Archives: October 2009

15 Oct 2009, Comments (2)

Loyce Cotton-Try It, You’ll Like It (Aquarius 1972)

Author: alex larotta
loyce-2-1

I tried it, I liked it, a lot. I pulled this weeks 45 last weekend at the Austin Record Convention, considerably up there on my want lists and paid a fairly reasonable price for it, thanks to Pete for his flavorful 45 stacks. And I’ll apologize for not having too much detailed information for this weeks post so I’ll have to keep this short and sweet, much like this song. Loyce Cotton’s Try It You’ll Like It was released on the Houston-based Aquarius label and produced by Pope, another small time Bayou City label with wider distributive capacity. It seems that Aquarius released a slew of 45 singles throughout their activity in the 60’s and 70’s and even touching on some boogie and modern soul in the late 70’s, one release being a particular favorite of mine, Doin’ It by Houston bluesman Clarence Green, which I’ll definitely post sometime soon in the near future. I couldn’t find much, or anything really, on Ms. Cotton’s career or that of her recordings in my thorough detective interneting. I did find that France’s Motown President and funk and soul connoisseur, Gilles Petard, released this song on the first series of his illustrious Absolute Funk compilations. If you don’t know, now you know…

As far as I know, Ms. Cotton released only one other 45 on another Houston-based label (Jetstream) but it doesn’t seem that her records made it further past the local radio circuit. It’s a shame, considering her potential for national radio play as a strong female soul vocalist. Nevertheless, Try It You’ll Like It is simple and straightforward funky soul with some nice wah wah on the guitar, a punchy bass line and a groove-filled organ solo right around the middle, tendering a persuasive message about the niceties of receiving love and kisses. Clocking in at a mere two minutes, this mid-tempo workout is a fine piece of the ever impressive catalog of Houston soul music.

LISTEN: Loyce Cotton-Try It You’ll Like It

15 Oct 2009, Comments (2)

The Countdown 5 – Uncle Kirby (Toucan) 1967

Author: michael selman

This week I have been off of my feet due to a bike spill. Being that the record convention was this past weekend, I was able, prior to the spill, to dig up some new Texas fuzz. So please bear with me, next week will return to a normal length.

The Countdown 5 was formed out of the demise of a group called The Dominoes, a high school band, from Texas City, Texas. The Bamboo Hut was a Dance club in Galveston, Texas where the group became the house band. The Bamboo Hut would be a place for, practicing and performing and really tightening their sound, which later put them on the billboard top 100. In 1965, the Countdown recorded the single “Bamboo Hut,” recorded on the Pasadena label Pic 1. The single carries over a frat rock sound from the early sixties, a high-energy dance number, showing homage to their original stomping ground. The honkin’ saxophone layered over a theme of constant beach parties at a grass hut, just seems to have fallen out of a Frankie Avalon picture. “Bamboo Hut,” never stirred much attention for the group except for a local Galveston following.

Countdown 5, two years later recorded “Uncle Kirby,” this single gave the group a spot on the national charts. This track starts out with a slow psych tone, which drops out to reveal a paint peeling screamer, “I’m Gonna Get Rich.” This screamer was the beginning of an evolution of The 5’s sound, which continues with their singles to follow. The group changed labels to a local Galveston label, Toucan Records. It seems that the group, at the same time, released this single on the Houston Cinema label, but I cant figure out which came first, but I think the Toucan press was a much smaller local press. “Uncle Kirby,” later turned up on the Texas Flashback Compilation.

Coastliners1966ed

LISTEN: Countdown 5 – Bamboo Hut

LISTEN: Countdown 5 – Uncle Kirby (from Brazil)

8 Oct 2009, Comments (3)

The Coastliners – I’ll Be Gone (Backbeat) 1966

Author: michael selman
I'll Be Gone

Out of the shadows of surf rock comes a monster from a group coined the “Gulf Coast Beach Boys”. Most commonly known for their harmonies and catchy hooks, The Coastliners recorded hits like “Alright” and “Wonderful You”. Hailing from Bay Town, Texas in 1964, the group was a five piece: Ozzie Hart (drums), Tommy Meekins (keyboards), Wayman Lamb (guitar), Bob Williamson (bass), and Rex Kramer (lead guitar).

