Etta James - Leave Your Hat On (Chess 1033-2148)

GRAB IT HERE!

Okay so I thought I'd get a little funkier today. I've been posting Soul and Garage stuff lately but no Funk. So here is a great tune found in Montreal a couple years back. It's not fast'n'funky but the kind of funk you want to hear during a striptease (at least I'd rather be playing this than Barry White). No seriously it's slow and heavy with horns aplenty! Miss James voice is nice and raunchy. And it puts a whole new spin on the song if all you can remember is the Full Monty. After you listen to this you'll want to listen to it again......and again....you get the picture. This was released in 1974 and is a Canadian pressing. Enjoy!

The Beginning Of The End - Funky Nassau Pt II (Atco A-4595)

No Longer Available - Sorry

Now THIS is a little FUNKY!
In 1974 The Beginning Of The End crashed the charts with Funky Nassau Pt I. This tune was pure funk (and in 1974 we had some serious funk happening). It also had a very "island" sound to it (probably due to the fact that, as the name of the song implies, they were from Nassau in the Bahamas). To the best of my knowledge, there was a nine track album put out on Atlantic and then the band split....I guess it really WAS the Beginning Of The End! This is the B-Side of the single. It starts out with a great (and often sampled) breakbeat, then the horns....There are no words other than a few recitals of "Funky Nassau" over and over.....the only problem I have with this tune is that it's TOO SHORT!!! Enjoy!

*NOTE: It was brought to my attention that I have the year wrong...that this single came out in 1971 (instead of my misleading 1974)...thanks for keeping me honest (I hate getting years mixed up!!!)

100 Proof (Aged In Soul) - Somebody's Been Sleeping (Buddah 7004X)

GRAB IT HERE!

So as the story goes, when Holland -Dozier -Holland left Motown and formed Invictus and Hot Wax, this is the sound they delivered. Originally released in the US on Hot Wax (This is a Canadian shadow release on Buddah) it was a bit of a departure from the Motown sound. This is the bands second single which cracked the charts in 1970. I love playing this back to back with Ain't Nothin' But A House Party by the Showstoppers (which is posted below somewheres....). Enjoy!

The Hit Pack - Let's Dance (Tamla Motown S-35010)

GRAB IT HERE!

I came across this single a while back without knowing much about the band. This is the B-Side to "Never Say No To Your Baby". I like the A-Side, but find this selection to be a little better to play when I DJ. Released in 1965 it's a good dancer. As far as I have seen, the Hit Pack have only released a few singles and never a whole album. They are difficult to find but not TERRIBLY rare. This is a Canadian pressing (They only released singles on this Tamla/Motown label) Enjoy!

Prince Buster & The Allstars - Rough Rider (Prince Buster)

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I just picked this one up a few weeks ago in Toronto. I was suprised to see a pile of Jamaican singles (Drats! No Max Romeo - I Chase The Devil!!!). The fellow selling them really had no clue as to what they were all about but some little birdy must have told him they were worth a lot of cash. Typically they don't go for a lot up here, so having to shell out $20 for a single is kinda rare. I have fond memories growing up to the Beat's version of Rough Rider in the early 80's. Having the original version was a must and I quickly separated myself from $20. In fairness, the dealer DID give me a rough copy of a Wailers single on Coxsone for free! (I believe it was Ska Jerk) But that's another story. I know a LOT of the Prince Buster stuff was manufactured in England and I'm not sure if this is English or not. Anybody know the deal? The fact that it says "Distributed by ..... Kingston Jamaica" makes me wonder if this is a true Jamaican single. Anyways, enjoy the single.

Eric "Monty" Morris - Sammy Dead (Kentone)

GRAB IT HERE!

I love Jamaican reggae. To be more specific, I love EARLY Jamaican reggae. It must be my English roots (cue laughter). During my digging I tend to come across quite a few Jamaican singles. However, sifting through the dance hall and later reggae is difficult. Sometimes you come up with a gem like this one. I only have a handful of original Jamaican pressings but they're killers. Check out Byron Lee and his Dragonaires backing up the charismatic Eric "Monty" Morris. The song is "Sammy Dead" and apparently this was quite the hit on the island when it came out. Enjoy!

The Rabble - You Come On Too Strong (Transworld TW-1675)

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The Rabble was a Psyche/Garage band from Quebec. Formed in 1966 their first single was Golden Girl (the flip side of this disc). Everyone I talk to thought the Rabble was crap. Too mainstream was the general consensus. However, after listening to this track, I think it's safe to say they had at least one winner! Apparently they toured with the Guess Who and even subbed for Cream when they couldn't make a gig. Montreal also had the Haunted making the local club rounds, so these guys would have had some stiff competition for crowds. Hmmm ... I think my next posts may include some Haunted singles ... then you can decide for yourself. Enjoy!

