'70s soul and funk

shmoo · **Posted:** Wed Feb 28, 2007 10:55 pm

Any recommendations? I love a lot of '60s soul and proto-funk, but am not too familiar with the '70s stuff. Here's what I do have:

some Parliament compilation
Marvin Gaye What's Going On
a bunch of Stevie Wonder albums
James Brown Revolution of the Mind
Curtis Mayfield Superfly
some comps from '60s artists that include some early '70s stuff (Sly & The Family Stone, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, Four Tops)

What else should I check out? I obviously know a lot of the hits from artists like the Spinners, O'Jays, Delfonics, Ohio Players, etc. Any specific recs?

shiv · **Posted:** Wed Feb 28, 2007 11:05 pm

war me and baby brother

Code:

http://www.mediafire.com/?1jqnxym4mwh

thisotherkingdom · **Posted:** Wed Feb 28, 2007 11:06 pm

Joe Tex

billy g · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 1:41 pm **Posts:** 9020

Some of these might be late 60's:

Curtis Mayfield (Any but esp. "Superfly" & S/T)
Donny Hathaway (Any but esp. "Everything is Everything" & "Extension of a Man")
Gil Scott Heron (Any but esp. "Pieces of A Man")
Terry Callier ("What Color Is Love", "I Just Can't Help Myself", "Occasional Rain")
Eugene McDaniels "Headless Heroes of the Apocolypse"/"Outlaw"
Baby Huey "The Living Legend: The Baby Huey Story"
Syreeta S/T/"Stevie Wonder Presents..."
Lots of Good Aretha Franklin stuff from the early 70's
Ruby Andrews "The Zodiac Sessions"
Betty Davis - pretty much anything by her
Nite Liters "K Jee"
Sir Joe Quarterman & Free Soul
Isaac Hayes "Hot Buttered Soul"/"Shaft"/"Black Moses"
More JB: "The Payback"/"Hell"
Cymande "The Message"
Minnie Ripperton "Perfect Angel"/"Adventures in Paradise"
Leon Thomas - anything
LeRoy Hutson - S/T
The Meters - any of the early albums
Voices of East Harlem "Right on Be Free"
Joe Bataan - anything
The Watts 103rd Street Rhythmn Band - anything and everything
Tommie Young "Do You Still Feel the Same Way"
Gloria Scott "What Am I Gonna Do"
Labi Siffre "Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying"
Jackson Sisters S/T
Isley Brothers "3x3"

shmoo · **Posted:** Wed Feb 28, 2007 11:29 pm

billy g Wrote:

<snip>

Was waiting for you.

Already got Superfly. Pieces of a Man is awesome, streamed it via Napster yesterday. Also listened to Extensions of a Man on Napster yesterday and wasn't blown away, but I was doing other things at the time.

I'll check out some of the others, including Joe Tex and the War mp3 shiv posted.

billy g · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 1:41 pm **Posts:** 9020

More on the pop side, Al Green's early 70's secular recordings and the O'Jays

Eddie Bo is all kinds of awesome but was mostly late 60's....still check him out.

That Jackson Sisters is amazing. I bought it on a whim a couple of months ago and was blown away.

the general tip would be to initially stick to the the pre disco years. There's still good soul available in the late 70's but you've got to hunt more for it.

Also figure out what type of soul fan you are, before you dig too deep. Do you prefer the motown singles that are great but are really very pop oriented and formuliac? or the dirtier, funkier stuff? the southern torch songs that are heavily rooted in country? or soul that crosses over into jazz? or the smooth and mellow Harmony soul groups? People tend to have distinct preferences even if they like a little of everything. For me, the poppier stuff is probably my least favorite, which is probably why Al Green was almost an afterthought even though he's a total stud.

billy g · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 1:41 pm **Posts:** 9020

shmoo Wrote:

billy g Wrote:

<snip>

Also listened to Extensions of a Man on Napster yesterday and wasn't blown away, but I was doing other things at the time.

It's definitely a grower, especially his arrangements.

Twilightkid · **Posted:** Wed Feb 28, 2007 11:45 pm

i just picked up, Sly & the Family Stone Anthology..

found a book at work dedicated to the history of funk...gonna plow through it this weekend for some future consideration pick ups.

Elvis Fu · **Posted:** Thu Mar 01, 2007 12:18 am

It really depends on how you're defining funk, but the Funkadelic's s/t & Maggot Brain are pretty damn badass.

I second the Isley Bros 3+3, Isaac Hayes and Curtis Mayfield. I also like War, but if you're a lyrics guy don't expect much.

I enjoy that Rhino 4-disc set that came out this year, but that's probably not the direction you're looking to go in right now.

