The first volume of Wheedle’s Groove shone a
light on the formerly unheralded soul scene in 1960s and ‘70s Seattle,
followed by Kearney Barton. The on-going Wheedle’s Groove series
continues to present a vast chapter of the city’s musical heritage that
has little to do with long-haired rock dudes with guitars. Back in the day platform shoes and pimp hats were the order
of the day. But unlike Volume I, Seattle’s soul scene did not
stop in 1975. This album documents the
period from 1972 to 1987, when funk was superseded by disco and modern
soul. Heading into the ‘80s, artists in the Emerald City caught wind of
the hip hop and electro scenes that were growing in bigger cities across
America, and gave the music their own distinct spin. As the
years unfurl in the tracks of Wheedle’s Groove Volume II, so does the
recent history of American music, the songs tracing technological
changes and social change, and music’s move from the club to disco as
live bands moved aside for DJs. Witness Septimus, on the cusp of both,
blending a live drummer with a Roland drum machine and cutting ‘Here I
Go Again’ on a 12” single. Separated from the
major centers of soul music, Seattle was a scene that developed out of
the gaze of the mainstream music industry, but one that moved just as
fast. As John Studamire of the band Priceless remembers, “A lot of the
groups around town would have to incorporate that disco sound or you’d
sound totally dated.” Seattle’s size and location had a great
effect on its sound. Artists on the scene were accustomed to playing
small, discreetly segregated club shows and pressing short runs of 45s
for local radio stations. Touring happened mostly on a regional scale
and artists popped up in a variety of different bands. Fans of Volume I
will recognize some familiar names here: Robbie Hill’s Family Affair
turn in the soul-jazz gem ‘Don’t Give Up’ and Cold, Bold & Together
present the undeniable vocal beauty of ’Let’s Backtrack.’ Compiled
and sequenced by Seattle’s DJ Supreme La Rock, this 18 track
compilation will also introduce you to the long-forgotten blue-eyed soul
boy Don Brown (‘Don’t Lose Your Love’) and frustrated talents Push,
overlooked for record deals on account of singer “Big Joe” Erickson’s
larger-than-life heft (‘You Turn Me On’). There’s Frederick Robinson III
and his gospel-funk protest tune ‘Love One Another’, Tony Benton of
Teleclere being Seattle’s answer to Prince (‘Steal Your Love’) and
Seattle Mariners baseball star Lenny Randle recording a tribute to their
infamous stadium. Certainly a different scene up in Seattle that fits into the musical journey perfectly. I confess to knowing only a few of these trackes played out in the Northern modern rooms..Good enjoyable album!
AMM
The Tasters!
20 comments:
Awesome Comp,Thank You Very Much AMM,Always Appreciated
Look at me, here I go again: Thanks, AMM! 😁
Thanks for volume 2 AMM! Appreciated
Almost the last day of the year - and so much good stuff! Thanks for review, P.
Very nice follow up to the first volume... many thanks for the review AMM
BigD
Thanks AMM for continuing with the Wheedle Groove
Many thanks AMM for the usual comprehensive review.
Thank you for the review AMM
Thanks AMM for reviewing this very rare Soul music. I've been a record collector in the Seattle area since 1963 and I don't recall seeing or hearing any of these rare trax.
Excellent.
Thank you mate - enjoyed the previous review
looks a great comp AMM
thanks Reb
last day of the year,and so many good ones on this comp thanks AMM
Great looking comp this one Thanks AMM
Cheers Pedro
This is a treasure trove of totally (new to me) tracks, so REALLY looking forward to it!HAPPY HEALTHY NEW YEAR TO YOU AND YOUS!
Cheers!
Bill
There's some nice stuff on here , thanks AMM .
Many thanks, AMM. A happy and healthy new year to you and all the members here. Cheers!
Thank you for Seattle's contribution to the music scene. Thank you for a great comp. and thank you.
Almost missed this one, AMM. Ultra rare tunes.
Sorry again, AMM, but could you resend to me, please. Many thanks.
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