Candi Staton: Too Hurt To Cry
From Stand By Your Man (Fame, 1971). Also on Candi Staton: The Fame Years.

Holly Golightly: My Love Is
From Slowly But Surely (Damaged Goods/Revolver, 2004)

Amy Winehouse: Love Is A Losing Game (Truth and Soul Remix)
From 12″ (Universal, 2007)

Greetings to Captain’s Crate readers…this is Oliver Wang (O-Dub) from Soul-SIdes.com crashing in to say “hi.” As the Bethel Bros. probably already informed you all, we’re trying out a little experiment in content sharing between our two blogs; most of what they post here will appear on my site and vice versa. This is my first posting to make its way over to the Crate. Hope you enjoy.

I talked about Candi Staton’s Fame output the other month and that got me back into listening more of her songs and came upon this great one from her Stand By Your Man album. Love the tinkle of piano that begins this and really, Rick Hall produces this beautiful, with such a rich, soulful quality that Staton plays against wonderfully.

With the Holly Golightly…I was trying to find the original version of “My Love Is,” done by Little Willie John, after watching Lonestar again for the upteenth time but alas, it’s a hard song to track down digitally speaking. But lo and behold, I found this cover by Golightly and despite my initial reservations, she’s actually rather perfect for the song. Her light, almost ethereal voice goes with the song’s dreamy, haunting qualities; this is what you’d want to hear playing on the cheap jukebox in some coffee and pie diner off a decaying highway.

Speaking of decaying – snap! – Amy Winehouse might be the biggest pop train wreck not named Britney of the last year or so but we’re still enamored with her musically. Plus, when the folks at Truth and Soul get the nod to remix “Love is a Losing Game” (one of our favorite songs off the last album), then we perk up and listen. And smile. Great remix, really strips this ballad down and remakes it with a minimalist but mesmerizing melody (I didn’t plan that alliteration, seriously). We likee.

Ernesto Djedje : Zadie Bobo & Zibote
taken from the album “Le Roi Du Ziglibithy” on Badmos (1977)

The Fatback Band : Wicki Wacky
taken from the album “Keep On Steppin'” on Event (1974)

Coke : Na Na & Te Amo Mas
taken from their self-titled album on Sound Triangle (1972)

Usha Uthup : Chhupke Kaun Aya
taken from the album “24 Carats” on Inreco (1981)

Today I’m initiating the cross-posting that I had mentioned earlier with a somewhat random assortment of funky music. Must there always be cohesion? Order? Reason? I think not. Especially when you’re dealing with something as intangible as music. Let this seeming jumble remind us of just how magical recorded sound really is; how the energy and vibrations produced from the dropping of a needle onto vinyl can cross continents and decades effortlessly- still delivering the desired effect to a hungry audience. Something tells me that the artists presented here wouldn’t have a problem sharing the stage with these unlikely comrades either. Maybe I’m being optimistic though.

Starting off with a record that I’ve loved for years now- ERNESTO! Why I hadn’t taken the time to digitize this earlier is a damn good question. I’ve been sneaking “Zadie Bobo” into DJ sets since ’02 when I first discovered this gem, always to a positive crowd response. In the Ivory Coast, where Djedje made his name, “Zibote” was the bigger hit, and can still be found popping up on compilations of today’s Ivoirian music. “The King of Ziglibithy”, need I say more?

*One note of warning for fans of Ernesto: DON’T BUY THIS CD VERSION OF HIS ALBUM. I made this mistake, only to realize that the CD is a bootleg recorded off a record being played at the WRONG SPEED! So, unless you want Ernesto chopped and screwed, steer clear.

The Fatback Band need little introduction for fans of funk, but I’ve been needing to put this classic bump on repeat for a while now and it’s so much easier to do that in MP3 format. This is one of those instances where a simple bass groove is enough for me.

Recently got my hands on this semi-rarity from Florida’s Coke (later re-named “Opus“). Don’t know anything about the group, but I’m feeling the record a lot. The album has a nice cover version of the early boogaloo hit “Bang Bang” (Joe Cuba? or was it Pete Rodriguez?) as well as some ballads and several more dirty, dirty drumbreaks. The LP I have from them as “Opus” is nice too, but “Na Na” is hard to top. Looks like you can cop it on CD too.