Elvis Fu · **Posted:** Thu Mar 01, 2007 12:21 am

I have no idea album-wise, but I'll be goddamned if Dazz Band's "Let It Whip" isn't incredible.

e-stone · **Posted:** Thu Mar 01, 2007 2:29 am

shuggie otis - inspiration information is pretty great.

i second that rhino box set that fu mentioned....though it starts in the late 60's. what it is! funky soul and rare grooves.

jewels santana · **Joined:** Thu Nov 04, 2004 2:36 pm **Posts:** 10198

don't be affraid of comps, as funk was often a 45 medium

this is a good one

http://www.stonesthrow.com/records/sth2038.html

and this is a great intro into James Browns dirtiest period

Make It Funky - The Big Payback

Finch Platte · **Posted:** Thu Mar 01, 2007 2:57 am

I have Vols. 4 and 8 of Soul Hits Of the 70s- Didn't It Blow Your Mind! and there's some fun stuff on them:

Vol. 4

1. Pay to the Piper- Chairmen Of The Board
2. Groove Me- King Floyd
3. Somebody's Watching You- Little Sister
4. Sly, Slick, and the Wicked- The Lost Generation
5. Chairman of the Board- Chairmen Of the Board
6. Deeper & Deeper- Freda Payne
7. Precious, Precious- Jackie Moore
8. Heavy Makes You Happy (Sha-Na-Boom-Boom)- The Staple Singers
9. Proud Mary- Ike & Tina
10. I Love You for All Seasons- The Fuzz
11. (For God's Sake) Give More Power to the People- the Chi-Lites
12. Right on the Tip of My Tongue- Brenda & The Tabulations

Vol. 8

1. I Gotcha- Joe Tex
2. Day I Found Myself- Honey Cone
3. I'll Take You There- The Staple Singers
4. Do Your Thing- Issac Hayes
5. Troglodyte (Cave Man)- the Jimmy Castor Bunch
6. Lean on Me- Bill Withers
7. I've Been Lonely for So Long- Frederick Knight
8. Too Late to Turn Back Now- Cornelius Bros & Sister Rose
9. (If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right- Luther Ingram
10. Power of Love- Joe Simon
11. Don't Ever Be Lonely (A Poor Little Fool Like Me)- Cornelius Bros & Sister Rose
12. Back Stabbers- O'Jays

I can burn these for you if you'd like to hear 'em.

PopTodd · **Posted:** Thu Mar 01, 2007 10:19 am

Funkadelic - One Nation Under A Groove and Cosmic Slop
Al Green - (all I have is Greatest Hits, but that's some essential shit. Maybe someone else can make proper album recs for you.)

And Staple Singers is always great. Good call.

Elvis Fu · **Posted:** Thu Mar 01, 2007 11:32 am

I also made this mix a while back. The second half is probably not quite what you're looking for, but oh well. If I had a copy put together, I would upload it. I think it died in the harddrive fire of aught-five, though.

PopTodd · **Posted:** Thu Mar 01, 2007 11:44 am

Elvis Fu Wrote:

I also made this mix a while back. The second half is probably not quite what you're looking for, but oh well. If I had a copy put together, I would upload it. I think it died in the harddrive fire of aught-five, though.

Nice tracklist.

shmoo · **Posted:** Thu Mar 01, 2007 12:19 pm

Wow, thanks for all the recs guys! Some of I already have/know/was considering, but looks really good. I'm going to be running Napster overtime.

I'm <sniff> so proud of this thread.

paladisiac · **Posted:** Thu Mar 01, 2007 12:56 pm

shiv Wrote:

war me and baby brother

good song

billy g · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 1:41 pm **Posts:** 9020

jewels santana Wrote:

don't be affraid of comps, as funk was often a 45 medium

this is a good one

http://www.stonesthrow.com/records/sth2038.html

That's a good one

This is the single greatest soul comp I own. It's out of print I think but Turntable Lab must own a lot of copies because they're now selling it for $5. Anyone who doesn't have it should get it.

I'd also note that about 85-90% of what's been recommended here is soul including almost all of mine. If you really have equal interest in Funk (most people don't), that opens up a whole bunch of other stuff to consideration. Like if Fu and Shiv like War, they should check out Mandrill.

jewels santana · **Joined:** Thu Nov 04, 2004 2:36 pm **Posts:** 10198

billy g Wrote:

That's a good one

This is the single greatest soul comp I own. It's out of print I think but Turntable Lab must own a lot of copies because they're now selling it for $5. Anyone who doesn't have it should get it..

yeah, that's a great one.

Elvis Fu · **Posted:** Thu Mar 01, 2007 1:09 pm

I think I have a few Mandrill songs, and I'm pretty sure I threw some in my Dusty Groove want list.

Even though I heard them way too much in college, you can always fit the Meters into this list of rec's.

Radcliffe · **Posted:** Thu Mar 01, 2007 1:13 pm

shmoo Wrote:

I'm <sniff> so proud of this thread.

Obner's had a little bit of practice for it.

http://www.obner.org/bb/viewtopic.php?t=24847&start=0
http://www.obner.org/bb/viewtopic.php?t=26131
http://www.obner.org/bb/viewtopic.php?t=18763&start=0
http://www.obner.org/bb/viewtopic.php?t=23215

e-stone · **Posted:** Thu Mar 01, 2007 1:47 pm

billy g Wrote:

This is the single greatest soul comp I own. It's out of print I think but Turntable Lab must own a lot of copies because they're now selling it for $5. Anyone who doesn't have it should get it.

i'm this close to blindly pulling the trigger on this because i trust the billy g so much. i wish there was somewhere i could listen to samples first. the line between the soul i like and the soul i can't stand is very fine.

Elvis Fu · **Posted:** Thu Mar 01, 2007 1:51 pm

Should I paypal you the $5 you bastard.

jewels santana · **Joined:** Thu Nov 04, 2004 2:36 pm **Posts:** 10198

elephantstone Wrote:

i wish there was somewhere i could listen to samples first.

like the wu tang clan?

'70s soul and funk

Who is online