THE 85th MIX FOR F.S.V.B

Here's the 85th Mix for F.S.V.B, Its been Mixed by HeavySoulBrutha, there's some classic  Jazz /Jazz Funk Music Tracks on here, Its called, Groove Merchant!                       

Its features Donald Byrd, Herbie Hancock, George Benson, Grover Washington Jr and Eddie Henderson to name but a Few!

Check Out WebPage For Track Listing and Download.

Groove Merchant! by Heavysoulbrutha on Mixcloud

THE BEST SOUL BANDS / ARTISTS OF THE ALL-TIME # 1 THE CHI-LITES

This Series of Post's concerns in my Opinion The Best Bands/Artists of all time.


I will write a Short Bio including  the Band Members/ Artist, some Facts and figures, their Histories,  Links, Videos, The Tracks they made Famous, Links to Download etc etc

I will start with Probably the Best Soul Vocal Band Ever...The Chi-Lites, led by the Great Eugene Record on Lead Tenor vocals,  I brought my First Chi-Lites Album in 1975, "Half a Love" this incidentally was their Last Album for Brunswick Records.
By this time they had already had plenty of Success and Hit records, but after hearing this Album I soon made it my mission to Purchase all the stuff that went before!


Another interesting fact concerning this particular Album, The Chi-Lites Record Label "Brunswick" were in serious Financial trouble around the period of the Album release, so out of the 10 Tracks on the Album, only 6 were New, the other 4, had been Released previously!

The Chi-Lites were Formed in 1959, but originally they were called The Hi-Lites. They had 5 Original Members: Marshall Thompson, Creadel "Red" Jones, Eugene Record, Robert Lester and finally Clarence Johnson.


They Released several Singles on Local Record Labels, then in 1964 they had a Name Change, this time it was Marshall Thompson and The Chi-Lites, they added a "C" in Honour of where they came from "Chicago"


By the end of 1964 Clarence Johnson had left the Band and another name change had happened, they were now called  just "The Chi-Lites"


By 1968 The Chi-Lites had joined "Brunswick Records" and Eugene Record has emerged as the Lead Singer, Song Writer and Producer!

By 1969 the First Hit Record happened "Give It Away" it reached Number 10 in the US R&B Chart, the follow up Single "Let Me Be The Man, My Daddy Was" was only moderately Successful.


They had to wait until 1971 until the next big Hit, "Are You My Woman" was a US R&B Top 10 Record, then after that it was Hit after Hit!

The first Crossover Hit came with 
"For Gods Sake Give More Power To The People" then there were 2 Number 1's in the US R&B Charts with "Have You Seen Her" and "Oh Girl" incidentally "Oh Girl" was also a  Number 1 Pop Hit in the US in the Spring of 1972!


After about another 6 other Single releases, all getting into both US Pop and R&B Charts, the Single "Stoned Out Of My Mind" was released in 1973, it reached Number 2 in US R&B Chart, but this marked the time when several Line-up changes happened!

By the middle of 1974 the Hits were still coming with "Homely Girl" Toby and so on, more Hits followed in 1975, but it was around this period when as I said earlier "Brunswick" were in Financial Trouble, and by 1976 The Chi-lites had left "Brunswick" and Eugene Record had left The Chi-Lites!


During this period The Chi-Lites signed for "Mercury Records"  and had a moderate time by their standards, but by 1980 the Original Members (minus Clarence Johnson) had Reformed and signed to Carl Davis's Record Label "Chi-Sound"


The Re-union did not last long though, by 1982, "Creadel Jones" left again, followed by Eugene Record in 1988!

Over the years their were several member changes and a few minor Hits, but nothing like the early 70's.


Their last Biggest Hit Record was "Bottoms Up" in 1983, it reached Number 7 in US R&B Chart.


My Favorite All-Time Chi-Lites Track is  "Yes I'm Ready (if I dont get to go)  A CLASSIC!


In 2000 The Chi-Lites were Inducted into "R&B The Hall Of Fame" 


For a more In-depth Story (including all the Music, bio's, Chart positions, Awards etc)  of The Chi-Lites....PRESS HERE



The only living Member of the Original Band is "Marshall Thompson" who is still Performing, and one of his current Projects is Joint-Owner of "Mar-ance Records" with Michael Jackson's Father, Joseph.


Press Here to view/hear the Chi-lites Greatest Hits!

Below are the Tracks from the 2006 Album Released on Music Club, 36 Tracks in total, Volume 1 and 2, either just Play the tracks or Download!

THE 84th MIX FOR F.S.V.B

Here's the 84th Mix for F.S.V.B, Its the Final Mix of the Series! Its been Mixed by Funk Zone (Michael Onas), there's some classic Funk/Soul Music Tracks on here from 80's and 90's, Its called, Funk & Old School Mix Disc 3!


Its features Keith Sweat, Roger and Zapp, George Clinton, Cameo, Prince and Tony Toni Tone to name but a Few!


Check Out WebPage For Track Listing and Download.

NEW COMING NEXT WEEK and a MOAN!

This Post has been Published in my Absence (post dated), Starting Next week, I will be Posting a New series of Posts (to run along side of my usual  Posts), it will Feature a different Artists, Band etc, it will Feature a short Bio with Facts Figures Links etc, it will also Feature some of their best Tracks they recorded!


I will start with who I think were one of the Best Vocal Groups EVER........that's The Chi-Lites!!!!!!

They had some Great Soul Music Ballads with the Great Eugene Record on Tenor lead Vocals!


A Couple of Artists I probably won't be Featuring are Alexander O'Neal and Randy Muller of Brass Construction!


