"Con Funk Shun [1976]/Secrets [1977]" by CON FUNK SHUN (March 2013 Cherry Red/Robinsongs Reissue - 2LPs Remastered onto 1CD) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...Music Is The Way..."

What you get here is two CON FUNK SHUN vinyl albums from the band's outset plus one 12" single as a bonus track lumped together onto one remastered CD (for the first time). This is the 1st release in Robinsongs complete catalogue reissue series for an American Soul/Funk band that rivalled Earth Wind & Fire in terms of sheer chart success and affection (see below). Here are the Ffun details...

UK released March 2013 - "Con Funk Shun/Secrets" by CON FUNK SHUN on Cherry Red/Robinsongs CDMRED 555 (Barcode 5013929155534) offers 2LPs from 1976 and 1977 Remastered onto 1CD plus One Bonus Track and pans out as follows (76:43 minutes):

1. Music Is The Way [Side 1]

2. Tell Me That You Like Me

3. Never Be The Same

4. Owe It To Myself

5. Foley Park

6. Nothing To Lose By Trying [Side 2]

7. Forever Just Ain't Long Enough

8. Another World

9. Sho' Feels Good To Me

Tracks 1 to 9 are their debut vinyl album "Con Funk Shun" - released 1976 in the USA on Mercury SRM-1-1120 (no UK release).

10. DooWhaChaWannaDoo [Side 1]

11. Who Has The Time

12. Indian Summer Love (Interlude)

13. Tears In My Eyes

14. Secrets [Side 2]

15. Ffun

16. ConFunkShunizeYa

17. I'll Set You Out O.K.

18. Indian Summer Love (instrumental)

Tracks 10 to 18 are their 2nd vinyl album "Candy" - released September 1977 in the USA on Mercury SRM-1-1180 and December 1977 in the UK on Mercury 9100 043. The album rose to Number 6 on the USA R&B Album Charts.

BONUS TRACK:

19. Ffun (12" Version) (1977 USA 12" Promo Single on Mercury)

The 16-page booklet pictures rare American 7" singles on Mercury, album artwork, LP label repros and also features a detailed and affectionate history of the band and their first two albums by noted American writer and DJ - RICO WASHINGTON. Long-standing remaster Engineer ALAN WILSON has done the transfers (as he did with other issues) - and because the albums were superbly produced in the first place - that has passed over to the remasters. These things boogie and sound just great.

The emphasis is on Soul Funk ala Earth, Wind & Fire, Graham Central Station, Kool & The Gang and even The Commodores with smoochy ballads inbetween all that booty shuffling. The debut album opens with the slap-bass of "Music Is The Way" - a tune that tries hard but is just a little too fast and busy for its own good (even if the audio is superb). Better is the slinky groove of "Tell Me That You Like It" - a guitar groove that would fill dancefloors today. "Owe It To Myself" is a very Hall & Oates groove while "Nothing To Lose By Trying" is a very AWB and while the smoocher "Another World" is loverman TP - it ends on the way forward - the funkily cool "Sho' Feels Good To Me".

Their persistence paid off as the second album was a massive leap forward - and the public thought so too by putting it up to Number 6 on the American R&B album charts (an impressive position for a new band). It helped that the single "Ffun" went to Number 1 on the R&B charts in November 1977 - giving big funky brassy tracks like "ConFunkShunize Ya" (the second single) a Number 31 showing on the charts. The instrumental "Indian Summer Love" is very George Benson circa "Livin' Inside Your Love". Fans are also going to love the 12" single of "Ffun" which extends the album cut from 4:12 to 6:06 minutes - and in a really good way. To my knowledge the 12" was Promo-Only on Mercury Records and has been a long sought after rarity by DJs - so its appearance here on CD fro the first time as a bonus track is a welcome addition.

Packing great value for money (mid-price, 2 albums on 1CD plus a 12") - fans should dive in - especially given the really great upgraded sound...

