Category Archives: Soul

There It Is.

Tuesday: September 8, 2009 Posted: Darien Victor Birks Category: Funk, Soul Leave a comment

Artist: James Brown
Title: There It Is
Year: 1972
Label: Polydor
Format: Vinyl LP (Original)
Flwrpt Rating of this Record: 4.5/5.0

Front Cover

Review
As you all know, James Brown is the man! Very rarely will he create a bad record, this just happens to be one of my favorite records from the Godfather of soul, There It Is, from ’72. This album features a hot spoken word track, called “King Heroin”, arguably one of the most powerful drug cuts ever created. Brown uses this track to speak to those who are letting the white horse of heroin “carry them to hell”…brace your ears for some dope music!

Check out the sound!

There It Is

I’m A Greedy Man

King Heroin

Design
This is a pretty decent cover. The illustration is fresh, type is okay, coloring is okay…nothing really stands out about this to me, except for the back cover (which I didn’t photograph), which has an illustration of a white horse, with a man riding it to hell (again with the drug metaphor). Other than that, this cover is not necessarily one of my favorites.

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Additional info on James Brown

Gangster Love.

Monday: July 27, 2009 Posted: Darien Victor Birks Category: Funk, Soul 3 Comments

Artist: Chicago Gangsters
Title: Gangster Love
Year: 1976
Label: Gold Plate
Format: Vinyl LP (Original)
Flwrpt Rating of this Record: 3.0/5.0

Front Cover

Review
Honsetly, this is just an average album with a few bright spots sprinkled throughout…but it’s not consistent enough, or original enough for me to call it a banger. It’s pretty formulaic. Nice versatility and overall sound is cool, but this is not the type of record that knocks you off of your feet. Like you’ll read below, I truly bought this for the album cover. I didn’t even sample it in the record shop, lol…I listened to it maybe a couple months after I bought it. Check out this cover people!!! and uhhhh…music samples below.

Check out the sound!

Music For The People (pt.2)

Michigan Avenue

Feel Like Making Love

Gangster Love

Design
This cover is in my top 10 without a doubt, I actually only bought this album for the cover. Who wouldn’t? With its straight forward use of Helvetica (tightly kerned to perfection), the strong black woman in the nude…with the gun and the “don’t mess with me” face…lol! All of these elements just work so well together. The image depicted is very fitting for the title of the LP as well, the warm tone of the image is nice also. This is a perfect album cover…PERFECT.

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Additional info on Chicago Gangsters

Earth Wind And Fire.

Monday: July 20, 2009 Posted: Darien Victor Birks Category: Funk, Psych, Soul Leave a comment

Artist: Earth Wind And Fire
Title: Earth Wind And Fire
Year: 1971
Label: Warner Brothers
Format: Vinyl LP (Original)
Flwrpt Rating of this Record: 4.0/5.0

Front Cover

Review
Before the fame, the hits, the million records sold, “Earth Wind and Fire” was a pretty hardcore, raw, funk group…with a slight psychadelic touch. This is when I felt that the group was at their very BEST. Heavy bass lines, killer drum grooves, and less singing (more chanting and harmonizing). Sadly, the group that worked on this album disbanded after the second studio album, which was also completed in 1971. They came back strong with a new group and all, but never really returned to this sound. Anyway, great album, check it out…

Check out the sound!

Moment Of Truth

Bad Tune

C’mon Children

Design
I’m not a fan of this album cover, but what I like about it is that it’s a direct reflection of the sound of the music. Rough, dirty, and raw. The typography is not that interesting either…who knows, maybe that was the intention?

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Additional info on Earth Wind And Fire

Mary, Scherrie & Susaye.

Tuesday: July 7, 2009 Posted: Darien Victor Birks Category: Disco, Soul 1 Comment

Artist: The Supremes
Title: Mary, Scherrie & Susaye
Year: 1976
Label: Motown
Format: Vinyl LP (Original)
Flwrpt Rating of this Record: 4.0/5.0

Front Cover

Review
My personal opinion, “Diana Ross & The Supremes” were good and produced MANY great songs, however, “The Supremes” without Diana made better music and sang with MUCH MORE soul (again, that is just my opinion). This album right here Mary, Scherrie & Susaye dropped right around the time that disco music was taking over the mainstream, and they did a great job bringing that “feel-good” music to life. They all have beautiful and unique voices that work well with this style of production, although it’s party music, it has two jobs and does both very well…talk about love (1), and talk about partying (2), it’s that simple. FEEL GOOD, and enjoy…(pay close attention to the build-ups and the tension breaks)

Check out the sound!

