Rocking Chair - Brothers of the Ghetto

After a VERY long hiatus, I've finally found some free time to resume providing funky nuggets for your listening pleasure. In the time since I've been withdrawn from the blogosphere this site passed the one-year anniversary mark, an event that unfortunately passed by without any commemoration by yours truly (it's not that I didn't want to do something. This site has always been a "labor of love" that sometimes needs to take the back-burner to real-life responsibilities).
Hopefully, now that I've got a better handle on the whole being a dad thing, I'll be able to get back to a level of output similar to what was common in the "early" days of Trunk of F.U.N.K.

With the extended break from mixes and singles running through my mind, I thought I'd mark my return with a blistering funk 45 from a group out of the southside of Chicago.

Rocking Chair - Brothers of the Ghetto - Ghetto


The bits of information that I have on this band are few and far between. The Brothers of the Ghetto marked the first instance of recording, arranging, and performing original music for bass player Sam Cockrell. As far as I'm aware, this 45, on the Ghetto label, is the only recording by the group known as the Brothers of the Ghetto. This is recording is not, however, the only recording by the core group of musicians. Sometime after recording this 45, the group changed their name to Majik and recorded three 45s with Willie Mitchell for the Hi label (including the highly sought dancer "Back into your Heart"). After this time, I have no idea what happened to most of the musicians in the group. What I do know is that Cockrell later went on the record a minor national hit, "Gotta Get Up" with Kevin Bell of Kool and the Gang fame. Since that time, Cockrell has remained musically active, recording and performing with his group The Groove.

Today's single, "Rocking Chair", blasts out of the gate with a short, choppy drum break that's guaranteed to get beat nerd ears ringing. Luckily, the short break isn't what makes this track, but rather the full band joining in at a similar raucous pace after only a few bars of open drums to really get things moving. When everything gets going full speed ahead, it's clear that this 45 packs the kind of energy that is guaranteed to get people out of their chairs and onto the dance floor. Clearly, that must have been what the band had in mind, as the vocals serve little purpose beyond describing in detail how to make your body do the "Rocking Chair" (if you listen closely, unlike a lot of other 'dance craze 45s', I think the vocals herein allow for a pretty great mental image of what the guy on stage doing the "Rocking Chair" must have looked like). All in all, this 45 encompasses everything that funk 45 fans look for: a great party single, a killer break, and the relished, yet rarely found energy that truly defines the funk 45.

Enjoy, and I'll be back in the next few days with an all-new mix dedicated entirely to an oft-overlooked instrument, the funky flute.

GA's Groove

I've been promising a new mix for sometime and have finally had the opportunity to whip something together. Luckily for the listeners here, my wife actually told me that I should take some time out of this evening to put something together (I secretly think she wanted some Mother's Day alone time with Isabel, which is definitely OK by me), so I gladly present to you...

Trunk of F.U.N.K. vol 016 - GA's Groove

Due to the limited amount of time available tonight, I'm not going to go into details on the individual tracks provided in this mix. Suffice it to say that this mix is a collection of some of my all-time faves on the 45 format, many of which are old hat to seasoned diggers, but great nonetheless.

Tracklist

Title - Artist - Label

House of the Rising Funk - Chubukos - Mainstream
Synthetic Substitution - Melvin Bliss - Contempo
Marvins Groove - B.W. Souls - Round
Expo 83 - Backyard Heavies - Scepter
Ghetto Man - Tony Clarke - Chicory
Let A Woman Be A Woman, Let A Man Be A Man - Dyke & the Blazers - Original Sound
Compin' & Smokin' - Calypso King & the Soul Investigators - Soul Fire
Hot Grits - Elijah & the Ebonies - Capsoul
Shootin' the Grease - Jesse Gresham + 3 - Head
Wasted - The Gaturs - Gatur
Get Down People - Fabulous Counts - Moira

P.S. Thanks to everyone who has sent e-mails as of late, feedback is always appreciated.

Far Out - The Hip Sound

After a bit of a hiatus, I'm back again with a little something different for your listening pleasure...

