Welcome to Issue #5 of the Soultearoa Shakedown. While the NZ Soul All Dayer crew were a little quieter than intended over the winter months, we’re delighted to be back to mark the beginning of the warmer weather with the ‘Spring 2014’ edition of Aotearoa’s premier soul music event, plus this fresh, free fanzine. The NZ Soul All Dayer #5 features twelve DJs – special guests Submariner, Dylan C, Scott Towers, Kirk James, Jubt, Toni Cooper and Pete Nice, alongside residents Jay Jeffrey, Gene Rivers, Nyntee, Kris Holmes and Campbell Ngata – reaching deep into their crates to spin many of the shades of soul music over the course of twelve hours. We’ve got exclusive NZ Soul All Dayer merchandise for sale, we’re screening classic Soul and Blaxploitation movies and there’ll be more good music than your feet will know what to do with. Issue #5 of the ‘zine features soul music-related material from all over the world: from the Not Too Young Swiss Soul Weekender to Slow Grind Fever in Melbourne; from Soul Trippin’ California Style to ‘A Brazilian’s Guide To Brazilian Soul and Funk Music’; from a rundown of Kris Holmes’ recent US mini-tour to crate digging tales direct from the US. We’ve Top 5 lists, the ‘Soul Song Which Changed My Life’ and ‘The Last Record I Bought’ series continues, we’ve exclusive pieces from Simon Grigg, Murray Cammick, Peter McLennan and Scott Towers; and peep the old school NZ record stickers and labels above… All of this just goes to show that SOUL MUSIC transcends race, nationality and borders. We celebrate this diversity with every NZ Soul All Dayer event and with each issue of the Soultearoa Shakedown fanzine; because SOUL music isn’t a genre – it’s a FEELING! __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Key contributors: Kris Holmes, Jay Jeffrey and Nyntee Edited by: David ‘Nyntee’ Carroll We would love to hear YOUR stories about soul music! Get in touch: nzsoulalldayer@gmail.com
DO THE CREEP! Written By Peter McLennan Jay Epae wrote ‘Tumblin Down’ for Maria Dallas, had a top 5 hit in Sweden, and created a magnificent Kiwi dance craze with a swinging little number called ‘The Creep’. Born in Manaia, Taranaki, Epae made his way in the local music scene, eventually shifting to the USA in 1957, to further his career. Signed initially to Mercury, then to Capitol, he cut a handful of groovy pop singles, including ‘Putti Putti’, which hit big in Sweden. It got picked up by Radio Nord, a Swedish pirate radio station broadcasting offshore from a ship (a-la Radio Hauraki). It hit the top 5 on the Swedish charts, selling over 50,000 copies, leading Epae to tour there. Epae came home and released his one and only solo album Hold On Tight! It’s Jay Epae in 1966 on Viking Records, the same year he penned the pop hit ‘Tumblin Down’ for Maria Dallas. Author Chris Bourke describes Epae’s album as “an eclectic showcase of R&B, country and pop styles, showing how adept Epae could be at emulating Arthur Alexander, Fats Domino, Bobby Charles as well as Dean Martin and – on ‘The Creep’, an Epae original – James Brown.” ‘The Creep’ is arguably his greatest musical contribution. A fantastic dance number, it’s a wickedly slinky slab of R&B. The cover of the original single even has a handy diagram of the dance moves. The song got rediscovered when John Baker included it on his Kiwi garage punk compilation Wild Things Vol. 2, in 1995. Epae’s album got a digital reissue in 2012. Trivia: Jay Epae’s brother Wes was a member of the Maori Hi Five. They topped the charts in Sweden for several weeks in 1963 with their song ‘Poi Poi’ and toured there as well, alongside Duke Ellington and Count Basie. www.dubdotdash.blogspot.com and ‘Ring The Alarm’, 10am Saturdays, Base FM __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
TWELVE BY TWELVE: A Brazilian’s Guide to Brazilian Soul and Funk Music Written by Edson Carvalho (Sao Paulo, Brasil) This is a list of twelve Brazilian songs which I believe will give you a good idea of how Brazilian musicians understood and interpreted Soul and Funk music. They added some Brazilian spice and, sometimes, a bit of cheese, too. Some of these artists are well known, others are really obscure and released only one single. Hope you like the selection! 1. Tete de Bahia – Duplo Sentido 2. Joao Maringa – Morcego 3. Tuca – Que C’est Bon L’Amour 4. Luiz Antonio – Hello Baby 5. Celia – A Hora e Essa 6. Antenor – Caminho
7. Mary – Quem Sou Eu Quem Es Tu 8. Claudio Fontana – Diga Tudo Que Voce Quiser 9. Leureny – Minha Lei 10. Ricardo Petraglia – Papo Careta 11. Vanil – Quero Encontrar Voce 12. Morris Albert – The Throat
Go to www.thenzsoulalldayer.blogspot.com for links to these tracks, if you’re lucky…
BEING FETCHING AND FUNNY: How To Keep It Young and Real Written by Henning Boerm Aka Henning Boogaloo (Lucerne, Switzerland) Switzerland. What is Switzerland? Is it the land of cheese, chocolate, hills and money? Yes, it is. But there is lot more; for example, a small group of young people with a burning passion for Soul Music. Who are those people? Just friends who each has a soft spot for Soul Music, specific skills and a desire to have fun. That’s the Swiss Soul Club. In Lucerne we’re happy to be surrounded by committed music lovers who appreciate what we’re doing, and have supported us from the very beginning – ten years ago – to develop a local scene. These people are Hip Hop dudes, Reggae muffins, vintage dancers, even Techno and House addicts, all of whom feel the same fetish for rare vinyl as we do. So, is there a Rare Soul scene in Switzerland? Well, no. Honestly, this turned out to be