Back catalogue: Funk

Review: An extra special 45: Jack Costanzo's nickname Mr Bongo inspired the label's very name. One of the most prolific band leaders of his time, the drum-heavy "Jive Samba" was originally released on Tico in 1968 on his Latin Percussion With Soul album. For more percussive precocity flip for Al Escobar's take on Archie Bell & The Drells' classic northern soul anthem "Tighten Up". First released as The Modern Sound Of Al Escobar, original pressings have long since vanished or found a place in collections, making this an even more attractive release.

Review: Here's a cool concept... Originals have coupled up a funk classic and a tune that's sampled it. Cymande's chucklesomely titled "Bra" has been sampled by De La Soul, Raze, Chuck Chillout, Busy Bee and Rhythm Technicians, but it's Gang Starr who score the B-Side with their old school classic "Movin' On". Ironically that was later sampled by Chad Jackson in "Hear The Drummer Get Wicked"... This unique and highly collectable concept could go on forever!

Review: The first Island Disco 12", released earlier in the Spring, was something of a must-have for those who like their funk, soul and disco served with a healthy dollop of tropical flavour. Predictably, this second installment in the bootleg series is similarly essential. There's some Clavinet-heavy disco-soul swing in the shape of Duke's superb "Is It Groovy Now", a thrillingly percussive, Hammond-heavy boogaloo workout from Tremille & The Jamals, a frankly bizarre - but brilliant - fusion of Cajan violins and disco rhythms from Shadow, and a certified disco banger from Gerald PJ Browne (the hustlin' brilliance of "Sexy Lady"). All Killer, no filler.

Review: Juno colour vinyl exclusive ! Back in 1992, Billy Garner's "Brand New Girl" was unearthed in the vast vaults of New Day owner Dave Hamilton. He soon got it out there and it just as quickly became an instant deep funk classic. It was only a limited release, though, so it has since gone on to become much sought after and rather pricey little number. Now given a new lease of life, it sounds as vital and moving as it did back then, so is sure to remain a grail record for soul lovers everywhere. "I Got Some" (part 1) is less hard hitting, but strikes an equally impactful emotional note.

Review: Long awaited reissue of one of the most in-demand slices of soulful funk to ever grace a turntable! Kicking off with an instantly recognisable break (stand up Gangstarr!), this gritty slab of down home groove is always a big hit on the dancefloor rasping vocals and a swirling organ over fat back drums and a sinuous piano line add up to create a true classic. Originals (on the New Day label) are tough to find, and even though Billy went on to score a top ten hit with 'Super Duper Love' (recently covered by Joss Stone), practically nothing is known about him. Nothing, that is, except the fact that he did indeed get some, and wants us all to know about it.

Review: Scorching soul heat from Atlanta: once-married couple Delia Gartrell and James Shaw (best known as The Mighty Hannibal) unleashed a short-but-singeing run of 45s around the late 60s/early 70 and here are two of their hottest moments. "I Must Be Doing Something Right" comes with a belting gospel backing chorus and a nagging hook you've definitely felt before. "Fight Fire With Fire" is even hotter; fuzzy electronic guitar, orchestral backing and a staccato chorus that brings floors to their knees, this is nothing short of essential.

Review: A steel drum band cover of the JB's "Hot Pants Road"... Does this description need any more hype than that? Not really. But just in case, the Gay Philadelphians are a group from Trinidad & Tobago. They only ever released one album and these are two of the highlights. One storming cover and one steam-powered original. "Jo Jo Lo" is a shimmering slice of harmonics with an infectious hook and wonderful inclusion of chants towards the finale. Stunning stuff.

Review: In the pantheon of Marvin Gaye classics, "T Plays It Cool" is a steadfast favourite here at Juno Records. That intro, the stone cold drum fill, the monster saxophone, the subtle moog melodies, and the fact it was part of Gaye's superb soundtrack for Troubleman. A mark of its stature as a classic is the countless times it has been sampled, with Originals opting to line the flip of their latest 45 with Jazzy Jeff's chunky late '80s cut "A Touch Of Jazz". In his hands that classic lilting sax line and numerous other elements are included in a sampledelic fashion aimed at showcasing his scratching prowess.