Far Out - The Hip Sound - Limelight



This 45 is another recent addition to my collection, having been acquired during the same bit of Chicago digging as the Stanley Keeble & Voices of Triumph 45 posted a few weeks ago. While working my way through a stack of mostly trash, I came across a white label promo that begged to be placed upon the portable for further inspection*. Within seconds of dropping the needle on the record I heard a rather strange, electronic sound that I was sure I'd heard before. At the time I couldn't place exactly where I had heard this song before, but a quick perusal of the label helped push my further inquisition in the right direction. This particular track is credited to two individuals: musique concrete pioneer Pierre Henry and French composer Michel Colombier, who, as far as I was aware, had only worked together on one project, Maurice Bejart's ballet masterpiece, Messe Pour Le Temps Present**. I know what you're all thinking at this point, "how in the hell does a track off of a 'ballet masterpiece' fit into the Trunk of F.U.N.K.?", well luckily for you, this particular track takes some interesting off-kilter electronics typical of musique concrete pieces and applies them over some fairly standard 'freak-beat' fare, resulting in a great, dance floor-friendly 45.

Now back to my quest to figure out where I'd heard this record before. With the bit of insight that Henry and Colombier had only worked together on one occasion fresh in my mind, an important series of events needed to be worked through upon arriving home: get the family settled, grab something to eat, and check out the tracklist from Messe Pour Le Temps Present as soon as possible to determine if "Far Out" is included on the record. After a quick once over of the tracklist, it appeared as though today's selection may have been a similar sounding one-off recorded by Henry and Colombier that hadn't made it onto the record. However, a quick listen of Messe Pour Le Temps Present finally answered my questions once and for all. Today's selection does appear on that LP, although on the LP it is titled "Teen Tonic" and is at a slightly lower BPM. I'm still not sure why this track was re-named "Far Out" for this 45, or why Henry and Colombier chose to work under the moniker of The Hip Sound for this particular record only, so if anyone out there has any additional information, passing it along would be greatly appreciated.

Enjoy, and I'll try to be back with a new mix for your listening pleasure in the not too distant future.

* Those that occupy their free time, however fleeting it may be, huddled over boxes in the dingy confines of a used record store can appreciate the sense of curiousity evoked by a 45 titled "Far Out" recorded by a group called The Hip Sound.

** Fans of Futurama will recognize the opening track off of this record, Psyche Rock, as this song was adapted for the opening credits of the show.

** For those curious, Michel Colombier is pictured first and Pierre Henry is pictured second

Can't You Love Him - Rev. Stanley Keeble & The Voices of Triumph

I am by no means a religious person. Unfortunately for my record collection, this choice has left me with a plebian knowledge of gospel music, a member of the musical specturm that often demonstrates serious funk and/or soul tendencies (a fine example: the Good God! collection compiled by the fine folks at the Numero Group a few years back). The addition of funky gospel sides to my record colleciton has been further limited by the lack of "funky tip-offs"* on gospel records. Fortunately, the aquisition of a portable turntable has made it a little bit easier for me to stumble on gospel finds as of late. One such example**, acquired just this last weekend during a dig at one of my favorite spots in Chicago, has been provided for you listening pleasure today...

Can't You Love Him - Rev. Stanley Keeble & The Voices of Triumph - Sounds of Soul



Stanley Keeble was born in Chicago in 1937. His musical career started in 1952 with the Fellowship Bible Church choir, a group he directed, as well as accompanied on the piano and organ. His career in gospel music was continued through connections with artists like Inez Andrews and Jesse Dixon. In 1968, he decided to start his own gospel choir, The Voices of Triumph***, who back him on today's selection. Although I'm not sure how long the group was active, I do know that he worked with the group through at least 1974, as that is the publishing date stamped on the 45 label. More recently, he is credited with establishing the Chicago Gospel Music Heritage Museum, as well as hosting a weekly radio program on WKKC.

*Examples include, but are not limited to, the word "funky" in the song title or an artist name like, "(insert first name here) and the (insert object here)".

**There's no use in denying that I was initially drawn to this record by the imprint name, Sounds of Soul. Luckily, as has happened a great many times in the past, the imprint name tip-off didn't fail to impress.

***The Voices of Triumph are also featured on the Good God! collection released by Numero Group.

Philly Barracuda pt. 1 - Holly Maxwell

Hello again. Most of the regulars in these parts probably noticed that there wasn't much action around here last week. The onslaught of dirty diapers coupled with getting back to the daily grind full time left me wiped out to the point that it felt like I couldn't keep my thoughts straight, let alone write anything worth reading. Luckily things have been a sailing a bit more smoothly over the last few days, so I figured it was high time to get back here and provide you with a nice slice of dance craze 45 action...

