**From Jacksons To Jackasses****

Well everyone knows the Jackson family story yada yada yo..blah blah blah. Enough of the banter. I've had the Dancin' Machine Lp for ages but last month I pulled it out & came across "What You Don't Know" which is a song that I love but forgot about...you know what I mean right?
Anyways enjoy::Be back laters..
Support Local 578 The Sailors Haven..

Example of Good Jacksons..


Example of Douchy Jacksons...

*Wide World of Classy Funk Via New Jersey*

Instant Funk is one of the better groups out of the 70's. Most of the records I have from their catalog are on the ever so giving Salsoul label. This band shared their sound before they formed as back up musicians for the Manhattans, Lou Rawls, Evelyn King, O'Jays, MFSB & Curtis Mayfield among others.
Hailing from Jersey they relocated to Philly where they released their first Lp called "Get Down With the Philly Jump" . The group followed this album up with a release for former MFSB guitarist Norman Harris' new record label Gold Mind entitled "Let Me Party With You". When Gold Mind folded they when on to Salsoul where the Larry Levan remixed "I Got My Mind Made Up" hit #1 on both the R&B and disco charts and #20 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the spring of 1979. The group's eponymous first album on Salsoul was also a hit, reaching #1 R&B and being certified gold disc status.
This song is a bit loungy & swank. It's called "Wide World Of Sports"..

Live Clip Of "Bodyshine"

**Barrette A-Go-Go** Friday Feb 06 2009

Hurray for Go-Go Dancers & Sailor like behavior!!

**France Joli=Canada's Greatest Disco Asset**

Miss Gonna Get Over You still does her thing performing regularly. The Canadian native has a string of wonderful Disco records that were released on Prelude in the late 70's & early 80's.
Her first single (released when she was 16) was "Come to Me," and it hit #1 on the US Dance chart in 1979. On the Billboard Hot 100, it was her biggest mainstream hit, breaking the Top 20 at #15. This song is called "Playboy" & it thumps along with her suave voice!

Here's a clip of her performing "Come To Me"

**Keep Bangin' on Those Dang Tom Toms!!**

This is one of the best Tom Tom Club songs ever, it's called L Elephant & i've been spinning it like wildfire!! Tom Tom Club is an American new-wave band founded in 1980 by spouses as well as Talking Heads alumni Tina Weymouth & Chris Frantz. You guys know their hits which have been jacked for beats endlessly. Anyhow they're one of the 80's bands that actually made sense & will forever get spun by Dj's for decades to come.


Here's a clip of Pleasure of Love

**Midnight's All Right With Mizz Bell**

Maggie Bell has an outstanding voice, i've had her Queen of the Night Lp for some time now which was released by Atlantic records in 1974. Maggie stems from a musical family, she sang from her teenage years, leaving school at the age of fifteen, to work as a window dresser by day and singer at night. She is the often referred to as the U.K.'s version of Janis Joplin. Former Led Zeppelin manger Peter Grant became her manager for some time & Bell eventually got signed to Swan Song Records as one of their first artist along with Bad Company and The Pretty Things.
My favorite song on this LP is called "After Midnight"....That's when we let it all hang out!!



This Clip is from when she sang with Stone The Crows::I Need Your Love

**Stone City Band Endorses 420**

As we all know you can be the greatest singer songwriter in the world but if your backing band sucks you might as well be on your knees slupping it up also*
Case in point Rick James never left home without the Stone City Band which he hand picked in 1978 to exclusively record & tour with him. The band's nickname became "The Bad Boys of Punk Funk & Roll" which is well deserving because they kicked out tracks for just about every R & B Funketter & disco princess at their hottest point in their career.
This song is called "Freaky" from the "Boys Are Back" Lp. Other top notch cuts on the album include a cover of the Kinks "All Day All Night" & a laid back song about an encounter with a Rasta while vacationing in Jamaica called "Ganja". How can you say no to that!!


1982 Grammy Awards:Give it to Me Baby w/Rick James

**Is Little Shawn Still Pissy Drunk??**

I remember when Little Shawn dropped his first single on Andre Harrell's Uptown Records in the early 90's called "I Made Love(4 Da Very 1st Time)" which was a ode to gettin' freaky with the young lady T's.
Anyways he was one of Puff Daddy's hand pick artist that he signed to the label. He was also an in-house ghost writer for the majority of the artist on Uptown MCA.
A little bit up the road Uptown released "Dom Perignon" & we haven't heard from Lil Shawnski since.
Last I read of Little Shawn he went to prison & became a Preacher.

***Recession Proof Music***

Wow..Crown Heights Affair really hit it on the nose with this song. "Don't Need Alot Of Money" is a sign of the current times >> a six pack, a boomin' system & dancing feet and we'll all do just fine!!
I'm into their sound which is a combo of the end of disco slash start of the 80's synth slap bass boogie R & B motif.
Little$$ = Get On Down!!

**Mandrill is not Just A Monkey**

Mandrill is a centerpiece group in my mind when it comes to bands that transcend the usually 60's fusion of funk afro latin jazz bands of their time.
They formed in Brooklyn in 1968 by brothers Ric, Lou and Carlos Wilson, all of whom were born in Panama & raised in the Bed-Stuy. Mandrill got it's name from the colorful primate the Mandrillus Sphinx which is closely related to the baboon. They never became superstars but they certainly had their legion of fans who were into their eclectic spacey sound.
I'll just say this, I met one of my best friends when I was Djing at Bob's Salon in the Lower East Side of Manhattan a few years ago. I was playing funk breaks & someone comes up to me to discuss what I was playing, the second I mentioned Mandrill it turned into a classic explosive instant Dj bonding moment.
They're great like freshly squeezed grapefruit juice.
Here's a clip of them on Soul train performing "Hang Loose"