Detroit Emeralds – You’re Getting A Little Too Smart
Detroit Emeralds – Whatcha Gonna Wear Tomorrow
Detroit Emeralds – So Long
First time around I had this LP, I remember getting it at Fantasyland Records in Atlanta. I’d just started really getting into collecting vinyl and was starting to seek out all the vinyl spots around the city. Being a fan of Funkadelic and knowing that they recorded on the Westbound label, I picked up this record but remember being a little disappointed by it when I got home. Months later when I was doing Soul Kitchen (which now is a weekly show, used to be a monthly thing in my day), I’d thrown this into my crate as something I hadn’t played before and actually gave the various cuts a better listen. Whatever weak feelings I had dropped away once I heard the drum break on “You’re Getting A Little Too Smart” which remains one of my all-time favorites.
It wasn’t until several years later that I tracked down a copy of “Funky Worm” from the Ohio Players on 45 and recognized the same drum break leading off the song (the LP version of “Funky Worm” is a breakless wonder).
This leads me to believe that the Ohio Players were backing up the Detroit Emeralds. Judging from the sound of I’m In Love With You, this seems possible. From the sound of the horns to the drums on other tracks, such as “Watcha Gonna Wear Tomorrow” and “So Long”, it sure seems like it could be the Ohio Players. What’s really funny is that the 45 version of “You’re Getting A Little Too Smart” does NOT have the drum break on it!
This is the kind of stuff that just drives DJs absolutely crazy. For the life of me, I can’t understand why labels would take out the breaks on some recordings. I could understand coming up with radio versions of tracks, but a lot of times the break is only a few extra seconds, but man do those extra seconds make a difference. In this case, one is a bit slower than the other, this Emeralds’ LP version also is a lot longer than the “Funky Worm” 45 version…either way I suppose we all win.
Cheers,
Michael