Funk | Soul 323 Items

As mood changers go, this track is up there with the best. Last year whilst DJing with miche at Shapes festival in the snow-capped mountains of Switzerland, a breathtaking yet ominous Alpine sky suddenly became a picture postcard moment. The clouds parted and a double rainbow formed, as miche dropped Studio Rio's bossa nova remake of Bill Withers’ all-time classic 'Lovely Day'. From there, the dancefloor shifted gears and morphed into full-swing feel-good vibes, in a beautiful, spontaneous moment nobody could have planned for.

Mr Bongo now proudly presents a reissue of this brilliant, bossa-channelling Bill Withers reinterpretation from Studio Rio’s 2014 release ‘The Brazil Connection’. Masterminded by the German Grammy award-winning Berman Brothers, the project was born out of their deep love of Brazilian music. “Our goal was to bring the Brazilian joie de vivre to iconic performances by well-known artists. What would these classic songs sound like had they been recorded in the studios of Rio de Janeiro in the first place, with the best Brazilian musicians and arrangers?” the brothers reflect.

Capturing the life force of Brazil, the beating heart that is its music, they set out to find the musicians who would fit best with their concept. Landing in Rio in 2013 a series of coincidences led to them being introduced to their idols Marcos Valle and Roberto Menescal, who both agreed to come on board. The Berman Brothers also wanted to find some of the musicians who recorded with one of Brazil’s most influential composers Tom Jobim. “Fifty years after Jobim made the music that really defines bossa nova, we found that many of his sidemen were still active, including Paulo Braga of Jobim’s famed rhythm section. It was magic; everything just fell into place.”

There's no question that the original of ‘Lovely Day’ is up there as one of the most feel-good, spirit-lifting anthems of all time. Here the brothers, with the help of a whole host of Brazil’s finest musicians, rework Bill’s soul-fuelled groove into a bossa nova slice of sunshine. With the blessing of Bill and Sony, they were given access to the original multitracks so they could incorporate Bill’s vocals perfectly into the new arrangement.

Joy-injected horns and bouncing double bass blend with the smile-inducing samba flavour of Pretinho da Serrinha’s cavaquinho playing. Tying it all together Torcuato Marinao who worked with the likes of Gal Costa, Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso, completes the line-up as arranger of the songs.

The perfect end-of-the-night track, mood lifter or soul warmer, remakes don’t get much better than this.

Freestyle Records drop another UK boogie 12" rarity from Eddie Capone's Treatment, this time the previously white label-only "Only You Know What I Like" from 1985. Limited to 300 copies worldwide.
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A mainstay of the UK's reggae, soul, funk & rock circuits since the early 1970s, Eddie Capone has played with a diverse and revered collection of acts; Chairmen of the Board, The Foundations, Black Velvet, The Elgins, Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come, Arthur Lee's Love, Billy Preston and Edwin Starr to name but a few. Eddie was also part of short-lived group Casablanca, with David Costa & Barry Clarke of early 70's folk-rockers Trees, signed to Elton John's Rocket Record Company.
Eddie founded the Treatment band in the early 1980s bringing in a revolving cast of singers and players, and created the Treatment Records imprint out of his own Black Rock studio in South East London in 1982. Releasing a string of singles - with efforts from Eddie Capone's Treatment, a side-project with singer Beryl Marsden as Salt & Pepper, and a single from Norwegian group Wave - Treatment Records then followed this up in 1985 with the 12" release of "I Won't Give You Up" with Diane Jones brought in on vocal duties. This received solid support amongst DJs and radio at the time, and was quickly followed with this solid slice of white label-only UK boogie-funk that has since become a favoured deep cut on the selectors circuit.
Treatment Records continued through the 1980s through to early 1990s releasing Eddie's music, both as a solo artist and as part of collaborative side-projects, and Eddie has continued to write, perform and produce music from his home studio right through to the present day. As a committed community figure & activist in South East London, Eddie has since 2014 re-started Treatment Records under the name of 3G Treatment - bringing together three generations of people from the local area to ensure young artists & musicians have access to the expertise and experience of their elders for support and encourage successful careers in the industry.

Launching Hakuna Kulala's New Club White Label Series, Is Young Congolese, Kampala-Based DJ & Producer Oyisse. Oyisse Drops A Pure Gem Of A Debut Ep Featuring 4 Fresh Tracks Of Slower And Somber Forward-Thinking Club Music Bridging Abstract Electronics, Obscure Gqom And Trap With Various Central African Influences, Rude Esoteric Voices From Congolese Singer, Sekelemebele And A Cascade Of Futurist Imagination. A Clever, Harmonious Balance Of Kicks And Sophisticated Experimentation That Will Grace Our Ears And Bodies On The Floor.

