Mr. Cool
Rasputin Stash
What It Is! Funky Soul And Rare Grooves: 1967-1977
This box set was the driving soundtrack for my New Year’s visit with Nyala in Houston and I thank her for it (and the gigs!).
This isn’t the best song on the compilation by far but the “no jive, gimme five (clap)” part was the most gangster (in terms of driving music) and the first thing I went looking for when I started working through it when I got home.
In my limited listening so far, I only know about 10 of the 91 songs and a lot of those are by somewhat lesser known groups like Clarence Wheeler & The Enforcers, Baby Huey & The Baby Sitters, and United 8. The compilers took care to include alternate versions of a few of the more known songs, like an extended version of “Rock Steady” by Aretha Franklin and Part II (but not Part I) of “Funky Nassau” by The Beginning Of The End.
The Dusty Groove review of this box set says “One of the funkiest box sets we’ve ever seen and amazingly issued by an American major label!” which I think is a pretty keen observation. For a long time the major label’s version of “rare” funk was putting “Fight The Power” by the Isley Brothers on a compilation instead of going with “Who’s That Lady” or “It’s Your Thing.” Compilations like this have been the province of smaller, often international (and often British) labels, so ATCO, et. al, I applaud you.
Shouts to DJ Sun, DJ Pooks and Jaekim.
Songs are available for two weeks.
