Funk

Jesse Johnson – Jesse Johnson Revue/Shockadelica/Every Shade Of Love

Posted on by jbass508

Jesse Johnson – Jesse Johnson Revue/Shockadelica/Every Shade Of Love

Robinsongs

2CD/DL

Out now

Reissue of Jesse Johnson’s trio of albums from the 1980s, plus five bonus tracks. Included is former Time man’s collaboration with Funk legend Sly Stone Crazay. Ian Canty writes…

Rock Island’s own Jesse Woods Johnson started playing guitar while still at school and after showing a marked talent on the instrument, he joined up with a few of the local Funk outfits. However, a move to Minneapolis at the age of 20 would provide the turning point in his musical career. There he encountered Morris Day and joined Day’s band, which in turn would lead to Johnson becoming guitarist in Prince Rogers Nelson’s sometime backing aggregation The Time.

Just after Prince made a global mark on the back of Purple Rain album and film, Johnson left The Time as he didn’t just want to be seen as a sideman. He wished for his own solo career and in 1984 A&M, possibly hoping for a little of the Prince magic to carry over onto his bandmate, signed him up. Jesse’s material was basically working the same area as the Purple One too, i.e. modern Electro Funk/Dance grooves that came with a happy knack for real Pop appeal.

His self-penned debut album Jesse Johnson Revue came out in the following year and made a decent impact in the US, particularly on the R&B charts. JJR starts off this new set and a bouncing bassline and thumping rhythm helped to make opening track Be You Man a number four hit single on the R&B listings. Though perhaps sounding a little “of its time”, there’s plenty to enjoy on this LP. Johnson was more than capable of pulling out a convincing slower number I Want My Girl alongside out and out floor-fillers like She Won’t Let Go and a synth-heavy Let’s Have Some Fun, which adds nicely to the variety on show.

The simple but effective Can You Help Me was another fairly successful 45 and a frosty Special Love veers attractively towards Electropop. A satisfying first album concludes with the solid Funk moves of She’s A Doll, where Jesse gets ample opportunity to show off his six string prowess.

Respectable sales for Jesse Johnson Revue meant for a quick fire follow-up as Shockadelica hit the shops a year later. This was to be Johnson’s best selling album and owed some of its success to the single that trailed it, a collaboration with the legendary Sly Stone called Crazay that canily fused fashionable Hip Hop beats with driving Electrofunk. Despite not cracking the Billboard Top 50, it nearly topped the R&B charts and was a hit in New Zealand too. Shockadelica ensues with the full-on handclapping Funk attack of Change Your Mind and exotic percussion powers a cool Baby Let’s Kiss.

A Better Way is Gospel-tinged R&B reimagined for the 1980s, with Do Yourself A Favor’s skipping Pop thrust shaping up a treat. Addiction sets forth as an inventive, invigorating sound with a steady hook and hectic Dance jam Burn You Up certainly brings the Funk. Shockadelica, in rather ungainly fashion, has its final track Black In America carried over to start disc two of this set. It’s a minor quibble, but as the song provides such a neat, uplifting climax to the record, it is a shame the LP couldn’t have been included complete on one disc here somehow.

Jesse opted to wind down his solo career after A&M decided not to renew the contract that was concluded by 1988’s Every Shade Of Love compendium. This album received another respectable rather than outstanding commercial reception, but perhaps less so its predecessor which may have influenced that decision. It is another solid showing of 80s Funk thrills though that completes a trio of impressive long players included in this set. A snappy and catchy Love Struck, the album’s big single, gets things off on the good foot and lets Jesse do his thang on guitar into the bargain.

From there a busy but fairly standard Funker So Misunderstood takes things on. But the tinkling machine electronics of I’m The One feels like a more subtle use of the technology of the time and then Color Shock draws from an even more “Art Of Noise” kind of musical palette. The title track thrives on a sunny sax sitting atop the same kind of thing to good effect, with Johnson’s world-weary vocal fitting the bill for this, the LP’s other single. Everybody Wants Somebody To Love sounds like it could have made a good 45 too. The LP wraps itself up in the form of the pairing of the smart change of emphasis on assured Slow-Jam ballad I’m Waiting For You and Stop – Look – Listen, which motors along swimmingly.

The final part of this set collects some of Jesse’s odds and sods from the 1980s. Heart Too Hot To Hold, Johnson’s contribution to the soundtrack of The Breakfast Club, is as 1980s as it could be but still very good too. This is followed by a chilled remix of She Can’t Resist from Shockadelica and a longer cut of Crazay. Drive Yo Cadillac comes with a big serving of Pure Pop appeal and these bonuses are rapped up by a radically reshuffled take of Love Struck.

There is a slight sense on Jesse Johnson Revue/Shockadelica/Every Shade Of Love that Jesse struggled to fully emerge from the shadow of his erstwhile bandmate. But that’s a pretty big umbra for anyone to escape from and it is to JJ’s great credit that he created three highly enjoyable modern Funk albums that still come over as fresh and attractive all these years on. After a lengthy break, Jesse returned to the studio to cut the Verbal Penetration LP in 2009. But on this set it is made clear he cut a real dash in the 1980s.

Jesse Johnson’s website is here

Chase down a copy of Jesse Johnson – Jesse Johnson Revue/Shockadelica/Every Shade Of Love here

B.T. Express – The Definitive Collection Do It ‘Til You’re Satisfied

Posted on by jbass508

B.T. Express – The Definitive Collection Do It ‘Til You’re Satisfied

Robinsongs

4CD/DL

Out now

4CD boxset that brings together seven albums by Big Apple Funk outfit B.T. Express. A pair of bonus tracks are also included. Ian Canty writes…

Like many Funk bands who scored sizeable US hits in the 1970s, New Yorkers B.T. Express had roots that stretched right back into the R&B of the 1960s. They originally came together for local engagements in 1967 as The King Davis House Rockers, but a few years later guitarist Richie Thompson and Bill Risbook, who specialised on sax and clarinet, had been joined by the latter’s brother Lewis on bass, his rhythm section partner Orlando Woods behind the traps and singer Barbara Joyce. A bit later on the original line up of B. T. Express was in place with the additions of Jazz player Carlos Ward on horns and Dennis Rowe, who added further percussion.

A deal with Roadshow Records was signed with the proviso that the band changed their name – B.T. Express was the moniker that stuck after a brief time operating under the title Madison Street Express, with the B.T. standing for Brooklyn Transit. On beginning their recording career they were met with instant success, with the 1974 debut album Do It ‘Til You’re Satisfied finding favour with Funk and mainstream Pop fans alike in the USA. The title track topped the US R&B charts and nearly did the same trick on Billboard, finally stopping at number 2, with the album also a top seller. Both made a splash internationally into the bargain.

