(October 2025) Episode 689 is THE MANHATTANS. An R&B outfit distinguished more by its longevity than by its creative contribution, IMO. Their career followed a common path from 60s doo wop-style R&B to 70s smooth soul, some funk and a bit of disco, then 80s synth soul, through to the current decade. To my ear, The Manhattans offer mostly basic and formulaic soul, although I found some enjoyable funky songs in their mid-70s peak. Their biggest hits were “Kiss and Say Goodbye” (1976) and “Shining Star” (1980).
(March 2025) Episode 638 is THE GAP BAND. They reached their commercial peak in the early 80s with fun synth-bass funk hits like “You Dropped a Bomb on Me.” Their first two mid-70s albums on small labels were typical funk of that period (my preference). But their major label start in 1979 gave a run of albums that closely approximates the Earth, Wind & Fire formula of complex funk and ballads (that’s a good thing). By the mid-80s and 90s they adopted the synth-driven idiom of the time, which is not my kind of soul/funk. Even at their peak, though, they could be repetitious – “Burn Rubber (Why You Wanna Hurt Me),” “Early in the Morning,” “You Dropped a Bomb on Me” and “Party Train” are basically the same song.
Recommendation: A greatest hits will suffice (although be prepared for repetition), although I direct deeper divers to the first two small label albums
Episode 630 is BOBBY WOMACK, a significant contributor to soul music as a songwriter, guitarist and solo artist. He got his start in a group called the VALENTINOS (also covered here) with his brothers, and then as guitarist for Sam Cooke and other famous artists before recording on his own in 1969. His early 70s albums are high quality soul and funk material, accentuated by his gritty voice. He had a revival in the 1980s but the tone of the soul music from that decade is not to my tastes.
(March 2024) Episode 556 is OHIO PLAYERS. I first encountered them through their erotic album covers, causing me to linger longer in the “O” section of the record store. But it wasn’t until later that I caught up to the music, although I knew “Love Rollercoaster” from its ubiquity. Their roots go back to the 1950s, but they hit their stride and fame with a series of albums in the mid-1970s of peak funk and sexy soul – music that very much complements those album covers. While I find better funk and more stirring soul elsewhere, the Ohio Players’ combo makes this iconic 1970s music. Comparatively, it’s close to what Earth Wind & Fire were doing at the time minus the mysticism and polyrhythms.
(March 2024) Episode 555 is THE NEVILLE BROTHERS. This logiclly follows my recent episode on The Meters, which featured Art and Cyril Neville. In 1977 they joined Aaron and Charles to form this eponymously named unit. Each brother in this talented family had their own musical careers long before, during and after. But assembled together they created an iconic group with New Orleans-flavored funk, soul and R&B. This episode covers their studio albums, which weren’t many, and a few live performances, but it still feels incomplete given the span of each brother’s work. I’ve always loved Aaron’s fluttering tenor and his classic mid-60s song “Tell It Like It Is.”
(February 2024) Episode 551 is THE METERS. This funked me up. This New Orleans set didn’t have the flash or flame of funkmasters like Brown or Clinton. Instead it was just pure unadorned funk, a foursome of guitar, drums, bass and keyboard that delivered a simple yet delicious groove. Instrumentals only on the first two albums. By the third album they got more sophisticated, adding horns and vocals. The opening song from their first album, “Cissy Strut,” was featured in Jackie Brown and other movies. The band’s leader was Art Neville, who later joined his brothers to form one of New Orleans’ iconic musical groups. This is fun listening.
Recommendation: Try the first two albums of bare-bones instrumental funk, and next the middle four of a fuller sounds, and pick your style. No need to bother with the last two that tend toward smooth soul and disco. They do get an award for honesty-in-admitting-you’re-following-trends by naming the first song off their 1976 album “Disco Is the Thing Today.”
(February 2024) Episode 547 is THE TEMPTATIONS. I had known them as a legendary Motown act through classic mid-60s hits like “My Girl,” “The Way You Do the Things You Do” and “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg,” who endured to the present day on the nostalgia circuit. What I did not know, and was not prepared by have MY MIND BLOWN by, were their “psychedelic soul” albums from 1968-1972 (notably Cloud Nine, Puzzle People and Psychedelic Shack). I knew “I Can’t Get Next To You” and “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag” but hadn’t connected that this was the same outfit that made “My Girl.” This period is when producer Norman Whitfield took over and guided them to a rougher and funkier sound, as well as more socially conscious themes. Alongside Sly Stone and Funkadelic, this sound made the Temptations a big influence on funk and 70s soul. Love this stuff. I am a sucker for falsetto, so I highlight Eddie Kendricks, one of the best and one of my favorites (along with Curtis Mayfield, Phillip Bailey and Prince). Amidst lineup changes, they kept pumping out albums through the decades following R&B trends, but never recapturing the magic of their peak. The Temptations are around today, still led by founder Otis Williams, the last original member.
Recommendation: Get those “psychedelic soul” albums referenced above, but their earlier “classic 5” era albums are very good too, such as Getting’ Ready and The Temptations with a Lot o’ Soul
(September 2023) Episode 523 is THE ISLEY BROTHERS. You might know them best for the classics “Shout” and “Twist and Shout,” prime examples of how gospel’s call-and-response helped define soul and rock. These late 50s recordings were just the beginning of a six-decade career of six brothers from Cincinnati, in various combinations, which is still going. They covered all the styles through that span: early R&B, soul, funk, disco, smooth R&B. My favorite period is 1969-75, their peak of funky soul, with hits like “It’s Your Thing” and “That Lady.” Everything from the 1980s on is not my thing. I commend their 1971 album “Givin’ It Back.” After a decade of watching White artists cover their material, they flip it by recording songs by Dylan, Stills, Young and Taylor. And they do it great.
Recommendation: Try those eight albums from 1969-75, or a greatest hits collection; make sure it includes the songs above and the funkalicious “If He Can You Can” and “The Heat Is On.”
(June 2023) Episode 506 of the “opus project” is TINA TURNER, including her work with IKE & TINA, begun after her recent passing. Few if any performers can match her dynamism on stage and in voice; I had not fully appreciated her powerful delivery before this episode. Add to this her personal story of overcoming Ike’s abuse to become an international star, reaching a pinnacle with her mid-1980s hits. While these songs are how my generation knows her, my favorite stuff is the Ike & Tina albums from 1970-73. It’s fantastic gritty, funky soul. (Their earlier R&B material is less interesting.)
(January 2023) Episode 466 is CHUCK BROWN (and the Soul Searchers). Known as the “Godfather of Go-Go.” Go-go is a subgenre of funk and soul that became popular in the Washington, DC, area from the mid-70s. Its main feature is a particular rhythmic pattern, which you will recognize as the beats pounded by the guys who play the paint buckets on downtown DC streets. Brown didn’t have much national fame but was a big deal in the DC scene. His hit “Bustin’ Loose” is played after wins by the Washington Capitals and Wizards, and after home runs by the Nationals.
Favorite album: We the People (released under “The Soul Searchers”)
Favorite song: Ashley’s Roachclip
Compared to expectations: same
Recommendation: I prefer the first two early 70s albums of classic funk, but the 79-80 albums are also funky good
Opus Project 