PS: Other Robinsongs CD Remasters for CON FUNK SHUN include:

1. Loveshine/Candy (1978 and 1979 LPs onto 1CD - Robinsongs CDMRED 428)

2. Touch/Con Funk Shun 7/To The Max (1980, 1981 and 1982 3 x LPs + 4 Bonus 12" Single Sides onto 2CDs - Robinsongs CDBRED 519

3. Fever/Electric Lady (1983 and 1985 LPs onto 1CD - Robinsongs CDMRED 636)

"Just As I Am" by BILL WITHERS (2012 Big Break Records (BBR) '40th Anniversary' CD Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

This Review Along With Over 300 Others Is Available in my

SOUNDS GOOD E-Book on all Amazon sites
HIGHER GROUND

SOUL, FUNK and JAZZ FUSION - Exception CD Remasters  

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"...Sooth The Local Unwed Mother..."

This is one of my favourite albums of the early Seventies - and at last - in 2012 - a mere 40 years after the event - "Just As I Am" by Bill Withers is finally getting the sound quality its always deserved and needed.

As a "Hall Of Fame" reviewer and long-time contributor to Amazon - I've raved about Britain's BIG BREAK RECORDS before and have bought and reviewed over 40 of their reissue titles. Each has been uniformly superb - especially for those of us looking for great sound quality rather than the half-hearted efforts thrown at us by the majors (when they can be bothered). But BBR has excelled in every way on this lovely and timely reissue. The remaster on this sucker is TRULY GORGEOUS - and after decades of the occasional track on a compilation in only-ok sound - fans of this great songwriter will be duly taken aback by the clarity on offer here. Here are the details...

UK released 7 May 2012 as a '40th Anniversary' issue (15 May 2012 in the USA) – "Just As I Am" by BILL WITHERS on Big Break Records CDBBR 0143 (Barcode 5013929044333) is a straightforward CD Remaster of his debut album and plays out as follows (35:41 minutes):

1. Harlem

2. Ain’t No Sunshine

3. Grandma’s hands

4. Sweet Wanomi

5. Everybody’s Talkin'

6. Do It Good

7. Hope She’ll Be Happier – [Side 2]

8. Let It Be Me

9. I’m Her Daddy

10. In My Heart

11. Moanin' And Groanin'

12. Better Off Dead

Tracks 1 to 12 are his debut album "Just As I Am" - released May 1971 in the USA on Sussex Records SXBS-7006 and June 1971 in the UK on A&M Records AMLS 65002.

SINGLES: Although there are no bonus tracks or outtakes - this release will allow fans to sequence the two USA 7" singles that were released around the album - "Ain't No Sunshine" b/w "Harlem" on Sussex 219 (June 1971 - originally issued in April 1971 with the same catalogue number - but with the tracks reversed) - and "Grandma's Hands" b/w "Sweet Wanomi" on Sussex 227 (October 1971). Britain had slightly different configurations - "Everybody's Talkin'" b/w "Harlem" on A&M Records AMS 845 (May 1971), "Ain't No Sunshine" b/w "Harlem" on A&M Records AMS 858 (September 1971) and "Lean On Me" b/w "Better Off Dead" on A&M Records AMS 7004 (August 1972) [the A-side is on the Sony Legacy CD of his 2nd album "Still Bill"].

This reissue comes in one of those rounded-corner jewel cases and has a jam-packed 16-page booklet with liner notes by Washington-born Soul aficionado RICO "SUPERBIZZAE" WASHINGTON (Editor of the US magazine "Free"). There's a history of the West Virginia Soulman's humble beginnings, label repros of the two Sussex singles off the album and collected colour photos from various TV appearances at the time. The front sleeve was actually shot on a lunch-break from his job at the airlines - lunch-pail in hand. And there's even an interview with the great man (recently featured on a superb BBC documentary film). It's really nicely done and features recording details and album discography on the last pages. But the real news is the SOUND...

