This song is epic. Imagine Norman Whitfield and Isaac Hayes (sorry if you don't know them) co-producing Sharon Jones. All sorts of dynamic strings n' shit. And her voice, fuck, how can anyone keep that up? This song gives me goosebumps.
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It hit me hard when Sharon Jones passed away a little over a year ago. Having grown up too late to experience Aretha Franklin's rise, becoming the undeniable Queen of Soul, I became vested as a fan in Jones's rise, particularly because it came late in her life after decades of working regular jobs (if you count jobs like working as a corrections officer at Rikers Island a regular job). She was a powerhouse of an underdog, continuing to plug away as she battled cancer. While still fighting it, she suffered the first of two strokes while watching the 2016 presidential election results, joking the next day that it was caused by Donald Trump's victory. She had a second stroke the day after that and died a little over a week later.
Live she was dynamic, barely coming up for air in a set that was close to a James Brown pace. It was a show; soul, funk and sweat beginning to end without letting up. Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings are easily one of the top five bands I've seen live; tight, energetic, and able to fill a room with joy. You can't ask for more than that.
It's a Holiday Soul Party, her holiday themed LP was released in 2015. It's not your average holiday offering, I'll leave it at that.
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Holy hell. I ran into a cover of "Just Dropped in (to See What Condition My Condition Was In)" by Bettye Lavette again. I was wondering, if it was the template for Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings' version, was there a version that Lavette's was based on, other than the hit version that Kenny Rogers and the First Edition had in 1968? So, off I went, not suspecting what a rabbit hole that one song could turn into.
I didn't end up finding one that sounded like it was the source of the arrangement for Lavette's version, but, man, did I find a lot of other versions. It was "Just Dropped In" all over the place. Here's a bunch, but by no means all of them. First Lavette's version and Jones's version, because it's their fault.
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It might be early to dip into the holiday pool, but I can't resist this one. Boogaloo Time just posted It's a Holiday Soul Party by Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, the whole LP, and it might not be up for long, so get it while the gettin's good. The first track is a Hanukah song that is actually good. Very seventies soul, with the pay off the ad libs towards the end. When Jones lets out "Talk-in' a-bout that Me-nor-ahhh!!" towards the fade out, I just busted up. Don't ask me why, maybe the juxtaposition of the subject and the vehicle.
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Not the way I like to wake up, not by a long shot. Checking the stats here this morning, I saw a comment from overseas buddy Espen, "Shit week just took another dump, Tom." posted with a link. As I was copying the URL of the link he posted I see the end of it "sharon-jones-dap-kings-dead". Fuck. I love Sharon Jones. After I read the thing E linked to, I went to Facebook. First comment I see, from Lady Spinsta, "One more for shit week." I've had it. I want shit week out of my house immediately.
I can still remember the first time I heard Sharon Jones's music. Tower Records, 2005, it was her "Naturally" CD. The R & B section at this record store was mostly current stuff, and what vintage soul or R & B there was was familiar stuff. The cover of that CD gave no clue of the era in which it was released, but it looked like some old stuff that I may have missed and/or should have known. I'd never heard of Daptone Records, or Sharon Jones, or the Dap Kings. Back then Tower Records had these great listening stations where you could just scan the bar code and listen before you bought it. So I gave it a whirl. After sampling a few tunes I still couldn't figure out when it was recorded, whether it was new or old. It really wasn't either. It was classic.
So that whole Daptone mob entered my sphere that day, not just Jones, all of them, because at the end of the day if it wasn't for Daptone Records, and the Dap-Kings, most of us would have never heard of Sharon Jones. After being told by record execs that she was "too fat, too black, too short, and too old" she marched on, and after hiring her to sing backup at one of their sessions, and ultimately signing her, Daptone gave her that shot that she needed, and unknowingly gave her the opportunity to live out her life doing what she loved to do. Twenty years of soul and funk, that's no small gift.
Check the video above. Nine and a half minutes at full throttle, at age 55. Unbelievable. And the only thing bad about it is a guest appearance by Prince, appearing from the wings to play some jag-off guitar. If you watch it from the beginning, you'll get so wrapped up in it that when Prince begins to play, you'll be thinking "Get him outta here, he's just ruining the whole vibe." You should watch the whole thing just to get an idea of her endurance.
This was supposed to be about her, a bio, you know the routine. It deviated and it got too personal. But, you know what? It feels personal. I've never met Sharon Jones, or the Dap-Kings, or anyone associated with Daptone Records, but they feel like family. I can't think of a reason for that, other admiration for the fact that everyone involved seemed to always be doing things right. I'll just leave at that. You can read her bio, about her records and her battle with cancer at other other sites. I just want to sit here and think about how great it is that Jones and the Dap-Kings found each other.
