Ok #1.

Finess has this song called "The Great Awakeing" on his mix. He said it's by Brothers Johnson but I cannot find the song on ANY of the albums and have not been cotacted back, so do any of you guys know....

"We're here together.."

#2. I saw a blue album by the Fatback Band made in 1980..should I get it..is it good!!??

#3. Brass Construction ... What is the best album by themand what is so special about em?

#4. Mandrill...what was their best album? I don't know no songs by them.

#5. I know almost nothin about Con-Funk-Shun, but I see alot of the ir albums..which one is a good one?

#6. Same question as above for "Mass Production".

#7. How is that first Salt N Pepa album?

#8. How is that first Grandmaster Flash album?

#9. Is there any funk that Im missin out on that I probably don't know about?

and lastly... #10. um....I dont have no more..but um...I found some rare Moments 45 called "I Cant Help It" which is weird and has no other song on the other side....it's written by Stevie Wonder and J. Bennet.

Thank you.

"The Great Awakening" is indeed a Brothers Johnson track.It's from their 1982 album 'Blast',which is a greatest hits set with four new songs."The Great Awakening" was one of the four new songs.

DavidEye said:

ok..Blast? Ooooh..I was looking at "Blam!" Oooohhhh..ok man that track is so hott! I didnt know it is on a greatest hits album. Im sittin here all over the net lookin 4 that track.

paisleypark4 said:

Yeah,they released an album in 1978 titled 'Blam'.The 1982 album 'Blast' is entirely different.

Awesome!

paisleypark4 said:

Hmm,I guess my favorite Con Funk Shun album is 1980's 'Spirit Of Love'.Other noteworthy albums include 'Candy' (1979),'7' (1981) and 'To The Max' (1982).Really,you can't go wrong with any of their albums that came out before 1985.


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[Edited 1/9/06 6:13am]

paisleypark4 said:

Stevie wrote a song called "I Can't Help It" which appears on Michael Jackson's 'Off The Wall' album.Could this be a remake?

paisleypark4 said:

That's some really awesome shit... their best. Cool to have some early Hurby Luv Bug beats too. There's alotta hits on it: "Push It (Remix)" but it's not a weird version... "Tramp"*the version that's on the video.. "I'll Take Your Man".. "Showstoppa"(Doug E Fresh dis that put them on the map), "My Mic Sounds Nice"!

And the beats on the other songs are hard as hell: ie, "I Desire" (same drums as "Straight Outta Compton").

DavidEye said:

Shit I was tired, I didnt mean Stevie Wonder.. I meant Smokey Robinson...sorry I was tired as hell when I wrote that.

DavidEye said:

I picked up "7"today ... FUNKY

#6. Same question as above for "Mass Production".

Mass Production's Firecracker album was my favorite-they had some serious funk going all the way through this 1-their earlier album's we're ok but not solid all the way through.

#3. Brass Construction ... What is the best album by themand what is so special about em?

Their 1st 2 albums we're serious funk bombs so u can't go wrong with any of them, after that I would grab their greatest hits:







Ol school heads know the funk they used to put down but they often get slept on when ol school discussions come up-1 of their members Randy Muller went on to form & write for Skyy-here's some more info on the group:

http://www.freestylegroov.../brass.htm

#9. Is there any funk that Im missin out on that I probably don't know about?


Here's some info on some more funk here: http://www.allthingsdeep..../index.htm

Some other funk off the top of my head to check out:

BT Express (1st Album)(This group included a then unknown Kashif)
Instant Funk
The KayGees (1st 2 albums if u can find them)
Pleasure (Instrumental Funk)
Donald Byrd (Places & Spaces Album is the bomb)
Sun (Greatest Hits)
420 Funk Mob (More smelly funk from the PFunk camp)

#9. Is there any funk that Im missin out on that I probably don't know about?

