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George Clinton 2015

George Clinton was back to Birmingham this April at the O2 Arena, Bristol Street with a complete show that includes members of his groups Parliament and Funkadelic plus some new vocalists and family members. George has now shaved off his colourful dreads removed his nappies and long beard in favor of the suit & tie look. I must say the band sounded fab and the two lead guitarists were very rock-ified as you would expect.

Playing bass guitar for George on this tour was Lige Curry. In the USA shows it had been Bootsy Collins, but Lige was very much up-to the job and he provided a steady back rhythm.
Upon his graduation from John Marshall High School in 1975 Lige studied his craft and in 1978 was asked to join Parliament / Funkadelic as a back- up singer, having to wait his turn Lige studied under former Parliament / Funkadelic bassist Bootsy Collins and Billy (Bass) Nelson as well as current bassist Rodney (Skeets) Curtis and Cordell (Boogie) Mosson. Opportunity knocked that same year when Skeets Curtis left to take a job with the famous Maceo Parker and Boogie Mosson moved over to guitar the door was open for the Lige Curry Adventure to begin!

Extra vocals was provided by Steve Boyd, who sang at Ron Banks' funeral, to as he put it; "Floods of tears". My good friend Bill Randle who also attended Ron's funeral remembers it well and just had to thank him for that after the Show was over. In 1995 George called him to do a couple shows with him in Europe, he thought it would be for just a couple shows because he was signed with Westbound Records and fifteen years later here he is still touring with Parliament Funkadelic “all around the world for the funk”

Two wonderful guitarists with the show were Ricardo Rouse and Blackbyrd McKnight. Ricardo reminded me when he wore  glasses of Bo Diddley. Ricky has played on over 60 platinum albums and toured with a virtual Who’s Who of artists. To list them all would take up a least a whole page but artists like Stevie Wonder, Bobby Womack, Bohannon, The Dramatics, Chaka Kahn, Tupac, Dre and Snoop only scratch the surface. Blackbyd he was the musical director of George Clinton and Parliament/Funkadelic from 1980 to 2008. Other than working with P-Funk artists such as George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, and Bernie Worrell, Blackbyrd has also worked with Miles Davis and many jazz groups.

Horns on this tour were very tight and bright, provided by funk veterans;  Bennie Cowan (trumpet) and Greg Thomas (alto sax). Bennie was born in Baltimore in 1956, and has performed with P-Funk for a “very long” time. His other bands are “too many to list.” He is recognizable on stage as the “big, black guy.” Saxophonist Greg Thomas is also a Producer, Arranger, Vocalist, Songwriter, Composer and Conductor. Currently Greg is performing and recording with George Clinton and the P‐Funk All‐Stars whom he has been with for many years. He also performs with Raphael Saadiq. He has also performed with other great artist such as Bootsy Collins, Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, Stanley Clark, Dr. Dre, The Gap Band, Cameo, Snoop Dogg, Stephanie Mills, Mtume, The Spinners, Lou Rawls, Patra, Peter Wolf, Crystal Waters, Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers, Evelyn King, Too Short, Ike Turner, Al Green, Howard Hewitt, Glen Jones, Phil Perry and various other artist.

The feminine funk vocal touches were provided by Tonysha Nelson (c) Patravia Lewis (r) . Tonysha and Patavian are a team that have their own singular vocal delivery and a beautiful harmonic approach together. They also exhibit the beauty and all the visual and audible aspects to represent wholly their product with the greatest of confidence and undeniable talent. Do not miss the amazing sound that is Kandy Apple Redd!!

