Nothing wrong with a little Spanking

Don't be freaked out by the title. This is not a prelude to some insight into the nocturnal adventures of the Twelve Bar crew. Instead it is an introduction to a short piece about what is just a stunning piece of feel-good soul, namely 1968's "Sunshine of Your Love" by jazz and soul vocalist Spanky Wilson. Aside from having one of the best artist names ever (a childhood nickname acquired through the number of spankings she received from her parents for repeated disobedience), Philadelphia's Spanky Wilson is a renowned jazz vocalist, and namechecks Duke Ellington, Lalo Schifrin and Sammy Davis Jr as collaborators, amongst a variety of other luminaries.

But it is not really her jazz output that you need to be worried about. No, it is the awesomely fierce and upbeat cover of Eric Clapton and Cream's Bluesy plodder that takes the plaudits here. This simply bursts out of the speakers as a thrilling affirmation of love, sexiness and pure funky goodness. Re-released in 2005 on the Replay label, it is still tricky to get hold of on vinyl, but does show up on a number of compilations and in this age of internet wonder, can be your's at the click of a button.

Well, what are you waiting for, go get lifted.

Fela the Funk

Now we all now that the Twelve Bar Sessions are a reflection of the musical influences of the Twelve Bar crew, and this month's selection is another corker. Indeed you need look no further than track 1 to find the subject of today's musical musings, and the funky brilliance that is Fela Kuti's "Water No Get Enemy". The work of Fela Kuti and his band, Africa 70 (formerly Koola Lobitos), is nothing short of revolutionary, and his importance in the musical landscape is difficult to overstate. Inventor of "Afro-Beat" and with a massive recorded output, Kuti's innovation is matched only by his importance as a social commentator and campaigner for democracy in Africa, especially his native Nigeria, despite the contradictions inherent in his flagrant misogyny and megalomania. There is time to discuss the work of Fela Kuti in more detail in future entries to Story To Tell, but for now simply use it as an excuse to sit back and enjoy the track, taken from 1975's "Expensive Shit" album.

The album is only two track's long, the impossibly funky title track, and the afore-mentioned "Water No Get Enemy" which, for me, epitomises Kuti's best work. A tight yet expansive groove, playful interplay between wordless vocals and the musical patterns, and all held together by Kuti's own blinding Sax work.
Priceless.

London Calling

A couple of years ago Nas played a famously aborted show at London's Brixton Academy. Famous amongst the UK's hip-hop heads because of its fore-shortening due to some wannabe rudeboy firing off some shots in the venue. Gun crime is relatively rare in the UK and so shots in a concert was quite a big deal, and to this day the culprit is unknown, despite giving rise to a wave of media scare-mongering about the pernicious influence of hip-hop (read "black") music on the youth in the inner-cities. That is a whole different topic, but why I mention Nas's concert of about 5 songs, is because that night he entered the stage in what was to me a totally inspired move.

The frenetic strains of The Clash's "London Calling" rang out as Nas prowled onto the stage, a fitting hello to his UK fanbase. Of course, many in the crowd showed no sign of recognition or indeed interest, some outwards disdain at this punk interlude, but I thought it was totally don, and such a maverick sign of Nas's own rich musical knowledge. Anyway, that is a long-winded introduction to the band themselves, commonly heralded as one of the UK's pre-eminent musical heroes. I personally have always found The Clash a little hit and miss, but when they hit it is often a classic. I also have The Clash to thank for introducing me to one of the greatest songs ever, Junior Murvin's "Police and Thieves", written and produced by the legendary Lee Scratch Perry in 1976.

The relationship between UK punk and reggae is an interesting one and worthy of more time than here, but if you haven't dug out Police and Thieves in a while, you should do so quick smart. Absolutely timeless, this is one of those rare tracks that it is simply impossible to tire of. So sweet-natured, a beautiful melody, and Murvin's verging on falsetto paean to the police violence and racial unrest widespread in both Jamaica and the UK at the time. The album of the same title from which it came is no slouch either. I bet you're reaching for it already!

A PhD in Poverty

There are numerous names, too many to reel off here, that have become staples of the history of black America's ongoing struggle against segregation, oppression and discrimination, and in the process have become iconic symbols of this struggle. Indeed, it is true that many of these voices have found echoes in the modern day social commentators of the rap scene, from Tupac to Chuck D to Common and many more. One figure from America's past that doesn't seem to get much recognition, however, is that of Ralph Waldo "Petey" Greene Jr, the ex-con Washington DC radio and TV personality and social activist.

All this is likely to soon change with the recent release of "Talk To Me", a film based largely on Greene's life and starring Don Cheadle as the man himself. Now, if you forget Cheadle's abysmal cockney accent in the Ocean's Eleven, Twelve and Thirteen movies, you have to admit he is a fine actor, and by all accounts does brilliantly in this movie which brings to life the social excitement and turbulence, and exploding black consciousness, of late 60s America, all with a suitably amazing musical backdrop. Greene's appeal was in his "tell it like it is" straight up style of discussion, whether on influential DC station WOL 1450 AM in his "Rapping with Petey Greene" show, or his later television appearances.

