Dennis Coffey, acclaimed guitarist for Motown’s legendary house band the Funk Brothers, dropped this thrilling funk-rock instrumental in 1972. It was the follow-up to his gold-certified smash “Scorpio,” released the previous year. “Taurus” is a rousing, high-adrenaline groove that features some fantastic guitar work from Coffey. He gets strong support from fellow Funk Brothers Bob Babbitt and Andrew Smith. Babbitt serves up some wicked funk on bass, and Smith keeps the groove cookin’ with his ferocious drumming. And James Barnes tears it up on the congas. The track boasts a killer arrangement that’s impeccably performed by all of the talented players.
“Taurus,” written by Coffey, was a single from his third album, Goin’ For Myself, released on Sussex Records in 1972. It peaked at #18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #11 on Billboard’s R&B singles chart. The album, produced by Mike Theodore, had a respectable showing on Billboard’s R&B Album chart, reaching #37.
The United States Air Force Academy Band, the Falconaires, recorded a great cover of “Taurus” in 1972, and the Peruvian garage rock band Los Comandos also covered it that same year.
Here’s the full personnel for the Goin’ For Myself album: guitar (Dennis Coffey), bass (Bob Babbitt, Tony Newton), drums (Andrew Smith), percussion (James Barnes, Jack Ashford), keyboards (Eric Morgeson), horns, string (Alvin Score, Barbara Fickett, Beatrix Staples, Carl Raetz, David Ireland, Felix Resnick, Fred Boldt, Haim Shtrum, Jacl Boesen, LeRoy Fenstermacher, Mario DoFiore, Parker Groat, Richard Margitza, Bob Cowart, Virginia Halfman, Wally Gomulka), backing vocals (Emanuel Johnson, Joyce Vincent, Pam Vincent, Rothwell Wilson, Telma Hopkins, Tyrone Brown).
“Express” was the third single from Brooklyn groove outfit B.T. Express’s gold-certified debut album Do It (‘Til You’re Satisfied). Released in late 1974, the smokin’ instrumental was quickly embraced by funk lovers and clubgoers. The tight groove pulsates with energy, excitement, and funk. It features a magnificent horn arrangement, soaring strings, and a powerful bass line. And it showcases the flawless musicianship of the talented B.T. Express players. The track sonically takes the listener on a funky train ride, with the cool train whistle sounds enhancing the groove. And the smooth flute part is the finishing touch to this amazing track.
“Express” was written collectively by the B.T. Express members, and it was produced by Jeff Lane and Doc Productions. It topped both Billboard’s R&B singles chart and Billboard’s Dance Club Songs chart. It remained atop the Dance Club Songs chart for five consecutive weeks. The track peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. It reached #3 on the Canadian charts and rose to #34 in the UK and Germany. It sold a million copies in the U.S. and was certified Gold by the RIAA. And it sold 75,000 copies in Canada. Also, it earned the band a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Instrumental Performance at the 18th Annual Grammy Awards in 1975.
“Express” has been sampled on 17 songs and was featured on an episode of the critically acclaimed psychological crime thriller TV series Mindhunter (season 1, episode 10, 2017).
Here’s the full B.T. Express personnel on the Do It (Til You’re Satisfied) album: Richard Thompson (guitar, vocals), Carlos Ward (alto sax, flute, piccolo, woodwind), Terrell Wood (drums), Barbara Joyce Lomas (vocals), Dennis Rowe (percussion), Bill Risbrook (tenor saxophone, flute, vocals), Jamal Rasool (bass) and Kashif, born Michael Jones, (keyboads, vocals). Producer/songwriter/arranger/keyboardist Randy Muller was responsible for all of the album’s string arrangements.
B.T. Express performing "Express" on Don Kirshner's Rock Concert in 1975
Acclaimed R&B, soul, and funk singer-songwriter Carl Carlton died on Sunday, December 14, due to complications from a stroke he suffered six years ago. He was 73. His son, Carlton Hudgens II, confirmed the sad news on Facebook.