Thurteen (c) and Robert 'P-Nut' Johnson (r). Johnson born in Baltimore in 1947, P-Nut started on the road with Bootsy’s Rubber Band and in the studio with P-Funk in 1976. When Bootsy stopped touring in 1979, P-Nut segued to P-Funk. Prior to joining Bootsy’s Rubber Band and P-Funk, P-Nut played with local bands in the Baltimore area

Drumming was provided by Benzal Cowan. Held by Bootsy Collins as a baby, the Baltimore native got his first taste of drumming at the age of 2, and has been gigging as professional musician since the age of 15. As the son of the legendary trumpet player Bennie “The General” Cowan, Benzel was bred into funk music so there was no doubt that he was destined for greatness. He studied early with the likes of Dave Weckl, Steve Smith, Pat Patrillo and Horacio Hernandez, which has made him the versatile drummer he is today.

As with all the Clinton shows an on stage appearance of the acrobat and cartoon character;  Sir Nose is a must ... and the crowd were not to be disappointed. He danced with George and a member of the public and at one point was climbing the speaker stack kicking his legs in the air. The first Nose was Larry Hecksall but his later replacement Carlos McMurray lifted the crowd well.

Michael 'Clip' Payne; bass vocals and announcements. First credited on Parliament’s 1979 release Gloryhallastoopid with “Choir Chours”, he has appeared on over 20 Parliament-Funkadelic collective recordings primarily as a vocalist and keyboardist. Payne, who is sometimes called “The Man in the Box”, typically acts as an on-stage commentator during Parliament-Funkadelic’s live performances. Payne’s first professional work was the recording of Edwin Starr’s “Twenty-Five Miles” with producer Norman Whitfield.

I managed to get this shot when all the audience from right of stage were invited to dance with the show, this included an attractive female midget that the sax player serenaded on his knees.

On the technical side all very professional, no feebacks, missing musicians from the mix, and as you can imagine the sound was very loud and in your chest, mixed by a Soundcraft Vi6 mixing desk that doesn't come cheep at around £24,000 per unit. The last time I saw a Funkadelic show was in the late 70's and I had to leave early because the noise was overpowering, and sadly because of that I then  missed the Mothership landing on stage, this was at the Birmingham Odeon. As a final treat I got to meet George and Steve Boyd, many thanks go out to Bill Randle & Pat Lewis for the invites - much love. [all photos taken by myself - click for larger image]

Teddie Morrow & Tera Shirma

Teddie Morrow first made his mark with the self-composed ‘What’s Your Sign' on the tiny Monterey based Seibu label, issued in 1976 and now a cult classic. Whilst this recording featured his pure falsetto, Teddie ‘s recordings over the years demonstrate to great effect the impressive versatility and ingenuity of the man’s many vocal styles, ranging from Philly sweet soul, impassioned gospel, the Motown sound, rasping southern soul, and a bluesy Chicago style baritone. When you listen to Teddie’s performances, you can imagine him equally at home at Detroit’s Motown, Memphis’s Stax, or Chicago’s Brunswick recording studios.

Teddie has even released a gospel album, ‘Your Grace And Mercy” on which he sounds very much like gospel giant Rance Allen, with whom Teddie has indeed collaborated. In addition to being a dynamic vocalist and performer, Teddie composes and arranges much of his own material, and plays keyboards and drums on his recordings.

Most recently, Teddie has been issuing a stream of releases on the renowned Tera Shirma label, run by Motown alumni Ralph and Russ Terrana. Teddie has been collaborating with the Terrana twins for more than a decade, and the Tera Shirma releases can be readily accessed on CDBaby.

Teddie Morrow - By The Time I Get To Pheonix

Teddie’s last release on Tera Shirma, “She’s Using You” showcased his smooth baritone, on a vocal / arrangement combination harking back to the golden days of the Chicago sound and Brunswick, when they were turning out classics such as Tyrone Davis’s “Be Honest With Me” and “In The Mood”. ‘She’s Using You” distinguished by an exceptional guitar break by Tom Ayres, has been very well received and continues to build Teddie’s profile and gain airplay, not only in the U.S.A, but around the world.

