I’ve been meaning to write a post about how the digital dj’ing age has completely changed my relationship to vinyl, particularly the acquisition part. I’ll get to that later because it definitely doesn’t mean that digging ceases. Our relationship has evolved but it’s still going strong. Today it was Death Valley outside and I was getting stir crazy from cowering in the A.C. so I ventured out hoping that I wouldn’t suffer heat stroke. Fortunately one of my most reliable spots is close to my house and it yielded some nice treats. And that was after passing up a crate’s worth of joints that would have been mandatory purchases in the pre-digital days.
Eddie Kendricks – Goin’ Up In Smoke (LP)
Airto – The Essential… Airto featuring Flora Purim & Special Friends (LP) countdown to Brasil…
Levert – I Get Hot (LP) jheri curl fonk overload!!
David Ruffin – Everything’s Coming Up Love (LP)
Janet Jackson – Control (12″) with acapella!
Stacy Lattisaw – Sneakin’ Out (LP) personnel include Narada Michael Walden, Randy Jackson and Sheila E.
The Ramsey Lewis Trio – Upendo Ni Pamoja (LP)
Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam – Lost In Emotion (12″)
Edwin Starr – Contact/Don’t Waste Your Time (12″)
Paul and Linda McCartney – Ram (LP)
I’m sure you meant “Kendricks”, but I thought I’d mention that it’s spelled “Hendricks” regardless 😉
Did you know that Kendricks’s 1972 album “People… Hold On” was the first LP with Motown connections that didn’t feature The Funk brothers as the backing band? I mention this because the band Eddie selected was from DC….known as the “Young Senators”. They released a number of solo singles including “Jungle” which Black Heat later used on their first LP.
Corrected.
A real digger comes through and drops knowledge.
“People… Hold On” gets weekly rotation on the Ipod. “Change of Mind” has to be one of the most slept on Motown singles ever. The Young Senators were considered the first go-go band by some. You could definitely hear a difference between that LP and most other Motown albums.
In the go-go circuits, the Young Senators are often referred to as “The Emperors of go-go”, where as Chuck Brown get’s the title of “Godfather”, “Father”, etc. There are very few writings on this subject, but you ought to check out the book “The Beat: Go-Go’s Fusion of Funk and Hip-Hop” by Kip Lornell & Charles C. Stephenson Jr…..it gives some great insight into the world of go-go. The clubs during the early to late 70s had been given the title of “go-gos” and since Chuck was such a desirable booking for so many of them, he(and the group) were eventually known as the go-go band. When Chuck directed his percussion to stay in the pocket at all times, the eventuality of solos (that became longer and longer)led to people getting down between songs, during that percussive break with maybe minimal horns, bass, and eventually encouragement by Chuck to get the crowd moving. Much like how hip hop DJs originally utilized the raw breaks to get people dancing, Go-go music had the same appeal. Stripped down, raw beats got people moving. Truth be told, the Young Senators and many other groups like Aggression, Scacy and the sound Service, Brute etc. had been playing the club circuit too with heavy percussive elements, but YS left with Eddie Kendricks, and the others faded into the background where-as Chuck continued to get more gigs and push the sound he so loved.
I will definitely look forward to that post because I find myself at concerts watching DJs mess around with their laptops and getting…nostalgic. I know that’s the way of the world now but I miss these days
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qtjdb4oPqw
Dropped some serious knowledge there. Learned something new. “The Beat: Go-Go’s Fusion of Funk and Hip-Hop” is on my books to read list.
you are a progressive/brave soul, still picking up the records. i went to DJ Hut earlier this summer and picked up a few joints, felt good to be back in an actual record store, almost therapeutic. plus, it’s great to learn about new music (found this joint that they were playing in-store: Ruben Blades – Plastico (Nauts Ricanstruction) http://www.downtown304.com/opussitelayout07player.cfm?oClip=45865)
i took Kip’s class at GW a few years back, he’s a great professor and well-liked by the students for sure. he taught an African-American music course and a Jazz course too I believe, not sure if he’s still at GW though.
curious to hear everyone’s thoughts about digital DJing, it’s definitely changed the relationship…
The problem I’m having now is I’m running out of room in the crib for the wax, which makes it harder to get at stuff in my collection.
Been banging those Plastico remixes for a minute. They are indeed monstrosities. Make sure you check for the Shox rub and Daz-I-Kue’s Bloodfire edit.