It's a Dope day.
While we're on the topic...
Wood, Brass & Steel – Funkanova / What Cha Say
White label – AN-001-A
Vinyl, 12", 45 RPM, Unofficial Release, US, 2005
This is a 2005 white label featuring Kenny Dope re-edits of two disco funk burners from Wood, Brass & Steel. Kenny Dope Gonzalez is best known for his house productions as half of Masters At Work, but the guy's soul, funk and disco credentials run deep with many years of disco mixes, hip-hop productions, and running his Dopewax and Kay-Dee Records labels. Kenny slipped these mixes into the world on one bootleg 12" and, as far as I know, they've never been issued anywhere else (other than one track popping up on CD-R promo mix CD he made once promoting a Kenny Dope disco compilation). It's a shame, these are something special. I had forgotten I had this- even better than I remember!
Both tracks come from WB&S's 1976 self titled LP. By now Doug Wimbish had officially joined the group on bass.
If you've been following along, you've already had to read my babbling about drummer Harold Sargent and my love for Skip McDonald's guitars. One comment on Wimbish: It somehow cracks me up that the young guy in the corner of that photo is the same dude who's been playing in Living Colour for the last almost 30 years. (Not to mention Tackhead, The Sugar Hill band, Mos Def and damn near anyone you can imagine. The Rolling Stones? Carly Simon?!) And he was probably feeling pretty cool just having hooked up with these guys and gotten his first album out. Anyway...
The original version of "Funkanova" is a fantastic, up-tempo dancefloor cut that still shows up in house and disco dj sets. I don't know if he somehow got his hands on the original master tapes or what, but Kenny Dope's A side remix managed to improve on a classic, somehow adding in breakdowns and vocal bits that hadn't been released.
On the B side, you get KD's rework of the slower, funky "What Cha Say." Despite my misleading title on this post, this is really a retitled mix of "Say What You Want To Say" from the original LP, not another version of "Hey, What's That You Say"/"It's A New Day" as covered in the last two posts. (I probably will get one more of those to you sooner or later though.) The condition of my vinyl is a little more shaky on side 2, but those breaks will make up for it... Plus it's one of those songs that will have you asking that age old question: "why aren't there more funk records featuring flute solos?"
You know what I mean.
Tracklist
A Funkanova (Kenny Dope Mix)
B What Cha Say (Kenny Dope Mix)
FLACanova: https://mega.nz/folder/lGpQHDwb#xETcCLA1EKaZZKO5ZSz3WQ
Wood, Brass, MP3: https://mega.nz/folder/YDx0gb4Y#g4Z9JXo3xB4G_f4MACeN5w
Classic written all over it!
ReplyDeleteIt really is. Wood Brass & Steel + Kenny Dope is kind of like some kind of weird time machine dream team up come true. It's one of those records that just seems *obviously* great to me, but I'm never quite sure if others just think I'm over reacting... Glad you like it!
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