an advantage. We’ve been able to develop naturally without “Big Soul Brother” watching and judging us. Original vinyl, yes, but keeping the music in focus, rare or not. Funny thing is this doesn’t help to avoid a huge dose of nerdism. The Swiss Soul Club and the NOT TOO YOUNG Swiss Soul Weekender Henning Boerm aka Henning Boogaloo, and Emel Ilter are two Germans who moved to Lucerne and got to know each other thanks to the strong smell of vinyl. Henning founded the Spin Club which Emel joined. For a few years they put on a club night in an ex-blue movie theatre. The event became a label, which led to them DJing their 45s around Europe. The pair fell in love with Cristina Paci and Marta Hermelo, who then became part of their ‘Soul Crew’. Like-minded record aficionados Raphi Gruenig from Biel/Bienne and Phuoc Ngo alias Fu Man Chu from SMART Lion Zurich came aboard via their Rude Attack events; with the latter becoming an important initiator of the NOT TOO YOUNG Swiss Soul Weekender, while also hosting the Rare Soul night SOUL CITY BERNE, with Raphi and Mighty Matthew. As you can see, things developed quite naturally. There’s a setting and some cool cats spinning some of the rarest records in the world. So, as a bunch of mostly independent promoters we needed a uniting label. That’s how the idea of an association came up, and we founded the Swiss Soul Club in 2011. This is the mothership to promote our NOT TOO YOUNG Swiss Soul Weekender. It was clear to us from the very beginning that it had to be a weekender for the young generation of Rare Soul DJs. People like us who are “not too young” for this – where “young” means being part of a new generation of record collecting DJs with the right instinct for future Black Music sounds. It means to stay progressive in any category of Rare Soul music, no matter if it’s Crossover, Modern Soul, R&B, Funk, House, Disco or Boogie. Not over-played, but real and OV. That’s how we feel it. Some 45s played currently at the Spin Club Lucerne Nighter Emel Ilter’s Selection 1. Kool Blues – Can We Try Love Again (Capsoul) 2. Energettics – You Make Me Nothing (Cobra) 3. Alex and His Soul Messengers – Hail To Guyana (Alex) 4. J.C. Davis – A New Day (Is Here At Last) (New Day) Henning Boogaloo’s Selection 1. Sugar Boy and Shades of Black – Free Man (Shades) 2. Opells – Day and Time (Linco) 3. Chan and the Ohio Rhythm Makers – Ain’t It Good Y’All (Help!) 4. Sir Joe – Nobody Beats My Love (Ru-Jac) The Swiss Soul Club – NOT TOO YOUNG Swiss Soul Weekender IV In Lucerne, Switzerland, 6th to 8th March 2015 www.swisssoul.ch
KRIS HOLMES’ AMERICAN REPORT In July I managed to get back to the US for a two week West Coast mini-tour, DJing seven gigs, hitting four cities; and of course buying a bunch of 45s was on my agenda. It was nice to escape the Auckland winter and I landed in LA with temperatures in the high 20s and blazing sunshine. The first night I played ‘Motown on Mondays’ at the Short Stop in Echo Park. In contrast to Auckland, and my expectations, a Monday night gig in LA is still a party and the crowd was up for it, dancing their butts off to my mix of original Motown 45s, but also the more forward-thinking edits played by resident DJs Expo and Sloe Poke. My expectations of Monday night gigs were forever raised – how cool would it be to throw a party like this back here and actually have the dance-floor full on a weekly basis?! I spent the next few days in LA buying 45s, seeing friends, hitting record spots (Amoeba, Last Bookstore, Rockaway, Gimmie Gimmie, etc.), catching a couple of bands (Death at the Roxy and Fear at the Whisky) and even checked out the Grammy Museum. The last night I DJed at the legendary Funky Sole party at the Echo. It’s been running for fifteen years now – gotta be the longest running weekly funk and soul dance party in the world – or that I can think of. I joined the resident DJs Miles and Clifton (Soft Touch) and we had a blast. It was a redeye flight to San Francisco the next morning for three gigs in three nights. First up was Radio Bar in Oakland with my friend Adam; so much fun, a real dive bar experience spinning soul and funk 45s ‘til the wee hours and talking it up like the massive record nerds we are. Monday night I played the Oakland edition of ‘Motown on Monday’ with resident DJ Platurn; another incredible night as the Legionnaire Saloon was cranking. Tuesday I hit the Groove Merchant record store in the Haight to buy more 45s and also check out Jack’s Record Cellar, a store which has been open since 1951 (like a timewarp, talk about a record store with authenticity). That night it was off to the Make Out Room in the Mission to play sweet soul 45s for the ‘Slow Jams’ party hosted by Primo. So great to see people slow-dancing to sweet soul ballads. Next stop, Seattle, where I surprised my friend Neil at his comedy gig and later kicked it with Supreme La Rock as he DJed hip hop; great to hang out and record nerd it up. Thursday I stopped into Bop Street Records, before heading to Havana to DJ the ‘Sophisticated Mama’ party. Apparently in Washington State foreigners need their passport to get into a bar (even if you are DJing there), so they wouldn’t let me in until one of the bartenders and I drove back to my hotel to retrieve it. The gig was great though, with myself, Ohmega Watts, Nitty Gritty, Supreme and Natasha Diggs (as pictured above) playing killer funk and soul 45s all night to a heaving dancefloor. It was magical. Friday was record shopping day as I spent more time at Bop Street and also Sonic Boom before taking in that most American of past-times, a