Mallia Franklin featuring Junie Morrison – Buzzards

A tribute post to two great members of the P-Funk family – George Everett Clinton Jr. (aka Georgie aka George Clinton III), and Mallia Franklin.

George Everett Clinton Jr. – George Clinton’s son – I knew well from time I spent with P-Funk in the mid to late nineties, some people call him Georgie C. George Clinton’s children like Georgie, Barbarella, Sean, and also the infamous TreyLewd (Tracy) – http://www.myspace.com/treylewd – always have looked out for me like I am a member of the Clinton family. Such beautiful people.

I remember Georgie’s wide smile, and constant lectures at me, as I was a young buck at the time. Georgie’s got plenty of his own music, and I know there’s more to come out – you can check his group out here on MySpace – http://www.myspace.com/gc3andpfunkfamily.

Georgie – you are sorely missed. Prayers go out to the entire Clinton family, George Sr., and especially George Jr.’s daughter, the talented rapper and vocalist Sativa Diva – seen on stage with P-Funk quite a bit, who I urge you to earpeep over here - http://www.myspace.com/sativadiva

Rest in P-Funk, Georgie.

Unfortunately the news came down Monday, after George had celebrated a really successful 2010 Grammys. I’ll get more to the Grammy performance in a minute.

Later in the week, on February 5th, the amazing Mallia Franklin, a long time member of Parliament / Funkadelic, also passed on after suffering for a quite a while in ill health. For heads who don’t know, she’s the lady who put two and two together in the early 1970’s and said hey George, you gotta check out Bootsy, and vice a versa. Without her urging to get the two linked up, who knows if the P-Funk union would have ever gotten as strong as it needed to be.

Mallia recorded an album in the early 80’s with luminary members P-Funk of such as Eddie Hazel, Garry Shider, Junie Morrison, Richard ‘Kush’ Griffith (who we’ve written about here on Earfuzz a few times). The album is called Funken Tersepter (read review / credits here) – it only surfaced as a rare Japanese import in 1995.

I am a HUGE fan of Ohio Players original member Junie Morrison, and his solo work. As you likely know Junie’s solo records on Westbound are epic (like check the vocoder laden Super J (can’t find it on Youtube) or Suzie Thundertussy)!

Well, Mallia also helped bring Junie to the P-Funk camp in the late 70’s – around 77/78, I believe. Again, she’s a keystone connector for P-Funk.

At the top of the post, I’m including a jam off this hard to find import, ‘Buzzards’, which has Junie totally rocking out with his trademark synth riffs from ‘Knee Deep’ – he penned the jam too, and provides the buzzardly raptastic skeezoid character hitting on the women here in this song. ‘Buzzards’ – you know the song is about the dudes at the club creeping up on you ladies Jersey Shore style.

Also, right here on YouTube is another amazing jam from the record ‘Rat-A-Tat-Tat‘ – P-Funk’s legendary guitarist Eddie Hazel just rips through the entire song! Then you get the Horny Horns! Including Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, Richard “Kush” Griffith – there’s a great horn break down at 2:25 in, followed by an Eddie solo right after it! Jerry Jones is the drummer credited, I don’t know anything about him, but his blaps and fills just hit here. Check ‘Rat-A-Tat-Tat’ right here!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Besides her solo work with P-Funk, Mallia Franklin was a member of Parlet, one of P-Funk’s two female groups, the other being the Brides of Funkenstein. Mallia talks here about how she got started in Parlet.

Click here to view the embedded video.

According album credits, Mallia didn’t go beyond the 1st Parlet album, ‘The Pleasure Principle’, but she’s been around P-Funk forever and never left. However, I think she is on the follow up Parlet records though. This is a great re-do of P-Funk’s Fuzzy Haskins’ ‘Cookie Jar’ for that same 1978 Parlet album, and you can hear Mallia shine through on the vocal solos right in here.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Anyways, Mallia has a site up on the web you should visit – http://www.malliafranklin.com/ – and for some reason I can’t copy and past her bio up in here – so please read it. You’ll dig much deeper into the history of her importance in the P-Funk story, and work with other artists.

