Primarily focusing on American Soul, R&B and Funk music presented on the glorious 45 format. I'll be posting write ups of some of my favorite records along with longer mixes.

All tracks come from vinyl that's in a box somewhere in my room.

I regularly DJ here in western mass (and nearby) with my homeboy DJ Cashman and a bunch of other great folks. If you're in the area be in touch if you're interested.

If you have any questions or corrections: gwmyers@gmail.com

Feel free to share and repost. Where possible always try to support artists and record stores!

Enjoy!

George / Snack Attack
hello! theme by cissysaurus
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John Holt “For The Love of You (Part 1)” (Impact, 1975) (Click title to download) John Holt is about as big a name as you can get in reggae without being Robert Nesta.  As lead singer of the Paragons (and still a pretty young dude) he penned and sang a number of massive hits including Tide is High later covered by Blondie.  When Holt struck out on his own he was even more successful both with original compositions and a series of cover songs including today’s 45. The song “For The Love of You” should be more than familiar with your ear/brain combo as one of the many scorching ballads the Isley Brothers dropped on us in the 70’s and Holt handles it masterfully as he did with all his lover’s rock ballads. Hope you enjoy today’s record, it’s a favorite. -George / Snack Attack

John Holt “For The Love of You (Part 1)” (Impact, 1975)

(Click title to download)

John Holt is about as big a name as you can get in reggae without being Robert Nesta.  As lead singer of the Paragons (and still a pretty young dude) he penned and sang a number of massive hits including Tide is High later covered by Blondie.  When Holt struck out on his own he was even more successful both with original compositions and a series of cover songs including today’s 45.

The song “For The Love of You” should be more than familiar with your ear/brain combo as one of the many scorching ballads the Isley Brothers dropped on us in the 70’s and Holt handles it masterfully as he did with all his lover’s rock ballads.

Hope you enjoy today’s record, it’s a favorite.

-George / Snack Attack

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02
El Chicano “I’m A Good Woman” (Revolucion LP, Kapp Records, 1971) (Click title to download) This track can be found in “Singles Mixer Vol. 1” Afternoon to all my internet friends on this grey and damp Sunday.  Before I embark fully on an afternoon of football I just had to drop this jam on the world, hearing it two days ago for the first time I nearly puked with excitement and didn’t want to deprive anyone else of the same feeling. Anyone who knows me probably knows two things; I love cover songs and I love Barbara Lynn.  So you can imagine my excitement when I picked up this El Chicano record the other day.  I’d been looking for a 45 of “Don’t Put Me Down (If I’m Brown)” forever to no avail and the price was right so I figured I’d check the full length to see what else was on offer.  My dang jaw dropped as the opening hit and I immediately recognized the opening to one of my favorite and one of the most hard hitting soul cuts ever Barbara Lynn’s “I’m A Good Woman.” I won’t say it’s better but hot potatoes does El Chicano do right by this tune.  Lending it their signature funky LA, Hammond driven “our own thing” groove, the song remains poignant and deep while trading the suggested shuffle of Lynn’s version for a latin tinged percussion driven anthem with Ersi Arvizu handling the mic duties admirably and the backbone of the group Bobby Espinoza absolutely killing the organ. If you’re not familiar with the OG, ‘highly recommended’ would be an understatement and El Chicano are, kind of like War (both in time, place and style), a great group that straddles styles but put out consistently good, interesting records, especially if you’re not predisposed to Latin music in general they’re a good jump off. Kickoff looms so I bid you adieu.  Enjoy.

El Chicano “I’m A Good Woman” (Revolucion LP, Kapp Records, 1971)

(Click title to download)

This track can be found in “Singles Mixer Vol. 1”

Afternoon to all my internet friends on this grey and damp Sunday.  Before I embark fully on an afternoon of football I just had to drop this jam on the world, hearing it two days ago for the first time I nearly puked with excitement and didn’t want to deprive anyone else of the same feeling.

Anyone who knows me probably knows two things; I love cover songs and I love Barbara Lynn.  So you can imagine my excitement when I picked up this El Chicano record the other day.  I’d been looking for a 45 of “Don’t Put Me Down (If I’m Brown)” forever to no avail and the price was right so I figured I’d check the full length to see what else was on offer.  My dang jaw dropped as the opening hit and I immediately recognized the opening to one of my favorite and one of the most hard hitting soul cuts ever Barbara Lynn’s “I’m A Good Woman.”

