Memphis Black Soul Club

I was turned onto this album while listening to Craig Charles's Funk & Soul Show on BBC Radio 6. Regular readers of IDR will know of my love of the Hammond Sound and this is a great lost Euro album.

Heavy Hammond funk -- but from the 60s German scene! Memphis Black was the pseudonym of Ingfried Hoffmann -- quite possibly the best organ player on the continent in the 60s -- an artist known well through his soundtrack and sound library sessions, as well as his killer contributions to the Klaus Doldinger combo! As you might guess from the title, this set's got a definite Memphis soul groove -- one that references the Stax sound of Booker T & The MGs, but which also takes off in a way that's got more of the mod and groovy touches of German and British albums from the time. The combo is spare, small, and tight -- really snapping with some great beats behind some of the best tracks on the set -- an aspect that's made the album a favorite with break collectors for years. Includes the mighty funk track "Why Don't You Play The Organ Man" -- plus the cuts "Sister Aretha", "Whole Lotta Woman", "Soul Man", "Hey Joe", "Chain Of Fools", "Soul Finger", and "Gimme Little Sign". Dusty Groove