Jul 13, 2016
Slave – The Hardness Of The World (1977)
Debut album from the funk band based out of Ohio.
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seen from United States
seen from China
Slave – The Hardness Of The World (1977)
Debut album from the funk band based out of Ohio.
Lee Rogers "Troubles" (Mah's, 1962): NY Night Train Party Platter
Lee Rogers was one of the finest and most prolific vocalists of the soul era in Detroit and was a big influence on Marvin Gaye and the Detroit sound in general. While Rogers is underrated and virtually unknown in the outside world, you'd be hard pressed to find a soul 45 collector that doesn't have at least a few of his jams.
Mississippi-born Lee Rogers appeared on the Detroit recording scene with a vocal group called The Peppermints, but really made his mark in the early 1960s singing with The Barons whose amazing early soul/post-doo wop group 45s "Dog Eat Dog"/"Money Don't Grow On Trees Who's In The Shack"/"While The Cats Away" are still goodtime dance party classics! In 1962 Rogers went solo with "Walk On By" but DJs flipped it for the side you're hearing, the very swinging and dynamic "Troubles." Next Morris Levy's Roulette Records saw enough potential here to pick the platter up for national distribution.
And why not? "Troubles" has everything! Check out that piano intro! And the way the up-high guitar figure slides in over a banging beat! And Rogers' stunning falsetto! Gliding and vibrating all over the top and eventually howling by the end! And all the stops and the sax that comes in outta nowhere! And its got so much fluidity and emotion that you don't even notice how much is happening! A bonafide early rockin' soul classic!
After "Troubles," Rogers moved away from the rock'n'roll/rhythm and blues influence in favor of a mid-1960s Motown soul approach and went on to record countless canonical sides for D-Town, Wheelsville, Premium Stuff, Diamond Jim, and Loadstone.
Throwback Thursdays
If "Just a Touch of Love" by Ohio funk band Slave sounds familiar to you, it's because it was sampled by at least six different R&B and hip hop artists throughout the 90s, including Kris Kross(!), Keith Sweat, Mariah Carey, and master samplers Das Efx. Guitarist Mark Hicks and trumpeter Steve Washington founded the group in 1975, eventually adding at least 7 members (pictured above). - CS