I'm up late & still in a funky mood so here are some other funk gems to check out:


Roy Ayers -- Everybody Loves The Sunshine
One of Roy Ayers' biggest albums ever! The whole thing's an incredible album of mellow jazzy soul -- and it shows Roy at the crossroads, perfecting his earlier funk style with a sweet mellow R&B edge, getting a bit slicker, but still staying on the righteous path, and opening up a whole new bag in soul music. There's a wonderful electric vibe running through the record -- not just from Roy's vibes, but from the Fender Rhodes and Arp work by Phillip Woo. Features the landmark title cut -- "Everybody Loves The Sunshine", one of those tunes that becomes more and more of a classic each year -- plus spiritual numbers like "Third Eye" , "Keep on Walking", and "The Golden Rod". Very righteous, and with a cool dope jazzy groove!


Bar-Kays -- Injoy 1979
Later Bar-Kays at their best -- still plenty funky, but also working in a smoothly soulful style that became the group's trademark sound at Mercury! The album's got a real bass-heavy appeal from the start -- working in a mode that shares a lot with Cameo, The Gap Band, and some of the other mainstream funk acts at the time -- yet which still occasionally shows the group's roots in the rougher Memphis scene. There's actually some great ballads on the album alongside the funk -- tunes that sweeten the set nicely, and provide a good counterpoint to the more uptempo numbers. Titles include "Girl I'm On Your Side", "More & More", "Running In & Out Of My Life", "You've Been", and "Up In Here".


Black Heat -- Declassified Grooves -- Black Heat/No Time To Burn
The first 2 rare funk albums by Black Heat in one package! The group was one of the best funk acts to record for Atlantic during the 70s -- and they've got a sound that's a mixture of New Orleans funk, African influences, and New York heavy jamming. The tracks are about 50% instrumental -- and these are the best numbers, as they've got a tightly compressed groove, mixing choppy guitar, hot organ licks, and sweet sax solos into a very tight blend. The first album's got some guest work on reeds by David Newman -- but the real strength lies in the group's overall ability to lay down a funky rhythm track and keep it going strong and long. Titles include "Chip's Funk", "Super Cool", "M&M's", "No Time To Burn", "Love The Life You Live", "Rapid Fire", "Things Change", "Wanoah", "Barbara's Mood", "Chicken Heads", "The Jungle", "Send My Lover Back", "Honey Love", and "Time Is gonna Catch You".


Black Nasty -- Talking To The People 1973
Excellent heavy funk from Stax! Black Nasty were one of the heaviest groups on the label -- with a rock-solid guitar-based groove that went even farther than the Bar-Kays, who were no slouch in the guitar department themselves! The grooves are all slow to midtempo, with the band coming down hard on the downbeats, jamming away in a style that sounds more like heavy Detroit Westbound than sweetly soulful Memphis. Most all cuts have vocals -- sung in a shouting style by the band that works well with the tripped-out hooks of the songs. This was the only album the band ever cut, but it's become a fast favorite among those who like their funk raw. Tracks include "We're Doin Our Thing", "Rushin Sea", "Booger The Hooker", "Black Nasty Boogie", "Nasty Soul", and "Getting Funky Round Here".



Breakwater 1978
Fantastic! This monster mellow groover is one of the lost soul gems of the seventies, and gets better and better the more that we hear it. The sound is a little bit jazzy, with warm soulful overtones, and tight production with a lot of warmth. Tracks include "No Limit", "That's Not What We Came Here For", and the fantastic groover "Work It Out", a spiritual, soulful anthem


Tom Browne -- Love Approach 1980
An excellent album of smooth jazz funk -- and despite the fact that it was a monster hit for Tom, it's still pretty hard to find! The record is a perfect example of how great R&B jazz fusion could be -- before labels like GRP went off the smooth jazz deep end, and ruined the whole thing! Tom's funky trumpet's set in a group with players like Lesette Wilson, Jorge Dalto, Bobby Broom, and Marcus Miller -- and the arrangements are by Tom, Weldon Irvine, Lesette Wilson, and Dave Grusin. Includes the funky classic "Funkin For Jamaica", plus "Her Silent Smile", "Moon Rise", "Nocturne", "Forever More", and "Weak In The Knees