Tera Shirma, Detroit

Teddie’s new release will by “By The Time I Get To Phoenix”, the number known to soul fans all over the world as a classic by Isaac Hayes on the huge 1969 album, “Hot Buttered Soul”. Interestingly, engineer Russ Terrana remixed the Hot Buttered Soul album at Ralph’s Tera Shirma studio in Detroit. Some 44 years later, Ralph and Russ have produced and mixed the very same tune on Teddie Morrow at their Tera Shirma studio in Monterey. Whilst Isaac’s recording was taken at a very slow pace over 18 minutes, Teddie’s version features his vocal over a very nice grove with a nagging insistent guitar pushing along the rhythm track.

Teddie is a dynamic and highly experienced performer, having appeared with such stellar soul acts as The Whispers, Tower Of Power, and Jeffrey Osborne. Most recently Teddie opened for headliner Gladys Knight at her major Arizona Wild Horse Pass concert.

For more information on Teddie Morrow, Ralph and Russ Terrana, and Tera Shirma Sound Studios, or if you would like to feature Teddie Morrow or the history of the Terrana brothers and Tera Shirma Sound Studios on a show, please contact

Ralph.terrana @yahoo.com

Ralph is also moderator of the renowned website: www.soulfuldetroit.com


TERA SHIRMA SOUND STUDIOS


Ralph & Russ Terrana

A whole new generation of music fans has been introduced to the legendary Tera Shirma recording studio, as it is this facility where Sixto Rodriguez recorded his “Cold Facts” album, and which is the subject of the hugely successful global award winning documentary “Searching For Sugar Man”. The story of Tera Shirma itself is highly intriguing, as its history and principal players are interwoven across the decades with numerous artists who entered their doors, and the recordings which came forth to great success and are celebrated to this day.

Ralph and his twin brother Russ have been the driving force behind Tera Shirma from the outset, when the brothers were musicians in Detroit based group The Sunliners, who went on to become famous blue eyed soul group Rare Earth out of the Motown stable.

Ralph decided to move into the recording studio business, and ended up acquiring the studio facility in Detroit and named it Tera Shirma. Russ helped out in the engineering / mixing department, but was hired out of there by Motown’s founder Berry Gordy, who has an unmatched track record of spotting talent. At Motown, Russ went on to record or mix a total of 89 gold singles and 37 platinum albums, a success rate without parallel to this very day.

As for Tera Shirma itself, given the outstanding blend of advanced recording technology, acoustics and recording and mixing expertise, the studios were used by numerous record labels for their acts to record in. When Detroit’s Holland Dozier Holland set up Invictus / Hot Wax after leaving Motown, they used the studios to record Band Of Gold by Freda Payne, as well as many others by acts including Chairmen of The Board, Honeycone, Eighth Day and Laura Lee. Ollie Mclaughlin also used the studios for his Karla recordings on artists including Bettye Lavette.

A brief list of just some of the recordings at Tera Shirma:

Funkadelic - Album - Free Your Mind - Westbound
Barbara Lewis - Album - The many grooves of ... - Enterprise
Dennis Coffey - Album - Hair and Thangs - Maverick
Spyder Turner - Album - Stand By Me - MGM
Rodriguez - Album -Cold Fact - Impact
Isaac Hayes - Album - Hot Buttered Soul - Stax (also cut at United Sound)
Rare Earth - Album - Get Ready - Rare Earth
Belita Woods - Magic Corner - Moira106
Bob and Fred - I'm On My Way - Big Mack6101
Brooks Brothers - Looking For A Woman - Tay501
Doni Burdick - I Have Faith In You/Bari Track - Sound Pattern6807
Doni Burdick - If You Ever Walk Out.. /Open The Door To.. - Sound Impression6809
Dynamics - Whenever I 'm Without You/Love To A Guy - Top Ten927
Dynamics - Yes I Love You Baby/Soul Sloopy - Top Ten100
Fantastic Four - I Love You Madly - RicTic144
Freda Payne - Band of Gold - Invictus9075
Joe Mathews - Ain't Nothing You Can Do - KoolKat1001
Johnny Rogers - Make A Change - Amon815
Lonette - Mind Intruder/Stop - MS208
Louis Curry - A Toast To You - MS203
Louis Curry - CaptIvated - MS210
Melvin Davis - Save It/This Love Was Meant To Be - Mala590
Milton Wright & The Tera Shirma Strings - The Gallop - Carla1902
Nabay - Believe it or not - Impact1032
Patti Young - Head and Shoulders - Ernstrat495
Reggie Milner - She's Alright - Ron's2
Sam Ward - Sister Lee - Groove City205
Samson & Delilah - Woman - Red Cap101
The Strides - I Can Get Along/The Stride - MS202
The Monticello's - I Can't Wait Until I See My Baby's Face - Red Cap102
Tobi Legend - Time Will Pass You By - Mala591
Tommy Frontera - Merry Go Round - Palmer5015
Tony Hestor - Sweet Darlin' - Soulhawk1

