thing is: it's all vice versa. For instance: while listening to reggae you might just find a superb soul version of it, if you dig hard enough. I guess what I'm trying to say is this: keep your ears open and you'll always find new and interesting music. And that's how I found D-Rok's "Break up mix" on a site called "t Nieuwe Werck."

"t Nieuwe Werck is a dutch website where all kinds of people drop their mixes. They've got quite a few online now, and it always makes for interesting listening, but D-Rok's mix is the one you should check out for sure. It's a nice mix of originals versus its hiphop remakes. Which reminds me to update that "reggae vs soul" mix i've been making for ages now...Well, for now, here is the tracklisting to D-Roks gem:

- Bobby Caldwell - Open Your Eyes
- Common - The Light
- James Brown - Blind Man Can See It
- Das Efx - They Want Efx
- Kool and the gang - N.T (Edit)
- Q-Tip - Breathe And Stop
- NWA - Express Yourself
- Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band - Express Yourself
- The Trammps - Rubber Band
- Mary J Blidge - Hate It Or Love It (Remix)
- Clarence Wheeler & The Enforcers - Hey Jude
- Gang Starr - DWYCK (Instrumental)
- Herbie Hancock - Wiggle Waggle
- King Bee - Back by dope demand
- Big Daddy Kane - Warm It Up Kane
- Big John Hamilton - Big Bad John
- Betty Wright - Clean Up Woman
- Mary J Blidge - Real Love
- Leon Haywood - I Wan't To Do Something Freaky To You
- Dr.Dre - Nothin' but A G Thang
- Billy Paul - Let The Dollar Circulate
- Steve Spacek - Let The Dollar Circulate (Instrumental)
- The Emotions - Blind Alley
- Big Daddy Kane - Ain't No Half Steppin'
- Eric B and Rakim - I Know You Got Soul
- Bobby Bird - I Know You Got Soul
- All the people - Cramp Your Style
- KRS-One - Still # 1
- Slum Village - Selfish
- Aretha Franklin - Call Me
- Dynasty - Adventures In The Land Of Music
- Camp Lo - Luchini aka This Is Iy
- Special Ed - I Got It Made
- Ripple - I Don't Know What It Is But It Shore Is Funky
- John Klemmer - Free Soul
- Akinyele - Put It In My Mouth

Download D-Rok's Break up mix here
and be sure to visit 't Nieuwe Werck for more here

GUTS

New discovery! Being all into the new Wax Tailor, I totally overlooked this great piece of music. Fortunately, I got me a copy of Guts' forthcoming album (release date is 17 september 2007) "le Bienheureux" through his Dutch distributor who kept pushing it as "better than the latest Wax." Don't know if this is true, but magnificent it is! Guts is best described as being the funny leg in French hip hop: His photos are hilarious, as is his cover-art for his new album, but taking in the sheer quality of the songs it is clear that Guts is undoubtly taking his art serious. Using only "his vinyl an a MPC4000" Guts is cooking up some outstanding tracks that are a fine blend of Wax Tailor, Gorillaz, dj Shadow, Dangermouse, Tommy Guerrero and pinch of reggae, funk 'n soul. Lively and uplifting! The song "And the living is easy" will be featured as the first single. I'd say: hurry up with releasing that and Guts is bound to hit a big summerjam hit.

Pay Guts a visit: click

GET THESE!

Though best known nowadays for releasing excellent albums covering the Studio One stalward, I always find SoulJazz records to be even more interesting when they enter new areas. These newbies are always incredibly fresh, right on top of things or sometimes even ahead of times. Furthermore, and this is both strictly personal as well as odd, the label always seems to come up with a release that's closely connected to my current musical interests. Don't know what that says about me though...

For now I'm on the lookout for these two gems:

VARIOUS ARTISTS: RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE
Lately my interest in reggae seems to have slighty shifted from the roots rock reggae 70's style into the 80's rub-a-dub. Don't know why, it's just the way it is. And as it also happens to be, this 80's rub-a-dub was the main source of sampling for many producers of early (ragga) jungle. Mix that with my heavy crush on dubstep, which itself, for a great deal anyway, is rooted in the same ragga jungle, and you have a picture perfect. Souljazz now releases an album that's aiming to be the "story of jungle and its connection with Reggae music." Don't know if they succeed in reaching that goal exactly, since it's quite a bold statement to make, but it still is wicked to hear some of them "oldie hits" like DJ Zinc's "Super Sharp Shooter" and Cutty Ranks' "Limb By Limb" again. The rest is, how could it not be, way up to par:

