Funk You

Song of the Day - Freak Power / Turn On, Tune On and Cop Out

So I'm trying like no other to clean up and re-tag all my mp3s. I found this one tucked way back in my hard drive. I have no information on this band at all except it is by some European band called Freak Power, and that the album came out in 2000. It has elements from several genres (soul, funk rock). In the end it's a song I dig. I hope you do. You can find it on the album with the same name as the song Turn On, Tune On and Cop Out. You can listen here.

Song of the Day - Charlie Rich / Party Girl

Charlie Rich was considered by some to be one of the great country singers of the 60's and 70's. His style however, crossed over into many other genres such as soul, pop, and rockabilly. I found this one on The Complete Smash Sessions album. I know this post is kinda off the mark for this blog but I just had to put it up as the lyrics are just spot on. It does have soulful elements to it though. It's about a "Party Girl" who as many party girls do, step on a guys heart. Lord knows I've met a few party girls in my day. They're like bubble gum, they're good for about a half hour of flavor and then they turn real bland. Anyway I hope you like this one like I do, if not I'll try to get you back with a good post next time. You can download it here.

Merry Christmas!!!

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas, assuming you celebrate it.  If not, I hope you enjoyed a nice Saturday.  Here's wishing you all the best of Holiday Seasons and the best of New Years!!!

Best,  DJ Funkalicious

Song of the Day - Deodato / Latin Flute

Who said Latin Music couldn't be funky? I found this one while I was playing Grand Theft Auto - Vice City and I have to say it's a good one. Deodato was most active in the early seventies when he worked with such greats as Astrud Gilberto, Wes Montgomery, Aretha Franklin, Bette Midler, Frank Sinatra, Earth, Wind & Fire, and others.

This particular song features some great guitar jams that are salsa hot. The keyboards provide the backdrop, the flute and drums provide the latin groove and the guitar is the kicker. It's the hook that just makes this song go from plain to quite spicy. Dig it. You can find it on Deodato 2 and listen to it here.

Triple Shot Tuesday

I'm back...well rested, but with 250 emails to go through at work.  Can't say how much that vacation was needed.  Anyway, since I've been gone I thought I throw a few at you at once.  No commentary, just the funky tracks.  The quality ain't the best and these aren't full versions but I think you'll enjoy.  Now I gotta go figure out where to get the full versions...crap!  These are just so filled with energy its sick.

1.  The Esquires Now - Get Ready
2.  Barbara Trent - Heartbreak Hotel
3.  Fabulous Souls - Take Me

Dang is all I gotta say.

Vacation Time

So this is the first solid year of work I've had in awhile. Thank God! I'm happy to have some stability in my life again. I'm also way long over due for a vacation. This being said I'll be off the radar till about the 20th. It will be nice to take a break from work and this blog. To be honest, both suck up quite a bit of my time. I plan to relax, surf, hike and read.

I will leave you with one last gem to hold you over. It features a mix of sampled drum loops and live musicians (greyboy allstars). This "acid jazz" style was really hot in san francisco back in '97.  You can find it(singles party) on "Freestylin' " I got a chance to see bands like Alphabet Soup at "The Elbo Room" and "Cafe DeNord". I listened constantly to the compilations from Ubiquity. They had a "cookin'" series that was filled with some really great stuff. The "best of" album is here. Oh, those were the days.  I hope you enjoy!  Take care all and see ya when I get back.

Song of the Day - Manu Dibango / From Congo

Some people don't like pure instrumental plays but I certainly do. This one is a standout. Although you don't hear Manu's sax playing in this one, you still get the funky afro-soul sound. Manu hit it big with the release of the classic 1972 "Soul Makossa" album. Makossa is a popular music danced to in clubs in Cameroon's cities. It typically features the instruments of most soul jazz songs; bass, horns, keyboard and drums.  You can find a really nice bio of Manu over at the World Music Network. 

In this particular song, the bassline is something you just can't ignore. It is absolutley the focus of this song. You also get some kick ass B3in' and guitar to boot. Mix that with some nice drumming and percussion, and you have yourself a stew of funky soul jazz goodness. Nice! check it and "Soul Makossa" over at amazon.

Song of the Day - Tell Me Something Good / Rufus featuring Chaka Khan

Rufus, formally "Ask Rufus" was a Chicago band who was responsible for countless 70's funk hits. They were also the catylist for Chaka Khan's successful career. This particular song was written specifically for Khan by Stevie Wonder, who thought her vocal style would be right for it. It's one you'll all most likely remember as the "Tell Me Something Good" chorus is hard to get out of your head, no matter how many years you've gone without hearing it. You can enjoy this piece of funk history here.You can find it on Rufus' greatest hits album over at amazon or at your local record shop.

Song of the Day - Unforgettables / Too Much Trouble

This one is off the Bay Area Funk album. It's another great one from Ubiquity Records. It's a mix of great tracks from the San Francisco Bay area during the years of '67-'76. Since I'm from the Bay Area, I have a special fondness for these groups. This one was originally published on the Loadstone label. Supposedly, the guys at Ubiquity had to go thru 30 boxes of records to find this song and the others on the compilation. The singer's voice is remarkably similar to James Brown. I love the keyboards on this one as well as the funky guitar riffs. The recording is kinda raw, as it almost sounds like they're playing in someones garage. But this is the part of what I like about it. It's not high production, but solid nonetheless. Enjoy your weekend. Here is the track.

Song of the Day - The Brothers Johnson / Ain't We Funkin' Now

These two brothers enjoyed quite a bit of "family" time together as they were active from the early 70's to about 1989. Thats quite a bit of funkiness. They earned platinum album status on "Look Out for Number 1" and "Right on Time" This one can be found on their greatest hits album which has 20 of their best hits. I like this one because as it captures the late 70's funk vibe. The lyrics are not genius but the song is just plain catchy for some reason.  Enjoy.