After devoting much of the last three years to our love-hate relationship with ’70s clown-rockers KISS, we felt it was only appropriate to catch them on their (alleged) farewell tour and pay our final (dis)respects. Here are our impressions. This is another short one, but we’ll be back in a few weeks to talk about the autobiography of P-Funk originator George Clinton, Brothas Be, Yo Like George, Ain’t That Funkin’ Kinda Hard on You? If you have any questions or comments about the book you’d like us to address on air, find us on on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or YouTube.
We begin our fifth year of Jheri Curl June with Mandrill: a group from Brooklyn, New York that had existed for over a decade before embracing the slick, seductive sound of Jheri Curl Music. Like Jheri Curl June veterans Kool & The Gang, Mandrill began as a large funk outfit with latin and jazz influences. By 1981’s Energize, however, they had discarded the jam-heavy grooves for the tight, synthetic sound of Jheri Curl funk. It would also be their last album recorded before they disbanded in 1982.
“Get It While it’s Hot” is an example of how early Jheri Curl Music often offered up exceptions to the rules; in this case, Mandrill maintained their live horn section instead of using a synthesizer to provide “synthetic” horns. Yet most of the characteristics are here, including a low melodic bass line and soaring synths. It’s early JCM for sure, but Jheri nonetheless. (more…)
Kool & The Gang is yet another ’70s funk band that sustained themselves through the changing landscape of ’80s R&B with their ability to adapt to the times. I mean, just listen to anything off 1973’s Wild and Peaceful, and then consider that “Ladies’ Night” (which, by the way, will always be THE fucking jam) came out just six short years later. Of course, any group that lasts 30+ years will have some stylistic changes; but what is so surprising about Kool & The Gang is that they were initially a tight jazz/funk outfit. Anyone whose sole knowledge of Kool & The Gang is their disco late-’70s-funk-hit-turned-’90s-elementary-school-party-song “Celebration” will be confused as hell when they hear the group at their jazziest on Live at P.J’s.I mean, there’s a fucking flute on that album.
1984’s Emergency, meanwhile, proved that Kool & The Gang could definitely pull off Jheri Curl Music–as well as jheri curls on their heads–while also, in the video to “Fresh,” depicting one of the weirdest adaptations of Cinderella I’ve ever seen:
Like, I’m not sure why the step sisters are eating barbed wire burgers. I’m also not sure why the fairy godmother is a Marilyn Monroe lookalike who throws a grenade that turns into a party dress. But just the fact that Cinderella busts into the party and immediately strips down to her leotard and starts hip thrusting is enough to make this my favorite version of the fairy tale. It definitely has the best soundtrack.
Oh, and her heels have spurs on them. That IS fresh.
Well, here we are: for the second consecutive year, we’re turning Memorial Day weekend into a time of remembrance for the many great artists we lost since last May. But because this is still Dystopian Dance Party, and we’re constitutionally incapable of being reverent for more than a few minutes at a time, please be aware that the resulting podcast is about 70% wake, 30% roast (well, maybe 60/40). Just believe us when we tell you it’s all coming from a place of love. Hopefully, while everyone good continues to die and leave us trapped on this smoldering husk of a planet, we can at least entertain you (and ourselves) with our impressions of “The Force M.D.’s Meet the Fat Boys”… R.I.P. to Trisco Pearson. Show notes below.