No doubt how the record execs have for some reason been responsible of puttin’ out of a continuous flow of meaningless cuts from an exercise to another along the years, meanwhile ironically living to anonymousity absolute treasures which would have deserved a far better destiny. This is the thema of the 2nd installment of this revitalized column gettin’ back where its predecessor left. And as a good news never comes alone, we’re expanding our review services with the audio snippets that come with starting with this column. Welcome back 2 OUR roots!
We’ll never repeat this enuff: no matter what kind of music one might be talkin’ about, the main thing is to be given the right path(s), this meaning to be surrounded by people knowin’ what they’re talkin’ about. Hopefully, I guess this is what happened to me back in the daze. The aforementioned tellin’ me : What you gotta do, man is checking the credits on the sleeves as to which musicians are playing and who produces the music. Those should pretty well give you an idea of what a record is about and supposed to sound like! In reaction, some of you might argue : Cool what you’re sayin’, but how can we ever get a sleeve then the useful credits that come with as far as mp3’s are concerned??? Then here again, the response is quite simple, depending on the downloading portal you’re goin’ to with some of them like Traxsource.com displaying infos they’re more or less provided with by the labels, in addition to their own sites. Not to mention the essential extra help given by a handful of reputed taste makers’ platforms whereas are to be found independently written reviews, interviews and the likes for a better understanding of the whole…
Back to the subject of this column, many actors of the scene, from producers and DJ’s to observers tend to agree on the fact that one might hardly find on most of today’s productions the level of musicianship that would be yesteryear’s standard, which comes as no surprise in an environment led by the search of the diminishing of production costs by (almost) any means necessary!!! Beginning with the replacement of musicians with the help of the technology which started bein’ effective way back at the beginning of the 80’s, on the heels of the programmed death of disco…
What made the shiny days of disco was no doubt the contribution of incredible line-ups of musicians which would hardly be reproduced nowadays, to the sole exception of the 1996 released Nuyorican Soul album. Coming to their peak time with the help of producer Quincy Jones on the anthemic ‘Stomp’ among others, the Brothers Johnson’s self produced Winners album in 1981, although not reachin’ the same recognition, gathered some of the most talented musicians around at the time, featuring keyboardist Greg Phillinganes, Jeff Porcaro (Toto), Ernie Watts, Steve Lukather, Jeff Lorber, female singer Lalomie Washburn, Paulinho Da Costa and Jerry Hey, resulting in a minor hit (‘The Real Thing’) but first and foremost what I would tend to consider as a symphonic jazz/funk influenced jewel by the likes of ‘Caught Up’ (one of my all time favorite cuts) which, not only is a wicked interpreted song, but received masterminded arrangements (A&M). As a matter of fact, the same comment could apply that same year to the MCA 1981 Camouflage released album by the likes of Rufus with a line-up featuring those same Hey, Phillinganes, Paulinho Da Costa and Washburn, but also Chaka Khan (right before launching her solo career), Larry Williams and René Moore & Angela Winbush (better known as René & Angela). The best cut of this collection being the strings led ‘Secret Friend’, here as well with vibrant and fluid arrangements.
1982 was no doubt the year of singer/producer Kenny Burke scoring his best success to date under the form of the downtempoish ‘Risin’ To The Top’ (currently one of the most sought after record on its 12’’ promo version), so many times sampled later on, taken from the Changes album released on RCA. What a shame though, the equally worth a listen ‘Hang Tight’ didn’t get a single release! And the story to repeat itself two years later in regards to the Jones Girls Keep It Coming album on Philadelphia International Records with both its title cut and the although unmissable ‘You Can’t Have My love’ led by classy synths parts, both produced by you’ve guessed it… Kenny Burke!!! With acts eventually coming to release 2 albums in a year, no doubt how putting out an LP was a much easier thing than nowadays. This also being the explanation as to why so many goodies remained unsung. Dayton being no exception with their 1982Hot Fun album released on Capitol via Liberty. Is it simply because someone at the label thought that the release of the brilliant ‘We Can’t Miss’ was enough? Who knows??? The sad thing being that the Rahni P Harris produced ‘Meet The Man’ (in the vein of works by the likes of Change, BB&Q Band or so) would never be given a chance to compete on the single front, despite havin’ all the necessary qualities to do so.
Not only the major companies made obvious choice mistakes, but also some of the best indie labels at the time, beginning with Prelude. The biggest exemple to be found on the Empress self titled album in 1981 among the most consistant collections ever released, featuring classics such as ‘Dyin’ To Be Dancing’, ‘Take A Risk’ and ‘Control’ with the latest (correct me if I’m wrong) failing to get a 12’’ release (not even as promo copy), despite being a killer groove with insame horn arrangements and, here as well, a solid line-up of musicians starring William ‘Bubba’ Anderson of the Crown Heights Affair fame, Fred Zarr, Bert & Ray Reid and my ol’friend, Sammy Figueroa on percussions.
Ongoing legal battles in regards to contract deals, internal mutations in the record industry and so on… The reasons why the project of an artist or a group could be left without any kind of support – when not remaining in a shelve at some office ended up being countless. That’s pretty much what happened to the breakbeat-influenced Tommy Gun album by the likes of jazz/funk hero Tom Browne produced by Maurice Starr in 1984 even though it fully had the potential to compete with works by people such as Herb Alpert, refering to a track like the boiling ‘Loop’ for instance.
Alternatively, other valuable material didn’t get a 12’’ release simply because the format wasn’t already around at the time, this applying to a vaste majority of records released before the second half of the seventies. Among them, the much emblematic ‘Dirty Ol’ Man’ by Three Degrees despite being a true PIR classic and, as a result, finding some space on the label’s compilations issued at the time. And the same to happen to Jean Carn’s unmissable ‘Free Love’ although being unofficially released as a 12’’ some 25 years laterunder the form of a Larry Levan Live At The Paradise Garage Mix. A comment which do not totally applies to the ultra soulful ‘Ain’t No Love Lost’ by Patti Jo which hopefully remains available on a + 5 minutes disco mix version on the Disco Gold compilation as selected by vet producer Tom Moulton in 1975 on Scepter Records. Time to give an end to this column for the moment with another absolute gem from way back in the History with the evergreen New York City’s ‘I’m Doing Fine Now’ released under the form of a 2:52’ version in… 1971 which would no doubt have deserved a longer version, as would later on do UK outfit The Pasadenas scoring their best success to date.More to come soon. Peace y’all. MFSB
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