Carlton is best known for his funky post-disco anthem “She’s a Bad Mama Jama (She’s Built, She’s Stacked)” and his beloved 1974 cover of the soul classic “Everlasting Love.” “She’s a Bad Mama Jama” lit up the airwaves and filled countless dance floors back in the early 1980s and earned Carlton a Grammy nomination. His spirit-lifting rendition of “Everlasting Love” is a timeless standard that’s played everywhere, including oldies radio stations, weddings, graduations, and public events, and it has been widely featured in commercials, films, and television shows. Both songs showcase Carlton’s impressive vocal abilities. He was also a charismatic live performer who always brought warmth, fun, and excitement to his shows.
The artist was born Carlton Hudgens in Detroit, Michigan, on May 21, 1952. He began his music career at an early age, around 10 or 11, and went by the sobriquet “Little Carl” Carlton, a marketing tactic designed to capitalize on the vocal similarities between him and Stevie Wonder, who recorded under the name “Little Stevie Wonder” at the time. He later changed his stage name to Carl Carlton. In 1964, he released his first singles, “I Love True Love” and “I Think of How I Love Her” on Lando Records. He recorded some Detroit-area hits, including “So What” and “Don’t You Need a Boy Like Me,” on the label in 1965.
Carlton signed to pioneering black music mogul Don Robey’s Back Beat Records in 1968 and soon relocated to Houston, Texas, the label’s home. He released the single, “Competition Ain’t Nothin’,” on the label that same year. It was a minor hit on Billboard’s R&B singles chart, peaking at #36. But it was a massive hit in the UK Northern soul scene following its release on the UK’s soul label Action Records.
The year that Carlton graduated from high school, music trade publication Cash Box magazine named him one of the Best R&B Artists of 1970 in its December 26 issue. In 1971, he landed another minor hit on Billboard’s R&B singles chart with “I Can Feel It,” peaking at #47. Robey sold his Duke, Peacock, and Back Beat labels to ABC Records in 1973, transferring Carlton’s contract to the powerful New York-based label. Following that transaction, a compilation album of Carlton’s singles, You Can’t Stop a Man in Love, was released through ABC that year.
In 1974, Carlton scored his highest-charting hit with his incredible cover of Robert Knight’s “Everlasting Love.” It peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #11 on Billboard’s R&B Singles chart. And it rose to #11 on the Canada Adult Contemporary Chart. And it spent 15 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was the title track of Carl Carlton’s 1974 album Everlasting Love.
Carlton became embroiled in a bitter royalty dispute with ABC Records in 1976, which prevented him from recording for 18 months until his contract had expired. He signed with Mercury Records in 1977 and released the sumptuous soul ballad “You, You” on the label that same year. L.J. Reynolds of the Dramatics produced and co-wrote the song. Its B-side was the wicked funk groove “Something’s Wrong,” also written and produced by Reynolds. However, the single failed to crack the charts. Following that release, Carlton’s tenure with Mercury proved fruitless, leaving him in career limbo for several years.
Things began to look up for Carlton in the early ‘80s when Los Angeles singer, songwriter, and producer Leon Haywood helped him secure a singles deal with 20th Century Records. Haywood began writing songs that he felt would be a good fit for Carlton’s voice and would also align with the popular music styles and trends of that period. The first single was a cover of Haywood’s own track “The Feeling’s Rated X-tra,” released in 1980. It had a modest showing on Billboard’s R&B singles chart, peaking at #57.
Carlton landed a bona fide smash with the Haywood-penned and produced “She’s a Bad Mama Jama (She’s Built, She’s Stacked),” released in August 1981. It peaked at #2 on Billboard’s R&B singles chart and #22 on the Billboard Hot 100. And it rose to #34 on the UK charts and peaked at #27 on the charts in New Zealand. The song was certified Gold by the RIAA with over a million copies sold. The track spent 21 weeks on the American charts and earned Carlton a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male at the 24th Annual Grammy Awards. It has been sampled on 49 songs and featured on numerous film soundtracks and compilation albums. And it has more than 100 streams on Spotify. The song was included on Carlton’s 1981 self-titled album. The collection was certified Gold with more than 500,000 units sold. It was his first and only gold-certified album.
