Soul Sizzle Onyx

Onyx is just a fancy way to say shiny black. This Soul Sizzle pick continues with the Disco, Electro Boogie, Funk, R&B and Soul tracks. I'm looking mostly for 60's, 70's, and 80's stuff, but whatever sneaks through that doesn't fit the mold is ok with me. Every time I listen to this track from James Brown all I can think of is Eddie Murphy. Two other tracks I will ask you about. Betty Wright, unless you look at the title, doesn't it sound like she saying something else? Is that just me? And Wilson Pickett's song makes me wonder how many songs have phone numbers in them? Off the top of my head allI can think of is Jenny, Jenny but there has to be more. Can you think of any?

Soul Sizzle Onyx

79 Wilson Pickett - 634-5789 (Soulsville, U.S.A.)

80 Eddie Floyd - Raise Your Hand

81 Dramatics - Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get

82 Betty Wright - Shoorah! Shoorah!

83 Joe Tex - I Gotcha

84 Mandrill - Fencewalk

85 Kool & The Gang - Funky Stuff

86 The Bar-Kays - Shake Your Rump To The Funk

87 Material - Let Me Have It All

88 Nona Hendryx - Transformation

89 Brass Construction - Movin'

90 Midnight Star - No Parking (On The Dance Floor) (Extended Version)

91 S.O.S. Band - Borrowed Love

92 Bohannon - Let's Start The Dance (Remix)

93 James Brown - Hot (I Need To Be Loved, Loved, Loved)

94 Ohio Players - Jive Turkey

Soul Sizzle Green

I'm pretty sure we're on number five of the Soul Sizzle picks. This one is Green. Go back a day or two to see the previous one. Still mixing it up. These are going to be 60's, 70's, 80's Soul, R&B, Disco, Funk of sorts. A couple of cool longer mixes, some big hits and a couple of smaller regional hits and deep cuts. Similar cover and still more to come.

Soul Sizzle Green

65 Arthur Conley - Sweet Soul Music

66 Skyy - Call Me

67 Slave - Just A Touch Of Love

68 Sylvers - Hot Line

69 Con Funk Shun - Ffun

70 Brick - Dazz (Mixx It)

71 Teena Marie - Square Biz

72 Lakeside - Raid

73 Graham Central Station - The Jam

74 Johnny Guitar Watson - A Real Mother For Ya

75 Labelle - Messin' With My Mind

76 Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes - Bad Luck (A Tom Moulton Mix)

77 Commodores - Brick House (12 inch Mix)

78 Tom Browne - Funkin' For Jamaica

Soul Sizzle Purple

The fourth of this series (still by color and it's just coincidence that it starts and ends with Prince). This pick blends the same mix of groove, funk, soul, and dance-floor fire that defined the first three volumes, but with a deeper and more varied palette that makes it irresistable (to me anyway.) I think it's a little darker, a little sleeker, a little more electric but its fits in well. I have at least one more coming. But most likely more, since I am enjoying these. I am loving the covers which for some reason remind me of Soul Train, which I loved, but darker.

Soul Sizzle Purple

51 The Time - Cool

52 Joe Tex - You Said A Bad Word

53 Sister Sledge - He's the Greatest Dancer

54 Shalamar - A Night To Remember

55 Chic - I Want Your Love

56 The Whispers - Rock Steady

57 Ray Parker Jr. - The Other Woman

58 Spinners - One Of A Kind (Love Affair)

59 Sun - Sun Is Here

60 James Brown - Cold Sweat

61 Isley Brothers - Fight The Power (Pts. 1 & 2)

62 Rick James - Give It To Me Baby

63 Zapp - More Bounce To The Ounce (Part 1 & 2)

64 Prince - Controversy

Soul Sizzle Gold

I actually have no idea how many of these tracks in this pick reached gold on sales, but I am sure they did well and I wouldn't be surprised if they all surpassed Gold status. But that's not why this is the color of the pepper. It's just volume three of the series and I am randomly picking the colored covers.  Like the previous Soul Sizzles over the last coupleof days, it's soul, R&B, funk, disco etc. Old and older but designed to be played at a party or in your car or just home alone for you to dance to. I like the mix. If you do too, then you are lucky, more will be coming.

