Graham Central Station Delivers Funky Sermon On “Water”

Graham Central Station brought massive doses of funk to this wicked track back in 1975. Larry Graham anchors the groove with a ferocious thump-and-pluck bass line. The super-funky cut also boasts tight brass jabs, soulful gospel organ, a monster backbeat, and powerful vocals.

Larry became a devout Jehovah’s Witness the year this track was recorded, and his strong religious beliefs were reflected in the song’s lyrics. It's about repentance and the cleansing of one’s sins in preparation for Judgment Day: “Let him find you spotless in each and every way, hey/ Time is gettin’ nearer to Armageddon day.” And the song’s secondary theme is about how people often don’t appreciate what they have until they’ve lost it: “You don’t miss your water until your well runs dry.”

Some listeners were a bit turned off by Larry's heavy sermonizing in some of his songs after his conversion to the Jehovah’s Witness faith, but no one could deny the music legend’s tremendous talent and the sheer power of his bass-driven funk.

Larry wrote and produced "Water," which is from Graham Central Station’s third studio album Ain't No 'Bout-A-Doubt It (1975). This collection was one of the band’s most successful LPs. It contained their bumpin’ funk classic “The Jam” and the #1 R&B smash “Your Love,” among several other stellar cuts. The album peaked at #4 on Billboard’s R&B album chart and climbed to #22 on the Billboard 200 pop album chart.

The lineup for Graham Central Station at the time they released Ain't No 'Bout-A-Doubt was the following: Larry Graham (bass, synthesizer, drums, organ, clavinet, timpani, lead and backing vocals); Patryce “Choc'let” Banks (lead and backing vocals, drum machine [electric funk box]); Robert “Butch” Sam (organ, piano, vocals); David “Dynamite” Vega (guitar, vocals); Manuel “The Deacon” Kellough (drums); and Hershall “Happiness” Kennedy (clavinet, synthesizer, trumpet, vocals). Tower of Power’s legendary horn section also played on the album.



"Water" at Amazon

Related blog entries:

Larry Graham's Ten Funkiest Bass Lines

"Free" by Graham Central Station, Featuring Prince and Chaka Khan

"Set It Out" By The Detroit Emeralds

“Set It Out” is a forgotten gem by R&B/soul group the Detroit Emeralds. This irresistible track  transports you back to the 1970s, a truly glorious period for R&B and soul music. During this era, there was an abundance of great R&B vocal groups, including the Dramatics, the Whispers, the Temptations, the Four Tops and the Stylistics to name a few. The Detroit Emeralds weren’t as popular as the aforementioned groups, but they were a very talented outfit who released some splendid tracks during their time.

 “Set It Out,” (released in 1977) is an infectious slice of smooth soul, boasting catchy horn parts, kickin’ congas, tight bass work, rockin’ piano and sweet vocals. The song was co-written by Abrim Tilmon, Belda Baine and Louis Crane. It’s from the group’s 1977 album Feel The Need.

The Detroit Emeralds (originally known as the Emeralds) were formed in the early 1960s in Little Rock, Arkansas by the four Tilmon brothers: Ivory, Abrim, Cleophus and Raymond. Cleophus and Raymond later left the group and were replaced by vocalist James Mitchell. Abrim, Ivory and Mitchell moved to Detroit and changed the group's name to the Detroit Emeralds. The vocal trio quickly scored a modest hit in 1968 with the song “Show Time,” which was released on Ric-Tic Records. The song peaked at #22 on the R&B singles charts and climbed to #89 on the pop charts.

 In 1970, the group signed to Detroit-based label Westbound Records. The move to Westbound proved very beneficial for the trio. From 1971 through '73, the group had a string of R&B hits (with four top tens) under the label, including “You’re Gettin’ a Little Too Smart,” “Baby Let Me Take You (In My Arms),” “Do Me Right” "You Want It, You Got It” and "Wear This Ring (With Love).” Abrim, who also played guitar, wrote all of the hits during this period, and Chapter 8 was the group’s backing band.

Despite this successful run, the group began to fall apart in '74. Things were such a mess that at one point there were two versions of the group touring. Ivory and Mitchell finally exited the group, making way for new members Johnny Allen, Paul Riser and Maurice King. Abrim was the only remaining original member of the group. And Mitchell went on to co-found the vocal group the Floaters in 1976. The Floaters scored a major hit with the single “Float On” in '77.