Remastered from 1st generation tapes by both NICK ROBBINS at Sound Mastering in London and BBR's own WAYNE A DICKSON at their own studios - the clarity is beautiful. "Just As I Am" is not so much Funky-Soul but more Folk-Soul - so a lot of the tracks have just acoustic guitars and lots of air around them. I went through so many copies of the (frankly dodgy) US Sussex LP and even the British A&M tan label original - and they were always good rather than great - and in some instances hissy as Hell. Not so here. It hasn't been trebled to the nines for the sake of it - it's just breathing.

Right from the off the acoustic guitars and drums on "Harlem" are amazing - as are the strings, soft bass and vocals on his masterful "Ain't No Sunshine" - all so sweet. The fantastically personal and socially aware "Grandma's Hands" still has the power to move (lyrics above) and it's a blast to finally get unheard gems like "Hope She'll Be Happier", "I'm Her Daddy" and "Moanin' And Groanin'" in top-notch sound quality. In fact of the 12 tracks - Withers impressively wrote 10 - the two covers being Fred Neil's "Everybody's Talkin'" (made famous by Nilsson in "Midnight Cowboy") and a very nice uptempo soul take on The Beatles' "Let It Be". Favourites - I particularly love "Do It Good" where the MG's play a blinder in terms of sheer slinky feel. And even though the gunshot at the end of "Better Off Dead" is still too abrupt - it's such a great tune. Yes folks. Love it. Love it. Love it.

If ever an artist deserved praise and rediscovery from this classic Soul period - then it's Bill Withers. For me this is 'Soul Reissue Of The Year' with a bullet.

Buy it and enjoy. And remember - "it's not warm when she's away...only darkness every day..."

PS: Big Break Records (BBR) CD Remasters I’ve reviewed to 2015:

1. Is It Still Good To Ya – ASHFORD and SIMPSON (1978)

2. Stay Free – ASHFORD and SIMPSON (1979)

3. Central Heating – HEATWAVE (1977)

4. Hot Property - HEATWAVE (1979)

5. Candles - HEATWAVE (1980)

6. Turnin' On - HIGH INERGY (1977)

7. Harvest For The World - THE ISLEY BROTHERS (1976)

8. Go For Your Guns - THE ISLEY BROTHERS (1977)

9. In The Heart – KOOL & THE GANG (1983)

10. I Hope We Get To Love On Time - MARILYN McCOO & BILLY DAVIS (1976)

11.  I Miss You - HAROLD MELVIN & THE BLUE NOTES (1972) [known as "Harold Melvin The Blue Notes" in the UK]

12. Black & Blue - HAROLD MELVIN & THE BLUE NOTES (1973)

13. Love Is The Message - MFSB (1973)

14. Universal Love – MFSB (1975)

15. All The Faces Of... - BUDDY MILES (1974)

16. For The First Time – STEPHANIE MILLS (1975)

17. I Can See Clearly Now - JOHNNY NASH (1972)

18. In Philadelphia - O'JAYS (1969)

19. Back Stabbers - O'JAYS (1972)

20. Ship Ahoy - O'JAYS (1973)

21. Down To Love Town – THE ORIGINALS (1977)

22. Ebony Woman - BILLY PAUL (1970 and 1973)

23. 360 Degrees Of Billy Paul - BILLY PAUL (1972)

24. War Of The Gods - BILLY PAUL (1973)

25. Platinum Hook – PLATINUM HOOK (1978)

26. Love For What It Is - ANITA POINTER (of The Pointer Sisters) (1987)

27. Live: Stompin’ At The Savoy – RUFUS and CHAKA KHAN (1983)

28. Summernights – SILVER CONVENTION (1977)

29. Smoked Sugar - SMOKED SUGAR (1975)

30. Spinners – SPINNERS (1973)

31. Soul Master – EDWIN STARR (1968)

32. Involved - EDWIN STARR (1971)

33. Switch - SWITCH (1978)

34 Watercolors – THE WATERS (1980)

35. Just As I Am - BILL WITHERS (1971 Debut LP on Sussex/A&M Records)

36. Heartbeats – YARBROUGH & PEOPLES (1983)

PPS: see also my in-depth review for "The Complete Sussex And Columbia Albums" 9CD Box Set also from 2012...