These records propelled the band to the forefront of the US Funk scene, which was a major deal before the full emergence of Disco. It is plain to hear why the band caused such a big splash. Joyce’s assured vocal stylings were brought to bear on some very good material and with the male vocal-led efforts tending to James Brown-style raunch/jamming efforts, with Do It ‘Til You’re Satisfied itself being a good example, they covered both Funk bases. In addition, B.T. Express were always sure to keep the dual formulas firmly focussed on the dancefloor.

Starting things out on the LP is their theme song Express, a semi-instrumental groove appropriately buffeted with train whistles. This was also a huge US hit on 45 release. B.T. Express’ 60s R&B roots are clearly revealed on a sassy If It Don’t Turn You On and Everything Good To You is a fine demonstration of Barbara’s vocal smarts. A flute solo leads into the fast moving, bassy Funk power of Do You Like It and a mid-paced This House Is Smokin’ confirmed their party hearty credentials, ending a solid and enjoyable selection of fine and Funky thrills. The two big hit singles are also featured in their 7 inch forms as bonus tracks on the final disc of this set.

In a sense B. T. Express struggled to follow up their early overnight fame for the rest of their career. But 1975 yielded second LP Non-Stop which did good business in the US at least, where it topped the R&B lists like its predecessor and made 19 on the Pop charts. Peace Pipe, combined with the steady rhythm of Give What You Got on single release, serves as an energetic introduction. Confusingly, both sides of the 45 were hits on Billboard, with nominal B side Peace Pipe reaching the higher spot of 31. With an eye on the contemporary events in Dance B.T. Express essayed the driving Discotizer – this may well border on coming over like a bit of a send-up in the present day, but it is still cut as a pretty strong floor-filler nonetheless.

Joyce shows her cool skills again with a song on Still Good, Still Like It, but I’ve never been a fan of Close To You and the schmaltzy B.T. Express version here does little to change that view. However You Got It – I Want It is a real burst of no bull attitude which gets the LP back on course and Happiness swings along with strings and flute in a light and arresting fashion. The first disc and LP finishes up with a thoroughbred Funker in Whatcha Think About That?.

On disc two we begin with B.T. Express’s third collection, Energy To Burn. Commercially the band was struggling to retain the fans they had gained over their first two compendiums, but even so this LP still sold quite well. By 1976 Disco was in its pomp and the gimmicky sound of Depend On Yourself, the first offering on ETB, dips into a cross of Philly’s symphonic pretentions and the bright Funk that brought them to the dance in the first place. One of the two singles from the LP Can’t Stop Groovin’ Now (Wanna Do It Some More) follows. It was the last B.T. Express 45 to bother the Billboard Pop charts. This tune is an insistent but understated slow burner that, while perhaps not being a natural single, works as a satisfying change of tack.

Now That We’ve Found Love is a cover of The O’Jays album track that is substantially less frantic than Third World’s hit version and then comes the title track, the first B.T. Express 45 to practically flop. It certainly didn’t deserve that fate, as it moves along with plenty of dancefloor-ready purpose. The second side of the album casts off with the agreeable sound of Time Tunnel, but on the whole it doesn’t quite match the first. The Reggae stylings of instrumental Herbs are a departure for the band though, but a likeable one and the LP concludes with Energy Level, a speedy but fairly routine B.T. effort.

Function At The Junction may have sounded like the title of a forgotten Three Stooges comedy short, but this album marked a real downturn for B.T. Express. Barbara Joyce had left the band by now and she is definitely missed here. A self-referencing Funky Music risks coming over a bit defensive lyrically, but the groove is on point and the use of vocoder positions it as an update towards early Electrofunk. Even so, it made no impression as a single and the LP charted in the US much lower than the previous three.

However, there is no let up on Expose Yourself or Scratch That Itch, even if they come over a bit like a band on autopilot. But to be honest the next few tracks washed over me, the problem being that they’re all well crafted but ultimately a little faceless. You can hear just why Function At The Junction failed to connect with the record buying public. Star Gazer briefly flickers into life, but it was clear B.T. Express needed a rethink by this time.

Moving onto disc three of Do It Til’ You’re Satisfied, 1978’s Shout represented a slight upturn in B.T. Express’ fortunes. Right from the off Shout It Out pushes out positive vibes directly contrary to Function In The Junction’s more soporific moments. On single release it made a reasonable dent on the US R&B charts too, though follow up What You Do In The Dark completely stiffed, despite containing some rolling bass and a memorable refrain. A lively I Want You With Me takes up the baton well and the busy rhythms of Shake It Off are an infectious invite to cut a rug.

Look At The People is a solid shot of tight Street Funk and if Shout lacked a truly killer 45, it made up for it by being a good selection of the type of stuff B.T. Express did best. The breezy Ride On B.T. is a neat way to go out on too.

B.T. Express’ fierce work ethic had at this point resulted in an album a year, but they took extra time with 1980, which spans the end of disc three and the beginning of disc four of this set. A lighter sound in Takin’ Off suggests B.T. had mellowed their attack but retained their vim and Heart Of Fire is endowed with real conviction and neat Electro touches. The easy groove of Does It Feel Good, along with the synth drum mayhem of Give Up The Funk (Let’s Dance) even made some impact in the UK when released as singles issue.

They even pull off a convincing slowie in the form of Closer. proving that they could prosper with something other than flat out Funk stompers. Have Some Fun also has an attractive, Chic-like sound, with the band going back to their roots on the meaty end-piece Funk Theory.

Keep It Up in 1982 was the final B.T. Express collection. With Hip Hop having emerged as a real force, an old style Funk band like B.T. could have seemed passé. However, the spring in the step to This Must Be The Night For Love wasn’t showing any signs of a band nearing the end. Their R&B smarts show up on sunny ballad It’s Got To Be You and though Star Child failed as a 45, this bit of Space Funk surely would have stood a better chance if released a few years earlier.

Keep It Up itself also fell at the first fence as a single and again, while enjoyable enough, it probably came over as behind the times in 1982. The final single taken from Keep It Up was Let Yourself Go and it is the kind of tense Funk jam that they could turn out in their sleep. Dancin’ Dream ends a LP that draws very much on B.T. Express’ core strengths without much regard to contemporary shifts on the dancefloor.