Philly Barracuda pt. 1 - Holly Maxwell - Star



Interestingly, despite the reference to Philly in the title, this single was actually a Windy City product, as publication and production credits are given to Monk Higgins' Special Agent company, which he started during his time working in Chicago. Higgins, who shares writing credits with Holly Maxwell for this single, was a staple in the Chicago R&B and soul scene throughout the 1960s*. Despite the absence of a date on the 45 label, it's safe to assume that this single was recorded during or before 1969, as Higgins left Chicago for L.A. in that year to begin working with a number of west coast labels, including United Artists. Holly Maxwell was born and raised in Chicago, spending a significant part of her life trying to break into the music scene there. She got her start in the music business singing with the group the Tourjourettes during her high school years. She later attended Chicago Musical College in 1965, where she pursued studies in classical music. Her collegiate career ended early, however, after signing a deal with Constellation records, where she would record two singles that sold well locally, but never really picked up steam regionally or nationally. At least two more singles were recorded for the Star label in the mid- to late-60s, including today's selection. In 1969, Maxwell landed a deal with Curtom records that resulted in the release of one single, while in 1970 she cut a single for Smit-Whit records. With only limited success achieved in Chicago, Maxwell headed west for L.A. sometime in the early 1970s. During her time in L.A. she was managed by Monk Higgins' cousin Barbara Acklin who landed her a gig working with Ike Turner as Tina Turner's fill-in. Holly remained in L.A. until 1985, at which point she relocated back to Chicago. Despite never really amassing a level of critical acclaim in the states, Holly had/has a steady gig at Maxwell's Cafe (which is of no relation to her) in Paris, France.

With fingers crossed, but no promises, I hope to be back in a few days with the next volume in the Trunk of F.U.N.K. mix series.

*Monk Higgins is also credited with a single entitled "Barracuda" that was recorded by Alvin Cash and the Registers for the Mar-V-Lus label sometime during the 1960s. Despite the similar name, the two singles share very little, if any, musical qualities in common.

Fried Neckbones and Some Home Fries

Hello again. Although my time's been pretty well occupied with all things related to caring for a child, it looks like we're starting to develop a bit of a schedule. Luckily for me, the change of pace has afforded a bit of free time to pull out a nice little Latin side for your listening pleasure.

Fried Neckbones and Some Home Fries - Willie Bobo - Verve




A little while back I stumbled across this box set from Verve records that I couldn't reasonably pass up*. A big part of my inability to avoid it's purchase stemmed from the great cover art (see the photograph above). However, what really sealed the deal was a "nice price" opportunity to hone in my knowledge of a jazz percussionist that was effectively unknown to my ears at the time. Luckily for me, this was a wise choice as the set includes five 45s containing tracks from each of Willie's three Verve LPs (Spanish Grease, Uno Dos Tres/1,2,3, and Feelin' So Good). Also included was a one-page info sheet which, aside from giving a fair bit of biographical information, identifies jazz pianist (and digger's dream) Mary Lou Williams as the party responsible for breaking Willie into the scene**. The insert also mentions that after his work with Williams, Willie played with Cal Tjader for 4 years and was a featured player with Tito Puente before deciding to start doing his own thing in 1961. While recording under his own name he released sixteen albums, including a staggering seven LPs for the Verve label between 1965-1968 and the funky classic Do What You Want To Do, Tomorrow Is Here for Sussex in 1971. Unfortunately for the music world, Willie passed away at the age of 49 after complications from illness.

Relying only on an echo-ey chorus singing the title over and over, some fairly simple percussion, and a smooth, slinky horn line, Fried Neckbones and Some Home Fries burns along at a nice slow pace. In reality, I think it's the simplicity of this song that really makes it so great, as there's no unnecessary filler muddying things up. This track has always been the standout of the box set for me, as it creates a vibe that reminds of warm summer nights. Enjoy, and I'll try to be back in the next few days with something new for your listening pleasure.

*This box set is from the "Verve Celebrity Scene" series, which also features boxes from Jimmy Smith and Wes Montgomery.

**I've since read that Willie Bobo (born William Correa) was given the nickname "Bobo" by Mary Lou Williams during his time playing with her.

The Bushman - The Tenth Dymentions

Hello again. I hope that this last weekend has treated you well, as it did me, instilling a renewed sense of energy to approach the upcoming week with a full head of steam. I've got some huge news on the horizon (more on that in a few days), which, coupled with the time to finally sit back and relax a little bit, has left me feeling a lot better about things on the whole. It was with these feelings of excitement and energy that I chose today's single, a track that storms out of the gate from the first note and doesn't even consider quitting until the final note is played...

