Play That Funky... Harmonica?

Jerry McCain
Juicy Lucy
Jewel - 790
1967


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Funk and Harmonicas don't usually go together in my book, but if anyone could make this combo work it would be Jerry McCain. Produced by Scotty Moore!

Who Dat!

The Singing Saints
Who Dat!
The Music Agency - 1001
late eighties?


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This one's for my friend at work who's a big Saints fan. Happy B-Day Brah!

Streetbeater!

Quincy Jones
Streetbeater
A&M - 1455
1973

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Here's Quincy Jones' "Streetbeater", otherwise known as the theme from Sanford & Son. I never have heard this all the way through. On the second half of the record, right after the part where it ends on the TV show, is where Quincy and the band really get down! Very cool!

Cheap Thrills (pt. 3)

Al Brisco Clark & his Orchestra
Soul Food (pt. 1)
Fontana - 1909
1964

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Yet another killer instro cheapie. This one supposedly produced by James Brown...

Bobby Patterson - I Got to Get Over

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Bobby Patterson
I Got to Get Over
Proud - 100
Mid to Late 70s?
Here's another Dallas record from local soul hero Bobby Patterson. Written and produced by Bobby and put out on his own label...

Shootin' The Grease

Jesse Gresham Plus 3
Shootin' The Grease

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Wow, I don't know who the hell Jesse Gresham is and I've never seen the Head label before, but this is one seriously terrific track! This thing starts off strong and just keeps getting better and better as it goes along. Dig it!
p.s. the flipside is Robert Parker's "Barefootin'"

The Gaturs

The Gaturs
Cold Bear

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I'm not a big fan of Funk. As a rule, it just doesn't really do it for me. I generally prefer an earlier sound, but in the case of Willie Tee and the Gaturs, I can definitely make an exception. The Gaturs put out a total of 3 releases* (see comments) on 45. This one is by far the most affordable...

Little Gary Ferguson

I first heard of Little Gary Ferguson on the excellent Bear Family DVD Series: The Beat!!!!
Available Here

On the video (from 1966) Gary appears to be about 8 or so and does his best attempt at a James Brown style stage act. A few years later this single was released and he appeared on a bill with Frank Zappa, the Count Five and others (see poster above.) After that, who knows? I can find very little info about him online. Anyway, this funky track, in kind of a Jackson 5 groove, is pretty cool with Gary singing (a little creepily perhaps) about loving those kisses and hugs from Mom! Check it out...
Little Gary Ferguson
A Mother's Love

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*edit* Okay, so upon further consideration, maybe I played down the creepiness of this song too much. Gary is singing in a very adult, sexual sounding way about loving his mother. Perhaps his handlers thought this would play off as cute, since he is a child, but something went wrong somewhere...

Andre Williams

Andre Williams
It's Gonna Be Fine In '69
Checker - 1214

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Here's a fun one from Andre Williams singing about the year of my birth...