After a couple months of doing this blog, I realized that I was neglecting to dig deep into my 45 collection for tunes in addition to the usual full-length records I post up (I’ll try to make it a semi-regular thang from now on). With the demise of my lightly regarded and even more lightly attended weekly, Gris-Gris, it seemed like good timing to put together a post highlighting some fave 7″s and also pay tribute to my ill-fated Sunday night “dance” party. My preference would have been to keep at it, since I’m not the quitting kind, but with all the budget problems here in California, my day job is getting cut back, which means I’m going to have to hustle up some new revenue and could no longer wait on the upside of this gig to develop. Over 3+ Months, myself, Soul Marcosa and a slew of guests, including O-Dub, Clifton aka Soft Touch, Alberto Sol, Sara Shindig, Greg Belson, Jackie Hoodoo, Jason Pandora, Bobby Soul of the Boogaloo Assassins, Rani-D, Roger Rivas of the Aggrolites and KCRW fam Anthony Valadez & Mathieu Schreyer, spun a mad mix of styles, from raw funk to latin boogaloo to jamaican rock steady to 60s psyche and back again. We never caught on and found our audience but I’m thankful for the music and good times shared between these DJs and others who just stopped by including Music Man Miles of Breakestra, Rick Wren, Roger Paz and Mario Cotto of KCRW.
So, here are a couple of my favorite tracks that I either played at Gris-Gris or were played by some of the guests.
Robert Parker – Let’s Go Baby (Where The Action Is)
This track kicked off the mix that I put together to promote the night early on and is just a great anthem and New Orleans soul stomper. I don’t know a single person who doesn’t love this track immediately after hearing it, it just sounds like the kind of party you want to be at. I get a smile on my face everytime Parker tells his girl to “put on your wig and your new red dress…” Just a dynomite bit of 60s soul.
David Rockingham Trio – Joy-De-Vie
I’ve never been able to track down much information on David Rockingham and his trio, I know they released at least one other 45 on Josie, but I’m not sure where they are from, though with a name like “Rockingham” he just seems like he’d be British. The sound of this song and the flipside “Soulful Chant” certainly have that swingin’ London vibe. Perfect kind of transistion song often from soul to latin numbers, all that’s missing is a little soul clap and this one would be perfect.
The Soul Runners – Green Thumb
First heard this when Bobby Soul of the Boogaloo Assassins did a real mellow set for us. The Soul Runners were essentially the Watts 103rd St. Rhythm Band before they became the Watts 103rd St. Rhythm Band. They also released some 45s on the Mo Soul record label, but this one on Patches I think is probably their best, solid mid-tempo groover, with a nice little stutter on the rhythm and really cool organ/electric piano sound throughout.
Howlin’ Wolf – Evil
The Howlin’ Wolf Album, from which this single comes from, was one of the first rare records I dug up when I started collecting after high school in the mid 1990s. Along with Electric Mud, it’s got this very distinctive, heavy psychedlic funk sound to it, which the traditional blues players and fans must have hated (Howlin’ Wolf himself couldn’t stand these “queer” sounds), but I absolutely love. “Evil” was a personal favorite of Clifton’s from Funky Sole, one of the only tracks he played during each of his appearances at Gris-Gris, and from a listen it’s easy to see why. Those fuzzy guitars and heavy drums slay me every time.
The Lost Generation – The Sly, Slick & The Wicked
I’ve always thought that at the end of night, after last call, you wind down with some slower soulful numbers. It’s just the way it’s supposed to be in my book. One of the nights we were winding down, my partner in crime for Gris-Gris, Soul Marcosa, threw on this 45. Instantly I recognized the rhythm as being very similar to Jerry Butler’s 1972 song, “Ain’t Understanding Mellow,” one of my faves from his catalog. This track was released in 1970 and apparently was popular enough that it allowed Brunswick records to become an independent label. It’s about as perfect an imperfect sweet soul song as you can get and exactly the kind of thing I’d expect Mayer Hawthorne to cover on his next record.
Hope you enjoyed these tunes, we enjoyed spinning these and then some at Gris-Gris. Hopefully I’ll get it together soon and hustle up a new night at a new spot. Until then thanks again to all the DJs, dancers, especially the B-boys who came out to support us towards the end, and of course thanks to La Cita, maybe the best spot in all of Los Angeles.
Cheers,
Michael