Thursday 20 January 2011

Mr Double Down Presents The New New Super Heavy Funk Mix Volume Two

Welcome back.

I hope you’re all well, on point and ready for today’s new mix?
A little over one year ago I recorded a mix for these pages focussing on new (or fairly new) funk and soul releases from current outfits doing the rounds on the scene. It was one of the most popular mini mixes I’ve posted and still picks up regular hits. If you were slow off the mark don't worry as you can still catch it HERE. A year on and my collection has swelled significantly enough with new 45’s to cobble together a volume two for you, so here we go again!


Breakestra, the funk outfit from Los Angeles, get proceedings going with this excellent cover version of the Leroy And The Drivers hugely rare cut ‘Sad Chicken’. As the original, which was released on Duo fetches somewhat of a pretty penny when a copy does show up, this cover on the Stones Throw label proves to be a very worthy substitute.

Speedometer have been doing the rounds on the funk scene for a while now and have several notable 45s and LPs to boot. They are currently touring the UK again and are definitely worth checking out if you get a chance. ‘Foot And Mouth’ is the flip side to their fifth 45 release on Kennel Klub Records and is a real full on funk onslaught.

Nicole Willis and the Soul Investigators team up with Jimmy Tenor, who provides the flute and horns on this 2003 release on Sahco Records. ‘You Better Change’ took the funk and soul scene by storm and even warranted a second pressing due to demand in 2007, four years after the original release.

Speeedometer’s Ria Currie joins The Deep Soul Messengers for this cover of Robert Moore’s 1971 rarity, ‘Everything’s Gonna Be Alright’. For a track which is well known to fans of funk and considered to be somewhat of a holy grail by collectors, Ria Currie (as well as the band) does enormous justice to the cut, giving it a nice new spin with her fantastically powerful vocals – Top stuff!

Cookin’ on 3 Burners hail from Australia. This 45, ‘Keb’s Bucket’ (a nod toward funk collector Keb Darge) from 2006, was released on the excellent Freestyle Record label.
The track has a slightly ‘Meters-esque’ feel which is certainly no bad thing at all. The sound delivered by the three piece, comprising of members of The Bamboos is really full and is certainly not empty sounding like other lesser outfits. This one certainly deserves all the plays it gets.

Spanish based Phat Fred hit us up with ‘Stay On The Groove’, released as part of the Soul Shaker Series on Record kicks. This was also featured on their 2006 LP ‘Don’t Spoil The Soup’. The 45 is a tight party funk tune which bowls along tidily with the chicken scratch guitar leading the way. Some nice Hammond chops wrap up a 45 which should feature in everyone’s collection.

The Whitefield Brothers have featured in mixes on these pages before and ‘In The Raw’ was a track I was saving for a rainy day but it fits the bill here nicely. After an eery intro the 45 literally punches you square in the face with its aggressiveness. This one isn’t for the faint hearted and once the groove has been established, it’s down to some seriously skilful Hammond playing. The Whitefield Brothers are made up of members of The Poets Of Rhythm and this single was put out on Philip Lehman’s Soul Fire label.

The Charles Bradley And The Bullets track ‘Now I’m Gone’ is one of my favourites on the NYC based Daptone Record label. I love the change in tempo during the track and Charles Bradley does a great job laying down the vocals on this one. The Bullets are a four piece with a big sound and as with all the other releases on this label the production is also fantastic.

A little while back Robert Moore played a gig in London to promote the launch of the Jazzman Florida Funk LP. While here, he managed to get back into the studio and lay down this fine slice of funk on Freestyle Records. Robert Moore is backed by Speedometer, who lay down a really tight groove while he lets rip on this one, and proves just why all his cuts are highly sought after.

That’s it for the second mix of 2009, Check out the GALLERY PAGES as I've finally managed to pull some more photos of NYE as well as some older ones of past events together. Head back here later on for the first instalment of the year from our continuing Guest Mix Series. I promise it’s going to be another winner!

Track List (Label scans on request)


Breakestra – The Sad Chicken - Stones Throw

Speedometer – “Foot And Mouth” – Kennel Klub Records

Nicole Willis & The Soul Investigators With Jimmy Tenor – You Better Change – Sahco Records

Ria Currie And The Deep Soul Messengers – Everything Is Gonna Be Alright – Freestyle Records

Cookin’ On 3 Burners – Keb’s Bucket – Freestyle Records

Phat Fred – Stay On The Groove - (SoulShaker Volume 3 E.P) Record Kicks

The Whitefield Brothers – In The Raw – Soul Fire Records

Charles Bradley And The Bullets – Now That I’m Gone (Look How You’re Crying) –
Daptone Records

Robert Moore – Make It Alright – Freestyle Records




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