The Inverted Spin

Spinning Wheel – Blood Sweat & Tears
Spinning Wheel – The JBs
Spinning Wheel – Peter Cincotti
Spinning Wheel – Shirley Bassey

Today, we at The Funk would like to bring to you another double posting of cover song goodness. Why, well because we are nice folk trying to let some of that funky sunshine in on those that may not be so inclined. So enjoy.

Side Note 1: I'm not going to get really really specific into the posting today cause of all the issues I've been having with the system today. Just so you don't get mad at a brother.

First up, you'll notice the horns-a-blazing intro that PE used for Nite Train...that was a classic...which leads into the main ingredients of the track. I was not aware of Blood Sweat & Tears as far as being a band that could crunk out some funk, more in that's what Keith, Mo, Hurt, FranWeezie and the rest of the BAN family gave for RMC during our football playing days. Anyhow, here is a bio of the group. What would you describe this song as? Jazz Funk? Funk Rock? Jazz Rock? Funk Razz? Or just plain good music? I'd go with the latter myself. Towards the end, dude goes off on the trumpets...very high class.

Secondly, we have a nice instrumental version of Spinning Wheel by that funk band of bands, The JBs. For those that don't know the story behind The JB's, check this out. I've prolly got a rack of stuff from The JBs and this is pretty good for them. Has a kind of mellowed out feel given all of the high energy/feet stomping/girls taking off their undergarments type of music that they normally hit us with. I think that this record was made for the sole purpose of giving the Beat-Niks a chance to do the George Jefferson walk and not get laughed at. It's all about inclusion folk.

Third, we'd like to take it down yet another knotch to a jazz rendition of Spinnin Wheel by Peter Cincotti. Not a whole lot that I can say about dude that this already has not. It's classic jazz that you could dig while you sit around the fireplace discussing the pros and cons of electron manipulation and it's effects on plant life. That or I'm sure you'd hear it at Hef's place. I like it though. As a bonus, homeboy is some kind of prodigy, which gives at least one a good release in the past year. HIYO!

Finally, we'd like to introduce the first of two cover versions by Shirley Bassey (the other will be on Friday). For those who don't know, Big Shirley (wasn't that the name of Cole's never seen girlfriend on Martin?) is famous for the theme songs that she did from the early James Bond films. She's got her own site of new material if you are so inclined. Her rendition of Spinning Wheel sounds more "orchestrated" than the others but if you peep her body of work, that is her thing. She gives this version a little bit of what I like to call "kitty growl". That underlying sexiness in certain female voices that ooze sex appeal but are not overtly fake like porn stars doing 900 number chat lines...not that I'd know what those sounded like.

For our Added Bonus Section today, we here at the funk have been working hard to provide you the reader/listener some of the best that good clean funky ass music has to offer. We search tiredlessly over the net, in our personal record crates, and in some cases the crates of people we don't really like but who have the records we like. So in honor of our commitment to you we'd like to present our theme song:

Working In A Coal Mine - Lee Dorsey
Working In A Coal Mine - Booker T & the MGs

So thanks for being patient while we tried to get around performance meetings/host problems today.

Side Note 2: Be on the lookout for a script/book called "Adventures Of A Shooter Girl" by my home-ette (female homie) from the north, Raissa. I think it could make a good film myself. Of course I'd have to do plenty of "on site" research to properly make the film you understand...

I Live for the Funk, I Die for the Funk
Brother B.