Knocks me off my feet

We have spoken previously on A Story To Tell about the truly stunning run of albums that Stevie Wonder put out in the 1970s. This was a purple patch of truly epic proportions that began with 1972’s “Music Of My Mind”, included the mighty “Talking Book” of the same year and “Innervisions” a year later, before also generating the under-appreciated “Fullfillingness’ First Finale” in 1974 and peaking with an immense double album 2 years later, the quite jaw-dropping “Songs In The Key Of Life”, released in 1976.

I would also argue that the two albums which conclude the decade, the largely instrumental but far-sighted and at times genius-tinged “Journey Through The Secret Life of Plants” of 1979, and 1980’s scorching “Hotter Than July”, are also worthy of inclusion in this period of creative excellence of which there are few real parallels in popular music. Incredibly there is also a “hidden” album for true connoisseurs to seek out, a fitting addition to an already glittering array of musical masterpieces. I say hidden because Wonder was not the main performing vocal artist, but on 1974’s “Stevie Wonder presents Syreeta” he did virtually everything else, probably making the tea as well as writing, producing and performing music for the entire thing for his ex-wife, ongoing collaborator and enduring friend.

That Syreeta Wright was herself a singer and songwriter of some distinction, and worthy of attention in her own right, only serves to add to the fact that this is a piece of work truly deserving of our attention, not least as it comes slap bang in the middle of the afore-mentioned run of outstanding successes. And moreso given that it was the recorded precursor to the critically agreed high-point, “Songs In The Key Of Life”, the intended subject of this particular post. But yet again, “Songs” is a subject we will have to return to at a future date for full treatment, as it is worth pausing a moment to consider this neglected soul classic, because classic is truly what it is.

Difficult to find, certainly on CD, “Stevie Wonder Presents Syreeta” is something of a revelation, shining new light on his own output in these wonder years, and illustrating also the deftness of touch in terms of pop sensibility that had served him well as a Motown teenage sensation and would also return to define his work in the 1980s. While his own 1970s work is eminently accessible, and spawned some major hits, there is no doubt that he was also pushing his own, and music’s boundaries, in a way that meant that the popular elements of his work were second to the innovation within. On his production for Syreeta, for me, there is a greater sense of him harnessing and maintaining this eclecticism, but moulding it into a more coherent and accessible package.

The album is wonderfully produced and tight too, featuring musical performances of outstanding virtuosity and skill, but it is the over-whelming unity of the work, and the hook-filled pop-soul approach, that really appeals so strongly, all under-written with Stevie’s incredible keyboard work and Syreeta’s sweetly captivating vocals. The album doesn’t let up, whether rinsing out some smooth funk, or tugging the heart with an effortless ballad, and is a sheer delight from start to finish. If listened to with Wonder’s other work of the period it merges absolutely naturally, and that in itself is a high enough accolade for anyone to be going along with. Wonder had also produced 1972’s “Syreeta” album, and this too is more than worthwhile listening, but it is the album that features his name in the title which really shines brightest.

So next time you are rifling through your music and find yourself, as we all are from time to time, returning to the wonderfully familiar and incredibly gratifying strains of any of Stevie Wonder’s 1970s haul, don’t be afraid to take a slightly different approach road. Sometimes the scenic route really is the best way to reach your destination, even if it ends up taking a little more time.

Chemistry lesson

Few producers in the hip-hop world have made as big a splash in recent years as 9th Wonder, and the answer as to why, of course, lies in his freshest of fresh beats. But another aspect of his output that I am always drawn to is his interest in producing entire albums, collaborating with

artists to create coherent wholes which are all too few and far between in rap these days. We know of course about his role in Little Brother, and the classics that these spawned, but other standouts are the entire albums he has desked for the likes of LA's sneaker-obsessed and quite brilliant Murs, or the subject of this particular post, the awesome "Chemistry" LP with none other than Black Moon alumni Buckshot.

Now if like me you thought that Buckshot had done nothing really worthy of note since 1993's bonafide classic "Enta Da Stage", then this album is a welcome opportunity to reassess what it was that made the Boot Camp Clik so appealing in the first place. 9th, despite his relatively tender years, has every right to be classed alongside some of the beat-makers he has clearly been influenced by, from Pete Rock and Premier, to Large Professor, and this album brings to mind memories of the best of the early to mid-90s. And over this aural soundscape, a coherent and complete package of music which ebbs and flows throughout, but never sounds less than brilliantly together, is Buckshot himself, rhyming like a man possessed.