1. Asher Senator — One Bible
2. Ninjaman, Bounty Killer, Beenie Man and Ninja Ford — Bad Boy Lick A New Shot
3. M Beat With General Levy — Incredible
4. Barrington Levy & Beenie Man — Under Mi Sensi (X-Project Remix)
5. Ragga Twins — Ragga Trip
6. Poison Chang — Press The Trigger
7. Shut Up And Dance — No Doubt
8. UK Apachi & Shy FX — Original Nuttah
9. Ragga Twins — Illegal Gunshot
10. DJ Zinc — Super Sharp Shooter
11. Ben Intellect With Ragga G — Oh Jungle
12. Cutty Ranks — Limb By Limb
13. Ragga Twins — Tan So Back


VARIOUS ARTISTS: BOX OF DUB: DUBSTEP & FUTURE DUB
Dubstep. A scene that's still very much in motion and in progress. Exciting, new, fresh and almost every new record is a blast. Sceptics like to go 'round wondering how long it'll take for this scene to blow up "just like drum 'n bass did," but I'm not one of them: I just go along, dig in and enjoy every little detail of it. Dubstep is, as I wrote before, the best new thing in music that came about in 5 odd years or so (it seems I too can come up with some bold statements :-)). It's a deep love. An expensive cost also, since I buy a lot of 10"s and 12"s these days, not just to keep up or update my collection, but merely for the sheer excitement every record keeps giving me. Like I said, deep love. SoulJazz gladly does their part and is about to offer us a collection of newly recorded dubstep anthems. All new, all fresh and probably: all good.
Can someone please send me an advance copy now??!!

WAX TAILOR::HOPE & SORROW

Finally, after the superb "Tales of forgotten melodies", Wax Tailor hits the stores with a new album: "Hope & sorrow," albeit only in the US, Canada and France. That, however, makes sense since Wax is a big name in those countries and fairly unknown in other countries. Or is he? In Holland, where yours truly resides, he's got quite a big following these days and his new album will only seek to increase these numbers.

Although feeling a bit of dissapointment at first, "Hope & Sorrow" only seems to give way to its sheer beauty after a couple of rounds. Sure, the sound is familiar by now and that might very well be the main reason for the aforementioned dissapointment, but give it a good listen and mark the excellent production, the superb songwriting and the small details that tie the album together like glue. The main thing that makes "Hope & sorrow" a more than worthy succesor, though, is that it doesn't sound like an album made up by various artists: it's not crammed with ideas like its predecessor. Wax' newest is beautifully set up like a musical journey making it very worthwhile to listen to the album as a whole instead of skipping through highlights. Although that doesn't mean there aren't any on this one: "The Way We Lived" featuring Sharon Jones is simply superb and "The Tune" is a funk anthem in its own right.
Formost, this new album shows that the abilities of Wax Tailor as a songwriter and musician are te be taken into serious account: I believe his next one will be the true masterpiece we're all eagerly awaiting.

But untill then: get off on this one. It's good. Very, very good.

Info: Wax Tailor

Superfunk is Back! Volume 5 comin' up!

Yeah, the girls and guys from Ace records delivered another baby: Superfunk Volume 5, another album filled with unknown funky pleasure. Compiled as usual by Dean Rudland. Click on the samples and enjoy!

Check the Ace website for more info.

01 JUST SITTING - Smithstonian sample
02 CAN'T GET ENOUGH - 87th Off Broadway
03 SHE'S THE ONE - The Diplomats
04 HI OFF LIFE - The Eternal Flames
05 HOME BREW - Miles Grayson
06 GIVE ME ANOTHER CHANCE - The Uniques
07 I GOT HURT PT 1 - The Phillips Brothers
08 I GOT HURT PT 2 - The Phillips Brothers
09 TURN AROUND AND GO - Lee Bernard
10 LET A WOMAN BE A WOMAN-LET A MAN BE A MAN-Dyke & The Blazers
11 TWINE TIME - Alvin Cash sample
12 FACE TO FACE - The Explosions
13 SHAKE A LEG - Jackie Wilson sample
14 CAN'T BUY SOUL - Hebrew Rogers
15 LOW RIDER (DEUCE & A QUARTER) - Smokey Wilson
16 WHO DONE IT? (WHO DRAINED THE POOL) - Big Daddy Green
17 MOTHER POPCORN - The Mello Matics
18 LITTLE BOY BLUE - The Phillips Brothers
19 YOU'D BE GOOD FOR ME - Jeanette Jones
20 HOLD ON - Lorenzo Holden
21 FREE THE SOUL MAN - La May & Company

New Jazzman Release: Sister Funk 2!

