Common feat. Bilal: Play Your Cards Right
From Smokin’ Aces soundtrack (Lakeshore, 2007)

Joe Bataan: Under the Street Lamp
Available on Under the Streetlamps: The Joe Bataan Anthology 1967 – 1972 (Fania/Emusica, 2008)

Joe Bataan was just here in Los Angeles the last week or so (and I feel stupid for not posting up links to his performances) and we caught up twice during that time, including one meeting where he broke down the entire history behind “Rap-O, Clap-O“. Fascinating stuff and I’ll have to try to write that up sometime.

Anyways, the other time we met, he was asking me if I knew anything about this Common song that sampled one of his songs. Joe had gotten a check for the clearance but hadn’t heard the actual use of the song yet. Not having really followed the sampling game that closely of late, I couldn’t think of anything off the top so we sat down and googled it and sure enough, it was Common’s “Play Your Cards Right” from last year’s Smokin’ Aces soundtrack. And once you hear it, it’s plain as day that producer Kareem Riggins had looped up Joe’s great “Under the Street Lamp” (from his Singin’ Some Soul album originally). (Joe got a kick out of hearing his song sampled).

He was also gracious enough to sign a copy of his anthology that I did the liner notes for and I’m going to give this away to one lucky (and informed) reader.

To be eligible, send an email to soulsides AT gmail.com with the subject line “Joe Bataan giveaway.” You need to answer the following:

1) What Latin producer of Alegre fame did Joe Bataan record with prior to signing with Fania?

2) How many albums did Joe record for Fania (this is a trick question of sorts so think it through carefully)?

3) Some of Joe’s most successful songs have been covers: “Gypsy Woman, “Shaft,” “The Bottle.” Name the original artists behind these other Joe Bataan songs:
a. “It’s a Good Feeling (Riot)”
b. “I’m No Stranger”
c. “Make Me Smile”

4) What Ismael Miranda boogaloo mash-up/cover of “Tighten Up” does Joe Bataan make a cameo on? Name the song and album.

5) What pseudonym did Joe take on when he recorded for Bobby Marin’s Dynamite label?

6) What single preceded the release of Bataan’s most successful album for Fania?

7) What classic from Joe’s repertoire appears on his Salsoul album, but with a different name?

8) What’s different about the 7″ version of “Woman Don’t Want to Love Me” compared to the LP version from Afrofilipino?

9) What old school rap duo was supposed to appear on “Rap-O, Clap-O” instead of Joe rapping himself?

10) What martial art are Joe’s children all masters of?

I’ll select a winner at random from those with the most correct answers. Deadline: next Monday.

I also have a second (unsigned) copy of the anthology to give away, randomly, to those who buy Deep Covers 2 in the next week. (Physical CD orders only, digital downloads don’t apply, sorry).

The New Swing Sextette : Open Your Mind & Puerto Rico
taken from a private press 12″ on ENS (1976)

DJ Busquelo & Liz Martin on The Mambo Machine : Radio Show

today’s post comes from friend and mentor DJ Busquelo (www.busquelo.org) who hosts The Mambo Machine on WKCR and has put together an amazing event, Tropic Of Cancer, happening tonight in NYC!

A record collector often finds himself in a world of imagined memories, among records that were heard before, in some other place and time, perhaps danced to, cried to, or even made love to. Very rarely do we find an opportunity to really learn the context of the forgotten place and time. One record which always held a mysterious place in my heart was this extremely funky 12″. This private disco 12″, with salsa on one side, latin funk on the other, and the group name”El Nuevo Swing” hinted at the 60’s combo, The New Swing Sextette, who recorded 4 incredible albums on the Cotique label. However, nobody who I asked ever knew anything about this 12.

One day this past July, We received a special honor on our radio show The Mambo Machine. when 2 members of The New Swing Sextette visited to promote the release of their first album in 30 years. The studio came alive with Angel and George’s energetic presence, and in the midst of all the vintage vinyl and their countless memories of the golden age of Latin music, I pulled out my mysterious ENS 12″ and said to them, “guys, I’ve been wanting to ask this question for such a long time: is this record YOU??”. Their jaws dropped, and they asked me where the heck did I get that record?