Commodores -- Machine Gun 1974
Lionel Richie come back! All is forgiven! We'd said bad things about you for years until we heard this funky groover -- The Commodores' first album, a tasty bit of funk that almost makes us want to forgive you for all of your later crimes! The whole thing's pretty funky all the way through -- with a strong southern groove, touched with a bit of a Sly Stone party funk mode. Includes the killer break classic "The Assembly Line", which feels like it was lifted right off one of Sly's late 60s albums for Epic -- plus "The Bump", "Machine Gun", "The Zoo", and "Gonna Blow Your Mind". Arrangements are by James Carmichael and Gloria Jones, who also did the production -- and the album's a long way from "Three Times A Lady", trust us!


Betty Davis -- Betty Davis 1973 (feat. Larry Graham & Graham Central Station & Neil Schon from Journey)
Betty Davis was one of the nastiest ladies in 70s soul -- and this is one of her greatest albums. Betty had a sound like nobody else -- she took hard heavy drums, throbbing bass, ripping guitars, and screamed over the top in a raunchy nasty funky voice that was all her own! The tracks are a mix of hip themes about sex, gal power, and struttin your stuff -- and the album features the classic break tracks "If I'm In Luck I Might Get Picked Up" and "Steppin in Her I. Miller Shoes", but every cut is a funky monster. Other titles include "Ooh Yea", "In The Meantime", "Your Man My Man", and "Anti Love Song". A great one if you dig hard female soul, heavy funky guitars, or both at the same time!


Fatback Band -- Fatbackin' -- The Perception Sessions (People Music/Let's Do It Again/Feel My Soul) 1972-1974
The funkiest early work by Fatback! This 2CD set features all three of their albums for the Perception label -- all brilliant funky gems that stand with some of the best funk of the early 70s. At this point, the group has a raw hard sound -- mixing together choppy guitar, hard drums, and rolling bass in a style that was only matched by a rare few of their contemporaries, like Kool & The Gang or The Meters. All three albums have a bit of their own feel -- from the party style of People Music, to the sweeter soul of Feel My Soul, to the straight hard funk of Let's Do It Again -- and alone or together, they're some of the best funky soul you could find from the early 70s. The super-expanded set features 28 cuts in all -- including the b-side only "Dance Girl", plus "Soul March", "Nija Walk", "Street Dance", "Take A Ride On The Soul Train", "Let's Do It Again", "Goin To See My Baby", "Feeling Mellow", "Feel My Soul", and "Makin Love".



Graham Central Station -- Ain't No Bout-A-Doubt It 1975
One of the high points of Larry Graham's career -- a hard-jamming set of guitar-based funk that forever put Graham Central Station on the map! There's a virtuosity to the record that's really stunning -- bass, guitar, and drums all dropping into place magically alongside one another -- while still managing to come across with a relaxed soulful approach that definitely makes this one more heavy funk than later years. Titles include "The Jam", "It's Alright", "I Can't Stand The Rain", "It Ain't Nothin But A Warner Bros Party", and "Easy Rider".


Headhunters -- Survival Of The Fittest 1975
A landmark bit of jazz funk -- from one of the greatest backup groups of the 70s! Herbie Hancock first brought The Headhunters to light -- working with the San Francisco-based combo that included Bennie Maupin, Mike Clark, Paul Jackson, and Bill Summers -- using their sound to give his work the right dose of funk it needed to reach new audiences during the decade. This album's the first to feature the group on their own, without Herbie -- and if we don't mind saying so, they sound even better without him! The whole thing's a wonderful mix of jazz funk grooves and very unusual rhythms -- and the record contains the monster full length version of "God Make Me Funky", which is 9 minutes and 35 seconds of non stop funk, plus the cuts "If You've Got It, You'll Get It", "Magic", and "Here & Now".


