Young Senators - Jungle (mp3)
The Fawns - Girl In Trouble (mp3)
Bobby Franklin's Insanity - Bring It On Down To Me Pt. 1 (mp3)
The liner notes say it all:
3. Young Senators – Jungle
Originally trading as The Dimensions (before The 5th Dimension’s management forced a name change), the Young Senators are regarded as one of Chocolate City’s earliest and most important exponents of go-go. A seven-piece outfit, they hailed from Northwest Washington and cut two funky singles on their own Sound Innovation label in the early ‘70s. The second of these was this excellent cover of The Jungle by fellow DC favourites and Atlantic recording artists Black Heat, which hit number one locally. Around this time, the Young Senators met the late Eddie Kendricks and became his touring band, a relationship that lasted eight years. As such they also became the first road band to record with a Motown act, backing Kendricks on whoppers like Keep On Truckin’ and Boogie Down.
5. Bobby Franklin’s Insanity – Bring It On Down To Me (Pt.1)
Flexing a heavy bottom end, fuzz guitar and flute, this 1969 Curtis Mayfield production was one of several sides Bobby Franklin’s Insanity cut for Thomas Records, run by Curtis Mayfield and Eddie Thomas. BFI later moved on to Westbound Records in Detroit, where they continued to bring the funk, notably on a cover of Hit It And Quit It by label-mates Funkadelic.
7. The Fawns – Girl In Trouble
The Fawns were originally sisters Michelle, Ann and Avis Harrell. They cut two singles for the short-lived DC imprint TEC before disbanding following the release of this Supremesesque number, which tackles the thorny subject of an unplanned pregnancy. Maxx Kidd revived the name with a new line-up and signed them to RCA Records for whom the single Problem Child was their only release
Own the 2-cd compilation of rare, dusty D.C. soul & funk, Superfly Soul: Riding Through the Ghetto
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