The Bushman - The Tenth Dymentions - Sapphire




We seem to have stumbled upon a trend here in the last few weeks, as this single is yet another example of a side that I've held onto for a bit in the hopes of being able to dig up any relevant information on the group. What I can tell you is that the Tenth Dymentions were a Chicago group, that this single was produced by Joe Savage, an individual with a reasonably long track record in Chicago indie productions in the late 60's and early 70's, and that writing credits on this single are given to Vern Ryan, who is presumably a member of the band. This band may in fact be the same group (or at least similar to) the Fantastic Dimensions who released a Northern mover on the Sapphire label (also credited to Vern Ryan). Other than that, there aren't a whole lot of other specifics out there on the band or the label.

The Bushman, a dance whose steps are not very well explained in vocals, relies on a full horn section that's blasting away throughout most of the song, a choppy guitar line that's really similar to the sound of Alvin Cash's Keep on Dancing, a fairly subtle organ line to round out the sound, and some hand drumming to help set the groove right for getting bodies moving on the dance floor.

Enjoy, and I'll be back in a few days with another guest mix.

Instrumental # One - Richard Terry & Co.

I hope you've been enjoying the guest mix I dropped last week over at This Is Tomorrow. I was definitely pleased to be given the opportunity to contribute to one of my current favorite music blogs. And if you haven't made your way there yet, be sure to stop by, not just for my guest mix, but for all of the other great singles and mixes hosted on the site. With that said, I know I had promised a fresh new single late last week, however, an untimely bout of the flu left me in a wholly unproductive state. In an attempt to make up for the lateness of it's delivery, I've chosen a newly acquired 45 from a powerhouse songwriting duo out of Chicago that will definitely be in heavy rotation over the coming months...

Instrumental # One - Richard Terry & Co. - Nickel



My first glance of the artist name listed on the 45 left me confused, as I was not familiar with an artist by the name of Richard Terry out of Chicago. However, taking a closer look at the writing credits cleared things up immediately. Instead of Richard Terry & Co., the artist name should have read Richard, Terry & Co., as Richard is none other than Richard Pegue (a prominent Chicago DJ and songwriter whose been in the business since the early 1960's*), while Terry is Terry Thompson (Pegue's long-time songwriting partner). Over the course of his career, Richard Pegue has worked at the Toddlin Town', Met, Nickel, Penny and TwiNight labels, among others where he wrote songs not only for himself, but also for The Perfections and Ronaldo Domingo. The songwriting duo of Pegue and Thompson was featured previously in the Windy City Workout mix, as the duo is credited with writing the Brothers and Sisters track, Nobody is Gonna Turn Us 'Round on the Toddlin' Town label. Aside from his work with Pegue, I haven't been able to dig up too much information on Terry Thompson. Additionally, I unfortunately still don't know who is involved in the Co. credited on this record as there isn't a ton of information out there on this particular side**.


*As far as I know, Richard Pegue is still hosting a radio show on Saturday nights on Chicago's WKKC 89.3 fm

**The flip to this single is the very soulful I've Got To Find A Way by the Hallelujah Chorus.

Can I Get A Witness?

A few weeks back, Mike over at This Is Tomorrow got in touch with me to see if I'd be interested in putting together a guest mix for his blog. For those that don't head over there regularly, he does some mighty fine work covering all things funk, soul, and hip hop, so with little hesitation I whipped together a handful of current favorites...


Can I Get A Witness? - Trunk of F.U.N.K. vol 014. - Guest Mix for This Is Tomorrow

Tracklist

Title - Artist - Label

Gossip – Cyril Neville – Josie
Free Your Mind – The Politicians – Hot Wax
What Can You Bring Me – Charles Wright and the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band – WB
Razor Blade – Little Royal and the Swingmasters – Tri Us
(Do The) Hot Pants – Mr. Jim and the Rhythm Machine – Wizdom
Jukebox – Fried Chicken – Stone
Football – Mickey and the Soul Generation – Maxwell
Family Affair – The Family – North Bay
Will You Be Ready – Samson & Delilah – ABC
Something or Other – Richard's People – Tuba
Can I Get A Witness? – Barbara Randolph – SOUL
Fight Fire With Fire – Delia Gartrell – Right-On
Who's the King? (You Know That's Me) – Joseph Henry – Daptone
(I've Got) So Much Trouble On My Mind – Sir Joe and Free Soul – Mantis
Here's Some Dances – The Eight Minutes – Jay Pee

Enjoy, and I'll be back later in the week with a new single.

A House by the Side of the Road - Lee Martell

Up this week is another single out of Nashville, Tennessee...

