Review: Classic soul band The Moments serve up a couple more gems for this red hot series on Dynamite Cuts. First is a steamy, seductive, sexy version of the Lee Forsey classic 'Ride Your Pony'. The gentle drums, the swinging synths and the sting sounds are all topped with butter-smooth vocals. On the back side is something just as majestic and heart warming - 'Sugar Sugar' is a real singalong gem with nice sax stabs, freaky synth bass that never stops squelching and just good vibes that you never want to end.
Review: Originally released in 1974, "For the Love of Money" is a soul/funk song that was recorded by Philadelphia soul group The O'Jays for the album Ship Ahoy. The lineup at the time comprised of Eddie Levert, William Powell and Walter Williams, It was written and composed by Anthony Jackson, Leon Huff & Kenneth Gamble, and produced on the latter's Philadelphia International Records. The original pressing was issued as a single in late 1973 with "People Keep Tellin' Me" as its B-side. The single peaked at number three on the U.S. Billboard R&B chart, and at No. 9 on Billboard's Pop Singles chart in spring 1974. "For the Love of Money" made the group Grammy Hall of Fame Inductees in 2016.
Review: Any Omar S release is worth checking, but when it also features Detroit funk godfather and Motor City legend Amp Fiddler, as well as Andre Foxxe of Parliament-Funkadelic, then it's pretty much buy on sight. You never know what you're gaping to get with the FXHE boss, and never was that more true than here on this sweet little 7". A-side 'The First One Hundred' is a loop of Omar S's trademark dusty drums and a deeply buried bass guitar riff that is super funky, and 'Dance Your Blues Away (feat Amp Fiddler)' sounds like Prince making house music in Omar S's studio. They are short, but oh so sweet.
Review: In 1985, Isy Martin Jr. released 'Rug Burns' and it became a low-key disco stepping classic. Now, Prime Time Records and Tapes has secured the rights and presents this official repress featuring that cut on the A-side so you no longer have to play high prices on the second-hand market. As well as that fresh bit of ass-shaking and funky dancefloor fun, the label has pressed a special re-do of 'Rug Burns' featuring XL Middleton and Zackey Force Funk on the B-side. It's a slightly more contemporary boogie-down sound with the same original vocal charms.
Review: Opolopo is a machine when it comes to serving up superb disco, funk and soul sounds. He's done so for two decades on plenty of top labels from Toolroom to Version Galore to Gamm. This time out he finds himself on a self-released tip with X Machine which is a mash-up of James Brown. The original vocals cut through funky basslines and lots of big percussions as the loose drums rumbled on next to warming organ chords. The instrumental is a more direct to dancefloor jam.
Review: This is another fine addition to the Four Flies 45 series: it is a first-ever 7" taken from one of the few soundtracks that legendary producer and composer Paolo Ormi ever wrote (namely a rather underwhelming parody of Woody Allen's Play It Again, Sam). He is best known for his mix of Italian funk, disco and library music, both for underground labels but also stars like Raffaella Carra. All three of the instrumentals here are seriously funky - two of them have actually been put out before as part of this label's hard-to-find compilations Esterno Notte and Esterno Giorno.
Review: Four Flies presents a gem for vinyl collectors with the 7" release of Riz Ortolani's soundtrack highlights from Confessione di un commissario di polizia al procuratore della Repubblica. Side-1's 'Serena e Lomunno' showcases an exceptional quartet's jazzy spell, weaving bass, electric guitar, drums, and piano into a standout groove. On Side-2, Il ricordo di Serena continues the magic with a trio, maintaining the rhythmic essence while sacrificing none of the brilliance. The interplay of bass and drums is the backbone, adorned by electric guitar and piano's refined phrasings. The result? Irresistible jazz-funk breaks, ripe for sampling. A must-have addition to Four Flies' series of 45s celebrating Italy's golden age soundtracks and library productions, this release is essential for any serious Italian sound enthusiast's collection.
Review: Detroit label and weekly party Funk Night rolls out another unmissable 7" here in the form of The Oscillators, who bring a late night and woozy sound to lo-fi production aesthetics. 'The Scoop' is a slow motion and psychedelic tinged groove with squealing guitar leads taking you into melon twisting territory while the flutes keep things in the here and now and the dusty drums rumble on. It is truly intense. 'Spare Cheeks' then has a more upbeat funk feel led by nice horns and a more silky and seductive groove, particularly the lithe bass.
Review: ** REPRESS ALERT ** Two luscious soul/folk/psychedelic funk crossover jams from American singer-songwriter Shuggie Otis are reissued and remastered 45 years after their first release for Record Store Day 2019. Equal parts groovy, dreamy, organically introspective and futuristic, "Inspiration Information" is the document of a young man who owns his inspired vision completely. We are particularly loving "Aht Uh Mi Hed" on the flip where filtered keyboard sounds blend with effortlessly graceful strings during the middle dream sequence of the track.
Review: Originally released in 1972, these are the only known recordings from Tulsa soul band Outback. The A-side is an eclectic, psychedelic funk ballad with lyrics drawn from religious scripture and drawing powerful parallels to Black slavery in the U.S. They lend a deeply spiritual and socially conscious edge to the track which is potent in groove as it is message. The B-side, 'Reggie's Thang,' takes a different turn and is a raw, psychedelic instrumental showcasing the band's musical range and experimental edge. Together, these are a time machine back to powerful moments in soul and funk history, now rediscovered and sure to be appreciated all over again.
Review: This is a reissue of a rare 1978 single from Whirl (aka West Indies Records Limited) which blends George Clinton's famous Parliament funk with Caribbean flair. The Outfit was one of the Caribbean's funkiest bands and they always showcased the creative potential of "Spouge music", particularly with their explosive cover of Parliament's 'Dr. Funkenstein', which they renamed 'Dr. Spougenstien'. Despite its rarity, the track became a hit in Barbados and was often mistaken for an original song. The B-side features a punchy Cosmic disco version of the Peter Gunn theme.
Review: Expansion deals pretty much in good vibes only and that is what we have here with OZONE's '(Our Hearts) Will Always Shine'. It is a 7" that radiates with infectious energy and heartfelt emotion as it seamlessly blends elements of pop, electronic, and dance music. The uplifting melodies soar high, the pulsating beats power things along and the soulful vocals deliver a message of resilience and positivity. The song's anthemic chorus is destined to take listeners to a new level and ignite dance floor in equal measure and it sure does that. 'Mighty Mighty' on the flip is another feel good and upbeat funky disco workout.
Review: Should you be able to find original copies of the two dusty-fingered classics featured on this "45", your bank balance was be significantly smaller. Of course, just because something is rare and expensive doesn't make it good, but Jimmy Thomas's 1969 cut 'Springtime' is genuinely brilliant. Released when funk-rock was arguably at its height, it sees the legendary soul man belting out Alan de Roches' lyrics over a Hammond-heavy fusion of soul, funk and Hendrix-style heavy rock. This time round, it comes backed with a relatively hard to find - on vinyl, at least- chunk of reggae/soul/rhythm & blues from iconic Jamaican singer Owen Grey. It's superb, of course, but we still prefer the incendiary A-side.
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