Blackbyrds

[NickNack]

Marcio's mention of B.T. Express made me realize that the Blackbyrds, another sweet and funky band, are not accounted for in our Top 500. I can't remember Bernie's allowed timeframe but if '74 was included, then I should have placed a vote for Gut Level.

Other club faves include:

Happy Music
Walking In Rhythm
Do It Fluid
Rock Creek Park 8)

Any opinions or have you :) 'funkateers' :) already discussed this and I'm late?

[Masdefi]

I know "Walking in rhythm" very nice song, not really dance according my opinion, but anyhow good to hear maybe in the car or during relaxing.

[QUINNY]

NickNack: Played all the tunes on your list, plus a few more (which old age is stopping me from remembering the titles of). One of their best was Donald Byrd's Places & Spaces?album which had lots of playable cuts.Happy Music was probably their most accessible, but a real s*** to cue up effectively with that meandering intro. Quite often I'd get caught out where the stylus had jumped back a groove whilst being slip cued.
Do it Fluid was probably their most accepted, along with Donald Byrd's Change (Makes You Wanna Hustle) which was the one true giant from them. Although played, I don't feel they were the absolute best dancers of the day and their appeal was limited to a large minority of people (if that makes sense). For me personally, they were right up my street, but I couln't 'get away' with their stuff on a regular, peak time basis. It would have to be when all the regulars were in, who liked their funky stuff and knew how to bump and grind.
Therefore I'm not surprised that none of their stuff made the top 500, except maybe Change, which might have done if these boards were dominated by Brits.

[NickNack]

I know "Walking in rhythm" very nice song, not really dance according my opinion, but anyhow good to hear maybe in the car or during relaxing.

Walking In Rhythm was an excellent 'hustle' piece. Hardcore clubs played it very early or very late but dance-bars were big on this song. I had already backed away from that 'hustle' crowd but the song was still great.

[NickNack]

Quinny: I understand where you're coming from. Let me see if I can say it 'straight' out (or as close as I can get ):

That large minority would have been us Black folks over here in the U.S. Blackbyrds were not a crossover group, per se, but I think Rock Creek Park and Walking In Rhythm broke the line. The harder edge stuff like Do It Fluid never would have been heard 'crosstown' --- if you know what I mean.

[QUINNY]

NickNack: Don't quite know what you mean, but what the heck!
For me personally, at the time in Spain, it was O.K. to play virtually anything for the locals, 'cos they were into anything that was good music. It was the hoards of tourists, straight from very different disco envoironments back home, who were the problem. Hell, you'd have English, German, French, Italian, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Dutch, American and goodness knows who else on holiday, all out for a good time and all bringing very different favourites with them in their heads. The English were the hardest to please, closely followed by the French. The English 'cos they were either into the hip club sounds (many of which I had)/ or into English chart records (which I didn't play), and even back then they could get very uptight. The French were not into anything much, except home grown stuff and really wacky records. I remember a period I went through, when I'd get asked to play punk records by every French person that ever walked in the place. There's a great story to be told about that, sometime.
I just kept my head down and tried to force them into submission by banging the records out non-stop (something none of them were really used to). It was quite an exotic mix of both people and music, charged with an incredible eroticism and I loved it. Having people on holiday, suntanned and feeling good about themselves and their chances, just brought it out. I've never felt that atmosphere ever back in the UK, except possibly at one or two incredibly upmarket clubs in London's West End.
Anyhow, the Blackbyrds, Donald Byrd and many other Jazz Funk records were an integral part of the scene for me. I guess it was more 'black' than the average US disco would have been. Hence my downers on some of the other disco music categories discussed on these boards.

[Marcio**]

Donald Byrd did "Love Has Come Around", I personally classify this disco-funk like a diamond disco-funk, there's piano including and a girl screaming with lust.
.

[jazz_pilgrim]

I guess, Quinny, that large minority would have meant us soul boys and funkateers? Am I right?

Quinny mentioned most of the Donald Byrd tracks that were deservedly popular with the soul crowd I used to hang out with. DB had a very loyal following and songs like Change, Places and Spaces, Think Twice, Loves So Far Away, Flight Time etc were much loved.

But there were two songs that were especially loved: Rock Creek Park and the mutha of all anthems for the Jazz Pilgrims - Dominoes (the version from the Blue Note Live At The Roxy LP). That was our tune and we used to go potty to that one!! In fact, the whole place would go mad when that was played!!

DB's musical output in those mid/late Seventies years was very influential for the whole jazz/funk music scene. Including today's smooth jazz :( m'thinks ...

:D

[QUINNY]

Jazz: I deliberately didn't mention Dominoes, thought I'd leave some room for ya. Year end over?
Dominoes was one of those records that just didn't figure large for me 'cos by the time of its release Disco had really taken off with the crowd I was playing to and the Jazz Funk that I loved so much, had to take a back seat to some extent. Got to admit that it's one that grown in my affections over the years. That bass line is hypnotic and the overall production is absolute first class (unlike say Change, which was a bit rough round the edges). Although huge with the 'mafia' DJs, I get the impression it remained a back burner for lotsa jocks. Rather like records that become airplay hits on radio, but don't chart as big as imagined. So the live version was the honey eh? Was that because it was longer, more jazzy, more of a groove than the studio version do you think?

[jazz_pilgrim]

Actually I'm right in the middle of preparing the 2003 Budget ... :x

Why was the live version of Dominoes preferred?