They took the record into their hands and looked at it the way an old man would look at a photo of a secret lover from years ago. They revealed the story of how they recorded a full album in 1976, 5 years after their last record on Cotique, that took their original vision of the group into new territory, exploring aspects of psychedelia, rock, soul, and disco, as well as their traditional Latin elements. For whatever reasons, the project got shelved by the record label, and they took it into their own hands and pressed a handful of these 12″s to get the music out. They said that this 12″ was only the 2nd one they have seen since those days, the first one being at Angel’s house.

This special 12″ is my contribution to the Captains Crate in honor of Tropic of Cancer which is taking place on Friday September 5th and celebrates tropical music and its many branches all over the world. Thanks to Captain Planet for such a rich and entertaining place to share such gems.

The Playlist:

The Beatards : Big Bad Beat & It’s So Easy
sneak peak taken from the upcoming EP “Big Bad Beat” on MixtapeRiot (2008)

Our new EP is done as of last week and will be back from the printers shortly! Don’t think you know what we sound like just from hearing these two tunes, we go all over the map and back again. Check us live in LA this week & next, or back in NYC in Sept. We keep our schedule updated on the myspace page.

The Virgins : Rich Girls (Beatards Remix)
CRATE EXCLUSIVE – can’t get this one anywhere else!

Atlantic records reached out to us, and then bailed cause they don’t know what’s good for ’em.

Erykah Badu : Cleva (Captain Planet Remix) & Honey (Captain Planet Remix)
taken from the 12″ AVAILABLE HERE or HERE on BSTRD BOOTS (2008)

I posted these joints for limited time only downloads earlier on, but this summer they finally came out on wax. In case it isn’t already entirely clear, I’ve been going a little buck wild with vocoder and autotune experimentation recently. Feel free to hate, but I’m happily picturing myself chilling alongside Roger Troutman and T-Pain in the afterlife. Someone even liked my Honey remix enough to post it on youtube!

Captain Planet ft. Ako : On Yer Feet
taken from the upcoming EP on Bastard Jazz

Ako is a young funky drummer and producer. He recorded a bunch of drum breaks and posted them online- I used one as the backbone for this beat. The rest of the EP is falling into place nicely and should definitely be out before the year is over.

Captain Planet : Lean On My Baby
just a sketch for now… we’ll see what happens

One of the many lil ideas I’ve hurriedly thrown together this Summer. I did this in an hour and a half, no lyrics yet, but I still love it and hope that it turns into something finished- who knows what.

Bonus beat: peep this music video, made by the group of High School students that I worked with in Sunset Park this summer. It was part of a competition to express why “I LOVE NY” in one minute or less. We didn’t win, but we had a bunch of fun regardless.

The Story:

Deeply embedded in my understanding of the world, is the belief that Summer is meant to be “time off”. There have been few moments, if any, in my life that approach the uncontrollable surging relief and freedom that I would feel every June getting off the bus after that last day of school. Looking ahead at the summer in front of me, the days of the week ceased to matter, and the passing hours that normally divided my laborious schedule into even blocks of responsibility and focus, blurred into a continuous quest for thrills. The goal of a day might take shape in the simple hunt for an ice cream cone, a new skate spot, a cute girl or a water-balloon fight and a place to swim. Perhaps nostalgia has amplified what I truly felt at the time, but this is how I will forever remember it.

2008 was my UN-summer: I’ve been working more than ever before, scheduling meetings and filling up two calendar pages beneath the present one. However, the fact that I’m doing it for myself, and spending time on what I love, has also helped me feel some of that same thrill I used to get from doing Super Soaker drive-bys on my bike. Instead of any “time-off” this summer, I spent nearly every free moment in my studio working on music or putting together live shows with my group The Beatards. In general, I really try not to blow up my own spot, but to be honest, these are the songs I’ve been listening to the most this summer. The tracks I’m posting up today are just a small fragment of all the music I’ve been making, so stay tuned for a lot more to come.

