Some stuff from the old blog

Deep Down by the Heavenly Hopes on MAP- British Gospel that I am not sure I like.



Good Morning Sunshine- Knux and Zim (featuring HP and Elzie Sweetcheeks)


The Webs on Popside- It's So Hard to Break a Habit


Eddie Simpson- Big Black Funky Slave

Zapata- Viva La Raza on Original Sound

From the label that brought you Dyke and the Blazers and Barry White's first single (a version of "In The Ghetto" under the name Gene West but that's another post isn't it?) is an anthem stating that soul isn't about skin color... Featuring a nice funky groove and some great lyrics, "I'm not black, I'm not white, I'm in the middle, I'm just right" this was a really good find that doesn't turn up too often.

As far as I know this is one of several groups that used the name Zapata in the 60's and 70's and I do not believe this is the same group that did the classic cover of "Do Your Thing" by Isaac Hayes (also another post.)

Freddie Scott- You Got What I Need

Freddie Scott was an accomplished songwriter (peer of the great Goffin-King team)and an amazing soul singer who had one big hit, "Hey Little Girl" and several lesser-known numbers that are filed away deep in my collection. His version of "Cry To Me" is my favorite.


Ok this 45 has been blogged by many many soul collectors because everyone loves it (especially if you know who Biz Markie is.) What can you say about a classic?

Otis Brown- Who's Gonna Take Me Home

In the grand scheme of thing my life is great. Living overseas in a land where people imigrate from their countries just to make about 30US a day puts your life in perspective. But, that doesn't mean I don't have my self-pitying times. I have had a rough week and with Mrs. Zimmy 45 in the US, me getting deported from India, being sick, and just getting traffic fines worth over $1,000 (US) I feel like I have the right to feel sorry for myself even though despite all this my life is great. So, I post for your pleasure a great sad song by Otis Brown.

As with most of my records, I don't know much about it or about the artist. I do know that he had a few small hits in Chicago and that this record was recorded on his own label and he wrote, produced, and arranged it. The label is Lujuna and the song is "Who's Gonna Take Me Home." I think it sounds a little like a specific Rolling Stones song myself. What do you think? Special thanks to Breakaway Records in Austin for turning me on to this song.

If only there was a soul version of "Poor Pitiful Me" by Warren Zevon...

Voices of Conquest- O Yes, My Lord

I first decided I NEEDED this record after hearing it on the amazing compilation, "Good God" by a record company that puts out amazing products (usually on vinyl and cd) called Numero: http://www.numerogroup.com

How do you describe this other than people "fallin out" about Jesus over some primal freaking drums... just drums and vocals. Fierce.

I do not have a picture of my 45 of this as it is in Austin at Buddhist Soul Brother Jamie's waiting for me but this is the clip of the actual record sent to me by the seller.

GOOD GOD!

Lee Charles- Sittin' on a Time Bomb

Alright... I've been busy today (thanks to the lovely Jessica for lighting a fire under my lazy bottom) and though I may not be done I am going to leave the apartment (for the first time in awhile) so for now I will leave you with an amazing cut on the Invictus label by Lee Charles. I am not sure which version came first, this of the Honey Cone, but they are both great in different ways. This song grew on me... at first listen it sounded a little too modern (meaning past 1971) for my tastes but I have grown to really dig it.

Nathaniel Mayer: Hurtin' Love/Leave Me Alone

Fortune Records is one of my favorite labels of all-time. In fact if I could only collect one label for the rest of my life Fortune would probably be it. There are so many great and rare records on this label that tracking them all down would take a fortune and a lifetime.

Nathaniel Mayer may have the most famous song on the label, "Village of Love" closely followed by "Mind Over Matter" by Nolan Strong and the Diablos. He also may have created the Garage-Soul genre but that could be a product of the lo-fi goodness at Fortune Studios.

As I stated before I really like falsetto so here's a spooky ballad called, "Hurtin Love"...


Oh yeah here's the other side, "Leave Me Alone" it's good too.

