Motown Funk
This is a most welcome double CD compilation of the funky side of Motown. A few of the tracks aren't quite as funky as some that were omitted from the collection, but that is sort of splitting hairs a bit, because this is still a really good selection.
A good way of making things even more funky is to play this on random, adding a few more tracks - Machine Gun and Too Hot Ta Trot from The Commodores; Stevie Wonder's Superstition, Higher Ground and Boogie On Reggae Woman; Eddie Kendricks' Keep On Truckin' and Boogie Down; Marvin Gaye's Angry and Ego Tripping Out; Gladys Knight & The Pips' Nitty Gritty; The Jackson 5's Moving Violation and Body Language (Do The Love Dance); Funky Music Sho' 'Nuff Turns Me On and Tell Me Something Good by Yvonne Fair and The Undisputed Truth's UFOs.
Disc One
Gordon Staples & The Motown Strings - Strung Out
A fantastic serving of keyboard, clavinet and bass-driven funk is found on Strung Out. The track has become a bit of a cult classic. Staples was leader of The Detroit Symphony Orchestra. The sound was very similar to that which Quincy Jones employed and it also had that proto-disco sweeping string backing that ensembles like the Salsoul Orchestra would use as the glitter ball sound took over in 1975-78.
Martha Reeves & The Vandellas - Easily Persuaded
This is a grinding serving of funky soul that dated (i think) from around 1970. It is a brassy number with that distinctive early seventies punch to it. It is completely different from most Martha Reeves & The Vandellas material that people will be familiar with.
Jimmy & David Ruffin - When My Love Hand Comes Down
The Ruffin brothers sure sounded like Edwin Starr on the industrial strength soul-funk of When My Love Hand Comes Down. It is one of these that is more soul with a funky edge than out-and-out funk. It is quite typical of many of Motown's releases in that style in the late sixties/early seventies.
Stevie Wonder - Every Time I See You I Go Wild
The Four Tops-esque Every Time I See You I Go Wild is another excellent cut, covered by Northern Soul artist J. J. Barnes as well. Wonder's version is the superior one, though, largely due to the backing. Sublime rumbling bass and buzzsaw guitar on it. Fantastic sound reproduction too.
The Temptations - Psychedelic Shack
The traditional "Motown Sound" was abandoned by Norman Whitfield for Psychedelic Shack and we had rock guitars, electronic keyboards, sound effects, multi-tracked vocals and a huge thumping, funky drum sound. Whitfield the producer and The Temptations virtually invented "psychedelic soul" as they merged funky rhythms, soulful vocals, rock psychedelia with vast-emerging black consciousness and environmental issues. This was really something quite ground-breaking. The album of the same name's front cover sees the band members pictured in the windows of a gaudy hippy "shack" with a peace sign and "flower power" graffiti on it, along with myriad rainbow colours. They look a bit bemused by it, to be honest. Whitfield was far more "on message" than the individual group members were. Paul Williams was ill, and Eddie Kendrick was falling out with Otis Williams and Melvin Franklin. Listening to the album, though, you would never know it. They simply obeyed Whitfield's commands and laid it down.The Undisputed Truth - Smiling Faces Sometimes
Smiling Faces Sometimes was most definitely The Undisputed Truth's song (despite The Temptations doing it later). It is pretty much their signature tune. It is a gospel meets street funk, Staple Singers-influenced classic of a song. "Can you dig it"? Sure we can. Great stuff. It was deservedly a hit single for the group.
The Undisputed Truth - Ball Of Confusion (That's What The World Is Today)
The Undisputed Truth were known for extended socially conscious songs and what we get here is a cover of The Temptations' iconic Ball Of Confusion. Their version is ten minutes long and pretty different in arrangement to the original. There are similarities, of course, but theirs features more vocal and musical ad-libbing. It out-psychedelics The Temptations, which was no mean feat. They used The Funk Brothers' original, extended backing track that they laid down for The Temptations' version.
Jimmy & David Ruffin - Lo And Behold
This single collaboration between the Ruffin brothers was actually never released. Lo And Behold was a James Taylor song from his second album. I would expected a combination of these two wonderful, soulful singers to be something absolutely knockout and while this is certainly not bad, not at all, it just not hit the heights that I thought it would have. That said, listening to it again, its strength and soul of delivery comes across stronger with each listen. The brothers have perfectly captured the song's devotional aspects.