The rapping on the album is inspired, with Buckshot reminding us that for all of the superstardom on offer in the rap game, some of the best MCs have been assigned more blue collar routes to recognition. His rugged, gritty street tales are still to the fore, and 9th's knack for sophisticated yet catchy hooks serve as just enough softener to provide a great urban storyboard that effortlessly combines the old and the new. This is the true chemstry of this collaboration, and epitomised by guests from North Carolina's Justus League alumni, including Phonte, Big Pooh and Joe Scudda, combine with the likes of Brooklyn's own Starang Wondah offering a timely reminder of is own talents and those of his oft-forgotten OGC clan.
Crazily ground-breaking absolute classic?

Maybe not, but it is well worthy of your time, as it is consistently superb. And classic status is not the point, because in comparison to a lot of recent offerings it is a welcome return to the true fundamentals of hip-hop, solid interesting flows over dope beats. And that alone is a wonderful thing.

Across 110th Street

LA's interracial soul outfit The Chambers Brothers are perhaps best known for their inspired slice of psychedlic-soul-rock, 1968's 11-minute stormer "Time Has Come Today", taken from the equally brilliant "The Time Has Come" LP. And if you are going to be remembered for anything then this is really not a bad place to start, a portentious fusing of Hendrix, Sly Stone and James Brown, which truly stands on its own as a precursor to the directions that each of these three artists were soon to go, and deserves its place amongst any musical review of the late 1960s. And this despite the fact that it has fallen off many a radar since its release.

This fusion of rock and soul, along with the swirly psychedelic free spirit of the age, is itself something of an under-rated and hard to define trend in music's history. It is a genre which isn't really coherent enough to be called a genre, but in many ways is more reminiscent of the age itself than anything else, defining as it does a loosening of these strict divisions and labels for music, and instead showing that anything is possible. The Chambers Brothers sang church-trained vocals over the funkiest of soul and imbued with a hard-driving rock sensibility and musicianship. It may sound like a mish-mash on paper, but when done well is in many ways the blueprint of a certain type of funk and rock that dominated much of the 1970s landscape, as those key artists mentioned above would testify.

This is not to say that the Chambers Brothers are music's lost pioneers, far from it, but their music is certainly of a calibre to warrant a revisit, and perhaps a reappraisal. But that task is not ours to follow here, for more important is to point out some highlights of their work. A recently remastered version of the classic album mentioned above is a great place to begin, if only for the full-length explosive version of "Time Has Come Today". But the album is also full of other standouts, including my own personal favourite "Uptown". Telling the story of a search for some good times in Manhattan's northern streets, the song simply oozes an incredible energy that conjures up images of the best party across 110th that you will never get to see.

A voice-cracking, cowbell and horn-fest record of pure energy, written by none other than the outstanding Betty Davis, the one time wife of Miles, and herself a subject worthy of intense study. other standouts from the album are gospel soul classic cover "People Get Ready", funk workout "All Strung Out Over You", and in fact any number of tunes throughout. Their live recordings are also worth some time in tracking down, as these display their funky tightness at its best. I don't think it is available on disk, but a show at Frisco's Filmore West at the tail end of their 1968 US tour, in between Richie Havens and Buffalo Springfield on the bill, is the true money (recorded in May of that year, if you can find it in the online vaults then you're in for a real treat). They also did a cover of Willson Pickett's "In The Midnight Hour" that takes a song already drenched in energy, and simply take it up a notch or five. Brilliant stuff and a band that time has forgotten somewhat, taking it back Uptown.

Talkin 'bout the roots in the man

Cover versions can be a misleading and meddlesome affair to unravel. My intention with this posting was to talk about the sheer incredibleness of Brooklyn's own folk-soul legend Richie Havens, and particularly his song "Going Back To My Roots, from 1980's long player "Connections". Is there a greater piano-driven intro to a song than that which begins this track, the relentless funky house riff that pre-dates its own genre, and builds more frantically than a 1920's Manhattan construction company, perhaps also taking you even closer to the clouds.
With the accompaniment of Sly & the Family Stone beat-maker, drummer Andy Newmark, the deep groove of an intro is ridiculous, and then Haven's rich vocals and the gospel backing take it to another level altogether.

