s/d: black women soul-funk

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can anyone recommend music in the vein of roberta flack's 'compared to what' or maybe tina turner's version of 'come together'? i'm not sure exactly how to label it. extra points if it's really political or really sexual. i'm thinking 60s/70s, but any time is cool. any leads appreciated!!

― lolita corpus (lolitacorpus), Sunday, 4 January 2004 12:06 (twenty years ago) link

Check any and all of betty davis's early 70s albums...

― stevie (stevie), Sunday, 4 January 2004 14:09 (twenty years ago) link

yeah, a life without 'betty davis'/'they say...'/'nasty gal' ain't worth living.

― el sabor de gene (yournullfame), Sunday, 4 January 2004 14:32 (twenty years ago) link

loads of good stuff in Arthur's long post here:

70s soul (symphonic or otherwise): tell me stuff

― jones (actual), Sunday, 4 January 2004 16:17 (twenty years ago) link

If you're talking 70s female funk then Sister Funk is a pretty smoking compilation.

If you want something political one of my current fave tunes is "Bring The Boys Home" by Freda Payne. It's about Vietnam but sounds just as strong today.

― LondonLee (LondonLee), Sunday, 4 January 2004 16:20 (twenty years ago) link

Oh, and there's Ann Peebles too.

― LondonLee (LondonLee), Sunday, 4 January 2004 16:24 (twenty years ago) link

Ummm.... this is weird, but I am Jonathan, not lolita corpus, yet the name at the top links to my info.

― Jonathan (Jonathan), Sunday, 4 January 2004 16:26 (twenty years ago) link

Ah wait, disregard that post. Seems that ILM has made a change or something. weird.

― Jonathan (Jonathan), Sunday, 4 January 2004 16:27 (twenty years ago) link

I should add that I've not either the Roberta Flack or Tina Turner tunes you cite. I'll hang my head in shame about the Flack but I can't abide Turner and the thought of her grinding 'Come Together' into dust with her caterwauling fills me with horrors.

Maybe you can be more specific?

― LondonLee (LondonLee), Sunday, 4 January 2004 17:17 (twenty years ago) link

My full support goes towards Lyn Collins,
especially "Think (About It)" and "Rock Me Again and Again".

― peepee (peepee), Sunday, 4 January 2004 18:39 (twenty years ago) link

Does it have to be old? 'Cause Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings fit the bill pretty well.

― nate detritus (natedetritus), Sunday, 4 January 2004 18:40 (twenty years ago) link

Patti-jo "make me believe in you"

― jed_ (jed), Sunday, 4 January 2004 19:14 (twenty years ago) link

sorry ill think of loads more but that one's just about my fave tune of all time.

― jed_ (jed), Sunday, 4 January 2004 19:15 (twenty years ago) link

Would Etta James fit into this category? She's got an incredible voice in any case. Try searching for "Something's got a hold on me".

― Sengai, Sunday, 4 January 2004 19:24 (twenty years ago) link

You totally want Marlena Shaw's "Woman of the Ghetto". I mean, on that whole political and sexual tip. I can't think of too many of these records that don't have a 'sexual' undercurrent tho. Maybe that's 'cause I'm a guy.

Anyway, also search Roy Ayers protege Sylvia Striplin. Her "You Can't Turn Me Away" and "Give Me Your Love" are awesome. Hmm, the oft-sampled Gwen McCrae deserves a mention for "99% of Me" and especially "Rockin' Chair", one of the sexiest tunes of all time. Try to check out some Bobbi Humphrey, great Mizell brothers-produced early 70s Blue Note stuff (Blacks and Blues is all killer, no filler). Minnie Ripperton rules of course. She could be a little sexually exciting. Just a little. Check "Inside My Love". Or check her on the awesome "I Am the Blackgold of the Sun" with Rotary Connection. That one might have that political component too, except I can't remember the lyrics. But it's great.

― Broheems (diamond), Sunday, 4 January 2004 19:54 (twenty years ago) link

I LOVE this right now
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00006JYBV.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Sunday, 4 January 2004 20:02 (twenty years ago) link

holy shit adam. remind me you've got this in a few months, yeah?

― gaz (gaz), Sunday, 4 January 2004 21:22 (twenty years ago) link

you also want the "i'm a good woman" comps on harmless lolita

― gaz (gaz), Sunday, 4 January 2004 21:23 (twenty years ago) link

You know her, gaz?

For the uninitiated:

Talk about "The Meeting Place" by Wanda Robinson

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Sunday, 4 January 2004 21:25 (twenty years ago) link

There is a link there to actual recorded music.

