I officially declare Fridays Funky Friday here at Black Gold. I can do that because it's my blog and it's all at my discretion!
Here's one from Leon Haywood, a man with an extremely prolific yet sometimes understated career. This one is in honor of the ridiculously hot day we had in New York City today, which is a sure sign that summer is here. What's indicative of summer? BBQ's. What must you do to prepare for hosting BBQ get togethers? Clean up your yard. Listen to Leon, he knows.
Shout outs to Larry G. @ Funky16corners for mowing his lawn today. If you haven't been to f16c yet then you're missing out. www.funky16corners.com
There are two sides to the man we know as James Brown: there's his bad as hell funky side and his sweet n' soulful side. With this single piece of plastic we symbolically get the duality of JB. One side is a hard hitting tight-groove funk instrumental, "The Drunk," and the other side is probably one of my all time favorite JB songs and one of the most soulful songs I've heard to date, "A Man Has Got to Go Back to the Crossroads." For me the song is near perfect: the arpeggiated guitar, the subtle and sweet strings, the dynamic shift between the quiet verses and heavy as hell choruses with horns blaring and above all JB's untouchable vocal performance. You should probably question your humanity if this song doesn't affect you even a teeny-tiny bit. I think the philosophy embodied in this ballad applies to the state of mankind collectively now more than ever. Sometimes we need to go back and rethink where we've been to figure out where we are going. I got this record from a chill dude in Richmond named Lenny aka Chew La Rock, he's hooked me up a couple times so he deserves a shout out.
It's a beautiful night and the feeling of the impending summer affects the air. I'm tired so I don't really have much to say. This might be an "obvious" song but nonetheless a soulful one. There are a few reasons why I love this record: 1) both sides A & B are equally killer, 2) this song was recorded by Chips Moman which means it was recorded at American Sound Studio (responsible for some of my all time favorite songs, 3) The organ on the track (duh), 4) Bobby KILLS it on this one from his debut solo LP. Check it out, I don't think you'll be disappointed.
p.s. Sorry for the quality. The record was a quarter, what the hell else can you buy for a quarter.
Been sittin' on this one for minute. I picked this up just based on the fact it's arranged and produced by Allen Toussaint and the song shares its name with one of my favorite books, I had no idea who Dan Patrick was when I purchased the record for $3.00. The reason for not putting this song up sooner is because I was trying to find some, any, information on who Dan Patrick was or is. I turned up absolutely nothing. No copies of the record have turned up on eBay since I purchased this one, no blogs (as far as I know) have ever featured this track, and there is absolutely no information about the record other than it was released in 1967. I wish I knew more because this song rips so unbelievably hard. Kind of odd for a Toussaint production, no? If any of my readers (do I have readers?) have some leads please post 'em up.
In honor of Memorial Day I dedicate today's post to all veterans and active members of the military. Both of my grandfathers served in WWII, my great grandfather in WWI, my cousin in Iraq, and my best bud during peacetime. All share one thing in common along with everyone else that has ever served this country: sacrifice. Those who gave their lives: ultimate sacrifice. I don't glorify or condone war or violence but I do however understand it as somewhat of a "necessary evil" and I respect those people who were/are willing to give what they've got to defend Truth. Even if their government isn't always a practitioner of Truth the concept of it and everything it represents never changes.
The track today is a cover of The Valadiers - "Greetings (This Is Uncle Sam)" done superbly by The Monitors. I happen to think this song is pure genius. An amazing take on the love ballad. The "Hut. Two, three, four" vocal harmonies are ridiculously creative as well as the drill sergent chewing someone out. Even though it seems like just a pop song it expresses sacrifice, something that anyone that has served the country experienced. I apologize in advance for the pops in the beginning, they go away after a bit.
Also I leave you with one of my favorite war/war memorial poems:
"Facing It" by Yusef Komunyakaa
My black face fades, hiding inside the black granite. I said I wouldn't, dammit: No tears. I'm stone. I'm flesh. My clouded reflection eyes me like a bird of prey, the profile of night slanted against morning. I turn this way--the stone lets me go. I turn that way--I'm inside the Vietnam Veterans Memorial again, depending on the light to make a difference. I go down the 58,022 names, half-expecting to find my own in letters like smoke. I touch the name Andrew Johnson; I see the booby trap's white flash. Names shimmer on a woman's blouse but when she walks away the names stay on the wall. Brushstrokes flash, a red bird's wings cutting across my stare. The sky. A plane in the sky. A white vet's image floats closer to me, then his pale eyes look through mine. I'm a window. He's lost his right arm inside the stone. In the black mirror a woman's trying to erase names: No, she's brushing a boy's hair.
In approximately three weeks I will be embarking on a trip to the big bad and mighty city of New Orleans. Last year I made a sort of pilgrimage to Memphis and it turned out to be a highly influential and inspirational trip, ultimately changing the way I contextualize my country's history in the present. I learned to stop looking at history, and monumental historical events, as an abstract thing far removed from the present world I live in and started to understand the history (I'm defining history as all encompassing here and not just limited to important moments in time that shaped our nation) as a constant thing that is simultaneously in the past as well as existing in the present. Does that make sense? Probably not but It does to me. Enough with the philosophical digression--I'm going to fucking New Orleans and I'm stoked. I plan to dig for records, eat everything in sight (excluding mutant BP-seafood) and absorb every little bit of the culture, both "touristy" and "authentic," as I possibly can. I hope the trip is as monumental as my Memphis trip.
In honor of my upcoming trip I bring you a delicious little treat by one of NoLA's most profound characters: Eddie Bo aka Edwin Bocage. I absolutely love this tune for it's sweet composition and Inell's desperate vocal performance. She absolutely kills it on this one. And tell me you're not losing it when the organ subtly comes in at around 1:28 and just kind of dances around for the remainder of the song. Stellar track. In an interview with Eddie Bo from Issue 08 of Wax Poetics he is quoted as saying, "But this girl was dangerous, Inell Young. I didn't find out what she was doing until late, late in the game. I didn't know. She drugged herself out. I had no idea. She passed on before James." One gets the idea that her talent was certainly never fully realized but we can catch a glimpse at her soul and where it may have lead her with this track.
I'm now in the process of retroactively going through records I've bought within the past couple months and giving them really good listens. I found this one in my boxes today when I was filing away other, newer, purchases and I couldn't believe it slipped past me.
I really can't find much info on Jerry Jackson other than he has a fairly stout selection of Northern Soul sides, some of which go for some serious loot (I got this for a dollar but I'm not really sure what it goes for since no copies have popped up on CF, eBay, or popsike). If anyone could provide some more substantial information on Mr. Jackson please leave it in a comment.
Anyway, this song rips really hard. It's definitely rooted in a classic No. Soul sound but there is some funky elements creeping in: a raw sounding production, lots of abrupt stops and starts, and some pretty funky sounding drums. I love this one, hope ya'll enjoy it.