Instant Funk 1979
After MFSB, Instant Funk were probably the second most famous backing group from the Philly scene. They'd risen to prominence thanks to a boost from Bunny Sigler -- who also produced this album, and helped arrrange or write most of the tracks. The tracks have tight club funk backing, with lead vocals by James Carmichael. Includes the cuts "Don't You Wanna Party", "Never Let It Go Away", "I Got My Mind Made Up", and "You Say You Want Me To Stay". There's a few goofy numbers -- like "Dark Vader" and "Wide World of Sports" -- that show the campier side of Sigler, and are worth staying away from!

eldog98 said:

That's what I was sayin!

CinisterCee said:

CinisterCee we're on the same page.

eldog98 said:

THANK YOU

#6. Same question as above for "Mass Production".

quote]



Mass Productions best album is "THREE MILES HIGH" It's not on CD though, If you have an old record shop where you live you can probably find it.

Bootsy's Rubber Band -- Ahh...The Name Is Bootsy, Baby!1977
One of Bootsy's best-ever -- although we have to admit that all his Warner albums sound pretty good after repeat listening, and provide a nice sense of tightness that could sometimes be missing from other P-Funk work at the time. The Horny Horns are helping out on this one, which gives the album a strong instrumental drive -- but the real star is Bootsy, whose sexy vocals and good sense of soul keep things firmly on track throughout. Features the cuts "What's A Telephone Bill?", "Munchies For YOur Love", "We Want Bootsy", "The Pinocchio Theory", and "Rubber Duckie".


Harvey Mason -- Funk In A Mason Jar 1977
Contrary to what you might expect from the title, this isn't a funky jazz effort from drummer Mason, but rather a smooth soul crossover LP, perhaps inspired by the success of Norm Connors or Michael Henderson's similar efforts. It succeeds pretty strongly as such, and it's filled with very nice moments! It also has contributions from a host of great jazz all stars going for it -- including George Benson, Ronnie Foster, Bob James, Ray Parker, Phil Upchurch and others. Includes the groovy title cut, plus "What's Going On", "Set It Free", "Space Cadets" "Fantazia" and "Freedom Either Way".


Pleasure -- Future Now (reissue)1979
A wonderful album from Pleasure -- one of the few jazz funk bands who actually seemed to get better and better the more they recorded! Unlike some of their contemporaries, who kind of lost their edge when the production got slicker, Pleasure actually picked up more of a beat, and tightened up their act in a way that made for some of the funkiest and most soulful moments of their career. You can hear that well on the cut "Space is the Place", which has great funky drums on the intro; on the mellow "Thoughts of Old Flames", a real stunner with a great moody feel; and the classic "Glide", a great dancefloor groover that still stands up well!


JBs -- Hustle With Speed
One of the most fantastic albums by the JBs -- a masterpiece of funky jamming, tight instrumentation, and that free yet tight style of the James Brown 70s years! The tracks are longer than on some of the earlier singles -- especially the 8 minute jammer "(It's Not The Express) It's the JBs Monourail", an answer to BT Express' theme song, and a fantastic cut that's held up through so many years and so many scenes! Another great jammer is the group's version of "Thank You For Letting Me Be Myself", which runs for nearly 10 minutes -- plus spacey funk tracks "Transmogrification" and "Taurus, Aires, & Leo", and the tighter jammer "Soul Funky Train", which returns to the group's funky 45 mode. Fantastic all around -- and the kind of record you'll be playing for your grand kids! CD adds 5 extra bonus cuts, all from hard-to-find People singles, and not on other LPs. Included are "J.B. Shout", their version of "Alone Again", "Sportin Life", "Dirty Harri", and the two part classic "Everybody Wanna Get Funky One More Time". Nice stuff, and a good reason to pay the extra price for the Japanese reissue!