The Detroit Emeralds are most remembered for their transatlantic hit “Feel The Need In Me” (released in 1972), which was penned by Abrim. The song performed particularly well across the pond, reaching #4 on the UK Singles Chart. It peaked at #22 on the U.S. R&B charts and #110 on the Billboard Hot 100. The group rerecorded the song in 1977 under the title “Feel The Need.” This version also performed well overseas, peaking at #12 on the UK Singles Chart. The song was covered by Graham Central Station in 1974, and Bryan Ferry recorded a cover of the song in ’78, which wasn’t released until ’85. And American singer Forrest covered the song in ’83.

Contemporary artists have kept the group’s music alive through samples. For instance, their song “You’re Gettin’ a Little Too Smart” has been sampled by well-known artists such as Nas, Monica, Common, Raekwon and Limp Bizkit. Other tracks by the group have also been sampled by popular music artists.



"Set It Out" at Amazon

A Cappella Dynamo Inhyeok Yeo Takes On Stevie Wonder’s Classic “I Wish”

Korean-born vocalist Inhyeok Yeo is a veritable one-man band. He can emulate almost any instrument with just his voice.  The gifted young musician has been blowing people away with his impressive a cappella renderings of well-known classics on his Youtube channel. One of them is an amazing multitrack cover of Stevie Wonder’s smash hit “I Wish.” Yeo sets the groove in motion by vocalizing the track’s famous walking bass line. He drops the bottom right in the pocket as if were actually playing a real bass.  Following the bass intro, he skillfully takes on each instrument with his voice, dazzling the listener with his vocal virtuosity, style and flair. And his delivery is flawless on both the lead vocals and background harmonies. It’s a superb and thoroughly unique rendition of the song and makes you  really appreciate what a great piece of music it really is.  And I also dig his little ad-libs: “Knee bone connected to the thighbone.”

Yeo was born in Seoul, South Korea in 1987 and grew up in Japan.  He started singing when he was in junior high school and joined the renowned a cappella Circle of Kyoto "CrazyClef" while in college in Japan. Following graduation, Yeo joined the military for two years, which is a requirement in Korea for all young males. After completing his military service, he began studying composition, jazz piano, country guitar as well as developing his voice and performance skills. He soon began making demo tapes. That’s when he began a cappella overdubbing.

In 2013, Yeo was hired by an IT company in Japan.  On the weekends, he focuses on his music. Some of Yeo’s other a capella covers include Michael Jackson’s “Bad,” George Benson’s “This Masquerade," Seal’s “Kiss from a Rose”  and “Fallin’” by Alicia Keys. Like many smart, enterprising young musicians these days, Yeo recognized the power of the Internet and its potential to help him reach a big audience; he effectively utilized Youtube and social media sites like Facebook and Twitter in launching his music career. Yeo’s Youtube videos caught on like gangbusters, with each receiving thousands of views.

In late August, Yeo released his debut album ONE MAN ACAPELLA. The 13-track collection contains a cappella covers of classic R&B and pop songs, including “I Wish.” Yeo has been busy doing radio interviews and other speaking engagements in support of the album.



Yeo's cover of "I Wish" at Amazon

Prince And 3RDEYEGIRL Rocked The House On Arsenio

Rocking a wicked ‘fro, bell-bottoms, and a huge gold chain, Prince and his new band, 3RDEYEGIRL, set the stage on fire with a mesmerizing performance of his rock/soul classic “She’s Always In My Hair” on The Arsenio Hall Show earlier this year. His Royal Badness more than lived up to his sobriquet. And his three-member all-female band showed that they weren’t some gimmick or window dressing.  These ladies can jam! They effortlessly held the groove down, and axe-maiden Donna Grantis and Prince both delivered electrifying guitar solos during the performance. I’m not 100 percent positive, but Prince may very well be the first major male artist to have an all-female backing band.  The members of 3RDEYEGIRL are Donna Grantis (guitar), Hannah Ford (drums) and Ida Nielsen (bass). Prince and the trio also premiered his new track, "FUNKNROLL," during his visit on Arsenio, and he performed "Mutiny" with the New Power Generation.

Being the convention-flouting iconoclast that he is, Prince never had any qualms about recruiting talented female musicians for his bands, and I’m not talking backup singers—but prominent players front and center. This practice goes all the way back to his first backing band, the Revolution (1979-1986). By ’83, the Revolution had two female members: guitarist/vocalist Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman (keyboards, vocals).  Both had pivotal roles in the band and occasionally made songwriting contributions. Prince took it to the next level when he assembled powerhouse trio 3RDEYEGIRL as his new backing band last year.

