It’s finally happening: the LA record release party for our Soul Cal: Funky Disco and Modern Soul, 1971-1982 anthology, with “Egon and friends playing the deepest disco 12s, most-tasty modern soul 45s and the baddest boogie LPs.” We’re doing it with our friends at Turntablelab on Saturday May 19th, from 3-6 PM. Come on through – it’s free!
Soul Cal: Funky Disco and Modern Soul, 1971-1982 is out worldwide now. But you already knew that.
If you’re a regular visitor to this site, you probably remember that the Red Bull Music Academy brought WITCH’s bandleader Emmanuel “Jagari” Chanda to Madrid, Spain last year to discuss the history of Zambia’s Zamrock scene with Egon. Now, as a lead up to the release of our WITCH anthology We Intend To Cause Havoc!, Red Bull Music Academy Radio is presenting two Zamrock specials that Egon and Jagari recorded in Madrid. The first – Jagari’s “Fireside Chat” – is streamable below or available via link, and is essential listening: Jagari breaks down the history of the WITCH band, and plays/discusses music from each of their five albums and rare 45s. The second – an overview of the most important Zamrock bands – is to come later this month.
Link: Emmanuel “Jagari” Chanda’s “Fireside Chat” on Red Bull Music Academy Radio.
France’s Radio Nova just broadcast Egon’s exclusive Soul Cal mix and if you don’t live in our second favorite country in the world, well, we’ve some good news: the mix is archived on Radio Nova’s podcast page. Included in the mix are a few unique companions to our definitive survey of America’s best, independent, 70s soul-ensembles, Soul Cal: in stores now.
Pictured above – Anubis, whose “Ecology” appears on Soul Cal and whose self titled jam kicks off this mix.
Tracklist:
1) Anubis – Anubis
2) Cross Bronx Expressway – Help Your Brother
3) Apple & Three Oranges – Love Brings Out The Best In You
4) Hamilton Movement – She’s Gone
5) Key & Cleary – What It Takes To Live (from Soul Cal)
6) Mixed Feelings – Sha La La (from Soul Cal)
7) Elephant Sunrise – Sugar Free
8) Courtial – Losing You
9) Pure Essence – Wake Up (from Soul Cal)
Download: Egon’s Soul Cal mix for Radio Nova.
The definitive survey of America’s best, independent 70s soul-ensembles. 15 rare and unreleased tracks; 2LP or CD with 80-page book filled with rare photos and each band’s story. Out NOW.
A decade in the making, Soul Cal is the definitive survey of America’s best, independent, 70s soul-ensembles. Profiled within this album and book are the bands that transitioned from funk to disco; the bands that kept up the backbeat as rhythm moved to the backseat. Against the odds, they left recorded artifacts for we at Now-Again to dig out, dust off and restore. Collected here for the first time are the musical dreams of dozens, dreams that were deferred but were never discarded.
Soul Cal is presented as both a gatefold 2LP and a CD – both formats come with a perfect-bound, 80 page book printed on heavyweight, uncoated paper stock. Photos of each format are presented below; you can also download Luther Davis’ “You Can Be A Star” – the song whose reissue kick started the Soul Cal series ten years ago.
Buy: Soul Cal
Download: Luther Davis “You Can Be A Star.”
We told you that it was a decade in the making: Soul Cal, the definitive survey of America’s best, independent, 70s soul-ensembles. Of course, even though the book has been published, the CDs burned, the records pressed, our investigation continues – and continues to unearth artifacts, like the above photo of Pure Essence that we received today. (Yes, that is a bare-chested LA Reid on the middle right).
