Paris DJs Soundsystem presents 1967 - Standards, Versions and Revamps Vol.8
(MP3 Podcast on www.ParisDJs.com) 2015-02-10
1967 was the year of the summer of love and of The Beatles' masterpiece 'Sgt. Peppers Lonely Heart Club Band' (and of course many other great records). With acid, musicians experienced what it took Tibetan monks 20 years to obtain, opening the doors of perception in 20 minutes. On the covers front, though, things just slowly started to venture into psychedelic waters, as you'll hear in this selection.
Opener is another surprising version of the 'Fever' classic. There's so many it's always very cool to stumble upon a very original one. Larry Williams & Johnny Watson's bluesy jazz guitar take with big band horns arrangements counts as one of those. Allen Toussaint's 'Get out Of My Life Woman' had been heavily covered too. Here's a Mike Bloomfield-ish version by US band The New Apocalypse, with nice horns, loud drums, clean bass, pulsating organ, breaks and a cool "funk-rock" appeal. We then go into the huge Bobby Hebb 'Sunny', and a previously unissued version from The Temptations' singer Dennis edwards, released last year through Ace Records.
Now let's talk a bit about The Sweet Inspirations, covering here the Wilson Pickett tune 'Don't Fight It'. The gospel-soul band sang backup for Solomon Burke, Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Esther Phillips and a few others. Their 1967 album is the shit, great tune after great tune, don't hesitate to go diggin' for this one. You can also grab 'The Complete Atlantic Singles Plus' compilation released last year on double CD for a more global overview… The 'Get Out Of My Way' by Joe Torres which follows isn't a cover, but its infectious Latin machismo is one we couldn't pass on.
Our love of Jamaica got us to pick the rocksteady gem 'Perfidia' by Phyllis Dillon, produced by Duke Reid at Treasure Isle, a perfect breather in the middle of this mix, before getting seriously funky once again with heavy soul from Etta James, covering Sonny & Cher's classic 'I Got You Babe', with the groovy combo from Cincinnati Dee Felice Trio, and their soulful pop rendition of The Lovin Spoonful's 'Summer In The City', or with a calypso take on the Jimmy Castor Bunch's 'Hey Leroy'!
A 1967 King Curtis original, 'Memphis soul Stew', is presented here in a totally different version, recorded live a few years later with a stellar crew of musicians. Because we like tweaking with our own concepts a bit… and felt the irresistible live version is superior than the original, despite what The Guardian says (see here). Not many people read the texts that go along with mp3s anyway, so whatever.
Getting back on the 1967 cover songs track, we've found a furious 'Uptight' (Stevie Wonder) by Jackie Wilson & Count Basie, and a tight and funky instrumental version of 'Unchain My Heart' by flutist Herbie Mann, to close this latest chapter in our big books of covers. See you soon for 1968?
Tracklisting :
01. Larry Williams and Johnny Watson - Fever
(from 'Two For The Price Of One' album, 1967 / Okeh)
EDDIE COOLEY/JOHN DAVENPORT cover, more info on wikipedia
02. The New Apocalypse - Get Outta' My Life Woman
(from' Stainless Soul' album, 1967 / MTA)
ALLEN TOUSSAINT cover, more info on wikipedia
03. Dennis Edwards - Sunny
(recorded 1967, from 'The Contours - Just a Little Misunderstanding Rare and Unissued Motown 1965-68' compilation, 2014)
BOBBY HEBB cover, more info on wikipedia
04. Sweet Inspirations - Don't Fight It
(from 'The Sweet inspirations' album, 1967 / Atlantic)
STEVE CROPPER/WILSON PICKET Pickett cover, more info on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilson_Pickett
05. Joe Torres - Get Out Of My Way
(from 'Latino Con Soul' album, 1967 / World Pacific)
JOE TORRES/RIC DESILVA original, more info on allmusic
06. Phyllis Dillon - Perfidia
(from 'Perfidia' 7 inch, 1967 / Treasure Isle)
ALBERTO DOMÍNGUEZ/MILTON LEEDS cover, more info on wikipedia
07. Etta James - I Got You Babe
(from 'Call My Name' album, 1967 / Cadet)
SONNY and CHER cover, more info on wikipedia
08. Dee Felice Trio - Summer In The City
(from 'In Heat' album, 1967 / Bethlehem)
THE LOVIN' SPOONFUL cover, more info on wikipedia
09. Honeyboy Martin - Hey Leroy
(from 'Hey Leroy' 7 inch, Treasure Isle, 1967; taken from 'Slates, Plates and Acetates' compilation, 2013)
JIMMY CASTOR cover, more info on wikipedia
10. King Curtis - Memphis Soul Stew
(originally released in 1967, taken from 'Live At Fillmore West' album, 1971 / Atlantic)
KING CURTIS original, more info on wikipedia
11. Jackie Wilson And Count Basie - Uptight (Everything's Alright)
(from 'For Your Precious Love' 7 inch, 1967 / Brunswick)
STEVIE WONDER cover, more info on wikipedia
12. Herbie Mann - Unchain My Heart
(from 'Glory Of Love' album, 1967 / CTI)
BOBBY SHARP cover, more info on wikipedia
Total time : 40mn 02s
All the original cover artworks from records played in this mix are available on parisdjs.com
Credits :
Selected by Djouls (parisdjs.com)
Mixed and mastered by Grant Phabao (grantphabao.com)
Artwork by Ben Hito (facebook.com/benhito)
Links :
Paris DJs : parisdjs.com | bandcamp | facebook | pinterest | soundcloud | twitter | youtube
Ben Hito : official | discogs | facebook