Jazzman Records proudly presents Sister Funk Volume Two. A full five years in the making, the follow up to the hugely popular first volume finally sees the light of day, bearing with it the fruits of compiler Ian Wright’s inexhaustible quest to unearth some of the world’s toughest, most elusive and undeniably funky female 45’s. The spectrum of sounds covered on this album reflects a broad range of styles, from the heavy funk of Keisa Brown’s ‘Dance Man’ to the dancefloor jazz of Barbara Trent’s ‘Heartbreak Hotel’, from the discofied soul of Florence Trapp to the crossover stylings of Barbara Mason. As ever, the selections range from the ridiculously obscure to the frustratingly impossible to find – which isn’t to say this is music to stroke your goatee to - if anyone’s still sitting down after putting this record on we’ll send Big Ella round to sort ‘em out!

Tracklist:

1 RHETTA HUGHES You're Doing it with Her 2.39 Listen
2 HONEY & BEES Love Addict Listen
3 DOLLY GILMORE Sweet Sweet Baby Listen
4 BARBARA KING What I did in the Street Listen
5 COLETTA WOODSON Follow the Wind Listen
6 SANDY GAYE Watch the Dog Listen
7 BIG ELLA The Queen Listen
8 SHEILA WILKERSON Baby You're a Jive Cat Listen
9 RICHI CORBIN TRIO A Woman was made for a Man Listen
10 BARBARA TRENT Heartbreak Hotel Listen
11 ALTHEA SPENCER Take me Baby Listen
12 CHERYL JOHNSON It's not too Late Listen
13 BARBARA HOWARD I Dont Want your Love Listen
14 LEON MITCHISON Whatcha Need Listen
15 CHERYL DORSEY If you Want your Man Listen
16 FABULETTES Muddy Waters Listen
17 KEISA BROWN The Dance Man Listen
18 BARBARA MASON You Better Stop It Listen
19 HARD DRIVERS Since I was a Little Girl Listen
20 FLORENCE TRAPP Love Came into my Life Listen

New Soundway Release: Colombia!

Already available as we speak: Colombia! The Golden Age of Discos Fuentes – the Powerhouse of Colombian Music, 1960-1976.

Discos Fuentes has since 1934 been the largest record label in the vast country of Colombia, a place where music is impossible to escape. This collection concentrates on the golden years of 1960-1976 and is hand-picked by Soundway from a huge catalogue of hot, tropical music styles. Cumbia, Gaita, Fandango, Salsa and Champeta all feature in our selection from one of the world’s best Latin music archives. More info @ http://www.soundwayrecords.com/

Tracklist:
Fruko Y Sus Tesos-Salsa Na Ma-4:13 sample
Lito Barrientos Y Su Orquesta-Cumbia En Do Menor-2:46 sample
Michi Sarmiento Y Sus Bravos-Hong Kong-3:53
Sonora Cieneguera-La Piojosa-2:53
Fruko Y Sus Tesos-Improvisando-3:50
The Latin Brothers-Patrona De Los Reclusos (CD ONLY)-6:13
Wganda Kenya-Tifit Hayed-3:40 sample
Pedro Laza Y Sus Pelayeros-Fandango En Percusion-2:45
Orquesta Nunez-La Samaria-2:57 sample
Los Corraleros de Majagual-El Mondongo-10:13
Fruko Y Sus Tesos-A La Memoria Del Muerto-4:21
Michi Sarmiento Y Sus Bravos-La Primavera (CD ONLY)-2:16
Wganda Kenya-Elyoyo (CD ONLY)-4:07
Lucho Bermudez-Gaita De Los Flores-2:33
El Sexteto Miramar-Cumbiamba-2:42
Michi Sarmiento Y Sus Bravos-Mirame San Miguel-2:50 sample
Pedro Laza Y Sus Pelayeros-La Picua (CD ONLY)-2:50
Climaco Sarmiento Y Su Orquesta-La Pata Y El Pato-2:44 sample
The Latin Brothers-Las Calenas Son Como Los Flores-3:55 sample
Afrosound-Pacifico-2:44