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If you're a Sharon Jones fan, you know. If you you don't know her, dig the trailer. Hell, all of you will dig it, especially you long time fiends. Here's a few songs by her to get in the mood. Play "This Land is Your Land" at your Fourth of July barbecue and nod your head like you got it goin' on.
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"This land was made for you and me" from Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land" is probably the most patriotic line ever written about the United States of America. It's more important than all of the flag waving, all of the fireworks, a day off, barbeques and whatnot. We need to remember that line, every day, not just on the Fourth of July. We need to remember it particularly on election day, when weighing who's in bed with corporations, special interests and fat cats. That would be an excellent time to keep it in mind.
Here's Guthrie's version and a particularly good cover by Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. If you're unfamiliar with Guthrie, you should slap yourself silly and then watch the documentary linked below. Seriously. He's one of the most important figures in the history of American music.
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How many times do we go digging for old beat up records and end up coming home with some soul also-rans that, if we pick them apart, we can find some break, horn section, or bass line that we are convinced elevate them to some unheard classic. We're dipshits. Sharon Jones has put out readily available top notch, as good as any ever recorded, soul records since 2002. I mean really, what are we? Scarcity whores? I'm thinking that we all better check our digger's pride at the door. That shit doesn't mean anything when it comes to Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings. You can buy their stuff brand new and they'll sell you all you want. Your digging skills are powerless here big boy. Try to find a reason not to dig them. It all comes down to availability. That's why they aren't some zillion dollar white whale. Why they aren't insanely popular, that comes down to the cold hard brutal fact that the public at large has shit for taste. Fuck 'em, and fuck poo-pooing soul collectors. I like good soul music, period. And I love Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings.
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Have you ever heard Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings' version of "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition Your Condition Is In)"? If you've heard both hers and the version by Kenny Rogers and the First Edition, you know how cool the reinvented arrangement in Jones's version is. I'd always assumed it was the work of one of those Daptone soul eggheads. But tonight I was just kind of clicking around some old posts at Soul Garage, and ran into Bettye LaVette's cover, from 1968. That seems to be the source of the arrangement. It also happens to be the source of my new favorite version. The thing smokes.
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Hell yeah, Sharon Jones is back! In what has to be the feel good story of the year, at least in soul circles, Jones has apparently beat cancer, diagnosed earlier this year. It pushed back the release of her latest Give The People What They Want until just a couple weeks ago. Now, she and her band, the almighty Dap-Kings, take the stage again, starting on February 6. Now the real gushing: If you haven't had the chance to see Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings but get an opportunity, I would strongly advise you make it a priority. They're touring the East coast in February, but they'll make the rounds. I saw them a few years ago and it wasn't just the best show I've seen in a decade, it's among the best I've ever seen; and I'm no spring chicken so I've seen a lot.
Here's one song off the new one and a video for another. The video's cool. Jones is bald, presumably from the cancer treatment. That means she either did the video while she had cancer, or after she beat it. Either way it's remarkable. If you don't know her story, check out the Wikipedia entry, and the one at Daptone Records. She was already a feel good story ten years ago, and that was feel good enough. This is like some sort of feel good OD. We could all use some of that.
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How could a remix of a David Bowie song possibly get my attention? When it's not really remixed, but recreated with all new backing tracks. Yeah, I know, that's still kind of ho-hum, but hold on. The backing tracks were recorded by members of the Budos Band, the Dap-Kings, and the Menahan Street Band. Looking better? The story behind it is that EMI asked four DJs from KCRW (in Santa Monica, CA), to remix it, to commemorate some deluxe reissue. One of the DJs, Jeremy Sole, went all out, taking it with him to Dunham Studios in Brooklyn, which astute Dapheads will recognize as the studio for Daptone Records. Here's what he had to say:
"My plan was to not remix, but re-play the song in a full live setting, as if in 1975 Bowie recorded the original and then flew to Brooklyn (or even Jamaica) to cut another take with “my” players. Everything was recorded 100% analog to 2” tape. All equipment that was available before 1975. My approach was to take influence of the Jamaican musicians (and recording styles) of the mid-seventies, and their infatuation with American Soul music."
Check it out. Whether or not you think it has any sort of Jamaican sound to it, it is sort of interesting. There is a little dub in spots. Personally, I think it could use a little more chunka-chunka guitar, but I'm an admitted armchair record producer, so my opinion usually has a little blowhard in it anyways.