Major League Baseball game. Saturday was spent with friends and family before heading to Light in the Attic Records for a party. Later on that night I DJed the ‘Emerald City Soul Club’ at Lo-Fi which was another amazing gig; two rooms, pumping dance-floors and great hospitality from the ECSC team. If you find yourself in Seattle definitely check that party out. The last couple of days I spent in Vancouver with my sister and hit several record stores (Zulu, Dandelion, Neptoon and Red Cat). I also picked up a cool vintage 1959 Harmony Stratotone electric guitar which made packing for the flight home just a bit more challenging. Overall an amazing time was had and I managed to make it back to New Zealand with 177 new records. Success. www.mixcloud.com/kris_holmes and ‘The Boil Up’, 8pm Thursdays, Base FM DIGGING IN THE CRATES or SHINING A LIGHT ON…
“THE PURSUIT OF RAWNESS” Sonny Wimberly and the Sunglows – Moe and Joe (King James) Written by Ethan Powers (US) Put out on the small elusive Chicago based King James label, Sonny Wimberly and the Sunglows’ cut ‘Moe and Joe Pt. 1 and 2’ is about as raw as they get. The recording is in the classic DIY style where the microphone(s) might have been in the next building by the sounds of it and the band is a bit loose – not sloppy – but definitely not in the line of the J.B.’s. Hard hitting clumpy drums, wah wah fuzz guitar action, horn section and back up congas comprise the means used in this trip into funked out basement jam heaven. The sound is similar to the Pharaohs; funk soul mixed with jazz touches. The lyrics are sparse and simple: the old story of two dudes getting into trouble over dubious sales of dubious merchandise leading to betrayal. Part 2 is void of lyrics altogether; they just stretch out at that stage in a thumping sweaty haze. This is the sort of sound that comes out of a band jamming for hours then at three in the morning they decide to record it. You have to love that the recording levels completely change on the B side even though it’s just the continuation of where the song tails out on the A side. This has been reissued in recent years much to my dismay, slightly taking away the obscurity ensconced around this cut. Finding these sorts of records is what collecting is all about; its fun to collect major label stuff of course, but finding these small label insanity voyages equates the purity of funky desires. www.outofthepastrecords.com _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Edie and Robin – Chocolate Sugar (LeCam) Written by Milton Fakondo (US) This funk/soul number is a bit of an obscure oddity, which is what attracted me to it in the first place when a fellow DJ/producer gave me a copy after having found a few at a local Goodwill (can you say “amazing”?). ‘Chocolate Sugar’ by Edie and Robin is a funky number out of Fort Worth, Texas, with deep bass and heavy organ guaranteed to keep the dance-floor shakin’. The track was produced by Major Bill Smith, who passed away in ‘94. Smith was a true character of the ‘60s Texas music scene and put out several “bigger” artists at the time such as Johnny Copeland and Willie Hobbs. He also released a seemingly infinite number more Soul, Funk, Garage, etc. 45s under a myriad of label names; so many in fact that researchers are still a little unclear on his exact discography. Major Bill Smith would record and sell the singles to other record companies (as well as releasing some himself), which may explain why they may have not been marketed properly and as a result never seen the light of day with a proper release. All of which has led to an extraordinary amount of Major Bill-related releases of varying quality. This song, on the other hand, is something else, accompanied by a nice little drum break (for all the heads), and what sounds a bit like the horn line of a particular Sly Stone ditty. Overall the song has a certain gritty quality which will surely appeal to any and every funk/soul aficionado. The b-side is an instrumental performed by the backing band Six Feet Deep. If you ever happen to come across this heater, be sure not to pass it up. Nb. Edie and Robin also recorded with unsung hero Moses Dillard. Also, you might want to Google Major Bill sometime, bananas for real. www.soundcloud.com/m-fasis-aka-crack-beats
SOUL TRIPPIN’ CALIFORNIA STYLE Written by Murray Cammick I managed to see about fifteen soul/funk acts in about eight Los Angeles August evenings. They were not “hot August nights”, evenings are chilly in LA. The sunny days were largely spent inside vinyl record stores, art galleries or boutique breweries. ~ Have I ever seen anything funkier than Lakeside (five band members, four vocalists) blast through ‘All The Way Live’ and ‘Fantastic Voyage’? ~ Bettye LaVette delivered good humour, funky anecdotes and great voice at the tiny Viper Room. ~ The Gladys Knight voice is still 200% and on her arrival on stage, the lady seated behind me announced – “She just got off the train!” – “From Georgia!”. Lots of folks were there for openers Kool and the Gang. They did not disappoint. ~ At 73, Darlene Love, free in a San Francisco park, still sings ‘River Deep Mountain High’ like it should have been hers, and took on ‘What’s Going On’, her Spector classics and a Motown medley. Her opening act, locals The Monophonics with French guest Ben L’Oncle Soul, were also very fine. ~ The Time’s Morris Day with his mirror-carrying assistant schtick is still funny. Mr Day explained that he is still cool and has not had it despite the appearance that he was perspiring. He clarified that “Like fine French champagne, as you take it from the fridge, Mr Day does not sweat, Mr Day condensates!”