As we follow a path through the albums of B.T. Express on this boxset, it is difficult not to conclude that having started from the top, they slowly tailed off. But that is judging it solely in commercial terms. The debut LP is the best of the seven, but apart from Function At The Junction the others all have their good points and there is a good dollop of great Dance tunes to discover here. Anyone needing a ride back to early 70s Funk could do far worse than hop on Do It Til’ You’re Satisfied.

Get B.T. Express – The Definitive Collection Do It ‘Til You’re Satisfied by clicking here

Muscle Shoals Horns – Born To Get Down/Doin’ It To The Bone/Shine On

Posted on by jbass508

Muscle Shoals Horns – Born To Get Down/Doin’ It To The Bone/Shine On

Robinsongs

2CD/DL

Released 9 February 2024

Three Funk albums cut by the crack four-piece brass section Muscle Shoals Horns between 1976 to 1983, plus the bonus single versions of their US R&B hits. Ian Canty writes…

Although primarily a talented Funk brass section that busied itself with backing track works for a wide number of artists over the years, Muscle Shoals Horns also branched out to release their own material. What was a side-line to their main career as session players manifested itself through the three albums highlighted here. These records included some popular singles too.

But going back to the start, the Muscle Shoals Horns story begins with a young Harrison Calloway, who loved the sound of the saxophone on early Rock & Roll/R&B recordings. However a sax was beyond his family’s means, so instead he opted for the cornet. Despite being not the instrument he really wanted, Calloway practiced hard on the mini-trumpet and soon developed into a real talent. This lead to him joining R&B groups while still in education and during this time he played with a guitarist and friend, one Jimi Hendrix.

Through working with Eddie Gaines he was introduced to Fame Studio Complex in Muscle Shoals. Impressed by the young trumpeter’s skill, Rick Hall offered Harrison a job doing sessions there. After completing his studies, Calloway took up this proposition. In turn he enlisted his pal saxophonist Harvey Thompson for work at the studio too. Alabama native Ronnie Eades learnt sax on medical advice to help with his asthma and in 1967 he became part of the Muscle Shoals Horns set-up.

It would be 1972 before the main quartet that recorded the albums on Born To Get Down/Doin’ It To The Bone/Shine On was in place. This was when Charles Rose arrived on the scene. After he worked with Sonny Royal, the trombonist confusingly first joined an act called Muscle Shoals Brass. However, when he was called to the studio to perform on the Jim Capaldi LP Oh How We Danced, the four got together and realised the 24 carat chemistry they had together.

Much session work with big names Like John Lennon and Paul Simon followed and Muscle Shoals Horns released their own first album in 1975 titled The Cream of Muscle Shoals. When they signed to the Bang label things really took off for them though. Their next LP 1976’s Born To Get Down makes up the first nine numbers of this set. A sassy, flute-led sound in Open Up Your Heart, also a R&B chart hit, smartly sets things in motion. A fast moving Break Down is 1970s Funk in all its colourful glory and gives the sax players in particular a chance to really fly.

The social conscious vibe of Where I’m Coming From rings true and a single take is among the bonus items of this disc. Hustle To The Music takes things right down the the street and as expected the brass is evidently in tip top form here. The no-nonsense approach continues on a very catchy Bump De Bump Yo Boogie and Born To Get Down (Born to Mess Around). Both were also 45s and the super-fresh latter deservedly became a big hit for the band on the US R&B lists. The 7 inch versions of each make up the other two bonuses here. After the suggestive, muscular mid-pace of Get It Up, a lively and satisfying album finishes up on an atypical note with Give It To Me, a Blue Beat cover of a J. Geils Band tune.

1977’s Doin’ It To The Bone straddles discs one and two in a rather ungainly manner, with six numbers on disc one and three on the other platter. Doin’ It To The Bone starts with its main single Dance To The Music, a cool breeze of pure Funk artistry. A chilled Addicted To Love follows and the influence of Disco is felt clearly on I Just Wanna Turn You On. A sunny, graceful A Love For You (And A Love For Me) is next, with Sexual Revolution then echoing the suggestiveness of Get It Up. The rhythm-driven Can’t Break The Habit ends the first disc of this set.

The three remaining numbers from Doin’ It To The Bone start off disc two. A carefree party atmosphere is imbued to Keep On Playin’ That Funky Music and the big beat of the title track comes next. The LP culminates itself with Beware Of The Rip-Off, an instantly infectious item that skips along swimmingly with big servings of woodwind and Wah Wah guitar. The only bonus for this one is the extended 12 inch cut of I Just Wanna Turn You On.

Over half a decade passed until their next album and the last of this set Shine On, which was issued in 1983. In the meantime MSH had kept their hand in by undertaking their usual session work, but the new album represents a fair attempt to keep pace with the developments in Funk and move with the times. The loose, catchy groove of Celebrate, Recreate, Participate launches the Shine On LP and Don’t Bust Yo’ Bubbles has cutting edge Electro touches and Hip Hop beats. Ballad She Was Once My Woman was also a single, but perhaps one not strong enough to make an impact, which was how it panned out. The easy charm of Get Down Tonight presents itself as a better attempt at a contemporary Soul sound.

We Can Work It Out isn’t The Beatles tune, rather a shuffling choral effort, with Shine On itself being nicely bright and suitably brassy. An instrumental, solidly Funky Shoalin’ (Funky N’ Half-Hip) might have been more the standard Muscle Shoals Horns’ thang. But it is excellently realised and out of the traps in pursuit comes a busy More Than Ever Now. Closing out Shine On is the insistent rhythmic pull of If You Don’t Want My Lovin’ (Give It Back), one that could have made a good 45 in my view. We also get a 7 inch cut of She Was Once My Woman as a bonus, which is ok again without pulling up any trees.

After a very muted response to the single and Shine On LP, Muscle Shoals Horns decided that their talents would be better served by moving back to session work. MSH may have lacked the kind of dynamic image that would have pushed them further into the public eye. But on Born To Get Down/Doin’ It To The Bone/Shine On, the sheer majesty of their brass is impeccable and they doubled its impact by having a nifty line in insanely danceable tunes too.

