By this point, examples of fine soul and funk albums released by high school and college/university-level stage bands are commonplace. You have to look no farther than our Kashmere Stage Band anthology – which draws from eight LPs and 3 45s (and countless of master tapes) for proof. Examples of fine soul and funk albums released as keepsakes of regional talent shows are far more scarce. And – all novelty aside – can one really listen to the majority of the 1st Annual Inner-City Talent Expo (March 26, 1972 Columbus Ohio) album?
This album, released in an outreach effort by the New Orleans Police Department, falls somewhere in between novelty and soaring soul. There is even a decent funk number (a cover of Mandrill’s “Fence Walk”) and a decent fuzz track (a cover of Edgar Winters’ “Frankenstein”). Well worthy of our “Picks” section.
Download: An example of the P.C.R.D. 7th Annual Talent Show.
Listen: “Shirley.”
Ojoubeha: “Shirley.”
A second track by Ojoubeha – “The Prodigies” – released in Tehran on a small imprint, perhaps related to Arang Rooz, circa 1968. “Shirley” is insistent doo-wop inspired garage, with typical lovelorn lyrics and group harmonies. And though it’s a far cry from the psychedelic take they’d offer on Persian folk tunes in later releases, it’s interesting enough to warrant inclusion in our Picks section.
Listen: “Free And Easy Pt. 1.”
Apple And The Three Oranges: “Free And Easy Pt. 1.”
We at Now-Again have just inked a deal with Edward “Apple” Nelson to issue an anthology of Apple And Three Oranges’ 5 45 rpm records, issued on Stage Music, Stanson and Sagittarius. In the future, we’ll give you more details about the reissue (funk expert Dante Carfagna will help write the liner notes and contribute ephemera; L.A. funk collector Cut Chemist has already contributed to the Apple interview; L.A. record dealer and Apple enthusiast Mike Vegh has agreed to contribute rare photos of the band in its prime). In the meantime, feast your ears on Apple’s classic “Free and Easy” and gaze at the original Stage Music 45 as one of our Picks.
Listen: “Shekare Ahoo.”
Ojoubeha: “Shekare Ahoo.”
Every once in a while, we at Now-Again headquarters get an email that’s too hard to believe. Case in point, the homey Josh Marcy tells us he’s just stumbled upon a stash of Iranian 45s in the house his parents rent to an elderly Persian woman. By his estimation, there’s some heat in the stacks – not much psych, but a smattering of cool pop that he’s willing to share. A few weeks – and a pick up at Computer Jay’s studio – and there we are, wondering what the Ennio Morricone-sounding tune rolling off this Farsi-inscribed 45 could be. Well, we send the tracks to Dario at irannostalgia.com and he informs us that the record is by the group Ojoubeha. We look at our interview with Iranian legend Kourosh and find this gem:
“In Iran rock groups never used or mixed traditional or local instruments. They simply copied what was done in the West. The exception was the group Golden Ring who would write Iranian melodies and then would play them on rock instruments. They released some records like, “Ey Yar Bala.” (“Matador Come Back”.) Also the group Oujubeha, with lead singer Jamshid Alimorad who now lives in the U.S., performed songs like “Tour-Mahihaa” and “Shekar Ahoo.” “
Listen: “Theme From La Horse.”
Serge Gainsbourg with Jean Claude Vannier: “Theme From La Horse.”
The rarest of the rare Gainsbourg records. His publishing company, Hortensia, thought that they could capitalize on the icon’s score of another Gabin film, and released a promotional 7” to theater-goers. Gainsbourg’s label, Philips, did not take kindly to this affront and promptly rounded up all of the copies that the company had manufactured and destroyed them. Which is a pity, as this Jean Claude Vannier assisted instrumental stalks like the film’s heroin slinging gangsters and contains not only heavy breakbeats and a surprisingly well executed banjo (!) breakdown (a reference to the film’s provincial setting?), but Gainsbourg’s thrilling refrain on the piercing Rocksichord, When Malcolm Catto first told me about this record, I thought he was lying. Only when I finally held the hand made, pasted-on cover in my hands did I know he had been blessed to have carried the haunting memory of this song in the years prior to its official reissue.
Read Egon’s extended review of this single here in our Picks section.