. ~ On a very hot Friday lunchtime, DJ Nu-Mark entertained office workers, food hall diners and school children in the Downtown California Plaza outdoor concert area. After a crowd-pleasing funky set DJ Nu-Mark kept the beat with his toys. I loved the squirrel who sang “And we were Kung Fu fighting” but Maurice the Monkey holding down the beat was the crowd favourite. ~ Angelique Kidjo ruled, fronting the James Brown band (Fred Wesley, Pee Wee Ellis, Clyde Stubblefield, emcee Danny Ray, etc.) for three songs at the Hollywood Bowl – but Aloe Blacc, D’Angelo and Bettye LaVette were also amazingly into it. D’Angelo was the final singer – he has misplaced his six-pack but not his vocal power on uptempo JB songs including ‘Soul Power’. Kidjo said that as a child she told her mum “I’m going to be James Brown when I grow-up.” Her mum replied, “No you’re not.” Kidjo said to the Bowl crowd, “So what am I doing now?” She really got that band working. ~ Low point: Smokey Robinson at the Greek Theatre – he can still sing but his band was lightweight. I don’t like 74yr old singers showing their pelvic thrusts and wasting time with a long, competitive audience sing-a-long to ‘Cruising’ – and then no encore. Berry Gordy was in the audience. Too much talk and not enough classic Motown tunes. Could do a lot better! Listen to ‘Land Of The Good Groove’, 1pm Fridays, 95bFM. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
ANALOG KEYBOARD INSPIRATION Written by Jessica Lauren (UK) George Duke – Prepare Yourself From the I Love The Blues, She Heard My Cry album released in that magical year for soul and jazz music, 1975. Ndugu Chancler on drums, Byron Miller on bass, George Johnson on guitar and above all George Duke on vocals and an array of wonderfully interlaced keys performing an elaborate dance, all impeccably recorded by his (and Frank Zappa’s) great engineer Kerry McNabb. What a jam! You can hear the smiles behind the groove. I hear Fender Rhodes piano, Hohner Clavinet, ARP Odyssey and possibly Minimoog synthesisers, ARP String Ensemble, and some heavy use of Mu-Tron phasers and rich plate reverb… I have a lot of these keyboards and pedals entirely due to tunes like this by George, Joe Zawinul, Herbie Hancock, et al. Respect to the musicians and inventors who together were responsible for these magical sounds! www.jessicalauren.com
THE STORY OF SLOW GRIND FEVER Written by Lloyd Dewar aka Mohair Slim (Melbourne, Australia) In July, German reissue record company Stag-O-Lee released the first volumes of a new LP series, ‘Slow Grind Fever’, inspired by the Melbourne club night of the same name run by PBS DJs Richie 1250 with assistance from Pierre Baroni and myself. The Stag-O-Lee folk had spotted SLOW GRIND FEVER invites on Facebook and started regularly tuning into our Soundcloud stream (where we post our favourite selections monthly). The night had been running upstairs at the iconic Tote Hotel in Collingwood for going on a year when the record company got in touch and the rest is vinyl history. I don’t know if Richie (the SGF CEO) agrees with this, but I strongly suspect the idea for SGF germinated three-odd years ago in the tiny, dark basement of the Grace Darling Hotel. DJ Jim Dandy and I were running a big night of live bands, burlesque and R&B called ‘BAMALAMA!’. “The Grace” had this killer below street-level room with stone walls and thick red carpet, and rumour has it that both the Australian Labour Party and the Collingwood Football Club (the Manchester United of Australian football) were formulated in the tiny 10m x 5m cellar. The main room was getting pretty full so we decided to turn the basement into an allBlues-all-the-time chill-out space. Almost immediately, to our surprise, people flocked down the stone stairs to drink and dance to slow and mid-tempo Chess, Cobra, Duke (mainly 78s) in a warm little room lit by only two or three tea-candles. BAMA-LAMA! is long gone, but SGF lives on, playing Popcorn, Southern Soul, Proto-Soul DooWop, Big City Soul, the odd Jazz or Cumbia tune and even some late-‘60s Deep Funk – all strictly on the down-tempo. We’re not talking about ballads or waltzes – it’s not like an East L.A. oldies night. Think slow, sexy titty-shakers, fragile moody popcorn and slinky soul-blues; no pace, but still an irrepressible danceable beat. It has been a tortuous process re-training my DJ brain from the default setting of screamers and stompers to the slowest of the slow. It’s been like mental musical rehabilitation, because there really was no playbook (or playlist) for this kind of night. If not unique, SGF is rare enough that none of us have heard tell of anything like it. At the beginning, when we were still feeling our way, if one of us were pushing the needle speed-wise, the other DJs would yell out “Speed!” or stand in front of the booth shooting an imaginary radar gun. After a year and a half the slow groove has become second nature and every night is a highly-competitive race to the (BPM) bottom. We just love the novelty and the battling and the drinking all underscored by the incredible records: a kaleidoscope of harmonies, orchestration and moods. The best thing SGF has done for us is force us to listen deeper, to re-discover and re-evaluate our neglected b-sides and hunt out new 45s with the eagerness of our youth. New life has been breathed into a couple of jaded DJs as well as into recordings that had been pushed into the corners of a collector world obsessed with the ever-faster, ever-heavier. I think, I hope, Melbourne has given rise to a minor revolution. Slow is the new fast. Mohair Slim’s Random Slow Grind Faves 1. Junior Kimbell (aka Junior Kimbrough) – Tram? (Philwood) 2. Aurita Castillo Y Su Conjunto – Chambacu (Peerless) 3. France Faye – St James Infirmary (Bethlehem) 4. Crash Craddock – I Want That (Columbia) 5. The Caribs – Taboo (Island) 6. Lonnie Smith – Move Your Hand (Blue Note) 7. The Right Kind – You Oughtta Slow Dance, Baby (Galaxy) 8. Wendy Rene – Young and Foolish (Stax) 9. Nancy Holloway – Tu N’es Pas Venu (Decca) 10. The Five Dutones – Mountain Of Love (One-Der-Ful) www.pbsfm.org.au/bluejuice