Find out more about Muscle Shoals Horns – Born To Get Down/Doin’ It To The Bone/Shine On by clicking here

Faze-O – Riding High/Good Thang/Breakin’ The Funk

Posted on by jbass508

Faze-O – Riding High/Good Thang/Breakin’ The Funk

Robinsongs Records

2CD/DL

Out now

Three late 70s albums by Ohio Funk quintet Faze-O, plus bonus single sides. This new set includes their US R&B hit single Riding High. Ian Canty writes…

Funk may have been overshadowed in the late 1970s due to the success of its closely-related cousin Disco, but it was still a big deal in the US. Nowhere in the country was more keyed into the sound than Dayton, Ohio. The recent Lakeside collection (reviewed here) was a pointer that, even away from scene leaders The Ohio Players, there was plenty of hot Funk cookin’ in the city. Faze-O didn’t manage to make quite the impact of The OPs, but as this set demonstrates they had a loveable way with a solid groove.

Faze-O came together in the middle of the 70s, originally as an eight piece. They took on the name Faze-3 at first and they were soon spotted by The Ohio Players’ Clarence Satchell. He was impressed and created a new label called She for them and also produced the band. After some early recordings didn’t cut the mustard, Faze-3 became Faze-O and slimmed down the line up. A rhythm section of drummer Roger Parker and Tyrone Crum on bass were enhanced by the percussion of Robert Neal Jr and this trio were joined by Keith Harrison on keys and guitarist Ralph Aikens Jr. Harrison, Aikens and Neal all took turns on lead vocals too.. They retained this version of Faze-O through all three of their long players presented here.

The band’s biggest success came early, with the Riding High 45 reaching the Top 5 of the US R&B listings. It leant its name to their 1977 debut album and is the first number aired on this new set. The tune is a full-bodied, memorable and cool shot of relaxed Funk atmosphere that is full of allure and wonder. A unique concoction that was definitely one of the best Funk singles of 1977, it makes the most of Harrison’s tasteful keyboard work and has over the years become a popular source for Hip Hop adherents searching for suitable breakbeats. A brassy Funky Reputation follows and while it may be in a more standard format than its predecessor, what is there is still makes for a highly enjoyable beginning.

Next up You And I (Belong Together) returns to a slower tempo nicely, with the manic chant style of the down and dirty Toejam ratcheting up the pace. The one slow/one fast nature of Riding High the album is again emphasised by a tender True Love and Get Some Booty then figures as floor-filling Funk/Dance. The LP is finished by Test – This Is Faze-O, where the band display their party hearty stance to good effect. Riding High was certainly a smart calling card for Faze-O to lay down and it deservedly made a splash on both the USA R&B and Pop charts.

Good Thang arrived a year later in 1978. While a creditable effort, in truth it lacked the sprinkling of killer tracks that enlivened the band’s debut. Like the Riding High LP, it leads off with the title track single. Good Thang is a good, muscular effort that sadly did not repeat Riding High’s success and it is followed by a lengthy, danceable jam in Who Loves You. A cut down version of the latter appeared as Good Thang’s flipside and that can be heard among the second disc of this set’s bonus items.

Perhaps there are echoes of Funkadelic’s extra-terrestrial vibes on a speedy Space People, but then Party Time is pitched in a little slower and as a result impresses. This album’s sole ballad is Love Me, Girl, but it isn’t one of their best. However, Funky Lady concludes Good Thang with a head of steam and some style.

The final Faze-O collection Breakin’ The Funk arrived in 1979. Not wanting to meddle with tradition, they again kick off with the title track/lead single, a smooth and lithe Funk Rock offering. Sadly again it wasn’t able to scale the charts, but that doesn’t matter as horns, guitar and a solid rhythm combine for what is a subtle, danceable work. The pace doesn’t drop for a frantic Ya Ba Da Ba Duzie, but one has to recognise their firm base in gritty 60s R&B probably came over a bit dated at the dawn of the 1980s.

I Still Love You is one of this record’s slower effort and in truth doesn’t do anything much out of the ordinary, though some good vocals certainly help its case. The dance pulse returns for a boisterous Let’s Rock, with I’m Thankful following in a breezy, flowing fashion. It’s a real zinger and Breakin’ The Funk ends with another pretty but slight love song in See You Through The Night, where Ralph Aikens’ high vocal stars.

The final section of this disc are the four edits of LP tracks that were put out on 45s. All are cut down to under four minutes and it is an arguable point that they actually are an improvement in this more concise form. Whatever the length Riding High always comes across as different and excellent and the other two A sides could easily have been hits too with a bit of luck. Who Loves You also benefits from being cut down to a quarter of its original timespan.

While Faze-O didn’t make as big a splash as some Funk acts, the three albums included here show their undeniable quality. They’re always danceable, but include a good level of invention as well to keep it fresh. Being a bit of a Funk novice, they were a new name to me and one I relished encountering over the course of this set. The first album is a banker when requiring a little cool Dance action and the other two are no slouches either. Riding High/Good Thang/Breakin’ The Funk is an endearing statement of Faze-O’s Funk strengths.

Chase up Faze-O – Riding High/Good Thang/Breakin’ The Funk by clicking here

Lakeside – The Definitive Solar Collection

Posted on by jbass508

Lakeside – The Definitive Solar Collection

SoulMusic

3CD/DL

Released 17 November 2023

3CD set bringing together the best of Dayton Funk band Lakeside’s stint on the renowned Solar label, including the Billboard hit single Fantastic Voyage. Ian Canty writes…

Although the name Lakeside might conjure up visions of the kind of out of town shopping malls that were briefly in vogue in the early part of the 21st Century, they actually were a durable and lively act that came from Funk’s capital city aka Dayton, Ohio. Lakeside’s roots stretched back into the late 1960s when guitarist Stephen Shockley formed The Young Underground after quitting The Monterreys, another Dayton band. In this new outfit he linked up with The Nomads vocalist Mark Wood. They hit on the moniker Ohio Lakeside Express, derived from a local paper.

A lot of comings and goings went on, but in the end the band solidified into the line up of Shockley and Wood being joined by drummer Fred Alexander, Norman Beavers on keys, bassist Marvin Craig, Fred Lewis on percussion and synths, guitarist Otis Stokes and vocalists Thomas Shelby and Tiemeyer McCain. They also trimmed down their name to just Lakeside. All of the group sang, which proved to be a key weapon in their Funk/Soul arsenal. A brush with Detroit powerhouse label Motown resulted in an unreleased 45, before they moved onto the ABC imprint for their 1977 debut album.

Soul Train’s Dick Griffey became aware of the band’s potential during the mid-1970s and when he launched his own label Solar (previously Soul Train Records), Lakeside were a natural fit. This new set The Definitive Collection cherry picks from Lakeside’s nine albums for Solar, starting off with the 1978 LP Shot Of Love.

