Carrie Fisher on French television

Sigh. What a beautiful, amazing woman. Rest in Peace.

Roland Kirk at the 1975 Downbeat Reader's Poll Awards

with McCoy Tyner, Stanley Clarke, & Lenny White

Nina Simone on Sesame Street

Great rendition of her signature song (and civil rights anthem) "Young, Gifted, & Black", which she wrote with Weldon Irvine

Labi Saffre - Rocking Chair

Well holeeeee shit.

Rockin' Horse - Love Do Me Right Now

The original version. Its writer, Lenny Macaluso, would later join Rare Earth and record it with them.

Delirium - Jesahel

The original version of the sublime Esmeray track. See our post from Dec 22, 2011

Jim Schoenfeld - Before

Pro hockey player tries his hand at singing, does pretty good.

The Jackson 5 - You Made Me What I Am

Jackson 5 - I Am Love

Just a reminder

Joe Simon - It Be's That Way Sometimes

Go 'head on, Joe.

Cymande - Listen

Jimmy James - A Man Like Me

The blueprint to Come On Eileen. Pretty weird.

Digable Planets - 9th Wonder

I meannnnnn

Black Sun - Black Sun (You've Broken My Heart)

Not bad, not bad. It's almost as if it could use an edit, though.

Bobby Wells - Let's Cop A Groove

Ahhh the days of Durango 95

Kashif - I Just Gotta Have You

Another casualty of 2016. RIP

Three Degrees - Maybe

This just needs to make it, baby, make it.

Okay Temiz - Denizaltı Rüzgarları

It's the last day of summer. Only a few more hours to make everything ok again.

Kari Faux - Supplier

Did we, ummm. Did we post this already??

Gloria - Beam me up

Good new psych from France's Gloria. And the video looks a little familiar.

Madness - One Step Beyond

Well, a lot of things have come to light about this song. Suggs wasn't really in the band. As you probably suspected, the saxophone is a little bit out of tune. And that step they do, which would later become synonymous with their 'nutty boy' alter egos, was borrowed from Ian Dury & the Blockheads. But Prince Buster just died, another victim of the remorseless soul-eater that is 2016, and fuck it, it's Madness.

Independents - I Love You, Yes I Do

Originally the B side to Leaving Me, I Love You, Yes I Do was one of the first records that made the record companies take notice of the emerging disco movement.

Ballet Zoom - Cats

The very fine line between brilliant and horrendous. So many great ideas, except the part where it deals with cats.

Mel Torme & Buddy Rich on the Merv Griffin Show (1979)

If you're not interested in the creepy lyrics to the otherwise sublime standard that is "Love for Sale", you can cut right to these two old friends tearing it up at 1:25. Who knew the Velvet Fog could scat like that?

Michael Jarrett - All Goin' Down Together

Well, shit. This is the original version of the Hues Corporation track.

Elis Regina & Edu Lobo in concert 1969

Yes, ok!

8/08

This surprisingly current looking ad for the beloved 808 is apparently from 1980.
Happy 8/08!

Martin L. Dumas, Jr - Attitude, Belief, and Determination

Garry Marshall 11/13/34 - 7/19/16

Rest in Peace.

Kaleidoscope feat. Larry Williams & Johnny 'Guitar" Watson - Nobody

François K's Favorite Funky Records

Some kind person made a YouTube playlist out of legendary DJ François K's favorite funky records (their title, not ours).
For some reason we'd never heard this gem, First Choice covering Steve Wonder. Kind of a no-brainer.

Brigati - 100% Absent

An incredible track from the genius of post-Rascals Eddie Brigati and his older brother and frequent collaborator David. Special thanks to Billy Werner for the tip.

Brother Jack McDuff Quartet featuring Joe Dukes

the only known footage of the amazing powerhouse drummer Joe Dukes, who later joined Lonnie Smith and played on the landmark Drives album.

Sam Cooke and Muhammad Ali - The Gang

Rest in Peace, Champ.

Christine Harwood - Never Knew What Love Was

What, did they have a crystal ball?!

Isao Tomita - The Sea named Solaris

Rest In Peace, old friend.

Vicki Lawrence - The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia

They mention this song in Reservoir Dogs, but we didn't realize how great is was, or that it was Mama's Family's Vickie Lawrence.

Gino Soccio - There's A Woman

Just because its Gino

Evie Sands - I Can't Let Go

Written by Chip Taylor (AKA James Voight) and wrecking crew guitarist Al Gorgoni

Soul Generation - Ray of Hope

Find of the weekend: our favorite Rascals song covered to great effect by this New Jersey vocal group.

Sparks - Tryouts for the Human Race (12" Extended Version)

Mael brothers team up with Giorgio. The End.

Pleasure - Thoughts Of Old Flames

Happy Valentimes

Earth Wind & Fire - I Think About Lovin You

Rest in peace, Maurice.

salena jones - i've got the blues

Clarence Henry Reid 2/14/1939 – 1/17/2016

Rest in Peace. 2016 is a tough year for the music community so far.

And as we continue to mourn...

If you watch carefully, you can see the exact moment when Mark Goodman's fate as a late night television shill was sealed.

David Robert Jones 1/8/1947 - 1/10/2016

Rest in Peace. Words can't express how much you mean to us.

The Nu People - I'd Be Nowhere Today

The aforementioned old favorite. I mean, come on.

Dandelion Wine - Hot Dog

The vocal version is an old favorite, but we had no idea Dennis Coffey and Mike Theodore were behind it. Thanks, youtubers.

RIP John Bradbury

At the end of 2015, one of our musical heroes left us. Thankfully, we had the privilege of meeting him a few years ago in Dublin. Here is one of the best examples of his subtle, skillful drumming that was not only an important part of the 2 Tone sound, but also went a long way to influence a generation of drummers.