A House By The Side Of The Road - Lee Martell - Renegade



Much like Eddie Mobley last week, there isn't a whole lot of information available on Lee Martell (a.k.a. Lee Bynem). What I do know is that he recorded two very soulful 45s for the Renegade label under the name Martell, A House By The Side of the Road* (1970) and A Good Woman (1971) as well as one 45 under the name Bynem for the True label, Two Warm Bodies. As a whole, the Renegade label only released four 45s in all, the two credited to Martell listed previously, one from Lattimore Brown that is supposedly relatively easy to score, and one from Jimmie Baker that's considered to be fairly rare. The soulful nature of the Renegade 45s is somewhat surprising based on the label credentials, as the label was run by Chuck Chellman, a Nashville-area country music promoter and producer (who is also credited with starting the Country Music Disc Jockey Hall of Fame in 1974).

*While Bynem is credited with writing his later Renegade single, A Good Woman, today's selection is credited to Gloria Shayne and Pearl Bender. I haven't been able to dig anything up on Pearl Bender. What is still leaving my curious is if the Gloria Shayne credited with writing today's single is the same woman credited with the Christmas classic, Do You Hear What I Hear?

P.S. For more Renegade records coverage, head over to Sir Shambling's Deep Soul Heaven

Stick It In Your Ear Hole - Eddie Mobley

Well, here we are, back again with an all-new single for your listening pleasure...

Stick It In Your Ear Hole - Eddie Mobley - Sound Plus



I picked this record up a fair bit ago, but have waited on adding it to the old blog in an attempt to find any relevant information on the artist. However, a good deal of searching using the traditional avenues has yielded nothing pertinent to date*. The little bit I can provide you with is taken directly from the 45 label. Of note, the song is credited to a fellow by the name of Robert S. Riley, Sr.; Sound Plus is the product of JR Enterprises of Nashville, Tennessee, so presumably, Eddie Mobley was from the greater Nashville area; and the record was distributed by T-K productions of Court Hialeah, Florida (the T-K label was home to K.C. and the Sunshine Band, among many others). Like a good bit of the other work on T-K, this track has a refined sound thats not quite disco (maybe more appropriately classified as "pre-disco"?) with a fair amount of hand drumming and heavy brass worked into the mix to give a really full sound.

*If anyone out there has any additional information, it would be appreciated if you could pass it along.

Cracker Jack - Mickey and His Mice

This week's single is one of many finds from last Sunday at the Milwaukee record show. Luckily for me, a pretty good turn out dealer-wise led to the pick up of a good number of great sides that will be making an appearance here one way or another over the next few months. This week's single comes to us from a small label (I'm only aware of 3 releases) out of Baltimore, Maryland...

Cracker Jack - Mickey and His Mice - Marti



"Mickey" is actually the prominent Baltimore jazz tenor player Wilfred "Mickey" Fields, who is featured prominently wailing away throughout the track. Aside from "Mickey", I don't know who any of the other players on this record are. What I do know is that this song was arranged by Eddie Drennon*, who presumably is the same Eddie Drennon as that of Eddie Drennon & BBS Unlimited, the D.C. group responsible for the disco hit, Let's Do The Latin Hustle. Aside from today's selection, Mickey and His Mice also recorded for the Bell and Samar labels.

*Drennon is credited alongside "Mickey" and the record producer M. Cantine with writing the song

Enjoy the new year, and be sure to check back in next week for a new single and mix.

Boogalo-Tramp - A.C. Reed

Welcome back, listeners.

Hopefully things are well on your end. After a few hectic weeks in a row, there's finally been some good news at the Trunk of F.U.N.K. compound. Luckily for me, good news typically allows for some free time, which was aptly spent this last weekend getting in some digging at a spot I'd only been to once before. While browsing through boxes and boxes of uninteresting 45's, I stumbled across this little nugget, which caught my eye almost immediately due to the interesting label design and name of today's selection...

Boogaloo-Tramp - A.C. Reed - Nike



A.C. Reed (birthname: Aaron Corthen) was a blues saxophonist working out of Chicago from the 1940's through the early 2000's. Born in Missouri, Reed moved to Chicago during World War II and got his start in the music business shortly thereafter playing for the likes of Earl Hooker and Willie Mabon. Throughout the 1960's Reed recorded singles for a number of small Chicago labels, including the Nike label, the home of today's selection. In the late 1960's, Reed joined Buddy Guy's band, during which time he went on tour with Guy, Junior Wells and the Rolling Stones. He later formed his own band, The Sparkplugs, and continued writing and performing music until he passed away in 2004.

