Hey!! Wake up and flip the record!! This is a soul mix guurl this isn't slow jams for seniors. Wake yo ass up!!
Damn it's been a bit since I put together a soul mix. This shit used to be my bread and butter too. But lately, I have been all about getting my indie on, all consumed by ill fitting beanies, tight pants, and weekly trips to the Farmer's Markets. Thus leaving my original love to wither and die like a sunchoke on the vine...do sunchokes grow on vines?...no, no they do not. Shit...uhh, save the heirlooms!!...no? That won't get me enough cred?...damn it. *Hands over urban farmer card* Screw your vegan mexican food, I'm going to Taco Bell.
Enough of those hipster elitists, we're back in the soul saddle, so giddy up. Download it here. Or hit the jump for samples, the whole tracklist and non-judgmental consumption of in-organic, toxic orange, nacho cheese chalupas.
The art above is by Matte Stephens, his Etsy can be found by clicking the link in the caption. I am partial to his Manhattan print and the rest of his city themed prints. I am also partial to dancing in Tiny bubble rooms.
The newest soul mix is the perfect fodder for tiny bubble room dancing. At least towards the end. It starts out slow like most of my mixes seem to do. Then it delves into some slow, doo-wopish, falsetto type songs. They are almost more doo-wop/oldie than soul, but it's a fine line and they are good songs so they get the nod. After that it breaks on through to the other side with a handful of more upbeat tunes. Some of them are even newer songs that have been released within the last couple of years.
Does anyone needs some new soul music? Sorry for the long absence, cliche, cliche, blahbiddy blah. You know the deal. Before we get to official business I would like to highlight the awesomness of the picture to the left. It's called, "The Find" and it's by Christopher David Ryan a graphic designer with an incredible style. I have been drooling over his stuff for the last couple of weeks. Go check out his blog here, he kind of rules.
Ok let's get into it. One highlight from this mix is a pretty blatant rip off of the, Temptaion's, "My Girl." This re-worked tune is called, "It's My Baby," and it's sung by Paul Kelly who was on this mix.
Compare the lyrics:
The Temptations- My Girl
I've got sunshine
On a cloudy day.
When it's cold outside,
I've got the month of May.
Well, I guess you'll say
What can make me feel this way?
My girl. (My girl, my girl)
Talkin' 'bout my girl. (My girl)
Paul Kelly- It's My Baby
when the sun don't shine to me it don't mean a thing
what is it that I have that makes me feel no pain
I hear my friends whisper when I walk by
what is it that makes me keep my head up high,
it's my baby that keeps me satisfied, it's my baby. Talkin bout my baby.
Also just listen to the music. It's a total swagger jack, but personally I am not that upset. I rip off people's entire discographies as my own. I don't even bother to re-interpret the lyrics or the music, so Paul has more effort than me.
The next soul mix is ready to go. But I should probably let the current one marinate for awhile. The sudden deluge of content may frighten some. In the meantime here is some stuff that will be on the mix.
I listened to the coverville podcast today. Which featured Oliver Wang of Soul Sides. Coverville has an awesome site to accompany their great podcast so I recommend taking a look if you don't already frequent their site. You will learn things over there, plus it's free. Who doesn't like cover songs?
This episode was especially awesome because it was with Oliver Wang, the man who's life and musical knowledge I envy with such great intensity I have a court ordered 25 foot rule. He can still hear me though so it's ok, I just miss our hugs sometimes. Anyway here are two of the tracks that he played that I threw on this mix.
First up, Dandy Livingstone with his reggae massaged cover of the song made most famous by James and Bobby Purify, "I'm Your Puppet."
Dandy Livingstone- I'm Your Puppet
I thought this song was amazing when I heard it on the podcast. It's Betty Chung with her cover of Sonny and Cher's, "Bang Bang." Perhaps most recognizable as the song from Kill Bill that Nancy Sinatra sang. The backing track on this is so good. It also happens to be in Mandarin, but was recorded in HK. Who knew there were bands getting down like that in HK?
Betty Chung- Bang Bang
There happen to be a lot of covers on this mix. A Johnny Nash version of Sam Cooke's, "Cupid." A reggae take on, Smokey and the Miracle's, "I Second That Emotion." A Cambodian version of "Wooly Bully" called "Wooly Polly." The Hot 8 Brass Band's cover of Marvin's, "Sexual Healing."