The cool handclapping bonanza of the title track of their first Solar album grants this set a wholly agreeable introduction. Indeed, this is a good example of what Lakeside did best, as crunchy guitar work and sparky vocals spar on a rock-solid groove. Hold On Tight follows at mid-pace, a more Soul-inclined offering that has a real catchy potential. I could metaphorically scratch by bonce here, because this tune was for some reason not considered for a single release. Could it haven given Lakeside the breakthrough they sadly never managed? But after a high rolling One Minute After Midnight, the 45s from the Shot Of Love LP i.e. a very danceable It’s All The Way Live (a big record on the US R&B charts) and dreamy ballad Given In To Love, show their quality.

Moving forward we next come to selections from 1980 and the Rough Rider LP, beginning with the upbeat and flowing Rough Rider itself. As invitations to cut a rug go, If You Like Our Music (Get Up And Dance) might be straightforward but it is pretty much irresistible and a powerful Pull My Strings was unlucky when released on 45 not to have crossed over from another good showing on the R&B lists to Pop success.

Fantastic Voyage, from the 1980 LP of the same name, was Lakeside’s biggest single. A deserved US R&B number one with a brilliant bassline and a Rap vocal style, the 45 hit just the right spot. A golden guitar jangle heralds Your Love Is The One, the follow up 7 inch that unfortunately did not fare so well as its predecessor and an insistent Strung Out is impressive. Slowie I Need You rounds off a disc full of vigour, prime street level rhythms and sturdy Dance moves.

1981 was a strange year for Lakeside, as record company wrangling meant they issued two albums at roughly the same time. Solar was moving distributors and to make good on their contract, Dick Griffey had to delve into the archive. As a result of the switch from RCA to Elektra, Keep On Moving Straight Ahead was issued from Lakeside’s leftovers. Your Wish Is My Command was in contrast a brand new Lakeside offering and the easy Electrofunk charm of its title track kicks off disc two of this set.

You can hear the influence of Chic on the slinky rhythm of Something About That Woman, which was extracted from the LP as a single. Although Lakeside’s band members wrote the songs for the bulk of their material, they dipped into the Lennon/McCartney songbook for another 45. A radically rejigged I Want To Hold Your Hand was cast in the Soul ballad mode. It scored high on the R&B charts, but again failed to crossover. This was sadly to be Lakeside’s lot, regardless of the quality of their work.

Album track Special gets the band back on the Dance path and The Urban Man also has a steady Street Funk appeal. We then come to the Keep Moving Straight Ahead selections, starting logically enough with the smooth grooving tune of that name. It’s You is a fresh, very danceable sound with a racing tempo and electronic warps sat out front, but We Want You (On The Floor) was the sole 45 drawn from the LP. This number ends with extended soloing from Shockley, bringing it close to Prince’s oeuvre. A playful All For You concludes the efforts drawn from Lakeside’s back pages.

1982 was a quieter time for Lakeside, but they returned the next year with Untouchables album. This set found the band kitted out in FBI garb on their trademark cartoon sleeve and big single Raid continued the theme and returned them to the upper reaches of the US R&B lists. Its party atmosphere and heavy Funk vibe show its success was well deserved. A tight beat endows Turn The Music Up with a propulsive, engaging energy that finishes off disc two of this set. The selections from Untouchables continue on the early section of disc three, with Real Love appearing not being quite distinctive enough, which must have hampered any aspirations towards the Pop charts. The more upbeat and driving Funker Untouchable is rather better and the electronic percussion on Tinsel Town Theory pointed to the band’s future.

Keeping up with a prodigious work-rate, Lakeside’s Outrageous album arrived a year on in 1984. Here they firmly embraced new technology for the full-on Electrofunk collection hinted at above. The spacey zooms and tough rhythms of the LP’s title track is a cutting edge sound that was the band’s last US R&B top ten single, but Make My Day’s Hip Hop beats couldn’t repeat the trick when issued on 45 as a follow up. Percussion-led album track Worn & Torn is a good one though and Show You The Way bolts their mellow love song essentials to the new tech fairly well.

Outrageous and its singles were modest commercial successes, but it wouldn’t be until three years on in 1987 that a new Lakeside LP hit the streets. Power was trailed by a single Relationship that was written by one time Prince cohort Mark Brown. It is the kind of ultra-modern Dance number that was de rigueur at the time, but isn’t quite memorable enough to make it the big hit the band really required at this stage. Power’s title track sets the scene with Pinky & Perky voices meeting an icy chill and slow number Bullseye was another 45 that didn’t really have what it takes for a Pop hit. Still Feeling Good was arguably a better option, as it is quite catchy.

The album was their least successful so far, reaching number 35 in the R&B lists. However, this was somewhat better than their final Solar collection Party Patrol, which missed the chart entirely. Money was the LP’s single and the last Lakeside record to chart, albeit only at 62 on the US R&B list. This was a pretty good effort, but one that was miles away from what Lakeside started out with, the upfront drilled-in beats and restless tempo being much in the stylised form of the early 90s Swing Beat sound. The Definitive Solar Collection is concluded by the album’s Rap title track and lively but indistinctive U Got It Goin’ On.

The evidence provided by The Definitive Solar Collection reveals Lakeside as a vibrant outfit that could spin out high quality Dance tunes at will. As time went on they did lose a little of their individuality by closely following the changes in Funk toward a more electronic sound, but one can hardly berate them for moving with the times. At their best it is difficult not to arrive at the conclusion that they were simply very unlucky, in that they did not gain the mainstream success in the US and Europe that their work arguably warranted. Lakeside as heard here provided a good measure of fun and finesse, plus a few wonderous grooves.

More information on Lakeside – The Definitive Solar Collection can be found by clicking here

The Salsoul Orchestra – Christmas Jollies I + II The Extra Jolly Edition

Posted on by jbass508

The Salsoul Orchestra – Christmas Jollies I + II The Extra Jolly Edition

SoulMusic/The Second Disc

3CD/DL

Out now

3CD that rounds up The Salsoul Orchestra’s two seasonal LPs from 1976 and 1981, plus Tom Moulton’s 1992 remix of the first album. Ian Canty writes…

Vince Montana Junior was a member of MFSB, the crack backing outfit that provided the basis for the famous “Philly Sound” of the mid-1970s. In this role he played vibes and percussion behind such luminaries as The O’Jays, Billy Paul, Harold Melvin and many more. After he and some of the other MFSB players fell out with Philadelphia International Records, they switched to the Salsoul label and formed into Vince’s idea of a Disco big band. Thus renewed, they took on the title The Salsoul Orchestra. After they had settled in on their new imprint Montana masterminded Christmas Jollies in 1978, with a eye firmly aimed in the direction of the lucrative Yuletide market stateside.

