Giant – What’s In This Life For You? (1970)

Artist: Giant
Title: What’s In This Life For You?
Year: 1970
Format: LP
Label: Mercury

Giant, a simple name for a complex of ideas. So here we have another new group; there are so many popping up why should we get excited about this one? The point is we shouldn’t; the idea here is to relax and let their music do it to you.

While we’re asking the questions, we may well try to figur out what set GIANT apart from so many others. First of all the people, and second, the music and the way David Spinozza and Al Del Monte have arranged it.

On the people’s side we have nine individuals who, though each is a distinct musical personality in him (and her) self, have formed a cohesive musical unit which is apparently capable of thinking, creating and performing as one.

That, it seems, is what it’s all about. The arrangements speak for themselves: in this era of superhype which leads to super group which in turn leads to superduper egos, it is indeed refreshing to hear that Al and Dave have devised some unique yet unpretencious ways of putting it down, as it were.

Much attention will most likely be focused on Christie as she is (a) the only girl in the group, and (b) really good. Again, as with the arrangements, she does her numbers with taste, balance, and control. She’s thoroughly professional.

People, mostly critics (whether they’re people or not is a highly debated point) are spending a lot of their time talking about jazz rock, classical rock, blues rock, slock rock, and fusions and permulations of all of these terms.

The possibilities are theoretically and semantically endless. GIANT can be classified as being in any number of modes you can make up, but the only correct category for thier scene is mucic – some of it funky, some polished, but all real.

So there you have it, or as much as you can say about them in print. The previous suggestion therefore stands, that you simply listen to GIANT and just let it happen. (Bob Moore Merlis – Record World)

Track Listing

1. Think! What’s In This Life For You?
2. You Ain’t Gonna Find Me
3. That’s The Way It Goes
4. Range Rider
5. Dear John
6. One Night Stand Man
7. Plastic World
8. Queen Of Downs
9. In My World
10. Dedicated To Your Head
11. Last War

Akido – Akido (1972)

Artist: Akido
Title: Akido
Year: 1972
Format: LP
Label: Mercury

An obscure Afro Funk combo from the early 70s – produced by Ronnie Lane of The Faces, who may very well have been inspired by Ginger Baker’s love of the style!

The record’s got some pretty heavy guitar work, and there’s lots of funky rock running through the grooves – so those African-inspired rhythms are touched by more than a bit of heavy tripped out electric fuzz. The album features a hard-hitting, irresistibly funky blend of rock and funk that’s sure to appeal to beat-diggers everywhere.

Recorded at London’s Marquee Studios, this lost Afro-funk classic was originally released in North America only in August 1972. Akido was a quartet consisting of Ghanaian percussionist Speedy Acquaye (who also worked with the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Rod Stewart and many others), Nigerian bassist Biddy Wright (a member of the legendary Blo), Jamaican conga drummer Jeff Whittaker and London-based guitarist Peter Andrews. (Howard Hales Broom)

Track Listing

1. Awade
2. Psychedelic Baby
3. Midnight Lady
4. Happy Song
5. Jo Jo Lo (Delicate Beauty)
6. Gone With Yesterday
7. Confusion
8. Wajo (Come And Dance)
9. Blow

Wayne Talbert And The Melting Pot – Dues To Pay (1968)

Artist: Wayne Talbert And The Melting Pot
Title: Dues To Pay
Year: 1968
Format: LP
Label: Pulsar

Talbert’s tenure with Pulsar led to the release of his first album, 1969′s “Dues To Pay”. Produced by Mac Rebennack (Dr. John Creaux) who also contributed the closing track “The United State Of Mind”). The LP sports one of the year’s (or any year for that matter) most depressing album covers;

Talbert posed in an L.A. alley looking like a homeless wino, complete with tattoos and don’t fu*k with me expression (albeit wearing what look like expensive boots). Musically material such as the title track, “What More Can I Say” and ” featured an interesting mix of blue-eyed soul, downbeat bluesy moves and a mild jazzy vibe.

In spite of some truly downbeat lyrics (“Schizophrenic Susan Minnick” and the oddly MOR-ish “Hell Of A World”) the results are actually much better than you’d anticipate.

Interestingly, Talbert’s keyboard moves and his rough hewn and slurred voice actually bare a mild resemblance to that of Dr John, or even Delbert McClinton on the funkier tracks (“Love Ain’t What It Used To Be”).

