Listen: Will It Go Round In Circles / Billy Preston
Will

I had no idea that huge Afro hairdo was a wig during the 1970′s when Billy Preston and his clavinet seemed omnipresent. Like no idea at all. Instead, I just became mesmerized by his seemingly effortless keyboard funk, possibly requiring the word chops be applied to a musician’s style for the first time.

The whole sound and image kind of outdid Sly Stone for me. Sans the seediness, which as it turns out was all there, he was my black Elton John, with the shiny pastel clothes, those glam meets Blaxploitation spade shoes and all the remaining trimmings.

Once I started researching his past, actually around the time of his Apple Records singles, I discovered his early mod organ releases with their wonderfully suggestive titles luring me in, for example THE MOST EXCITING ORGAN EVER and WILDEST ORGAN IN TOWN. Wow, these albums were right up there with Jimmy McGriff and Jimmy Smith, Brain Auger as well.

Like some of his contemporaries, he caught the musical ear of various British acts resulting in both recording and touring partnerships. Most notably were The Rolling Stones, who he worked with throughout the 70′s, all the while donning that fantastically oversized Afro wig. Then there were The Beatles, adding keyboard magic to yet another of their rather dull songs, ‘Get Back’, turning it into something special. Certainly for me the highlight was always his electric piano solo midway through. As soon as it finished, I dove for the dashboard to switch the station.

During his most successful mid 70′s stretch came the A&M years, and several huge singles including ‘Will It Go Round In Circles’. Although a US #1 during ’73, the record never charted in the UK despite heavy airplay on the BBC that summer. I mean, seriously, I was there and know for sure, it was played constantly. Maybe too much, because as a possible result, no one needed to buy it.

Listen: Egbe Mi O / Fela Ransome-Kuti & The Africa ’70
Egbe Mi O / Fela Ransome-Kuti & The Africa '70

It took the then mainstream famous Ginger Baker’s involvement to get a Fela 7″ released. He played on the live show recording from which this single was pulled. Some things never change.

I saw Fela once at the uptown Ritz. It was a loosely groovin’ show – all very enjoyable and comfortably rhythmic. At one point, he told the audience that his people had locked the doors and no one was leaving until he got his money. It was rather sobering, and took a while to resolve.

Recently Sly Stone pulled the same tired, I’m being ripped off by the promoters routine at Coachella, coming on five hours late after torturing the 600 (in a 5000 capacity tent) attendees with an hour long, screeching, fuck you, you’re lucky we’re here soundcheck. That crowd dwindled to 300 by the time Sly hit. Very disappointing and I would have thought, embarrassing.

It was old in the 60′s, and is beyond cliched now. As if Coachella singled out Sly Stone, and in the case of Fela, The Ritz did the same to him, insinuating the intention was let’s not pay these guys. It was just stupid.

Made the whole, we get stepped on routine very overplayed and tired.

Having said that, this was a fun single to find and own. I honestly think I have another Fela 7″ somewhere, but it’s not in the wall shelf filed properly at this moment – nor is it listed in the RECORD COLLECTORS PRICE GUIDE. Hmmm, a pleasant dream perhaps.

So I decided to post this – it’s clearly an edit but a nice one to have a toe tap to.

Listen: Chop And Quench / Fela Ransome-Kuti & The Africa ’70
Chop And Quench / Fela Ransome-Kuti & The Africa '70

Maybe more interesting is this B side. I do not have the live full length from which the A side was pulled, but this B side has no applause at the end. Maybe non-LP, despite it’s 7:56 LP length?

Listen: If You Want Me To Stay / Sly & The Family Stone [audio:

http://www.somanyrecordssolittletime.com/records/SlyWant.mp3]

Time for some trainspotting, courtesy Duane Reade. I stopped by to pick up a prescription, and what’s playing over the sound system but ‘If You Want Me To Stay’. Used to be this one was heard everywhere, all the time. That repeated exposure eroded over the years, now it’s a big treat on the occasional occasion, like tonight. It just stood out against all the other overplayed oldies, the intentional lo-fi recording giving it alien character. It was a nice change.

As it was eventually confirmed, Sly Stone scrapped the first version of FRESH, from which this came. He decided to re-record the whole thing: sometimes the instrumental track, others the vocal takes and even others, both; making all the songs noticeably different to the astute fan, but probably not even turning a head amongst the casual listeners.

Listen: If You Want Me To Stay (Scrapped Version) / Sly & The Family Stone [audio:

http://www.somanyrecordssolittletime.com/records/SlyWantOuttakes.mp3]

Proof of the fairly secret first recording came way back, via the album’s first single, ‘If You Want Me To Stay’, as the initial 7″ stock were pressed using that wrong master. It’s visually impossible to tell it from the much more common official version, by the label that is (read on). I didn’t even realize I had a copy of anything particularly rare for years.

At the time, I was working for a one stop record distributor, the whole front half of the warehouse dedicated to 7″ singles. Both store buyers and jukebox operators populated the place constantly, it was a most fantastic hubbub of activity, every last person focused on records. Having grabbed a copy as soon as they arrived from the plant, it was clearly in hindsight that I discovered owning a first pressing. Even at the time, I just assumed it was an intentionally different version for the single. Actually, not until a month or so after getting it did I even notice the version on Top 40 radio sounding different than mine. Then I realized everyone’s copy had a different version from mine. I was baffled for ages.

The only way to tell, as every last detail of the label copy is identical on both pressings, being created for the official version – is to scour the run off groove. Official pressings read: ZZS 158443, whereas the mistake copies read: ZZS 158431.

Happy hunting.

Listen: I Just Learned How To Swim / Sly Stewart SlySwim.mp3

This Swim dance craze cash-in is a nice low budget rip off of The Downliners Sect’s ‘Little Egypt’, at least to these ears. Sly Stewart was at the time (1965), a hip San Francisco dj as well as overseeing in house production for the city’s Autumn Reocrds and it’s subsidiary imprints, North Beach and Loma. Seemingly more tied to the Anglo rock and psychedelic scene than RnB or soul, it wouldn’t be long before he turned down his legendary path.

Listen: Scat Swim / Sly Stewart SlyScat.mp3

It’s on the single’s b side, ‘Scat Swim’, where those first indications of the funk leanings that would become Sly & The Family Stone can be heard. Check out the bluesy jazz breakdown about one third of the way in, and that first vocal moment of what would soon become Sly Stone.

Listen: One Too Many Mornings / The Beau Brummels
One Too Many Mornings / The Beau Brummels

I’m guessing after a few big hits, then a few medium ones on Autumn Records, the label Sly Stone produced several sides for, the band happily migrated to Warner Brothers as part of the major’s buyout of Autumn’s catalog and roster. Although Autumn label mates The Mojo Men had a few singles that started promising chart wise, they nor any of the other acts did much business, no doubt ending in many a tear for The Vejtables, Great Society, the aforementioned Mojo Men and The Beau Brummels.

It’s really a shame, as most of those former Autumn artists via their new home at Warners, actually made some great sides.

‘One Too Many Mornings’ should have been, and almost was a hit. I heard it often, but stalled at #95 in Billboard. Their faux English band angle (they always looked like klutzes dressed as a UK band) had worn off by the time of this release, and they let their true calling, folk rock via The Everly Brothers shine through. I bet had The Byrds recorded this, it would have been a smash.