The Four King Cousins - Introducing the ... (1969)

Here´s the review from the magnificent DUSTY GROOVES team:

Very groovy work from the Four King Cousins - a sweet quartet of lovely voices peeled off of the larger King family ensemble, singing here in a spare and syncopated groove with lots of late 60´s Capitol touches! Maestro Lex de Azevedo produced, arranged and conducted - and the album´s got a really unified sound that links together harmonies from sunshine pop and a bit of the loping styles that were showing up in a mainstream easy at the time - a sublime blend of vocals and lightly snapping rhythms that´s totally outta sit! All tracks are covers, but done in really wonderful versions!

Tracklisting:

1. This Girl´s in love with you
2. It´s all in the game
3. Walk on by
4. California Nights
5. Let´s get away from it all
6. I wanna be free
7. Good Day Susnhine
8. God only knows
9. Love so fine
10. Here, there and everywhere
11. I fell

Who-Haaa ... enjoy yourselves with this ladies!!!

Jerry Goldsmith - A Patch of Blue (1965)

One of the prolific composer´s earlier soundtracks remains of his best 40 years later. Although the music for A PATCH OF BLUE occasionly sounds dated, it´s still very strong and a pleasure to listen to. The main tilte theme finds the prefect balance between creepy and tender, a balance that Goldsmith is a master at achieving. This is, overall, one of Goldsmith´s subtler works, well worth hearing whether you´ve seen the movie or not!

Tracklisting:

1. Main Title - A Patch of Blue
2. The Park
3. Stringin´Beads
4. Pineapple Juice & Discovery
5. Ol`Pa, Help Me!
6. Just the Radio
7. Waiting
8. Friends
9. Grandmom´s Music Box
10. I walked myself
11. Finale - Love, The Equalizer

(Original Vinyl Rip)

Enjoy it!!!

The Silhouettes - Conversations with ... (1969)

Damn nice ... read what DUSTY GROOVES has to say about that fine piece of music:

A fantastic LP! The record was produced by funky sax genius Nathan Davis, and released on the same label as his first two U.S. albums after his return from Europe -- and it's a mad mad mix of breezy jazz and breakbeats! Break fans will looooove the cuts "Lunar Invasion" and "Fonky First", which both have a tight break sound, and combine fuzzy distorted vibes with guitar, for a very unique sound. Other tracks have a cool jazzy swingin' vibes sound, with female vocals, and kind of an LA Now Sound feel that's a bit like the Dave MacKay/Vicki Hamilton LPs from the late 60s, but with more of a jazz basis. Very very groovy stuff, and one of the freshest albums we've heard in a long time. With versions of "Norwegian Wood" and "Sally's Tomato", plus more good originals.

yeah, that´s right! enjoy that folks!

(original vinyl rip)

cheerz, Soulfinga

Harry Betts - The Fantastic Plastic Machine (1969)

Here it is folks ... fresh out of the fantastic plastic machine comes Harry Betts!

enjoy this funky ride ... cheerz!

Tracklisting:

1. "Theme from 'The Fantastic Plastic Machine'"
2. "Night Flight"
3. "Green-O"
4. "Day Groovin'"
5. "Straight Ahead"
6. "Rock Slide"
7. "McTavish"
8. "Nat's Theme"
9. "Outta Sight"
10. "Green Grotto"
11. "Long Reef"

Friends of Distinction - Grazin´ (1969)

Oh yes, this album is really a classic and a jewel amongst all good soul albums!

The Hiphop heads should recognize the samples f.e. in the beautiful and outstanding track "Going in circles" (used by the Soul Assassins for their Psycho Realm Album) and "And I Love Him", which is used by DJ Day for his fantastic song "Four Hills"!!!

For those who don´t know the band, check out the biography:

One of the most likeable and vocally cohesive singing groups of the late 60s and early 70s, the Friends of Distinction are too often forgotten in retrospectives of that era, but their music has continued to live on. Formed by Harry Elston, Floyd Butler, Jessica Cleaves and Barbara Love in 1968, the group had a relatively short life in its original incarnation, but made some of the most memorable pop/soul music of all time.

Elston had been singing with the Hi-Fi's in the mid-60s, warming up for Ray Charles in tours across the country. When that group split in 1966, members Marilyn McCoo and Lamont McLemore went on to co-found the enormously successful Fifth Dimension and Elston started the Friends, whose sound was similar to, and often confused with, the Fifth Dimension -- both included tightly harmonizing men and women dressed in late 60s "hip" clothing -- though the Friends' music was generally more soulful.

The newly formed Friends of Distinction was managed by football great Jim Brown and signed with RCA Records. Hitting the popular music scene when Motown and Stax were dominating, the Friends arrived with a breezy California pop/soul sound. Great harmonies and crossover arrangements backed the individually strong lead vocals of the group members. Combined with top notch material (both originals and covers), the group, like the Fifth Dimension, sounded like a breath of fresh air on Pop radio in 1969.

Their first single, "Grazin' In the Grass," was a Elston-sung vocal remake of a Hugh Masekela instrumental cut, and hit the top 5 on both Pop and Soul charts in 1969. The group's follow-up, "Going In Circles," was a brilliant ballad that also charted high. Love took some time off to have a baby, and Charlene Gibson stepped in and sang lead on the group's third big hit, "Love or Let Me Be Lonely." She also sang on the wonderful album cut, "Crazy Mary."

The Friends were quite prolific from 1969-71, releasing 5 albums (a sixth appeared in 1973). They also released a number of great singles, including "Check It Out" (later remade by Tavares) and a terrific cover of Neil Sedaka's "Time Waits for No One." Their best cuts are excellently compiled in The Best of the Friends of Distinction, which was released in 1996.

As popular music changed in the mid-70s, the Friends' fortunes declined. A grueling touring schedule and the lack of a hit for several years led the group to call it quits in 1975. Elston and Butler continued to write and perform for a few years, then ultimately went their separate ways, taking jobs outside of music.

Over the next two decades, there was a rediscovery of the great music that the Friends had made together, and their biggest hits were remade by several artists, with "Going In Circles" charting for the Gap Band and Luther Vandross and "Love or Let Me Be Lonely" for pop artist Paul Davis. Most recently, "Grazin In the Grass" was released by Disney star Raven.

In 1990, Elston and Butler decided to bring the Friends back together. Tragically, Butler died (at Elston's side) before the group reunion could be realized. After Butler's death, Elston spent several years forming a new Friends group, ultimately bringing together Geno Henderson, Wendy Bruné and Berlando Drake to sing with Elston. That lineup currently tours and continues to entertain audiences nearly 40 years after the world first heard the Friends of Distinction.

Enjoy it!

Welcome, Ladies & Gentlemen!!!

For my first post i had to dug deep in my crates to offer you the great soundtrack to the Fred Williamson movie "Mean Johnny Barrows", composed and conducted by Gordon Staples & his String Thing! Fantastic album with some nice tracks for your ears, such as "Strung Out" (which appears 3x), "Get Down" and "I´m Back"!!! Blaxploitation music at it´s nearly best, so enjoy it folks!

cheerz, Soulfinga