Tera Shirma continues to this day to release quality recordings, matching the expertise and wisdom of Ralph and Russ Terrana with gifted artists such as Teddie Morrow.
For more information on Teddie Morrow, Ralph and Russ Terrana, and Tera Shirma Sound Studios, or if you would like to feature Teddie Morrow or the history of the Terrana brothers and Tera Shirma Sound Studios on a show, please contact

Ralph.terrana @yahoo.com

Ralph is also moderator of the renowned website www.soulfuldetroit.com

Curtis Mayfield Tribute - Peace!

Today were going on a trip down memory lane. The radio show below was broadcast in six thirty minute segments over six weeks in the early 1990's on my Basement Soul show on PCRL, here in Birmingham. Bill Randle came to me with the idea of doing a tribute to Curtis Mayfield's large body of work.

Mayfield had recently been paralyzed by a freak stage accident at a charity show he was doing in New York and the world was in shock. So Bill wrote his piece we cranked-up the reel-to-reel recorder and started splicing the tapes, that's how it was done in those days, no digital editing suites, if you cut the tape in the wrong place you had to record it again.

Anyway the years have gone by and the tapes were getting older and dustier so I decided to transfer the analogue tapes to digital, this was in 2009 and Steve Williams expressed some interest in running the recording on his UK Vibe jazz site, but sadly nothing came of that. The years went by and Bill Randle who has now started his own radio show on Bridge FM in Stourbridge, said; "Wouldn't it be great to put a link to his new web Blog for the recording", also the time is right and with war breaking out again in the Middle East it's time again for that message: "We Gotta Have Peace".  So here it is in Full... enjoy


Track listing:
Impressions - Gypsy Woman
I'm The One Who Loves You
It's Alright
Major Lance - The Monkey Time
Gene Chandler - Nothing Can Stop Me
Walter Jackson - It's All Over
Impressions - Talking 'bout My Baby
Keep On Pushing
You Must Believe me
Amen
People Get Ready
The Woman's Got Soul
You've Been Cheatin'
5 Stairsteps - Little Young Lover
Impressions - I Can't Satisfy
Fascinations - Girls Are Out To Get You
Impressions - We're A Winner
This Is My Country
Choice Of Colours
The Girl I Find Stays On My Mind
Curtis Mayfield - If There Is A Hell Down Below, Were All Gonna Go
Love On Up
We've Only Just Begun (live)
Underground
We've Gotta have Peace
Little Child Running Wild
Pusher man
Freddie's Dead
Back In The World
To Be Invisible
On And On
Aretha Franklin - Giving Him Something He Can Feel
Curtis Mayfield - When Seasons Change
Soul Music
Unknown
How Do You Like To Be Loved?
Your So Good For Me
with Linda Clifford - Between You Baby & Me
Curtis Mayfield - Never Stopped Loving Me
Toot Toot
Hey Baby
Baby It's You
You've Just Got To Be Real
I'm So Proud