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Sunday, 4 January 2004 21:26 (twenty years ago) link

nope adam, i don't know her. but i think there is a pretty good chance i will like her ;-)

― gaz (gaz), Sunday, 4 January 2004 23:29 (twenty years ago) link

five months pass...

Patti-jo "make me believe in you"

This seems to be v.popular in Glasgow! My friend was going on about it. I found it for her on the I'm A Good Woman Vol.1 compilation (which she loved), then we were in Cottiers a while ago and it came on.

I got The Further Adventures Of The Funk Soul Sisters CD cheap in Virgin a couple of weeks ago and it's got some great stuff in this vein. I particularly like the three tracks from the Roy Ayers stable - the aforementioned Sylvia Striplin's 'You Can't Turn Me Away' is amazing, but I think my favourite is Eighties Ladies 'Turned Onto You'. Is there a compilation dedicated to all this Uno Melodic label stuff? I love it.

1977-82 just keeps on giving.

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 7 June 2004 22:03 (twenty years ago) link

Yeah, Nick there is an Uno Melodic comp! It's one of those Charly deals so it's probably not too hard to track down. It's totally, wonderfully great. I really like this Rick Holmes track on there, "Remember to Remember" - it's this really long "roll call" kind of track, where Holmes just invokes the names of all these great soul musicians over a classic, loping Ayers groove. It's kinda like that scene in Do The Right Thing where the DJ is naming off all the musicians, except set to music. And yeah, the Eighties Ladies are great! There is also a reissue of their full lp on the label (as well as Striplin's)(both also on Charly), but I haven't heard it.

― Broheems (diamond), Monday, 7 June 2004 22:21 (twenty years ago) link

Letta Mbulu 'What Is Wrong With Groovin?'

― stevem (blueski), Monday, 7 June 2004 22:22 (twenty years ago) link

That Uno Melodic comp seems to be deleted! Arrgh. Hang on - gemm says Reckless Records have a copy. I'm ordering it now. Thanks, Broheems.

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 7 June 2004 22:46 (twenty years ago) link

two months pass...

It was out of stock after all. Ah well.

Another recommendation: 'Home Is Where The Hatred Is' - Esther Phillips.

― Alba (Alba), Sunday, 15 August 2004 13:15 (twenty years ago) link

(I managed to download 'Remember to Remember' though - it sure is great as compilation closer)

― Alba (Alba), Sunday, 15 August 2004 13:18 (twenty years ago) link

Laura Lee on Goldwax, excellent, feminist soul. Doris Duke. Jean Knight. Slyvester...;)

― eddie hurt (ddduncan), Sunday, 15 August 2004 15:32 (twenty years ago) link

that whole esther phillips album, from a whisper to a scream, is phenomenal. also, gwen macrae's rocking chair.

― lauren (laurenp), Sunday, 15 August 2004 16:00 (twenty years ago) link

The cheapest anywhere on gemm.com has a copy of From A Whisper To A Scream, even on CD, is $43. Reissue it someone!

― Alba (Alba), Sunday, 15 August 2004 16:51 (twenty years ago) link

damn. have i actually bought a record that appreciated, for once?

― lauren (laurenp), Sunday, 15 August 2004 18:37 (twenty years ago) link

not all that sure what flack's compared to what and tina come together have in common really, other than theyre from similar periods and are both black female singers, but here's some i can think of:

betty davis
mothers finest
tina turners 60s sides with ike turner (genius)
brides of funkenstein
parlet
joi (DL or locate the album ameoba cleansing syndrome - she comes off like a 90s incarnation of betty davis)
labelle (insanely underrated)

― splooge (thesplooge), Monday, 16 August 2004 10:04 (twenty years ago) link

also:

mary jane girls

― splooge (thesplooge), Monday, 16 August 2004 10:08 (twenty years ago) link

Esther Phillips: "Disposbale Society". Re-issued this year on Coldcut's Lifestyles compilation, so it should be relatively easy to track down.

Laura Lee emphatically seconded. Try "Women's Love Rights" or "Wedlock Is A Padlock".

Also:
Millie Jackson "Go Out And Get Some (Get It Out Cha System)" (ultimate pulling anthem)
Della Reese "If It Feels Good, Do It"
Jean Terrel "How Can You Live Without Love"
Margo Thunder "Expressway To Your Heart"
The Honey Cone "Want Ads"
Shay Holiday "Fight Fire With Fire"

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Monday, 16 August 2004 11:49 (twenty years ago) link

nineteen years pass...

RIP New Orleans singer Jean Knight of “Mr Big Stuff” fame

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/nov/27/jean-knight-soul-funk-singer-mr-big-stuff-dies-80

― curmudgeon, Monday, 27 November 2023 16:33 (nine months ago) link

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