Soul Sizzle Gold

33 Wilson Pickett - Land of 1000 Dances

34 The Bar-Kays - Soul Finger

35 Hugh Masekela - Grazing In The Grass

36 Sly & The Family Stone - Dance To The Music

37 Curtis Mayfield - Move On Up

38 Funkadelic - Can You Get to That

39 Bill Withers - Use Me

40 McFadden & Whitehead - Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now

41 Evelyn Champagne King - Love Come Down

42 Patrice Rushen - Forget Me Nots

43 The Gap Band - Burn Rubber On Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)

44 Dazz Band - Let It Whip (Extended 7' Mix)

45 Midnight Star - Freak-A-Zoid

46 Cameo - Candy

47 The Temptations - Ain't Too Proud To Beg

48 Lakeside - Fantastic Voyage

49 Maze - Before I Let Go

50 Mtume - Juicy Fruit

Soul Sizzle Teal

I started a series yesterday and this is volume two of this pick. I actually number it with colors, so this one is Teal. Similar flavor but a bit more of the funk to start it off and it gets a little dirtier, a little psychedelic and it's a bit more seventies soul. Fits in perfect after SS Red, so the numbering of the tracks continues. Mostly pretty well known songs, but an occaisional drip of a deeper track. Nothing outrageous. It will play well at your next get together, or in the car. Tell me what you like best about this one in the comments.

Soul Sizzle Teal

17 James Brown - Get Up Offa That Thing

18 Sly & The Family Stone - I Want to Take You Higher

19 Isley Brothers - That Lady (Part 1 & 2)

20 Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan - Tell Me Something Good

21 Meters - Cissy Strut

22 Ohio Players - Skin Tight

23 Parliament - Up for the Down Stroke

24 T-Connection - Groove to Get Down

25 Shalamar - Right In The Socket

26 Pointer Sisters - Yes We Can Can

27 Patrice Rushen - Haven't You Heard

28 O' Jays - Backstabbers

29 Eddie Kendricks - Girl You Need A Change of Mind

30 Otis Clay - Trying To Live My Life Without You

31 Etta James - Seven Day Fool

32 The Temptations - Psychedelic Shack

Soul Sizzle Red

I am numbering these by color. They are distinct from some other mixtapes I have, but complimentary. Try these picks for fun: Philly Steak, Stax Of Wax, Taking It Back. All fun. I have a few of these Soul Sizzles planned (and I already made the covers for several, so I better finish them up quick.) My rules were simple. It had to be songs I owned and liked. Danceable with no repeat artists within each volume and had to represent a groove history of black music and mostly be recognizable tracks although deep cuts would be fine. How did I do? Fun fact: the Cameo track was released at least four times. I usually use the version on the TGIF soundtrack, but today I used the version from their first album (very funky album! - Cardiac Arrest) which is what made me love that band even when they started going a little pop later in their years.

