By mhc (172.164.194.114 - 172.164.194.114) on Sunday, June 30, 2002 - 01:30 am: |
Two of my favorite Detroit '70s R&B hits were (and are..) "Mr. Penguin" by Lunar Funk, and "Why Not Start All Over Again" by The Counts. I remember hearing back then that they were the same group. Whoever they are, they could play their asses off and they made great records. Does anybody here know who they were and what the members went on to do, etc.?
By John Lester (213.122.202.253 - 213.122.202.253) on Sunday, June 30, 2002 - 06:19 am: |
I bought Mr Penguin at the time too but didn't know it was Detroit.
At least I am consistent!
By LTLFTC (12.245.225.79 - 12.245.225.79) on Sunday, June 30, 2002 - 03:05 pm: |
The Counts were great. If i remember correctly the keyboard player covered the bass with pedals. They had 2 lps that I know of. The first was on Westbound and had "Why not..." on it ;I wish I still had that lp. The 2nd was "Love Signs" on Aware which I still have. This is kind of mellower and jazzy. My favorite Counts tune, though, is called "Get Down People" which predates both albums and I don't believe was ever on lp. Luckily, it is on one of those Rhino "Roots of Funk- In Yo' Face" cds along with some other unsung classics-it's a great compilation. Clay McMurray posted here a while ago that it was the Counts who backed Spyder Turner on "Stand By Me"! Clay says he has the original 12-15 minute version master of that song. I don't remember "Mr.Penguin" which surprises me as I was a CKLW head at that time.
Steve K.
By Davie Gordon (213.251.162.249 - 213.251.162.249) on Sunday, June 30, 2002 - 04:27 pm: |
I always thought Lunar Funk was a UK record.
If the writer credits involve somebody called
"Spevock" they're definitely English - they
appear to be a studio project by a band called
Babe Ruth who had a couple of albums in the
early seventies.
Of course I could be getting totally confused
....
By Davie Gordon (213.251.162.249 - 213.251.162.249) on Sunday, June 30, 2002 - 04:29 pm: |
The Fabulous Counts had an album before the one
on Westbound - it's called (I think) "Jan Jan"
and was issued on Cotillion - it's made up of
sessions recorded for Ollie McLaughlin.
I might have a track listing for it somewhere or
other, I'll see if I can find it.
By matt (208.130.56.167 - 208.130.56.167) on Monday, July 01, 2002 - 03:14 pm: |
re "mr. penguin": definitely local, produced by a detroiter named marlin mcnichols who was until very recently running a detroit gospel label. he may still be, but i haven't been able to reach him in about a year...
matt
By LTLFTC (12.245.225.79 - 12.245.225.79) on Monday, July 01, 2002 - 06:45 pm: |
There's a great site called Funk45.com that has 30-second RealAudio clips from hundreds of 70's funk and soul obscurities. I found a clip of a pre-Westbound Counts song called "Lunar Funk". I also found "MR Penguin" which I remembered after about 2 seconds BY Lunar Funk....who Lunar Funk, the band, is remains a mystery - but not for long knowing this forum!
Steve K.
By matt (208.130.56.167 - 208.130.56.167) on Monday, July 01, 2002 - 09:08 pm: |
the counts and lunar funk are the same group, according to marlin mcnichols. bad smoke ("crawl y'all" on chess) is also related somehow...
By mhc (172.129.255.134 - 172.129.255.134) on Tuesday, July 02, 2002 - 03:57 am: |
LTLFTC, that's one of the things that kills me about their records; the organ bass. What an awesome sound. They had a great B3 player in that (those) band(s)..