Monthly Archives: April 2007

The UNTOUCHABLE…

Sunday: April 8, 2007 Posted: Darien Victor Birks Category: Soul 9 Comments

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Artist: Leon Ware, Coleridge Perkins Title: The Education of Sonny Carson (Original Soundtrack) Year: 1974 Label: Paramount Format: Vinyl LP

SILENCE!

This record will be broken down into a numbered list.

1- If you haven’t already, BUY the movie “The Education of Sonny Carson”

2- This is one of my RAREST, most TREASURED, most THOROUGH, most MEANINGFUL LP in my ENTIRE collection

3- Took me over a year and a half to dig this up, almost had a heart-attack when I found it

4- This is the BEST blaxploitation movie soundtrack…EVER!

5- Don’t go looking for MP3′s of this LP, because you won’t find them.

6- Interesting fact, the images shown on the front and back covers are outakes, and weren’t actually used for the movie

7- The soundtrack is PURE GENIUS, and an excellent collaboration between Leon Ware and Coleridge Perkins, two SLEPT ON artists/producers of the past.

8- What you get…ballads, funky grooves, pure soul, and some sounds that I truly cannot classify at the moment!

9- AGAIN, go BUY the movie before attempting to go digging for this LP.

10- Nobody sampled ANYTHING off of this record, it’s an untapped resource…barely anyone knows that this album exists, either that or they gave up years ago trying to find it…

…Rose Gold Holy Grail.

The Fridge.

Sunday: April 8, 2007 Posted: Darien Victor Birks Category: Jazz 2 Comments

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Artist: Herbie Hancock Title: Fat Albert Rotunda Year: 1974 Label: Warner Brothers Format: Vinyl LP

This LP was one of the first Herbie Hancock fusion records…the Fat Albert Rotunda! Heavily influenced by (you guessed it), the hit 70′s cartoon Fat Albert. A lot of the music on this record was used as music for the show.

Funky grooooooooves! If you don’t own this LP you’re missing out in a major way.

TOUGH TOUGH TOUGH to find if I must say so myself, this is one of the Hancock records that one may almost never run into in the crates, the bins, etc. But don’t give up on this one.

Upbeat, funky, and improvised throughout pretty much all of the LP. This is almost like sitting front and center at a Herbie Hancock jam session in the 70′s…Herbie fans know what that would feel like! A side B side thorough-NESS!

Peace…Holy Grail.

PS: Mike, good looking out on recommending this LP! It’s one of my fav’s these days!

ONLY This Dude!

Sunday: April 8, 2007 Posted: Darien Victor Birks Category: Boogie 2 Comments

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Artist: Prince Title: Prince Year: 1979 Label: Warner Brothers Format: Vinyl LP

All I have to say is this…

Prince (or should I say, the artist formerly known as Prince) is the only guy that I know of that can get away w/ riding a winged unicorn, @ss naked and maintain MAJOR respect throughout the industry and the world!

Being a musical GENIUS pays off!!! LOL!!!

Shout out to Prince!

Shaft in the Motherland!

Monday: April 2, 2007 Posted: Darien Victor Birks Category: Funk, Soul 2 Comments

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Artist: Johnny Pate Title: Shaft in Africa Soundtrack Year: 1973 Label(s): ABC Format: Vinyl LP

Again, another BEAT UP record cover of mine (front and back are like ashy skin, chipping and peeling)…

BUT…I own it…and that’s all that matters…

Now, I’m going to jump out there and say that this LP is also (see Truck Turner post from March archive) better than the original Shaft movie soundtrack put together by Isaac Hayes, and I love Isaac Hayes music AND the original Shaft soundtrack. That alone tells you how good this record is. It’s funky funky, not soulful funky. The majority of the LP is upbeat, similar to the fight scenes in this classic blaxploitation film.

Jay-Z sampled off of this record for **RAH RAH RAH YADDY YAH** (for the new readers, I don’t give away samples on the records, why? because i dont want to ruin the element of suprise for ya), so the price went up and the chance of finding this record is now a bit tougher…but I’d say go hunt and find it, definitely a collector’s piece.