Menzi Turns Out The Darkest Gqom On Road With This Ridiculously Strong Debut Solo Release By Infamous Boiz' Menzi Brimming With Cyperpunk-Cinematic Sound Design Via Hard-Synched Taxi Techno Drums, Now Pressed On Limited Edition Vinyl For The First Time.Getting Deeper Than Anyone Into The Mechanics And Mindset Of South Africa's Viral Township Techno Sound, 28 Year Old Menzi Shabane Makes Seismic Moves On The 'Impazamo' Ep With Six Trax Of Gobsmacking Gqom Pressure Advanced By Shocking Levels Of Sound Design Detail And Searing Synth Dynamics. Menzi Hails From The Umlazi Township Of Durban, Where He Rose To Prominence As One Half Of Gqom Pioneers, Infamous Boiz, Whose Influence Is Now Felt Shuddering From Speakers In Clubs Across The World. Aside From Producing, Menzi Also Runs The Annual Gqom Bloq Party, Festive Road Block Umlazi, And Recently Has Supplied Beats For Some Of South Africa's Biggest Acts (Moonchild Sanelly, Mahotella Queens, Zolani Mahola And Zakes Bantwini), But It's This Ep Released Last Year On Limited Edition Cassette That Has Put His Name On The Global Dancefloor Map.Daring To Mess With The Machinery Of Gqom's Sharply Defined Style, Menzi Opens It Up Like Hellraiser's Puzzlebox To Truly Invoke And Unleash The Sound's Darkside Spirits. The Title Tune's Cinematic Intro Ratchets New Levels Of Industrial Drama To The Sound That Follow Through In The Pained Hollers And Bm-Style Screeches Of 'Minimal Surge' And The Sheets Of Acid Rain Drone That Soak 'Underground Abaphansi', While The Percussive Ballistics Of 'Qgm' And The Jaw-Dropping 'Zulu Warrior' Recall The Deep Fwd Sound Design Of Nazar's Experimental Kuduro Style, And Uganda's Ecko Bazz Plays The Role Of Shaman Or Spirit Guide In The Pitch Black Midnight Tone Of 'Gqom Tera'.A Staggering Set Packing The Strongest Gqom Tracks On Road Right Now, 'Impazamo' Is Unmissable For Lovers Of Dark, Heavy And Futuristic Dance Music From All Corners Of The Club.

18 tracks from Isaac Hayes, Booker T & M.G.'s, Rufus Thomas, Eddie Floyd, ...

Eric Scott is a Washington, DC based modern soul singer/songwriter.

Washington, DC's singer/songwriter and bassist, , is pure soulful goodness. He has toured internationally, sharing stages with the likes of B.B. King, Mavis Staples, Aaron Neville, REO Speedwagon, Roger Waters, and Deanna Bogart and you can hear why. There is a unique blend of clarity, kindness, and soul to his voice and phrasing that makes Eric the kind of artist you want to be around, as those qualities translate directly into the kind of person he is.

On his own he performs his own "evolving brand of funky, upbeat, socially aware" music that is, like him, immediately relatable. His songs, woven together by his recognizable signature sound, are diverse and rich, each with the element that make that magical "head nod - foot tap - hand slap" happen as you listen. His musicality is so on point, arrangements so smooth, and Eric's voice is like the cherry on top, crystal clear soul with just enough grit underneath to keep it real.

His latest album, Peace Bomb, comes out at the perfect time when our world needs peace and love more than ever.

The first LP on the Berlin based label Beatbude. Funky shit from 2012 with rap on one track!
Yeah are Christian Schock, Florian König, Leo Hilsheimer and Philip Lawall.
Features are Jonas Gawehn, Juri Bader, Levin Hornischer, Markus Ehrlich, Oliver Tewelde, Philip Mattes, Sara Makowski, the Schneckengruppen choir and Zacharias Zschenderlein.

Recorded and mixed by Yeah and friends in Berlin, Karlsruhe, Kirchheim, Mannheim, Stuttgart and Zürich. Mastered by Dave Cooley in Los Angeles. Cover by Markus Mai, Berlin.