The brain behind the group would be no other than Fred Carroll, their manager at the time. Carroll, in 1965 started International Artists, the record label we all know later recorded such acts as The Elevators, Bubble Puppy, and Red Krayola etc. The first I A release was actually The Coastliners with their hit “Alright”. Carroll would not stay with the label long selling it for $35. Carroll did, however, stay with The Coastliners writing and managing, but most importantly scoring them another record deal with the larger label in the area, Backbeat. That’s right, this group bridged the gap, recording for both I A and Backbeat records. Backbeat rereleased “Alright” and recorded a slew of other singles. One making the Houston charts, “She’s My Girl.” This hit was very in tune with The Beach Boys’ surfer harmonies, which centered on themes of cars, girls and California. This over the top pop backbone made The Coastliners a Texas household name and gave them the alias “The Gulf Coast Beach Boys”. In 1966, “She’s My Girl” was recorded with the flip, “I’ll Be Gone”.

This heater of a track really exemplifies the sound I’m digging for, especially coming from Texas. The fuzz from the bass, from the top, lets any listener know they are not about to hear some Beach Boys cover. This track never made much of an impact on the charts, and as far as I know, still has not shown up on any compilations. The fact that this group was on both International Artists and Backbeat is an amazing feat in itself.

Coastliners1966ed

LISTEN: The Coastliners – I’ll Be Gone

8 Oct 2009, Comments (0)

Pretty Purdie-Soul Drums (Date 1968)

Author: alex larotta
purdierec

To pick one track from “The World’s Most Recorded Drummer” is quite the daunting task, considering the massive catalog of session credits and genre crossovers from the early years of rhythm and blues to jazz, rock, funk, pop, and beyond. But Soul Drums from Bernard “Pretty” Purdie’s landmark eponymous album seems to perfectly exhibit Pretty’s phenomenal heavy funk drumming and highlight his signature Purdie Shuffle, so I thought it might be prudent to showcase this fine slab of funked up beat-heavy boogaloo. Not to mention, Soul Drums features some of my personal favorite drum breaks EVER, flared with a truly unique spacey psych reverb thrown on for good measure. Released on Columbia’s soul subsidiary Date Records in early ‘68, Soul Drums received warm reception at the time of its release, but it wasn’t until years later it garnered wider attention amongst break collectors and sample-based producers, perhaps most notably by the Dust Brothers use of the intro break on Beck’s sample-heavy crossover success, Odelay.

Born in Elkton, Maryland in 1939, Bernard began drumming at the tender age of 6 and embarked on his lifelong career as a premier session player and eventual solo recording artist. After moving to New York shortly after high school, Bernard went on to catch the ears of record producers and blazed a movement in popular rhythm, incorporating the funk backbeat with his imitable shuffle that is still studied and copied to this day. Soul Drums has received recent attention due to Sony’s decision to re-release this masterpiece some 40 years after it’s initial release, jam packed with lost goodies from the original session days which includes 8 unreleased tracks that were part of a supposed sophomore release that never saw the light of day until now. Purty was also the backing drummer for the recent rendition of Hair the Musical, which seems only fitting that the one of the architects of groove-pocketed drumming fill in for Galt McDermott’s renown funky composition, truly a most appropriate fit. You can listen to and purchase the newly expanded Soul Drums re-release here.

His drums can be heard on the who’s who in popular music from The Beatles, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Steely Dan (if you don’t have Aja, get it now!), Lou Donaldson, and even 80’s pop icons Hall and Oates to name just a few of the 3,000 or so albums that tender his credits. If you do the math, Pretty practically lived in recording studios throughout the bulk of his unfuckwithable career. I could only imagine how he schooled legions of recording engineers on how to really mic a drum kit, must’ve been pretty intimidating to work with his learned hands.

purdie

LISTEN: Pretty Purdie-Soul Drums

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