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Not to dismiss the folks in the military, but you know who the true patriots are? Voters. It's the one role that we play that gives puts us on equal footing with every other individual. In this one activity, presuming there's no shenanigans going on, a homeless person conceivably has the same power as the fat cat. When you vote, you are the most elemental defender of freedom. Bang bang in the ballot box.
I bet you already know what songs are going to play today. Every damn song that has "America" or "USA" in it will be blasting at barbeques and fireworks shows all over the place. You can practically write the playlist now, from Kate Smith, to Bruce Springsteen, Neil Diamond and James Brown, with little regard to appropriateness. I would forgo the whole shooting match just to see a few kids holding sparklers while this song plays.
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Ten years of Daptone Records. Unbelievable. How does that happen? They're too good. Weren't they supposed to have been squashed? It just goes to show you, if you put out a good product and don't overextend yourself, you can make it work. Remember, that's how record labels used to do it. And, like Stax, Chess and Sun, they have their own studio, so they control the sound; and what a sound it is. Have a listen, all of the stuff below was recorded in recent years (with the exception of Pax Nicholas, a rare reissue), yet every one is timeless. Once you get to know the roster, you'll be giddy every time you see the label; like you used to dream about happening again someday (when you were shuffling through your Stax and Motown thrift store finds). It's some most excellent shit friends, and it's high time to start paying attention again, if you haven't already.
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Let me start by saying that the version of "Wild Horses" below, by Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings is one of the best interpretations of a Stones song that I've ever heard, in any genre or era. A bold statement, I know, but listen to the whole thing. Not just a few bars, the whole thing. It builds and builds. It's epic. Really. It smokes.
As many of you probably know, the UK music magazine Mojo comes with a themed CD every month, with varying results I think you'd agree. But this month they did a bang up job of rounding up current soul acts to do covers of songs from the Stones' Sticky Fingers. The concept CD, titled Sticky Soul Fingers, is good enough that it's worth the price of the magazine (about ten bucks in the U.S.). While it's all current acts, with one of two exceptions they're all in the traditional soul vein, and it serves as an excellent overview of todays old school soul torch bearers. Believe me, if I was able to find more selections floating around, every cut on the compilation would be down there. (You can get snippets and a complete list of artists at Mojo's Sound Cloud here.) This sucker is in the running for the best album I've heard all year. That good.
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Sticky Soul Fingers - Snippets of cuts at Mojo's Sound CloudFrom Alice Russell, The Bamboos, Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens, the Sugarman 3, Aloe Blacc and Joel Van Dijk, Ren Harvieu, Anthony Joseph & the Spasm Band, Lee Fields and, of course, Sharon Jones and Black Joe Lewis.
Around midnight last night America's citizen laureate Pete Seeger joined the Occupy Wall Streeters on a 36 block trek to Columbus Circle in NYC. He's 92 years old. and he did it walking with two canes. Yeah. Once there, the crowd joined in as he sang "We Shall Overcome," a mainstay in his repertoire for decades. He's always been one of us, long before most of us were even born into it.
Woody Guthrie
Here's a few from him. Along with the song mentioned above, here's "What Side Are You On?" which is really about drawing the line in union issues, but is semi-relevant. The other "A Dollar Ain't A Dollar Anymore," is just about financial hardship, so it slips in. There's also Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings' cover of "This Land Is Your Land" by Woody Guthrie (an old friend of Seeger's), because the song has never ceased to be relevant, and because we could all use a little funkiness in our revolution.
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It's heartening to see the success Sharon Jones has had the past few years, isn't it? When you think of all the underdogs who have anxiously stuck their toes in the big time (Susan Boyle comes to mind), Jones, with the aid of the Dap Kings, has churned out quality records consistently; to the point that she must be recognized as one of the greatest soul stylists still maintaining an active touring and recording schedule. Oh yeah, she's making hay while the sun shines, and good for her. Her latest video is a whopper. "Game Gets Old: The Trilogy" is over thirteen minutes in length, and cinematic in quality. Directed by Phillip Di Fiore, it apes the look of all of those old Blue Note LP covers (thanks to the Couch Sessions for pointing that out). Blue Note LP covers always get graphic design freaks drooling, so you can imagine how cool the video looks. Get yourself a cold one, maximize the screen and turn it up!
(Layout note: Unable to resize video frame to column width. Deal with it.)
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Oh, the injustice. The guys at my local record store don't know who Sharon Jones is, and Amy Winehouse is in Target. It begs the familiar rhetorical question: If Amy Winehouse and Sharon Jones got into a fight, who would win?