The Castaways - Liar Liar (LANA 151)

GRAB IT HERE!

The Castaways had a smash hit with this in '66. It's up there on my list of favourite garage tunes. I found this copy the other day for $1 at a local thrift shop. Jim Donna's vocals are pure punk. It's a perfect piece of 60's punk. Now, having said all that, I was looking on the net to see what was up with the Castaways and I found THIS. I'm sorry but I just feel sad that it's come to this for the band. Listen to this track and remember them at their best! Enjoy!

The Ugly Ducklings - Nothin' (York Town 45001)

Currently UN-Diggable!

So I live in a mid-size city outside of Toronto called Hamilton. Next to us is an even smaller city called Burlington (nick-named BORINGTON) . It's hard to believe that one of the coolest Canadian garage outfits came from there. Quickly moving to the hipster scene in Toronto's Yorkville neighbourhood, they started to create a legend that was The Ugly Ducklings! Their album was released in 1968 I believe and is upwards of $300 for an original pressing. This tune is their first single released in 1966. I've had this copy for about 11 years (I have their second single 10:30 Train as well). It's not in the best shape but DAMN! this track is pure attitude. Who said good things didn't come out of Burlington???? Give it a spin and play it LOUD! Enjoy!

Bonnie Raitt - You've Been In Love Too Long (WB 7758)

GRAB IT HERE!

I have a soft spot for gals who sing soul music. If she's got a good voice I'm captivated for that 3 or 4 minutes. Like the Shirley Eikardt single I posted below, Bonnie Rait suprised me with this tune. She has always had the best session players (even back in '73) and these guys are tight. The song is reminiscent of Aretha's Rocksteady which was done 2 years before. To be honest, this was a VERY good time period for funky music. Bonnie is known mostly for her bluesy music (and she is GOOD at that too) but when I by chance threw this on the platter I was mesmorized. While I'm not a big fan of her more recent stuff, I must give credit to her early music...very cool indeed.

The Showstoppers - Ain't Nothin' But A Houseparty (Heritage HE-800)

GRAB IT HERE!

Okay, So the next 3 post are actually from my last blog. Not a lot of people saw that one, but I felt that they needed to be posted again. Let me know what you think! Also I apologize if you've seen these three before....
This is one of my favourites of the northern soul anthems. I mean, it doesn't get much larger than this. It is fast from start to finish so stamina is a must if you're out there dancing. This is on the Heritage label which was used for national distrobution. While you CAN find this on almost any Northern compilation, I thought I'd give you my own copy which has probably seen a houseparty or two...still it kinda adds to the excitement. One of the things I love about collecting old 45's it just sitting back while listening to it and thinking about the people who first partied it and what their reaction was to the sweet soul music coming out of their Hi-Fi...... Enjoy!

Jarvis Jackson - The Long Dog (SIMS 291)

GRAB IT HERE!

Okay I found this single at a second hand store a while back and thought I'd check it out. The A side is pretty uninteresting in MY books but when I flipped the disk over, I heard a song that instantly hit my top 10 in my DJ set. It's called the Long Dog on the label but correct me if I'm wrong but the vocals actually say "Long John"....Hmmm...maybe this title was too lewd for the label? Anyways, it's a great little Soul floor shaker and I hope you enjoy it!
I've found other bands on the SIMS label but they all seem to be Country (and bad country at that!) Maybe someone knows the scoop on this label? Enjoy!

Shirley Eikhard - You Really Got A Hold On Me (Capitol 3798)

GRAB IT HERE!

Shirley Eikhard was a total mystery to me. She is the daughter of a famous New Brunswick fiddler from the 50's and in her career has written and co-written material for Alannah Myles and Bonnie Raitt (getting a grammy for her contribution to "Something to Talk About"). I found this gem in a collection I purchased a few years ago and seriously, this song gives me goose bumps. I love almost every version of this song I hear but for some reason this is my favourite. While it's not a fast get down and shake a tailfeather type song, it's got a sound that will mesmerize you. Check it out, I hope you like it! Let Me Know What You Think!

Human Beinz - Nobody But Me (Capitol 5990)

Grab it Here!

The Human Beinz (originally The Human Beings from Ohio) signed with Capitol in 1967 and released this Isley Brothers cover the same year. Bridging the gap between Soul and Garage, this has always been a favourite of mine. It's definately a dancer. This and "Shake" by the Shadows of Knight (posted below) are 2 songs I usually play back to back when DJing. Total Gold! Spin It!

Shadows of Knight - Shake! (Team TM-520)

GRAB IT HERE!