Review: Sandy Gaye's version of Inez Foxx's 1972 funk classic "Watch The Dog (That Bring The Bone)" is suitably obscure; to date, its' only previous appearance on wax came via Jazzman's 2007 Sister Funk 2 compilation, which focused on material from "unknown soul sisters". Here Athens of the North make it available to all on 7" for the first time, allowing those who missed out to revel in its' blistering drum breaks, powerful vocals and overall dancefloor-friendly appeal. It's backed by Franciene Thomas' similarly obscure and hard-to-find "I'll Be There", a deep funk classic of the sort that Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings has been trying to recreate for the best part of the last two decades.

Review: The Gene Dudley Group's debut album, Zambidoose, included one of the highlights of Summer 2015 - a righteous, brass-heavy funk cover of Todd Terje's nu-disco anthem "Inspector Norse". Here, other tracks from that set are given a new lease of life via three new remixes. Alexander Lay-Far kicks things off, subtly turning "Do The Cookie Dough Throw" into a righteous chunk of swinging, offbeat Latin house/funk fusion. In contrast, mixing desk maestro Wrongtom delivers a booming, bass-heavy dub reggae interpretation of "Tiger Jaw", while BJ Smith goes all warm, organic and Balearic on his invitingly sunny mix of "Jackpot", complete with dreamy vocals from Anne Frankenstein.

Review: When Jazzman themselves describe a release as 'hopelessly obscure' and 'off the radar to even the most dedicated' you know you've got something special. There's a really raw rusty garage funk to both sides here; both the classic R&B swing, majestic organs and powerful vocals of "Look Out" and the sweaty instrumental frenzy "Mother Duck" instantly enrapture and make you ponder the age-old question... HOW has this gone unnoticed for so long?

Review: When it comes to delivering the dancefloor goods, Moscow-based Phil Gerus has a highly impressive track record. It was probably this, as much as anything else, that persuaded Tensnake to request a second EP from the Russian producer following last year's brilliant label debut "Make Time". Predictably, all four sneaky re-edits showcased here are fire, from from the '80s freestyle-goes-to-Europe bustle of opener "Kabary" and spacey '80s soul wriggler "Not That Kind Of Girl", to the vocoder-laden deep space brilliance of "Sudden Move", where starry chords and reverb-laden sax lines combine to create a breathtaking sliver of beat-free brilliance. Recommended.

Review: London's The Getup release their seventh release, this time for Saskatoon's' Funky Pops Records. Hammond player Mark Ashfield first met up with established funk musicians Mark Claydon (drums) and Ian Stevens (bass) and that's when the band was born. The past few years have seen them establish themselves in the national funk scene, playing many of the top venues like The Jazz Cafe and The Yardbird in Birmingham. Now they add Lee Blackmore on guitar and horns by Tristan Gaudion and Alex Harris. The Getup's sound remains firmly in the British camp - indeed they seem to have developed their own unique style and have been compared by many to an early James Taylor Quartet.

Review: Andrew Gillespie first came to our attention last year via the release of his first Gillespie & Co seven-inch, Sunshine People - a fine chunk of celebratory summer soul for sweltering afternoons and deep orange sunsets. Here he switches tack slightly, recruiting vocalist Raphaelia to sing positive lyrics over a carnival-friendly barrio-funk workout (think whistles, epic drum fills, jaunty flute solos and all manner of layered hand percussion). Turn to the flip for "Papa's Getto" [sic], a wonderfully loose, fluid and all-action instrumental version that allows Gillespie's punchy horn lines, scratchy funk guitars and stacked percussion hits a little more room to breathe.

Review: Boom: straight back to the 70s via Gloucester, Andrew Gillespie gets his wah-wahs out for the lads and his flutes out for the lasses with this powerful raw-funk jam. Super-charged with rich vocals from soul sister Raphaelia, her "good riddance to bad rubbish" vibe gives the groove that extra bit of pep before we drop into a crispy percussion break that rolls for days. Loaded with a tighter, beat-focused version from DJ Tron, this one hustles hard. The one for you.

Review: "What About The Child" by Avelino Pitts' obscure band GOLD has long been a sought-after deep funk rarity, with copies of the 1977 seven-inch single being extremely hard to come by these days. Helpfully Athens of the North's Euan Fryer knows the score and has decided to offer-up a much-needed reissue. The track is a fine slab of psychedelic soul in the vein of leading San Francisco groups of the period - Vehicle, Tower of Power and so on - with plenty of rhythmic shuffle and fine group vocals. Fryer has unearthed a gem for the flip, too: a previously unreleased cut that's on a similar sonic tip to Rotary Connection. It's worth the entrance price on its own.