Mind you the set’s far from perfect. Talbert’s voice certainly won’t appeal to everyone and the horn arrangements and strident female backing vocals will certainly turn off quite a few folks. (Bad Cat)

Track Listing

1. Dues To Pay
2. What More Can I Say
3. Schizophrenic Susan Minnick
4. Love Ain’t What It Used To Be
5. Hell Of A World
6. Suddenly
7. Funky Ellis Farm
8. Cryin’ Bag
9. The United State Of Mind
   

Sweet Apple – Sweet Apple (1970)

Artist: Sweet Apple
Title: Sweet Apple
Year: 1970
Format: LP
Label: Columbia

Sweet Apple were a rock/funk group consisting of Hoshal Wright (guitar-vocals), Bobby Reed (bass-vocals), Danny Saunders (keyboards-vocals), Marcus Doubleday (trumpet), Raoul Smith (saxophone-vocals) and Steve Mitchell (drums). Additional drumming by Frank Davis.

“An enjoyable slice of soulful jazz funk, produced by the legendary Harvey Brooks”. (jimslim11 RYM)

Track Listing

1. Power Of A Man
2. Puddy’s Lodge
3. Voices
4. Silly People
5. Sweet Apple
6. The Act
7. I Can’t Find My Way
8. Fonky McGregor
9. Sweet Apple Jam<
   

Wayne Talbert – Lord Have Mercy On My Funky Soul (1969)

Artist: Wayne Talbert
Title: Lord Have Mercy On My Funky Soul
Year: 1969
Format: LP
Label: Pulsar

Wayne Talbert’s second release produced by the legendary Harold Battiste, Jr. and featuring some top notch session players including Mike Deasy, Paul Humphrey, Ernest McLean and Battiste on piano.

Excellent “get down” funky soul album that’s reminiscent of Dr. John’s earlier work (which Battiste played a big part in), but more soulful.

Scattered among a few Talbert originals are some great covers including a fantastic version of Sceamin’ Jay Hawkins’ “I Put A Spell On You”. For more info on Wayne Talbert, check out the July 6, 2011 post of “Houston Nickel Kicks” (hope to get a post of his first LP, “Dues To Pay” up soon). (Prairie Prince Minsky)

Track Listing

1. I Put A Spell On You
2. She Put The Hurt On Me
3. Trouble
4. Take Another Look
5. Mr. Barley Corn
6. I Found A Little Girl
7. Don’t You Know Little Girl
8. Gettin Married Soon
9. Life’s Windows
10. Crankiola Narcissis Buds
    

Assemblage – Album (1971)

Artist: Assemblage
Title: Album
Year: 1971
Format: LP
Label: Westbound

Assemblage consisted of Paul Kingery (guitar-vocal), Stuart Avery (lead vocal), Robin Robins (keyboards), Wally Stahl (bass-mandoline-vocal), John orlich (drums) with Cynthia & Alison (backing vocals) and Tim Lambert (keyboard on “Dirty Gurty”).

Guitar driven semi-funk/semi-soul flavored rock with some horns (though not overly obtrusive) and female backing vocals. Recorded in Detroit and on the same label as Funkadelic but this is more hippie-rock with occasionally a fuzz guitar.

Good re-arranged cover of the Stones track ”Satisfaction” and a few good self-penned tracks. (tymeshifter/purpleoverdose RYM)

Track Listing

1. Satisfaction
2. It’s Not Easy
3. Dirty Gurty
4. Drink Deep
5. Lean On Me
6. Everything Is Going To Be Alright
7. Black And White
   

Ruby Jones – Ruby Jones [Vinyl] (1971)

Artist: Ruby Jones
Title: Ruby Jones
Year: 1971
Format: LP
Label: Curtom

Singer Ruby Starr was best-known as a backup singer for ’70s macho man rockers Black Oak Arkansas, but also issued several recordings as a solo artist as well. Born Constance Henrietta Mierzwiak in Toledo, OH, in 1949, the future rock singer got her start at the age of nine (performing renditions of Brenda Lee songs) before changing her stage name to Connie Little and forming the Phil Spector-esque Connie & the Blu-Beats.

Following stints in such obscure outfits as the Downtowners and the Blue Grange Ramblers (aka BGR), the latter of which mutated into the outfit Ruby Jones (a name that the singer was going by at the time). Signed to Curtis Mayfield’s Curtom label, the recording of Ruby Jones’ 1971 self-titled was even supervised by Mayfield.

Shortly after the album’s release, Black Oak Arkansas frontman Jim Dandy spotted Starr singing in an Evansville, IN, club and persuaded her to join his band, as she assumed her best-known stage name Ruby Starr.Starr toured with the band for several years (appearing on the albums Street Party and Balls of Fire, as well as their lone hit single “Jim Dandy”) before leaving the group to form the Ruby Jones Band in 1976, and issuing Scene Stealer the same year.

