"Ladies’ Night" by Kool & The Gang

Kool & The Gang were one of the few big-name ‘70s R&B/funk bands to become even more popular and successful in the following decade. A number of great R&B/funk ‘70s acts saw their sales and popularity decline considerably once the ‘80s arrived. To prevent this from happening to them, Kool & The Gang reshaped their sound and image. First, they smoothed out the rough edges of their raw funk sound and replaced it with a polished funk-light/disco sound that would be more palatable in the early ‘80s R&B/pop market. Another important part of the band’s makeover was the recruitment of South Carolina-born vocalist James “J.T.” Taylor as their lead singer. It was a shrewd move to bring in a charismatic young frontman to give the band a focal point that would help bring in more young female fans. And he didn’t just have looks and stage presence, he could deliver the goods vocally as well. He was also an invaluable asset on the ballads, bringing a genuine warmth and soul to them.

Some viewed the band’s mainstream-focused overhaul of their sound and image as blatant selling out; others saw it as simply smart business. But whatever one's views are on it, the move was highly successful and made Kool & The Gang one of the biggest R&B bands of the '80s. During that decade, they landed a string of R&B and pop hits and sold tons of records.

“Ladies’ Night” hit the airwaves on September 6, 1979. It was the band’s first offering of their new radio-friendly sound. The dance smash struck the perfect balance: It was just funky enough to please the band’s longtime fans, but also polished and toned down enough to be embraced by a large audience of of pop/disco listeners. The title refers to promotional specials in which bars and clubs offer free admission and other discounts to female patrons. This practice is designed to bring more ladies into the establishment, which would in turn draw more paying male clientele. 

Robert “Kool” Bell’s captivating bass line powers this funky dance groove, which features an irresistible keyboard part, dynamic horns and a scorching beat. Taylor serves up a smooth and assured lead vocal performance, showing that the band made the right decision in selecting him as their frontman. The track also has a rousing chorus and a terrific bridge. Additionally, the soulful female background vocals help bring home the song's theme. 

“Ladies’ Night” was the lead-off single and title track from Kool & The Gang’s eleventh studio album, released in 1979 on De-Lite Records. It was written by George “Funky” Brown and Kool & The Gang. The song was produced by Brazilian pianist/composer/ producer and arranger Eumir Deodato, who also produced the entire album.

“Ladies’ Night” reached the summit of Billboard’s R&B singles chart, where it remained for two weeks, and it peaked at #8 on Billboard’s Hot 100 pop singles chart. It also made the top 10 in the UK (#9), Switzerland (#7), Finland (#5) and Norway (#10). And it charted in the top 20 in several other countries. It was eventually certified gold by the RIAA with 500,000 copies sold. 

The personnel for “Ladies’ Night” was Robert “Kool” Bell (bass, backing vocals), George “Funky” Brown (drums, backing vocals), Claydes Smith (guitar), Dennis “D.T.” Thomas (alto saxophone), Robert Mickens (trumpet), Ronald Bell/aka Khalis Bayyan (tenor saxophone, backing vocals), Clifford Adams (trombone),  James “J.T.” Taylor (lead and backing vocals), Chris Alberts (trumpet), Adam Ippolito  (keyboards) and Jon Faddis (trumpet). The female backing vocals were provided by the vocal group Something Sweet (Cynthia Huggins, Joan Motley, Beverly Owens, Renee Connel, Kelly Barreto).

“Ladies' Night” has been sampled on 37 songs, per WhoSampled.com. It has been featured on several film soundtracks, including Charlie Wilson’s War (2007), Undercover Brother (2002) and 200 Cigarettes (1999). It has also appeared in popular TV series such as The Vampire Diaries (season 6, episode 20, originally aired April 30, 2015) and Love Island (season 5, episode 4, originally aired July 21, 2023). English pop girl group Atomic Kitten recorded a cover of the song in 2003 and turned it into a girl-power anthem. It peaked at #8 on the UK singles chart and #3 in Spain.