Now that summer is unofficially over (Labor Day still means back to school in my book), I’m finally getting a chance to take a break. Anyone who’s in the Los Angeles area should definitely come out to one of the events I’m doing in the next week & a half. Leave your preconceptions at the door and be ready to let loose.

Bronx River Parkway & Candela All Stars: Donde
Bronx River Parkway & Candela All Stars: San Sebastian 152
From San Sebastian 152 (Truth and Soul/Candela, 2008)

Johnny Pacheco: Boogaloo De Johnny (Quantic Remix)
Dave Cortez: Happy Soul With a Hook (DJ Format Remix)
From I Like It Like That (Fania, 2008)

Los Po-Boy-Citos: Wobble Cha
Los Po-Boy-Citos: Fat Mama/Mother-In-Law
From New Orleans Latin Soul (2008)

You have retro-soul on one hand but there’s also an equally strong trend of what I’m going to call nuevo-Latin (just for the hell of it): soul/funk-influenced Afro-Cuban rhythms whipped together by a younger generation of musicians. The UK’s Quantic is probably one of the best known of this cohort, but you could also include Grupo Fantasma and Chica Libre or Brownout (I’m sure there are many, many more). However, the one I’ve been keeping tabs on has been the Bronx River Parkway and Candela All Stars joint project. I first heard them probably around 2006 and then was reminded of them again in 2007 and the group – lead by the same people in the El Michels Affair/Truth and Soul – has finally completed its debut album, San Sebastian 152 which should be shipping any day now.

Bronx River Parkway combines players out of the Truth and Soul camp with a host of Puerto Rican musicians, many of them veterans from bands once lead by Roberta Roena and Cortijo. Most of this album was originally begun during a trip down to San Juan in 2006. The result is a great meeting point between the tight, funky arrangements that Truth and Soul is known for and the infectious Latin swing brought by their PR counterparts. You really hear that on the title song, especially in how beautifully the horn sections from both bands really give the song such a shine.

“Donde” I included because I was tickled by its nod to one of the great Latin soul/boogaloo joints of all time: “Freak Off” by Orchestra Harlow. It’s not a cover per se, but clearly riffs of the Harlow classic.

Leon Michels at Truth and Soul was kind enough to offer up some copies of the new CD for Soul Sides readers. If you want a copy, email me (subject line: Bronx River Parkway) and I’ll pick a couple of winners at random at the end of next week (make sure you include your address in your email).

Speaking of Quantic and while we’re on the Latin tip already, I’d be remiss in not mentioning that Fania has just put out their “remixed” compilation which features a slew of their remix sides (formerly on 12″) on one disc. Considering how quickly many of those singles sold-out, it’s nice that they put them out on one disc. To be honest, while there’s some stuff on here that I thought was really solid (such as the two tracks above), like most remix albums, there’s a good deal of material that I personally just didn’t care much for, especially the more house/techno-oriented remixes which aren’t my musical bag.

Of the material I did like, the “Happy Soul With a Hook” edit by DJ Format was one of the first 12″s that Fania released and it’s easy to see its appeal – super uptempo, funky and big with Xtina fans. This is the same song I wrote about in the Happy Soul Suite and Format reworks this particular version by playing with the drums and giving it some extra kick. I do, personally, miss the vocals from the original Latin Blues Band song but hey, I guess I could remix the remix.

Taj Mahal : Cakewalk Into Town
taken from the album “Recycling The Blues & Other Related Stuff”
on Columbia (1972)

Taj Mahal : Farther On Down The Road
taken from the album “Giant Step” on Columbia (1969)

Taj Mahal : Queen Bee & Salsa de Laventille
taken from the album “Evolution” on Warner Bros (1978)

Taj Mahal : Why Did You Have To Desert Me?
& Clara (St. Kitts Woman)
taken from the album “Mo’ Roots” on Columbia (1974)

Taj Mahal : Satisfied ‘N Tickled Too, Easy To Love & Misty Morning Ride
taken from the album “Satisfied ‘N Tickled Too” on Columbia (1976)