Review: Mr Bongo come through with some crucial evidence that Belgium's input into the 1970s Afro Funk and Latin music movements cannot be discounted with this reissue of Nico Gomez And His Afro Percussion Inc. Lupita is actually a seven inch precursor to the forthcoming full reissue of the 1971 LP Ritual from Mr Bongo and presents Gomez, aka Dutch born but Belgium dwelling musician Joseph van het Groenewoud as a master fusionist of the two genres. True Funk heads will immediately recognise "Lupita" as a killer cover of the Perez Prado classic and it's matched by the flipside percussion heavy jam "Baile Chibiquiban".

Review: Last year Breakbeat Paradise inaugurated the Toxic Funk series of mash-ups, reworks and party-starting sample jams via a tidy seven-inch single from BadboE and Tom Showtime. Here the series returns with a similarly fiery "45" from Edinburgh-based DJ/producer Gramophone Soul. On side A he smashes together elements from soul classic "Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay", Beastie Boys raps and bombastic, loose-limbed breakbeats. The results are as effective as you'd expect (IE it sounds like a bona fide party-starter). Turn to the flip for "Fire Cracker", a tooled-up, stomping soul affair that stays closer to its soulful source material whilst also re-framing it a little for contemporary dancefloors.

Review: Perennial party boosters, Breakbeat Paradise dive into spring with a fire quartet of modern funk. With bands repping across Europe, it's a global groove affair as longstanding German funkateers buss up big boogie hooks on "Get On Down", Swiss soulboys Grand Mothers Funck up the tempo with the sweaty floor-focussed groove of "The Dog" and Nasa Funk fly the p-funk flag so hard and proud they need a new pole. UK's A Man About A Dog rips up the finale with a scratched-out Latin heater. Original.

Review: GrandMagnetto, masters of skanking pop reggae covers,
return with 'Everybody's Talkin' by Harry Nilsson, off of
the Midnight Cowboy soundtrack. Blundetto transformed
the track into a killer deep dubby hit. Both tracks are storming.

Review: A fifth slab of 7" shaped funk live and direct from St. Petersburg arrives with the Great Revivers offering another Funk Night release that will invariably keep themselves busy on the turntables of funk establishments everywhere. Lead cut "Rhino's Walk" should be titled "Rhino's Strut" in truth given the sheer confidence the Revivers display as it progresses along driven by a killer drum break. Flip the Rhino over and Great Revivers are on more of a downbeat funk flex with "Dead Dipping" which is all about that frazzled organ. Big up Frank Raines and the Funk Night crew for this one!

Review: The Great Revivers continue their unassailable 2014 assault on the record boxes of funk selectors everywhere with yet another killer seven for the Funk Night label. Brashly titled "Don't Mess with GR" may be, but this Russian quartet always prefer to let their musicianship do the talking and you can't fault the Great Revivers funk here as three odd minutes of prime dirtiness unfolds driven by a killer drum beat. It's complemented well by the more uptempo jam that is "Hard Way To Go" and lays down a marker for what to expect from the Great Revivers forthcoming album.

Review: Forget what certain mobile phone networks might tell you, the future is green and it's filled with funk! The Venice label come through with a killer archival seven from Italian sextet The Green Future or The Green Future Orchestra as they were sometimes known; under their shorter guise, the group delivered one LP of funk and soul called Uncle Jim for the Vedette Records label, teaming up with Pinto Varez aka the label's alias happy art director Francesco Anselmo. Both these cuts are lifted from that album and bristle with joyous funk with the A Side reminiscent of The Mohawks and "Honey, Rhythm & Butter" on more of a Latin groove. Tip!

Review: Names You Can Trust presents 'Guajira '78', a couple of floor-tested Latin dance numbers from Greenwood Rhythm Coalition (Monk-One and E's E) with a guest appearance by compadres Luz Mob. Side A is a 'Disco Guajira' with Ron Burgundy on flute, side B is a b-boy version of a classic 'Cumbia' via Luz Mob .

