compiled by sean p

It’s now time for a Sean P. ‘Originals’, so finally, we’re lucky enough to get an insight into the musical mind of one of the most respected collectors out there. Sean has spent many a year building up an encyclopaedic knowledge of all things musical and along the way, amassed such a huge record collection, it’s rumoured his home is partly built from vinyl. As a young lad growing up in South London, Sean immersed himself in the world of record collecting and developed a taste for the New York sound of labels such as Prelude and West End, when most of us were still obsessed with Adam & The Ants. A love of soul music and boogie flourished and it wasn’t long before Sean was gracing the airwaves on London pirate stations, tapes of which are available at a price! Clubs soon followed and a reputation as a fine and expert selector developed. However, it’s not all soul & disco in Mr P’s world, as this compilation shows. Sean is just as happy expounding the virtues of obscure pop and psychedelia, as well as sharing a detailed knowledge of long lost black music most of us will have never heard and without Sean and are unlikely to. And let’s not even get started on the Jazz!

As a regular feature behind the counter of some of London’s finest second hand vinyl emporia, Sean has had the opportunity to share nuggets and educate many of us in the ways of record collecting. He has not been awarded the soubriquet ‘The Knowledge’ for nothing.

I spent 5 years of my life alongside Sean as an inmate of Notting Hill’s Soul & Dance Exchange. During this time I had the great pleasure of chewing the vinyl fat with him in the shop, the local pub and on the way home in his trusty Saab; and the knowledge I gained from his was immense. Evenings in the Mall Tavern discussing catalogue numbers and learning of obscure 12s was manna from heaven for a green collector like myself. I like to think he learned a little from me but I’m not sure how interested in Andy Fairweather-Lowe he was!

So, all praise to Paul & Claremont 56 for making this compilation happen. As mentioned , it’s time! But highest praise of all to Mr Sean P., P-Ski, The Knowledge. A fine friend, sometime mentor and one of the nicest, most loveable blokes I know. Hats off, sir - and thanks for everything.

Andrew Allday, December 2009

Lette Mbulu NomalizoSoweto’s Letta Mbulu enjoyed a successful and varied singing career in America, not long after her arrival in 1965, through to the ‘90s (she returned to south Africa in 1991 after 26 years of apartheid-imposed exile). Despite being recorded in the US, ‘Nomalizo’s parent LP ‘In The Music’ was issued on the south African Munjale label in 1983, then re-released in Japan market two years later. This move gave Letta an extended audience base and the album became a classic with collectors. ‘Nomalizo’ is, without doubt, the smoker from that session - a lovely slice of mid-tempo electro-soul/boogie.

She Easy MoneyDee Sharp Gamble’s version of She’s ‘Easy Money’ is better known, having been a staple of the ‘80s Rare Groove scene. She’s version is almost certainly a later recording, although it’s produced by the song’s author (Dee Dee’s interpretation was masterminded by Gamble & Huff). She’s name is probably no accident, their bearing more than a passing sound similarity to disco deities, Chic.

Razz-Ma-tazz The Story Of How The Funky Bassman Saved The WorldSongs about bass guitars and Martians eating cars and bars can only be cool - there’s really nothing there not to like. Razz-Ma-Tazz tell a mythical (I think) story of a Fender Bass-wielding hero, who saves Earth form little green men with his axe, by making them dance. Fun, with a capital ‘K’.

Sons of Wonder Fire On MeA rather obscure UK item from the ‘80s, which languished on my shelves for many years. I got this one when I worked in a record shop in London’s Soho at the end of the ‘80s and I’d give it a spin occasionally, but it eventually disappeared from the ‘play’ pile. When I stumbled upon it again some months back, we quickly got re-acquainted. I eventually asked Mudd his thoughts, regarding possible inclusion for this tracklist. ‘It’s going on there!’, he responded, enthusiastically.

The Gene Dunlap Band There’s TalkLovely summer vibe to this one. Taken from Detroit-born Gene’s third and final LP for Capitol in 1983, at a time when mainstream soul/R & B was in a state of transition. Only months beforehand, electronics would have been used to perhaps add dimension to an otherwise conventional ‘band’. But the future was knocking hard; and drummers like Gene quickly found themselves programming their drums instead of playing them.

Mercy Mercy What Are We Gonna Do About It‘What Are We Gonna Do About It’ had a moderate degree of success in 1986, the second single for this UK duo of Luke Tunney and ex-Foundation Colin Young on vocals. An instant favourite for me and I’ve still yet to find anyone who doesn’t like this mellifluous, Caribbean flavoured mini-classic. Its popularity quickly spawned a cover version for the hi-nrg imprint, Record Shack.

Spirit Band Keep Your Love AliveI initially bought the M&M remix of this track some 24 years ago and played it constantly, as the dubby, reverbed excursion with its dropouts and drum breaks was energetic and exciting. But the far more sober original mix is what I’ve included here, as like most of my other selections, it’s pretty low key. I like the ambiguity of the lyric - it is both religious and secular, exalting a spiritual love. The drummer stands out for me here, too - playing intricate, tough beats that are pure B-Boy.

GLP Band Last Funk‘Last Funk’ is from the select club of boogie bullets tucked away on the b-sides of reggae singles. It’s sparse, slightly dubby in places and somewhat typically of reggae/disco crossovers, handled with some caution and restraint by the band. Only the soprano sax player is afforded some freedom, though this is reined in before things get too jazzy. This is another British production, with just enough happening to draw you in - and a sound that could be mistaken for that of Compass Point’s finest.