Rest in P-Funk Mallia, thanks for the funk!

So yeah, a bummer of a week for the funk, but it was preceeded by a whole lot of optimistic funking for 2010.

The Friday following the week, I did make it down from San Francisco to see George Clinton & P-Funk rock it at the Friends and Family / Rock the Vote Pre-Grammy Party. I mean, talk about Funkentelechy! I was driving around Hollywood trying to figure out what in the heck was going on – I had been in LA on work stuff, not really as some Grammy star or anything like that. I got a call from George’s manager Carlon Scott, to come through The Roosevelt Hotel. I made it there just in time to sync up with George and then the rest of the family. Like JUST IN THE NICK of time. I joined the amazing TreyLewd, George’s son, who I’ve collaborated with over the years.

TreyLewd was joined by his son (of course George Clinton’s funky grandson too!) Trafael Lewis. For heads who don’t know, Trafael is having a successful run as the band leader of God’s Weapon, an LA based rock and metal band. I hear they’ve been selling out the Whisky A Go Go in Los Angeles. Check them out here – http://www.myspace.com/godsweapon

I admit I missed Mayer Hawthorne and Estelle perform at this Pre-Grammy jam on the Paramount studios lot. I was too hung up in the midst of catching up with the P-Funk family. In order for giant bands like P-Funk to make things happen in the days where two guys with laptops can show up for gigs and get the same money (not knocking it, but saying right?), George relies on his network of musicians he’s created over the years in local places, so travel costs can be kept down etc. instead of flying everybody around.

So this LA band George had pulled together was lean and mean : the talented Foley on drums, Amp Fiddler was handling bass synth, Greg Thomas (usually a horn man) and Donnie West on keys (Donnie is from Sly Stone’s latest group), TreyLewd and Ricky Rouse on guitars. On vocals, you had the souful Steve Boyd handling leads with George, Frankie Kash Waddy, Kim Manning, Diane Gordon and the talented Val Young along with Trafael. I had never really been aware of Val Young before (bio here), but man when I went digging for her Rick James produced records, I was quite pleased. Apparently, Val is also an original Brides of Funkenstein member. Check out ‘Mind Games’ from Val Young’s first solo LP, ‘Seduction’:

Click here to view the embedded video.

I’m looking for a real review of this Pre-Grammy show – but it was a lean mean set. I mean they came in with ‘Cosmic Slop’!?! That sounded like such an epic start considering we had just had the fluff of Estelle’s ‘American Boy’ about 20 minutes earlier. ‘Flashlight’ and ‘One Nation’ followed. I do really think it was a 4 song set from what I remember, tight, and uber danceable.

I got in there myself for ‘Atomic Dog’ – yerp. I mean I didn’t bring my Flip Video camera! Again, this was like a last minute into the jam for me! Oh well… I mean, I thought in this world of Flickr + YouTube, that I would be able to find more pictures and videos of this!

George was on point at the Grammy’s before all the unfortunate news came down this week .. I know they got some shots of him happy in the audience watching T-Pain’s performance. Here are a few interviews with George from the red carpet.

George with Nick Cannon on Haiti and Sly Stone …

Click here to view the embedded video.

George talks about the show, and who he’s excited to see perform ..

Click here to view the embedded video.

Tommy Mcgee: Come On and We Ought To Be Together

From: Positive Negative [MTMG, 197?]

In our typical understated and in no way unorganised manner, Ear Fuzz actually passed the five year anniversary over the past week. It seems like only yesterday when I closed down my own blog and moved here but over that period we’ve had numerous site breakdowns, been taken offline for a month, made lots of friends, had some harmless ebeef, changed colour and style about thirty times and also, with any luck, shared some great music with you all.