There are 2 Reasons for this, Firstly I have seen both of these Artists in Concert (see other Posts in this Blog) a few years ago, both were Great, Especially Brass Construction, who were one of my Favorite Bands, I have almost all their Music between the both of them, but sometimes things Just Naff You Off!


Alexander O'Neal : In the U.K we used to have a T.V Programme called "Wife Swap" well A.O was featured on this Show once, about 3 years ago, well what a "Big Head" he was ordering his exchanged Wife around like a Slave and he did many of other things on that Show, what did not do anything to improve his Image!


I went off him straight away, and dont think I have played any of his Music since then!


Randy Muller : I remember when I first joined Facebook, a few years back, I got a few Musical friends as you do, R.M being one of them, I told him how I had seen him in Concert a few years before, and how (when he came out into the Concert Hall before the Show) I had spoken to him  and got his Autograph etc, he never even Bothered to Reply to my Post, now this might sound a bit small minded, but he used to reply to most of his wall posts, and I thought being a fan of his, who had paid to see him in Concert and brought T-Shirts and all that Music etc over the years,  at least I deserved a Reply!


Anyway thats enough of that Moaning and Please come back Next Week for that start of a Great series of Posts (thats my opinion anyway)! 

THE 83rd MIX FOR F.S.V.B

Here's the 83rd Mix for F.S.V.B, Its been Mixed by Funk Zone (Michael Onas), there's some classic Funk/Soul Music Tracks on here from 80's, Its called, Funk & Old School Mix Disc 2!                       

Its features Lakeside, I-Level, Slave, Cameo, The Reddings and Dynasty to name but a Few!

Check Out WebPage For Track Listing and Download.

NEW JOB & GRANDMASTER FLASH &THE FURIOUS 5

Around this period of my Life, I'm finding it hard to remember Certain Dates etc, What I can Remember is, I left The Sandringham Hotel around the Early to Mid Summertime of 1982 and went back to Butchery, for the Easier Hours, No Work on Sundays and all Bank Holidays Off!

I worked for (at that time) a Big Chain of Butchers "The Co-op", it was their Main Shop in Great Yarmouth's Town Centre. There were as I remember 2 other Butcher's Working there, the Shop Manager & his Deputy Manager, I cant remember who the Deputy Manager was, but I can vaguely remember the Manager, not his Name though, he was a Right Smart Arse, as I remember, and I did not get on with him that great!


As I recall he was a Right Big-Head and thought he Knew everything about everything, I think he liked Rock Music and thought Soul/Funk Music was a Load of Sh*t, I remember buying "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious five, around this time, and he thought it was the Biggest load of Rubbish , he had ever heard!


At this time I was still Biking to work, I lived in Gorleston, which was about 4 Miles from work, so I got plenty of Exercise, I used to bring the Bike through the Shop when I arrived to work and put it in the back room, I don't think we had a Back way, to the Shop, as it was Joined to the Main Co-op Shop! so everything including the Meat Deliveries had to come through the Front Door

The actual Butcher's shop is still in the same place as it was nearly 30 Years ago, but the Co-op Shop/Brand has long gone, and the Shop itself  is now Closed!


As for the Music around this Period (as I said previously), Rapping/Hip Hop had just begun, and one of the Biggest Releases then (and Now), was "The Message" by Grandmaster flash & The Furious Five, that was something New around this Period, Music Wise!


As a Group GMF only ever Released 2 Studio Albums, although they had plenty of Compilation Albums, over the years!

THE 82nd MIX FOR F.S.V.B

Here's the 82nd Mix for F.S.V.B, Its been Mixed by Funk Zone (Michael Onas), there's some classic Funk Music Tracks on here from 1970 and 80's, Its called, Funk & Old School Mix Disc 1!                       

Its features TS Monk, Junior, New York Skyy, George Benson, Yarbrough & Peoples and Tom Browne to name but a Few!

Check Out WebPage For Track Listing and Download.

FUNKY-SOUL-VINYLS CLASSIC SOUL AND FUNK ALBUMS OF THE 60's 70's and 80's # 4

In this Series of Posts, I will writing about a Particular Classic Soul/Funk Album from the 60's 70's and 80's


The one's that stand out in my Mind, as The Best Soul/Funk/Jazz/R&B Albums ever Released. All of them, I purchased as Vinyl many Years ago and also I have them on CD today.


You may have a Differing view (as we all do) on these Choices, but these are my Favorites!


# NUMBER 4.........KLEEER.........SEEEKRET

A Great Release in 1985 was "Seeekret" by Kleeer, as it turned out, this was their Last Ever Album Release, it was Atlantic Records, 
it contained 2 Singles:


1. Take Your Heart Away
2. Never Cry Again


The Best Tracks in my opinion were, the Above and : 3. Lay Ya Down EZ  4. You Got Me Rockin'

Kleeer were Definitely one of my Favorite Bands, I wander why this was their Last Album as a Band, I did later Buy a Solo Album by Woody Cunningham, called "Universal Love" in 2000,  it was on Expansion Records from the U.K, this was also a Great Album!
Download it Here!

I have seen Kleeer Live in Concert  around 1984, they were Great, one of the Better Bands I have Seen!

Kleeer contained 4 Members: 
headed by drummer, arranger, songwriter, and vocalist Woody Cunningham,Vocalist/percussionist Paul Crutchfield, guitarist Richard Lee, and bassist Norman Durham.


Unfortunately Woody Cunningham Passed Away about 1 Year ago!


Checkout all Album Tracks Below!





Checkout this Blog, to DOWNLOAD all of the Kleeer Album Releases!