Back from Vancouver and Seattle which means one thing – heavy hand luggage fulla vinyl. Expect plenty of these in the next WYWR show (long delayed but soon come) as there are some real nuggets. Big thanks to Vinyl Records (biggup David!), Zulu Records and Beat Street Records in Vancouver, Sonic Boom, Easy Street and Bop Street Records (biggup Dave!) in Seattle. All well worth checking if your out in that neck of the woods…
Vancouver’s finest:
Idris Muhammad – Black Rhythm Revolution (Soul Brother (Originally on Prestige). Bounteous drums, soul, jazz and funk from the king of the big sticks in 1971
William de Vaughn – Be Thankful for What You’ve Got (Roxbury). We all know the Massive Attack cover of the title track but even though I had a repressed 12 of the original, I’d never seen the album. More of the same sound in a quality album. Vince Montana on vibes.
George Benson – Bad Benson (CTI). He’s bad, really really bad. Actually, he’s pretty good in 1974 as my friend Jeppe always used to tell me in Denmark. Key track is the cover of ‘Take Five’.
Muddy Waters – Electric Mud (Cadet). Stepney on the production, wahwah ahoy. Looked for the Howlin’ Wolf lp featured on the latest Ad Trax show but no luck. I keep on.
KC Flightt – In Flightt (BMG). Finally got my hands on the legendary ‘Planet Earth’ track sampling Talking Heads (would still like a 12″ version though). Check the Nike Air Solo Flights on the cover!
Mandingo – Mandingo III (Capitol). Adding to my Mandingo collection. Tribal drums and Studio Two-style brass and trumpets. Killer version of Soul Makossa that has a different title…
Maze feat. Frankie Beverly – Inspiration (Capitol). Mmmm, Frankie Beverly. It’s smooth. Nuff said.
Various – The Karate Kid Soundtrack (Columbia). When playing, place wax on the turntable, take wax off. One of my favourite movies of the 80s, Joe Esposito rocks the album closer with ‘You’re the Best’. God I love a karate competition montage.
Lakim Shabazz – The Old Skool Flava of Lakim Shabazz (Street Tuff). Rare and unreleased from ’89-’90. For a slight man, he’s got a deep voice. Didn’t come with an Africa pendant, which was a shame.
The Village Callers – Hector Pt1&2 (Rampart). A reissued 7″ I think, tune I first heard on a mate’s disco and funk mixtape in around 1991. Murky sound, but dirty funk.
Gene Chandler – Groovy Situation (Mercury). Knew nothing about it, put it on and got hooked. Big soul from 1970.
King Bee – Back by Dope Demand (CBS). Been after the 12″ version for ages, fat pressing, huge drums. 1990 in full effect.
Kings of Pressure – Tales from the Darkside (Next Plateau). Hiphop from the mixtapes of my teenage years…
Seattle’s strongest:
Hawthorne Headhunters – Myriad of Now (Plyg Research). I thought these guys had gone quiet but then I was browsing the racks in Sonic Boom on Tuesday and it jumped out. Turns out the shop had only got it in that day, very new release. Like Parliament, Sa-Ra, Outkast? You’ll like Hawthorne Headhunters.
Harvey Mandel – Baby Batter (Janus). Straight of our Be Bop’s ‘Sampled by…’ section. Boy did I head straight there. Ye shall know ye Mandel by the opening notes of ‘Baby Batter’ itself. Classic.
George Benson – Best of George Benson (Warner). Benson is back. Two dollars, Give Me the Night baby!