I don’t want to go all Gwyneth on here but I do feel that the following people have to be acknowledged as without them the site wouldn’t be where it is today. So shouts out to those who have since moved on including the originator DJ Maru (who has his own site now in case you haven’t checked), Killermike, dtglass, MattW, floodwatch and G10947. Also thanks as always to those who are still contributing, btieman, chuckdafonk, dane, Independent J, Kevin and of course Still Life who has been here since day one and is still going strong.

Damn it, I promised myself I wouldn’t cry.

Anyway, I don’t want to waste any more of your time reminiscing so how about some music to reward you for sitting patiently through my ramblings? Kind of appropriate that I won’t even try and pretend that I have ever even been in the same county as the record I posted today but I just feel like I have to share its brilliance with you.

Tommy McGee is a total enigma to me regarding where he came from, what he did before this release, what he did afterwards, and where he is now. I’ve been unable to find out anything about the guy beyond this one album and can only think that if you were told you had just eight tracks to leave an impression on the msuical world you’d be hard pushed to top this.

As readers of the site will know (and my lastfm profile will confirm) I’m a big sucker for falsetto soul especially when it’s entwined with lush string led southern soul production that wraps you in aural silk.

Come On is a fantastic slow burner with Tommy delivering a lyrical seduction over a hi-records style mixture of strings and slightly urgent percussion. One of those true growers where you only realise quite how good it is when it ends and you click play again, and again, and again.

We Ought To Be Together is even more southern with a lovely descending bass line and great use of hand claps. As with Come On and, in fact, the whole album, I love love love the understated nature of these tracks. There’s no in your face look at how great I am showboating, Tommy’s vocals down this is all abouty the art of seduction in the sweetest style imaginable.

All the above helps explain why this album goes for such serious loot, last check had it going for well over $1000.

Shout out and eternal gratitude to DJ Supreme for sharing this album from his personal crates.

Oscar Brown, Jr.: A Dime Away from A Hotdog
From:Movin on [Atlantic, 1972]

Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers: Bustin’ Loose
From:Bustin’ Loose [Source Records, 1979]

Phirpo Y Sus Caribes: Comencemos
From: Parilla Caliente [Phillips, 1973]

Bobby Pauneto: El Senor Sid
From: El Sonido Morderno [Mardi Gras, 196?]

Bobby Hutcherson feat. Harold Land : Goin’ Down South
From: San Francisco [Blue Note, 1970]

Max Roach: January V
From: M’Boom [Columbia, 1979]

Back with an odds and sods post today though be assured that this has been handpicked for that EarFuzz seal of quality and all tracks are suitably fantastic.

I’ve been thinking about putting together a post on Gil Scott Heron to mark the release of his new album next month and, while flicking through the collection, suddenly remembered about Mr Oscar Brown, Jr. , an artist who could be said to have covered some of the similar ground as Scott Heron in his own work, particularly his early compositions which had a serious focus on what it was to be an African-American. Movin’ On, released just over ten years after his debut solo LP, Sin & Soul (well worth checking out in itself) may not be Brown’s most political work but is an undeniably enjoyable listen with some great tracks, the pick being A Dime Away From A Hotdog. Both funky and a message song, this has Brown delivering his tale over some wah wah bass and chorusing trumpets. Good stuff.

Moving on (see what I did there?) we have Godfather of Go-go Chuck Brown’s Bustin’ Loose off the 1979 album of the same name. Nothing complicated going on here, just a great groove, a rhythm and brass section dripping in funk and Chuck proclaiming his need to bust loose over the top. Perfect. Just seen that it’s the Washington National’s baseball team’s home run tune so no doubt widely known.  Oh well, I’ll post it anyway for us non Americans/fans of baseball. Can’t imagine anything quite that funky playing at a premiership football match anytime soon.

Next up is a Latin track by Phirpo Y Sus Caribes. I can’t claim to know diddly squat about the Latin music scene but the album was posted in a recent music exchange and this particular track, Comencemos, is so damn good I couldn’t resist posting it. One of the catchiest horn and basslines I’ve heard in ages the track just rolls and rolls and rolls and would probably make me do things I would later regret on a dancefloor. Just noticed that this has been reissued as a 7″ on Soundway. Will be picking up shortly.

