What is a Polyphase? Is it a funky science party, a means to distribute alternating current electrical power, or a tribute to the 70's electro-harmonix effect pedal? You make the call!

Anyways.

So there are tracks you get super excited about when you first hear them and they sort of fade from your consciousness over time. Then there are the cuts that just stay with you, meld deeply into your psyche, and never let go. "Polyphase" by Aaron Broomfield is the latter. One thing I enjoy so much about this track is the lyrics. Normally, I am not one to fault the simplicity of soul lyrics. In fact most of the time I prefer them to the majority of crap indie lyrics we have to endure, but the quirky lyrical concept in this song just works. Especially when put in contrast to Mr. Broomfield's somewhat limited range as a vocalist.

The instrumental B-side is a dancefloor killer. With an intensely tight arrangement, Broomfield obviously had nonstop ass shaking in mind when he constructed this monster. Make sure to check out the accompanying video complete with zoomed in crotch shots of his backing vocalist.

This is my favorite of all the tracks that Charanga 76 covered. The original version was recorded by soul legend Ben E. King in 1979. It is less ubiquitous than their covers of Good Times and Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now and grooves just as well. It has the usual swagger of a Charanga 76 track and hand clapping rhythm that moves a dance floor.

Charanga 76 - Music Trance

Gwen McCrae started out singing in the Pentecostal Churches of Pensacola Florida. As a Pentecostal Minister, she was heavily involved in the Church and in Gospel music. However, as she transitioned from musical expressions of the Church into those of clubs and mainstream music, she put her religion aside. Gwen was of course married to T.K recording artist George McCrae. They met in 1963 whilst he was in the navy in Pensacola. Their rather rocky relationship is cited by Gwen as one of the reasons she wasn't propelled into success in her singing career. This song, "90% Of Me Is You", written by Clarence Reid (who wrote a great deal of the songs Gwen sang) and Inez Kitts, appears to speak to just that dynamic between Gwen and George. The song is taken off her 1975 album "Rocking Chair", an album with quite a few choice tracks. "Move Me Baby" and the title track "Rockin' Chair" are two along with "90% Of Me Is You" that make this album for me.

Gwen McCrae - 90% Of Me Is You

As far as my limited research suggests NYC label TNT Unlimited (Brooktown Records) was responsible for only three 12" releases in its very short run. I own two of them. The third release by a group called Fire and Ice is the rarest of the lot but the least essential in my opinion. Alternately, "You Can't Have It" by Stargaze (featuring a mix by Tony Humphries) and "Get Your Body Up" by Serena are pretty heavy tunes from the peak 1982-83 boogie era. TNT folded in '83 shortly after the Serena 12" dropped, leaving several collectible and sought after releases in its wake.

Ta'Boo was a one off synth pop project that was produced by Madonna producer Mark Kamins in 1983. This Dub version of the track has a great early garage house sound that meets nowave pop. The track features the Shriekback rhythm section and keyboard player, along with Change vocalist Tanyaette Willoughby.

Ta'Boo - Over The Ledge (Rub Dub)

One of a handful of releases on NYC imprint Park Place and the only collaboration between Greg Henderson (check the excellent "Dreamin' 12" on Sam Records) and L. Whitfield, "Dancin' To The Beat" is at the moment one of my top ten post-disco boogie joints. Of course these mental lists tend to change often but the stone cold guitar hook alone brings it back for me every time.

The vocal version was all set to be posted several weeks back when we received a random email looking for a rip of the instrumental. Unfortunately at the moment I was running out the door to catch a plane to Southeast Asia and did not have the time to record it. It was my bad, this particular instrumental should never have been left out in the first place. So here we have the vocal and instrumental mixes, both equally brilliant and fully capable of rocking even the squarest honky dance party. Problem is I can never decide which side to play.

Henderson & Whitfield - Dancin' To The Beat
Henderson & Whitfield - Dancin' To The Beat (Instrumental)

Farley Jackmaster Funk got his break in 1981 as one of the Hot Mix 5 DJs on WBMX, in Chicago. He was a guest DJ at the Warehouse and resident at the Playground. This mix from the mid 1980's will blow your mind. It is amazing to hear so many styles of mixing done by one DJ. There are edits, mashups, and scratching along with straight mixing. Imagine hearing something this cutting edge on the Zapco stereo in your Datsun lowrider circa 1986.

Farley Jackmaster Funk - Jack Party Volume 1.

Raw Boogie rears it's head one more time!

Here we are again, examining the tail end of what was once the disco era.
One thing all of these bands had in common was that they released very few records. Not one of them got signed to a major label during the extent of their career under this name. Closest would be The Tutt Band outta Phoenix, AZ, who had 2 singles on TK.

While many veteran soul men from the states threw in the towel during the "drum machine / rap" era, these steadfast musicians all persevered AND managed to hit the music equipment stores, effectively changing the sound of soul music at that time. This mix would be a celebration of persistence, foresight, and limited access to engineering. Boogie squared.

