Month: December 1975

New Spins

MANU DIBANGO: ‘Makossa Music’ (Creole CRLP 503)
I’ve had a bundle of Afro, Salsa, and Dub albums sitting in my drawer waiting to be reviewed, and never the space on the page for them.  Thank goodness for Christmas!  If you’re in a position to play great music like these ethnic sounds you’re a lucky DJ indeed, for although superb to dance to they remain unknown amongst the British majority. Manu Dibango caused a stir in funky clubs a few years back with his terrifically rhythmic ‘Soul Makossa’ (lead track here), which must have inspired the Fatback Band amongst others.  This virtual “Best Of” album has many of the saxophonist’s goodies such as ‘Oboso’, ‘Kata Kata’, and ‘Pepe Soup’, some of which may be a bit fast but are worth it for the lead track alone.

FELA RANSOME KUTI & THE AFRICA 70: ‘Gentleman’ (Creole CRLP 502)
Side one is the title track, and that is the goodie here.  After a bit of skippable doodling it suddenly erupts into a bouncing, leaping, joyful throbber, with hollow booming bass behind a brassy front line.  Jazzy and subtle, but infectiously happy as hell!

MASEKELA: ‘The Boy’s Doin’ It’ (Casablanca CBC 4005)
Now living in America, trumpeter Hugh Masekela has forgotten his jazzy leanings on this Afro-Funk outing, much of which futures that ‘Street Dance’ type of rhythm.  Title track’s a slow funker, while ‘Excuse Me Please’, ‘Ashiko’, and ‘Mama’ have more bounce to the ounce.  Continue reading “December 27, 1975: Manu Dibango, Fela Kuti, Hugh Masekela, Tabou Combo, Chuck Jackson”

New Spins

BARRY WHITE: ‘Let The Music Play’ (20th Century BTC 2265) (mentioned in Billboard column 12/20/75, Billboard chart debut 3/13/76)
Confusing intro about “one ticket please” and “yeah, she’s the one”, then the ole croaker gets to groaning “ooh, ooh aughh” as only he can.  Whether it’s the oddly suppressed female squeals or the way in which he keeps fading behind multi-layered swirling strings I know not, but something about this I find strangely disturbing.  Anyway, there’s an easy beat thudding away from the outset, which should prod dancers into action.  Flipside instrumental starts slow before eventually becoming recognizable.

MARTHA & THE VANDELLAS: ‘Jimmy Mack’ / ‘Third Finger, Left Hand’ (Tamla Motown TMG 599)
Already a hit twice, this stomping Holland-Dozier-Holland reissue from ’67, with its equally popular slightly slower flip, is Tamla’s way of greeting Martha Reeves on her UK tour.  It remains good, but her new product is the solo ‘(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher’ (Arista 36), on which she gets gritty with a TK-type treatment of the Jackie Wilson classic, which should work for some without necessarily going pop.  Continue reading “December 20, 1975: Barry White, Martha Reeves, Elton John, Mike Dorane, Kandidate”

New Spins

MARCELS: ‘Blue Moon’ (Pye 7N 45559)
Great timing for a reissue of this fun-filled 1961 chart-topper, as although not strictly a twister it’s still full of everything about which we wax nostalgic.  Far from the first, the burbling Mr. Bass Man and gibberish noises as done on this record are nevertheless now the archetype of that whole ‘Who Put The Bomp’ era.  On the flip you’ll find the added attraction of Big Dee Irwin (and Little Eva): Swinging On A Star.

REAL MCCOY: ‘Twist And Shout’ (Route RT 24)
Take nearer the Top Notes than the Isley Brothers in speed, this classic dancer has the Twist part of its title emphasized more than usual by ratatatat drumming and clapping while a noisy frenzy is generated behind the frantic hollering of London’s McCoys.  In 1975, it sounds good, all over again.