JAY JEFFREY Top 5: LPs Currently 1. Nicola Conte – Free Souls (Schema) 2. DJ Moar – Jazz Soul Scent (Pre-release) 3. Kev Beadle – Private Wax II (BBE) 4. Incognito – Amplified Soul (Ear Music) 5. Anushka – Broken Circuit (Brownswood) One To Watch: Westcoast Soulstars featuring Janine Johnson – Take Me There www.soundcloud.com/fat-albert ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
MURRY SWEETPANTS Top 5: Vineyard Spots to Eat, Drink and Be Merry (Listen up! This is the guy who did 101 Cellar Door visits in 2013!) 1. Poderi Crisci, Waiheke Island 2. Northburn Station, Central Otago 3. Rockferry, Marlborough 4. Mahurangi River Estate, Matakana 5. Elephant Hill, Hawkes Bay www.mixcloud.com/msweetpants and ‘Special Needs’, 4pm Thursdays, Base FM ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
GENE RIVERS Top 5: Earliest DJ Memories/Experiences 1. Hearing Herbie Hancock’s ‘Rockit’ (I still got the 45) 2. Hearing DJ Vaiki play at the Yates Road Mormon chapel 3. Watching Beatstreet 4. Buying the Rocksteady Crew ‘Hey You’ 45 in an arcade in Otahuhu 5. Wrecking my Dad’s turntable trying to scratch after hearing Herbie Hancock’s ‘Rockit’ www.soundcloud.com/generivers and ‘Chocolate Sundae’, 4pm Sundays, George FM ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CAMPBELL NGATA Top 5: August/September 2014 1. Pan Assembly – Mr Magic (Carotte, 1986) Cover of the Grover classic, steel drum style. 2. Quickest Way Out – Hello Stranger (Karen, 1974) Barbara Lewis cover, sweet down-tempo jam. 3. Nightwind – Why Can’t We (Star City/Sound Boutique, 1982/2013) Down-tempo soulful ‘80s boogie out of St. Peters, Missouri. 4. Candy Bowman – Since I Found You (RCA, 1981) Sweetest groove. Mtume/Lucas production. Killer boogie on the flip of this 12” too. 5. Dr. Tree – Eugino D (EMI, 1975) Steel drums, jazz-funk revival, killer Kiwi jam. This needs to be played more. And loudly. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
MARK DE CLIVE-LOWE Top 5: Favourite Female Vocalists 1. Minnie Riperton 2. Betty Carter 3. Kim Burrell 4. Chaka Khan 5. Whitney Houston Album CHURCH out now! www.mashibeats.bandcamp.com
VANESSA FREEMAN Top 5: Current Favourites 1. Marlena Shaw – Woman Of The Ghetto 2. Johnny Hammond – Tell Me What To Do 3. Dalata – Pra Manha 4. Agent K – Hands 5. Bugs In The Attic – Plastico
NEIL KAISER aka DJ ZIMMY (Seattle, US): THE LAST RECORD I BOUGHT… Hmmm, I buy records every day it seems, some sexier than others. I did just get a copy (finally) of Lee Moses’ ‘Bad Girl’ on Musicor, which as most of you will know, is perhaps the best 45 ever and hard to get because Kris Holmes keeps taking all the copies out of America. Yesterday on my way home from the gym I picked up a nice copy of Erma Franklin’s ‘Whispers’ on Brunswick. Also got a Sunny and the Sunliners on Key Loc I don’t see very often called ‘Love’s Illusion’ and The Exciters’ ‘Just Not Ready’ on Roulette. I just got back from a trip to Austin, TX and in my mailbox was a nice copy of Annette Peacock’s ‘I’m The One’ on RCA, which is a truly weird but awesome record. The last really crazy record I got was The Soul Explosives 45 out of Austin on Bormeh, ‘Tryin’ to Get Down’/‘Ain’t No Sunshine’. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
NEIL KAISER aka DJ ZIMMY: LAST NIGHT A SOUL SONG CHANGED MY LIFE… Irma Thomas – Breakaway The last night a soul record changed my life was about nine years ago and it was ‘Breakaway’ by Irma Thomas. Up unto this point I had been listening mainly to country/folk/punk records. My Dad had a huge doo-wop collection and that was all I heard as a kid, when I went to high school/college I kind of rebelled against his music. Then, nine years ago, at a little shop in Austin, TX, I heard ‘Breakaway’ and I have never looked back. I converted my Minor Threat records into Eldridge Holmes and Eddie Bo records (though my Misfits LPs aren’t going anywhere). www.mixcloud.com/neilkaiser96 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
PETE NICE (NZ): LAST NIGHT A SOUL SONG CHANGED MY LIFE… It wasn’t so much a particular tune that got me into soul music as a person – my Mum. My Mum worked in fashion in London right through the ‘70s and into the ‘80s. She was manageress of, and buyer for, a series of high end boutiques in London’s Hampstead and West End, where she was introduced to the funk and soul music they’d play in the shops. Consequently, in the early ‘70s (around ’73?), I remember Mum buying Talking Book and Innervisions by Stevie Wonder. It was a watershed moment – I absolutely loved both albums and listened to them all the time. They still remind me of Mum and being a kid. From there, Mum got into disco and boogie (KC and the Sunshine Band, Barry White, Isaac Hayes) and I realised that the soul/funk/boogie my Mum loved was my thing! __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