-Disco Tom

LIGER MUSIC 01:
SPRING FORWARD MIX

JBC Band - So In Love
McDouglas & Whitaker - Noise Break
Dorian - Stacked to the T
McDouglas & Whitaker - Prynce Birth
Tutt Band - Get On It
Initials - Message in the Music (Edit Side)
Silver Platinum & Gold - SPG Theme
Fresh Idea - One Time to Make it Bright (Tom Noble Edit)
Vernon Cheeley - Get to the Point
Assignment - Jammin' to the Beat
Command Performance - Breakdance (Tom Noble Edit)
Prophet - Stick it
Emerson - Sending all my Love Out

Liger Music - Spring Forward Mix

Now talking about anything on the internet your not an absolute expert on is a dangerous thing, especially in music trivia terms, and especially when you want to rap about some genre or other of world music form a place with a population in the billions, there are millions of people just dying to correct and school me. So I'm going to save myself any embarrassment and just say that in terms of Indian dance music of the early eighties, there is one producer I know of and enjoy (out of I'm sure many that existed at the time), named Bappi Lahiri. I think he is well known in back packer hip hop circles for producing a lot of indian funk backing tracks to bollywood flicks early in the seventies. Anyway, later in the day he got drum machines and synths and went to work.

The thing about bollywood classics is that these were part of the mainstream not just in india, but all over africa and asia as well. I'm not just posting these to be quirky, they are dusty sounding, abstract and dope. I always especially like the Billy Jean inspired 'Jeena Bhi Kya Hai Jeena'.

To anyone who knows this stuff, I'm not posting I'am A Disco Dancer or Jimmy Jimmy Aja, I think they got well exposed after the M.I.A cover version dropped.

Oh yeah, avoid putting things in the trunk of cabs if you can in anyway bring it with you into the back seat, as you may forget them and be bummed out at yourself all evening. Just thought I would mention.

Salma Agha & Bappi Lahiri - Jeena Bhi Kya Hai Jeena
Bappi Lahiri - Yaad Aa Raha Hai
Salma Agha - Come Closer
Bappi Lahiri - Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki

Right. It's Thursday. We are rapidly approaching the weekend and the time to shrug off responsibility, grab a drink and take a break from the news of demise, recession and global crisis. It's blindingly gorgeous in SF this week and hopefully something of like where ever you may be located. So, with all these things in mind, here is Grey and Hanks "Dancin'". It's not a terribly complex tune or a hard to find record, but it is upbeat and a sweet one to shake it to. I always laugh a little when the male vocal starts, you'll see why. That said, it never ceases to make me tap my foot, sing along and get dancin'.

For those in SF this weekend, come to Paradise for Prince Language, myself and the lads from I Can't Feel My Face. Good times are guaranteed.

Grey and Hanks - Dancin'

2009 is shaping up to be a good year for the boogie/modern soul sound Indeed. Fresh off the heels of Dam Funk's Rhythm Tracks LP and forthcoming vocal record we see a killer entry from Manheim, Germany's First Touch. The German duo's eponymous debut is out now and features ten smoothed out, Kashif-era boogie joints. I think (hope) we are starting to see the very niche boogie genre ooze its way ever so slightly into the collective consciousness. Maybe now the mainstream R & B producers will switch it up a bit and take some props from this timeless genre. Actually at this point I would settle for everyone to simply give the autotuned vocals a well deserved rest.

Direct From First Touch: You can download the entire album for free right here.

First Touch - It's Yours

First Touch - Pleasure For Your Treasure

First Touch - Let Me Get Next To You

It's been one of those weeks that just won't quit. So, it seems fitting to offer up some Heavy Vibes courtesy of Montana Sextet. There's so much to love about this track. It's mastered beautifully by Mr. Herb Powers Jr. It's got wicked vibe playing, a unique random vocal, amazing percussion, genius breaks, and to be honest, the general groove is just divine. Be sure to listen through to the end as the track has a nice twist right in the last moments.

Montana Sextet - Heavy Vibes (Club Mix)

This is a big tune from a very big dude. Demis Roussos is an ethnic Greek via Egypt who played in a bunch of bands including the prog rock group Aphrodite's Child. Fellow bandmate, Vangelis (whose full name is Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou for those of you keeping track) arranged this and may other of Demis' tracks. Demis has had a very long career singing in every European language you can imagine, but most of that does not concern us. He came out with a great disco record in 1977 called Magic and a 1978 folow up self titled LP with the brilliant and highly saught after track L.O.V.E. Got Ahold Of Me. This rip comes from the French 7" of Mourir Aupres De Mon Amour (a tender panty dropper) where it is a B side.

I have added Who by Odyssey, which is the original version of the track. Odyssey was a one off project featuring Vangelis.

Demis Roussos - I Dig You
Odyssey - Who