CASTLE MUSIC

We got the Funk

Released on 18 November 2002.

 "Named after Positive Force's 1979 hit which sat squarely between old school funk, disco and the impending rap explosion 'We got the Funk' offers an impressive cross section of funk music from the 70's. Tracks by Johnny Guitar Watson, Rimshots, Osibisa, WilliamDeVaughn and Chairmen of the Board keep the hit quotient high, but there are also rare grooves from Willie and the Mighty Magnificents, Politicians, Rhythm Makers and Wood Brass and Steel."

As the blurb says this is a broad based funk compilation some popular funk chart hits, some well known funk anthems and some harder deeper more obscure sides, plus, as will always be the case on a big comp like this, a few disposable items. Over 50 sides to choose from and well worth getting for some of the more obscure titles but also good to revisit some of the others

Picking out some of the tracks, from disc one, we kick of with the disco funk of the title track, an anthem in some circles. The chart funk is represented by Johnny Guitar Watson, the party tunes by the Rimshots and Osibisa, and the wonderful William Devaughn. Also big were Cymande and Curtis(but unfortunately not the studio cut).

The Invictus/ Hot Wax material actually comes across the weakest on this side but always good to see Laura lee featured anywhere. The ones for me is the early Fatback, from its Perception days with Nija Walk, funk as funk should be, unadulterated, good time and fresh. Slightly more contrived but still good, with a good message too, Calendar's Hypertension, and the disco anthem Atmosfear Dancing in Outer Space.

Lonnie Youngblood good to see but whilst this is good time funk it's better when he blows, which there isn't much of on this cut.

CD two starts with the cracking easy groove funk with jazzy overtones of Dizzy Gillespie of all people on this Perception side. Tracks 2 and 3 pass and ask the question why? The better stuff on this side is the more obscure, the frantic wah wah of the Pazants, the spacey building groove of the instrumental Politicians, the proof that all bump records were not popularised disco pap Natural High and Black Ivory finding Leroy Burgess and all doing a funky thing.

More Fatback, more Cymande, more Laura Lee and one of her best, more Freda Payne and introducing the Chairmen's funky side.

On the popular side there is the Kay Gees funky 'Get Down' and better Hot Wax with 8th Days 'Cheba' and Flaming Ember's 'Filet'

Some great material on this side which gets under way with the femme side of the Sugarhill rap thing with Sequence, featuring an earl Angie Stone (why does it say Brown on the sleeve!). One of the great tracks, pretty much by whoever is the Gil Scott Heron penned Bottle, here by All Platinum's Brother to Brother, a great version. Trio of great hard funk tracks are all put together, that's the Communicators, Julius Brockington, and the Mighty Magnificents, the latter rapping in the barbershop above a real funk beat. The Politicians Free your mind well frees your mind.

Two tracks that I don't recall hitting on me before but today sounded real good were Everyday People and Gentlemen and their Ladies.

On the disco side is Rhythm Makers, a persistent laid back groove, never quite makes it to the front but you run with it all the same. An easy, but good, instrumental is the flowing Wood Brass and Steel. The groundbreaking Parliament also should get a mention with two sides on the compilation, the best one on this CD. More Fatbacks with a more vocal outing than they were putting out at the time, with a Wicky Wacky beat ahead of it's time. What goes around....

I wish they wouldn't sneak in live sides on these compilations sometimes.