“She’s Always In My Hair” was the B-side of Prince’s top-ten single “Raspberry Beret,” released in 1985. The song is about his protégé singer/songwriter Jill Jones, with whom he was romantically involved in the early ‘80s.  She also sang backup on several tracks on his groundbreaking double LP, 1999. "She's Always In My Hair" was also included on his comprehensive greatest hits compilation The Hits/The B-Sides (1993). And critically acclaimed R&B star D’Angelo recorded a superb cover of the song in 2008.

Prince has been keeping very busy of late. He has been gigging across the globe with 3RDEYEGIRL and has two new albums coming out later this month. His album with 3RDEYEGIRL, PLECTRUMELECTRUM, is set to drop on September 30, and his solo album, Art Official Age, will be released on the same day. There will be a slew of special events, live concerts and other activities going on in celebration of these two new releases. Also, these two albums will mark Prince's first releases under his new partnership with Warner Bros. Prince departed from the label acrimoniously in 1996. In April of this year, he and Warner Bros. patched things up with a sweet new deal.

Under his new partnership with Warner Bros., he regained ownership of the master recordings made during his previous contract with the label, including classic albums such as 1999, Dirty Mind and Sign ‘O’ the Times. Also, Warner Bros. will release previously unheard material by Prince, as well as a digitally remastered deluxe 30th anniversary edition of his landmark album Purple Rain. So there are a lot of cool things going on in the Purple One’s world right now.

 

  She's Always In My Hair at Amazon

Related blog entry: Prince Has Big Launch Party Planned For His Two New Albums

"Glide" By Pleasure

In 1979, soul/funk band Pleasure scored a top ten hit with the bass-heavy, hard-hittin’ funk track “Glide.” The track features some excellent slap-and-pop bass work from Nathaniel Phillips and is a favorite among funk bassists, many of whom cut their teeth on this song. It also has a cool unison vocal arrangement as well as some funky chicken-scratch guitar licks and great synth vamps. The song is about maintaining a positive attitude during tough times and moving forward with your head up (just “glide on by”).

“Glide" was a single from Pleasure’s fifth studio album Future Now (1979). It peaked at #10 on Billboard's R&B singles chart and rose to #55 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was the band's highest charting single and what they’re most remembered for. However, they have recorded a lot of other great music that unfortunately doesn’t get a lot of play these days. Their full oeuvre is definitely worth checking out. Pleasure’s sound encompassed jazz, soul, funk, rock, and R&B, and they handled all these styles with flavor, passion, and finesse.

The lineup for Pleasure at the time they dropped “Glide” was the following: Nathaniel Phillips (bass, vocals); Bruce Carter (drums); Donald Hepburn (keyboards, vocals); Marlon “The Magician” McClain (guitar, backing vocals); Bruce Smith (percussion, backing vocals); Dennis Springer (tenor saxophone); Sherman Davis (lead and backing vocals); Michael Hepburn (keyboards, vocals); and Tony Collins (trumpet, flugelhorn). Glide was penned by Phillips and Smith.

Pleasure was formed in Portland, Oregon, in 1972 as a result of a merger between two local bands, Franchise (which included McClain, Phillips, and Carter) and the Soul Masters (which included D. Hepburn, Smith, Springer, and Davis). In 1974, the band got their big break when trombonist Wayne Henderson—co-founder of the acclaimed jazz/funk/fusion band the Jazz Crusaders—caught one of their shows at a club in Portland. Henderson was impressed with the young band’s chops; this led to Pleasure signing a record deal with Fantasy Records. Henderson, who died earlier this year, served as both producer and mentor for the band and produced four of their seven albums. In addition to their own albums, Pleasure did session work with noted artists such as Willie Bobo, Ronnie Laws, Gabor Szabo, and Side Effect.

The band broke up in 1982 following the release of their final album, Give It Up, released on RCA Records.



"Glide" at Amazon

Related blog entry: "Space Is The Place"

"Funk to the Folks" By The Soul Searchers

Chuck Brown and his crew get waist-deep in some raw, uncut funk on this dope track. The groove is just so irresistibly funky—super-tight horns, tasty wah-wah guitar licks, powerful drumming, and heavy bass; it's unadulterated, no-frills funk. The track also boasts a sweet trombone solo from John Buchanan.