Undoubtedly one of the best sing-along hands in the air anthems that I know and a dead certainty to slay any dancefloor. If you don't know "Connections", an album of cover versions that spawned this monster, which itself is exceedingly pleasing on the ear, then it is well worth finding. And indeed Haven's work more generally, from his famous opening slot at Woodstock in 1969, through to more recent modern collaborations with Groove Armada for instance, can offer a real boon of great tunes for your library. 1967's "Mixed Bag" and 1971's "Alarm Clock" in particular, if you can find them, are instant mellow classics, and the perfect late night chill out offerings.

But onwards with my original intention, and you may have seen a clue a couple of sentences back as to the rots of this tale. For "Connections" was a cover album, and so therefore it follows that the tune I always thought was Havens'alone, was too a cover. Intriguing. Now of course I knew of Odyssey's disco funk version of this track, itself a classic, but was sure that this post-dated Havens's release, albeit only just. A check on the sleeve notes was all it took though to discover that the name beside this epic tune was none other than Motown's own legendary songwriter, Lamont Dozier. And it was here that the tale got really exciting. I knew that when Dozier left Motown he went on with partners Holland and Holland to form Invictus/Hot Wax, itself the home of some classic cuts.

But I hadn't realised that the man had also enjoyed something of a cult solo career, and from this comes the classic forgotten album "Peddlin'Music On The Side", released in 1977, an LP I have now managed to track down. And it is a classic, including, yes, the original 10 minute opus that is "Going Back To My Roots", a raw stripped back beast of a song that includes all of the elements found in both of the latter covers, the heady mix of soul, folk, funky disco, gospel, and even jazz, but combines them beautifully in one monster track. And the rest of the album is stone-cold genius as well. Driven by Dozier's amazing piano playing, and high production values, the seven song vignette is just a great blast of soul music, washed away from memory by under-promotion and the disco dominance of the age.

Lamont Dozier's voice is not the greatest, but it works wonderfully here, and it is the passion and commitment and sureness of delivery that does justice to the consummate brilliance of the songwriting. So there we have it. A heart-warming tale of discovery that truly took me back to the roots of a tree that I didn't even know existed. And the moral of this story? Always read the sleeve notes. Always.

Studio One presents...

There are many thinks for which to thank and praise the "Motown of Jamaica", the legendary studio that has given us the most wonderful reggae since its founding as far back as 1954. Started by the equally legendary Clement "Sir Coxsone" Dodd, this sheer powerhouse of creativity rightly deserves its place at the very top table of significant musical stables. There is clearly little space here to do justice to the output from this startling treasure-trove of the very best in musicianship and production, and besides the vaults offer us almost too numerous opportunities for more lengthy reflection. And we will. But for now I wanted to draw attention to an artist that I had previously been criminally unaware of on the Studio One roster, and one who serves to illustrate a charming by-line to the Studio One story.

Jennifer Lara, who sadly passed away only recently in 2005, was a singer of some of the sweetest lover's rock you are ever likely to hear. Her 1974 debut "Studio One presents Jennifer Lara" is a close-to-perfection slice of the most soulful and tenderly funky reggae one could hope to find, and is a record that drips with the mellow pleasure that only reggae can truly muster. Honey-sweet paeans to love such as "Love and Harmony" and "A Woman" are of the finest quality, while "Where All The Good Men Gone" is simply stunning, and Lara's voice reveals itself to be a thing of sheer beauty. And of course Lara's excellence on this most consistent of labels is by no means an isolated case.

It is fitting that many of the ladies upon whom Studio One were quite literally dependent for its smooth operation, with many doubling as assistants, saleswomen, record pressers and emergency DJs, also provide it with many a musical standout. Marcia Griffiths and the immense Hortense Ellis are themselves pure legends, but these are just the tip of a solid silver iceberg.
Studio One released an incredible series of reissued compilations on the Soul Jazz imprint a couple of years ago and their amazing breadth of coverage provides as good a starting point as any for an exploration of the majestic output of the ladies, and of course gentlemen, of this phenomenal studio.

I have certainly discovered some artists and recordings from these records alone, from audaciously inspired soul covers to outright Roots fundamentals, and everything in between. But before you dig out your own stash of "Studio One" 7s and old favourites (I know you all have them), there is one other great reason for finding some Jennifer Lara as you reacquaint yourself. It comes with the closing tune on the afore-mentioned album, the sublime "Suki Yaki", itself the roots of perennial evergreen "Lodi Dodi". In fact, maybe dig that out first and let's get this party started properly.