Prince - Little Red Corvette (Dance Remix)

I just realized that I haven't shared a single tune from Prince. I decided I should correct this mistake right away by sharing Little Red Corvette or to be more exact the 12" dance remix which picks up things from the point where the album cut fades out. Littel Red Corvette was Prince's first top ten hit back in 1982.

I got an embarrassing confession to make; as a kid listening to this, I actually thought this song was about a red high performance sports car. Well, I suppose it was better that I didn't fully understand the symbolic meaning of little red corvette at such a tender age.

Prince - Little Red Corvette (Dance Remix) [320 kbps, direct link]

Milton Wright - Friends And Buddies

Friends And Buddies is an amazing record. It was released in 1975 by the leading Miami soul label Alston. The album as a whole is really solid and the sound and the mood of the record is something that I haven't heard on any other record. There's a bit of Mizell brothers, a bit of Stevie, some Mayfield, but still the warm, jazzy and soulful sound is unique.

Milton Wright - Get No Lovin' Tonight [320 kbps, direct link]

Milton Wright - Keep It Up [320 kbps, direct link]

If you're feelin Friends And Buddies, make sure to also cop Spaced. It's Wright's 1977 ultra-rare LP that was recently reissued by Jazzman Records. It's an amazing album and almost impossible to find as an original because Alston Records dumped the album at the time since KC & The Sunshine Band (also recording for Alston) were getting so popular. To make things even more tragic, almost all the unsold copies of Spaced were destroyed in a fire. Well, now it's available as a loud, good quality pressing and I can't wait to get my copy.

Honey Cone - If I Can't Fly

It's been a while since the last time I went to the local flea markets to dig for records but on Saturday I took an early start and it paid off. I found a great stack of early 70's soul practically for free. Among others I found some Hot Wax 7" releases which was funny because just a couple of days earlier I wrote about Lamont Dozier and mentioned Dozier-Holland-Dozier production trio who established Hot Wax right after they left Motown in 1968.

The favorite of the bunch that I found has to be Honey Cone's sweet tune If I Can't Fly. The single came out in 1973 just before Hot Wax went out of business due to cash flow problems so I think this is a 45 only. You've probably heard the song before on the great compilation The Kings Of Funk put together by RZA and Keb Darge.

Honey Cone - If I Can't Fly [320 kbps, direct link]

Rob Tex Presents The Jimi Remixes

There's not much I can tell you about the mysterious Rob Tex except that he's done two great remixes of Jimi Hendrix's funkiest tune Foxy Lady and I love them both. A-side is a funky laidback tune backed up with a great rugged breakbeat and the flipside features a skanky dub version of the same song. Make sure to check out also Rob Tex's disco edit of Grapevine.

Jimi Hendrix - Foxy Lady (Rob Tex Remix) [320 kbps, direct link]

The Meters - Soul Machine (Instrumental)

The world is full of great drum breaks but this one right here is the one for me. It's ripped from a Josie Records 7" reissue which comes as a part of this box set. I used to think this was an OG Meters tune but than I heard cand got confused. The two cuts are almost identical and they have more in common than you might know. I'm not gonna cover the issue but if you're interested, check out Home Of The Groove's in-depth article on the topic. The blog contains A LOT of information about the New Orleans funk scene.

The Meters - Soul Machine [320 kbps, DivShare]

EDIT: A dead link replaced with a working DivShare link.

The Firebolts - Everybody Party (Get Down)

I don't seem to have a lot to say about this one but I'll share it anyways. I believe it's on 45 only. It's a nice and warm uptempo boogie/funk tune with a great beat and a nice organic not so polished sound. Hum Along Song on the flipside makes me also stomp my feet.

Kon has done a great extended edit of Everybody Party. Make sure to cop it on a 12" b/w L.A. Will Make You Pay by Burton Inc. or as a mp3 from his blog.

The Firebolts - Everybody Party (Get Down) [320 kbps, direct link]

Jill Scott House Remixes

I posted a couple of Kenny Dope's Jill Scott remixes back in September but those links are dead. Since the tunes were requested so kindly I re-upped them but I added a nice white label Jill Scott house remix by Bush so that I would have something new to offer. Enjoy!

Jill Scott - Interlude (Bush Remix) [320 kbps, direct link]

Jill Scott - Golden (Kenny Dope Official Remix) [320 kbps, direct link]

Jill Scott - Not Like Crazy (Kenny Dope Crazy Woo Remix) [320 kbps, direct link]

Going Back To My Roots

Lamont Dozier might be better known as one of the best song writers of Motown's early days penning classic songs among others for The Temptations and The Four Tops with his brother Brian Dozier and Eddie Holland. Their production trio was even introduced to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Dozier has also released excellent stuff as a solo artist. He wrote Going Back To My Roots for his solo album Peddlin' Music On The Side. This song has been really special to me for a long time. It starts with this amazing piano riff and gradually builds up and than...BOOM! "Zipping up my boots, going back to my roots." This really tears the roof off.

