Another Soul City Records comp of 15 tracks of "raw and rare funk jams" 67-71.
It opens strong with Big Jay Bush and the House Rockers running through "soul meeting" Big Jay sounds like your big drunk uncle working it after a few too many. Bobby Smith & the Big Sounds drop "the soul of unit seven". Nonsense lyrics. Their "big sound" gives the recording an overdriven right on the edge of distorted feel that is nice.
Phil Flowers gives "like a rolling stone" an upbeat funk workout with horns. Phil even has some Tourette beat box moves that he throws into the chorus.
Side 2 starts strong with Wynfield Parker's "shake that thing" which is also ripe to be sampled. Lloyd Hendricks will tell you everyone in Tupelo, MI is doing the "Sno-Cone".
Groundhog give us the suggestive "take it off". He talks his way through the track talking a female companion out of her clothes - with good female backing vocals. Kind of a novelty track but it works. Al White and the Hi-Lites bring it with "Noise with the boys" nice opening drum break and a kind of stumbling rhythm with goofy high pitch female vocals. Smokey Brooks contribution "7 Grooves for 7 Moods" has got to be collectable just for the super clear opening drum break. Add in the JB style vocals and the flute and horn groove and you are talking a killer. Finishing off the comp is Carolyn Summers who like the last 2 tracks has a ready to be sampled drum break. A real heartbreak song. She just wants to be "Dead" and that is the name of the song.
This comp was overall stronger than the last Soul City Records comp I reviewed and is highly recommended. The cover is nice enough to throw in pictures of 9 of the labels so at least you know what to look for.....
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