SILVER CONVENTION: ‘Silver Convention’ LP (Magnet MAG 5010) (LP mentioned in Billboard column 7/19/75, LP Billboard chart debut 8/2/75)
The whole point of the album is lost in this, its British form, when as even the press release confesses the running order and backing tracks have been changed from those of its disco-smashing US counterpart.  Probably its biggest attraction would have been the complete ‘Fly Robin Fly’ / ‘I Like It’ segue – except that now those tracks are reversed!  Side One does indeed segue, but the edit between ‘Save Me’ and ‘I Like It’ is so atrocious that any competent DJ could do it better live just using the singles!  At least ‘Fly Robin Fly’ is 5:35 long, and the rest is passable muzak.

RITCHIE FAMILY: ‘Brazil’ LP (Polydor 2383358) (LP mentioned in Billboard column 8/30/75, LP Billboard chart debut 9/13/75)
Another album of disco muzak, with the Side One segue being ‘Peanut Vendor’ / ‘Frenesi’ / ‘Brazil’.  The true story behind the original ‘Brazil’ single is that, as a gesture of goodwill towards his French licensees, Cotton Records’s boss Sonny Casella put together a Philadelphia session and in effect produced ‘Brazil’ for Jacques Morali, who subsequently claimed the sole production credit.  Casella and his protégé, Jeanne Burton, sung with three other session-singers on the single, but for this later album his services were not required – to the extent that for the follow-up single (which opens Side Two), his ‘Come With Me’ was rewritten as ‘Dance With Me’.  To the album’s credit, the segues are smooth and Side One makes excellent background music.  Continue reading “December 13, 1975: Marcels, Real McCoy, Silver Convention, Ritchie Family, Wing & A Prayer Fife & Drum Corps”

New Spins

BAND OF THE BLACK WATCH: ‘Dance Of The Cuckoos’ (Spark SRL 1135)
Better known as the Laurel & Hardy theme, this divinely silly rumpty-tumpty instrumental is likely to become the new ‘March Of The Mods’, and is guaranteed to get your audience linking arms for a rampage of destruction!  Is there time for it to be THE Xmas hit of ’75?  Even the flipside’s cha-cha-cha ‘Caribbean Honeymoon’ makes a useful ‘Come Dancing’ sendup!

BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS: ‘Live!’ (Island ILPS 9376)
This album of the Lyceum gig that produced ‘No Woman, No Cry’ (included now in its full 6:55 version) has to be the definite Marley set – it’s certainly won me over to him at last, anyway.  Amazingly good for dancing all the way through, with applause kept to a manageable minimum, although Side Two is possibly strongest for a general audience, featuring as it does ‘No Woman’, ‘I Shot The Sheriff’ and ‘Get Up, Stand Up’.

JOHN CONTEH: ‘The Boxer’ / ‘Dance The Boxer’ (Boxa K01)
Pugilistic champ Conteh’s much ballyhooed debut on his own label is surprisingly good, even if his voice is mixed so far back it’s almost over the ropes.  Pure disco funk of the War/Kool & The Gang type, it’s a punchy (ho ho ho!) energetic bouncy stomper which sounds possibly even better on the Conteh-less flipside version.  Certainly worth trying.

JUDGE DREAD: ‘Come Outside’ / ‘Christmas In Dreadland’ (Cactus CT 80)
The Mike Sarne hit from ’62 now features the girl being chatted up by Dread telling him to sod off, get stuffed and other such unladylike expressions!  Extremely rude and screamingly funny, it should be a monster.  The faster reggae flip is just as offensive, if less useful.

ARMADA ORCHESTRA: ‘Classical Bump’ (Contempo CS 2078)
Greig’s Piano Concerto in A Minor, having been rocked up in the past by Kokomo (not the group) as Asia Minor, now goes disco with a rattling fast bump rhythm.  And it sounds great!  Continue reading “December 6, 1975: Band of the Black Watch, Bob Marley, John Conteh, Judge Dread, Armada Orchestra”