Soviet Funk, Volume 1
Soviet Funk, Volume 1
During the 1960s and 1970s funk music spread throughout the planet. The funny thing is most Americans didn’t even realize this until the 90s or later. Over the past couple decades, slowly but surely more and more rare funk gems have been unearthed from all corners of globe; Africa, China, Latin America, and now Russia.
This collection of SOVIET FUNK was all recorded by Pavel Sysoyev in Abakan, the capital city of Khakassia between 1971 and 1976. Sysoyev was an employee of the USSR State Committee for Television and Radio Broadcast (state controlled media). He ran a recording studio intended to create content solely for the government media entity. However, Sysoyev frequently brought in his friends and would run late night recording sessions when no one else was around.
In spite of the loosened restrictions on art and music during the 70s, most Soviet citizens had very limited access to essential American funk records. Sysoyev acquired a small collection of U.S. R&B and Jazz albums in ‘68 from a friend, but that was about it for him and his friends. Yet somehow, this small group of classically trained musicians was able to forge a funky sound of their own. Rooted much deeper in the jazz quartet tradition than the R&B styling of James Brown and The Meters, they tapped into a way of playing jazz with a relentless groove that we endearingly refer to as funk.
Secret Stash Records was contacted by Sysoyev himself in mid 2009. In a matter of weeks a deal was reached granting the label rights to release these funky rarities. Hundreds of hours have been spent digging through stacks of dusty old master tapes to find the best of the best. Soviet Funk Vol I is just a small sampling of the vast catalog of recordings produced by Pavel Sysoyev and his friends, and is just a little glimpse of things to come (more volumes). Listen closely and from time to time you will find elements of Russian classical music in the precision execution of oddly metered unison parts, complex poly-rhythms, and the use of time signatures other than 4/4 (so commonly found in most American funk).
SIDE ONE
01. pavel sysoyev: gostiny dvor
02. pavel sysoyev: zapovednik
03. pomogite: avantyurist
04. pomogite: snokhachestvo
05. pomogite: izvinite
SIDE TWO
01. victor chizhova & boris baykov: agentura
02. victor chizhova & boris baykov: chernosotenec
03. da/n’et: vyrodok
04. da/n’et: demagogiya
05. pavel sysoyev & victor chizhova: kak vas zovut
Mad Dog’s Hustle (OMPS)
Mad Dog’s Hustle (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
In mid 2009 Secret Stash released a collection of Porno soundtrack material from the Fantasy Productions vault. After digging deeper they discovered hours of incredible unreleased music. The first thing to stand out was this soundtrack to a 1974 blaxploitation film entitled “Mad Dog’s Hustle.” The film was only shown for less than 3 weeks in 6 theaters nationwide before disappearing into a baron wasteland of low-budget, poorly marketed cinema. Within a year Fantasy forfeited the rights to the film in a legal dispute with members of the cast and crew.
Fortunately, the funky soundtrack recorded by The Upstroke (the same band responsible for all of the Porno Groove material) has been salvaged. While staying true to the genre, the overall feel of the album is freer than most with lots of extended jams and improvisation. It features a mix of vocal and instrumental tracks. Also included are short musical cues and long narrations atop deep-funk grooves. This vinyl only release will be available for the first time ever only on white vinyl (“the man” even turned vinyl records white).
SIDE ONE
- Make It Hustle
- Baby, Baby, Baby
- Party In Harlem
- Puppy Love
- Comin’ To Getcha
- Harlem Summer
- Lennox Ave. Rastas
- On The Prowl
SIDE TWO
- Lataesha’s Cue
- Revenge
- East Side Strut
- Grover’s Cue
- Always And Forever
- The Rumble
- African Child
- Pushed Too Far
A Reggae Interpretation of Kind of Blue
A Reggae Interpretation of Kind of Blue
In the spring of 1981 a group of reggae studio musicians from Jamaica gathered in New York City under the direction of Jeremy Taylor, a music professor at NYU at that time. The result was this Reggae Interpretation of Kind of Blue. Though he was primarily regarded as a world-class Jazz musician and educator, Taylor had taken several trips to Jamaica to study reggae music with some of the best performers in the world. In his 1979 book, “A Space Between” Taylor wrote, “My first trip to Jamaica (May 1977) was the most eye-opening musical experience of my life. I met so many incredible players who had been brushed off by the snobby musical establishment at institutions such as the ones I was affiliated with. They showed more musicality, taste, and rhythmic comprehension than some of the most revered musicians in the states. I knew that I had to find a way to showcase their unparalleled talent in a different medium in order for some of my colleagues to fully understand and learn from it.” This statement served as the basic concept behind this album. Taylor took the most loved, well-known modern jazz album of all time and put it in the hands of reggae musicians. It was in this context that he felt his contemporaries would be able to fully understand what it was he saw in these players.
Unfortunately, weeks after directing the sessions Taylor passed away in his Paris hotel room while on a speaking tour of Europe. A final mix of the album was never made and it was never released. Collectors have long spoken of this album and in the late 80s lo-fi cassette tapes of rough mixes circulated. No official release was ever issued until now.
In early 2009, Secret Stash Records began working with the Taylor estate to finally release this album. After creating final mixes, dub versions of all the songs were also made by Secret Stash producers. Now for the first time ever, this highly sought-after album is available. This vinyl-only release is a must have for any record collector.
SIDE ONE
01. So What
02. Freddie Freeloader
03. Blue In Green
04. All Blues
05. Flamenco Sketches
SIDE TWO
01. So What (Dub Version)
02. Freddie Freeloader (Dub Version)
03. Blue In Green (Dub Version)
04. All Blues (Dub Version)
05. Flamenco Sketches (Dub Version)
Porno Groove: The Sound Of 70’s Adult Films
Porno Groove: The Sound of 70’s Adult Films
Secret Stash Records and Fantasy Productions have teamed up to bring you the definitive Porno Groove collection. Fantasy (not to be confused with the infamous Fantasy Records) was one of the top producers of adult entertainment throughout the 1970s and early 1980s. When Sal Rosen, the company’s founder and CEO passed away in 1985, much of its intellectual property was tied up in legal battles. Eventually, Rosen’s oldest son, Mort secured control of his father’s work. To date Mort Rosen has not reissued any of the Fantasy catalog. In an effort to preserve the value of the content, he has made a conscious effort to remove all of their products from the market place to “starve the market.” He even shut down Fantasyproductions.com recently while a new branding and web presence strategy are being devised.
In the fall of 2008, he discovered a massive collection of original soundtrack master tapes for the company’s biggest films. Along with popular themes and timeless classics, he also discovered 30 reels of never before released music. Porno Groove: The Sound of 70s Adult Films is a collection of music from Fantasy’s incredibly deep soundtrack library. This release will be the first piece of Fantasy product commercially released in almost two decades. Rosen hopes to use this as a way to reintroduce the company to the world while he plans his next move and signs major talent once again.
SIDE ONE
- Greatful Head (from “Jayne’s Woodstock Adventure”)
- In My El Camino (from “The Beaver Hunter”)
- Gus On The Bus (from “The Traveling Salesman”)
- Sweet Juices (from “Honeydew”)
- Special Delivery (from “Lonely Mrs. Johnson”)
SIDE TWO
- Dr. Mann’s Prescription (from “Insatiable”)
- Do You Dance? (from “Right of Passage”)
- O (from “The Story of Y”)
- Carma’s Theme (from “Studio 69”)
- Malibu High (from “Ride Me Like A Wave”)
- Two Is Better Than One (from “Rosemary Cloney”)