Kool & The Gang performing "Ladies' Night" on Don Kirshner's Rock Concert

"Ladies' Night" available at Amazon

Related blog entry: Album Review of Kool & the Gang's Wild and Peaceful

Singer-Guitarist Paolo Fuschi Releasing Funky New Single “This Old World”

Italian singer-guitarist Paolo Fuschi is set to drop his funky new single “This Old World” on October 6. The song is about rediscovering real human connections in a world where people have become increasingly isolated from one another due to a pervasive self-obsessed mindset that's taken hold. “This Old World” stresses the importance of communication and urges people throughout the world to come together and look out for one another, as well as practice mutual kindness and respect. 

Fuschi delivers this positive message through a dynamic Deep Funk groove, which features an irresistible rhythm guitar part, a powerful beat and some wicked bass. The track also boasts a stellar chorus, dope horns and a marvelous guitar solo from Fuschi. He played the solo through a Mini Q-Tron, an envelope filter pedal; this gave it a very funky wah wah-flavored Sly & the Family Stone-type feel.

The full musician lineup for "This Old World" was Fuschi (guitars, bass and vocals), Laurie Agnew (drums and percussion), Bo Lee (bass inspiration), Jack Tinker (trumpet), Andrew Morel (saxophones) and Justin Shearn (keyboards). Shearn also mixed and produced the track, and it was mastered by Stevie Williams. The official name of the band is Paolo Fuschi & The Outsiders.

Fuschi is based in Manchester UK and is heavily involved in the Mancunian soul, funk and blues scene. He has been bringing his potent mix of electric blues, classic soul and vintage funk to appreciative music lovers since 2002. And the musician has been electrifying audiences worldwide with his exciting live performances. 

Fuschi’s music has been featured on national radio stations, including BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 6, as well as international networks such as the Italian Rai Radio. “This Old World” has already been featured on Craig Charles Soul & Funk Show on BBC Radio 6. On February 22, 2022, Fuschi released his most recent EP, "The Outsider," which is an excellent collection of soulful original blues tracks. He has collaborated with a number of great music acts in the Manchester area, including the supertight funk outfit Buffalo Brothers. Additionally, he has taught guitar for more than 18 years, both as a freelancer and for local authorities in Greater Manchester.

Fuschi will showcase “This Old World” at Marsden Jazz Festival in collaboration with Sunday Blues Train and Pat Fulgoni on October 7 at 9:00 p.m. Pre-save the single at your favorite digital platform here. To learn more about Fuschi and his music, visit his social media pages, Facebook and Instagram, or his website.

Official video for "This Old World"

"No More Okey Doke" by The Meters

Legendary New Orleans band the Meters dropped this irresistible slice of bayou funk in 1977. The percolating groove sounds like one big funky jamboree. Cyril Neville serves up some delicious NOLA soul on lead vocals, and George Porter Jr. keeps things extra funky with a sick bass line. The funk is further deepened by some nasty guitar licks, a blazing beat and sweet horn lines.

The song is about a man who’s finally reached his limit, and he’s no longer going to be played or used. His eyes are wide open now, and he’s putting an end to the nonsense once and for all. And from here on out, he’s strictly looking out for number one. The exhilarating funk of this track fits this new attitude. It sounds like a man with a new groove in his step, and he's moving on to bigger and better things.

“No More Okey Doke” is a track from the Meters’ eighth and final album New Directions (1977). The song was written collectively by all the band members. New Directions was produced by David Rubinson and Jefffrey Cohen and was released on Warner Brothers Records. It’s a strong collection of funk, soul and New Orleans R&B.

The full Meters lineup for New Directions was Leo Nocentelli (guitar, background vocals), Cyril Neville (congas, lead and backing vocals), Joseph "Ziggy" Modeliste (drums, lead and backing vocals), George Porter Jr. (bass, backing vocals) and Art Neville (organ, lead and backing vocals).  Tower of Power’s celebrated horn section played on the album.