The track was penned by Buchanan for the Soul Searchers’ second album, Salt of the Earth (1974). The album is a high-quality selection of R&B and funk tracks, featuring the minor hit “Blow Your Whistle.”And the drum break on the instrumental “Ashley’s Roachclip” has been sampled by numerous artists from various genres. Additionally, Salt of the Earth has been cited as one of the most sampled albums in hip-hop history.

The Soul Searchers were formed in Washington, D.C. in 1966. The band eventually became an integral part of D.C.’s underground music scene by dropping top-shelf, hard-hittin’ funk and soul tracks. And they were a fantastic live act. The band never failed to get everyone in a fun, booty-shakin’ party mood at their concerts.

Late bandleader/guitarist/songwriter and singer Chuck Brown was the innovator of go-go music, a percussion-heavy funk subgenre that fuses R&B, funk, and hip-hop. Spoken-word vocals are also a prominent feature of go-go. The style originated in Washington, D.C. in the mid-‘70s and quickly blew up locally. During that time, go-go was blasted at house parties and clubs across D.C. And Brown was such a pivotal figure of the genre that he became known as “The Godfather of Go-Go.”

Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers are probably most recognized for their 1978 smash “Bustin’ Loose.” The mammoth, chart-topping mega-jam put go-go on the map nationally and is widely considered the definitive go-go anthem. However, the national go-go craze was short-lived, but it remains very popular in the D.C. area.

The lineup for the Soul Searchers at the time they released “Funk to the Folks” was Chuck Brown (guitar, lead vocals); John Buchanan (trombone, piano, synthesizer, percussion, vocals); John Euell (bass); Kenneth Scoggins (drums, percussion); Lloyd Pinchback (flute, saxophone, percussion); Bennie Braxton (organ, vocals); Lino Druitt (congas, bongos, percussion); and Donald Tillery (trumpet, percussion, vocals).

Brown died on May 16, 2012, at age 75, leaving behind a rich musical legacy. The legendary musician is considered an institution in D.C. A big tribute/celebration was held in Brown’s honor at Northeast Washington Park, in Washington, D.C., on Friday, 8/22/14, which would have been the go-go pioneer’s 78th birthday. The ceremony included an unveiling of a memorial statue in Brown’s likeness, as well as a dedication from D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray, who marked that day Chuck Brown Day. The tribute also included a mosaic wall that depicts Brown at various stages of his life and career. And Mayor Vincent declared that part of the park will now be known as Chuck Brown Memorial Park. The event also included a concert from Brown’s band. It was a well-deserved tribute to a great talent whose art enriched D.C. in so many ways.

And on August 19, a posthumous Chuck Brown album, titled Beautiful Life, was released. The album contains nine previously unreleased tracks that Brown and his band recorded. The collection also features guest appearances from Faith Evans, Doug E. Fresh, Wale, Raheem DeVaughn, and others.


Beautiful Life album at Amazon

Related blog entry: Donna Summer and Chuck Brown Left a Legacy of Great Music

Review of Eddie Hazel's Album Game, Dames and Guitar Thangs

Eddie Hazel displayed his dazzling guitar skills on his debut album Game, Dames and Guitar Thangs, released in 1977. This groovalistic collection of rock, funk and psychedelic soul provided a great showcase for the legendary fretboard wizard to cut loose with some superb guitar work.

The album has a strong P-Funk presence, with guest appearances from Bootsy Collins, Garry “Starchild” Shider, Jerome Brailey, Bernie Worrell, Michael “Kidd Funkadelic” Hampton, and the Brides of Funkenstein (Lynn Mabry and Dawn Silva). A few other members of the Funk Mob also played on the album. Hazel and George Clinton co-produced the LP.

This seven-track collection contains some quality tracks and is a great listen. “So Goes the Story” is a cool little rock/funk cut that features some brilliant axe work from Hazel, and Bootsy lays down some deep liquid funk on his Space Bass. The track was written by Hazel, George Clinton and Bootsy.

Another album highlight is a sublime cover of the Mamas and the Papas' “California Dreamin'." Hazel completely overhauls the ‘60s classic, and the results are pretty amazing. His raw, soulful lead vocals add a wistfulness and poignancy to the song. Hazel was pretty underrated as a vocalist. People always talk about his great guitar skills, but dude could blow as well. And the Brides of Funkenstein’s gospel-tinged background vocals are simultaneously powerful and beautiful. The track also boasts some splendid bass work from Billy “Bass” Nelson. And Hazel's playing is top-notch as always.