Junie -- The Westbound Years
Walter "Junie" Morrison had the great honor of being a member of both of Westbound's biggest collectives (although not necessarily at the same time) -- the hard funky Ohio Players, and the cosmic brotherhood of Funkadelic/Parliament. During the mid-70s, though, Junie embarked upon a solo career, and cut a few wild LPs for the label which mixed funk, soul, and even some strange rock-oriented leanings. The resulting recordings were some of the more messed-up that Westbound ever issued, with moments that are delightfully funky, and others that are downright silly. This sweet 20 track compilation brings together most of the best moments of Junie's Westbound Years, and includes cuts like "Johnny Carson Samba", "Walt's Third Trip", "Tight Rope", "Cookies Will Get You", "Super J", "Super Groupie", and the great "Granny's Funky Rolls Royce", featuring the Funky Granny from "Funky Worm"!

Kool & The Gang -- Light Of Worlds 1974
It's the mid 70s, and Kool & Co not only keep the funky groove up, but also expand their style into a moogy style that adds a nice dimension of spacey soul to their rich palette of funk. The funkier cuts -- like "Street Corner Symphony" and "Rhyme Tyme People" -- sound a bit too much like the hits from earlier albums, but are still pretty nice. But it's the synth heavy cuts -- like "Whiting H&G", and the landmark "Summer Madness" -- which really open up the record. They're great stuff, and have the group moving into a spacey otherworldly funk realm that had been opened up a few years earlier by Earth Wind & Fire. The long-lasting potential of "Summer Madness" proves that the move was a great one -- and we're always stunned at how fantastic the track still sounds today!


Meters 1969
One of the greatest albums ever in the history of funk -- the first album by The Meters, and virtually the blueprint for countless funk records to come! The album's bubbling over with classics -- all hard-hitting instrumentals played by the group in an effortlessly tight style, produced to perfection by Allen Toussaint and Marshall Sehorn in their classic 60s New Orleans style. A blinding masterpiece of bass, drums, and scratchy guitar -- with tracks that include "Cardova", "Cissy Strut", "Sophisticated Cissy", "Here Comes The Meter Man", "Ease Back", "Ann", "6V6 La", and "Live Wire". Plus, the CD features 2 previously unissued tracks -- "Soul Machine" and a nice cover of "The Look Of Love"!


Buddy Miles -- Expressway To Your Skull 1968
A super tripped-out blend of rock, funk, and soul -- easily one of Buddy Miles' most mindblowing albums -- and a classic that never lets up at all! Buddy's leading the whole group on drums -- really kicking things large from behind the kit -- while the rest of the group jams in a heavy style that's got plenty of fuzzed-out guitar and jazzy horn riffs -- virtually a blueprint for countless other rock funk groups that copped Buddy's style in years to come. The drums alone are worth the price of admission -- but the whole album's so right, tight, and outta sight that it's been a favorite in our crates for years! Titles include "Train", "Let Your Lovelight Shine", "Don't Mess With Cupid", "Funky Mule", and "Wrap It Up"


Mutiny -- How's Your Loose Booty? -- The Best Of Mutiny
Long overdue-best of collection of work by Mutiny -- a band formed by 70s Parliament drummer Jerome Brailey, who left P-Funk in a snit after internal and money-type problems with the group. (Thus the name Mutiny on the Mamaship -- an obvious reference to the"Mothership.") The music is Bootsy-type funk, with the tighter level of production that Bootsy had, over the looser funk feel of the Funkadelic LPs. Tracks include "Go Away From Here", "Lump","One On One", "Funk N Roll", "Electric Hot Dog", "Don't Bust The Groove", "Funk N Bop", "Burning Up", and "Voyage To the Bottom Of The P".


Ohio Players -- Orgasm -- The Very Best Of The Westbound Years
A massive batch of stoned-out funk from the Ohio Players -- recorded here during their legendary years at Detroit soul powerhouse Westbound Records! At this point, the band have a style that's a mix of psychedelia, funk, and harmony soul -- similar to labelmates Funkadelic, but perhaps not as crazy. The set includes most of their best cuts from the time -- including gems like "Funky Worm", "Varee Is Love", "Walt's First Trip", "Food Stamps", "Laid It", "Singing In The Morning", "Ecstasy", "Climax", "Pain", "Sleep Talk", and "Player's Balling".