G. C. Cameron If I Love You This was recommended to me by Dave Lee on a record buying excursion in the ‘80s. It’s one of those records I subsequently bought every time I saw a copy, as it was always very cheap and, to my mind, overlooked. The mantra-like intro (‘If I Love You, Are You Gonna Love Me Back’) is great and something of an oddity - not least for Cameron, a soul/R&B singer, as his short, quirky vocal line gives way to a full-bodied, red-blooded disco instrumental, reminiscent of the Love Unlimited Orchestra.

Naturals MamaThe Naturals released a number of reggae/boogie singles in the early ‘80s (‘Funky Rasta’ was, of course, one of the first major Rare Groove crossovers) and the chunky, strutting ‘Mama’ was one that initially slipped under the radar, though it’s been getting some attention in boogie collectors’ circles. Ex-colleague and fiendish collector/dealer Zaf first played me this - and some years later, we finally agreed on a trade!

Idiater Edwards Sweeter Mix‘Sweet Loving Devotion’ is currently one of the most sought-after British boogie 12”s worldwide and sports an unusual vocal performance, which I’ve craftily substituted for the ‘Sweeter Mix’ instrumental version. This record’s scarcity is legendary and, it must be said, there are reasons why it didn’t sell sufficient amounts upon release. Regardless, this track is pure joy for lovers of the mid-’80s British soul/boogie sound; from the intro, the sharp

keyboards and synths go into overdrive and just drip from this track like treacle. Sponge pudding!

The Cult The Mail Must Go Through‘The Mail Must Go Through’ is the title track from the 1975 LP of the same name, an otherwise routine, independent funk collection from Las Vegas. Badge of honour here goes to the Moog stylist (‘Billy P.’ - a relative I’ve yet to meet, perhaps?) who snakes his way around the tune in a manner that nearly out-funks the rest of the band. The members obviously had something to hide, as they’re unimaginatively credited by initals only. Perhaps The Cult were a well-known act moonlighting? We shall never know.

Solo Sounds We’re ChillyI read a short but favourable review of this new release in early 1983, though I didn’t actually track down a copy for two years. This was the second 12” from this MC crew (they debuted in 1981 with ‘Get The Party Jumpin’’, which also featured Lisa Lee) and is a good example of how hip hop on vinyl, then still in its formative years, was evolving. Bare-bones instrumentation (bass-synth, synth and live drums) was the half-way point to the basic, beat-and-rhymes drum machine style which Run-D.M.C. would take to new heights that same year with the monumental ‘Sucker M.Cs’.

Splash When We TouchA subtle, bass-driven boogie banger from 1982 which, despite originating from Canada, sounds like a UK production. The keyboard sounds and mix are fairly spacey, as are the light, airy and sweet vocals; whilst the minimal but slamming b-lines really push the groove along. This one steadily grew on me and it’s now a firmly rooted as a favourite.

Frankie Zhivago Disco FunkanooMightily percussive disco with an Afro-funk flavour which despite two releases, remains a tricky one to track down for some. The structure of the song is basic and circular, with the extended disco mix by unsung Miami mix-smith, Jack Nuber, taking things up a notch. This is one of many records which perhaps didn’t grab me on initial listening, but repeated spins revealed substance beneath the surface.

Freezing Fire Band Dance With Me, BabyI’ve always had a thing for records that sound as if they were made on a tight budget; and ‘Dance With Me, Baby’ gets extra points for sounding as it were mastered straight to cassette. Can’t remember when or where I obtained this one, but I’m certain it was in a £1 box. Let’s face it - not a lot of thought was wasted on the lyric, but that’s irrelevant. It’s well cute and a bit cheesy - qualities some of the best things in life are lovingly tarnished with.

Lette Mbulu Nomalizo She Easy Money Razz-Ma-tazz The Story Of How The Funky Bassman Saved The World Sons of Wonder Fire On Me The Gene Dunlap Band There’s Talk Gene Dunlap/W Rocquemore, P 1983. The copyright in this sound recording is owned by Capitol Records Inc Licensed courtesy of EMI Records Ltd Mercy Mercy What Are We Gonna Do About It Produced by Colin Young & Luke Tunney Spirit Band Keep Your Love Alive GLP Band Last Funk G. C. Cameron If I Love You Naturals Mama Idiater Edwards Sweeter Mix The Cult The Mail Must Go Through Solo Sounds We’re Chilly Splash When We Touch Frankie Zhivago Disco Funkanoo Freezing Fire Band Dance With Me, Baby

Mastered by Sean P. Sleeve notes Andrew Allday Photography Ian Williams Design Mudd

Dedicated to Frida, Walbert (1937-2009) and Angela.

Sean thanks: Paul Murphy, Pants & Ian; Donna, Zöe, Ray, Karl, Paul, Richard Sen, Annie, Jody, Fraser, Alec Samways, Pat, Jess, John, Luke Tunney, Johnny Chandler, Joel, Voices crew. Mudd thanks: Sean P., Ian Williams, Andrew Allday, Luke Tunney & Denise Black.

P & © Claremont 56 2010. Due to the diverse nature of this release we were unsuccessful in trying to locate some of the repertoire. If you want to contact us, please email muddsworld@inbox.com

www.claremont56.com

Claremont

Originals is series of compilations put together by un-sung heroes, the discoverers, the influencers and the taste makers who don’t seek the limelight and often get overlooked.

www.claremont56.com