Three Fingers of Funk Post 1 by Steve the Hat
It says Funk in the title so my first post will be Funk but I will be covering Reggae, Ska, Rock Steady and Soul.
If you are wondering what Three Fingers refers to it's a measure, for example a strong portion of an alcoholic beverage! However in this specific case it's just three boom shots of music.
So today's fare is three tunes I've been playing together recently. In some ways they sit outside of my usual narrow genres. One is a late 80s tune from a commercially successful album and the other two are by white artists that both played music influenced by a black tradition. Regardless, they all have an irresistible groove.
First up a some smooth New Orleans funk from the great Neville Brothers. From their 1989 album, Yellow Moon, this comes as the B side of their cover of the Bob Dylan song 'With God on Our Side'. It's just sublime and will get you grooving anywhere!
Track two is by Joe Cocker, a singer who I was introduced to at an early age by my father who, although mainly a trad Jazz fan, had a soft spot for Joe's blues voice. I knew this track first from a great Hip Hop sample by the Ultra Magnetic MC's on their tune 'Funky'. I should point out that any other use of the sample is completely lame in comparison. First is usually best! Anyway though an unusual pushing pulling rhythm this track really works and pulls you into its own world.
Lastly but by no means least we have the great Average White Band. Again another tune I know first from a Hip Hop sample, in this case 'Microphone Fiend' by Eric B & Rakim. there's not much to say about this, sure the lyrics are a little.. cheesy perhaps (well school boy at least), but the arrangement and playing are first class. A bit like the label - Atlantic, says it all!
So that's it for my first post. Next time some Jamaican music for sure!
Keep your heads up - it's not as bad as they make out!