"Smoked Sugar" by SMOKED SUGAR - A Review oF Their 1975 Soul Album on 20th Century Records - Now Remastered & Expanded In 2012 by Big Break Records of the UK (BBR)...

This review is part of my "SOUNDS GOOD: Exceptional CD Remasters Soul, Funk & Jazz Fusion" Download Book available to buy on Amazon to either your PC or Mac (it will download the Kindle software to read the book for free to your toolbar). Click on the link below to go my Author's Page for this and other related publications:

                       http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B00LQKMC6I

“…First Thing I Do…My Eyes Search A Lonely Room For You…” - Smoked Sugar by SMOKED SUGAR (2012 BBR Expanded CD Remaster)

This is a fantastic reissue – an obscure Funk-Soul album from 1975 that few people outside of deep circles will have heard of (including me) – and typically it’s a peach worth rediscovering.

Reissued February 2012 in the UK, Big Break Records CDBBR 099 breaks down as follows (38:02 minutes):

Tracks 1 to 10 are the album "Smoked Sugar" - originally released in the USA on 20th Century Records T-473 in early 1975

Track 11 is "My Eyes Search A Lonely Room For You (Promotional Single Version)". Track 2 is the album version at 4:09 minutes – this PROMO-ONLY single version is edited to 3:09 minutes

The jewel case is one of those new rounded corner deals and the 12-page booklet features detailed liner notes by RICO "Superbizzee" WASHINGTON – a New Yorker who has edited and contributed to American music publications like "Free" and "XLRBR" magazines. The remaster is by PETER DOELL at Universal and is superlative – incredibly clean, clear and present reflecting HADLEY MURELL'S superb production values back in the day. I can't emphasize enough how good BBR CDs sound – I've reviewed nearly 10 now (see list below) – and this is no different. A joy to listen too…

It opens with a lethal triple whammy – "I've Found Someone Like You", "My Eyes Search A Lonely Room For You" and "Bump Me". The first whacks into existence with a tremendous Al Green type vocal - while the sublime second track "My Eyes Search A Lonely Room For You" is 'the' tuneful masterpiece on here – no doubt. Imagine The Chi-Lites circa 1972 to 1974 with a grittier Al Green as the lead vocalist rather than Eugene Record (it’s gorgeous stuff - lyrics above). The funk of "Bump Me" is a great tune too. In fact the lead singer JAMES "Jimmy" CONWELL deserves special mention because his pleading voice lends every song a sort of Soul sweetness that’s worth its weight in gold. He featured with 60's bands The Exits and The Trips and had a decade of experience to bring the smooth ranks of Smoked Sugar. 

Less successful is the frantic keyboard funk of "I'm A Blues Singer, Guitar Banger" that sounds like its trying too hard to be a hit without the killer hook and words to get it there. Better is the slightly uptempo Philly feel to "I Can't Get Enough" (remastered drums and bass so clear). Nice too are "It's Funny Till I Start Crying" where they sound like mid-70’s Errol Brown of Hot Chocolate and the mid-tempo "Loving You Coming Out Of A Brand Bag" sounds like a talking Chi-Lites number. It ends on "Keeping Up My Front" co-written by Conwell and keyboardist Oliver Williams – where the slow pace changes mid-tune.

It's not all genius for sure – but the good stuff is great – and huge kudos go to BBR for reissuing the album (long prized by collectors and used by mixers for samples) – and with such top sound quality. Recommended. 