Barbara McNair - The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game
This is surprisingly funky, in a slow, groovy style for Barbara, who made her reputation mainly as a balladress. The song was originally done by The Marvelettes and later on by Grace Jones, for who it was particularly suited, lyrically. Check out that great saxophone solo mid-song too.
Diana Ross & The Supremes & The Temptations - Sing A Simple Song
Sly & The Family Stone's funky Sing A Simple Song is given a "psychedelic soul" makeover to great effect by Diana Ross & The Supremes & The Temptations, sounding all Ball Of Confusion before it had even been conceived.
Gladys Knight & The Pips - Feeling Alright
Some great stereo sound and percussion ushers in a muscular cover of Traffic's Feeling Alright. Great piano break near the end too. Yes, it is a much-covered song, but Gladys does it so damn well, that it really doesn't matter If I'm hearing it yet again.
Barbara Randolph - Can I Get A Witness
Barbara Randolph had released one of my favourite Motown deep cuts of all time in the previous year's I Got A Feeling. Her cover of Marvin Gaye's Can I Get A Witness found here is excellent too - powerful, punchy and pounding, just as I like it. I can't speak highly enough about it. Its sound is very much in the funky '68 soul fashion. I have to say that it positively drips and rips with kick-ass brassy funk. In that respect i. e. its funky power, it is a bit ahead of its time. It is amazing that Barbara hardly released much at all for Motown, yet the stuff she did lay down was superb. A real rarity I have of hers is a great piece of smoochy, late-night soul with a subtly funky edge entitled Soul Searching that appears on the compilation Backbeats: Unexploited & Underrated on the Backbeats label. Check it out.
Shorty Long - Here Comes The Judge
Proper cookin' funk here as Shorty Long apes the Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In character (played by "Pigmeat" Markham on the show) delivering a funked-up vocal over a copper-bottomed frenetic funky beat. It became Shorty Long's biggest chart hit. I remember as a ten year-old back in 1968 that even in the UK "here come the judge" was a catchphrase.
The Temptations - I Ain't Got Nothin'
I Ain't Got Nothin', soulful as opposed to blatantly funky in its sound, is a dark, brooding song and typical of The Temptations output at this time. It came from their 1972 All Directions album, which also contained Papa Was a Rolling stone and Funky Music Sho' 'Nuff Turns Me On.
Edwin Starr - Easin' In
This came from the soundtrack of a Blaxploitation movie entitled Hell Up In Harlem. It dated from 1973, after Edwin's bountiful years at Motown. It's a great hidden gem, however, full of Blax vibes, wah-wah guitar, big deep bass, fatback drums and a menacing, late-night urban ambience. You wouldn't say it was Edwin Starr in a million years and it stands as one of this album's great deep cuts. I love it. It cooks, big time. Can you dig it?
Gladys Knight & The Pips - Who Is She (And What Is She To You)
Bill Withers' Who Is She (And What Is She To You) is covered in full, bassy, kick-ass, gender-reversed and full-on funky fashion by Gladys & The Pips. Great stuff.
Disc Two
The Temptations - Papa Was A Rolling Stone
Up next is an absolute classic. A track that proved The Temptations were anything but finished - as had been suggested by some - not for a while at least. Here you get the full twelve minute version. Papa Was A Rolling Stone has that intoxicating bass and slow burning funky orchestration of an intro before Dennis Edwards comes in with his legendary "it was the third of September..." opening line. Great stuff. Funnily enough, Whitfield first used the song with his other main group, The Undisputed Truth. Good as they were, this is the definitive version, no doubt about that. I really love the instrumental version that appeared as the (edited) single's 'b' side too.
Marvin Gaye - 'T' Plays It Cool
The Trouble Man Soundtrack contains some fine funky, Blaxploitation typically soundtrack moments - with Marvin playing the synthesiser Stevie Wonder had given him - particularly exemplified by the semi-instrumental “T” Plays It Cool. It is one of the great lesser-known Marvin Gaye funkers, for me. Top notch. I love Marvin when he funked it up.
The Commodores - Rapid Fire
Rapid Fire is another thoroughly intoxicating, upbeat instrumental, this time from The Commodores, who very much began their career as proper funkers. Just get an earful of that funky clavinet, man, and those spacey keyboard interjections too.
Magic Disco Machine - Scratchin'
This ain't no disco. This is funk. It dated from 1975 and, sure it is danceable, but is most definitely the funky, brass, wah-wah and clavinet side of disco. It has a great bas solo in it too. Again, it is proper deep cut Heaven.