The Shadows of Knight were another Chicago based band which crawled out of the fuzzy dark cellars to hit the charts with such faves as "Gloria" and "Oh Yeah!". This release was their final. In 1969 they left Dunwich to sign with Team records (a division of Buddha) and release a slew of (in my opinion) crap. "Shake" was a diamond in the rough and hit the top 50 charts. I think this song is the dogs bollocks. From start to finish it's energetic and playful. It's a very Mitch Ryder type sound. I love playing this tune to a crowd of dancers.....it's enjoyed muchly! Give it a spin!

Cryan' Shames - Mr. Unreliable (Columbia 4-44037)

Currently UN-Diggable!

The Cryan Shames were from Chicago. Apparently they were quite the hit locally and their first album (Sugar & Spice) was a big success for them in 1967. This single is my favourite by them. The bass line is simple and amazing...it just carries the whole song. Listening to this kinda makes me think of early 'Nazz material. What do you think? Enjoy!

My Space & The Pinball Number Count Video - Pointer Sisters

Currently UN-Diggable!

So the other day I had a friend tell me that one of our childhood television shows best segments had a video on the interweeb. Much to my suprise, it was the Pinball Number Count! Now even MORE suprising was the fact that this was the Pointer Sisters doing the vocals and was remixed by Larry Levan (apparently it's the B-side of Cookie Monster & The Gals - C is for Cookie 12" from 1978 (CTW 747)). Okay Okay, so you guys are thinking "You didn't know this?" Well it's one of those pieces of trivia which escaped me (much like Morgan Freeman's Easy Reader on the Electric Company). I need to get myself a copy of this 12" but it looks like I'll need to relieve myself of a LOT of money (in the $100 range) before it joins my ranks... sigh ....I guess I'll keep checking out the children's bin at the record shops. So looking around, all I could find was the simple streaming video links.....Digging deeper I managed to find an Mpg version of this great video so that it's ready to be burned to disc and shown on your TV! Help yourself!
Another note of possible interest is that I have enrolled on the braindrain supersite MySpace. I thought I might find a bit of traffic coming this way via the crazy cyber village everyone's talking about. You can check out my profile here.
That's it for today.....more music tomorrow! Enjoy!

Bob Seger & The Last Heard - Heavy Music Pt 2 (Cameo-Parkway C-494)

GRAB IT HERE!

I had to put this tune up as well. This is a monster for me. It has a soulful sound but as the title indicates, it's heavy music! Released in 1968 this tune was a big hit in the Michigan area. I posted the B-Side which is Part 2 because the whole song seems a lot tighter on this side. The bongos at the beginning are a lot catchier too. Bobs got a lot of passion in this one....especially when he wails DONTCHA EVER LISTEN TO THE RADIO WHEN THE BIG BAD BEAT COMES OW_ON!
Enjoy The Heavy Music!

Bob Seger & The Last Heard - East Side Story (Cameo C-438)

Currently UN-diggable!

Well I can say, I'm not a very big Bob Seger fan. Old Time Rock'n'Roll (the song) just wasn't my bag .... However after finding a few early singles, I have developed a new respect for this old guy. Apparently the first Label to offer him a recording soundtrack was Motown! Wierd huh? Although the date on this single says 1963, it seems it wasn't released until 1966, however you'll find a really good tune here. He's kinda brooding and dark, but man, what a voice. The guitars are noisy just how I like'em too .... Bob grew up in Michigan and really, the place just oozed talent back then....Enjoy!

The Count Five - Psychotic Reaction (Double Shot 104)

Currently UN-diggable!

Back in my late teens I was discovering a whole new world of music. While everyone else was listening to Guns n Roses and Whitesnake, I was listening to the Who, Small Faces and other MOD bands (Early soul classics as well) I had a Parka and wore Nehru jackets, Fred Perry's and Ben Shermans with my Clarks desert boots or Doc Martens. Then one day, down at my local record shop, someone introduced me to 2 key albums that changed my listening world forever....The British Psychedelic Trip Vol 1 and Nuggets Vol 1. Nuggets had the most amazing raw primitive music I had ever heard. All of a sudden my hair grew out and my clothes changed to tight pinstriped Hip Huggers and cockroach killer boots with the zip up the side....LOL, it was a funny transition for some people to see, but not for me. I was transforming! (see funny pictures!) So to get back to the musical side of things, I found that the complete Nuggets Lp was going to be a focus for my collecting habits. Over the years I have found almost ALL of the original singles offered on those 2 glorius platters and some interesting variations. The track I'm offering here is my favourite. Hands down, this is (for me) the epitome of Garage Punk music. From its slow build up to it's spastic fuzzy guitar....just perfect! I have 4 different copies of this single (including a see thru brown vinyl on Double Shot!) Enjoy!