I have to be honest and say the first couple of tracks on Christmas Jollies don’t really work for me. The Little Drummer Boy and Sleigh Ride both have decent Funk/Soul backing tracks, with the MFSB roots of the musicians you are pretty much guaranteed that. But I found the choral vocal stylings which sat on the top both unwieldy and anonymous. Next Silent Night gets a short, straight reading and there is a lovely Jazz/Funk swing to Merry Christmas All. Denise Montana’s singing is much more distinctive than what has gone before and crucially this adds a lot to the piece.

An exotic rhythm sets Christmas Time up well to triumph as a cool dance tune, but unfortunately There’s Someone Who’s Knocking is truly naff, upping the cutesy element way too far by utilising a children’s chorus to the extent you may experience toothache after listening. The second side of Christmas Jollies features just two numbers, with the chosen tracks Christmas Medley and New Year’s Medley presumably covering all the festive options. Christmas Medley picks up a solid Funk basis which powers it along and after a couple of drinks I imagine it could do the trick of getting a party going back in the 70s.

New Year’s Medley is more of the same really. Apart from the maudlin standard Auld Lang Syne itself, not many of the songs pressed into service here had much to do with New Year celebrations at all, which leads one to the conclusion this is padding. Even so, Christmas Jollies sold well in the US and there is no denying that it is impeccably performed throughout. But listening to it today, this album is heavy on the cheese to be lenient. On this disc there are also bonuses including a 7 inch single We Wish You A Merry Christmas where some creamy brass solos crop up and further mixes of The Little Drummer Boy, Christmas Time, Christmas Medley and New Year’s Medley. After all that, I couldn’t even tolerate the concept of mince pies.

Three years later producer Patrick Adams revived the project for Christmas Jollies II. On the plus side Jocelyn Brown, who is probably best know in the UK for her 1984 hit single Somebody Else’s Guy, was on hand to sing the LP’s luscious opener You’re All I Want For Christmas. This is a really step up from the first album for me, as it is quality Soul Music doesn’t overdo the Xmas motif. Although the following Deck The Halls is more manner of the first record, The Salsoul Orchestra apply a more subtle approach here and Marian Rolle’s vocal has plenty of earthy character about it.

Joy To The World isn’t quite as impressive, but has a smart Funk backing and energy and then The Salsoul Christmas Suite riffs instrumentally through a few ballet tunes with that old Yule standby The Nutcracker figuring. A dramatic God Rest You Merry Gentlemen is rendered relatively faithfully on a Funky backing with an elongated flute section and Joyful Spirit ends the record. The second side of the vinyl of Christmas Jollies II is inferior to its flip, but even so I found it much better than the first LP by dint of including some cracking dance tunes. On this disc it is joined by 7 inch single versions of Deck The Halls and The Salsoul Christmas Suite.

Showing that I know nothing, this second set was seen as a failure commercially in the United States and all went quiet until Tom Moulton remixed the first album’s numbers in 1992. This makes up the final disc of the set. Moulton seems to bring up the bass on Christmas Medley to compete with the rather bland vocalising, but somehow conspires to makes New Year’s Medley even more duff. Christmas Time does get a bit of a boost in this form though and at least New Year’s/Americana Suite’s title is more accurate, even if it eschews any Dance influences.

The final track, a DANK (nothing to do with KYTV’s Daily Adult Nude Channel I think) remix of The Little Drummer Boy, is a House effort that plays merry hell with the source material thankfully. On the whole I found Moulton’s mix more palatable than the original record.

Christmas Jollies I + II The Extra Jolly Edition is a lot of seasonal fluff to take in one sitting. If you do that, don’t be surprised if you get a slightly sickly feeling, strangely similar to what one receives on Boxing Day after indulging in too much of everything. I suppose one has to take into account I was listening to this set in early November, not Xmas Eve after one too many snowballs. Taken individually, after the novelty of having a Disco backing to carols/old standards has worn off, I found Christmas Jollies fairly hard going. However Christmas Jollies II is much more like it, the pick of the bunch for me and the bonus disc should satisfy hardcore fans. If you don’t open this set until after December 21st, there’s some fun to be had here.

If you so wish, you can get a copy of The Salsoul Orchestra – Christmas Jollies I + II The Extra Jolly Edition here

Various – The Greatest Soul/Funk & Disco 12″ Singles Of The ’70s & ’80s

Posted on by jbass508

Various – The Greatest Soul/Funk & Disco 12″ Singles Of The ’70s & ’80s

Robinsongs

4CD/DL

Released 24 March 2023

The slightly unwieldy title of this 4CD box is actually right on the money, as it contains extended mixes of smash hit 45s by Chic, Parliament and Earth Wind And Fire, along with many others. Ian Canty writes

Although it may seem like 12 inch mixes of Dance tunes have been around forever, they only really started to gain real traction in the latter half of the 1970s. Indeed, they arrived quite late on in the Disco boom, but quickly became a must-have commodity for DJs to keep the endless party right on track. Coupled with the fact that inevitably dancers would want to hear these longer versions in the comfort of their own homes, the result was that the 12 inch single soon became predominant format for clubs and fans alike.

The Greatest Soul/Funk & Disco 12″ Singles Of The ’70s and ’80s seeks to bring together the best in the early history of the extended mix and in doing so nudges Robinsongs as close as they ever have been to the kind of straight “Greatest Hits” collections that are available widely. For instance, there is really no point in denying how great and influential Good Times by Chic and Earth Wind & Fire’s Boogie Wonderland are and they certainly belong in the best 12″ mixes of the era. But over the years they have been comped and played so many times that you would have to be someone who shuns music altogether to have not at least heard them and pretty much the only place they would fill a dance floor today is at a wedding reception. But as part of the set’s remit, they have to be here.

However, some fine rarer tracks pop up too, so let us examine exactly what is on offer here. We begin The Undisputed Truth and their cooking Funk number You + Me = Love, which was released in 1976 and is one of the earliest offerings on show. This tune gives one an idea just why 12 inchers caught on from the off. Then we have Ashford & Simpson and Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now plus EW&F with their aforementioned 1979 hit. These both have qualities which are pretty well-known to even the casual music fan, so we will go onto the bass-heavy sound of T-Connection’s Do What You Wanna Do and the similarly themed Do It Any Way You Wanna by Philadelphia’s People’s Choice.

