The Turning Point (feat. Ishtar) b/w Version
Mocambo proudly presents its first 45 with the unmistakable E (aka Eric Cooke, E da Boss, or the ‘E’ of Myron and E). ‘The Turning Point’ is a dramatic piece of soul with dope drums and a cinematic orchestration, which sees E and his female duet partner Ishtar ‘breaking up’ through the song. The flipside features the instrumental version. This is a vinyl only release, available in ltd. quantities.
Love Like This b/w Was Dog A Doughnut
From Big Crown Records:
“With their highly anticipated debut full length “55” hitting in early May, Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band hits us with another killer two sider 7″ sure to be in every DJ’s box. The A side is an incredibly catchy cover of Faith Evan’s smash hit “Love Like This”. Instantly recognizable from the first note they work their way through the tune in proper BRSB fashion. Advance “Test Press” copies were sent to tastemaker DJs across the globe, the results have all been the same. This one is a dance floor killer and has crowds captivated and curious. The B side is a gritty punchy interpretation of the classic Cat Stevens tune “Dog Was A Doughnut”. BRSB really pushing the genre envelope with this one, using steel pans on an otherwise dark electro backdrop sprinkled with killer open drum breaks.”
Paris Breakdown b/w Milano Drive / Pigalle Theme
Funk from the heart of Paris: Pigalle Connection is an allstar group led by Hammond wizard Guillaume Metenier (Soul Sugar), featuring musical contributions by Shawn Lee, Dr. Lonnie Smith and members of the Mighty Mocambos. Inspired as much by b-girls and b-boys as crimesploitation scores, their debut 45 brings tough and street-savy funk breaks with a magnificient French touch. The title track ‘Paris Breakdown’ is a percussive tour-de-force with epic breakdance chorus. The flip side’s ‘Milano Drive’ is a slick uptempo car chase soundtrack, ‘Pigalle Theme’ a sleazy mid-tempo blaxploitation funk with snapping drumbeat.
Jungle Fever b/w Tender Trap
First pressing on Plane Jane Records.
“Tender Trap is a hard hitting number starting off with touch of Dilla and changing into a BRSB sureshot. The B Side is a killer cover of the Chakackas classic dance floor number “Jungle Fever” This is a limited pressing on Plane Jane. The BRSB full length “55” will be out next year on Big Crown Records.”
Reissued on Big Crown Records.
Where Do We Go From Here b/w B-Boy Suite In B-Flat Minor
Hot on the heels of their smashing album ‘Showdown’, the Mighty Mocambos bring a vinyl 45 exclusive that shows yet another side of the band’s musical versatility. For the heartrending ‘Where Do We Go From Here’, no other than soul legend Lee Fields takes over the vocal spot, confirming that he is “the coolest motherfucker to ever sing words into a microphone”. On the flip side, the Mocambos are back on the dancefloor with a breakdance DJ-edit of ‘Locked And Loaded’ and ‘The Showdown’, aptly named ‘B-Boy Suite In B-Flat Minor’. Both cuts are onyl available on this format.
IT’S THE MUSIC (A-SKILLZ + STICKYBUDS REMIX) b/w Original
Exclusive vinyl edition of this remix, with original version on the flipside pressed from original Mocambo Records stamper. A.Skillz and Stickybuds team up for the first time on this version of Its The Music, producing a club twist on a Mocambo funk classic.
Not Get Caught b/w Never Get Caught (instrumental)
Limited edition 45 release on Légère Recordings. ‚Not Get Caught‘ is a standout tune from the longplayer SHOWDOWN featuring the vocals of the great DeRobert (from GED Soul, Nashville). Not Get Caught tells the story about committing a crime on a low down funk beat.The instrumental B-side ‚Never Get Caught‘ is exclusively available in this format.
Don’t Get Crazy b/w Caught On The Wrong Foot
The Snitch from London play raw funk that recreates the feel of obscure bands on small private labels in the early 1970s. Their first album ‘The Dirty Job’, recorded with primitive analogue equipment, became part of Warner/Chappell’s library music catalogue, available only for usage in TV and film. While you might have heard several tunes in programmes, trailers or films, the material has never been commercially released. Two brilliant cuts are now availabe on 45 for the first time in a limited run of DJ promo copies. The Snitch’s funk is rough and dirty, fueled with heavy breaks and frantic horns like you’d only find them on a 300$ funk 45. Get your copy while they are still a bit cheaper.
SHOWDOWN
Release date: 27.03.2015
also available on Compact Disc by Légère Recordings and P-Vine Records, Japan.
The Mighty Mocambos’ new album “Showdown” sets another cornerstone in their prolific career as a globally active instrumental funk outfit. While maintaining their organic approach of recording real musicians live on tape, the group has refined their trademark sound with a dramatic edge, a hard hitting production and ventures into less obvious musical territories.