When you fall in love with a song, you mark yourself for life. You can forget about the song, but you won’t forget the song. You’ll hear it again and experience the type of space-time warping that string theory scientists are still struggling to define. And when you really need a particular piece of music from your past, when a hungry hole of nostalgia or pain rings in your chest like an empty hallway, you have the innate ability to diagnose yourself with the perfect musical prescription. Turning up the volume and traveling on memories is a magic luxury that has carried our ancestors through struggle since the dawn of the lullaby. This week I was in need of comfort, and from some unknown inner dimension, my memory played a melody that collapsed the past into the present and future. I felt my 16 year-old self hearing “Cakewalk Into Town” for the very first time (endless thanks to Chattanooga Hammy Hamilton for that introduction), I could feel the me now, lying on the floor with a little ball of fur named Rosco purring between my fingertips, and I could also see the brightness yet to come. After playing that first Taj LP, I pulled out one after another and continued tripping through past loves. There’s so many good tunes, and somehow I’d gone all these years without a single one on MP3!?! Now I’ve been listening to Taj almost exclusively for a week and I figured I should share my little personal “best of” collection – even though there’s lots more to check for.

The music of Taj Mahal is roots and soul. Part Cymande, part Muddy Waters, part (dare I say it) Grateful Dead- entirely it’s own entity which fits within no genre. Call me cheesy, call me a hippy, your words will fall flat against the might of what I feel when I listen to his songs. Where else does steel drum and harmonica mix with banjo and flute so naturally? And his voice alone carries some songs- raw and warm like milk out the utter. It hath been taken there. I’m still a country boy at heart and every once in a while I have to let it show. Truth be told, my lil baby brother was even named “Taj” after senor blues himself.

Bill Withers: No Hands, Gramma (Re-edit by Shoes)
Taken from the whitelabel 12″ (2008)

Barbara Acklin: I Can’t Be Myself (Floorman Re-Edit)
Mp3 taken from here

Chic: I Want Your Love (Re-edit by Todd Terje)
Taken from a mix cd that a friend gave me… (a few weeks ago)

James Brown: Sayin’ It And Doin’ It (Sugarloaf Gangsters Mix)
Taken from the album Doin’ James on Gamm (2008)

Chaka Khan: Every Little Thing (Barna Soundmachine Edit)
Taken from the whitelabel 12″ (2005)

Ralfi Pagan: Didn’t Want To Have To Do It (4 Hero Remix)
Taken from the album I Like It Like That: Fania Remixed on Fania (2008)

“Simplify, simplify.” –Henry David Thoreau

I’ve always liked that quote. And let it be known, friends, that as sure as it applies to the great quandries of existentialism, so too with… a proper re-edit.

The beauty of a good re-hashing of somebody else’s (hopefully) already realized work is the subtle accentuation of elements already present to form a just-barely-ever-so-slightly-more groovy groove. A more slinky slink. A more rifftastic riff. Likely, but not necessarily limited to the intention of moving a dancefloor more provocatively.

But pay heed re-editors and re-mixers, because often the song itself doesn’t need too much work… Your job is to find those few subtle elements and re-establish them as the cornerstones of the whole shebang. All you’re looking for is one narrow window–a guitar line, a bass burble, a drum break–and suddenly a 3 minute song becomes 6, a piano spurt becomes a great anticipatory soliloquy… and a dancefloor becomes a temple to your work.

The tracks: These are some of my current favorites in the re-edit department. Some for their obvious potency on a dancefloor (Chaka Khan, James Brown) others for their truly fine interpretations of the originals (Bill Withers, Ralfi Pagan). I do feel a need to emphasize just HOW amazing “Didn’t Want To Have To Do It” is… This song for me has been a frickin’ revelation. As a long time fan of Mr. Pagan (and 4 Hero, for that matter), this little number absolutely guts me, leaving me panting, sweating and begging for more.

The rest I’ll let speak for themselves.

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ALSO. Tonight is BOOGALOO! @ The Short Stop in Echo Park (1455 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles,90004)

For those of you who haven’t made it out yet… QUIT SLEEPIN’!!! Thursdays are your weekly chance to get up on joints like these while getting down on the dancefloor. Holler.