Anatomy Of A Groove:Look What Joe Tex Did
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Artist:
Even though my mini wormhole post is presented in chronological order, it remains quite funky, I hope. You see, I thought I'd stumbled upon a connection a few weeks back when a Buddy Miles track (Joe Tex) popped up in random, and gosh darn it, if it didn't sound a whole lot like a Funkadelic tune (Standing on the Verge Of Getting It On). Normally that would be enough for me, job well done, Cody, make that post, receive adulation, make your stroke of luck into a feat of crate digging magic.
Not so fast son..while I was scrounging around for Buddy Miles info, I chanced upon a blogpost that moved me back from senior class president to freshman.. Not only do the comments of this Funky 16 Corners post mention my supposedly unfound connection between Buddy Miles and Funkadelic, they make a further connection back from Buddy's tune to where it came from (Joe Tex's- You're Right Ray Charles).
So, especially since the Funky 16 corners post was from 2007, my "scoop" was out the window. Beaten, but unbowed, I decided to look forward and lo and behold the color started coming back into my face, because Funkadelic's Standing on the Verge.. ended up as a Bomb Squad sample on Ice Cube's Endangered Species and later on the underappreciated Bomb Squad production for Son of Bazerk's Part One.
In reading up on Joe Tex, I found he got his start as a stand up comic, and later, that he peppered his live music show (from the mid-60's onward) with ribald stage patter, that some folks consider hip hop-esque. I guess in the end it's no surprise that what he started would end up fueling hip hop records, but the vibe flows through..most notably in the schizo hard soul of Son Of Bazerk, which I did remember, but barely. It was fun to hear Bazerk again, almost twenty years later, and realize, that some things, like a good groove and a sense of humor, never get old. (Ice Cube notwithstanding-everything else is in comments)
Locating MOG account...
Comments (17)
Buddy Miles - Joe Tex
Funkadelic - Standing On The Verge of Getting It On (Single version)
Ice Cube w/Chuck D - Endangered Species
Son Of Bazerk - Part 1
once again ... your musical astuteness delights and astounds
thanks C
I guess it's no secret to us that "sampling" occured long before the hip hop era..thanks,dz.
genius...pure genius
Thanks scribes, or were you talking about Joe Tex?:) It is kinda cool how the song cycled all the way from then to now..
you, but ol' Tex is pretty damn funky.
It's great how your found an orderly path, or a "wormhole," through a chaotic mass of material. Joe Tex's cut is masterful. Bazerk gets an amazing rhythm going. Great post
Absolutely superb, Cody
Adulation, Adulation
great post
Thanks so much Spike and inrumford..
Until recently, I hadn't thought a whole lot of Joe Tex, but my opinion is changing rapidly.
I would highly recommend that Son Of Bazerk record (this is not the best cut on the record, but it did suit my purpose). It is a real tour de force fusion of soul/funk/hip hop, led by the sonic collage masters from the Bomb Squad (Public Enemy), who were really changing the game back then. With hindsight, it was way ahead of its time.
Interesting to see the use of "versioning" in American soul r'n'b in the sixties. It's a lot rarer than its Jamaican cousin - indeed I'm struggling to think of many real examples. Obviously this is a lot easier with smaller labels and low selling tunes where the writers are less likely to feel litigious.
Joe tex's version of "Oh Me Oh My" is a wonderful example of the nine minute "everything but the kitchen sink" style of early seventies soul, but I'm sure you're familiar with it
Truth be told Mr.B, I have that tune you mention, but wasn't really up on it's charms..til now. Thanks.
Ha..he almost out raps Isaac Hayes in this one..Like Mr.B says, 9 minutes..
Joe Tex -Oh Me Oh My
Excellent post, Cody. Choice of pix and music ... and that 'fro ... make it for me.
I pick and pick, but I can never get mine the way Buddy got his..
heh heh!
Dammit. Couldn't find the Joe Tex version (or the Funkadelic version) to add to the play list.
The music to this post is restored here....