The Hot 8 Brass Band- Sexual Healing (Re-edit)
The Majestic Arrows, off of the Bandit label are also featured. The story of Bandit records is such a crazy story, it's almost unbelievable. Here is a small snippet about the label and founder, Arrow Brown.
"Founder and force behind the Bandit label, the mysterious, vaguely criminal Brown spent a decade running his entertainment empire from a ghetto commune he shared with a harem of lovers whose welfare checks funded his showbiz aspirations. Equally odd was Bandit's roster: a collection of friends and family like seven-year-old son Altyrone Deno Brown, daughter Tridia Brown's Majestic Arrows, and crooner Johnny Davis - the latter eventually thrown off a building to his death."
I highly recommend you read the entirety of the article which can be found here. I first heard the Majestic Arrows as a sample on a Mixtape Talib Kweli had done with Madlib, called Liberation. I had no idea who they were and just randomly got this album and was surprised that this was on there. Here is the Talib sample song and the original.
Well, glad things here have been taken care of while I was on vacation. I just got back from a two week trip to Costa Rica. I was out stomping through the jungle and not partaking in their legal prostitution...I swear.
While there I had my ipod for the lengthy bus trips from one city to another. The problem was my ipod was originally my Mom's and I had loaded it with all old person music. Old person music also happens to be depressing music. A lot of the songs didn't vibe with my mood or what I was actually doing. Beautiful jungle scenery through windy mountain towns, just wasn't meshing with Dean Martin crying about lost love. I needed more jungly, more islandy, more happy stuff to listen to.
We heard a wide range of music while there. In the tourist traps we heard legendary acts like; Huey Lewis, Phil Collins, and Foreigner. They get down to some easy listening, or they think that we like to. Wilson Phillips anyone? There was also the local Spanish music, Spanish language hip hop, and a lot of reggae, Costa Rica being close to the Caribbean this makes a lot of sense.
This latest soul mix starts off with that island feel, the reggae tinged soul, this is stuff I should have had on my ipod but didn't. The songs aren't actually that happy but they have the right feel for chilling on the beach. There is a mix of the reggae/funk and then some more classic soul stuff thrown in there. A couple of them are songs that came on my ipod while I was on the bus, that didn't make me hit skip.
Sample from the Reggae section.
Download the whole mix here. If you want to keep it in it's original order in itunes, I think you have to make a new playlist and throw them in there.
Also if anyone would like to contribute to the blog, make mixes, post news, show off their daily hairstyle, send me an email at stereofattenings@gmail.com
I have been slacking with getting mixes together. It's because I don't love you and I have much more important things to do, like nude Tai-chi in Golden Gate Park, it's a great way to start the day.
Here is a new soul mix, do you guys like soul music? Does anyone read this?
I love this Paul Kelly song, "The Upset," off of Eccentric Soul 007, this is the same album that has that Helene Smith cover of Otis Redding's, "Pain In My Heart." We discussed it here in the last Soul Mix post. It just has a nice driving rhythm, great pace and vocals. It flows so well, it's a legit foot tapper.
Paul Kelly- The Upset
More Samples and the Download Link Behind the Jump.
Do you have your smoking jacket on and a drink with an umbrella in it, no homo? Then settle in and get ready for Soul mix 4. Being totally unbiased it's the audio form of everything that is right in the world. Someone named me likes it.
This mix has the Helene Smith version of, "Pain In My Heart," off of Eccentric Soul Vol 7: Deep City Soul Label. I highly recommend purchasing it on vinyl, it's a solid collection. Deep City was a seriously dope label out of Miami, there are a bunch of nice tracks in their catalog. A little bit about them and the Eccentric Soul collection. "Possibly the most influential of all the 60s Miami soul label's, the Deep City sound not only changed the Metro-Dade area, but set the tone for disco powerhouse TK's impressive run in the 70s.
The singles on Willie Clark and Johnny Pearsall's Lloyd and Deep City label's are Florida's rarest of the rare, and we've collected the best of their four year run here. Includes Betty Wright and Paul Kelly's first sides, the can't-miss-but-did diva Helene Smith, obscure work by Frank Williams & the Rocketeers, as well as a previously unreleased acetate by the Moovers."