While highly enjoying themselves as the tight unit they are, The Mighty Mocambos invited an exciting list of guests to contribute to their musical “Showdown”: German film composer icon Peter Thomas, hiphop godfather Afrika Bambaataa, rap legends Charlie Funk aka Afrika Islan (member of the original Rocksteady Crew) and Donald D (of Ice-T’s Rhyme Syndicate), plus Nichola Richards, Shawn Lee, DeRobert from peer label GED Soul in Nashville, Zulu Nation MCs Deejay Snoop & DJ Hektek and organ genius Guillaume Metenier all joined the group for their new musical adventure.
With two highly successful albums under their belt as The Mighty Mocambos and a plethora of singles and music under different monikers such as the Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band, this new full-length is by no means the final battle, indeed the show has just begun. The album shows a group who is prepared to stand up with anyone in the game. Their guns are heavy beats, epic horns, dual guitars and outstanding compositions – and they are locked and loaded.
The Showdown theme also reflects our times, and the group continues to spread the vision of “peace, unity, love and having fun(k)” by choosing musical instrumenents as their weapons of choice.
The songs come along as coherent as they are diverse in nature. The old school discofied breakdance tune “It’s The Music” and the funked up Rolling Stones cover “Hot Stuff” were released as a vinyl singles before. Both were playlisted by the BBC and have become club favourites by DJs like Craig Charles. Both songs are from the ongoing collaboration with Afrika Bambaataa and Charlie Funk, this time they brought Hektek and Deejay Snoop with them for some chants and talkbox.
The epic opening track “Road To Earth” features the one and only Peter Thomas on piano and orchestral arrangements. Thomas wrote over 500 film scores, most widely known are his works for the 60s Sci-Fi series “Space Patrol”, “Chariot Of The Gods” or German cult crime series like “Edgar Wallace”.
“In The Dark” introduces young soul singer Nichola Richards with a fine piece of sister funk. Her personal showdown is love-related. “The Spell Of Ra-Orkon” is a sinister afro-funk inspired instrumental with a fantasy score chorus. “Political Power” unites Afrika Bambaataa, Charlie Funk and Donald D for a bold statement against repression by politics and media. “Drifting Stars” is a take on Sixties sci-fi erotica instrumentals from an indie hiphop point of view.
“Not Get Caught” is DeRobert (of the DeRobert & the Half Truths) telling a story about committing a crime on a low down funk beat. Dee agruably has the most amazing soul voice of our generation, and it’s hard not to believe his showdown story. “Catfight” is an uptempo soulshaker with a mysterious Eastern flavour and a tripped out downtempo break, featuring well travelled multi-instrumentalist and tiger Shawn Lee on a variety of exotic string instruments. Cats have their showdown too.
“Locked And Loaded” is cowbell breaks at their best, another b-boy favourite for a one to one, while the title track was meant to combine spaghetti western and blaxploitation aesthetics with soul drums. It ended up sounding like the Mighty Mocambos with more trumpets, which it actually is, and which is brilliant.
Wei
sser Sand b/w Sexsong
Mocambo is proud to present the official 45 release of the holy grail of European rare grooves.
With arguably the funkiest vocal delivery in German language and its killer 60-second wahwah-ladden drumbreak, Su Kramer’s “Weisser Sand” has gained legendary status among DJs and deep funk collectors.
Recorded for the pop-opera TRIP by Austrian television in Vienna in 1971, the song appeared in a dance-scene in the very musical-like TV film about a hippie guru. German label Telefunken released a promotional record of the soundtrack in very limited numbers for radio and TV stations only.
The song has since appeared on several bootlegs and compilations, using a mediocre recording off a vinyl copy and overcompressed CD mastering.
We dug a little deeper. After unsuccessful research of the original master tape at both Austrian TV archives and Telefunken, Su Kramer herself got us in touch with Peter Müller, sound supervisor and recording director of the original sessions. Not only could he give us interesting background information, he also unearthed an original tape that included an alternative version with different vocals and mix.
The musicians on the recording were, according to Peter Müller: Karl Ratzer, guitar, Richard Schönherz, keyboards, and most likely Manuel Rigoni on drums and George Dogette on bass. The horn section probably consisted of players from the ORF bigband. The music was written by Austrian jazz icon Fatty George, who was also in charge of the production. Silke Schwinger wrote the lyrics.
For this release, all songs were taken from best analogue source possible and carefully remastered by Michael Schütz to represent the sound of the original master in full dynamics on superior 45 format.
Included on this release is the original version of “Weisser Sand”, the never-heard-before alternative version, and the semi-instrumental “Sexsong”, from the TRIP soundtrack.
The 7inch-single release comes with a replique print of the original album artwork. The first copies are made in sand-white vinyl and handsigned by Su Kramer.