Soulive -- Doin' Something 2001
Great stuff from one of the funkiest combos around! Soulive are part of the second wave of US jam-band funk acts -- the sort of groovy groups that have been springing up in the wake of Medeski, Martin, & Wood's success over the past 10 years -- and the combo's got a tight no-nonsense funk groove that mixes Hammond B-3, guitar, and drums into a monstrously heavy sound that will blow the top off your speakers! The group's debut CD -- Turn It Out -- sold loads as an underground indie at Dusty Groove, and this Blue Note debut by the group is destined for equally great fame. The core heavy funk sound is still firmly in place -- and the group have added some extra elements, like the trombone of Fred Wesley, which meets up with some other horns on a few tracks, plus the vocals of Stephanie McKay, sings on one especially soulful number, "Romantic". Tracks include "Hurry Up & Wait", "Doin Something", "One In Seven", "Cannonball", "Shaheed", and "Solid".


One Way Featuring Al Hudson (1979)
A dancefloor classic -- one of the strongest albums ever by Al Hudson, Alicia Meyers, and the whole One Way crew! The record's got a sweet soulful feel that provides a nice counterpoint to its bass-heavy grooves -- popping along at that midtempo pace that was Al's popular remedy for disco on the dancefloor, and which had a crucial effect on soul at the time. The album still plays mighty big here in Chicago, where a classic 80s groove can reign supreme if it's strong enough -- and tracks include "You Can Do It", "I Am Under Your Spell", "Music", "Come Dance With Me", and "Now That I Found You".


Shuggie Otis -- Freedom Flight 1971
The second album from Shuggie Otis -- a wild and wooly batch of grooves that really stretches out the sound from the first! Shuggie's got much more of a hand in the arrangements here -- and the tunes are grooving in a sweet blend of funk, rock, and soul -- really drenched in the best cross-cultural influences going down on the west coast scene of the time -- a kind of color-blind quest for the groove that comes across with a really righteous power! Tracks include the original version of "Strawberry Letter 23" -- plus the cuts "Ice Cold Daydream", "Freedom Flight", "Sweet Thang", "Purple", and "Me & My Woman".


Parliament -- Chocolate City (Remastered & Expanded)
An amazing album that's probably one of the most unified albums that George Clinton ever recorded! The band's rawer style has been firmed up and economized -- but a lot of the best elements are still in place, including a strange approach to vocals that has male and female voices interacting and counterbalancing in a similar style to that heard on some of Roy Ayers' best work from the early 70s. Clinton's begun introducing a lot of elements of Funkadelic into the group -- but the tracks are still short and very tight, with a focussed approach to both funk and lyrics that really makes the album stand up to repeated listenings over the years. The album begins with the sublime "Chocolate City", a surprisingly political number that has these incredible jagged piano lines that echo away madly -- then it rolls into other great numbers like "Side Effects", "What Comes Funky", "If It Don't Fit, Don't Force It", and "I Misjudged You". CD includes 3 bonus tracks -- "If It Don't Fit Don't Force It (alternate)", "I Misjudged You (alternate)", and "Common Law Wife (previously unreleased)".


Mandrill -- Fencewalk -- The Anthology
2CD set that brings together just about all of the great tracks that Mandrill recorded for Polydor during their stint at the label in the early 70s. As you probably already know, their Polydor material was easily their best stuff -- and it's got a deep soulful vibe, punctuated with nice funky moments, and a good groove that has hints of JB's type grooving, mixed with other Afro Funk influences. Titles include "Cohelo", "Ape Is High", "Fencewalk", "Khidja", "Positive Thing", "Mango Meat", "Can You Get It", "Love One Another", "Too Late", "Lord Of The Golden Baboom", "Moroccan Nights", "Hagalo", "House Of Wood", and the great break track "Fat City Strut". 31 cuts in all, and with some nice notes on the group!