Eccentric Soul Vol. 7 and Otis playing peek-a-boo.
Back to Helene's cover, I was in a record shop in the city and this came on and I had to do that thing where you stop what you are doing, walk up to the counter and demand they give you the name of the artist singing or you will start breaking things. Of course they coughed up the name immediately and that's just one of the many reasons they call me Jack Bauer. It's not the fact that I get drunk and tackle Christmas trees, it's the way I make people talk...and I also happen to be 3' 11." Apparently Helene has a Myspace Who knew?
Helene Smith- Pain In My Heart
Here is one more sample. The James Brown track, "Prisoner of Love." That's some old school James, it's amazing how long this man was good. From slow smooth grooves to rock your face off funk fantasticness this dude could do it all. This one of the slower jams, but dude could SANG!!
James Brown- Prisoner Of Love
The rest of the mix has music, with instruments and singers. If you like music and instruments and also singers then it might make sense for you to download this, but that's just like my opinion maan.
Soul mix time. This mix is a little laid back, lots of falsetto smoothness. At least in the middle section. Samples below.
First up Sly, Slick, & Wicked and their track, "Confessin' A Feelin." This is a live version and it's on point!! Pretty perfect, it's super chilled out but executed so well, don't forget it's live, I like how it sounds like it's recorded at a party, the light chatter in the beginning while those first vocals drop are awesome. Like I could just stumble onto these dudes at a backyard pool party or something. Check them out below.
Sly, Slick, And Wicked- Confessin' A Feelin (Live)
Next up is Tommy McGee with, "We Ought To Be Together." Check out this awesome write up on Ear Fuzz. That's where I got the track from, apparently the vinyl goes for thousands of dollars. Both cuts from the 45 are on this mix.
Tommy McGee- We Ought To Be Together
One more from the falsetto, smooth, laid back section. It's your boy Mayer Hawthorne doing a cover of, "Thin Moon" by his fellow Stones Throw family member, James Pants. They did this trade off cover thing where Mayer did this song and James Pants did, "Green Eyed Loved." A little bit about him, "Mr. Pants is a purveyor par excellence of that unmistakable “fresh beat”: 80’s Soul, Electro Boogie, Early Rap, New Wave, & Post-Punk Disco, all of which can be found on Welcome where James plays drums, keys, guitar and sings." His whole profile can be found here.
Mayer Hawthorne- Thin Moon (James Pants cover)
Soul Mix 4 is in the bag and I actually think it's better than this one but this should be fine. You just have to get in the right mood and headset. It picks up a little bit at the end but most of it is chill out type jams. Rent a big ass Caddy and roll somewhere with the top down.
There should be some more soul on here. Uh Huh that's my shit, No Stefani. Sometimes I just spend the whole day rollerskating around the park with my latest soul mix. I don't even listen to it I just hold the cd and spin in circles, arms extended while someone in a crane shoots an overhead shot of my unbridled joy. How could I deny other people that same feeling?
This mix starts out with old school soul. Some Sam and Dave, Otis, James, Aretha is heavily featured. A little sub theme is songs that have been sampled in hip hop. Miss Fat Booty, that Jay Electronica joint produced by Just Blaze, "Exhibit C," you know that one right? It's like the new "A Milli" beat, the current hotness everyone has to spit over. My favorite is the Gloria Allred version that won her the Perkins vs. Louis case.
Gloria: And now your honor I would like to present Exhibit C, bailiff if you could turn on the smoke machine, and hit the lights please, mic check one two one two, *points to Just Blaze* We's good, drop that shit Megatron Don. OHHHH!!!
Judge: Based on this new evidence I am dropping all charges as if they were hot. *Harlem Shakes*
*Crowd rejoices, except for the murdered girl's family, but they were always buzzkills*
That's how the legal system works right? Unrelated question, what's a goon to a goblin? The mix takes a small detour into reggae, the track that Kanye sampled for "Lucifer" and a Bitty Mclean cover of a David Ruffin track and then it goes into some modern soulful stuff, before ending on the Donny Hathaway cover of Lennon's, "Jealous Guy." Keep in mind the track is live and the dude sounds perfect. Check it out below.
*old school email listers probably already have this mix, soul mix 2 is ready to go but I thought I would throw this out there for anyone who missed it on the first go round.
