George Semper Rhythm Committee - It's your thing

George Semper Rhythm Committee
Rama Rama Records [RR 7799 A - 1970]

George Semper (1942-2009) was a California based hammond player,producer, arranger and agent. From 1969, he also owned Inner City Records, releasing soul and early funk. Most of the releases were covers, such as this "It's your thing" by the Isley Brothers (1969), being this one of many versions that followed the original, with a sound that personally reminds to the Mohawks. On the other side of the single we can find "Don't be afraid", a killer vocal tune.

Semper always requested ownership of the masters that he wrote and played on, something unfortunately not very usual those days.

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George Semper (1942 - 2009) fue un organista basado en California, productor, arreglista y agente. Desde 1969, fue dueño de Inner City Records, editando discos de Soul y Funk primerizo. Muchos de estos discos eran versiones de otros temas del estilo de la época, como este "It's your thing" de los Isley Brothers (1969), siendo una de las muchas versiones que siguieron al original, con un sonido que personalmente me recuerda a los Mohawks. En la otra cara del single que nos ocupa podemos encontrar otro temazo, esta vez vocal, "Don't be afraid".

Semper siempre pidió tener la propiedad de los masters originales que escribió y en los que participó como músico, algo que por desgracia para los artistas no era muy habitual en esos días.

Jackie Wilson - Helpless

Jackie Wilson - Helpless
MCA [MU 1105 A - 1969]

He was one the greatest in Doo-wop, Rhythm & Blues and Soul, but before he collapsed because of a heart attack on stage in 1975 to spend the last 9 years of his life suffering from a coma, "Mr. Excitement" also had time for Funk. On this tune you can check it out by yourself, accompanied by a terrific band, probably The Funk Brothers (the band used in Motown). In 1966, Wilson's producer, Carl Davis, decided not to use New York musicians anymore, and managed to get The Funk Brothers to record for him, and also Chicago-based session players.

This single was also released on the Brunswick label (55418)

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Fue uno de los más grandes en el Doo-wop, el Rhythm & Blues y el Soul, e incluso antes de sufrir el ataque cardíaco en una actuación en 1975 y que le tuvo en coma los últimos 9 años de su vida, tuvo tiempo para darle al Funk. Aquí se puede comprobar. "Mr. Excitement" acompañado probablemente por los Funk Brothers, los músicos de la Motown. En 1966, Carl Davis, productor de Wilson, decidió dejar de usar músicos de Nueva York para las sesiones de grabación, y consiguió que los Funk Brothers acompañaran al bueno de Jackie, así como músicos de sesión de Chicago.

Este single también fue editado en el sello Brunswick (55418)

Slim Smith - Slipaway

Slim Smith - Slipaway
Unity [UN 520 (1) - 1969]

Slipaway is a good soul song by Clarence Carter in the Atlantic label (I´m not sure if this was the original), but here we have an improved and faster early reggae cover produced by Bunny Lee on Unity, one of many subsidiaries of Pama Records. Slim Smith had one of the most soulful voices in Jamaican music, always trying to emulate his idol, Curtis Mayfiled, and here is a good example of it singing over the same rhythm as, for example, Dave Barker's "Prisoner of love" wich was released after this one under Lee Perry's production.

Slim Smith was born in 1948 and died in tragic circumstances in 1973, when he was only 25. He started his career on Duke Reid's Treasure Isle label performing solo and then with The Techniques, to continue recording a few songs for Byron Lee. In 1965 he formed The Uniques, starting their work mainly with Coxsone Dodd and Prince Buster. Around 1967, The Uniques changed producer and put themselves in the hands of Bunny Lee, who will be the one to continue recording with when Slim Smith decides to go back to his solo career until his death.

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Slipaway es una buena canción de Soul del sello Atlantic, pero aquí tenemos una una versión más rápida y mejorada a ritmo de Early Reggae, producida por Bunny Lee en Unity, una de las muchas subsidiarias de Pama Records. La de Slim Smith es una de las mejores voces de la música jamaicana, siempre buscando emular a su ídolo Curtis Mayfield. Aquí lo podemos comprobar, cantando sobre el mismo ritmo que más tarde serviría a, por ejemplo, Dave Barker en "Prisoner of love", producida por Lee Perry.

Slim Smith nació en 1948 y murió a los 25 años, en 1973, en trágicas circunstancias. Tras empezar su carrera con Duke Reid en Treasure Isle, tanto en solitario, como en los Techniques, y con Byron Lee. En 1965 forma The Uniques y se pasan al enemigo de Reid, Coxsone Dodd, aunque también grabaron algo con Prince Buster. En 1967, los Uniques cambian de productor, poniéndose en manos de Bunny Lee, quien continuará grabando a Slim Smith en solitario hasta su muerte en 1973.

Soul Tops - Rain and thunder

Soul Tops - Rain and thunder
Nu Beat [NB 002 A - 1968]

The Soul Tops were the alter ego of the Three Tops, also known as The Treetops. This vocal trio was formed by Dion (or Dionne Cameron), Orville (Oswald) Robinson and Joe Riley. This tune is a good example of rocksteady vocals, heavily influenced by American Soul (Temptations, Four Tops,..), with the added curiosity of the storm effects during the song. The single was released in 1968 on the Pama subsidiary Nu Beat, and contains "Swing baby swing" on the other side, making it a good double sider.