Soul Sizzle Red

01 Aretha Franklin - Think

02 Etta James - Tell Mama

03 Junior Walker and the All Stars - Shotgun

04 The Temptations - Get Ready

05 Jacksons - Shake Your Body Down To The Ground

06 Stevie Wonder - Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours

07 Emotions - Best Of My Love

08 Earth, Wind & Fire - September

09 Cheryl Lynn - Got To Be Real

10 Chic - Everybody Dance (12" Single Mix)

11 Prince - I Wanna Be Your Lover

12 The Whispers - And The Beat Goes On

13 T-Connection - Do What You Wanna Do  (12'' version)

14 Lakeside - It's All The Way Live

15 Spinners - The Rubberband Man

16 Cameo - Find My Way

Stax Of Wax

This Pol's Pick is along the lines of the Philly Steak, Taking It Back (yesterday), Fauxtown volumes I have already posted. but obviously all about Stax records. Different sounding R&B from all around the same time frames. Lots of hits and all with their distinctive sound. I really love the sounds of the Mar-Keys and Booker T and the MG's. But Isaac Hayes is my guy. I watched enough Blaxploitation to really get him. Look up his story because it is very interesting. This is not the place for a wiki entry. Just suffice it to say that I liked all this stuff since I first heard any of it. Remember, it is impossible to sum up an entire record company based on just  twenty or so songs. Go search for more. There is so much! BTW, I love the cover I made, butter and syrup on a stack.

Stax Of Wax

01 The Emotions - So I Can Love You

02 Linda Lyndell - What A Man

03 Carla Thomas - Gee Whiz (Look At His Eyes)

04 Little Milton - That's What Love Will Make You Do

05 Albert King - Born Under a Bad Sign

06 Jean Knight - Mr. Big Stuff

07 Wendy Rene - After Laughter (Comes Tears)

08 Staple Singers - I'll Take You There

09 Judy Clay & William Bell - Private Number

10 Otis Redding - (Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay

11 Otis Redding And Carla Thomas - Tramp

12 Wilson Pickett - In The Midnight Hour

13 Sam & Dave - Soul Man

14 Johnnie Taylor - Who's Making Love

15 Rufus Thomas - Walking The Dog

16 Bar-Kays - Soul Finger

17 The Temprees - Dedicated To The One I Love

18 Isaac Hayes - Theme from Shaft

19 The Mar-Keys - Last Night

20 The Soul Children - The Sweeter He Is

21 Booker T. And The MG's - Green Onions

22 Dramatics - In the Rain

Taking It Back 3

It continues with volume three of this Pol's Pick of R&B. No novelty/parody songs on this compilation, just more danceable R&B. I do notice that some of these tracks would not be out of place on a Northern Soul compilation, but I assure you that was not the inspiration. I really didn't know about Northern Soul until later. I just knew songs I liked and that people liked to dance to. Gloria Jones Tainted Love, for instance, I knew because of Soft Cell. I looked for the original and found a clear vinyl 12" single of the song and thought it was cool. Anyway, this is the last of the Taking It Back volumes. Go look for the Stax (tomorrow), Fauxtown and Philly oriented versions that kinda go hand in hand with these. As usual, leave a comment about songs you would have used in here. Love to see that kind of stuff.

Taking It Back 3

54 Tina Britt - The Real Thing

55 Smokey Robinson And The Miracles - I Second That Emotion

56 Soulsister - The Way To Your Heart

57 Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell - You're All I Need To Get By

58 Gladys Knight & The Pips - Everybody Needs Love

59 Stevie Wonder - I Was Made To Love Her

60 Jr. Walker & The All Stars - What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)

61 The Marvelettes - When You're Young And In Love

62 Miracles - You've Really Got A Hold On Me

63 Love Affair - Everlasting Love

64 Four Tops - Baby I Need Your Loving

65 The Spinners - Working My Way Back To You

66 Four Tops - It's The Same Old Song

67 The Supremes - You Keep Me Hangin' On

68 The Ronettes - Be My Baby

69 Martha Starr - Love Is The Only Solution

70 Martha and the Vandellas - Nowhere To Run

71 The Sapphires - Gotta Have Your Love

72 Denise Lasalle - Trapped By A Thing Called Love

73 The Chiffons - He's So Fine

74 Marvin Gaye & Kim Weston - It Takes Two

75 The Velvelettes - Needle in a Haystack

76 Gloria Jones - Tainted Love

Taking It Back 2

A continuation of the Taking It Back pick. This was designed to have at hand my favorite picks for a gig to do a set of "Motownish" R&B. Some slow, some fast but all recognizable songs that would get people on the dancefloor. It didn't matter if it was from Detroit or not, but just had to have that feeling of get up and dance. Frankly a lot of that came from Motown. I added one Big Daddy track which fits in with the theme. I was surprised how many people would come up to me and say, "I didn't know that U2 covered that song." Which, of course, they didn't, since they wrote it. Same cover and track numbering continues from the last one. Next volume tomorrow.