“What About It?” (penned by Hazel and Clinton) is another terrific cut.  Hazel shares lead guitar duties with Michael Hampton on this spacey, irresistible funk groove.  It’s an exciting and indelible sonic experience to hear these two badass guitar slingers engage in an epic riffathon. And Tiki Fulwood's great drumming keeps the groove tight and funky.

The album also contains a phenomenal cover of the Beatles’ moody rocker “I Want You (She’s So Heavy).” Hazel serves up some scorching, mind-blowing solos on this cut, and the vocals (provided by the Brides of Funkenstein) are hauntingly soulful. The Brides are also featured on the mellow, outré track “Frantic Moment.” Their vocals go down nice and easy like a glass of some smooth cognac.

Game, Dames and Guitar Thangs was Hazel’s only full album that was released during his lifetime. Several of his previously unreleased recordings were put out posthumously following his death in 1992. Game went out of print shortly after its release. The LP remained out of print for many years. As a result, the album became a huge collector’s item. It was considered a badge of honor among hardcore P-Funk and Hazel fans to be the owner of this very rare album. It gave the owner significant bragging rights among his or her fellow funkateers and Hazel devotees.

Rhino Records reissued the album in 2004 as a numbered, limited-edition compact disc. The reissue had four bonus tracks, which were originally from Hazel’s 1994 EP Jams From The Heart. After all the copies of the limited release had run out, Collector’s Choice Music released the collection sans the extra bonus songs. And it was reissued again in Gatefold form by RealGoneMusic in 2012. This release doesn’t have the extra bonus tracks, just the original seven-track listing.

Hazel joined P-Funk in 1967 (known as the Parliaments at the time) when he was only 17. His prodigious playing abilities and inventive funk-metal style greatly shaped Funkadelic’s early groundbreaking sound. The six-string wunderkind was prominent on Funkadelic’s first three landmark albums: Funkadelic (1970), Free Your Mind… and Your Ass Will Follow (1970) and Maggot Brain (1971). Hazel’s elegiac, soul-wrenching solo on the title track (“Maggot Brain”) is what he’s most remembered for.

Following those three albums, Hazel’s role in the Funk Mob started to diminish due to his growing drug problems and alcoholism, as well as ongoing financial disputes with George Clinton. He only made minimal contributions to the albums America Eats Its Young (1972) and Cosmic Slop (1973), but came back strong for Standing on the Verge Of Getting It On, released in 1974. Hazel made major contributions to this sterling collection of rock, funk, soul, blues, and psychedelia. He co-wrote all  seven of the album’s tracks and delivered some blistering solos on the rock/funk cuts “Red Hot Mama” and “Alice in My Fantasies.” This album illustrated what a talented songwriter Hazel was.

Following the release of Standing on the Verge Of Getting It On, Hazel continued his downward spiral of drug addiction and alcoholism.  His troubles came to a head later in 1974 when he was indicted for assaulting an airline stewardess and an air marshal, along with charges of drug possession. The P-Funk guitarist spent some time in prison as a result of this incident.

Following his stint in prison, Hazel’s involvement with P-Funk projects was sporadic. His ongoing battle with drugs and alcohol seriously undercut his music productivity. However, he did manage to squeeze in some worthwhile projects. In addition to his work with P-Funk, Hazel contributed his talents to some tracks by the Temptations. He co-wrote the Temps’ massively funky cut “Shakey Ground,” which was a single from their 1975 album A Song For You. Hazel also played lead guitar on the track, and P-Funk’s Billy “Bass” Nelson held down the bottom.  The song has the distinction of being the Temps’ last single to reach #1 on the R&B charts.

Hazel continued to gig and work on various music projects--including P-Funk recordings and concerts--throughout the years. But his health began to deteriorate due to his many years of heavy drug abuse and drinking. He died at the age of 42 on December 23, 1992, from chronic bleeding and liver failure. 

Hazel definitely made his mark while he was with us. He’s widely regarded as one of the most innovative and talented guitarists the music world has ever seen. And he ranked  #43 on Rolling Stone Magazine's "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time." Hazel also holds down the spot of funk's greatest guitar hero and most likely always will.

Game, Dames And Guitar Thangs at Amazon