Lamont Dozier - Going Back To My Roots [320 kbps, direct link]

Odyssey made a cover version of Going Back To My Roots in 1981, about four years after Dozier's cut. This one is one of my favorites as well. It's a bit more disco-ish but still keeps things real and rocks the dancefloor for sure.

Odyssey - Going Back To My Roots [320 kbps, direct link]

Oh yeah, almost forgot that there's a third great version of Going Back To My Roots by Richie Havens.

Willie Hutch - I Choose You

Willie Hutch's The Mack must be one of the greatest blaxploitation soundtracks ever. The movie is all about pimping and macking and Project Pat, Jaheim and UGK (I'm not gonna even mention 50 Cent) have sampled I Choose You but still after all this, the song has something really beautiful and warm in it. It's a perfect Sunday jam. Forget those wanna-be players, pimps and hoods. It's all about true love.

Willie Hutch - I Choose You [320 kbps, direct link]

Marvin Gaye - Mercy Mercy Me (Rapson Edit)

I posted the phenomenal DJ Day Edit of What's Going On about a week ago. Since I recently bought the Rapson Edits 12" as well I thought I would make a post about it also since they go well together.

Mark Rapson, a well established UK based keyboard player/producer, has created three solid re-edits (Mercy Mercy Me, Grapevine, The Real Thing) from the original multi tracks of these classics. Grapevine and The Real Thing are nice, extended edits but Mercy Mercy Me is the one that really stands out. The edits are out and available on a 12" but act like you know since the record seems to be out of stock in quite a few stores.

Marvin Gaye has been remixed, covered etc. always but it's funny that these two edits (DJ Day Edit and Rapson Edit) came out almost simultaneously and they are so much alike. Both edits are respectful to the original but still succeed in adding that little extra to a classic song.

Marvin Gaye - Mercy Mercy Me (Rapson Edit) [320 kbps, DivShare]

Hudson People - Trip To Your Mind

Trip To Your Mind is a great loft classic by Hudson People. The tune dates back to London's jazz-funk scene of the late 70's. The vinyl rip is from the 2nd UK pressing put out by Ensign while the OG was released by Hithouse, both in 1979. I first heard Trip To Your Mind on Kon & Amir's amazing mixtape The Cleaning. If you see the mixtape around, make sure to buy it, if you don't have it already.

Speaking of mixes...for some reason I've haven't been listening to the RBMA Radio though I've been told it features some great shows. For example I had slept on this great two hour radio mix by Kon & Amir. Well, I'm glad I found it eventually. Take a listen. Highly recommended.

Hudson People - Trip To Your Mind [320 kbps, direct link]

Big Daddy Kane - The Lover In You

After yesterday's post I remembered the last track of Prince Of Darkness. It's a nice skit with a great break from Don't Let Love Get You Down where Kane's long time DJ/producer Mister Cee grabs the mic.

Big Daddy Kane - DJs Get No Credit feat. Mister Cee [320 kbps, direct link]

While I'm at it, I might as well post another tune from Kane's 1991 LP Prince Of Darkness. The Lover In You was huge back in the day. It's smooth as silk and great for educational purposes. It was Big Daddy Kane and T-Ski Valley who taught me all I need to know about ladies.

Big Daddy Kane - The Lover In You [320 kbps, direct link]

Archie Bell & The Drells - Don't Let Love Get You Down

Archie Bell & The Drells started off as a funk band from Houston, Texas but made a rather quick transition to become one of the smoothest Philly soul groups of the 70's. I like Tighten Up and their other earlier raw funk stuff but nowadays I'm more into their smooth midtempo soul tunes cut for Philadelphia International Records. Don't Let Love Get You Down is the classic opening track of Where Will You Go When The Party's Over (1976). I figured it would be all over the blogosphere but it wasn't, so here you go.

Archie Bell & The Drells - Don't Let Love Get You Down [320 kbps, direct link]

Top 8 of 2008

Lists are always fun to make but many times I end up forgetting something obvious from the lists and it drives me crazy. We'll see what I forgot this time.

I didn't buy a lot of new releases last year but anyways I picked eight albums and eight singles that first came to my mind as the strongest ones released in 2008. Thanks for 2008. Hopefully 2009 will be even better.

Albums

1. Menahan Street Band - Make The Road By Walking

2. Raphael Saadiq - The Way I See It

3. Q-Tip - The Renaissance

4. Hercules And Love Affair - Hercules And Love Affair

5. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes

6. The Five Corners Quintet - Hot Corner

7. Erykah Badu - New Amerykah

8. El Michels Affair - Sounding Out The City (Digi-LP)

Singles

1. Menahan Street Band - Make The Road By Walking

2. DJ Mujava - Township Funk

3. Mayer Hawthorne & The County - Just Ain't Gonna Work Out

4. Marvin Gaye - What's Going On (DJ Day Edit)

5. Bounce Camp - Big Dancin

6. The Bladerunnners - Champ (Club Mix)

7. Estelle - Come Over (only the version without Sean Paul will do)

8. Erykah Bady - Honey (DJ Day Edit)

Since two great edits by DJ Day made their way to the list, I'll share his latest and greatest edit so far.

Marvin Gaye - What's Going On (DJ Day Edit) [320 kbps, DivShare]