Is Pleasure Web OP under a alias??? It sounds a lot like em. Never heard the story.
The Pleasure Web were primarily known as Jessie & the Mel-O-Tones, a popular group from Akron, Ohio. The Ohio Players preformed often in that area during the early '70s and copped much from the local acts that supported them. That "Ohio bounce" is definitely from Akron, though the Players took it back to Dayton and perfected it. "Pain" first came out on 45 on Top Hit from Akron, so that's direct evidence of the group's time in NE Ohio. In any case, the Pleasure Web moniker was only used for a short time, the band was also called Pregnant Soul for awhile, and split up in the mid-70s sometime. If you want to hear an early version "Music Man" from the Eastbound 45, check out "Money" by Jessie & the Mel-O-Tones on Long Productions. Jesse McDaniel actually plays the same exact guitar solo as he does on the Eastbound 45. I have some tapes from the "Money" session and you can really hear all of the ideas that eventually manifested themselves on "Music Man."
Im suprised no one has mentioned this yet. While I havent heard it, I was under the impression that this LP was THE shit. Maybe its not that great? or jsut rare enough so that many people havent heard it?
Texas Twister is the only one I'm still looking for, so...
Since you opened this can...who prior to the Watts Band would you have considered L.A.'s contribution to le funke?
See, LA is a weird place, since most of the acts that made a name in the city weren't originally from there. I mean, someone like James Gadson, arguably one of the pioneering funk drummers and a person closely linked to the LA scene, was from Kansas City and first played in the Derbys. Los Angeles was more of a destination than an origination. But offhand, I think some of the more progressive funk bands from the scene were the 4th Coming, Apple & the Three Oranges, Roy Porter's Big Band, the Fabulous Souls, Magnum, Soul Steppers, Huck & the Soul Patrol, Kenyattas Band, and Bare Faxx. Arguments could be made that some of these bands were not from Los Angeles originally (Apple and them from New Orleans, Bare Faxx from Phoenix, etc), but they did play an integral part in the LA scene.
"See, LA is a weird place, since most of the acts that made a name in the city weren't originally from there"
I've felt the same way about Los Angeles - more of a destination than origin in many ways BUT given the general mobility of people (to say nothing of populations) then does it really matter where someone is originally from in designating what city - and what sound - they become associated with?
It's not just Gadson...Wright wasn't from L.A. and I'd say about half his players, including his most important rhythm section players, were out-of-towners who got stranded in L.A. too.
Yet together, they gave L.A. an identity in the funk realm in the '60s. (Dyke and the Blazers too but that was mostly Watts players in any case).
To go back to an earlier point in the thread: are Funkadelic NJ or MI? Is James Brown GA or OH? It all seems rather blurry after a point.
Comments
the Superlatives have 4 or so 45s on Dynamic
FYI: an earlier 60's group record on Dynamic by the Eldees actually features Dilla's dad(!!!)
This came out on the Minneapolis-based Black & Proud label originally.
For me, it's hard to mess with the Ohio Players "Player's Ballin" on Pain.
Yeah, I could live w/o the 'yabba dabba doo,' but for me anyways the good songs are indispensable.
The Pleasure Web were primarily known as Jessie & the Mel-O-Tones, a popular group from Akron, Ohio. The Ohio Players preformed often in that area during the early '70s and copped much from the local acts that supported them. That "Ohio bounce" is definitely from Akron, though the Players took it back to Dayton and perfected it. "Pain" first came out on 45 on Top Hit from Akron, so that's direct evidence of the group's time in NE Ohio. In any case, the Pleasure Web moniker was only used for a short time, the band was also called Pregnant Soul for awhile, and split up in the mid-70s sometime. If you want to hear an early version "Music Man" from the Eastbound 45, check out "Money" by Jessie & the Mel-O-Tones on Long Productions. Jesse McDaniel actually plays the same exact guitar solo as he does on the Eastbound 45. I have some tapes from the "Money" session and you can really hear all of the ideas that eventually manifested themselves on "Music Man."
yes, the contributions of the Buckeye State to yabba dabba doo funk are great
it's bootsy baby...mama be my beach
Has Detroit offered anything original to funk?
You have the Detroit Sex Machines, that's it.
Mind you, Funkadelic were from Plainfield, NJ.
Sowatchusayin'? No yabba dabba doo factor to be found in Michigan?
LETS TAKE IT TO THE STAGE
( soul > funk )
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Ohio contamination
I didn't ask if funk music was any better or worse than soul music.
I asked if Detroit offered anything original to the funk genre.
BIG BIRD
I knew it
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I'll give you Black Nasty and the Detroit Sex Machines.
Seems to me the better part of Michigan funk was from the other side of the state.
& maybe the Counts
tons of one off studio band 45s really
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Since you opened this can...who prior to the Watts Band would you have considered L.A.'s contribution to le funke?
In any case, I said PRE-Watts Band.
See, LA is a weird place, since most of the acts that made a name in the city weren't originally from there. I mean, someone like James Gadson, arguably one of the pioneering funk drummers and a person closely linked to the LA scene, was from Kansas City and first played in the Derbys. Los Angeles was more of a destination than an origination. But offhand, I think some of the more progressive funk bands from the scene were the 4th Coming, Apple & the Three Oranges, Roy Porter's Big Band, the Fabulous Souls, Magnum, Soul Steppers, Huck & the Soul Patrol, Kenyattas Band, and Bare Faxx. Arguments could be made that some of these bands were not from Los Angeles originally (Apple and them from New Orleans, Bare Faxx from Phoenix, etc), but they did play an integral part in the LA scene.
I've felt the same way about Los Angeles - more of a destination than origin in many ways BUT given the general mobility of people (to say nothing of populations) then does it really matter where someone is originally from in designating what city - and what sound - they become associated with?
It's not just Gadson...Wright wasn't from L.A. and I'd say about half his players, including his most important rhythm section players, were out-of-towners who got stranded in L.A. too.
Yet together, they gave L.A. an identity in the funk realm in the '60s. (Dyke and the Blazers too but that was mostly Watts players in any case).
To go back to an earlier point in the thread: are Funkadelic NJ or MI? Is James Brown GA or OH? It all seems rather blurry after a point.
the same can be said of musical metropoli like Detroit, Memphis, Chicago, New York etc - people moved there to 'make it'
Funkadelic & Parliament recorded almost all their best shit less than a mile from my house at United Sound, Detroit
good enough for me
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Funkadelic/Parliaments = Plainfield, NJ
James Brown = Barnwell, SC
"NOT GRAIL"
But I'm saying - is the P-Funk sound a Jersey thing? Or a Detroit thing?