Carlton continued to enjoy a successful recording career in the subsequent years, landing more minor hits on the R&B charts up to the mid-1980s. After 1985, he went into an extended hiatus from the music scene. He returned in 1994 with the release of the album Main Event, a collaboration with singer Janet Jefferson. Unfortunately, the album failed to gain any traction on the charts and quickly disappeared.
In 2003, Carlton appeared on the “Rhythm, Soul and Love” edition of the PBS series American Soundtrack. Some of the other music luminaries who appeared on the special included Aretha Franklin, Lou Rawls, Dennis Edwards, Mary Wilson, Gloria Gaynor, Billy Paul, Edwin Starr, Freda Payne, and the Spinners. Carlton’s performance of “Everlasting Love” was included on the accompanying live album, released in 2004.
Carlton began venturing into gospel music in the 2010s. He released the gospel song “God is Good” on August 1, 2010. He followed that with the gospel-themed tracks “Saturday” and “One More Minute,” both released independently. In 2011, he was nominated for a Detroit Music Award in the “Outstanding Gospel/Christian Vocalist” category at the Fillmore Detroit theater.
While Carlton was no longer a force on the charts, he could still effortlessly command a stage. He was an exciting showman, captivating audiences with his great talent and powerful stage presence. The artist continued to tour throughout the 2000s and into the 2010s. He toured alongside other esteemed R&B veterans at festivals, music revues, and nostalgia circuits. Carlton toured regularly until he suffered a debilitating stroke in 2019 that affected his speech and mobility, sidelining him from performing live.
In 2009, Hip-O Select, a specialty reissue label under Universal Music Group, released the comprehensive compilation Everlasting: The Best of Carl Carlton. It features 22 tracks that span the entirety of the artist’s illustrious music career.
Carlton is continually praised for his considerable gifts as a singer and performer. He was inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in 2017. His music continues to touch music lovers of all ages, races, and nationalities, bringing joy to millions.
“She’s a Bad Mama Jama (She’s Built, She’s Stacked)”
Celebrated Oakland band Tower of Power stepped into the ‘90s still funkin’ hard as hell, dropping cold jams like “Funk The Dumb Stuff.” The funk level on this electrifying track is off the charts. Rocco Prestia drives the groove with an absolutely filthy bass line that’s bolstered by Russ McKinnon’s dynamic drumming. The track boasts a superb horn arrangement, masterfully performed by TOP’s supertight horn section, with Steve Grove delivering a killer sax solo. Emilio Castillo ably handles lead vocals, and Carmen Grillo further maximizes the funk with a nasty guitar lick.
The song is about someone who talks a big game and puts on a fake front to convince everyone that they have it all together, but in reality, it’s the opposite. Underneath the cocky façade and false bravado lies an insecure individual with a chip on their shoulder. The song’s narrator doesn’t have the time or the patience to entertain this type of foolishness; hence, the title “Funk The Dumb Stuff.”
The track was written by Emilio Castillo, Rocco Prestia, and Stephen “Doc” Kupka. It’s included on TOP’s 1991 album Monster on a Leash, released on Epic Records. Castillo produced the collection, which peaked at # 19 on Billboard's Contemporary Jazz Albums chart.
Here’s the full personnel for Monster on a Leash: Tom Bowes (lead vocals), Steve Grove (alto and tenor saxophone), Emilio Castillo (tenor saxophone, backing vocals, lead vocal on track 6), Francis Rocco Prestia Jr. (bass), Lee Thornburg (trumpet, flugelhorn, trombone, backing vocals), Carmen Grillo (guitar, backing vocals), Nick Milo (keyboards), Greg Adams (trumpet, flugelhorn, backing vocals), Russ McKinnon (drums, percussion), and Stephen “Doc” Kupka (bariton saxophone).
Tower of Power performing "Funk The Dumb Stuff" at a 1992 concert in Japan
