Fatback Band
Yes! Buy everything they recorded in the 1970's. They're great. First three
albums were on the US Perception label and are now quite difficult to get hold
of. Let's Do It Again set the pace in 1972 with tracks like "Freestylin'",
wah-wah classic "Street dance" and "Goin' to see my baby" -
classic bassline (used again in 1980's "Backstrokin'" - they must've
liked it). Next album, People Music is even better, containing the song "Nija
(Njia) walk (Street walk)" - if you've not heard this, then you'll be
enchanted if you're a disco-funk freak - the wah-wahs are better than
"Theme from Shaft". Another hot track from this album is "Kiba".
Their final album on Perception is weakest, although "Feel my soul" is
quite a good groove. Last perception single was "Dance girl", not
included on any of the albums; this is the rarest Perception single and a true
classic.
Next, Bill & the lads changed to the Event label (US) / Polydor (UK).
Recorded 11 more albums in the remainder of the 1970's... listen for "Wicki
Wacki" on Keep on steppin', and the classic title track. Yum Yum gave
the funky title track and many funk classics including "Put the funk on
you" and "Feed me your love". Disco sounds from this album
include "Trompin'" and "Gotta learn how to dance", along
with "Boogie with Fatback". Raising Hell was most successful album; it
included "(Are you ready) Do the bus stop", taking advantage of the
'75 bus stop craze - a great song; "Spanish hustle" and "Party
time". Night Fever included the title track (almost exactly the same as
"Spanish hustle", though) and the brilliant "Disco crazy",
"No more room for dancing" and a cover of "December 1963 (Oh what
a night)". By NYCNYUSA, albums were heavily disco orientated; high spots
include "Double dutch" (NYCNYUSA), "Master Booty" and
"Boogie freak" (Man With The Band), "I'm fired up" (Fired up
& Kickin'), "(Do the) Boogie woogie" (Brite lights/big city),
"Disco bass" and "Disco queen" (XII), "Backstrokin'"
(Hot box), and "Concrete jungle" (14 Karat).
The group continued recording well into the 1980's as Fatback, and their tune
"I found lovin'" became an 1980's dance classic. Bill Curtis also
wrote "Mucho Macho" for Macho
And finally a quick word about Fatback Band 12" US singles from the
1970's. The following exist on 12" (highlighted in yellow below) and they
are all complete remixes and very different to the album versions.
Spanish hustle (3 mixes) (Polydor 12" PRO 006,
1975) Disco crazy / The Joint (Spring SPD 401, 1976) - first commercial 12"
on Spring. NYCNYUSA / (same) (Spring PRO 021, 1977) - Instrumental extended mix
Mile High / Midnight freak (Spring PRO 032, 1977) Do the boogie woogie / Freak
the freak the funk (Spring PRO 068, 1978) You're my candy sweet / King Tim III
(Spring SPD 402, 1980) Let's do it again / (same) (Spring PRO 136, 1980)
- Let's do it again (Perception LP, 1972)
- People music (Perception LP, 1973)
- Feel my soul (Perception LP, 1974)
- Keep on steppin' (Polydor LP, 1974)
- Yum yum (Polydor LP, 1975)
- Raising hell (Polydor LP, 1975)
- Night fever (Spring LP, 1976)
- NYCNYUSA (Spring LP, 1977)
- Man with the band (Spring LP, 1977)
- Fired up 'n' kickin' (Spring LP, 1978)
- Brite lights / Big city (Spring LP, 1979)
- XII (Spring LP, 1979)
- Hot box (Spring LP, 1980)
- 14 Karat (Spring LP, 1980)
- Soul march / To be with you (Perception, 1973)
- Street dance / Goin' to see my baby (Perception, 1973)
- Nija (Njia) walk (Street walk) / Soul man (Perception, 1973)
- Dance girl / Goin' to see my baby (Perception, 1973)
- Keep on steppin' (Polydor, 1974)
- Wicki wacky (Polydor, 1974)
- Yum, yum (Gimme some) (Polydor, 1975)
- (Are you ready) Do the bus stop (Polydor, 1975)
- (Do the) Spanish hustle (Polydor, 1975)
- Party time (Polydor, 1975)
- Night fever (Spring, 1976)
- Double dutch (Spring, 1977)
- Master booty (Spring, 1977)
- Mile high (Spring, 1978)
- I like girls (Spring, 1978)
- I'm fired up (Spring, 1978)
- (Do the) Boogie woogie (Spring, 1979)
- You're my candy sweet (Spring, 1979)
- Backstrokin' (Spring, 1980)
- Let's do it again (Spring, 1980)
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