No More Okey Doke at Amazon

Related blog entry: The Meters Drop Some NOLA Funk On "Just Kissed My Baby"

“Love Amnesia" by Parlet

Parlet was a P-Funk spinoff act formed in 1978 by George Clinton. He originally conceived the trio as a female counterpart to doo-wop vocal group the Parliaments (who eventually evolved into legendary funk outfit Parliament). The vocal trio’s original name was the Parlettes, but Clinton thought it sounded a bit too Motowny and trimmed the name down to Parlet. The group’s original members were veteran P-Funk background singers Debbie Wright, Jeanette Washington and Mallia Franklin (aka “Queen of Funk”). Parlet were known for being a bit more wild and overtly sexual than P-Funk’s other female vocal group, the Brides of Funkenstein.

Parlet released their debut album Pleasure Principle in 1978 on Casablanca Records. The album, produced by Clinton, is filled with great funk, dance and R&B tracks that effectively showcase the trio’s strong vocal abilities. One of the album highlights is the exceedingly funky “Love Amnesia.” Billy “Bass” Nelson serves up some extra-nasty bass, and Bernie Worrell enhances the groove with some sensational synth work. He’s also responsible for the song’s amazing horn arrangement. Additionally, the track boasts a really cool, imaginative bridge. And Parlet bring the fire on their gritty, funkified vocals. “Love Amnesia” was written by Clinton, Nelson and Ron Dunbar. It was sampled on Ice Cube’s 1991 song “Steady Mobbin’”.

Pleasure Principle rose to #55 on Billboard’s R&B album chart, and the title track peaked at #66 on Billboard’s R&B singles chart. Here’s the full musician lineup for the album: Billy “Bass” Nelson (bass and guitar), Garry Shider (guitar), Fred Wesley (trombone, horn arrangements), Bootsy Collins (drums), Glenn Goins (guitar), Frankie “Kash” Waddy (drums), Maceo Parker (saxophone), Richard “Kush” Griffith (trumpet), Mike Hampton (guitar), Gary “Mudbone” Cooper (drums), Rick Gardner (trumpet), Rick Gilmore (bass), Bernie Worrell (keyboards, string and horn arrangements), Jim Wright (drums), Rodney “Skeet” Curtis (bass), David J. Van De Pitte (string arrangement), and Ron Dunbar and soul/disco trio Brandye provided background vocals.

Following the release of Pleasure Principle, Debbie Wright had to leave the group due to health issues. She was replaced by Shirley Hayden who appears on Parlet's second album Invasion of the Booty Snatchers (1979). Mallia Franklin left the group in 1979 to help form R&B/funk outfit Sterling Silver Starship with her then-husband Donnie Sterling, who was a bassist for Parliament. She was replaced by Janice Evans halfway through the recording of Invasion of the Booty Snatchers. In 1980, Parlet released one final album, Play Me or Trade Me, before disbanding that same year. The trio's lineup for that album was Jeanette Washington, Shirley Hayden and Janice Evans.

"Love Amnesia" available at Amazon

"Dance Floor" by Zapp

Ohio groove masters Zapp thrilled funk lovers with the electrifying single “Dance Floor” in 1982. This explosive funk track blew up the airwaves and had folks setting dance floors on fire. It was refreshing to have a band like Zapp who was still dropping pure, hard-hittin’ funk in the early ‘80s, a time when a lot of popular funk and R&B acts were starting to water down their funk. The track features the band’s signature electro-funk sound, replete with nasty chicken-scratch guitar licks, a ferocious synth bass line, booming handclaps and a dynamic beat. And bandleader Roger Troutman further elevates the funk level with his imaginative talkbox work. The track also boasts some high-voltage synth vamps, a smoldering guitar solo and a fantastic bridge.

“Dance Floor” was a single from the band’s second album Zapp II, released on Warner Bros. Records in 1982. It was co-written and arranged by Roger Troutman and Larry Troutman. The song peaked at #62 on Billboard’s dance club chart and topped Billboard’s R&B singles chart. Zapp II also performed extremely well on the charts, peaking at #2 on Billboard’s R&B album chart and #25 on the Billboard 200. The album was certified gold by the RIAA, with 500,000 units sold. The collection was co-produced by Roger Troutman and Terry “Zapp” Troutman.