Back from Brazil Part I: Sivuca

While travelling through Brazil last january & february, I was visiting São Luís, (capital of Maranhão, northeastern Brazil), and could’t resist to do some digging on the local markets (found an original copy of Mandrill’s 1973's Composite Truth for 1 euro!). Opposite the market was a small recordstore called Adriano’s. It was actually closed, but the neighbour called the owner, who luckily arrived within 10 minutes. Actually he didn’t have too much interesting records, but when I saw this cover, I took a few seconds to study this record. There were references on the back by Harry Belafonte and Oscar Brown Jr, but Bill Wither’s Ain’t No Sunshine really convinced me to buy it. Later that week I learned that this guy, who looked like a yodeling native of the Swiss Alpes, did the arrangement of the Miriam Makeba classic Pata Pata. The self-produced album, on Vanguard (1974), mixes Folk with Bossanova and Latin Jazz, contains 10 tracks and includes his self-penned classic Adeus Maria Fulo. Apart from some other pretty decent tunes, it also has a nice version of Antonio Carlos e Jocafi’s Voce Abouso. But the killer track is definitely Ain’t No Sunshine: hitting of with funky female bossanova voices reminding of Sergio Mendes’ version of Mas que Nada, then changing into a funky jazzfrenzy with the screaming CUICA riding the riddim, stretching the tune to 4:46. listen to the sample! (on allmusic.com).

Sivuca was born in the state of Paraíba, Brazil in 1930, moved to Recife and Rio de Janeiro and later Lisbon, Paris, New York and Scandinavia. He plays accordion (which even impressed Miles Davis), guitar, keyboard and percussion, sings and even skats. He died of cancer on December 14, 2006.

Tracklist: Adeus Maria Fulo, Tunnel, Amor Verdadeiro, Ponteio, Arrasta Pé, Voce Abouso, Inquietacao, Ain’t no Sunshine, Lament of Berimbau, Rosa Na Favela.
more info:
Sivuca @ his homepage

Sivuca @ All Music Guide

Sivuca @ All Brazilian Music

OLD CAPITAL PRESENTS NEW RIDDIM

Last year we wrote a small piece about the first release of Old Capital in which we stated that the label made a promising impact with their first riddim "Rasta Pickney". Now the french based label is about to unleash their newest creation, called "Togetherness," and it is even better than we had hoped for. "Togetherness" is a thick 'n bassheavy roots riddim with a pumping sound that is beyond uplifting due to the incredible production skills by Judi K. The sound is clear and heavy, but still maintains to keep a certain "genuine" feel to it.

Then there is the excellent choice of artists riding the riddim: Fantan Mojah, Perfect & Lutan Fyah are presenting some valuable songs and will provide the riddim its claim to fame in the dancehall. Equally strong songs are provided by lesser known artists like: Don Pako, Keefaz and Malijah, making this set of 7"s yet again essential.

Listen to a compilation of all songs on the myspace page of Old Capital

Special thanks to Old Capital for the preview.

LEE PERRY....THE MOVIE

Apparently a film about "the madman," or rather "genius" of reggae music, is in the making. Hopefully it will include some rare footage of Black Ark recording sessions, since we just can't get enough of that. The website of the film is unclear about its release, but there is a synopsis and a trailer. Go there

STUDIO ONE RUB-A-DUB

We lost count somewhere along the way, but here it is...another great comp by SoulJazz Records: Studio One Rub-A-Dub. No matter what they've named it this time, it's yet again filled with great music! Here's the tracklist for ya:

Cornell Campbell - My Conversation
Lone Ranger - Screw Gone A North Coast
Judah Eskender Tafari - Danger In Your Eyes
Rapper Robert & Jim Brown - Minister For Ganja
Freddie McGregor - How Could You Leave
Barry Brown - Give Love
Len Allen Jnr - White Belly Rat
Johnny Osbourne - Forgive Them
Alton Ellis - Live And Learn
Horace Andy - Happiness
Rapper Robert & Jim Brown - Pirate
Willie Williams - Keep On Moving
The Heptones, Freddie McGregor et al - Equal Rights 12'
Papa Michigan And General Smiley - Jah A The Creator
Ethiopian - Empty Belly
Earl 16 - No Mash Up The Dance
Lone Ranger - Natty Chalwa