Soul Strut 100: # 56 - The Mohawks - Champ
RAJ
tenacious local 7,782 Posts
I will slowly be unveiling the Top 100 Soul Strut Related Records as Voted by the Strutters Themselves.
# 56 - The Mohawks - Champ
About
Warning!! Put your fanciest dance shoes on because it's time to boogie down! The Mohawks were a band fronted by arranger, Hammond grinder sumpreme and king of British Library music composers, Alan Hawkshaw. All top session musicians, not a 'touring' band, The Mohawks released their astonishing 1968 LP 'The Champ', chockfull of incredibly groovy and funky tracks. Vampisoul, 40 years later, reissues this club/groove masterpiece with no less than SIX bonus tracks not included on the original album! This is a high-octane release with Soul/Jazz organ fueling hits, one after another. The songs herein contain arguably the best and grooviest Hammond heard east of the Atlantic, the heaviest bass ever played in London, tight-or-die drum work and a full set of explosive horns. An endless string of killer dancefloor fillers, from 1 to 12 (not to mention our bonus tracks, taken from 7inch singles!). You'll sure recognize the title track (or at least its organ intro). A cult classic for more over 30 years, sampled by dozens of hip hop artists (like Erik B. & Rakim, De La Soul, DJ Shadow...), and always a favourite amongst cutting edge DJs from Tokyo to London, or from NYC to Reykjavik. Since the early 60's, Alan Hawkshaw played his custom-built Hammond organ in thousands of studio sessions for a myriad of artists: Serge Gainsbourg, Jane Birkin, Georgie Fame, David Bowie, Cliff Richard, Donovan, The Tremeloes, Dusty Springfield, Los Bravos, Barbra Streisand, Olivia Newton-John, etc. In addition Hawkshaw, considered one of the most important library music composers in UK has scored a number of television themes for British television, including those for The Dave Allen Show, Mysterious World, Countdown, Love Hurts, and Grange Hill. BUT, still, you groove fanatic, what you NEED to get from Alan Hawkshaw is The Mohawks 'The Champ'; a true masterpiece from the vaults of the 'connoiseurs' and in-crowders, re-discovered and re-issued for you by Vampisoul!
Related Threads
???TRAMP??? COVERS
mohawks champ 45 check
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Media
# 56 - The Mohawks - Champ
About
Warning!! Put your fanciest dance shoes on because it's time to boogie down! The Mohawks were a band fronted by arranger, Hammond grinder sumpreme and king of British Library music composers, Alan Hawkshaw. All top session musicians, not a 'touring' band, The Mohawks released their astonishing 1968 LP 'The Champ', chockfull of incredibly groovy and funky tracks. Vampisoul, 40 years later, reissues this club/groove masterpiece with no less than SIX bonus tracks not included on the original album! This is a high-octane release with Soul/Jazz organ fueling hits, one after another. The songs herein contain arguably the best and grooviest Hammond heard east of the Atlantic, the heaviest bass ever played in London, tight-or-die drum work and a full set of explosive horns. An endless string of killer dancefloor fillers, from 1 to 12 (not to mention our bonus tracks, taken from 7inch singles!). You'll sure recognize the title track (or at least its organ intro). A cult classic for more over 30 years, sampled by dozens of hip hop artists (like Erik B. & Rakim, De La Soul, DJ Shadow...), and always a favourite amongst cutting edge DJs from Tokyo to London, or from NYC to Reykjavik. Since the early 60's, Alan Hawkshaw played his custom-built Hammond organ in thousands of studio sessions for a myriad of artists: Serge Gainsbourg, Jane Birkin, Georgie Fame, David Bowie, Cliff Richard, Donovan, The Tremeloes, Dusty Springfield, Los Bravos, Barbra Streisand, Olivia Newton-John, etc. In addition Hawkshaw, considered one of the most important library music composers in UK has scored a number of television themes for British television, including those for The Dave Allen Show, Mysterious World, Countdown, Love Hurts, and Grange Hill. BUT, still, you groove fanatic, what you NEED to get from Alan Hawkshaw is The Mohawks 'The Champ'; a true masterpiece from the vaults of the 'connoiseurs' and in-crowders, re-discovered and re-issued for you by Vampisoul!
Related Threads
???TRAMP??? COVERS
mohawks champ 45 check
A crazy MOOG version of Mohawks ???Champ???
Media
Comments
Seriously.......is the whole album heat like that?
Or is this a ONE Classic Braek carrying a bunch of stuff that never gets played?
Dont front.
I think this is the braeks yo! section of the list. %-P
I wouldn't mind having it though.
i enjoy the whole thing, although, of course, the champ is the best cut.
that vampisoul blurb was quite funny, too...
The other story behind this album is that most of these cuts are actually library cuts, appearing on KPMs Big Beat and Big Beat #2. They're a little different too (no horn overdubs).
*Like*
Kindly,
parallax
the first pressing of the champ 45 was one of the first records i ever bought specifically, back in about 2000. still have it too!
the album is fairly solid, but i think it belongs on the list primarily because Champ is straight up classic. nobody should be without a copy. plus this was an album i lusted after since i was 12. i used to have dreams about pulling it out of the bins. the cover is great, one of my favorites.