Santa Esmerelda - Beauty (1978)

Santa Esmerelda was a French/American group who was best known for their Flamenco-influenced lengthy Disco ballads, especially their cover of "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" which was featured recently in the film Kill Bill.

This album, Beauty, featuring the group's second vocalist Jimmy Goings in all his Blacula glory on the cover, fine-tunes these musical qualities into a singular focused vision. The album plays almost like a Latin/Disco/Glam Rock symphony, with several recurring movements that bleed into one another and tell an epic tale of desire, sin, beauty, and passion which crescendos to a dramatic conclusion - the album closes out with a cover of "Hey Joe," so that might give you an idea how the story ends. The dynamic use of Spanish guitar, pounding dance rhythms, bright, punchy horns and string arrangements, along with gutsy masculine vocals and a sophisticated musical and narrative concept make this album a really fantastic and funky experience.

ENJOY

Donald Byrd - Black Byrd (1973)

Since he just passed days ago, I figured I would be topical in a way my posts rarely are, and share one of my Donald Byrd records. I bought this one at a yard sale from a strange European woman. I also bought The Clapper.

Trumpeter Donald Byrd (1932-2013) played alongside just about every notable Jazz legend throughout the 50's and 60's as a sideman and solo artist, and eventually blazed the trail for Jazz Fusion and took the genre to commercially-friendly places that Jazz purists probably will never forgive him for.

Besides the cool Afrocentric artwork (hey, it's Black History Month! Topical x 2!!), this record was one of Donald's most successful in his long career recording for Blue Note Records, and happens to be a pretty seminal Jazz/Disco Fusion record, so haters beware. 

Black Byrd is pretty much entirely composed and produced by Larry Mizell of the Mizell Brothers/Sky High Productions, who interestingly enough were both students of Donald Byrd's when he was teaching at Howard University. Even more interestingly, Larry Mizell once worked as an electrical engineer, and played an important role in the Apollo space program, as well as the development of liquid crystals, which you are probably using in whatever display you are reading this on. How's that for Black History??

The sound of this album is a mix of joyful, mellow Disco grooves with airy horn and flute solos peppered in to Jazz things up. It probably won't pack a dance floor, but is pretty much perfect for winding things down when they get too sweaty. This is far from Donald's most challenging material, but it conveys such a positive vibe, I can't help but want to remember him this way. 

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Jon Lucien - "Song For My Lady" (1975)

Jon Lucien (1942-2007) was a baritone Jazz and Soul vocalist originally from Tortola, in the British Virgin Islands, and known best for the spacey romantic ballad "Rashida". If nothing else, Lucien was about as silky smooth as anyone could ever hope to be in the vocal department. Imagine, if you will, this recipe: 1 part Nat King Cole, 1 part Teddy Pendergrass, 1 part Nate Dogg, 1 part Codeine. 100% Lucien.

Song For My Lady is Jon Lucien's fourth release, and his first on Columbia records. The back cover of the record features an immensely glowing review of Lucien's talents from none other than Herbie Hancock, who has referred to Lucien as "the man with the golden throat." Hancock also co-wrote the song "Maiden Voyage" on this album, which was sampled famously by MF DOOM on his Special Herbs series.  

When I say that Jon Lucien's Jazz is smooth, I don't mean to imply that this is easy listening. He was more G-Funk than Kenny G.

As Q-Tip would say, 

                             "Lucien, Lucien, Lucien, Lucien...

                                                         You

                                                                              Should

                                                                                                         Know."

ENJOY

Follow me on Facebook!

I know not a lot of people use Blogger or Google+, so I thought I would make it easy to follow the blog on Facebook. "Like" the page, and (hopefully) never miss an update!

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69 Girlz - "Tootzee Pop" (1994)

There is a long history of bandwagon-hopping in the Rap world. Every time a hot new beat comes out, everyone wants to put their voice on it (see: "One Blood"). However, once in a great while, an act decides to build their entire image around the popularity of one song (by someone else). Welcome to the stage: 69 Girlz.

In 1994, 69 Boyz released their smash single "Tootsee Roll" which took the world by storm with its simple, candy-centric lyrics about shaking butts. I have very clear memories of classroom parties in grade school where this was played, and remember wondering what exactly the "butterfly" was, even though the 69 Boyz were already declaring it old. 

That very same year, a mysterious group of ladies calling themselves 69 Girlz came very quietly onto the scene with "Tootzee Pop," rewriting "Tootsee Roll" with a bit of a pornographic (albeit pro-condom) twist. Listening to this song is kind of the musical equivalent of renting "Transmorphers" instead of "Transformers."

However, because the raunchiness of this song is so awesome (especially the grunting sound effects you hear whenever the Girlz feel a "nut" coming on), I've included the (mostly) acappella "Taste Test" version for all you remixers out there.



 It is safe to say the 69 Girlz were never heard from again, but that doesn't mean they can't still be listened to and appreciated today. Enjoy.

Jimmy Lynch - "Tramp Time Volume 1: That Funky Tramp in a Nite Club" (1961)

Jimmy Lynch a.k.a. "Mr. Motion" is a multi-talented entertainer and good friend of Rudy Ray Moore's who sang, danced and joked his way through just about every movie Rudy Ray ever released. Like Rudy Ray Moore and Blowfly, Jimmy Lynch is known for his raunchy humor, and then-controversial use of explicit language. According to his official bio, he made his comedy debut as "the Funky Tramp" one Halloween when he was still underage, using the hobo costume he was wearing as a cover for his age. This persona would go on to become the heart of his stage show for most of his career.

According to an interview with Lynch paraphrased on Rudy Ray Moore's website, "Tramp Time Volume 1" was Jimmy Lynch's first recording, and was released in 1961 (there is no known record of the actual date). It is also apparently the first record to feature the word "fuck" without background music, though this historic claim apparently remains unverified. Just for fun, I've paraphrased the humorously cautious album liner notes below:

"This party record was not designed to be played on radio at any time - this record only for personal and party use only.

...We admit that some of the words of this recording are not Sunday School words so if you are a preacher or a deacon do not listen to this album. If you are under 18 you will not understand it. If you are over 80 you cannot stand it.

This LP contains some of the common words used by the common people every day and we do not intend for them to be obscene in any way.

We advise you to hang on to this record, it could become a collectors item.

...This LP was recorded live at the famous El Grotto bar in Battle Creek, Michigan at one of its fabulous Sunday afternoon matinees. Without any notion he is Mr. Motion.

I can only say we didn't actually release this album, it escaped.

-Mr. Vic"

Oh, how times have changed.

ENJOY

Bo-Dacious - "Bass" 12" (1991)

Hey, long time no share. After months of technical issues keeping me from sharing a lot of great music and music history, I've finally found a solution that will allow me to get back into full swing. I hope I haven't lost any of you readers in the interim. 

This song "Bass" is a late-era Electro track by a mysterious artist named Bo-Dacious who only released one other song - these two tracks making up the entirety of Rhythm & Blues Records' catalog. "Bass" is pretty funky, and a bit on the unusual side, which places it pretty much right up my alley. The lyrics warn of both the allure and the destructive nature of cocaine, and I'd like to think of this as the weird offspring of Alan Vega and Melle Mel.