Come Into My Life

Sweet Dream Machine

Let Yourself Go

Design
Dope cover. Three beautiful black women, on a black backdrop. I love this one…from the simple triangular composition, to the nice contrasty shadows to shape their faces. With this type of strong photography, no need to over-work the type, so the simple type treatment at the top is a viable compliment. Lastly, I want to comment on the bright backlight shining through their hair, gives it a subtle touch that brings it all together.

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Additional info on The Supremes

Don't Turn Around.

Thursday: June 18, 2009 Posted: Darien Victor Birks Category: Soul 2 Comments

Artist: Black Ivory
Title: Don’t Turn Around
Year: 1972
Label: Today
Format: Vinyl LP (Original)
Flwrpt Rating of this Record: 5.0/5.0

Front Cover

Review
One of my favorite 70′s r&b records, Don’t Turn Around by Black Ivory. This was their first release, and by far, the absolute best album that they produced (though the others were good albums). On this album you’ll get a little bit of everything, some ballads, some poppy r&b, and some funky stuff as well. That’s one of the things that makes it great is its versatility. The music/production is great, but I am really into the lyrics here…the songs are very well written, one can relate to at least one song on the album. It’s all about life, and love. Enjoy…

Check out the sound!

Don’t Turn Around

You And I

I’ll Keep Asking You Questions

I’ll Find A Way

Our Future

Design
This cover is awesome! From image composition to typography, it just works, plain and simple. Not to mention that the font they’re using is one of my favorites (or at least a variation of it), looks sort of Bodoni/Didot-ish. Can’t pinpoint the exact font, but I know I love it.

Check out the dance steps! These guys are great!

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Additional info on Black Ivory

Rejuvenation.

Sunday: June 14, 2009 Posted: Darien Victor Birks Category: Funk, Soul 4 Comments

Artist: The Meters
Title: Rejuvenation
Year: 1974
Label: Reprise
Format: Vinyl LP (Original)
Flwrpt Rating of this Record: 3.5/5.0

Front Cover

Review
I’ve been in a Meters mood all week, so I’ll keep it rolling with this one here, Rejuvenation. This is a funky album, probably the only album that I like from the group that wasn’t recorded on the JOSIE label. The sound isn’t as dirty as their earlier work, but it still makes for a decent LP. Enjoy…

Check out the sound!

Just Kissed My Baby

Jungle Man

People Say

Design
I’m a minimalist, and this cover is ALL OVER THE PLACE, I completely dislike it…COMPLETELY. If you had no clue who the Meters were, you may even think that the group is called “Rejuvenation”, because the hierarchy of the type is just WRONG. Layer upon layer of junk, it just looks bad, and the grid lines don’t work here. On the contrary, if you strip this cover of all it’s clutter, the photo is actually kinda cool, and has an interesting abstract composition.

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Additional info on The Meters

Struttin.

Thursday: June 11, 2009 Posted: Darien Victor Birks Category: Funk, Soul Leave a comment

Artist: The Meters
Title: Struttin
Year: 1970
Label: Josie
Format: Vinyl LP (Original)
Flwrpt Rating of this Record: 4.75/5.0

Front Cover

Review
WHEW! One of my favorite groups during their early years (’69 to about early ’71), basically anything they’ve done on the JOSIE label), during those years, I feel like they didn’t have ANY bad songs on an LP, everything was quality and produced to perfection! If you like hard hitting grooves, get into The Meters, STAT!

Hopefully you did your homework by now, I posted a Meters video for you all yesterday in an attempt to get you on a mission to check out their discography. Well even if you didn’t, I’ll get you hip right quick. This is The Meters second LP, Struttin, and struttin is exactly what their style of music is all about. These guys are one of the funkiest groups EVER to grace the music scene. They represent the New Orleans Bayou Funk scene with an exclamation point(!), PERIOD(.) The group is produced by none other than one of the leaders of that movement, Allen Toussaint (look his early works up as well, mind-blowing stuff).

Like a lot of The Meters work that you’ll hear, this record is guitar, organ, and drum heavy, sounds typical right? (wrong) Once you hear the way that they’re able to emphasize every sound, every note, you’ll soon understand the tremendous talent that lives within these guys. Definitely some killer grooves on this record, some breaks, so do me a favor and enjoy…

Check out the sound!