LARS BULNHEIM (Germany): LAST NIGHT A SOUL SONG CHANGED MY LIFE… Willie Tee – Teasin’ You Again (Gatur) The first time I heard Willie Tee’s ‘Teasin’ You Again’ was on a mixtape a British collector recorded for me. It took me many years and some hard earned cash to finally get my hands on a copy and it’s since then my all-time favourite soul record. Backed up by the Gaturs and Willie’s distinctive voice on top, I can’t say how much I adore this record. A jazzy mid-tempo groove and somehow really clever lyrics, that are in between Willie’s wishful thinking, that his girl is “Just Teasing” some other fellow; but you get the idea that this might not work out in the end. The arrangement shows the genius of this New Orleans musician; a simple but tight groove with Willie’s block-chords giving a jazzy feel to it, and at the end they do a kind of breakdown with a line, where the guitar, keyboard and bass play in unison (they even fail on one of these breaks, which gives the whole recording a more-than-authentic feel). But the icing on the cake is the tambourine that drops in after two minutes and then skyrockets the song into a dance-floor bomb. Heard it yesterday in my private soul club at home and it still makes the hair on my neck stand up – and I’ve listened to it maybe 100 times. www.hamburgsoulweekender.de
KRIS HOLMES Top 5: Sweet Soul Jams You Should Know But Probably Don’t (Youtube them!) 1. Fuller Brothers – Stranger At My Door (GD&L) This is a West Coast record but damn it sounds like Chicago! Hands down one of the greatest sweet group soul tracks ever, it’s really hard to track down an original of this record and when you hear its beauty you’ll understand why – it’s one that appeals to everyone. The Fuller Brothers have other 45s on several other labels and they’re all worthwhile. They even rerecorded this track a few years later for a different label. It’s nice enough but unsurprisingly it didn’t recapture the perfection of the original. 2. The Exits – Under The Street Lamp (Gemini) This 45 got played back in the day, so it’s nearly impossible to run across one in the wild which isn’t thrashed. Another West Coast group but their discography is even shorter than the Fuller Brothers: only three 45s on these guys and this, their debut, was their biggest “hit” – it even got covered by Joe Bataan. When they hit into the bridge, wow! Makes the hairs on the back of your neck stick up. An absolute stunner and easier to find than the Fuller Brothers 45, at least. 3. New Holidays – Maybe So Maybe No (Soulhawk/Westbound) Detroit brings it on this one. You might know this from Mayer Hawthorne covering it recently but this has always been a great 45. The Holidays were a long-standing vocal group with a fairly fluid membership, and they have a bunch of other great 45s. On this though, Popcorn Wylie and Tony Hestor come correct with the writing and arrangement – the initial Harp run and then when the drums kick in? So good. Initially released on the small local Soulhawk label it was then scooped up for wider release on Westbound. Thanks to Hawthorne reviving this it’s now driven the price up and unfortunately it’s another 45 where most copies one finds are hammered. 4. Steve Parks – Still Thinking Of You (Reynolds) Some days I think this is the best 45 of all time. Then I think it can’t be since that’s such a huge call, but more often than not I’ll come back to it. Such a sparse arrangement, understated and just carried perfectly by the flute and the absolute fragility in his voice. Another West Coast 45, there was so much stock of this around last decade it must have sold next to no copies on release. All those have pretty much been blown out and snapped up by collectors now and the price continues to rise on the originals. I still think it’s worth whatever you pay for it. You might know of Steve Parks from his later modern stuff but the falsettos on this will win you over, trust me. 5. The Intentions – Blowing With The Wind (Tiki) A Chicago mega-rarity which was reissued as part of Numero’s “Eccentric Soul Omnibus”. Only a handful of original copies have ever surfaced and it’s a record which just doesn’t leave collections – if you can ever find a copy. Good luck. The other side is a killer Funk bomb but this sweet side just slays with the flute lead and sublime group vocals. This is the only 45 they cut but the backing band was The Pharoahs who have much easier to find records (which are all great too), and included members who would go on to form Earth, Wind and Fire. The only reason this 45 wasn’t better known before now is that only a few people knew it even existed. www.mixcloud.com/kris_holmes and ‘The Boil Up’, 8pm Thursdays, Base FM ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
LEWIS McCALLUM Top 5: Things To Plant In Your Garden Right Now 1. Kale 2. Silver Beet 3. Beetroot 4. Coriander 5. Courgette (but keep it covered, still cold weather!) www.soundcloud.com/lewismccallum GIN HALLIGAN
Top 5: Most Played Tunes 1. Dorothy Ashby – Soul Vibrations (from Afro Harping) I love the Harp because it’s such a physically imposing instrument yet it often transmits the most delicate of sounds. In Ashby’s hands it’s true bliss, as evidenced on this psychedelic jam from 1968. 2. Funkadelic – Maggot Brain (from Maggot Brain) Ten minutes of pure emotion from the hands of Eddie Hazel, illustrating that he truly was one of the great guitar players of the late twentieth century. To think that he supposedly recorded it in one take just blows my mind. 3. Prince – Erotic City (from Let’s Go Crazy 12”) According to Mr Rogers Nelson he recorded this immediately after seeing Parliament / Funkadelic perform in 1983. The sexually charged lyrics and interplay between Prince and Sheila E meant this track would never gain commercial radio play. Who cares. It’s Prince. 4. Parallel Dance Ensemble – Run (from Run 7”) Robin Hannibal’s sweet falsetto vocals and Coco Solid’s top-shelf raps combined with synthdriven funk ensure this tune gets a regular workout on my turntable. Instant classic upon release. 5. Julien Dyne featuring Parks – December (from December) The title track from one of my favourite releases of 2013. Multi-instrumentalist, beat maker, visual artist – is there anything this man can’t do? Add Parks to the mix and you just can’t lose. Perfection. Listen to Gin, 1pm Tuesdays, 95bFM ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
