Various Artists
Bay Area Funk: Funk and Soul Essentials from San Francisco, Oakland, and the Bay Area, 1967-1976

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On this first volume of Bay Area Funk 16 tracks represent the best of the infamous Bay Area scene. Ranging from the boogaloo and shing-a-ling sound of Marvin Holmes and the Uptights to the psychedelic funk-jazz of P-I-R-Square. The compilation covers the period from 1967 to 1976 and is packed with music from the key originators and characters including a 12 year old Little Denice produced by blues legend Jimmy McCracklin, rhythm and blues hero Rodger Collins, KSOL radio station director "Hard Punching" Herm Henry, and Sugar Pie Desanto, former opening act for James Brown who is still pulling back-flips on-stage even in her late 60s.

The Bay Area Funk sound features at least two distinct approaches. San Francisco and the rest of the Peninsula (including East Palo Alto, San Jose, San Mateo, etc.) added rock and Latin rhythms to soul grooves, evident in bands such as The Unforgettables, H.P. Riot, and Veda. The East Bay (including Oakland, Richmond, Vallejo, etc.) blended Blues and Jazz with Funk as demonstrated by notable artists like Johnny Talbot, Lonnie Hewitt, and Wylie Trass.

The Bay Area is also known for mixed race bands that helped mix even more genres. For instance the San Francisco TKOs had Black, White, and Asian musicians playing to the crowds (not to mention a very funky drummer who, like Little Denice, was only twelve years old!). Reflecting the mix of races that migrated to the area, the music, feelings, and the love of their people, Bay Area funk is a unique sound, as you'll hear on this compilation.

This is one of the most essential releases on Luv N'Haight to date and has taken a couple of years to complete. It was compiled by the Luv N'Haight tune detectives Andrew Jervis and Michael McFadin with the help of DJ Riddm of Funky Riddms Records in Berkeley, "I found Wylie Trass through his daughter after calling every Trass in the Oakland phone book. I met Wendell Basey of Onyx through a friend who went to school with his nephew," explains DJ Riddim. "My search for local funk led me to the house of the legendary singer and guitarist Marvin Holmes, who was surprised to learn that diggers were searching high and low for music he had recorded over 30 years ago. He introduced me to other musicians and the more I learned about Bay Area funk, the more avid I became in my search for the music and the artists who created it." Without these bands and their efforts we might not even be here - this compilation taps into the source of the Bay Area funk and soul sound past and present. Extensive liner notes will include interviews with and pictures of the players, plus images of the original 45s, and rare visual material unearthed from the era.



A track-by-track breakdown by DJ Riddm:

Sugar Pie DeSanto: Git Back (Jasman) 3:00
A San Francisco R&B legend recording since the mid 1950s. Desanto grew up alongside Etta James and has toured with most of the blues greats as well as James Brown and Rufus Thomas from the funk era. Even in her 60s she's still performing, recording, pulling back-flips and she still don't take no stuff from no one!

Rodger Collins: Foxy Girls In Oakland (Galaxy) 2:47
This up tempo funk blues tune has been rediscovered and become a big Oakland club/party anthem in recent years. It features Joe Crane on guitar, John Rewind on Bass and slide guitar and Uptight's drummer Gaylord Birch. Collins had an international hit with "She's Looking Good" in the 1960s and released 45s through the early 70s mostly on the Galaxy label. Collins told me his influences range from gospel blues and soul to hillbilly hence the guitar intro and yodeling at the end of the song. He even sang me a few bars of these styles he used to create this song. This one's like the "pretty legs in Oakland," it's "bound to knock you right off your feet."

Johnny Talbot & de Thangs: Pickin' Cotton (Jasman) 2:25
Johnny is often called the originator of the Oakland funk sound. His style influenced most of the East Bay funk bands and his band backed such greats as Marvin Gaye and Etta James in the 1960s. If you're lucky you can still catch Talbot and his band playing the funky blues.

Marvin Holmes: Find Yourself pt.1 (Kimberly) 2:50
This is Marvin Holmes with his 70s band the Funk Company. Listen to the message, it's as relevant today as it was over 30 years ago. This is the tune that started it all for me. It's on an LA label but when I found out the band was out of Oakland I was determined to find more. Years later Marvin was also the first bay area funk musician I got to know.