Review: New 45s label from France drops this tasty little funky disco/boogie 7 inch. ''More Spell On You'' was sampled and used in Daft Punk's legendary "One More Time" whilst George Duke's "I Love You More" intro was also used by the Tron scoring Robot duo on "Digital Love".

Review: When it comes to funk-fuelled slabs of party-starting dancefloor delight, Agogo offshoot Resense is one of the most reliable sources around. They're at it again here, too, offering up serious slabs of heat from French twosome Lord Funk & Moar, and the previously unheard Gelatine Thugs. The former's A-side jam "Hip-Hop Control" is a hard-wired dancefloor hip-hop anthem in the making; all fat, floor-friendly beats, fluttering flutes and addictive Jurassic 5 vocals. Over on the flip, Gelatine Thugs cut and loop their way through "Do The Don't Stop", a cut-and-paste affair rich in heavyweight funk samples, bustling breaks, fiery horn stabs and blink-and-you-miss-it vocal snippets.

Review: Now firmly into the double figures, the Originals series seems like it could quite easily surpass the centenary mark without the concept ever feeling exhausted such is the vast well of source material and those that sampled it. Here the classic slab of funk that is "Parrty" by Maceo & The Macks takes centre stage on the A Side, reminding everyone that needs to be reminded just how tight Maceo, Fred and James were. For the flip, Originals turn to a master of flipping a track in DJ Premier and the Gangstarr standard "Who's Going To Take The Weight?". Listen to the A then the B and you'll realise how much of a producer Premier is. Seriously.

Review: Colemine labelmates Ben Pirani and Ghost Funk Orchestra once again disprove lockdown's creative juice-sapping reputation with a remote collaborative single, 'Modern Scene / Can't Get Out Your Own Way', two intense new soul tunes that while pressed to 45" wax, were born from the file-sharing era. Exchanging remixes of existing material, both tracks are touted as remixes without the originals being known to us: 'Modern Scene' is a VHS-hissy lo-fi indie drawl through avant-garde synth orchestration and a dreamcore visual palette, while the B upends this dream-mood with one of the most shoegazed-up funk bangers we've heard to date.

Review: The clue is in the title: It's not just the grooves that are blazing hot; it's the tracks themselves... All super-rare since their early 80s outings, each of these boogie jams have long since been sought after by funk and boogie aficionados. Check the bulbous bass and clam-tight guitar/synth backing of General Caine's "LRJ Pop", the raw vocal power on Clifton Dyson's "Slow Your Body Down" and the squidgy P-funk bass flavours Roadway's "Let's Go For It" and Bobby Cash Redd's "Skate Party People" and it's really not hard to see why. Someone call 911....

Review: Another addition to the collection of contemporary funk tracks that sound so authentic you'd genuinely be hard pushed to tell when they were recorded. Instrumental cuts, both "777" and "Sex Machine" rattle and hum with a gorgeous dusty distortion and loose, playful groove. "777" is more a rock-funk freak out complete with some amazing walking bass runs. "Sex Machine" covers Mr Brown in a very interesting way, giving James's section to the Hammond organ. Wonderful.

Review: "Let The Groove Move You" picks up where the last left off with 20 more slices of funk made to make you move your butt. As with the first compilation, all of the tracks are written and performed by bands in the modern funk scene: those who are not just re-living but also re-defining the funk sound for a new generation. Once again, the big names are all present: Quantic Soul Orchestra, Breakestra, Poets Of Rhythm, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings and The New Mastersounds all doing what they do best, but there are also some relative unknowns and newcomers to the scene who are laying it down just as raw as the rest of them. Just check Melbourne's Cookin' On 3 Burners, Brighton's Natural Self (featuring the amazing vocal talents of Ms Alice Russell: make 3 appearances on this album!!), Glasgow's Boogaloo Investigators, The Soul Snatchers representing The Netherlands and even an Israeli funk outing from The Apples! As well as the above, there are also a number of exclusives: making their appearance on CD for the first time. James Brown's legendary soul sister Marva Whitney comes correct with the amazing "I Am What I Am": amazingly still sounding only 20 years old! Canada's Quartertones drop a sleazy slice of carchase funk: with UK b-boy DJ Format applying the brakes on the remix. You will also find the rarer-than-hens-teeth "Wind Your Clock" by Naomi Davis: only 10 copies of this track exist as it was never commercially released: what a killer!