23 Apr 2008
Kool & The Gang – 1973 – Wild And Peaceful & 1975 – Spirit Of The Boogie
Formed as a jazz ensemble in the mid-’60s, Kool & the Gang became one of the most inspired and influential funk units during the ’70s, and one of the most popular R&B groups of the ’80s after their breakout hit “Celebration” in 1979. Just as...
26 Sep 2021
Kool & The Gang – 1972 – Music Is The Message
One of the most interesting things about Kool & The Gang is that they followed up their 1969 debut album with a pair of live albums. Considering his very early endorsement of their music, James Brown‘s emphasis on presenting his funk breakouts strongly in a...
28 Jun 2020
The Pazant Bros. & The Beaufort Express - 1975 – Loose And Juicy
Though the Pazant Brothers were a respectable, predominantly instrumental funk outfit of the late ’60s and early ’70s, they never got the chance to record much. Their 1975 album Loose and Juicy (which like the 1973 single was billed to the Pazant Brothers & the Beaufort...
12 Aug 2019
Banda Black Rio – 1977 – Maria Fumaça
Banda Black Rio were formed in 1976 in Rio de Janeiro. They revolutionised ‘black instrumental music’ at the time with their Brazilian re-interpretation of soul, jazz, funk and disco grooves, inspired by the likes of Tim Maia and reminiscent of Kool & The Gang and...
15 Jun 2019
The Fatback Band - 1974 – Keep On Steppin’
The Fatback Band’s career started in the early 70s and lasted well into the late 80s. While they enjoyed a modicum of success, it was never on the same level as similar party funk bands like Kool and the Gang. Their first four albums are...
05 Sep 2017
Manchild – 1977 – Power And Love
A self-contained septet that included Kenneth Edmonds, before he was crowned with the nickname Babyface, and his close friend and collaborator Daryl Simmons. The group’s sound touched on several formats. The uptempo numbers, like “Red Hot Daddy,” “Power and Love,” and “Funky Situation,” are heavily rock-oriented....
19 Jul 2016
Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers – 1979 – Bustin’ Loose
No group ever defined a city and sound as Chuck Brown and The Soul Searchers did Washington, DC and go-go music. This is the album that launched their musical movement and established Chuck Brown as the “Godfather of Go-Go.” When it was released in early...
04 Apr 2016
Ofege – 1972 – Try And Love
The ultimate in West African psychedelic funk. The first of their kind, Ofege was a band of college students from St. Gregory’s College, in Lagos, Nigeria. I read somewhere that they were “influenced by Nigerian bands BLO, The Funkees and the Black Company as well...
15 Sep 2009
Chicago Gangsters – 1975 – I Choose You (Blind Over You)
We have the pleasure of introducing the debut by the Chicago Gangsters, “I Choose You” on the Gold Plate label. This was also issued as “Blind Over You”, possibly re-named to capitalise on the minor success of ‘I Choose You’ on the Billboard Black Music...
14 Aug 2009
The Dutch Rhythm Steel & Show Band – 1975 – Soul & Steel Show
Hey, ya’ll! Here i am again after my holidays with another special LP. This is the super rare Dutch Steel Band LP which features the afro soul style cover version of the Kool and The Gang classic tune “Funky Stuff“. A real club DJ ripper...
31 Oct 2021
Oneness Of Juju – 1976 – Space Jungle Luv
A free-wheeling goulash of R&B, gospel, avant-garde jazz, afrobeat, Brazilian percussion, and classic 70s booty funk, Oneness Of Juju was the brainchild of saxophonist / songwriter / producer James “Plunky” Branch. From their debut in the early 70s, the group has released more than 20...
27 Jun 2018
Light Of The World – 1979 – Light Of The World
U.K. funk band Light of the World has the distinctions of having a tight head shot of a pre-stardom Sade on their self-titled debut LP cover and having guitarist Jean Paul “Bluey” Maunick as a band member. Maunick went on to lead ’90s funk-jazz band Incognito. A nicely languid debut for...