Check out the sick illustration on the cover…w/ the foreshortening of the african tree stick (whatever that is)…

Peace.

Abide by the Laws.

Sunday: April 1, 2007 Posted: Darien Victor Birks Category: Jazz 7 Comments

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Artist: Ronnie Laws Title: Friends & Strangers, Pressure Sensative Year: 1977, 1975 Label(s): Blue Note Format: Vinyl LP

Okay.

Love this guys work. I’ll keep it short, sweet and simple.

Legendary. Innovative. Soothing. Soulful. Progressive. SLEPT ON! and…SLEPT ON!

I am in the process of collecting EVERY record that Ronnie Laws has ever released, so far this is my start (took me a long time just to bump into these two LP’s). And in my opinion both of these joints are classics. PERIOD.

Where is Ware?

Sunday: April 1, 2007 Posted: Darien Victor Birks Category: Boogie, Soul 2 Comments

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Artist: Leon Ware Title: Rockin’ You Eternally Year: 1981 Label(s): Elektra Format: Vinyl LP

This dude is amazing. Thank him for all of Marvin Gaye’s hits in the 70′s. Why? He wrote and produced most if not all of it.

Super hard to find, I got lucky when I stumbled across this one…priced pretty high but worth every penny.

The sound of this album is mellow overall, that’s Leon’s style. If you’re looking for that record that can put you at ease, while giving you GREAT music, then get this record. It’s similar to a 72 degree sunny day w/ a light breeze.

An additional note, the colors of the recrod cover are dope, teal, yellow and black…simple elegance.

OH! Holy Grail.

Beat to Fresh.

Sunday: April 1, 2007 Posted: Darien Victor Birks Category: Soul 3 Comments

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Artist: Eddie Kendricks Title: People…Hold On Year: 1972 Label(s): Tamla Format: Vinyl LP

I know I know…this record is in HORRIBLE shape.

BUT…

I found it in a dollar bin, and can’t find it anywhere else…I’d rather have a beat-down cover for this joint, than to not have the record at all.

And the wax is still in tip-top condition.

Anyway, this is Eddie Kendricks BEST SOLO ALBUM period.

This record has so much soul…it has major african influences throughout as well (think Fela).

And for all those Dilla fans out there, this album has a DONUT for ya.

RARE! but if you find it, expensive or cheap, beat or fresh. BUY IT BUY IT BUY IT!!! Holy Grail.

Peace.

Fat Back, and…Pork Butts.

Sunday: April 1, 2007 Posted: Darien Victor Birks Category: Funk, Soul Leave a comment

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Artist: The Fatback Band Title: People Music Year: 1973 Label(s): Perception Format: Vinyl LP

This is a dope record, found it in a shop down the block from me, saw it in there for at least 6 months before I grabbed it…guess the masses haven’t a clue.

Before I listened to the music, I was drawn in by the group logo. Nike did something similar using the same gradient style running through the letters for a t-shirt. If you all haven’t figured it out yet, old record cover design influences almost ALL design of today. At least I feel that way, I see references all the time.

This record is funky, jazzy, and slightly soulful…but it’s a “get the party started” type of joint.

Hard to find but I definitely recommend it.

Upset City.

Sunday: April 1, 2007 Posted: Darien Victor Birks Category: Soul 5 Comments

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Artist: Foster Sylvers Title: (All Self-Titled) Year: 1973,74,78 Label(s): Pride, MGM, Capital Format: Vinyl LP

As much as I love the family recrods, The Sylvers. Foster just can’t cut it alone, each of these attempts of his w/o his older brothers and sisters is a failure in my book. From each of the three LP’s shown here, I like maybe two or three songs total! That’s NOT GOOD.

I am a victim of the rare record syndrome here, all three of these LP’s are rare and hard to find, however, that doesn’t make them good records. I spent MONTHS and MONTHS on end digging for these three LP’s, after I finally found and bought em’ I was shocked at the lack of good music between them.

Anyway, just a heads up to any of you looking for these records…DONT. They’re not that good, and I’ll probably never revisit listening to them. But make your own opinion if you wish.

Two thumbs down.

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