PETE NICE High-flying lawyer by day, low-down music fiend by night… Top 5: Favourite Tracks 1. Lonnie Liston Smith – Expansions I first heard this in the early ‘80s and it stopped me dead in my tracks. It still has that effect all these years later. Simply one of the best jazz funk classics of all time. 2. Eddie Russ – Zaius Another one I first heard in the early ‘80s. To buy it I had to post a money order to a record dealer in the US and face a long uncertain wait for something to come back! This is another stone cold classic and anthem on the ‘80s jazz dance scene – definitely one of the best tracks ever made. 3. James Mason – Sweet Power, Your Embrace I first heard this when Patrick Forge played it after ‘Expansions’ at Dingwalls one summer Sunday afternoon in 1989. It brought the house down and I thought my life had peaked right then and there. 4. Tommy Stewart – Bump and Hustle Music Massive in the late ‘80s rare Groove scene in London, and a stalwart tune at Norman Jay’s ‘Shake and Fingerpop’ parties. The original cost shedloads of dosh – lucky I got my copy on a cheeky bootleg from the legendary Groove Records in Soho. 5. Beau Dollar – Who Knows Beau Dollar is the stage name of William Bowman Jr. – drummer with the Dapps, James Brown’s backing band before he replaced them with the JBs. This tune is a triumph of funky drum and bass. Never mind Shapeshifter – this is the real DnB deal! ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
OUR NEXT EVENTS: NZ Soul All Dayer ‘Christmas Special’ – Auckland, Dec. 2014 NZ Soul All Dayer ‘New Year’s Edition’ – Mount Maunganui, Jan. 2015
RECENT (RE)DISCOVERIES; THREE + 1 Written by Scott Towers Renee Geyer – Be There In The Morning There are two different versions of this Aussie modern soul masterpiece; an impossibly rare 45only version recorded across the Tasman in ‘76. And the slightly more uptempo ‘77 version which gets the ‘LA treatment’ thanks to super producer Frank Wilson and appears on her Moving Along album. Jubt Avery put me up on this – and Geyer in general – years ago. Luckily for the rest of us Athena have re-issued a 45 that includes both versions. Essential. Johnny Bristol – Love No Longer Has A Hold On Me Again, multiple versions of this exist – I think I’ve got three. There’s even a much-coveted edit by UK nu-disco dons The Idjut Boys. Banging bottom end, slick synth and uplifting vocals make this the ultimate break up song, and a great end of night hands in the air jam. Stevie Wonder – Sugar The very last tune on Signed, Sealed and Delivered is a crazy tight, finger-popping jam that ticks the boxes in a funk, soul or hip hop set. Stevie’s singing is amazing – obviously – but the rhythm section and horns KILL it. Electric Wire Hustle – Bottom Line OK, so this is not even released yet. Michael Rutten dropped it during a radio show he and I did in Germany recently… and then I obsessed about it for the next three weeks until the lads finally kicked me a copy. Mara’s vocal performance is breath-taking and the production so, so fresh. EWH are setting the bar waaaaaaaaay up high. Hope it gets a vinyl release. www.mixcloud.com/scotttowers58 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
WHEN DID I STOP BUYING CDS? Written by Simon Grigg I was trying to work out the other day when I stopped buying CDs? I still acquire the odd CD, primarily when I’ve been given one or where there is no vinyl alternative (or when I come across some killer reissue or compilation at a silly – as in low – price). And also of course I still acquire digital, but rarely as more than an ease-of-use copy of the real thing. I don’t use CDs or MP3s when DJing anymore or on the radio. I’ve always acquired vinyl and the frenzy has never really abated, although there was a period in the mid-2000s when I had no turntable at hand much of the time (because of geography) and I succumbed to the much-hyped re-mastered reissue frenzy of CDs. Most of these sit in piles on shelves rarely played now. CDs are good when working. I don’t need to get up every 15 minutes and flip. They’re good for boxed sets – the recent 14CD Holland Dozier Holland box wouldn’t travel well on vinyl (although my mid‘80s 15LP Philly box lives with me every day). And, more, much more, there’s no thrill flicking through boxes of CDs looking for that lost obscurity. I recently spent three or more hours at a record fair literally crawling, flipping and trawling through countless boxes and crates of Japanese and US 7” and 12” singles looking for that *one* record. I found three things I knew I needed (Brigid asked if I would play them – does that matter?). Dozens of others were doing the same – the boxes of CDs were untouched. However – the question is incorrectly phrased – it’s not “when did I stop buying CDs”, it’s “when did I start buying vinyl again”. The clear answer to that is that I didn’t ever stop, thus the reason I currently maintain two turntable setups in two countries. It’s not a choice. www.simongrigg.info and www.audioculture.co.nz ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
