"Funk Drops: Breaks, Nuggets And Rarities From The Vaults Of Atlantic, Atco, Reprise And Warner Bros. Records 1968-1974" by VARIOUS ARTISTS (September 2001 UK Warner Strategic Marketing United Kingdom - Rick Conrad CD Compilation - Giovanni Scatola Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...Sexy Coffee Pot..."

Between 2001 and 2005 and using their Warner Strategic Marketing United Kingdom wing (often simply abbreviated to WSM) - the major label WEA were hammering the British and European markets with visually and audibly cool compilations to satisfy the then burgeoning need for Soul Breaks and especially Rare Groove Funk from the 60ts and 70ts. 

The fabulous WEA compilation series called "Funk Drops: Breaks, Nuggets And Rarities From The Vaults Of..." was one of those temptresses. Three volumes eventually covered 1968 to 1977 – laying into singles and deep LP cuts that were costing collectors a fortune on bidding sites (there was talk of a Volume 4 for Funk Drops, but it never materialised). 

WSM UK also gave us "After Hours" for Northern Soul (3 volumes) - "Natural High" for 2-Step Soul (3 volumes) - "Right On!" for Funk and Soul (5 volumes) - "The In Sound" series (11 or so volumes for covers, lounge music that crossed over into Soul, Eastern vibes, Psych in Soul) - "You Better Believe It" (2 volumes of rare Soul), "Creme De La Creme" (2 volumes for Philly Soul and Funk), "Blues And Soul Power" (1 volume of Funky R&B Crossovers 1964-1972), "From Burbank To The Bay Area..." (1 volume of Barrio Breaks, East-Bay Grease, Folk Funk and more from WEA's vaults) and so on. It was a deluge of goodies. Back to the first volume of "Funk Drops..." 

Remastered by GIOVANNI SCATOLA and compiled with smarts by RICK CONRAD at WSM UK - much to the pleasure of collectors - each playing-time-heavy CD also came in a 2LP VINYL SET complete with detailed inner sleeves that pictured all those sexy and sought-after American Funk 45s on labels like Alston, Atco, Atlantic, Cotillion, Josie, Reprise, San Francisco and of course - Warner Brothers. In fact, in the case of the Vinyl Double-Album for 'Volume 1' – it boasted one bonus track at the end of Side 4 - "Funky To The Bone" by Freddi Henchi & The Soul Setters (see list below for Barcode to locate it). 

But let's get back to the CD that first appeared in September 2001. Long forgotten and criminally so - Volume 1 of "Funk Drops" can be picked up dirt cheap in 2021 - for about four quid including P&P. The equally brilliant (if not actually better) Volume 2 from August 2002 is still out there for about nine pounds but June 2004's Volume 3 currently pushes an extortionate ninety quid or so! I loved the lot and actually bought both variants – CD and VINYL. Time to explore the Sexy Coffee Pot of dark musical delights sloshing aromatic in Volume 1...

UK released 3 September 2001 - "Funk Drops: Breaks, Nuggets And Rarities From The Vaults Of Atlantic, Atco, Reprise And Warner Bros. Records 1968-1974" by VARIOUS ARTISTS on Warner Strategic Marketing UK 0927-40712-2 (Barcode 809274071224) is a 20-Track CD compilation of Remasters (the first of three) that plays out as follows (72:55 minutes): 

1. You Gotta Know Whatcha Doin' - CHARLES WRIGHT (September 1972, US 45-single on Warner Bros WB 7630, A-side)

2. Sexy Coffee Pot - TONY ALVON & THE BELAIRS (May 1969, US 45-single on Atlantic 45-2632, B-Side of "Boom-Boom-Boom")

3. Soul Machine - THE METERS (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED recording made during the sessions for "The Meters" LP issued April 1969 on Josie LP 4010. "Soul Machine" issued Stateside on the 'Expanded Edition' CD of "The Meters" by Rhino in 2001 and by SoulMusic in 2020 on the "Gettin' Funkier All The Time..." 6CD Box Set)