Willie Hutch

Willie Hutch - Season For Love - RCA LSP - 4296 (1970)

Season For Love/The Twelfth Of Never/Trying To Understand A Woman/ When A Boy Falls In Love/ The Shortest Distance/ Hurt So Bad/ Walking On My Love/ Wichita Lineman/ Let's Try It Over Again/ The magic Of Love

 Produced by: John Florez


  

Willie Hutch - When A Boy Falls In Love 

 Prior to this album Willie Hutch had ween working as a songwriter/producer for The Fifth Dimension. His manager in 1970 was J.W. Alexander who had also managed Sam Cooke in the early 1960's and also wrote the sleeve notes for this album. He compares Willie to Sam Cooke & Nat King Cole.

His second album for RCA, Season For Love also contains a popular Modern soul classic Let's Try It Over, that also came out as a single. Gaining value on the vinyl market at the moment is today's spin: When A Boy Falls In Love. A little ditty that is now picking up a few plays even though it as a long introduction (but it's worth the wait).

 

Also the stepper fans will enjoy his version of The Twelfth Of never and more joy can be found the the song  Hurt So Bad

Willie is also much loved for his big Northern soul rarity (£700) tune on the Trudel label when he sang with Phonetics with Just A Boys Dream. After today's featured album came out he wrote I'll Be There for Hal David a Motown producer and it was a hit for the Jackson Five, so impressed was Berry Gordy he asked him to join the Motown writing staff in 1971. Many nice albums/soundtracks about ten in all were released there, but no great success came for him as a singer. Later he joined Norman Whitfield on his label for two final LP's. Just before he died in 2005 he did a wonderful DVD for Expansions Records UK, where he performs at a Togetherness soul event it also contains a nice interview.

Willie Hutch - Lucky To Be Loved By You by mickeynold

Van McCoy

Rare 25 minute interview with Van McCoy


Van McCoy - Dancin' - SSS Int. SSS-33 1976

Sweet & Easy, If I Could make You Mine, The Generation Gap, Help Is On It's Way, What Kind Of Man, The Woman Who Made Me A Man, Just Another Dress Rehearsal, With All My Heart, Ain't Got No Love, Back Trackin'

Produced by Van McCoy

Van McCoy the gentleman that gave David Ruffin a R&B number one with 'Walk Away From Love', Gladys Knight  one of her first hits with 'Giving Up', later also hit for Donny Hathaway, he talks here about the supprise success with the Hugo & Luigi production of 'The Hustle' to New York DJ Al Gee in a rare Forces Radio broadcast from 1975.


Chris Bartley -'Ain't Got No Love'

Van McCoy as an artist had early singles with Scepter label, Rockin' in 1960, he had his early pre-northern soul success with his 'Sweet & Easy' on Share records, in 1968 that later got release on a SSS Int (Shelby Singleton) Lp Dancin' (1976) that contained some unreleased intrumentals along with the Chris Bartley track 'Ain't Got No Love' that was also popular with the northern fraternity. Sadly McCoy died at an early age of 39 from a heart attack in 1979. He will fondly be remembered though for his pritty soul productions with people like The Spellbinders,  The Stylistics, Brenda & The Tabulutions & Peaches & Herb. The interview is taken from Rap & Rhythm, a double LP of interviews from Forces DJ Al Gee that are current for sale on my web site along with the above LP on request
.
Van McCoy Discography:
I Wancha Back / That's How Much You Mean To Me - Rockin' 100 - 1961
Never Trust A Friend/ Mr DJ - Rockin' 101 - 1961
Baby Don't Tease me/ Girls Are Sentimental - Rockin' 1012 - 1962
It Ain't Nobody/ Love Can Mess Up Your Mind - Rockway R711 - 1963
Butterfly/  Keep Loving Me - Columbia  4-43415
I Will  Wait For You/ The House That Love Built -  Columbia 4-43694 - 1966
I'll Make My Father Proud/ Where There's A Heartache - CGC 115 - 1967
Follow Your Heart/ Lonely - Liberty F55457 - 1968
Nice & Easy/  If I Could Make You Mine - Share SR 102  -1968
I Started A Joke/ Tony's Theme - Epic 5-10470
I'm In Love With You Baby / ? - Buddah BDA 297 - 1972
Soul Improvisations Pt 1/ Part 2 - Buddah BDA - 1974
Killing Me Softly/ Love Is The Answer - Avco 4639 - 1974
Boogie Down/A Rainy Night In Georgia - Avco 4648 - 1974
The Hustle/ Hey Girl Come & Get It - Avco - AV 4653 - 1975
Change With The Times/ Good Night Baby/Love Child  Avco 4660 - 1975
Night Walk/ Love Child - Avco/H&L 4667 - 1975
Party/ The Disco Kid - Avco/H&L 4670 - 1975
The Shuffle/The's The Joint - Avc/H&L 4677 - 1976
Soul Cha Cha/African Symphony - Avco/H&L 4682 - 1977
My Favorite Fantasy/ Your So Right For Me MCA - 1978
Two Points/ Trying To Make The Best Of It MCA - 1978