Finally, a real monster for you, the legendary HINDI version of “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough”. Of course the production quality isn’t going to be quite as tight, but considering the sound quality of your average bollywood record, I’d say the uncredited studio musicians (Bappi Lahiri?) on this one are doing a pretty good job. Usha was one of the biggest Indian soundtrack singers in the 70’s and 80’s – Shalimar, Shaan, & Disco Dancer, to name a few, all feature her silky vocal stylings. I always get a kick out of playing this one and then watching the initial look of bewilderment spread. “Chhupke” ranks right up there alongside Arzu’s “Amor” in the world’s most-precisely-covered-in-another-language category. Well done Usha.

Hope you all enjoy the latest gumbo funk offering. And cheers to any new readers just finding out about the crate now through Soul-Sides! Stay tuned for more, as always.

Tim Maia: Imunizacao Racional and Contato Com Mundo Racional”
Taken from the album Racional Vol. 1 on Seroma (1975)

Tim Maia: Quer Queria Que Nao Queria and O Caminho Do Bem
Taken from the album Racional Vol. 2 on Seroma (1975)

I’m digging deep into the crates of rareities to unleash on y’all a couple of the more delectable delights of mid-seventies Brazilian soul, courtesy of the one and only, the gargantuan (in both physical and musical terms) TIM MAIA!

This guy is truly an epic character in post-Tropicalia Brazilian music (often referred to as MPB) and this duo of albums hints at why…

It should be noted that the inspiration for these albums was devined from an obscure Brazilian cult, called Universo em Desencanto, which explains the bizarre cover art and also the fact that, if you were a Portugese-speaker, it would probably feel like ol’ Timmy was proselytizing the hell outta you over the course of these two albums. Like a south of de border Jerry Falwell, but funkier.

That said, the music speaks for itself. (No wonder, when City Of God came out, they couldn’t resist the employing “O Caminho Do Bem” to enhance the net effect of the film: namely, awesomeness.)

This post is, however, part of a larger ploy: I’m utilizing the particular dopeness of these tracks as bait to lure any self-respecting, groove-loving Angelenos out to the Short Stop in Echo Park (1455 Sunset Blvd.) FRIDAY NIGHT where I’ll be DJ’ing alongside the illustrious O-Dub, of Soul-Sides notoriety, for a scintillating journey through the vinyl vaults of SOUL, FUNK, LATIN, SALSA and BOOGALOO. We’ll be doing it all night long, so come early and stay late.

BONUS: in addition to a edited recording of the live set from tomorrow night which will be available to anyone who signs up on our mailing list, I will also bring a handful of CD copies of the REST of the blazing fire from the Racional albums, in addition to other rare Brazilian goodness. Ask and ye shall recieve. (First come first serve…)

See you tomorrow…

Ted Taylor : Houston Town & Can’t Take No More
taken from the album “Taylor Made” on Ronn (197?)

Fred Hughes : Baby Boy, Don’t Let This Happen To Us,
& Who You Really Are
taken from the album “Baby Boy” on Brunswick (197?)

So it looks like, after nearly 3 years of blogging here at the Crate (almost 300 songs, not counting mixes and radio shows), a collaboration is in the works with the honorable O-Dub— creator of Soul-Sides.com. We’re not precisely sure what form this team will take, but expect to see/hear some of his posts right here in Captain’s Crate– at least for a lil’ while. What will this mean for you? well, mostly just that there will be more good music available for download right here. One less link to click for your tired and aching index fingers.

Soul-Sides was one of the reasons why I started this site to begin with. It seemed like such a novel idea back in 2004. And it’s still a great source for music, info and inspiration (not to mention sampler food). To celebrate this engagement, I’m sharing some recently gleaned soul cuts of my own. Perhaps they’ll even make their way onto his page (which might be part of the arrangement).

If any of Ted Taylor’s other records are as consistently top tier as this one, then it’s hard to imagine why he never crossed over on a bigger scale. Pretty impressive to hear material as well produced as this coming from a little Louisiana indie label. It’s one of those records where you can honestly drop the needle on any track and be pleased. Taylor’s wiry vocals remind me of the great Syl Johnson, climbing and darting down swiftly without ever slipping. Gotta love the fuzzed blues guitar on “Can’t Take No More” too. For a couple other tracks by Mr. Taylor, head over to Darcy’s Feel It Blog.

