Shalamar

Before Soul Train the TV show there was Soul Train Records, home of the Soul Train Gang, The Whispers, and soon-to-be 80s R&B giants, Shalamar. I picked up their first 12" in NYC last week, released in '77 just before the co-founder of the label, Don Cornelius, split to start the TV show and the label was renamed SOLAR Records. The A-side (a Motown disco medley) was a #1 hit for Shalamar, and the B-side sounds like fantastic music for a blissful video montage:

Shalamar - Simón's Theme (Download)


Their best work, however, certainly came after the 70s left...



Shalamar - A Night To Remember (Download)

Psych it out!

Norman Whitfield was the producer responsible for catching Motown up to the psychedelic era. After he did stuff like the Temptations' Psychedelic Shack he worked with a band that was more or less his own little experiment called The Undisputed Truth. (He wrote, arranged, produced and mastered just about all of it.) Even though most of their success was in their earlier years, today I bring you a couple great rips off of their fifth album, Cosmic Truth.


The first two tracks get my pick: Earthquake Shake is a great funky jam that rides the wave between disco and soul. Note that by 1975 Motown had moved operations to California, hence the dance being started "on the West Coast." A minute and a half interlude links with the second track, a totally kickass Neil Young cover that I won't say anything else about.

The Undisputed Truth - Earthquake Shake (Download)


The Undisputed Truth - Down By The River (Download)

Idea

This video is going to be my new alarm clock:

Somethin' funky

I'm not actually sure exactly what to put this under, something between soul, funk, and disco. It starts out as a funky piano soul jam, then halfway through an unexpected yet welcome synthesizer jumps in for a rather psychedelic solo, then the high hats start opening up and it falls into a little proto-boogie disco beat this time with a smooth 80s-style synth taking lead (in 1975). Whatever you call it, I call it awesome.


Sound Experience - Sha Na Na Na Boom Boom (Download)


And for those of you in the charitable and/or danceable mood this Saturday, I'll be helping out a benefit for the MSU Children's Health Initiative spinning at the MSU Dance Marathon 12-2am, preceded by Ian Olmstead and followed by Rob Perry. The whole event runs 7pm Saturday to 7am the next morning in the 1st floor gym of IM Circle.