Funkymonk

Reggae with a whole lotta Funk in the Mix
Youtube Sly & Robbie - Boops (Here We Go)

that and "Fire" were classics!

Funkymonk

Does anybody remember these guys at all???

MAStudent

I have seen them several times. I almost wish they were less famous. Because they are the draw, their regular runs are pumped up in the mix. Drums and bass are rhythm section instruments that have their turn to kick ass, not lead instruments. They are very talented, no doubt. I like their ability, but wish they would smoetimes arrange their stuff a little differently.

Cuold have been the shows I saw, don't know...

BernardYin

Heck yeah!

Newbie here. I had the good fortune of seeing them when they provided the rhythm section for Black Uhuru. Black Uhuru was sharing the bill with King Sunny Ade. Crazy show (Greek Theater, Berkeley). Really one of the best shows I have ever seen. SF was in the midst of this "World Beat" craze but here came these two super real-deal artists (no disrespect intended to the SF bands of the era) and just blew everyone's minds.

Although, to me, it is more of a study than a proper 'album" one can get a pretty neat Sly and Robbie compilation that covers a variety of their moments. The Grace Jones work is really great in my humble opinion.

B

p.s. MA from Eureka, you have a good point. At the gig I saw, the rhythm section was definitely pumped-up and probably for the reason you cite.

Badlittlekitten

I'm not as familiar with them as I should be but I love their work with Gregory Issacs. I second the Grace Jones records too, especially. .



Hypnotic.

__________________
'Said do you feel it? Do you feel it when you TOUCH ME?. THERE'S A FIRE! THERE'S A FIRE!' The Stooges. Dirt.

https://soundcloud.com/bad-little-kittens
My Top 100 LPs
My Top 52 Indie Tracks Of The 21st Century (incomplete)

BernardYin

Right on!
B

Gavin B.

I'm wondering if Black Uhuru or King Sunny opened the Greek Theater Show in Berkeley.

I saw King Sunny & Black Uhuru on that same 1984 tour in Boston. Black Uhuru opened the show and blew the roof off the Hynes Civic Center ballroom. I felt sorry for King Sunny because Black Uhuru played so well that his appearance as headliner was anti-climatic and about half the people took off during his first three songs.

It's a tradition of afro-beat bands to start up slowly and allow the drummers to establish a groove and weave their spell over the audience over the course of a very long evening of playing. King Sunny & Fela Kuti frequently played 5 or 6 hour performances in their native Africa, often with hour long jams. King Sunny's lower volume Afrobeat orchestra seemed tame after an hour and a half of Sly and Robbie's sledgehammer drum and bass riddims. The folks in the audience simply didn't have the patience to wait until King Sunny could fire up a groove.

The King Sunny/Black Uhuru tour was a great leap for international music. The only other reggae concert that drew a larger audience in Boston was Bob Marley's show at Harvard Stadium in 1979. I'm not sure if the King Sunny/Black Uhuru showcase was the best vehicle for King Sunny Ade to launch his first tour of North America. A lot of Boston reggae and afrobeat fans never forgot the drubbing King Sunny got from the opening act at the Hynes Civic Center.

__________________
There are two types of music: the first type is the blues and the second type is all the other stuff.
Townes Van Zandt

BernardYin

Great comments and thoughts Gavin.

I agree, the match of the two bands could be a great thing for people with open minds and broader tastes. Doesn't seem like a stretch to me and perhaps you but one can easily see how certain "markets" or "demos" might miss the point. King Sunny Ade was getting a surprising amount of airplay in CA at the time. I seem to recall that even 91-X in San Diego would sneak in his stuff. The SF area, att hat time was knee deep in the embrace of "world beat" so they were probably more pre-disposed to loving the whole night than other US cities. I could be wrong.

As for that summer night at the Greek in Berkeley, Black Uhuru opened up the night for sure because the sun was just setting. When King Sunny went on, it was dark. The whole crowd was into both bands. In fact, I think King Sunny won out because people kept arriving and partying and the night was nice+warm.

B