The Nike* record label was started in Chicago in 1961, by Charles Colbert, Sr. as a means to release a single recently recorded by The Daylighters, his son's band, after the group had been dropped by Talty. The label was reorganized in 1962, resulting in the formation of two new subsidiaries, TipTop and Jive. Over the course of it's existence, the Nike record label was primarily home to DooWop groups, however, today's selection would defnitely not fall into that category. Writing for today's selection is credited to Corthen, a individual by the name of Neal (who I can't find any relevant information on), and Tony Gideon, a founding member of the Daylighters. Today's selection was recorded in 1966. The track opens with drums and a twangy blues guitar not unlike Lowell Fulsom's version of Tramp, is quickly filled out with some backing horns for a few bars, and finally capped off with Reed's saxophone, introduced immediately after the title of the song is yelled out.

*The letter I in Nike represented by a missile on the label is most likely a reference to the Nike missile sites in the land around Chicago.

Be sure to check back in on Friday, as an all-new mix will be ready to get your weekend started off right.

African Walk - Oliver Sain

Today’s selection is one of the 45’s I picked up during my last visit to Chicago a few weeks back…


African Walk - Oliver Sain - Vanessa





Born in Mississippi in the early 1930’s, Oliver Sain relocated to St. Louis, Missouri in the late 1950’s, only after a military stint in Korea and a short-lived musical career in Chicago playing behind a number of big names. The choice of St. Louis was a wise one for a man so heavily rooted in the blues (he’s from Mississippi, after all), as Sain would quickly emerge as a prominent saxophonist, releasing recordings for a number of different Midwest imprints, including Bobbin and Vanessa. Unfortunately, there’s not a whole lot of information out there on either of these imprints. Of the few details available for these imprints, it has been noted that the group led by Sain on his Bobbin imprint recordings featured future soul greats Fontella Bass (featured in the most recent Trunk of F.U.N.K. mix) and Little Milton. As these recordings are some of the earliest in the careers of both Milton and Bass, Sain is often credited with “discovering” these artists. Additionally, Sain is given responsibility for kick-starting the career of Bobby McClure, a northern soul singer who would record at least one 45 for Sain’s own Vanessa imprint, I Got A Good Woman, before moving to Chess records out of Chicago. Later in his career, Sain would release a string of recordings for the Abet imprint, including the fantastically funky, Saint Louis Breakdown, as well as a number of sides aimed at the emerging disco craze, like Booty Bumpin’, Bus Stop (previously featured at FleaMarketFunk), Party Hearty, She’s a Disco Queen, and B-OO-G-IE. Today’s selection, released on the Vanessa imprint, is one of Sain’s funkier outputs. The song features his saxophone prominently wailing away over tightly snapping backing drums and a twang-y, funky, blues guitar line that really helps move things along at a great pace.

Enjoy this tune for now, and be sure to check back in next week, as there’ll be a new single and mix available for your listening pleasure.

Don't Touch That Dial

Well ladies and gentlemen, here it is, the next installment in the Trunk of F.U.N.K. mix series. In a slight change of pace from the first ten mixes that have appeared here, I’ve whipped together a little something for all the soulies (as well as the regulars who don’t fancy themselves the soulie-type). Looking over the course of mixes here, it’s pretty obvious that the soul end of the spectrum has been pretty well overlooked to date, so I figured now to be as good a time as any to remedy that situation. I’m gonna keep things short and sweet this time around, that is, no back-story on the particular artists or singles, as things are still pretty hectic at the Trunk of F.U.N.K. compound. So, without further ado, I bring you…


Don’t Touch That Dial – Trunk of F.U.N.K. vol 011

Tracklist

Song – Artist – Label

S.O.S. (Stop Her On Sight) – Edwin Starr – Ric-Tic
I Want My Baby Back – Tyrone Ashley and the Funky Music Machine – Phil-LA
There Oughta Be A Law – Joe Hinton – Backbeat
What Kind of Fool (Do You Think I Am) – Bill Deal and the Rhondels – Heritage
I Can’t Rest – Fontella Bass – Checker
Tell Mama – Etta James – Cadet
I’m Not Tired Yet – Jay Jay Taylor – Dynamite
I’ve Got To Get Over – Syl Johnson – TMP-Ting
Mr. Pitiful – Otis Redding – Volt
Truer Words Were Never Spoken – Chris Bartley – Vando
We Gotta Make Up – Spencer Wiggins – Goldwax

I hope you dig the sounds, and be sure to tune in early next week for the next installment in the Trunk of F.U.N.K. singles series.