“Just As I Am” by BILL WITHERS (2012 Big Break Records (BBR) '40th Anniversary' CD Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

This Review Along With 100s Of Others Is Available in my

SOUNDS GOOD E-Book on all Amazon sites

SOUL, FUNK and JAZZ FUSION On CD - Exception Remasters  

Just Click Below To Purchase for £3.95

Thousands and thousands of E-Pages
All Details and In-Depth Reviews From Discs
(No Cut and Paste Crap) 

"...Sooth The Local Unwed Mother..."

This is one of my favourite albums of the early Seventies - and at last - in 2012 - a mere 40 years after the event - "Just As I Am" by Bill Withers is finally getting the sound quality its always deserved and needed.

As a "Hall Of Fame" reviewer and long-time contributor to Amazon - I've raved about Britain's BIG BREAK RECORDS before and have bought and reviewed over 40 of their reissue titles. Each has been uniformly superb - especially for those of us looking for great sound quality rather than the half-hearted efforts thrown at us by the majors (when they can be bothered). But BBR has excelled in every way on this lovely and timely reissue. The remaster on this sucker is TRULY GORGEOUS - and after decades of the occasional track on a compilation in only-ok sound - fans of this great songwriter will be duly taken aback by the clarity on offer here. Here are the details...

UK released 7 May 2012 as a '40th Anniversary' issue (15 May 2012 in the USA) – "Just As I Am" by BILL WITHERS on Big Break Records CDBBR 0143 (Barcode 5013929044333) is a straightforward CD Remaster of his debut album and plays out as follows (35:41 minutes):

1. Harlem

2. Ain’t No Sunshine

3. Grandma’s hands

4. Sweet Wanomi

5. Everybody’s Talkin'

6. Do It Good

7. Hope She’ll Be Happier – [Side 2]

8. Let It Be Me

9. I’m Her Daddy

10. In My Heart

11. Moanin' And Groanin'

12. Better Off Dead

Tracks 1 to 12 are his debut album "Just As I Am" - released May 1971 in the USA on Sussex Records SXBS-7006 and June 1971 in the UK on A&M Records AMLS 65002.

SINGLES: Although there are no bonus tracks or outtakes - this release will allow fans to sequence the two USA 7" singles that were released around the album - "Ain't No Sunshine" b/w "Harlem" on Sussex 219 (June 1971 - originally issued in April 1971 with the same catalogue number - but with the tracks reversed) - and "Grandma's Hands" b/w "Sweet Wanomi" on Sussex 227 (October 1971). Britain had slightly different configurations - "Everybody's Talkin'" b/w "Harlem" on A&M Records AMS 845 (May 1971), "Ain't No Sunshine" b/w "Harlem" on A&M Records AMS 858 (September 1971) and "Lean On Me" b/w "Better Off Dead" on A&M Records AMS 7004 (August 1972) [the A-side is on the Sony Legacy CD of his 2nd album "Still Bill"].

This reissue comes in one of those rounded-corner jewel cases and has a jam-packed 16-page booklet with liner notes by Washington-born Soul aficionado RICO "SUPERBIZZAE" WASHINGTON (Editor of the US magazine "Free"). There's a history of the West Virginia Soulman's humble beginnings, label repros of the two Sussex singles off the album and collected colour photos from various TV appearances at the time. The front sleeve was actually shot on a lunch-break from his job at the airlines - lunch-pail in hand. And there's even an interview with the great man (recently featured on a superb BBC documentary film). It's really nicely done and features recording details and album discography on the last pages. But the real news is the SOUND...

Remastered from 1st generation tapes by both NICK ROBBINS at Sound Mastering in London and BBR's own WAYNE A DICKSON at their own studios - the clarity is beautiful. "Just As I Am" is not so much Funky-Soul but more Folk-Soul - so a lot of the tracks have just acoustic guitars and lots of air around them. I went through so many copies of the (frankly dodgy) US Sussex LP and even the British A&M tan label original - and they were always good rather than great - and in some instances hissy as Hell. Not so here. It hasn't been trebled to the nines for the sake of it - it's just breathing.