His approach to issues of the day was very much rooted in the streets, at a time when the concept of keeping it real wasn't even invented, let alone used as a reputation-building calling card. In many ways his story shows a time in American history when it was possible to use your voice and be completely uncensored, a right which is still defended but only partially achieved, even with the opportunities offered by the internet. Greene's jive-talking and championing of social issues took this ex-convict and drug-addict all the way into the walls of the Whitehouse, bizarrely invited by Jimmy Carter to meet Yugoslavian dictator General Tito. If that is not worthy of some type of remembrance, I don't know what is.

Who's afraid of the big bad Wolfe?

I have said before what an interesting tool for the music lover the i-pod is. Not just for its storage and instant transportable access to your collection, its revolutionary features and pure design iconography. All of these are important in explaining how it has transformed music listening in a number of ways, but what has prompted my musings this morning is the track information it contains and displays. Now, you may be a rapacious reader of your sleeve notes, an internet junkie for all information available on every facet making up the music you love, but I am not. I like to know, but I wouldn't call it obsession. However, this morning as the welcome fuzzy bassline of the classic Chronic opener F*ck Wit Dre Day came on my i-shuffle and I glanced at the screen there were two words I knew nothing about: Dre featuring Snoop Dogg and Colin Wolfe.

Colin Wolfe? Who the hell was Colin Wolfe and what did he have to do with possibly the greatest album opener of all time. Well i'll tell you what. That fuzzy, fat bassline, that daaah-da-da-daah-dah...daah-dah, mirrored in the keyboard treble of the synthesized strings, that's Colin Wolfe. I still don't know anything about him, except that he has created one of the biggest sounds of mine and many other youths, and for that I say thank you, Colin Wolfe.

People's Instinctive Low End Marauders

This will not be a deep posting on Story To Tell. No, instead this is just a report of a discussion I have in my head on many occasions and which I just felt an urge to share. I reckon you will have had this internal dialogue also you see. The root of this inner conundrum is this. Just which, of the first three classic albums, is A Tribe Called Quest's best? Because quite frankly I am damned if I can ever decide.

Each time I think I have got it nailed, along comes a timely reminder of the inspired nature of each of the other contenders.Thinks Scenario can't be topped? Well how about Electric Relaxation? Oh no, hang on, along comes Luck of Lucien? But surely Check The Rhyme tops them all? Well maybe until Oh My God came along, but then there is always Description Of A Fool to sit astride them all!! And on it goes, ad infinitum. But I am hopeful, in externalising this ongoing debate, that I may finally put it to bed and pick a favourite and stick to it. Honestly, I think it has to be Midnight Marauders, but that might just be the cover that I love or because I caught the tour of the album in London and it gave me one of my best nights of live music ever. Besides, I used to think it would always be Low End Theory. Damn, here it goes again...

Money Don't Matter 2NIte

Now. Before I should start I should really state my position clearly. I love Prince. I love him as a musician, as an artist, as a dancer, as an icon. His output is one of the truly great wonders of the musical world and I would place him very near the top, if not at the very top, of my all-time favourite list. Who else has performed so consistently in creating some of the finest long-players and singles over a near 30 year period. His commitment to innovation and funkiness is unsurpassed, and for that we thank him. But my affection is tainted this week with the downright confusing news that Prince has chosen to sue his own fans for breach of copyright on the internet.

Now, the issue of artistic and intellectual property rights on the world-wide web is undoubtedly thorny, and the licensing battles form Napster through to youtube have shown that a status quo is far from established. However, recently there have been signs that the music industry is coming to terms with, and even embracing, the brave new online world, whether in streaming content, working viable download models, or establishing co-licensing agreements. And in many ways leading the field was His Purpleness himself, with Prince one of the first artists to see his music direct to fans online, whether in recorded form or through live casts. But now he is suing three of the largest fansites on the web - housequake.com, prince.org and princefans.com - forcing them to remove all photographs, images, lyrics, album covers and anything linked to the artist's likeness, or show ways of compensating the Paisley Park estate.

The sites have formed Prince Fans United to fight the order, and while respectful of copyright are calling some of the demands unreasonable, and some even illegal, to which I would tend to agree. They also say the move is an attempt by Prince to stifle all critical commentary, which seems to carry some weight, given his demands that Prince-inspired tattoos and car license plates be removed. He even threatened to sue a Pennsylvanian woman for posting a picture of her baby dancing to Let's Go Crazy on youtube. Seriously!! Does he need the money that much?! I know it is not just about money, but the fans, online or off, deserve better than this, especially given the support that successful fansites give to a man whose career has gone slightly leftfield. Industry insiders will watch with interest to see where the story runs, but the smart money is on Prince once again angering and confusing those outside his direct circle, at a time when the trend online is for more social interaction. I for one will download his stuff for free with glee from here on in.