Stop Sneaking Around - Brenda and the Tabulations

Well, hello again regular visitors. It's been quite some time since I last posted anything, but don't worry, now that things are back in order at the Trunk of F.U.N.K. compound, I should be at this on the regular again for at least the next few months. All aspects of my life, both personal and work-related, have been beyond hectic lately. In particular, my hard drive failed a little over a week ago, leaving me without a home computer for a bit and making it impossible to put anything up here. Luckily, nothing of significance was lost with the untimely demise of the hard drive, as I've learned my lesson in the past. This unfortunate event, mind you, was coupled with 80+ hour work weeks that made it even less possible to put anything up here. Taken together with some major personal life events that I'm not going to get into here, things have been pretty poor lately. Luckily, last weekend was a long holiday here in the states, so I got to head down to Chicago to see some family and friends that have been sorely missed (as well as getting in some great digging at a new spot and a pretty alright set at a party on Saturday night).

So, to get things back in working order around here, I figured I'd send out a good bit of sister soul from the city of brotherly love...

Stop Sneaking Around - Brenda and the Tabulations - Top and Bottom



A fluke of quite serendipitous sorts is the easiest way to describe the early incarnation of Brenda and the Tabulations. During the summer of 1966, two teenagers, Brenda Payton and Maurice Coates, were working a summer job at a children's park. They decided it would be fun to practice a few popular numbers that they could peform for the kids at work one day. Luckily for them, as they were performing the newly learned numbers, the wife of a prominent Philly radio jock and owner of a couple of Philly record labels, Gilda Woods, drove past and liked what she heard. She approached the duo and asked if they had any original material, to which Coates responded that they did, prompting the duo to put together the future hit, Dry Your Eyes, at the ripe old age of 15 or 16. The original incarnation of the group (featured in today's selection) assembled for this recording consisted of Brenda Payton as the lead with Eddie Jackson, Maurice Coates, and Jerry Jones providing backing harmony vocals. This group lasted until 1971, at which point the guys parted ways with Payton. Payton didn't call it quits, however, chosing to be replace the men with the female backing vocalists Pat Mercer and Deborah Martin. During the decade-long existence of Brenda and the Tabulations, three albums and a number of singles were recorded for the labels Dionn and Top & Bottom, both of which were run by Gilda Woods. Today's selection was written by Maurice Coates and Brenda Payton, with arrangements prepared by Sam Reed.

I should also mention that a few months back, I posted a single from a Philly group, The Broad Street Gang, despite having little/no information on the group. A few weeks back, the brother of the bass player sent me an e-mail with the following information: The bass player on this particular track is my brother "James Alexander Fox" (a stage name). Chester Greere, Mitch AKA Mitchell Rowe, and the brother of the bass player were present during recording of several of the tracks for the LP.

Additionally, I've heard a bit of speculation on the group Lunar Funk, who were featured here previously with the single Mr. Penguin. A friend Paul from Detriot area sent me an e-mail that Lunar Funk may have actually been the band The Fabulous Counts, covered exhaustively previously by our friend Larry from Funky16Corners.

Enjoy the week, and rest assured that a new mix will be posted for your listening pleasure this Friday.

I Gotta Find Out For Myself - The Intrigues

Today’s selection comes from the Philly soul quartet*, The Intrigues…

I Gotta Find Out For Myself – The Intrigues – Yew



The Intrigues consisted of four member, Alfred Brown, James Lee, James Harris, and Ronald Hamilton. They got their start in the late 60’s and were fairly consistently active through 1972. During this time they recorded a handful of 45’s for Toot, Bullet, Yew, and Janus, as well as one LP for Yew in 1970. The LP released in 1970 carried the same title as their biggest hit, In A Moment. Between 1972 and 1985, the group seems to have no recorded output, however, in 1985 they released the song Fly Girl for the World Trade record label. Writing credit for today’s selection is given to Al Brown, with production and arrangement handled by Bobby Martin and Thomas Bell.

*During this same time frame, another group known as The Intrigues (out of Boston, Massachusetts) recorded a few sides for the Port label. There are no common members between the two groups.

**My apologies for the poor quality band photo. I tried to blow up an image that was cropped from the cover of their only LP.

Windy City Workout

Well, it's come time for a new mix again. Since this is the 10th mix here at Trunk of F.U.N.K. (somewhat of a milestone for me, as I never thought I'd keep doing this with any regularity), I figured I'd do something a little special. I've mentioned before that I lived in/around Chicago until just a few years ago when I moved up to Madison, Wisconsin to continue my education. I feel like growing up in Chicago has had a pretty big influence on the music that I've listened to (this ranging anywhere from punk to soul, although I don't see myself taking the time to blog about the former anytime soon), so it seemed only appropriate to assemble some of my all-time favorite funk and soul tracks out of the Windy City to commemorate the 10th mix here at Trunk of F.U.N.K. With that said, we've got a little bit of everything today, making sure to keep things heavy on the snapping drums and punchy bass lines, production features that have always made Chicago sides really stand out.