Talking of Philly, on I Got My Mind Made Up Instant Funk hark back to their TSOP smooth Soulful days on an easy-going gem from 1979. Crown Heights Affair inject some fuzz guitar into their addictive 1980 UK hit You Gave Me Love and the handclapping good times of Whispers’ And The Beat Goes On also made a mark in Britain during the same year. Apparently Captain Dobie of Starsky & Hutch fame (aka Bernie Hamilton) produced Arthur Adams’ You Got The Floor! If so well done to him, because it is a fine effort, with Jazzman Lonnie Liston Smith next scoring with the percussive and driving Expansions. A generally satisfying opening disc ends with Blockhead Chaz Jankel and his You’re My Occupation, where Brenda Jones does the honours on vocals.

We move onto disc two, what for my money is the crowning glory of this set. Funk is in the driving seat from Brass Construction’s Movin’ onwards and as you can’t really have a collection of this sound without George Clinton, Parliament soon show up with the irresistible groove of Flash Light. A classic More Bounce To the Ounce (Pts 1 and 2) by Zapp keeps the quality level high and Midnight Star’s No Parking On The Dancefloor uses Hip Hop beats as part of its musical attack.

Jam And Lewis gave The S.0.S. Band Just Be Good To Me, a cool slow jam that would later be covered by Beats International and result in a number one hit. I wasn’t previously aware of the fab Space Age by The Jimmy Castor Bunch that comes with with siren drones to the fore and then a finger-snapping, rapping Fantastic Voyage by Lakeside provides plenty of street tough moves. The semi-instrumental You’re A Star by Aquarian Dream is a dancefloor-ready delight and finally Frankie Beverley fronts Maze on Twilight, a slow burner with Electro beats underpinning some elegant piano flourishes.

Disc three sets out with Chic’s Good Times and He’s The Greatest Dance by Sister Sledge, both displaying the Rodgers/Edwards team at the top of their effectiveness. Moving onto something a little less well known, Double Exposure’s 1976 recording Ten Percent was a breakthrough 12 inch and brings the slick Soul vocal group sound right into the Disco age. Loleatta Holloway’s Love Sensation formed the base material for Black Box’s Ride On Time, a chart topper one at the height of House and Contact finds 60s Soul veteran Edwin Starr adapting with ease to Disco’s syncopation beat.

Narada Micheal Walden’s bass heavy and infectious I Should Have Loved Ya made a big impact in the UK and I’ve a taste for the Euro Disco inflections of Voyage, who crop up here with a snappy From East To West. We finish this section with the well-worn sound of Disco Inferno by The Trammps.

The final part of this set shows strong Brit Funk leanings, with the cool blast of Southern Freeez, Hi-Tension’s self-titled subtle and neat 1978 single and Atmosfear’s monster Dancing In Outer Space standing out. If the Isle Of Wight’s Level 42 quickly went pop, the dirty bass on Love Games is pretty good too,

But before all that we have the driving synth Disco stylings of Change on Searching and vibes maestro Roy Ayers’s cool Funky tune Running Away starting things off. Most will have heard Money’s Too Tight (To Mention) through the Simply Red cover, but the original by The Valentine Brothers is far and away the definitive take and really shows out in this extended form. Shame by Evelyn “Champagne” King was a hardy Disco chart stalwart with its racing beat still coming over as fresh and Reggae specialists Third World crossed over to score a big hit with their cover of Gamble and Huff’s Now That We Found Love.

In conclusion The Greatest Soul/Funk & Disco 12″ Singles Of The ’70s & ’80s is a reasonably attractive set to anyone fairly new to 1970’s Disco and Soul. A terrific disc two marks it out from the pack and the final offering is bolstered by a sharp delve into Brit Funk, something that was important but tends to be ignored in this day and age. The heyday of the 12 inch single made for some brilliant evenings dancing away. If, like me, the flesh and bones are now too weak to consider the prospect of a night on the dancefloor, this collection acts as a decent alternative.

You can nab a copy of Various – The Greatest Soul/Funk & Disco 12″ Singles Of The ’70s & ’80s here

Slave, Steve Arrington & Aurra – The Definitive Collection

Posted on by jbass508

Slave, Steve Arrington & Aurra – The Definitive Collection

Robinsongs

3CD/DL

Released 12 August 2022

A 3CD compilation of Dayton, Ohio Funk outfit Slave’s finest that features the work of two of their off-shoots in addition. This means the set includes band member Steve Arrington’s two big solo UK hits that date from 1985. Ian Canty writes

From the fertile Funk breeding ground of Dayton Ohio, that also spawned The Ohio Players and Zapp among others, came Slave in the the middle of the 1970s. At first they were just an idea of the duo of trumpeter Steve Washington and Floyd Miller, but rapidly their ranks swelled as the band became a reality. The brass section was fleshed out with the addition of saxophonists Tom Lockett Jr and Orion “Bimmy” Wilhoite and singing drummer Tim Dozier enlisted too, with lithe-fingered bass playing ace Mark Adams joining him in the rhythm section. Guitarists Danny Webster and Mark Hicks, plus Carter Bradley on keys completed the initial Slave line up.

After a protracted period of rehearsal, Slave hit the Dayton live scene and cut a demo which found its way to Jeff Dixon, a radio programmer at the WNJR station. He was impressed by the demo and invited the band to record an album of material to shop around the record companies for a deal. Dixon was appointed the group’s producer and manager and in due course Cotillion offered them a recording contract. The Dixon tape underwent a remix and was then issued by the label as Slave’s self-titled debut album in early 1977.

The band were almost an instant success on signing for the Cotillion, with the Slide single making the US Top Forty and topping the R&B charts. It would remain their biggest hit. Benefiting from the single’s chart performance, the album was likewise a bit of a triumph, making number 22 in the US national listings. The first five tracks on The Definitive Collection are drawn from this debut long player. The LP version of Slide, with its extended Heavy Rock style guitar riffing, humourous feel and bass-driven, cool energy, is a real crazy Funk monster that kicks things off in style and its flipside/continuation Son Of Slide also is presented here.

Screw Your Wig On Tite keeps the fresh Funk coming with some very effective vocals and the supercharged R&B of Party Hardy benefits from Adams’ always fluid bass playing. You And Me is an upbeat number/jam and Separated ends the selections from Slave the album with another street-level and sassy Funk goodie. This early flush of success for Slave’s first records would be a milestone around their necks, as it proved a difficult act to follow. The next album The Hardness Of The World came out at the end of the same year, but sales and acclaim were hard to come by. Life Can Be Happy begins the items from this record included here, a good Soul/Pop song with a touch of Proto-Electrofunk and guitar pyrotechnics thrown in for good measure.