Chris Farlowe - Paint It Black (Daffodil DFS-1034)

DOWNLOAD IT HERE! (or click play below to listen)

So the posting below was a cool and faithful rendition of a Rolling Stones classic. On the flip of the coin here I have Chris Farlowe (English crooner/rocker) doing his rendition of Paint It Black. I love listening to the covers of classic songs done the same time the original came out. This one definately has that 60's flavour. Originally released in 1966, this single is a Canadian release from his "Best Of" Album released in '68 (Check the cool Daffodil label, it was a division of Capitol Canada). Mr. Farlowe sounds like a young Tom Jones raised by a band of Gypsys and released upon the unsuspecting listener. However! I must say that upon listening to this single a couple times, it DOES get quite catchy. Give it a try, if you don't like it, then you can always try Del Shannon's take on Under My Thumb below this post! Enjoy!

Del Shannon - Under My Thumb (Liberty Audition LB-2281)

Currently UN-diggable!

Happy Monday! As I sit here teetering on the brink of exhaustion (due to a VERY busy Easter weekend!) I feel I need to up something cool. I have always been a fan of Del Shannon's voice. Runaway was always a favourite of mine (well, I DO like the Small Faces version a bit better...). I had bought a large collection of singles a year or two back (and there are STILL piles of records that I haven't yet sifted through). I found THIS one the other day. In 1966, Del Shannon did a VERY faithful version of this Stones classic. The arrangement is pretty much the exact same but you can tell it's Del. Anyways, If you love the original, then you'll love this too...how can you not?

The Jackson 5 - You Don't Have To Be Over 21 To Fall In Love (Dynamo D-146)

Currently UN-diggable!

So I know most people aren't all that keen on Michael Jackson these days, however there was a time when he WAS human and part of a FANTASTIC soul group. In Chicago there was a label called Steeltown. The first few singles from the Jackson 5 were released by them. However, I've not been able to find out much on this single. I know that the B-side (Some Girls Want Me For Their Lover) was the second single released on Steeltown. Also, Dynamo had quite a few good single releases and all are fairly scarce today. I've added BOTH singles to this post, so you can hear the early moments of the so-called "King of Pop". Enjoy!

The Ikettes - Peaches & Cream (Modern 1005)

Currently UN-diggable!

I love this tune! Ike & Tina always had a group of girl back-up singers (originally the Arlettes then the Ikettes). THIS band actually had some hits through the early to mid 60's on their own. Peaches and Cream was released in 1965 and became a major hit for them. I read somewhere that when the record became a hit, Ike put together another version of the Ikettes and kept the original gals with HIS touring revue. What a guy! Grab this track..it's a total MOD hit! Enjoy!

Ohio Players - Funky Worm (Westbound 214)

Currently UN-diggable

I just posted this yesterday so I'm reposting it here from my other site. This single is from 1973. The year I was born. I first got a scratchy copy of it in high school (almost 17 years ago!) and at that time it was kind of a joke record. I played it for my friends and we all had a good laugh. There was something about the song that nagged at me though...the funny parts were funny but the actual song was really good. Really funky. It's a laid back funk song which did become a minor hit for the Ohio Players. Even before "Fire" came out the next year, the Ohio Players were a band with a definate Sly Stone influence. They played as a back-up band in the 60's (for Wilson Pickett amongst others) before Walter "Junie" Morrison left his imprint on the band in the early 70's (He left in 1974 and joined the P-Funk clan). I personally like ALL the Westbound material, but have a listen for yourself.....Enjoy!

The Clique - Superman (White Whale 323)

This track is currently UN-diggable

So this is my first post on my new BLOG. I was trying to pick an obsure gem but honestly I felt that this tune deserves another day in the sun. Most of you out there are probably aware of REM's song Superman. Well if you thought they wrote that, you're wrong. This is the first version of that song done way back in 1968 (Listen for the Beatles influence). It's actually the B-side to their hit Sugar on Sunday. Anyways, I always loved this version and thought I'd share it with you. Enjoy!

WELCOME!

Welcome to my new BLOG. I decided to do things a little differently this time but will still be giving you great music. I realize this post will get lost in a month or so but for those that can read it, I want you to know what the blog is all about. I have been collecting records for about 16 years now and I really like the idea of sharing my music with the public. I have the originals so I don't mind allowing you guys to hear songs that you may not have otherwise purchased, downloaded or even known about! My records range from Rare to Common, From Soul and Funk to Garage Punk and Rockabilly! I love comments to gauge what you guys like so leave me some messages.