The mix starts off with a dancer from Floyd Smith, followed by a Northern monster from Clea Bradford. Two heavy hitters penned by Chicago soul great Jo Armstead (who was featured here just a few weeks ago) are then brought to you by The Deacons (this particular track is an instrumental version of the Syl Johnson classic of the same name) and Syl Johnson. Next up we've got a classic break from Alvin Cash and the Scott Bros. Orchestra, follow up by a little bit of kid soul from Cindy and the Playmates. General Crook then moves things to a more serious tip with a track that was as relevant on the day it was recorded as it is today. Jodi Gales then keeps things moving with a great bit of sister soul that grooves along with a choppy biting (almost bluesy sounding) guitar similar to the intro on the earlier Alvin Cash side. The Brothers and Sisters then utilize an almost baroque singing style to really send home the point that they plan on doing whatever it is that the came to do. Five Stairsteps & Cubie then provide us with another classic break right in the intro that's most assuredly the result of genius production work by Curtis Mayfield. The Dynamic Tints then provide heavy harmony soul output courtesy of backing work by the Pieces of Peace Orchestra who were featured in part here previously as The Pharaohs. The Soul Crusaders Orchestra then close things out with a number that slinks along rather strangely, relying on a piano part that sounds neither in tune nor in time.












Windy City Workout - Trunk of F.U.N.K. Vol. 010

Tracklist
Title - Artist - Label

Floyd Smith - Soul Strut - Dakar
Clea Bradford - My Love's a Monster - Cadet
Sock it to me pt. 1 - The Deacons - Shama
I Feel an Urge - Syl Johnson - Twinight
Keep on Dancing (inst.) - Alvin Cash and the Scott Bros. Orchestra - Toddlin' Town
Now That School is Thru pt. 2. - Cindy and the Playmates - Jay Pee
What Time It Is pt. 1 - General Crook - Down to Earth
Jodi Gales - You Gotta Push - Thomas
Nobody Is Gonna Turn Us 'Round pt. 1 - The Brothers and Sisters - Toddlin' Town
Don't Change Your Love - Five Stairsteps & Cubie - Curtom
Be My Lady - The Dynamic Tints - Twinight
Funky Jive - Soul Crusaders Orchestra - More Soul


Be sure to check back in Monday for another new single.

(Who's Your) Favorite Candidate - The Intruders

(Who's Your) Favorite Candidate - The Intruders - Gamble



The Intruders were a Philly soul group that was active mostly during the 1960's and 70's. The group consisted of Eugene "Bird" Daughtry, Phillip Terry, Sam "Little Sonny" Brown and

No Messin' Around - Pauline and Bobby

First things first, it’s unfortunately time for yet another obituary post here. I’ve just recently found out that Merl Saunders, who was featured here just over a month ago, passed away last week. Saunders had a long and successful career on both the organ and electric piano, and he will be greatly missed.

Second, I wanted to mention that I will no longer be making the weekly singles available for download as a result of concerns with copyright infringement and blogger removing some of my posts. From here on out, you will only be able to listen to the tracks via the player that is included in each post. Please do not e-mail me asking me to give you a link to download any singles, as I simply will not do it. Until further notice, mixes will still be available for download.

Now onto today’s single, which was released on the Expo label out of Chicago…

Pauline and Bobby – No Messin’ Around – Expo



There isn’t a whole lot of information available about Expo Records, Pauline Chivers (or sometimes Shivers, depending on which 45 you have in your hands), Bobby Jones. Today's selection was written by Browley Guy and arranged by John Cameron. The little bit of additional information I can provide is that Chivers had seen success prior to No Messin’ Around in the form of a duet with her husband Sydney "Bird" Chivers* entitled, Spring, that was released on the Vee Jay label in 1963. Chivers would also see success later in her career with the singles, You Better Tell Him No, Won’t You Come Back Home, and, Tough Stuff, released on the O-Pex label (a later incarnation of Expo) in the late 60’s. Bobby Jones never really had what would be considered success with recorded material, but was a regular in the Chicago soul scene for a pretty lengthy career.

*The track is credited to Pauline and Birdlegs, not Sydney, in the event you go about searching for it