By the dawn of the ’80s, Jones/Starr had formed Grey Star, issuing a pair of recordings — 1981′s self-titled debut and 1983′s Telephone Sex — before forming the group Henrietta Kahn in the late ’80s. In the ’90s, Starr was diagnosed with cancer, eventually passing away at home in Toledo in January of 1995.

After her passing, several archival releases that featured Starr were issued, including the live Black Oak Arkansas recording, King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents, and a reissue of Ruby Jones’ debut album, retitled as Stone Junkie. (Greg Prato)

Track Listing

1. 99,000 Times
2. Looking Out At Tomorrow
3. 46th Street
4. Have No Witness
5. Freely Away
6. Oh Baby
7. Tightrope
8. Bicycle Built For Everyone
9. Stone Junkie
10. You Better Run
    

Vida E Inspiracion – Vida E Inspiracion (1969)

Artist: Vida E Inspiracion
Title: Vida E Inspiracion
Year: 1969
Format: LP
Label: Decca

Vida E Inspiracion were a Latin Funk group from Brooklyn, New York and consisted of Nel Miros (vocals), Victor Caceres (guitar), Jack Baglietto (bass-guitar), Marty Fischer (battery), Gene Sacca (organ), Jeff Kerr (sax-clarinet-flute) and Joe Kerr (trumpet-trombone).

The album was recorded at Decca Studios in New York City in December of 1968 and was produced under the direction of Augusto Monsalve and contains a balanced mixture of uptempo funky tunes and ballads sung in Spanish with most of the material written by Victor Caceres.

There are two covers, both by Donovan Leitch, a real cool version of “Sunshine Superman” (probably the album’s highlight) and “Catch The Wind”. The songs were most likely included for their publishing ties to the album’s production company Peer Intl. (Jack Dominilla)

“Vida E Inspiracion were a Latin Soul group out of New York. I picked up their album completely by random while hanging out at a record store in NYC. The first cut, “Tema Vida E Inspiracion” immediately caught my attention with its catchy Funk.

Most of the album fluctuates between slow RnB tunes like “Sigueme (Find My Way)” and soulful Rock like “Vivamos Hoy (Watch Out Girl)”. “Al Besar Sus Labios (Sunshine Superman)” and “Hablemos (Flying Mama)” are the two catchiest songs out of those.” (Soul Strut)

Track Listing

1. Tema Vida E Inspiracion
2. Sigueme (Find My Way)
3. Vivamos Hoy (Watch Out Girl)
4. Sinfonia De Amor
5. Facil Es (Catch The Wind)
6. Al Besar Sus Labios (Sunshine Superman)
7. Momentos De Amor
8. Viajero Del Amor (Travelin’ Life)
9. La Novia Que Sone (A Namorada Que Sonhei)
10. Hablemos (Flying Mama)
    

Chris Hills/Everything Is Everything – Comin’ Outta The Ghetto (1971)

Artist: Chris Hills/Everything Is Everything
Title: Comin’ Outta The Ghetto
Year: 1971
Format: LP
Label: Embryo

Chris Hills’ second album produced by Herbie Mann for Mann’s subsidiary label Embryo Records in 1971, for more info on Chris Hills, see previous post.

Track Listing

1. Comin’ Outta The Ghetto
2. My Baby Said She Loved Me This Morning
3. Sweet Joane
4. If You Were Mine
5. Six Of One
6. Call Out Your Name
7. Mean Old Love
8. Sure As Shootin’
9. Talkin’ ‘Bout Soul
10. Qualified
11. Let Me Say This About That
    

The Great White Cane – The Great White Cane (1972)

Artist: The Great White Cane
Title: The Great White Cane
Year: 1972
Format: LP
Label: Lion

The Great White Cane were an early seventies horn rock funk band that featured the late Rick James on vocals. In 1971, James and Ed Roth both appeared on Buffalo Springfield bassist Bruce Palmer’s solo album, “The Cycle is Complete” (see March 3 2011 post for more info).

They then returned to Toronto, where they recorded two singles – Big Showdown and Don’t You Worry – as part of Heaven and Earth, a band that also featured guitarist Stan Endersby, bass player Denny Gerrard (the Paupers, Jericho, Mckenna Mendelson), and drummer Pat Little.

Heaven and Earth, minus Little, then merged with another local group, Milestone, to form Great White Cane with horn players Bob Doughty and Ian Kojima, drummer Norman Wellbanks, guitarist Paul C Saenz, and keyboard player John Cleveland Hughes.

The group recorded an album for Lion Records in Los Angeles in March 1972, but by that summer, they had disbanded. (Wikipedia Excerpt)

Track Listing

1. Country Women Suite: a) Country Women b) Get On Down c) Time Is My Keeper
2. Mother Earth
3. You Make The Magic
4. Find It
5. Don’t You Worry
6. Big Showdown