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Any audio of west coast funk or rap before '83 or so?

erewhonerewhon 1,123 Posts
edited July 2013 in Strut Central
It seems like the Egyptian Lover/Wreckin Cru era is pretty well documented, and there are some decent oral histories available covering the late 70/early 80s, but I haven't turned up much in the way of actual audio examples of either a) live hip hop DJ and/or MC routines from the West Coast comparable to Cold Crush Live @ Harlem World and the like, or b) live disco/funk/hiphop DJ mixes (or playlists even) from KDAY, KJLH , KACE from the late 70s/early 80s. Does anything like this actually exist on the internet? I'm realizing I have no sense of what the scene was actually like there before the electro funk thing started happening. I know certain disco/funk/poplock jams must have been west coast favorites just because of what the G-funk era dudes sampled, but I'd love to hear those songs played in context.

Thanks!

  Comments

  • HarveyCanalHarveyCanal "a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
    I've got nothing audio-wise. But it's funny you ask as last week World on Wheels just closed its doors after 30+ years. This is my buddy Wrecc saying his goodbyes...

  • DORDOR Two Ron Toe 9,905 Posts
    The video in this clip looks later than 83 (But some of the music is the time period). The vid clip looks like 89. There must be some footage of artist off Rappers Rapp Records, JDC, etc somewhere.





    Edit. Also watch the Breakin' 'N' Enterin' doc. from 83.

  • erewhonerewhon 1,123 Posts
    Tight! Thanks! Still on the hunt for tapes of radio shows...
  • Jonny_PaycheckJonny_Paycheck 17,825 Posts
    I've done a lot of research into the roots of the Bay Area scene... radio mixes are around from early Bay Area stuff, although it's kind of electro-freestyle'd out but that was the sound back then. I found a bunch of stuff online but they're at home so I'll try to update w/ more specific info when I can. O-Dub would know more about the various DJs that were on radio at that time.

    Although everyone wanted to be like Sugarhill and Kurtis Blow and Treacherous 3, the style really wasn't the same out west, way more as I mentioned electro-freestyle based. But there are a couple of really early disco-rap 12"s out of Oakland, Motorcycle Mike and Steve Walker. Audio for both should be around on youtube.

    I don't know of much live video footage that's publicly available. Again, O-Dub might be able to help. As far as clubs, there really weren't a lot of places that played hip-hop the way it was done in NY. I heard of the aforementioned records being played at some venues in Oakland and Emeryviille. I think the SF clubs were not going there but DJ Stef might could also speak to that...

    ETA: the disco sound was not really all that popular in the Bay Area (excepting the gay club scene) as far as hip-hop goes, the crossover would be more like funk/R&B and freestyle. It evolved very differently, sonically, than the east coast did.
  • GuzzoGuzzo 8,611 Posts
    Uncle Jams Army?
  • jdeezjdeez 638 Posts
    Rodium Mixtapes?

    edit - oops, those are '86-88
  • The_NonThe_Non 5,691 Posts
    I know this doesn't meet most of your criteria, but here you go:

  • dreskieboogiedreskieboogie 951 Posts
    From 1985:

  • erewhonerewhon 1,123 Posts
    To me, the bands that best exemplify the g-funk sound are Parliament-Funkadelic, Zapp, One Way, etc. I'm really curious how Cali hip hop artists came to adopt these Rust Belt groups as their own, arguably more so than homegrown funk acts like War and Sly & the Family Stone. What are some late 70s/early 80s funk bands from Cali that bridged the gap with that clean, synth-heavy sound? Off the top of my head, I can only come up with Con Funk Shun, though I'm sure there are plenty I'm forgetting.
  • erewhonerewhon 1,123 Posts
    dreskieboogie said:
    From 1985:


    This is great!
  • Jonny_PaycheckJonny_Paycheck 17,825 Posts
    Larry Graham/Graham Central Station
    Timex Social Club/Club Nouveau
    Pleasure (Portland OR)
    Tower Of Power (not really the same sound but...)

    One Way was really big, that doesn't help cause they're a midwest group. Cameo (NYC), The Gap Band (midwest)....


    I think the missing link you're looking for is popping & locking, which is native to the Bay Area, goes back to the 60s, and fits a lot better with the kind of straight-ahead funk groove than with the skipping disco rhythm popular with Philly/NYC groups. As far as why people preferred that sound
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