The Great American Funk Song is an intriguing confection and underlines the self-aware humour that ran deep in Slave’s work, with the repetition in the vocals representing something of a parody. Baby Sinister has a similar punning title and is an inventive instrumental dance groove which sadly failed as a single. It was outstripped commercially by The Party Song, even though that only made the lower reaches of the Hot 150. The latter was pretty much a re-working of Slide with more of a Jazz emphasis, but didn’t repeat its inspiration’s success.

Third album The Concept found Dozier replaced by one Steve Arrington. This was a pivotal moment for Slave, one that would herald a change in the band’s approach. Starlena Young also came in at around the same on vocals. A vocoder-vocalled Stellar Fungk was the album’s single and a US R&B chart hit. It found Slave delving deep into electronic sounds and the salsa-influenced drum patterns Arrington had brought with him, something the largely percussive Thank You Lord makes explicit.

The funky Drac Is Back referenced Slide and is an expansive dance item with plenty of the six string showing off that was a Slave trademark. The final two tracks on this disc come from 1979’s Just A Touch Of Love, where Arrington graduated to becoming the group’s main lead singer. The buzzing bass of title track finds the band presenting us with a lighter Disco tune, imbued with some well-judged female backing vocals. As a single it made a slight impact on the UK charts, Slave’s only showing here. Are You Ready For Love? has real energy and a good back and forth between the female and male voices, something that was developing nicely in Slave.

Over on disc two there are more numbers from Just A Touch Of Love. Funky Lady (Foxy Lady) saw release as a single and wasn’t too successful. But is a good Funk Pop effort with a dollop of slap bass thrills and the uplifting vocals make it a fairly appetising sound and the moody Shine is endowed with a freewheeling élan.

If the last two albums represented a step backward in terms of chart performance and critical reception, the next long player Stone Jam would mark an upturn in Slave’s fortunes. It was genuinely the sound of a band renewed and they were as a result awarded a gold disc in the US. That five tracks from it are included here shows its importance in Slave’s history.

An easy-going, sunny drive to Feel My Love shows Slave at their most accessible, which makes its failure as a single slight baffling. If Sizzlin’ Hot was also not a big hit, it is no reflection on the quality of its excellent groove, given power by Adams’ elastic bass and some nifty percussion work. The clubbing rhythm and catchy hook of Watching You was the final 45 extracted from the LP and deservedly reached number six on the R&B charts. A very Funky Never Get Away and the uplifting title track are also present.

1981’s Show Time followed up on its predecessor’s success, but would be the last Slave album with Steve Arrington. He formed his own band Hall Of Fame and later had solo hit singles in the UK. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Three Show Time numbers turn up on disc two, with Party Lites making the tail end of the third disc. Snap Shot was the first 45 from the album and it is a delightfully out together, if perhaps a bit too meandering for the Pop fans to pick up on. Wait For Me picks up the same rhythm, but the bass-heavy Jazz/Funk of Steal Your Heart shows more promise.

Back in 1980 the Slave splinter group Aurra put out their first records. They were originally a wheeze of Washington, who recruited singers Young and Curt Jones, the latter joining Slave a while back in one of their many line up reshuffles. Aurra issued a self-titled album and a 45 in When I Come Home in 1980. Though the latter is not included here, the next three Aurra single A sides are. This trio made sizeable dents on the US Dance and R&B charts, with Make Up Your Mind selling the best as it also made a minor showing in the mainstream Pop listings.

Aurra’s sound wasn’t radically different from Slave, but these singles all combined firm Pop/Dance appeal with R&B/Funk toughness. In The Mood To Groove finds the singers’ voices mixing perfectly and on Are You Single Young takes the lead vocal spot and makes it her own. But the very catchy Make Up Your Mind made the biggest impact of the trio.

The first post-Arrington Slave album was Visions of the Lite, which first saw the light of day in 1982. Two offerings from it are included on disc two. Intro (Come To Blow Ya Mind) breaks through with a real show of confidence and an Electrofunk pearl in I’ll Be Gone finishes off disc two.

More Aurra recordings open up the final disc of The Definitive Collection. 1982’s Checking You Out and Such A Feeling are both perfectly acceptable Pop/Soul singles, even if they didn’t quite measure up to Making Up Your Mind’s impact. Later on this disc we have the big UK hit duet You And Me Tonight, which reached as high as number twelve on the charts in Blighty during 1986.

We also have a trio of tracks from the penultimate Slave album mined here Bad Enuff. A down and dirty Steppin’ Out shows the band still able to spin out suggestive Funk at will and Turn You Out (In & Out) shows they could rival Aurra in the production of slick, catchy dance music too. Final Bad Enuff effort Shake It Up is restrained and commercial with a decidedly 1980s production feel.

Steve Arrington had been busy since his split with Slave. A 2006 remastering of a rather leaden effort You Meet My Approval comes first and the lighter and more agreeable Weak At The Knees, a single by his Hall Of Fame aggregation, follows. The flowing, likeable Feel So Real made the Top Five in the UK and a rhythmic Dancin’ In The Key Of Life very nearly repeated the trick. Actually it was a bigger hit in the US, doing very well in the Dance and R&B charts, while reaching number 21 here.

1984’s New Plateau found Slave exploring Electrofunk. Album track Jungle Dance is pretty neat and benefits from a tight and original rhythmic structure and the Ooohh single, which nearly cracked the R&B Top Forty, shows a band moving with the times to produce something of worth. Finally on this disc we have the very cool Party Lites and another 2006 remaster in Everybody Slide, where Slave standbys like guitar heroics, rubber basslines, witty touches and great vocals combine effortlessly. Though this compilation ends here, Slave kept recording regularly right through the late 1980s and early 1990s. But after a run of unsuccessful albums ending with 1995’s Masters of the Fungk, they split up.

Slave might not have made much of an impact in the UK, but they were a big noise in their homeland and yet more proof of how massive Funk was in the USA during the 1970s and 1980s. There’s plenty to enjoy here for anyone who likes a good dance number and the Aurra and Steve Arrington tunes flesh out the story well. The one thing this lacks is the kind of creamy ballads most bands like them indulged in from time to time. However, as more a fan of upbeat Funk this isn’t a big deal for me to be honest and it just proves how committed to it Slave were. In conclusion The Definitive Collection is a good Slave starter pack.

You can cop yourself the Slave, Steve Arrington Aurra The Definitive Collection here