Breakbeat Tuesday – Straight From The Philly Vaults

Back in March when I spun at The Do Over in Miami I think the second or third record I played was one that a whole grip of people kind of flipped their wig about. It was an instrumental version of The Ambassador’s “Ain’t Got The Love (Of One Girl On My Mind)” which is probably best know to our generation as the basis of Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth’s “I Got A Love.” Yeah, Ambassadors is a hot record, and definitely a heavy piece, but c’mon son… the INSTRUMENTAL?

So about 10 years ago my man D*** B**** whom I had known for a minute from around the collectors circuit and just from being “dude” in Philly hit me up and was like “Yo Cosmo, you have to hear these Ambassadors instrumental acetates.” Of course I was like yeah fuck you son with them wolf tickets. But he kept on at it about them until I had to figure it out if he was bullshitting. Well, my man was not lying…

The Ambassadors was a sweet soul singing group from North Philly – and Philly was known for its sweet soul vocalist stylings at the time with groups like The Delfonics and the Stylistics. The Ambassadors were discovered by WDAS program director Jimmy Bishop who quickly signed them to his imprint Arctic Records. The Ambassadors released one LP, 1969’s “Soul Summit” and they had a minor hit with “I Really Love You.”

Here’s a picture of Jimmy Bishop (left) with Joe “Butterball” Tamburro (far right,) the man who succeeded him as program director at WDAS and is still there to this day, and whom is one of my favorite DJs of all time.

It wasn’t until 23 years later that the song “Ain’t Got The Love” really became such a sought-after piece. It’s an incredible song, actually written by another one of Bishop’s discovery’s – the incredible Barbara Mason – and produced by Bishop himself. Bishop produced a bunch of music at the time, including the very strange and psychedelic soul tune “Jason Pew Mosso” by The Interpretations.

So my man, the homeboy with the acetates, had this acetate which as an instrumental version of The Ambassadors “Ain’t Got The Love” but it wasn’t by them – it was by The Sam Reed Band. So it turned out that Sam Reed was a South Phillly based sax player who would session around town as well as being part of the house band at the world famous and legendary Uptown Theater on North Broad Street. Bishop put together a band under his and Sam Reed’s direction to do all the music for the Arctic releases. Now I guess that they thought that the instrumental versions wouldn’t fly as well as the ones with vocals. To me that’s surprising considering who they have playing on these tracks – guys like Vince Montana, Ronnie Baker, Norman Harris, Earl Young. You know, the guys who became MFSB and pretty much CREATED disco and are the living embodiment of The Philly Sound (and the SalSoul sound as well hahah…) Well anyway, even though that acetate is dumb-rare, the song was released on the “Mutha Funkin Sonofa Bitch (The Truth Behind The Philly Legend)” compilation in 2006. This one is by special request, so enjoy!

The Sam Reed Band “Ambassadors Theme” (Arctic acetate 1969? / Funkadelphia 2006)

BONUS BEATS: It’s been exactly 5 years since Katrina and seems like everyone forgot. I didn’t, nor will I ever. Hold your head, Nola. You’re stronger than you think, and more inspirational than you know. Here’s a nugget from there, just one of many that magical place has given the world. And just in case you forgot, George Bush doesn’t care about Black people.

Eddie Bo & The Soul Finders “We’re Doing It (Thang) Pt. 2” (Bo-Sound, 1970)

Cosmo Baker & DJ Morse Code – Live At The Do Over

Finally here’s the live recording of me and DJ Morse Code from our double set from the legendary The Do Over party a few weeks back. Seriously fun, and super awesome to listen to. Definitely funky and “loose” but the #VIBES are super heavy and this whole set is really all about #LVLZ from front to back. And I’ve said this before and again but seriously these recorded sets DO NOT do the party justice… You really have to go there to enjoy and experience the full thing. And so with that, peep game…

The Do-Over: Week 7 Recap with downloadable sets from Cosmo Baker & DJ Morse Code (& more…)

Breakbeat Tuesday – Rock Rock Yall

I have so much going on right now that I can’t get into a full in-depth thing about this next record. All I know is that it’s a MONSTER, and that I played it somewhere and sometime in my set on Sunday to thunderous effect. I first heard this in the form of Kool G Rap’s “Untouchable Remix” of  “On The Run.” Someone told me it was a Ray Bryant record so I spent the next 6 months buying every record by dude I could find, until I copped “Up Above The Rock.” Like so many soul jazz records of the late 60s it was chock-filled with tepid standards of the time like “Little Green Apples” and Burt Barcharach jawns. But the title cut? Damn… So ill, and it’s been a favorite ever since in my sets. The production is very unique in it’s sound, as it’s on Cadet and they had a very distinctive sound and feel to their records at the time, courtesy of producer Richard Evans. The composition of the song is very cinematic and matched perfectly for the storytelling prowess of G. Rap’s mafia fairytales. And to me this was one of the first productions that made me think the Trackmasters had taken their shit to the next level. Anyway, a Philly DJ living in Brooklyn plays a jazz song by a Philly pianist sampled by a Queens MC at a party in Los Angeles, and all because of that, it being give to you.

Ray Bryant “Up Above The Rock” (Cadet, 1968)

And for good measure,

Kool G Rap & DJ Polo “On The Run (Untouchable Version)” (Cold Chillin’, 1992)

Canada / Los Angeles / Do Over Recap

So yeah, I just got back from the coast and boy are my arms tired. No but for real, the latest trip was pretty remarkable. Every event was even more explosive than the next. I want to give a shout to all the people that I rocked and rolled with on this last jawn. Smalltown DJs Pete and Mike, DJ Fashen, Mat The Alien, Mama Miche, Ford and the whole Hi Fi crew and Calgary massive, all my Vancouver peoples, GMan, Rob Rizk, the whole Fortune Sound and Livestock crews, Rico Uno, Grand Theft, U-Tern, Needle Kenevel, Marcus & The Council, Fourcolorzack, Supreme La Rock, DJ Morse Code, Thee Mike B, Jamie Strong, Haycock, Waldo, Aloe Blacc, Gaslamp Killer, Flying Lotus, Classixx, Do Over massive, Glenjamn, DJ Mr. Best, Steve1der, DJ Spider, Tommy Riches, Boys Noize, Z-Trip, Dirty Dave, J. Period… I’m sure I forgot someone.

So yeah, it was a real quick trip to LA but very memorable. I rocked alongside my homie Morse Code in celebration of his birthday at Do Over. Such insane vibes, like so damn good. Caught a litttle video of the beginning of my set. This doesn’t come anywhere near capturing the vibes. Shark Attack in effect.