VERY strong track listing with some of the biggest Motown hits ever – should do very nicely going into Christmas gifting area and beyond as a strong catalogue seller.

Athens of the North are proud to presentRenée Geyer's modern soul masterpiece ‘Be There In The Morning'. Recorded in the USA early 1977 but only released as a single in Australia how this was not a worldwide hit is beyond us. On the flip we have the impossibly rare 1976 version recorded in Australia before Renee headed to the USA. Timmion Cutting Laboratory did the lathe worksoit’s cut loud and deep, sounds amazing, an essential 45 for disco or modern soul heads.

Transparent Limited Edition.Cinematic funk heroes Calibro 35 take you on a journey in the world of jazz and rare groove. Dr. Dre and Jay-Z sampled Italian cinematic funk legends Calibro 35 are always in search of new territories to venture into, their new single payintg tribute to jazz-funk, rare groove and pshychedelic cinematic-jazz. None of the members of Calibro 35 are (or consider themselves) jazz musicians, but over the years jazz has...

'You got the stuff' is not 'Lovely day' - that much is true. This one's a wigged out, extended, trip into deep space from 1978 that is truly baffling.
Of course, it features Bill singing for the first half of the track but then all of a sudden we're launched into a cosmic wormhole as everything just falls back and the track is stripped of any earthly qualities. People find themselves asking 'this...... this is Bill Withers?' as lazer guided synths and rock solid drums pull us into the sonic vortex. Truly amazing. Obviously a nugget like this has not gone unnoticed and has been edited and chopped and sampled deftly by the more sarcastic, left-field oriented crate diggers out there but it has never been reissued legitimately - Until now!

A hugely sought after and collectible gem right here, backed with the wistful slow jam 'Look To Each Other For Love' as per the original 1978 Columbia promo 12" version. This left-field, cosmic classic has been legally reissued by Above Board distribution in conjunction with the legal rights holders - Sony Music Entertainment. This high quality repress features original Columbia pink label Disco 12" artwork and has been remastered from Sony's original sources by Optimum Mastering, Bristol UK.

Lumberjacks in Hell proudly presents its next 12" from the English producer Goshawk, marking his much-anticipated debut on the label. Goshawk brings a solid repertoire of productions characterised by a soulful disco vibe, already showcased in his collaborations with Erik Rico on Atjazz Record Company and Situatism, not to mention his stellar remix for Groovement Inc. - Love and Affection.

This rare take on the Bobby Caldwell classic will bring latin warmth to any dancefloor. Por Amor was the title track from the first Itty release in 2021, after many requests for a repress it’s finally out again – now on a 7” with a new Comb dub version on the flip!

Two amazing jams! The Perpetual Singers are a collective of gospel singers from Amsterdam - both songs produced by Arp Frique.

Supported by Gilles Peterson, Louie Vega, Antal, Lerato, Tama Sumo, Palms Trax, Gigi Testa, Hunee, Coco Maria, Josh FB + + +

"Hot Love It" - Lerato

"Amaaaazing" - Tama Sumo

"Ah amazing!" - Palms Trax

Ultra rare modern soul/rare groove scorcher "It'll All Come Around" on the A side with funky cinematic soul from Love Unlimited Orchestra on the B. Only 250 copies made.

These two tracks from Mike Bandoni and Chip Wickham have been a long time coming. These two stable mates from the 'Craig Charles Fantasy Funk Band' have been discussing a collaboration for years and now; it's finally in the bag!

Mike brings his trademark killer funky Drums (Recorded by the legendary Malcolm Catto), Percussion, Rhodes, Bass and vintage Guitar vibes to the party whilst Chip delivers some sublime and highly complimentary work on sax and flute.

Infinity Pool sounds like a long lost Bobbi Humphrey meets Bob James composition with the flute taking centre stage underpinned by what can only be described as mammoth funk grooves on every other instrument. A true modern Jazz Funk classic with just a fraction more Funk than Jazz!

Get It! is a cool number with a phenomenally infectious groove and a hook that stays in the brain for days! Think early Kool & The Gang. You'll be humming these hooks day and night! Chip again raises the bar further with some sublime flute and sax work and is ably joined by Eoin Grace on trumpet to deliver that full fat section accompaniment that so completes this composition.

Both tracks are equally at home listened to through headphones or pumping loudly through a sound system in a club at your best Funk and Soul events.

Both tracks are getting plenty of radio play so it's likely to shift quickly! One for the collection and a must have. Limited to 500 copies.