Little Denice: Check Me Out (Ruthies Records)
This is one of a couple of Little Denice 45s produced by blues legend Jimmy McCracklin. She's got her thing together, as the label says "12 years old with a whole lot of soul". The Ruthies in Ruthies Records was a club on San Pablo Avenue in the East Bay.

Apollis: What It Is pt. 1&2 (Bay Sound)
While Appollis was actually out of New York this single was recorded for a San Francisco label. They were originally called the Apollos until they found out there were already two bands with that name. If anyone asks "what is funk?" play this and point to the title.

Jeannie Tracy: Trippin' On The Sound (Brown Door) 2:13
Released on Marvin Holmes infamous Brown Door Label this is late funk/pre-disco boogie to "get you off your seat". Sweet sister Jeannie has been recording since the early seventies and you can still hear her award winning voice on the radio today.

Eugene Blacknell & The New Breed: The Trip (Boola-Boola) 2:28
Eugene Blacknell epitomizes the blues inflected guitar sound of Bay Area funk. 45s like this, recorded for the highly collectable Boola-Boola label and Holmes other Sea Side label are known to trade hands for over $100 each.

Charles Leonard: Funky Driver On A Funky Bus pt.1 (Loadstone) 3:18
A humorous tale of a disgruntled passenger and a funky driver which was recorded by W.C. Stone, himself a San Francisco Muni bus driver who had hoped the song would be a big hit. Charles Leonard demands, "I'm a customer and I'm always right", having been on Muni we beg to differ!

Unforgettables: Sad Song (Loadstone) 2:54
Fronted by long time blues singer Curtis Lawson this is gritty 'Frisco funk. After hearing this rare 45, the 2nd of 3 from the Loadstone label, you'll find they live up to their name.

San Francisco TKO's: Herm (Golden State)
The TKOs were led by "hard hitting" Herm Henry, KSOL radio station director, they released only one album and 2 singles. This one tops the list of 45 rarities since only one hand is needed to count the number of copies I know about. One listen and you'll feel the funk punch of the TKO's.

Onyx: Break It Loose (Nia) 3:15
Led by brothers Wendell and Aaron Basey who formed their own Nia label in 1972. A tight harmony quartet with a sound and a message similar to the Temptations they got their start in the original Natural Four.

PI-R-Square: Fantasy pt. 1&2 (Wee)
PI-R-Square were fronted by Jazz pianist Lonnie Hewitt who got his start with Cal Tjader's band in the 1960s. Check out pt.2 of this tripped out funk jazz piece where Lonnie really gets loose. This mix is from the master tape, which was released as a 33rpm 7 inch single and is now highly collectable.

Unforgettables: Too Much Trouble (Loadstone) 2:55
Curtis Lawson and the band bring you another hard funk tune for the dance floor. W. C. Stone's San Francisco based Loadstone label was also responsible for releasing the first Sly And The Family Stone record "I Ain't Got Nobody." It took going through the packed Stone storage space and over 30 boxes of records to get to the tunes included on this comp!

Marvin Holmes and The Uptights: Oomph (Spotlight) 3:15
This boogaloo, shing-a-ling 45 from 1967 is the earliest funk record from the Bay Area featured on this compilation. Soon after Holmes followed with "Funky Mule" which was picked up by Uni and renamed "Ride Your Mule" because they thought that the word "funky" had negative connotations. Holmes was one of the few bay area funk musicians to sign with a major label and get nation wide recognition. He's had a long career and even produced for rapper Too Short. Holmes is still recording and can be heard playing his funk guitar at Sweet Jimmie's in Oakland.

Wylie Trass: The Feeling (Pashlo) 3:10
The 45 label also lists this as California Soul Explosion and that Leroy Smith who recorded many Oakland r&b artists through the 1960s and 1970s recorded it. Eugene Blacknell's son Geno first brought this obscure 45 to my attention. I tracked down Wylie after calling every Trass in the Oakland phonebook, eventually I talked to his daughter. This funk two sider has a cover of Aretha Franklins "Chain Of Fools" on the flip.

Click here to Read An Exclusive Interview With Herm Henry of the San Francisco TKOs on Bay Area Funk.