Wait what? More Latin? Yep, my knowledge may be lacking but picking out tracks like this is like shooting fish in a barrel. El Senor Sid by Bobby Paureto starts off in the most unassuming way before you get what is almost an amen breakbeat which sets the scene for the pure salsa fever that follows. The kind of track that makes me pity myself for not knowing more about the scene.

Next up, we’re entering Jazz territory with the stunning collaboration between Bobby Hutcherson and Harold Land, Goin’ Down South, off their San Francisco LP. Little more than a rolling hook the undeniable groove sets the scene for Land’s laid back accompaniment and Hutcherson’s insane soloing. I’ve loved this track for so long it almost feels a bit strange having to explain it. Just listen and judge for yourself but this absolutely does it for me.

Last up we have January V by Max Roach’s M’Boom. No bassline hook here, no face melting open break, just a sublimely beautiful piece of jazz which seems to drift across the senses slowing everything to a standstill for the three and a half minute duration. Featuring such names as Joe Chambers among the players this is truly music that sounds like it’s been touched by angels.

Blockhead: Which One Of You Jerks Drank My Arnold Palmer
From: The Music Scene [Ninja Tune, 2010]

Blockhead: Night Light (Instrumental)
From: Music By Cavelight (Bonus Disc) [Ninja Tune, 2004]

Blockhead: Dough
From: Broke Beats [Mush, 2001]

While I don’t return to it as often as I could, there was a time when I felt that Aesop Rock’s Labor Days was just about the single freshest slice of hip-hop I had ever heard. Aesop’s harsh rasp and signature stream of consciousness expulsions are certainly what initially distinguished the record to me, but a large part of its sustained listen-ability I feel is due to the man behind the boards, Blockhead. I might go so far as to say that the fact that Labor Days is their only full-length collaboration is related to the fact that Aesop’s subsequent material has never quite surpassed this initial benchmark in my mind.

The Music Scene is the third full-length instrumental solo offering Blockhead has produced for Ninja Tune, and it sees him elaborating on the contemplative boom bap that characterized his previous albums. The beats contained here don’t leave any room for vocalists, but aren’t overly busy either. Most end in a different place than they began, which suits the cinematic quality of the music. The production is still loop based (see the nice Small Faces grab in the above track), but movement is added through more subtle techniques than subtracting and re-adding layers.

To add a little bit of context, I added one of my favorite of Blockhead’s rap instrumentals, taken from the b-side of Aesop Rock’s “Daylight” 12″, and a beat from the break record he did with Mush in 2001. Both bang in their own right, especially “Night Light,” thought the difference between these and tracks which were meant to stand on their own as instrumentals is significant.

Blockhead will be performing in NYC at the Mercury Lounge on February 5th. The Music Scene is out now.

Kings Go Forth: One Day

From: The Outsiders Are Back [Luaka Bop, 2010]

Holy hell. This just dropped into my inbox and shook every single January cobweb out of my head. From the upcoming Kings Go Forth’s debut album, The Outsiders Are Back, this is an absolutely fantastic slice of soulful funk. Like something transported right out of my private mind garden the track has it all -  from the relentlessly driving rhythm section, to the horns, to the soaring vocals, to the breakdown, everything clicks. Excuse the gushing but this is something a bit special indeed.

Co-founded by Lotus Land record shop owner Andy Noble and veteran singer Black Wolf the album is also going to feature artwork by Ear Fuzz favourite Mingering Mike. Talk about ticking all the right boxes.

You can find out more about the artists and their release date here.

What a way to start the weekend.

Lou Ragland: Understand Each Other and The Next World

From: Is Conveyor [SMH, 1977]

So, been a while since I popped up with a music post but my fellow fuzzers? Fuzzists? have put up some sterling posts. Please do not sleep on the treasures on offer on the site, some stunning music in the last month alone.
On a positive note we now appear to be over the worst of the move from blogger to wordpress though drop me a line if you think something is still not right. One issue I am aware of is that the response/comment box link on the post is currently very small which I can only assume is the reason why people aren’t leaving comments left right and centre. Don’t be shy, mi casa es su casa and all that. Another plus point is that we’re now leaving songs up longer for you to get your mitts on because we’re that wonderful. Really, we are.

