Golden State Funk

I have been asked by a few people to provide my list of top CDs of the year and this one would certainly be in there from the ever consistent BGP label. I am always a sucker of anything from the Bay Area and this CD certainly increased my knowledge of the area's contribution to music.

They're not lying about the "impossibly rare" part of the title here -- because most of the work on this set is previously unreleased -- funky Bay Area gems recorded in the late 60s and early 70s, finally seeing the light of day on this collection! The music represents a much deeper current of soul than you might know from Sly & The Family Stone or some of the bigger bay area groups of the period -- a really righteous batch of tracks that freak out nicely with a heady, jamming groove -- one that's often heavy on the basslines and drums, but which also has a celebratory, party-hearty quality in the vocals and other instrumentation. A few artists here are familiar, but most are relatively obscure -- and the biggest portion of this music has languished for years in the vaults of the Golden State Recorders studios of producer Leo Kulka. CD features 20 tracks in all -- including "Super Chicken" by Ramona King, "Rock Steady" by Ruby Delicious, "Devil's Got Your Mind" by San Francisco TKOs, "Hearing Things" by Snooky & The Cosmic Flowers, "I've Gotta Groove" by Julio Zavalla, "Love Machine" by Alonzo Smith, "Poor Sad Child (parts 1 & 2)" by The Windjammers, "Are You Together For The New Day" by The Love Experience, "Can't Get Enough" by 87th Off Broadway, "House Party" by Wally Cox & The Natives, "I'm Glad I Got Over You" by Jeanette Jones, "Sweet Talk" by Marvin Holmes & The Uptights, and "Vida Blue (part 1)" by Jimmy Bee. (Dusty Groove).

Here's the tracklisting:

01. Windjammers - Poor Sad Child
02. Love Experience - Are You Together For The New Day
03. 87th Off Broadway - Can't Get Enough
04. San Francisco TKO's - Devils' Got Your Mind
05. Wally Cox & The Natives - House Party
06. Jeanette Jones - I'm Glad I Got Over You
07. Snooky & The Cosmic Flowers - Hearing Things
08. Julio Zavalla - I've Gotta Groove
09. Alonzo Smith - Love Machine
10. San Francisco TKO's - Herm
11. Marvin Holmes & The Uptights - Sweet Talk
12. Jeanette Jones - You'd Be Good For Me
13. 87th Off Broadway - Why
14. Wally Cox & Nate Branch - Za Zu
15. Snooky & The Cosmic Flowers - Mini Skirts
16. Mel Davis - Just Another Smile
17. San Francisco TKO's - Acilady
18. King Ramona - Super Chicken
19. Ruby Delicious - Rock Steady
20. Jimmy Bee - Vida Blue

San Francisco TKO's

Big thanks must go to Dean Rudland and Alex Palao for their work on this CD in making this fabulous available to us.