Nichelle Nichols is best known for her role as Lieutenant Uhura in the original Star Trek TV series from the late 1960′s. She followed her Trek co-stars William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy into the recording business in 1968 with an LP titled “Down To Earth” for Epic Records, which was re-issued on CD by Rev-Ola [...]
So I have this Turkish friend (not a record dude at all) from Istanbul that brings me random records whenever he comes to the states to visit his brother (a colleague of mine). I usually don’t get my hopes up too high for very good reason, as I have received more Turkish pressings of Salt [...]
This appears to be a fairly obscure release from the Kent label. Two brothers, Raphael and Ramon Velez front a loungey/soul band in this set of mostly original tunes with a few covers thrown in. The band is really tight throughout with great bass and drum work and the horn section is blazing. Recorded at [...]
I’ve been meaning to post Shelly for a while now. I don’t know what the story on this dude is aside from the fact that there is a sick “cat on piano” photo of this “composer” on the back and he gives a shout out to L. RON, whom he bears a striking resemblance to.
Here’s one of my all time favorite 45′s from my collection, and probably the only cracked record I keep in the collection. It’s a Surinam single, pressed in Holland in 1978. The band name Fri Sranang is a combination of the Surinam creole language Sranang Tongo and Fri, which, I’m guessing, must mean free. Fri [...]
Maori showbands have a pretty deep history stretching back over the last 50 odd years. Essentially a touring review style band incorporating at times an almost variety show-like review. Many of these bands found success all over the world and toured relentlessly and also released a few records while they were at it. The Maori [...]
I’m pretty sure I originally bought this because it had a rather crudely hand decorated back cover with ancient pictures of school girls and a birthday inscription of some sort. It was in rough shape so I probably justified the purchase by telling myself I could always give it to a friend who I tend [...]
This perky little 7″ was one of my choice finds from a guy selling records out of his garage in Cottonwood, Arizona last year. Interesting artist name, pink Hawaiian label, great titles — sounds promising, put it in the pile, it’s worth a try. Didn’t take long after setting the needle down to realize that [...]
I was born in Cologne/Germany. Although Cologne is widely in peace with the cities surrounding it, there is however a strong rivalry with the neighbouring city of Leverkusen. Naturally, as a loyal citizen of my hometown I share this sentiment. This is fairly easy since Leverkusen is indeed a pretty boring city mainly consisting of [...]
This 1973 LP is a product of a “workshop” styled big band which was put together in Wellington by American Frank Diliberto. The album itself tries to cover a few too many different styles of Jazz to be a consistent listen from front to back, but there are definitely some great moments. Diliberto directs the [...]
Here’s a cool 45 that is a product of the headache inducing labyrinth of entangled record labels out of Greenville Mississippi in the mid-late 1960s. The fact that this is such a direct bite of Darrell Banks’ massive “Open The Door To Your Heart” seems audacious & probably is. Vikki Styles released just two (possibly [...]
“Die Laumäckse” was a school band from the small german town named Koblenz. I picked this album up at a local flea market. Although I had never heard of the record I gave it a try as one of the cover versions they do on there is a interpretation of a Mombasa song (German afro-funk [...]
Who says a guy in the middle of the woods can’t lay down a solid funk track? Listen and enjoy!!! [Audio clip: view full post to listen] “Joy To The World” [Audio clip: view full post to listen] “Love It Or Leave It”
Not completely sure what this song has to do with POW’s, but I’m really feeling it. Yet another nice track in the vein of country funk. Enjoy!!! [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
Crunchy, lumbering outsider analog synth funk perfection. Created by the mysterious Spooky in 1984 in someplace called Warner Robins, GA. I need more of this kind of thing in my life. [Audio clip: view full post to listen] [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
Unique ‘afro-synth’ 45 out of Detroit on the Natural label – engineered by Detroit bluesman Bobo Jenkins – likely at his own studio on Joy Road. Jenkins had a long history in the Detroit music scene – stretching back to ‘Democrat Blues’ on Chess (1954). By the 70′s he was producing artists for his own [...]
I think Frank’s (http://www.voodoofunk.blogspot.com) travel and digging reports played quite a role for my growing interest in West African music. I always liked the mixes he put online but at the same time I was not too confident to ever find any of these records as I don’t live in Western Africa and I don’t [...]
“Stage Show” is a great funk album by the well known Thai band The Impossibles who recorded the classic “Hot Pepper” album in Sweden. This album includes various interpretations of classic American funk tunes done in a Thai style. The recording is super low budget and the sound quality might remind you of your last [...]
 I’m not sure if this record was made in Singapore, Malaysia or Indonesia. What makes it noteworthy is the funk track Rukun Islam. I can’t understand the language but it’s dealing with Allah and Muhammad. The chorus is cool, the refrain is lush. The male la la la chorus makes it somewhat trippy. There’s more [...]
The Troubled Mind(s) were a late 60s band that started off in Napier, New Zealand around 1966/67 and then moved to Auckland around July 1967. The band seems to have disbanded shortly after releasing this, their third and final 45 in February 1969. Their earlier stuff covered more of a traditional 60s R&B style and [...]