Same Old Thing

Hand Clapping Song

Tippi-Toes

Hey! Last Minute

Design
This cover is nice. I dig the abstracted illustration of the “barnyard pimp” (aka Rooster). The overlapping of the subject, to show movement is so old school, but executed nicely. The designer even went as far as to try and mimic the image with the typographic treatment, which works because it’s still readable. I must say, however, I don’t really like that font…but it works well here because it’s simple and straight-forward, it doesn’t compete with the image. Bright color palette set on black, I’m always a fan. The sharp contrast makes for a strong piece, EVERY time.

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Additional info on The Meters

Ron, Record Collector.

Wednesday: May 27, 2009 Posted: Darien Victor Birks Category: Soul 4 Comments

Just a cool little vid about a guy name Ron who collects records. Short, sweet and simple! Enjoy…

By the way, at the end of this vid I caught a glimpse of the scenery and noticed that this guy lives in Brooklyn, Ft.Greene! Very close to where I live…small world.

Peace.

Unkle Chip + DJay Jung.

Thursday: May 21, 2009 Posted: Darien Victor Birks Category: Soul 1 Comment

Chip Flyer

If you’re looking for something to do this weekend, then definitely go check out my boys DJ Unkle Chip and DJay Jung…easily two of the dopest DJ’s in NY and NJ, bottom line. They’re gonna be spinning at STAY this Sunday, you can check out the full details over at their site The Elite Camp.

Sidenote: Check out that hot flyer, Chip can design, too!

Peace.

Motown Fifty

Monday: May 18, 2009 Posted: Darien Victor Birks Category: Mix, Soul 8 Comments

Front Cover
Cover Art + Mixed by Darien Victor Birks of Flwrpt

The Message
Legendary, untouchable, versatile…these are just a few words to describe one of the greatest, most influential record labels of ALL-TIME, Motown. The record label started back in 1959 (in Detroit) by Berry Gordy, which was FIFTY years ago, hence the title of my latest mix, Motown Fifty. This is my way of saying thank you to all of the super talented artists and musicians that blessed us with some amazing music, music that will live within us all for the rest of our lives. That’s powerful.

Sit back, relax, and try to enjoy this journey through Motown music…

Check out the sound!

DOWNLOAD

OR

Listen Now:

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Tracklisting:

Yvonne Fair – Funky Music Sho’ Nuff Turns Me On f/ Marvin Gaye
Willie Hutch – Foxy Brown Theme
Jackson 5 – Sing A Simple Song (Live)
Undisputed Truth – UFO’s
The Temptations – You’ve Got My Soul on Fire
Jackson 5 – Dance & Hum Along
Stevie Wonder – Everytime I See You I Go Wild
Ivy Joe Hunter – Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever
The Supremes – Come Into My Life
Willie Hutch – Get Ready For The Get Down
Gladys Knight & The Pips – Thank You (Falettin Me Be Mice Elf Again)
The Four Tops – Reflections
Yvonne Fair – Tell Me Something Good
The Temptations – I Need You
Rick James – Fool On The Street
The Temptations – Ain’t No Sunshine
The Miracles – Poor Charlotte
Mandre – Maxymus Lyte (Opus III)
Mandre – Third World Calling (Opus II)
Wes Henderson – Reality
Jackson 5 – Take You Higher (Live)
Diana Ross & The Supremes – Nitty Gritty
Stevie Wonder – Light My Fire
The Supremes – Oh Be My Love
Jackson 5 – I’ll Bet You
The Temptations – What It Is
G.C. Cameron – No Matter Where
Diana Ross & The Supremes with The Temptations – Sweet Inspiration
Diana Ross – Surrender
Jackson 5 – Dancing Machine
Yvonne Fair – Stay A Little Longer
The Spinners – Message From A Black Man
Tom Clay – What The World Needs Now Is Love
Undisputed Truth – Ungena Za Ulimwengu
Eddie Kendricks – Diamond Girl
Smokey Robinson – Just Passing Through
Jr. Walker & The All-Stars – Love Hangover
Diana Ross & Jackson 5 – Feelin’ Alright
Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – Tears Of A Clown
The Supremes – Sweet Dream Machine
The Miracles – Smog
Undisputed Truth – What’s Going On
Gordon Staples & The Motown Strings – Sounds Of The Zodiac
Berry Gordy (Sound bite over the Gordon Staples track)
Marvin Gaye – Intro Theme Live
Marvin Gaye – Too Busy Thinking Bout My Baby/How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You (Live)
Marvin Gaye – Cloud Nine
Marvin Gaye – I Wanna Be Where You Are (Outro)

Gordy
Founder, Berry Gordy in front of Motown recording studio Hitsville U.S.A.

Also, be sure to check out my other mixes here.

Peace.

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