Avery Stafford

My Friend 

Love Like I Do/My Friend/Bounce/Heartbeat In The Night/The One For me/If You Had To Love You//I'm Yours/ Everyday/Cool Winds/Come To You/You Blessed Me - ASM 64522 [2012]

The new album from LA born Avery Stafford is part Gospel part R&B.  He began singing Gospel in his youth & later became a Youth Minister at Port Orchard Church Of Christ. This new album contains tracks produced by the Gospel favorite Jon Gibson. As of 2012 Avery has released six albums, the latest is an independent release that is also to be promoted in the UK.

I must admit I haven't heard his earlier albums, but having reviewed this one I will now be looking for them! Today's featured track, 'My Friend' is a standard four beats to the bar dancer with the old style saxophone bridge (by Prince's Eddie M), sax breaks much loved by UK Northern Soul fans in the past. Others tracks use the odd rock guitar but with a light smuthering (this may affend some soulies I know.) But all-n-all the music production is to a high class. Other stand out tracks are 'Love You Like I Do' & 'You Blessed Me'.

The album will be released on April 8th and available from Amazon, iTunes etc.

UK booking  agent: Mark Hix (+44) 208 830 6268 

Avery Stafford Discography:

Singles:

How Sweet it is/Get My Praise On/Listen To Our Hearts/Family  (ASM cd single)

albums:

So Good Inside (1987)

Lift Up Your Voice (1995)

Come Bless Da Lord (1996)

Bridges (1999)

Undignified (2004)

End Of Five - ASM (April 8, 2012)

Lee Dorsey

Yes We Can/Occapella - Polydor 2066 063 [1970]
Great social aware double sided two-stepper, although on UK issue only, the US issue has different 'B' side. The flip Occapella though did come out in 1971 on US Spring. Both songs written by the great Allan Tousaint, produced by Allan and Marshall E. Sehorn for the US Sansu label. It's probably why the album goes for about £90 now and the fact that the 2007 President Obama  campaign used the version sung by the Pointer Sisters to help it move along.

Mini-skirt en route!

I brought this polydor copy new from Jimmy at the Diskery when it was housed in Hurst Street, Birmingham in 1970. Jimmy still works there today along the more recent staff member Liam. Using my lunch hour from studying at Matthew Boulton Technical Collage, my friends and myself would make the 20 minute walk either way and that left us 20 minutes to, find some new tunes, eat our lunch and perhaps photograph some pretty girls. Most of my collage pals never got past the Wrens Nest (local pub) though that was en route -  those were the days! Some later lunch breaks we went to watch the Radio One Club Road show at the Top Rank in Digbeth, it was free to get in but the music was awful. Good though to hear a decent sound system in them days (BBC).