My 2 favorite blue-eyed soul singers- Rich Restaino and Wayne Cochran

If you know me at all you know I am kind of a musical racist... I own a few thousand records and maybe 2% of those are not artists of color. I don't know what it is it's just what I like. Today I am going to pay small tribute to two of my favorites. Let's start with Wayne:



This is an obviously strange mid-tempo rock cover of the classic Otis song, "I Can't Turn You Loose." So much has been said about Wayne over the years but no one can deny that he is a song stylist. I love the arrangement on this one and on the B-side.

"If I Was A Carpenter" is a classic. Say what you will about the song but there are so many great versions (Eldridge Holmes' is among my favorite)done in so many styles that it keeps the song interesting after all these years. When I first heard this version, the B of "Can't Turn You Loose" I thought he was singing it to the tune of, "With a Little Help From My Friends."



My other favorite blue-eyed soul (as well as every other type of genre known to man) singer is Rich Restaino. He has been in the Austin scene a long time and happens to be my best friend. Him and his Obits have a new cd coming out and from what I have heard it's going to be amazing and hopefully will get them the recognition they deserve. Go check out their release party if you're in Austin and if not make sure to order one from the man himself- www.richrestaino.com. Go to his website to check out amother track from the upcoming disc called, "Suzie." Note- This is the only time in the history of this blog that I will talk about a cd... this one is just worth it and I am trying to convince him to press some vinyl.

I have here a www.talkinloud45.com exclusive sneak preview of a track from the forthcoming cd, not availible anywhere else. The song, though not yet pressed on vinyl is about vinyl and was written by a vinyl addict in Austin, TX and it is called, "(Save it for the) B-Side."

God Got His Eyes On You- Charles Johnson and they Dynamic Gaylarks

I absolutely love this song! It started me out on a new path to find songs with scorchingly high male vocals. My dream is to release a lp compilation of songs that split people's eardrums in a good way.

Charles Johnson and the Dynamic Gaylarks are part of a network of Gospel groups that have interwoven members throughout the last 6 decades. I was very excited to find that one of the bands that Charles sang with, The Original Red Hot Motivations, is having a 20th anniversary party in Newark, NY on March 7. I won't be far from there so there is an excellent chance I will make it!

Check em out: http://www.myspace.com/502398943

The Sunset Travelers- Deep River

http://www.divshare.com/download/10396017-040

Unfortunately, here is another song/group I don't know much about. Today I am wondering if I post things on my blog to prove that I buy records I have no clue about in hopes that someone out in the cyberworld will hip me to some info. All I know about the Sunset Travelers is that a lot of great singers sang with them including O.V. Wright. Also, I know that this song is amazing.

The Pilgrim Jubilees- Mr. President

http://www.divshare.com/download/10396281-af2

Well, I finally got a set up that will allow me to rip my 45's to mp3. The sound isn't perfect but it's ok and I have nothing but time on my hands for awhile so I will probably doing multiple posts each day for the next few weeks. Each day you can expect to hear at least one of my gospel 45's.

Gospel and I have an interesting history that goes back to my pre-Bar Mitzvah days when my father and I would go to a Nazarene church in Smithtown, NY to listen to gospel music. We were probably the only Jewish people there but we were always welcomed. More recently I owe a lot of my knowledge of gospel 45's (and other genres as well) to my boy Dave over at Friends of Sound in Austin. Before I left he hooked me up with about 25 gospel records all on the Peacock label. This though, I picked up at Intoxica Records in London.

Since I bought this 45 I have played it at least 50 times. This may well be my favorite gospel song at the moment and I really hope you enjoy it. I don't know much about it though there is some amazing information about this band available here: http://books.google.ae/books?id=FaGFB4dG-_QC&pg=PA246&dq=pilgrim+jubilees+mr.+president&hl=en&cd=1#v=onepage&q=pilgrim%20jubilees%20mr.%20president&f=false

What I do know is it is an anti-Korean War song set place in the Vietnam era. It was off an lp that contained several protest songs, the only ones this prolific band would record over their long career span.