Anyway, on to the music and another shamefully hard to grab release, Lou Ragland Is Conveyor. An artist whose recording career started in the mid sixties, Ragland was already an old hand of the industry by the end of the decade, having been both a vice president of a record label (SARU Records) and a producer of the acts. Ragland then went on to form the first of his record labels and release his Hot Chocolate LP with the band of the same name. Not to be confused with the Errol Brown group of the same name, Ragland’s work was decidedly more funky.

Never stopping still Ragland then moved on and created a whole new label, SMH which is where he released the subject of today’s post, Is Conveyor. An album put together with the confidence and skill of someone who has earnt their place in the recording studio, it offers up a mixture of late seventies funk and smoother grooves which is just, for want of a better word, fantastic.

Understand Each Other starts off with a great descending guitar and organ line over drums before settling into six plus minutes of absolute top drawer soul music. The strangest thing about a track like this is that it’s so spot on, so polished, so obviously a classic of the genre that it boggles the mind to think that it’s rare as hell to get a hold off.

The Next World is more of that good shit. The funkier side of Ragland including organ stabs and semi psychedelic lyrics, it’s another great example of (a) what a talent this man has and (b) the absolute insanity that this hasn’t be reissued for the wider public’s consumption.

Don’t delay, listen today and respect the architect that is Ragland. Fantastic front cover too.

Funky Louie

Black on White Affair: Bold Soul Sister, Bold Soul Brother

Mister Holmes and the Brotherhood: Thrift Store Find

The Overton Berry Trio: Hey Jude

There’s something about music from the Pacific Northwest.  It’s got this slightly weird bent almost disconnected vibe from everywhere else.  Which might explain why it’s been the home to Jimmy Hendrix, Louie Louie, Sir Mix-A-Lot and the Grunge scene which was much weirder than it got credit for post Nirvana Blow Up.

This compilation has some of the most killer straight up funk jams and jazz twists I’ve heard in awhile.  My favorite band on the compilation is easily The Black and White Affair.  I originally heard their version of Auld Lang Syne which is also on the comp.  On their version the song starts off slow and somber and then subtly turns into a straight funk jam.  I had to include Bold Soul Sister, Bold Soul Brother in the post though because its actually got some real vocals too it.  The drums are straight up precision and that wail makes anything sound slick.  The Black on White Affair made it all the way down to Southern California performing in and around the clubs, putting together a few recordings but never full achieving much in the way of mainstream success.  Damn shame theres not more.

At first when I heard the clapping and the little bass groove I was reading maybe doing something else, then the little snare kicks and the piano and all of a sudden the realization it was a Beatles cover.  Better than the original in my opinion.  A little Bit of the Beatles a little bit of Vince Guaraldi equals a whole lot of Overton Berry.  He’s still recording today and from what I gather still playing occasionally in Seattle.  Straight up just solid funk jazz fusion.

Mister Holmes and the Brotherhood is like perfect soundtrack material.  Its like the perfect downtempo leadup to something ominous on the horizon.  Creeping dirty guitar licks.  This is as sparse as funk gets.

This whole compilation is full of awesome amazing songs from artists who may have never recorded anything else.  Its a lot like many of the numero compilations that have come out in the past year and is just as worthy of a listen.

Willie Mitchell 1928-2010 Teddy Pendergrass 1950-2010

It seems I only pop up on here at the moment to mark the sad passing of another legend but while I had held off as long as possible I felt I had to post something to reflect the passing of both Willie Mitchell and Teddy Pendergrass.