Taking It Back 2

27 The Temptations - My Girl

28 Jimmy Ruffin - What Becomes of the Brokenhearted

29 Four Tops - Ain't No Woman (Like The One I've Got)

30 Ray Charles - You Are My Sunshine

31 Brenton Wood - The Oogum Boogum Song

32 Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell - Ain't No Mountain High Enough

33 Dionne Warwick - Do You Know The Way To San José

34 Diana Ross & The Supremes - Where Did Our Love Go

35 The Miracles - Shop Around

36 Supremes - My World Is Empty Without You

37 The Miracles - Mickey's Monkey

38 Eddie Kendricks - Keep On Truckin' (Part 1)

39 Jackson 5 - I Want You Back

40 Gladys Knight and the Pips - You Need Love Like I Do (Don't You)

41 The Temptations - I Can't Get Next To You

42 Stevie Wonder - For Once In My Life

43 Aretha Franklin - Respect

44 Diana Ross & The Supremes - Stop! In The Name Of Love

45 Four Tops - Reach Out I'll Be There

46 O'Jays - Love Train

47 Martha & The Vandellas - Dancing In The Street

48 Supremes - Come See About Me

49 Junior Walker And The All Stars - Pucker Up Buttercup

50 Big Daddy - I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

51 Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose - Treat Her Like A Lady

52 Isley Brothers - Shout (Part 1 & 2)

53 The Marvelettes - Beechwood 4-5789

Taking It Back 1

This started as a CD to bring to DJ gigs when I wanted to play an oldies R&B set or Motown. And much of it is Motown or Motown influenced, but I didn't limit this pick to Detroit. Any good danceable song with that kind of feel was good. So Stax and Philly etc were not excluded. Nor were more recent songs, like parody band Big Daddy or other bands such as Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings. I just wanted to be able to grab a CD and know I could play pretty much any track and be okay. It eventually became volume 2 and 3 (which I will post later). But these are all songs, that I would dance to in a set like this. Hopefully you aren't too critical of the choices and that you give me some good suggestions for what you would add. Especially newer tracks that would fit in. The title is sort of the cliche DJ phrase, so I used it.

Taking It Back 1

01 Carla Thomas - B-A-B-Y

02 Mary Wells - My Guy

03 Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes - The Love I Lost (Part 1)

04 Solomon Burke - Everybody Needs Somebody to Love

05 Ray Charles - What'd I Say (Parts I & II)

06 Martha & The Vandellas - (Love Is Like A) Heatwave

07 Jackie Wilson - Reet Petite (The Finest Girl You Ever Want To Meet)

08 Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings - Just Dropped in (to See What Condition My Condition Was In)

09 Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street - Express Yourself

10 Jackson 5 - ABC

11 Big Daddy - Hold On

12 The Foundations - Build Me Up Buttercup

13 Eddie Floyd - Knock on Wood

14 Sam & Dave - Hold On! I'm Comin'

15 Marvin Gaye - How Sweet It Is

16 Gladys Knight & The Pips - I Heard It Through The Grapevine

17 The Temptations - Ain't Too Proud To Beg

18 The Marvelettes - Please Mr. Postman

19 Junior Walker and the All Stars - Shotgun

20 The Four Tops - I Can't Help Myself

21 Smokey Robinson and the Miracles - The Tears Of A Clown

22 Diana Ross & The Supremes - Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart

23 The Miracles - Going To A Go-Go

24 The Temptations - Get Ready

25 Stevie Wonder - Uptight (Everything's Alright)

26 Diana Ross & The Supremes - Baby Love