ADRIAN GIBSON (UK): THE LAST RECORD I BOUGHT… Brief Encounter – Human (Sound Plus) As I snapped my last copy while DJing recently! www.mixcloud.com/adriangibson
BRANDON HARU Top 5: Current Favourites 1. One Way – Don’t Stop (Ever Loving Me) (from Lady, MCA, 1984) 2. Lenny White – Sweet Dreamer (from Big City, Nemperor, 1977) 3. Cassiano – Onda (from Central Do Brasil, Polydor, 1977) 4. Isaac Hayes – Wherever You Are (from And Once Again, Polydor, 1980) 5. Rubba – Way Star (from In Motion, Music De Wolfe, 1978) ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
ADRIAN GIBSON (UK) Top 5: Current Favourites 5. Jackie Moore – Who Told You (Wand) 4. Ronn Feaster – Don’t Laugh In My Face And Steal My Man (Linco) 3. Buddy Ace – Beggin’ For Your Love (A&B) 2. Ricky Allen – Cut You Loose (Tam-Bo) 1. The T.S.U. Tornadoes – A Thousand Wonders (Ovide) www.mixcloud.com/adriangibson ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
TONI COOPER Top 5: Current Favourites 1. Bernard Wright – Bread Sandwiches (GRP, 1981) Happy lil’ number always sets the tone early evening, anywhere. How’s the rolling drums!? 2. Pamoja – Oooh Baby (Lotus Land, 2005) Originally released on 7” on Keiper Productions this is not a cheap 7”. Was happy on the repress in 2005 as this is a wedding gig favourite. 3. Willie West – Did You Have Fun (Deesu, 1967) What can you say about this New Orleans Soul Survivor? Heartbreaker joint and this is just one of many during his ‘60s production. 4. Caprice – Candyman (PPU, 2006 re-issue) Another re-issue originally from the flipside 7” of ‘Missing You’ from the ‘80s. This is the joint your lady should jam for you! Very special ;) 5. Charles Bradley – Where Do We Go From Here (Dunham, 2013) My all-time favourite Soul Singer of late – he’s been through a journey and you feel that with every tune he puts together. Not necessarily for the dance floor, but certainly will suffice for the soul searcher. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
KIRSTY HARGREAVES Top 5: Bar-Kays Tracks 5. Cozy – from Too Hot To Stop (1976) 4. You Can’t Run Away – from Flying High On Your Love (1977) 3. Attitudes – from Flying High On Your Love (1977) 2. Holy Ghost – from Money Talks (1978) 1. Summer Of Our Love – from Too Hot To Stop (1976) Listen to ‘The Bounce’, 10am Tuesdays, Base FM ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SAMI DARIUSH DAVILA (US) Top 5: Soul Ballads With Heavy Drums (In No Particular Order) #. Chain Of Fools – Searching For A Brand New Love (Mars la Tour) #. Sambo – I’m Tired Of Going On (Paul’s) #. Ralph Weeks – Something Deep Inside (4 Stars) #. Force Of Habit – Roberta (Dagger) #. Brown Sugar – Flowers In May (Shal-Tur) www.daptonerecords.com
GARY SMALL (Northern Ireland) Top 5: Funky Walks 1. Dyke and The Blazers – Funky Walk 2. Ernie and The Top Notes – Dap Walk 3. Everyday People – Pimp Walk 4. Peter Laine Orchestra – Tiger Walk 5. Hard Rock Jackson – Soul Walkin’ www.gazfunk.wordpress.com
DUJON CULLINGFORD Top 5: City Strutters 1. Visions Of Tomorrow – Galaxy 2. Kerr – Back At Ya 3. D-Train – You’re The One For Me 4. Odyssey – Inside Out 5. Carla Bagnerise – Special Things www.soundcloud.com/djstretchmark-1
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MEL JAMES aka MELFUNCTION Top 6: That Put The Boogie In My Bones 1. Earth, Wind and Fire – September 2. Change – A Lover’s Holiday 3. Luther Vandross – Never Too Much 4. Teena Marie – Square Biz 5. Stevie Wonder – Sir Duke 6. Marvin Gaye – Got To Give It Up Pt. 1 Plus… Top 6: That Hit That Sweet, Sweet Spot 1. Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway – Back Together Again 2. Syreeta – To Know You Is To Love You 3. Wendy Rene – After Laughter Comes Tears 4. The Isley Brothers – Living For The Love Of You 5. Womack and Womack – Baby I’m Scared Of You 6. Irma Thomas – Ruler Of My Heart ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
DAVE BOOTS (Melbourne) Random 5: Current 7” Spins 1. Lamar Morris – I Lost Someone (ABC/Paramount) Top-shelf Blue Eyed Soul at its finest. A great heart-felt dance record, apparently played at both Stafford and Wigan, and only recent to my ears. 2. Duff Thurmond – Now That You Left Me (New Voice) Amazing vocal driven R&B dancer. R&B is not really my thing to play, but this tune rises above the genre. Very hard to find – either there aren’t many or nobody wants to part with theirs, which is completely understandable. 3. Holy Disciples – Trying To Make A Hundred (Songbird Promo) Killer gospel perfect for a Northern floor, and first played to me by Paul Sadot as a cover up many years ago. The lead vocal is totally brain-melting. It’s hard not to dance to this O.V. Wright-produced number. Uptempo and very emotive. 4. Jo Ann Garrett – Stay By My Side (Chess) Stunning beat ballad I hadn’t heard before. I actually bought it for the flip, ‘Whole New Plan’, and I find it hard to understand why this side doesn’t get more exposure – must be the tempo. There is something very delicate and sublime about her voice. 5. The Pharoahs – Freedom Road (Scarab) A nice uplifting jazzy instrumental with chant-like chorus which could be played at a Funk, Northern or Jazz night and not be out of place. This single is on the LP from ’72 that’s now been re-issued. Flip is equally as good but a bit slower paced, and sticks to the same formula. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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