4. Dirty Red - THE FABULOUS COUNTS (April 1969, US 45-single on Moira 45-105, B-side of "Scrambled Eggs" - also on the June 1969 Stereo LP "Jan Jan" on Cotillion SD 9011)

5. Cold Bear - THE GATURS (January 1972, US 45-single on Atco 45-6870, A-side - featuring Willie Tee)

6. Nobody But You Babe - CLARENCE REID (May 1969, US 45-single on Alston 45-4574, A-side - also on the 1969 US Stereo LP "Dancin' With Nobody But You Babe" on Atco SD-33-307)

7. Pop, Popcorn Children - ELDRIDGE HOLMES (August 1969, US 45-single on Atco 45-6701, A-side - Produced Allen Toussaint)

8. Engine Number 9 [6:26 minutes] - WILSON PICKETT (September 1970, US 45-single on Atlantic 45-2765, A-side. The original US 7" single had only the 2:46 minutes of Part 1 on the A-side with "International Playboy" as its B-side. This CD offers the full album version of 'Part 1 and 2' running to 6:26 minutes. It was also called "Get Me Back On Time - Engine Number 9" in the UK when it was issued there October 1970 on Atlantic 2091 032) - hence it is given that title on this CD.

9. What So Never The Dance (Pt. 1 &2) - HOUSE GUEST RATED X (November 1971, US 45-single on House Guests 28205 - offers both A&B-sides at 3:58 minutes)

10. C'mon Children - EARTH, WIND & FIRE (January 1972 US 45-single on Warner Brothers WB 7549, B-side of "I Think About Lovin' You" - also on the 1972 US LP "Earth, Wind & Fire" on Warner Brothers WS-1905)

11. Back On The Streets Again - TOWER OF POWER (January 1971, US 45-single on San Francisco 45-64, A-side edit of 3:16 minutes - full version on the "East Bay Grease" LP on San Francisco 204)

12. Getting Uptown (To Get Down) - UNITED 8 (June 1972, US 45-single on Atlantic 45-2896, A-side - Instrumental)

13. Love The Life You Live - BLACK HEAT (from the 1973 US LP "No Time To Burn" on Atlantic SD-7294 - full album version 6:33 minutes - Kool & The Gang song)

14. Come Little Children - DONNY HATHAWAY (from the June 1973 LP "Extension Of A Man" on Atco SD 7029 - full album version at 4:33 minutes, single edit was 3:38 minutes - Phil Upchurch Guitar Solo - Produced Arif Mardin)

15. 65 Bars And A Taste Of Soul - THE WATTS 103rd STREET RHYTHM BAND (July 1968, US 45-single on Warner Brothers 7222, B-side of "Bottomless")

16. Don't Come Around Here Anymore - MARK PUTNEY (April 1969, US 45-single on Atlantic 45-2617, B-side of "Today's Man")

17. It's Your Thing - COLD GRITS (August 1969, US 45-single on Atco 45-6709, A-side - Isley Brothers cover) 

18. Ridin' Thumb - KING CURTIS (from the 1972 US LP "Everybody's Talkin'" on Atco SD 33-385 - features Billy Preston on Organ and Richard Tee on Piano - written by James Seals)

19. Same Old Thing - THE METERS (from the June 1970 US LP "Struttin'" on Josie LP 4012)

20. Shop Talk (Version No. 1) - COLD BLOOD (from the Various Artists "San Francisco Fall 1970 Sampler" LP on San Francisco SD-158 - differs from the version of their 1971 "Sisyphus" album on San Francisco SD-205)

Compiled and Annotated by RICK CONRAD - the 12-page booklet gives you track by track info followed by the discography info you would want. But if I'm honest, the booklet is visually dire, letting the side down by not picturing those tasty 45 labels or even the colourful album sleeves you never see like the completely forgotten King Curtis "Everybody's Talkin'" and Clarence Reid "Dancing With Nobody But You Babe" albums. They would rectify this in further 'Funk Drops' issues and on the "After Hours", "You Better Believe It" and "Right On!" compilations. What isn't a let down are the fantastically muscular GIOVANNI SCATOLA Remasters - bringing to life each and every entry. To the grooves...

