Side A starts with rhythm & blues from the 1960s. Most of the tracks were pulled from hopelessly obscure 7" singles. The only names of which some of you might be familiar with are most likely Mat Mathews and Lu Elliott. However, both original 45 RPM singles are pretty hard to find these days, especially in playable condition.
Side B is all about deepfunk this time. "Hipper Snapper " is a prime example of that genre. Some say its groove is reminiscent of Charles Wright's "Express Yourself. Agreed! The Villagers are responsible for the first 'aha' moment. Their (previously unreleased!) version of "Funky Broadway" would have certainly astounded even Dyke & The Blazers. Representing Germany on this volume: The Rippers, also called the "Offenburg Beatles"! Back in the USA, John Fogerty has probably never heard of this heavy school-funk cover of "Proud Mary". Drum breaks galore!
Side C begins with another German contribution. Saxophonist Gus Brendel delivers a mod-jazz belter of the highest order as do The Hornets. Definitely sure-shots for any dance floors! High time for 'aha' moment #2. Many bands have tried their hands on a cover version of the Nat Adderley jazz classic, incl. vibraphone player Bret Breitinger! The perfect choice to finish this side is Downtown Trio's smooth and groovy cover of Gershwin's "Summertime ".
Side D is reserved for proper 1970s funk. ONYX's "Break It Loose " has become a certified Rare Groove classic. Here you can enjoy it for the first time with the blessing of the band! Glenn Doughty and his Baltimore Colts Shake and Bake Band of the 70's is the first musical group consisting of former NFL All-Pro players that Tramp Records has partnered with in its history! Watch out, "Shake and Bake " will be re-released on a good old 45 RPM single, too!
Those of you who have been enjoying the detective work of the people behind the label over the past 21 years know that the Movements series can be easily considered as the flagship compilation series on Tramp. So, after having listened to the entire selection of this brand new volume we sincerely hope that we will have achieved our aim to surprise, delight, and enlighten you once again!
Tracklist:
01: Johnny April - She Had A Pikanese (feat. Mat Matthews Quartet) 02: Lu Elliott - Common Sense 03: Lloyd Fatman - No Big Thing (Pt.1&2) 04: Billy J - Teacher Teach Me 05: Wayne Johnson - Scram Gravy Ain't Wavy (feat. Brigade) 06: 4 Dimensions - Hipper Snapper 07: The Villagers - Funky Broadway 08: The Rippers - Honesty 09: Exceptional Citizens Band - Proud Mary 10: Gus Brendel - Sax On The Rocks 11: The Hornets - Seven Days To Tahiti 12: Bret Breitinger - Jive Samba 13: Downtown Trio - Summertime 14: ONYX - Break It Loose (Pt.1) 15: The Shake And Bake Band - Shake And Bake (Pt.1&2) 16: Lou Jackson - Outside Looking In 17: Energy Crisis - Tough Times Blues 18: Soul Unlimited - Do It 19: Soul Unlimited - Darkside Of Town