American Gangster

I imagine by now that many readers of this blog who live stateside will already have seen Ridley Scott's new gangland thriller American Gangster. By all accounts the real-life tale of the 70s Harlem drug baron Frank Lucas and the cop who nails him (whilst at the same time cleaning up New York's corrupt police department) starring Denzel Washington and Russel Crowe is a monster. A Goodfella's type epic for the hip-hop generation, the movie opened in the US last weekend to big receipts and favourable reviews, while viewers on the European side are still awaiting the forthcoming release. So anticipation is big to say the least. And then I get the text from my boy Beeznutz asking if I have heard the new Jay-Z album, of which I knew absolutely nothing, only to discover it is a concept album based on the movie itself, prompted it seems by a preview screening of the film earlier in the year. Potential for hugeness is slightly scary.

The fact that Jay-Z can bust out an album at such short notice is itself relatively astonishing, especially with reports of it being up there with Reasonable Doubt, Blueprint and the Black album in terms of quality. Perhaps a rebuttal to the lukewarm response to last year's Kingdom Come, which the Jigga-man claims was too sophisticated for some, clearly the street-tales subject matter of the back-story to a gangland drugs lord suits rap's own kingpin to a tee. A marriage made in heaven perhaps, but for now we'll have to wait and see where this ends up ranking in Jay's catalogue. It is interesting also that it is going directly up against Nas's new long-player, the sure-to-provoke-much-comment "Ni**er". Like he said last year, he already gave the summer some, it's the winter's turn!

Machine Gun Funk

Now I know that many readers of this blog will not need reminding of the sheer genius that is Mr Lionel Richie, and indeed the Commodores.

However, there remain many out there who, thanks to classic ballad cuts such as Easy or Three Times A Lady, have dismissed them out of hand as lightweight, and in doing so missed out on the fact that the Commodores were quite simply one of the funkiest bands of the 70s funk era. Mad as it may seem even their signature tune, the incredible Brick House, does not do their funkiness full justice. For even earlier than that was the release of the pure funk manifesto that is debut album Machine Gun.

The last ever Motown album to be recorded at the legendary Hitsville USA studios in Detroit, Machine Gun was released in 1974 (despite being ready for release since 1972). The Commodores had been signed by Motown to provide the label with a sound to rival the Ohio Players and Earth, Wind and Fire, and the group of musicians from the dirty south of Tuskegee, Alabama were just the ticket. They are certified heavy funk hitters, and this album catches it all in its purest essence. Of course you'll recognise some of the samples, notably the drum pattern from The Assembly Line, but less obvious is Richie's work on saxophone rather than vocals (though he is one of three vocalists int he group), the amazing keyboards of Milan Williams, or singing drummer Walter "Clyde"Orange. And when you've done with that, try follow-up LP Caught In The Act, perhaps even better. But want to know the best thing about Machine Gun. The title track, while a relatively big hit in the US, was absolutely huge in Nigeria. So much so that national television stations would play it daily after the Nigerian national anthem to close down transmission. Now tell me that isn't too damn funky!

Champion In Their Eyes

So you've all heard the new Kanye album. Pretty big right. Not as massive as Mr West may wish, and not a classic, but there is no doubting that Kanye West is a supremely talented individual. You may not like his arrogance or his trademark production style, and may not even rate him too much as a rapper and lyricist, but there is no doubt he knows how to fashion a catchy tune. I personally think, if anything, he is under-rated to a certain degree which may sound strange given his global superstar status, but some of his turns of phrase are totally inspired, and his choice and manipulation of samples equally so. What grates a little is his self-declarations of greatness. Okay, you're good, but let people acclaim you, no one likes a show-off, all of that.

But this is slightly off the point for now, because what I wanted to draw attention to, in true Twelve Bar tradition, is indeed one of the tools of Kanye's trade, the afore-mentioned samples. Speeded, up, slowed down, chopped up, it is his diverse mastery of influences and others' musical offerings which has got him where he is today. And the new album has got some classic choices. The flipping of P.Y.T on "Good Life" is big, but what caught my eye was the use of one of my favourite tracks of all time. Track 2, "Champion", using a big chunk of Steely Dan's "Kid Charlemagne" for the chorus.

"Kid Charlemagne" is an absolute classic, and if you needed an excuse to trawl Steely Dan's back catalogue this is it. Walter Becker and Donald Fagen's output is truly remarkable, and you may discard them as wierdy beardy white prog-rock jazzers, but to do so would be a mistake. More influenced by funk, blues and r'n'b, their range of melody, hooks and simply stunning production values is arguably unsurpassed from their peak period through the 1970s. Certainly hip-hop producers have long recognised the treasure trove of cuts in their discography, and a critical reappraisal is, I think, long overdue. I've always thought "Kid Charlemagne" was a sample waiting to be exploited in rap, and now I know it works. So all you budding beatmasters could do worse than digging a little deeper in the crates, and next time you are in the record store, hang a left past funk/soul and head straight for the "hard to classify". It might be worth your while!