Any compilation which acknowledges that Donny Hathaway was Funky as well as a beautifully expressive Soul singer gets my vote - "Funk Drops" cleverly featuring the full album cut of "Come Little Children" from his fabulous "Extension Of A Man" album. It's typical of so many cuts on this CD - a tune that surprises by an artist you think you have pegged. The great groove opens with a James Brown-ish growl followed quickly by Phil Upchurch on Lead Guitar - Arif Mardin providing the tasty Production. There are also those obscure B-sides like the Brass and Guitar Meters-like flick of "65 Bars And A Taste Of Soul" - a neck-jerking instrumental from The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band that is certain to lively-up any dancefloor. 

Obscure but worthy comes in the shape of "Sexy Coffee Pot" by Tony Avlon & The Belairs - an upon-my-soul uh-huh-huh sure-feels-good chugger that again hits you with brass first, then cements the butt-wiggling deal with those so-want-to-sample drums and guitar flicks (Rhino would give it pride-of-place too on their award-winning "What It Is!" 4CD box set in 2006). Also included on that Box Set is the getting down and hanging around of United 8 – essentially a guitar-flicking instrumental with some man/woman to-and-fro scat vocals at either end. In a similar vein is the irresistible instrumental cover of The Isley Brothers signature groove "It's Your Thing" by Cold Grits – an obscure bunch of musicians who some say turned out to be members of John Fred's Playboy Band mixed up with Wayne Cochran's backing group. Conrad's liner notes advise that there is an entire album of the same still in the vaults awaiting release. 

Before they went full-on commercial Soul – Earth, Wind & Fire had a sort of Tower of Power vs. Prog Funkadelic feel to album cuts like "C'mon Children" – a hard-driving Funky workout. Speaking of forgotten album stints, Clarence Reid gets a truly brilliant groove to "Nobody But You Babe" – a big and brassy doing my thing 1969 A-side on Alston Records that Bear Family of Germany featured on their "Sweet Soul Music" Series of CDs for that year. And I have never heard the alternate Version 1 of Shop Talk by Cold Blood – darlings of the Soul-Funk discovery trail. There are loads more where they came from...

It probably shouldn't come as any real shock that a record label as genre-wide reaching as Warner Brothers would have Funk, Soul and Rare Grooves galore in their vaults. But that it would come as a surprise that thrills like this CD does – is – well a surprise. And Volume 2 of "Funk Drops" trumped the opening salvo, as far as I'm concerned. 

Cheap and cheerful - I'll drop either Volume of "Funk Drops" in my sexy black coffee any day of the week...

The "Funk Drops" CD and 2LP Series of Compilations

From Warner Strategic Marketing United Kingdom

Volume 1 - released 3 September 2001: 

CD: "Funk Drops: Breaks, Nuggets And Rarities: From The Vaults Of Atlantic, Atco, Reprise and Warner Bros. Records 1968-1974" on Warner Strategic Marketing 0927-40712-2 (Barcode 809274071224) - 20 Track CD

VINYL: Warner Strategic Marketing 0927-40713-1 (Barcode 809274071316) – 21-Track 2LP set with One Bonus - "Funky To The Bone" by Freddi Henchi & The Soul Setters (last track on Side 4)

Volume 2 - released 5 August 2002: 

CD: "Funk Drops 2: Breaks, Nuggets And Rarities: From The Vaults Of Atlantic, Atco, Reprise and Warner Bros. Records 1968-1975" on Warner Strategic Marketing 0927-48413-2 (Barcode 809274841322) - 23 Track CD

VINYL: Warner Strategic Marketing 0927-48413-1 (Barcode 809274841315) - 23-Track 2LP set (no bonus tracks)

Volume 3 - released 21 June 2004:

CD: "Funk Drops 3: Breaks, Nuggets And Rarities: From The Vaults Of Atlantic, Atco, Reprise and Warner Bros. Records 1968-1977" on Warner Strategic Marketing 5046-66295 2 (Barcode 5050466629524) - 25-Track CD

VINYL: Warner Strategic Marketing 5046-66295-1 (Barcode 5 050466 629517) - 25 Track 2LP set (no bonuses)