At this time I was already a fan of the New Orleans sound in the form of Willie Tee, Dixie Cups and Aaron Neville. It was on one of these trips I found the Earl Van Dyke album that I recently sold for £150, I remember Jim had about 10 copies on the shelf at the time! In those days the Diskery kept the singles in company order on the shelves and I can vividly remember rows of blue Stateside singles, black Chess singles and orange Tamla-Motown sleeves! I always wanted to look through them, but behind the counter was for old and trusted customers only! (I'm now a trusted customer but they have all gone now!!!!)

The modern day diskery

I already owned about six UK Bell singles by Lee Dorsey; My Old Car, Working In A Coalmine, Confusion, Get Out Of My Life Woman, Holly Cow and  Ride Your Pony. His best sixties song though (in my opinion) eluded me for a long time, was Go-Go Girl although I had it on a reel-to-reel recording in 1967 from the radio. On the same tape I remember I had a song by Barbara 'Handoff'  that later turned out to Barbara Randolph (I'd never heard the name before LOL) 

One of about 6 European EP's

Lee Dorsey was born in Louisiana, Memphis in 1926 and died there 60 years later in 1986. An ex-boxer (nicknamed "Kid Chocolate") turned singer, Dorsey first recorded for Joe Banashak's Instant label. One song, "Lottie Mo", became a regional hit and led to a contract with Fury. The infectious "Ya Ya" (1961) was a number 1 US R&B and pop Top 10 single. A year later a version by Petula Clark, retitled "Ya Ya Twist", made the US Top 10 and reached the UK Top 20. Dorsey's next release "Do-Re-Mi" (regularly performed by Georgie Fame and Dusty Springfield) was also a hit, although this time reaching no higher than 27 in the Billboard pop chart, and subsequent releases on Fury Records were less successful. His career stalled temporarily when Fury collapsed, but Dorsey re-emerged in 1965 with the classic "Ride Your Pony" on the Amy label. Written by Allen Toussaint and produced by Marshall Sehorn, this combination created a series of impeccable singles that blended crisp arrangements with the singer's easy delivery.

Hard to find UK Sue LP

In 1966 he reached the peak of his success by gaining four Top 40 hits in the UK, including two Top 10 singles with "Working In The Coalmine", featuring a wonderful bass riff, and "Holy Cow", with a mix that enhances Dorsey's melancholic vocals. Both songs reached the US R&B and pop charts. The sweetly doom-laden "Get Out Of My Life, Woman" was another excellent song that deserved a better commercial fate. "Everything I Do Gohn Be Funky (From Now On)" became Dorsey's last substantial hit in 1969, although the title track to his "concept" album, "Yes We Can", did reach the US R&B Top 50. Dorsey continued to record for Polydor Records and ABC Records and remained a popular figure, so much so that he guested on the 1976 debut album by Southside Johnny And The Asbury Dukes and supported the Clash on their 1980 tour of North America. Sadly, he died of emphysema in December 1986 and deserves to be remembered for the outstanding examples of melodic soul he recorded. (bio: music.us)

Lee Dorsey USA Discography (excluding 2nd issues)