Two extremely different artists, both men have soundtracked some of the most romantic and downright dirty moments of my life. This isn’t in anyway trying to cheapen their music, Teddy’s solo work was well versed on the art of seduction and heartbreak (that voice!) and Mitchell’s instantly recognisable sound was the perfect accompaniment to Green’s sexual growls and Peeble’s strident voice amog many others.

There’s been some great tributes to Mitchell on our blog list over the last week and I expect something similar for Pendergrass so I’ll leave you for now with a couple of youtube clips after the jump that sums up their talent. Back with some hopefully happier posts shortly.

Willie Mitchell

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Teddy Pendergrass

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Bobby Boyd Congress: Straight Ahead
From: S/T [Okapi, 1971]

Fire: Flames
From: Could You Understand Me [Estrella Rockera, 1973

Yuya Uchida and the Flowers: Intruder
From: Challenge [Sony, 2007]

Petalouda: What You Can Do In Your Life
From: V/A- Psych Funk 101 [World Psychedelic Funk Classics, 2009]

The Deviants: Fire In the City
From: Disposable [101 Distribution, 2009]

Neoton: Nora
From: V/A- Well Hung: Funk Rock Eruptions from Beneath Communist Hungary, Vol.1 [ Finders Keepers, 2009]

I know it’s already been close to two weeks since we kicked off the New Year, but I wanted to wish you all a Happy New Year. Here’s to more scores of wax in 2010 that will make your head spin. I realize I haven’t been posting very often on here, but I’ve been spending most of my time listening to new and old tunes.  You may recall that I posted a compilation of Funk From All Over the World earlier in the year.  The tunes that I am presenting to you today are the second part to this ongoing series of psychedelic funk relics from all over the world.  I have to warn you ahead of time that these tunes are so addictive that you might start to shake when you haven’t received your daily funk intake.  

Instead of inundating you with an in-depth analysis of these tracks, I will present you with quick takes on each track.  The music will undoubtedly speak for itself. 

Let’s bring in the new year with a double-shot espresso of funk that will have you reaching for the repeat button on your stereo.

First off is a slammin’ funk monster from the Bobby Boyd Congress called “Straight Ahead”.  This track is the deep funk that gets under your skin and makes you feel dirty afterwards.  The next track called “Flames” is from a Yugoslavian psych rock band called Fire.  This is the longest track of the bunch at 9:00, and it features numerous breaks that have been used in old-school joints that aren’t coming to my mind right now. If any of you recognize where these breaks have been used, please don’t hesitate to share the wealth.  This is a fuzz-inflected psych rock behemoth that literally pummels your mind.  Next is Yuya Uchida and the Flowers’ “Intruder” which features a funky psych backdrop coupled with hair raising vocals that are reminiscent of Casa Nostra.  

Petalouda’s “What You Can Do in Your Life” is one of the most amazing tracks I have heard in quite some time.  It starts with a deceiving slow tempo and then builds up to a midtempo groover with vocals that recall Grace Slick singing in Greek.  After this, I felt that The Deviants ”Fire In the City”  fit this mix perfectly with a groovy 70’s sound that seems  like something that Madlib would sample on one of his Beat Konducta compilations.  Last but definitely not least is the fantastic track called “Nora” from the Well Hung compilation.  It has a couple drum breaks in it with groovin’ organ and a latin tinged sound that gets you moving.  Phew… I’m sweating right now as I listen to these funky, funky jams.

The next Anatomy of a Sample is on deck, but for now enjoy these funky jams.

Anyone else psyched about the return of the lovely Sade? [new album drops: 2.8.2010]

Sade: Soldier of Love
From: Soldier of Love [Epic, 2010]

I’m a long-time fan, and, the new single doesn’t disappoint. It retains her patented smooth and adds some nice trip hop elements. Pure class. Aging gracefully. Hard to believe she’s 50!

On a semi-related note: I’d like to devote some Earfuzz time this year to exploring our favorite women on the mic. To narrow the focus a bit, I’m thinking MC’s: Da Brat. Missy. Trina. MC Lyte. MIA. etc.

Readers, any votes/suggestions? I’d really like to get into this a bit.