Rainy Sunday Daydreaming Summer
Zap Pow : Sweet Lovin’ Love
taken from the album “Zap Pow Love Hits” on IMS (19??)
and Roots Man Reggae
taken from the album “Zap Pow” on Island (1978)
My first exposure to Zap Pow was picking up this crappy Jamaican pressing of “Love Hits” in a bargain bin, thus the super bad popping shiz. But pop or no pop, it was summer of 2001 and I was playing this entire A-side on repeat. I don’t understand how Jamaican pressings can be so poorly made sometimes- it’s a shame. For starters, my labels are on the wrong sides of the record, then the glue from the label is smeared all over the grooves, there are little dimples pockmarking the vinyl, and finally the record is thrown into an ultra-thin plastic sleave that always ends up crumpled in the bottom of the record cover when you go to push the vinyl back in. I guess they’re more focused on making the music sound HOT. And that’s exactly what I need right now, a little bit of summer heat, ’cause it’s a drizzling damp 50 degrees outside, and my girlfriend is outta town so I’m looking at a cold empty bed. Saturday was nice, I went to the flea market and it was at least sunny for most of the morning, so I should stop complaining already. I’m dealing with my heat deprivation by dreaming up a sun-glazed summer sound system- on a rooftop, or better yet in the park. “Sweet Lovin” has just been dropped and now the DJ is juggling the sick break midway through the song. I need to track down a nice clean copy of this track.
“Roots Man” shows a cleaned and polished version of their funky sound. It’s on Island records, so that crispness is to be expected. Pretty much just a groove, but a sweet one that keeps my attention with a simmering horn line and a cracking rimshot. I feel like it’s getting a little bit warmer already.
Zap Pow was a big time studio band whose biggest hit “This Is Reggae Music” has been justly compiled a few times. Cop that tune, it’s super mellow blunted funk. I could easily do five more posts of music that they made or were a part of, but it’s late and I’m tired and I got work tomorrow morning. Back to dreaming…