The studio version was slow and quite sombre to me ... The live version followed on from Places and Spaces ending/climaxing with a DB trumpet solo - then the crowd are cheering and applauding - then the bass kicks in for Dominoes still with the applause ... and the whole thing takes off from there I guess. The live version was much more uptempo and lively than the studio version ...

Why Dominoes? Partly the chorus I guess:

"Stand Your Problems All In A Row ...
And Watch Them Fall Like Dominoes"

The Soul Mafia scene was purely about hedonism and this record was the perfect cure for getting rid of those problems ....

:)

[paul]

Hey Nicky and the rest of you guys. I guess I'm jumping in late but with all these catagories, I don't get around the way I should.
Anyway The Blackbyrds were huge in Connecticut. I've mentioned them several times here and in addition to the songs listed, one of their biggest hits there was "Unfinished Business."
Talk about kick ass funk. By the way I've put together my own compilation cd with that song followed by "Joyous." When I pull up next to one of these young punk hipppity hoppers, I hit with those jams. It's a beautiful thing brother :lol:

[QUINNY]

Oh boy! I played an old cassette tape last night and there was a Blackbyrds track on it that I used to play to death, the title of which sort of evades me. I think it was called The Baby but can't be sure. This track was from their Flying High LP if my memory serves me correct and was one hell of a groove, with a real spaced out/chilled feel. Insistent moog bass with synthy strings and a fairly melodic rambling tune over the top. Hmmmm, nice.

[jazz_pilgrim]

Nice to see The Prof getting the recognition he deserves on this Board!!

BTW I heard that Donald Byrd was ill about six months ago :cry: , but has made sort sort of a recovery and has been getting out his trumpet again...... Wishing him well .....


:)

[NickNack]

Memories, memories...

I was turned on to Donald Byrd's music when I was 16 years old by my... uh, umm... girlfriend. (Yes, real girl, real friend --- let's not. :lol: :lol: )

Gloria and I were in high school together and she was studying Modern, I think it's now called Interpretive, Dance. She was 5'10", legs for years, not days :D , and moved like a cat. (Sorry, digressing.) The song she chose was Donald Byrd's Cristo Redentor from his A New Perspective album on Blue Note. I had never seen or heard anything like this. She previewed the dance for me which was fine but when she did it on stage, all the pieces fell together. The music was just inspiring and I went out and bought the album that weekend. Still have it. The liner notes say this is "...a fresh intertwining of traditional religious feelings with modern, jazz-infused idioms." At 16, 'jazz-infused idioms' was meaningless to me. The music just captured my heart (along with Gloria :) ).

[paul]

Tell me more about Gloria Nicky :)

[NickNack]

Tell me more about Gloria Nicky :)

Oh, Brotherman,

You know gentleman don't kiss and tell. Let's just say she was a heartstopper, in many beautiful ways. :)

[Funky Dude]

The Blackbyrds, they are FANTASTIC :D :D :D !!!!! I've got most of their songs from 1973-1975 on MP3 (Quinny please don't say anything) and they show a real fusion of a variety of soul, jazz, funk and disco to me. I wish I had their albums but have come across not ONE of their albums yet in Australia :x , that's why I have most them on MP3. But I first heard of them when I borrowed the Mastercuts "Classic Funk Volume 2" CD from the Wollongong library in 1998 which this CD had their hit "Do It Fluid" and had my favourite Brass Construction track "Movin'". Next song I heard was "Rock Creek Park" on "Classic Funk Volume 1". Anyhow here are some great ones I've heard:

Gut Level 1973
Blackbyrd's Theme 1973 (And a great theme too :D )
Do It Fluid 1973
Life Styles 1973
Walking In Rhythm 1974
Future Children, Future Hopes 1974
City Life 1975
Rock Creek Park 1975
Hash & Eggs 1975
Happy Music 1975 (My number 1 top Blackbyrds funk favourite)
Flying High 1975 (This song is beautiful and is my number 1 Blackbyrds disco favourite)
Time Is Movin' 1975
Party Land 1975

Looks like I'll have to do some more record importing.

[Soulman]

The Blackbyrds Unfinished Business does it for me too along with Do It Fluid and Walking In Rhythm.

I used to DJ a coloured club in the 70's and it was amusing that one of the regulars used to call me 'a black man in a white skin'.

Later
Soulman

[sammyperez]

The Blackbyrds, an underrated band and a personal fave of mine. For the record I had 'Walking in Rhythm' listed in my top 25 to Bernie. Also, props to Funky Dude from Australia for listing 'Time is Movin'; I love this track and play it often.
Also, as a back-up band to Donald Byrd, we must mention 'Dance Band' from '75 which was very danceable.

Easy,

Sam "ALL JAM"

[Outsider]

"Walking In Rhythm" is one of my all-time favorite songs. It's one of the first songs I downloaded from Napster. This is one song that I will never get tired of hearing. The only other song I've heard of the Blackbyrds is "Rock Creek Park", which I also like. :evil:

[Giovanni]

I am quite surprised that many people here recall "Walkin in rhythm" as the most outstanding BlackByrds track. Nice tune, indeed, but all the true funkateers propably agree with me it is only their song with more crossover potential.
The Byrds are one of that underrated funk bands that helped build the disco sound without ever being disco, but if someone is into disco, he/she has to know everything from the Byrds.

[Leatherman]

Blackbyrds were a first class act. Whether you like disco, soul, jazz funk - they were just a good band.

Walking in Rhythm isn't really that represetitve of their output - it is a lot softer and more radio than there normal grittier funky sound. Not my fave by them.