Sisters Love - Give Me Your Love
Also in a very early disco groove is this hot serving of bubblin' dancey funk from 1973. The Sisters had some impressive later era singles for Motown. Here, they caught the contemporary funky bug. I love those big, funky James Brown-esque drum rhythms. Good one. Keep adding to that list of killer deep cuts. Those flute breaks are so very Blaxploitation too, aren't they?
Willie Hutch - Brothers Gonna Work It Out
This is a 1973 funker with a very Blaxploitation feel to both its strings, drums, brass and wah-wah backing and its lyrics about Pushermen, pimps, prostitutes and cops. It is extremely typical of funk circa 1973.
The Four Tops - L.A. (My Town)
L.A. (My Town) finds the Detroit boys fervently singing the praises of new Motown headquarters location Los Angeles, claiming is as their town. That's Americans for you, they change loyalties with a re-location just as they do with their sports teams. That said, it is one of those evocative, sun-drenched "California soul" numbers that has a real early seventies atmosphere. Funky it ain't however.
Bottom & Company - Gonna Find A True Love
From 1974, this another very much of its era - lots of sweeping disco strings and punchy brass with a very proto-disco vibe to it. It is a genuine deep cut because I'm sure nobody (including myself) has much idea as to who Bottom and Company were. Either way, there's a funky little bass break on here. The single release of this has a sort of Northern Soul cult-ish appeal to many collectors.
Eddie Kendricks - Girl You Need a Change Of Mind
Girl You Need A Change Of Mind is a standout - seven minutes plus of early disco (it was still only 1972, remember) that laid down foundations for bass grooves all the way into the eighties. It goes without saying that the bass cooks all the way through, but so do the horns, the drums and the high-pitched guitar breaks (like the ones used in Rose Royce's Car Wash in 1977). Eddie deals with the song's changes of pace and punch admirably and I have to say that this is a fair way removed from anything he did with The Temptations. This was a great example of early disco, several years in advance of all those glitter balls. Check out the bass, drums and guitar interplay part at four minutes in.Yvonne Fair - You Can't Judge A Book By Its Cover
Another candidate on the list of best Motown funkers in You Can't Judge A Book By Its Cover. It totally cooks from the very first notes. It is taken from her controversially-titled album, The Bitch Is Black.
Syreeta feat. Stevie Wonder - To Know You Is To Love You
This is a fine duet between Wonder and Wright on To Know You Is To Love You. It has a captivating, high quality rhythmic backing. It is arguably the best track on its 1972 parent album and would have enhanced Stevie's Music Of My Mind album from the same year no end.
Odyssey - Our Lives Are Shaped By What We Love
You know, all this time I had thought this was an early single from late seventies/early eighties disco artists Odyssey. Wrong! It is a totally different group with the same name! They were a seven-piece multi-racial group from Los Angeles. Our Lives Are Shaped By What We Love is an impressive, rhythmic ballad with hints of Blood, Sweat & Tears and Rare Earth. It is well-played and equally well sung.
Marvin Gaye - Is That Enough
This is a (comparatively) little-known Marvin Gaye funk number that came from his underrated 1978 album Here My Dear. It builds up slowly, with a delicious bassline before it breaks into a solid serving of seductive slow late-night funk. It is actually up there with the best of his seventies soul with a funky edge material. I'm a big fan.
Grover Washington Jr. - Mister Magic
From 1975, this is funk and jazz merged perfectly in true extended Blaxploitation fashion by saxophonist Grover Washington Jr. It grooves along for the best part of ten minutes in sensual style, Washington's sax smoothly soaring all over the tasteful funk of the backing.
Franke Valli & The Four Seasons - Sun Country
Sun Country is yet another diamond of a rarity. It is even funkier than its 'a' side The Night. Its brassy funk keeps up for the whole song. You would simply not believe these songs were from the doo-wop Four Seasons from the sixties. Why, even Frankie Valli's legendary falsetto is slightly deeper, delivered in a way that you don't immediately think "that's Frankie Valli". Once you know then things are different, of course. This is another seriously praiseworthy "unknown" song.
The Commodores - Brick House
The funk is glorious on the muscular groove of Brick House, a proper piece of funk about a woman who is built like, well, a brick house, or a brick shithouse as they say in the UK. “That lady’s stacked - that’s a fact....”.