Fred Hughes is another nearly ungoogleable cat. I see that now-defunkt soul blog Number One Songs In Heaven posted another song off this album at one point, but other than that I can’t tell you much. This album has a rougher and rawer sound than Taylor’s but damn if the melodies aren’t catchy as hell. “Who You Really Are” in particular has that instantaneously familiar sound to it (could be a sample source I’m forgetting); and listen to that beautiful drum break!

On one last note- check out this other great blog I’ve been getting music from. Kikin Bakk brings out more of the nasty funky latin afrobeat soul and reggae that we love here in the Crate.

Phirpo Y Los Caribes: Comencemos, Esa Pava Que and Mi Moooto
Taken from the album Parilla Caliente on Phillips (1973)

The holidays are a tricky thing. Surpluses of emotion, family drama, food, cold weather-related ennui, high school acquaintances and old friends flit and flitter, enter and exit, assert and reassert their power in ways that we manage to forget for most of the other eleven plus months of the year. More than anything, the holidays tend to overwhelm because they bring together so much in such a relatively short window of time.

For me things are further complicated by the fact that, after nine months in Southern Africa, and coming fresh off a blistering alter-hemispheric summer, I am in soggy, frigid San Francisco, wilin’ out with the fam (Captain included) and all of our concomitant family drama, trying to work out in my head the sheer density of stuff going on in a world I haven’t been part of for the last three quarters of a year.

And instead of driving myself batty, looking for solace in the stars or the good ol’ fashioned pulse of American post-Christmas commerce, I decided to turn to a few newly acquired records (homecoming gifts to myself), which have managed to allow me to feel decidedly mellow despite the swirl of circumstance going on around me.

Here are Phirpo and his Caribes: mysterious afro-latin funkers from Medellin, Columbia, who for today will transport you away–if momentarily–from your snowy family antics and harrowing gift-return missions to Macy’s, lift you across land and ocean and bring you to a warmer, sunnier place where the congas blaze and the horns blast; where the sand sifts through your toes and the palm trees sway… and you are dancing, just dancing.

To homecomings…

A gift to you all. Merry Holidays.

The Celebrant : Off Beats
taken from their Self-Titled album on Olumo (1978)

Marius Cultier : Piano A Marius Cultier & Zouk
taken from the album “The Way…” on Magidisco (1976)

The Afro Soul-Tet : Dom Gowa
taken from the album “Afrodesia” on Banyan (197?)

Gestu De Dakar : Ndiourel
taken from the album “Diabar” on Syllart (1980)

Take a couple cool records that you’ve picked up over the years, loved and appreciated, perhaps even taken the time to digitize, and then prepare yourself to say goodbye. Letting go of some of your most beloved (and possibly hardest to find) gems, may be exactly what it takes to make way for more of what you were looking for in the first place. I’ve recently been doing a bit of record trading, and it seems to be a win/win equation. I had to let go of my Gestu, a total treasure from the late 70’s, early 80’s Senegalese scene. But I found myself putting a pristine copy of “The Way…” down on the turntable in its place! This record is a truly unique blend of styles and innovation from Martinique’s musical genius Marius Cultier. Recorded in a clean but raw production style that really makes the whole set feel live.

The Celebrant has been one of those goodies that I’ve been hording all to myself; not wanting to share for fear that the heaviness of the music might just be enough to crush the rest of the world. I’m willing to conceed that a little selfishness was part of the reason for holding back, but you’ll have to find the record for yourself to experience the crushing power of “Celebration In The Ghetto”— another killer cut on this LP.

Despite my greediest inclinations, when I was recently faced with the possibility of getting my hands on the sounds contained in ultra-rare recordings like this one from The Afro Soul-Tet, you’d better believe I jumped at the chance to share my Celebrant bomb. You lucky cats get to skim the cream off the top. These songs are, to my ear, some of the finest from these records. But don’t let that discourage you from seeking them out on your own, I could listen to these records again tomorrow and pick a completely different set from the same albums.

***HEADS UP TO ALL NYC FOLKS***
Doing a big show with my group The Beatards (check the new website!) at Mercury Lounge this Friday with some cool cats on the Lex label. Come out and show some love!