Right from the off the acoustic guitars and drums on "Harlem" are amazing - as are the strings, soft bass and vocals on his masterful "Ain't No Sunshine" - all so sweet. The fantastically personal and socially aware "Grandma's Hands" still has the power to move (lyrics above) and it's a blast to finally get unheard gems like "Hope She'll Be Happier", "I'm Her Daddy" and "Moanin' And Groanin'" in top-notch sound quality. In fact of the 12 tracks - Withers impressively wrote 10 - the two covers being Fred Neil's "Everybody's Talkin'" (made famous by Nilsson in "Midnight Cowboy") and a very nice uptempo soul take on The Beatles' "Let It Be". Favourites - I particularly love "Do It Good" where the MG's play a blinder in terms of sheer slinky feel. And even though the gunshot at the end of "Better Off Dead" is still too abrupt - it's such a great tune. Yes folks. Love it. Love it. Love it.

If ever an artist deserved praise and rediscovery from this classic Soul period - then it's Bill Withers. For me this is 'Soul Reissue Of The Year' with a bullet.

Buy it and enjoy. And remember - "it's not warm when she's away...only darkness every day..."

PS: Big Break Records (BBR) CD Remasters I’ve reviewed to 2015:

1. Is It Still Good To Ya – ASHFORD and SIMPSON (1978)

2. Stay Free – ASHFORD and SIMPSON (1979)

3. Central Heating – HEATWAVE (1977)

4. Hot Property - HEATWAVE (1979)

5. Candles - HEATWAVE (1980)

6. Turnin' On - HIGH INERGY (1977)

7. Harvest For The World - THE ISLEY BROTHERS (1976)

8. Go For Your Guns - THE ISLEY BROTHERS (1977)

9. In The Heart – KOOL & THE GANG (1983)

10. I Hope We Get To Love On Time - MARILYN McCOO & BILLY DAVIS (1976)

11.  I Miss You - HAROLD MELVIN & THE BLUE NOTES (1972) [known as "Harold Melvin The Blue Notes" in the UK]

12. Black & Blue - HAROLD MELVIN & THE BLUE NOTES (1973)

13. Love Is The Message - MFSB (1973)

14. Universal Love – MFSB (1975)

15. All The Faces Of... - BUDDY MILES (1974)

16. For The First Time – STEPHANIE MILLS (1975)

17. I Can See Clearly Now - JOHNNY NASH (1972)

18. In Philadelphia - O'JAYS (1969)

19. Back Stabbers - O'JAYS (1972)

20. Ship Ahoy - O'JAYS (1973)

21. Down To Love Town – THE ORIGINALS (1977)

22. Ebony Woman - BILLY PAUL (1970 and 1973)

23. 360 Degrees Of Billy Paul - BILLY PAUL (1972)

24. War Of The Gods - BILLY PAUL (1973)

25. Platinum Hook – PLATINUM HOOK (1978)

26. Love For What It Is - ANITA POINTER (of The Pointer Sisters) (1987)

27. Live: Stompin’ At The Savoy – RUFUS and CHAKA KHAN (1983)

28. Summernights – SILVER CONVENTION (1977)

29. Smoked Sugar - SMOKED SUGAR (1975)

30. Spinners – SPINNERS (1973)

31. Soul Master – EDWIN STARR (1968)

32. Involved - EDWIN STARR (1971)

33. Switch - SWITCH (1978)

34 Watercolors – THE WATERS (1980)

35. Just As I Am - BILL WITHERS (1971 Debut LP on Sussex/A&M Records)

36. Heartbeats – YARBROUGH & PEOPLES (1983)

PPS: see also my in-depth review for "The Complete Sussex And Columbia Albums" 9CD Box Set also from 2012...