I won’t say it’s better but hot potatoes does El Chicano do right by this tune.  Lending it their signature funky LA, Hammond driven “our own thing” groove, the song remains poignant and deep while trading the suggested shuffle of Lynn’s version for a latin tinged percussion driven anthem with Ersi Arvizu handling the mic duties admirably and the backbone of the group Bobby Espinoza absolutely killing the organ.

If you’re not familiar with the OG, ‘highly recommended’ would be an understatement and El Chicano are, kind of like War (both in time, place and style), a great group that straddles styles but put out consistently good, interesting records, especially if you’re not predisposed to Latin music in general they’re a good jump off.

Kickoff looms so I bid you adieu.  Enjoy.

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Sly and The Family Stone “I Can’t Turn You Loose” (Loadstone, 67/1972) (Click title to download) This track can be found in “Singles Mixer Vol. 1” I’m not sure I need to give much biographical information about Sly and The Family Stone.  You all have probably heard the story 50 times over (most likely because it’s a good story about a better than good band.) but I’ll give a brief once over then go out and do a little reading because there’s plenty out there (though the 33 1/3 book on “There’s A Riot Going On” was a bit of a disappointment in my opinion) both in print and on yr glowing internet monitors. Sly, hailing from the American Southwest, landed in San Francisco preceding the massive upheaval of hippie-dom and having already worked in (mixed race) music groups began to distinguish himself as a producer and disc jockey for having an unusually broad palette (which at that time meant not just playing ‘white music’ or just playing ‘black music’) which he continued to draw on as he began to put together The Family Stone. The record posted here is a byproduct of their early moments together but you can see the pastiche approach in full effect and in this case even more so because they’re taking apart the classic Otis Redding track ‘I Can’t Turn You Loose’ giving it an afro, putting on a leather vest, tye-dying it in their very distinct Family Stone way.  Sly’s vocal group background, the heavy funk/rock drumming of Errico and the funk of Larry Graham are all propelled by the frantic horn of Cynthia Robinson. Interestingly, though having been recorded in 1967, the same year they released their debut album ‘A Whole New Thing’ this was not released until 1972 on Sly’s own Loadstone label.  Double interesting, check ‘Turn Me Loose’ from that album and try and tell me that track has no similarity (beyond just the title).  A clear appropriation of parts of this cover is mostly irrelevant because one of the beautiful things about Sly was his ability to see many influences and inspirations at once (not just in a drug induced kind of way) and come out with a very singular product that was definitely his and not just a watered down imitation of the things he came in contact with or were in vogue at the moment. Sorry for the condition of the label but the music is in tact and quite a listen!  Thanks to Josh Burkett for hipping me to this record.

Sly and The Family Stone “I Can’t Turn You Loose” (Loadstone, 67/1972)

(Click title to download)

This track can be found in “Singles Mixer Vol. 1”

I’m not sure I need to give much biographical information about Sly and The Family Stone.  You all have probably heard the story 50 times over (most likely because it’s a good story about a better than good band.) but I’ll give a brief once over then go out and do a little reading because there’s plenty out there (though the 33 1/3 book on “There’s A Riot Going On” was a bit of a disappointment in my opinion) both in print and on yr glowing internet monitors.

Sly, hailing from the American Southwest, landed in San Francisco preceding the massive upheaval of hippie-dom and having already worked in (mixed race) music groups began to distinguish himself as a producer and disc jockey for having an unusually broad palette (which at that time meant not just playing ‘white music’ or just playing ‘black music’) which he continued to draw on as he began to put together The Family Stone.

The record posted here is a byproduct of their early moments together but you can see the pastiche approach in full effect and in this case even more so because they’re taking apart the classic Otis Redding track ‘I Can’t Turn You Loose’ giving it an afro, putting on a leather vest, tye-dying it in their very distinct Family Stone way.  Sly’s vocal group background, the heavy funk/rock drumming of Errico and the funk of Larry Graham are all propelled by the frantic horn of Cynthia Robinson.

Interestingly, though having been recorded in 1967, the same year they released their debut album ‘A Whole New Thing’ this was not released until 1972 on Sly’s own Loadstone label.  Double interesting, check ‘Turn Me Loose’ from that album and try and tell me that track has no similarity (beyond just the title).  A clear appropriation of parts of this cover is mostly irrelevant because one of the beautiful things about Sly was his ability to see many influences and inspirations at once (not just in a drug induced kind of way) and come out with a very singular product that was definitely his and not just a watered down imitation of the things he came in contact with or were in vogue at the moment.

Sorry for the condition of the label but the music is in tact and quite a listen!  Thanks to Josh Burkett for hipping me to this record.