Valiant 1001 - Lottie Mo/Lover Of Love – 1958

Rex 1005 - Rock/Lonely Evening – 1959
Ace 640 - Rock/Lonely Evening – 1961
ABC-Paramount 10192 - Lottie Mo/Lover Of Love – 1961
Fury 1053 - Ya Ya/Give Me You – 1961
Fury 1056 - Do-Re-Mi/People Gonna Talk – 1961
Fury 1061 - Eenie Meenie Mini Mo/Behind The 8-Ball – 1962
Fury 1066 - You Are My Sunshine/Give Me Your Love – 1962
Fury 1074 - Hoodlum Joe / When I Met My Baby – 1963
Smash 1842 - Hello Good Looking/Someday – 1963
Constellation 115 - Organ Grinder's Swing  – 1964
Constellation 135 - You're Breaking Me Up – 1964
Amy 927 - Ride Your Pony/The Kitty Cat Song – 1965
Amy 939 - Can You Hear Me/Work, Work, Work – 1965
Amy 945 - Get Out Of My Life, Woman/So Long – 1965
Amy 952 - Confusion/The Neighbors' Daughter – 1966
Amy 958 - Working In The Coal Mine/Mexico – 1966
Amy 965 - Holy Cow/Operation Heartache – 1966
Amy 974 - Gotta Find A Job/Rain, Rain, Rain, Go Away – 1967
Amy 987 - My Old Car/Why Wait Until Tomorrow – 1967
Amy 994 - Can't Get Away/Vista Vista – 1967
Amy 998 - Go-Go Girl/I Can Hear You Callin' – 1967
Sansu 474 - Love Lot's Of Lovin'/Take Care Of Our Love – 1967
Sansu 1012 - Hey Babe/Say It Again – 1967
Sansu 1017 - Soul Mining/Draining – 1967
Amy 11,010 - I Can't Get Away/Cynthia – 1968
Amy 11,020 - Wonder Woman/A Little Dab A Do Ya – 1968
Amy 11,031 - Four Corners (Part 1)/Four Corners (Part 2) – 1968
Amy 11,048 - I'm Gonna Sit Right Down/Little Ba-By – 1968
Amy 11,052 - What Now My Love/A Lover Was Born – 1969
Amy 11,055 - Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky.. – 1969
Amy 11,057 - Give It Up/Candy Man – 1969
Bell 908 - I Can Hear You Callin/What You Want – 1970
Polydor 14038 - Yes We Can (Part 1)/O Me O, My O – 1970
Spring 114 - Occapella/Tears, Tears And More Tears – 1971
Polydor 14055 - Sneaking Sally Through The Alley  – 1971
Polydor 14106 - Freedom For The Stallion/If She Won't  – 1971
Polydor 14147 - When Can I Come Home/Gator Tail – 1972
Polydor 14181 - On Your Way Down/Freedom For The Stallion – 1973
ABC 12326 - Night People/Can I Be The One – 1978
ABC 12361 - God Must Have Blessed America/Say It Again – 1978

Albums: (US And EU)
Ya Ya - Fury - 1961
The Best Of Lee Dorsey - Sue ILP 924 - 1965
The New Lee Dorsey - Stateside - 1966
Ride Your Pony/Get Out Of My Life - Amy Stateside - 1967
Yes I Can - Polydor 2489 006 - 1970
Night People - ABC - 1978
Can You Hear Me - (Germany) - 1982
All Ways Funky - Charly - 1982
Goh Be Funky - Charly - 1986
Am I That Easy To Forget - Charly - 1987
Do-Re-Mi - P-Vine (japan) 1987

Charles Mingus Film

 
A film about the Jazz legend Charlie Mingus (who died in 1979) who was one of the early jazz artists to contribute to the black American freedom campaign led by Dr. Martin Luther King amongst others by releasing music with a black awareness themes.

Mingus's first signing

This documentary on the life of Charles Mingus is directed by his grandson Kevin Ellington Mingus entitled "Mingus on Mingus" (formerly known as "A True Jazz Legend"). They are at the beginning of the production phase and conducting interviews of people that knew and played with Charles Mingus.
Now very happy to announce the launch recently their fund-raising campaign through Kickstarter platform.

Thay have a big challenge ahead of them and they would like to count on your help. A successful campaign means we can move forward with the project and capture moments that we might otherwise loose. The making of the documentary will be a long road but having the resources to begin our journey is all we can hope for.

We know it will not be possible without your help. We would like your support in reaching out to the jazz community by featuring information about our project in your blog and linking or embedding our small trailer for our fundraising campaign. Our goal is to reach $45,000 in 40 days!! Please watch the video and help by donating some cash!! - Mickey