“Dance Floor” has been sampled on 103 songs, including “California Love” (2Pac, featuring Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman), “Wanted Dead Or Alive (2Pac and Snoop Dogg) and “Somethin’ For The O.G.’s (MC Hammer), per WhoSampled.com. The song has been featured on the soundtracks for the Mariah Carey-starring film Glitter (2001) and acclaimed HBO series The Wire (season 5, episode 7 in 2008).

The players on “Dance Floor” included Roger Troutman (talkbox, guitar, bass, keyboards, background vocals), Lester Troutman (drums) and Larry Troutman (percussion). The horn section consisted of Jerome Derrickson (saxophone), Eddie Barber (trumpet), Randy Wallace (saxophone) and Michael Warren. The background vocals were provided by Terry “Zapp” Troutman, Gregory Jackson, Bobby Glover, Jannetta Boyce Warren, Sherman Fleetwood, Ray Davis and Roger Troutman.  

Zapp performing "Dance Floor" live

"Dance Floor" available at Amazon

Related blog entry: Zapp's "More Bounce to the Ounce" Helped Set Off A Dynamic New Sound

“Boots In Place” from album Floki Sessions: Boots In Place

Acclaimed New Orleans singer/songwriter Erica Falls

This fantastic funk track is from the 2023 album Floki Sessions: Boots in Place. It features the exceptional talents of bassist George Porter Jr. (The Meters), guitarist Eddie Roberts (The New Mastersounds), drummer Nikki Glaspie (The Nth Power, Beyoncé) and keyboardist Robert Walter (The Greyboy Allstars). Floki Sessions: Boots in Place is the latest installment of a series that hosts recording sessions for musicians at Floki Studios, located deep in Fljót Valley on the mountainous Troll Peninsula in northern Iceland. The series was created to provide a platform for celebrated music artists to collaborate and inspire one another. 

“Boots in Place” also features the soulful vocal stylings of acclaimed New Orleans artist Erica Falls, former lead singer of NOLA funk band Galactic. The deep-funk groove boasts some sweet keyboards, phat bass, a cookin’ beat, dope rhythm guitar licks and a killer horn arrangement. The funky three-piece horn section on this track is composed of NEA Jazz Master Donald “Big Chief” Harrison on alto saxophone, trumpeter Eric “Benny” Bloom (Lettuce) and saxophonist Nate Miller (Nate Miller & The Funktion).

 Floki Sessions: Boots in Place is filled with top-quality grooves that showcase the considerable talents of all the musicians involved. Eddie Roberts produced the album, which was released on Color Red Records. Some of the other vocalists featured on the album include GreenTTea, Son Little and Lamar Williams Jr.

Floki Sessions: Boots in Place album available at Amazon

"Pink Noise" by Spacewalk

This exquisite dub reggae groove was created by Joey Porter and Garrett Sayers, who are members of acclaimed funk/soul/jazz band The Motet. The track is impeccably arranged and features sumptuous bass, a powerful beat and shimmering keyboards. The groove is further elevated by a sweltering guitar solo. 

“Pink Noise” is a track from Porter and Sayers’ music project Spacewalk, which was released on June 16, 2023. The seeds for the project were planted in 2021 when Porter wrote and recorded five dub reggae grooves. Porter showed them to Sayers, inspiring him to write five dub reggae grooves of his own. And the Spacewalk project was born. The result is a 10-song collection of amazing dub reggae cuts. Lovers of the style definitely need to give this great album a listen.

Spacewalk was recorded at Porter’s home studio in Colorado. He played guitar, keyboards, percussion, melodica and drum-machine programming. Sayers played bass and synthesizers with Jeff Franca on percussion. Porter also produced the album, which was released on Color Red Music.

Spacewalk available at Amazon