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The Groove
Saturday February 1st, 2025 with Elorious Cain
BLACK HISTORY MONTH Celebration of THE FATBACK BAND

We begin our 2025 Celebration of BLACK HISTORY MONTH with another dive into THE FATBACK BAND of New York City. On February 8 we will be doing a special on KOOL & THE GANG, and on February 22 we will be featuring CROWN HEIGHTS AFFAIR. Yes we are celebrating amazing BLACK bands from the big apple for BLACK HISTORY MONTH! According to most sources, THE FATBACK BAND was founded by JOHNNY KING and BILL CURTIS in the 1970. CURTIS wanted to start a group that would merge the "Fatback" sound of New Orleans JAZZ with a contemporary urban FUNK sound. The first three songs we are featuring were released in 1968 under the name JOHNNY KING AND FATBACK BAND. We can only assume that the real musical magic of the group with BILL CURTIS on drums, JOHNNY KING on guitar, JOHNNY FLIPPIN on base, GEORGE WILLIAMS on trumpet, EARL SHELTON on saxophone, GEORGE ADAMS on flute, and GERRY THOMAS on keyboards performing and recording started in 1970. The results were spectacular! THE FATBACK BAND. or just FATBACK provided an impressive 22 albums with a multitude of hits like "Spanish Hustle" that remains a widely programmed standard even today, We are only featuring some of their songs today. Hoping it is enough to give you the FATBACK bug!
PEACE, LOVE NOT WAR
JOHNNY KING AND FATBACK BAND - 7" - BC PROJECT II
KEEP ON BROTHER KEEP ON
JOHNNY KING AND FATBACK BAND - 7" - BC PROJECT II
PUT IT IN
JOHNNY KING AND FATBACK BAND - 7" - BC PROJECT II
STREET DANCE
THE FATBACK BAND - LET'S DO IT AGAIN (LP) - PERCEPTION
NJIA WALK (STREET WALK)
THE FATBACK BAND - PEOPLE MUSIC (LP) - PERCEPTION
SPANISH HUSTLE
THE FATBACK BAND - RAISING HELL (LP) - EVENT
(ARE YOU READY) Do THE BUS STOP
THE FATBACK BAND - RAISING HELL (LP) - EVENT
TAKE IT ANY WAY YOU WANT IT
FATBACK - TASTY JAM (LP) - SPRING
PARTY TIME
THE FATBACK BAND - RAISING HELL (LP) - EVENT
WICKY WACKY
THE FATBACK BAND - KEEP ON STEPPIN' (LP) - EVENT
CHILLIN' OUT
FATBACK - 14 KARAT (LP) - SPRING
SPREAD LOVE
FATBACK - IS THIS THE FUTURE? (LP) - SPRING
YUM YUM (GIMME SOME)
THE FATBACK BAND - YUM YUM (LP) - EVENT
FINGER LICKIN' GOOD
FATBACK - IS THIS THE FUTURE? (LP) - SPRING
BACKSTOKIN'
FATBACK - HOT BOX (LP) - SPRING
IS THIS THE FUTURE?
FATBACK - IS THIS THE FUTURE? (LP) - SPRING
I FOUND LOVIN'
FATBACK - WITH LOVE (LP) - SPRING
I LIKE GIRLS
FATBACK - FIRED UP 'N' KICKIN' (LP) - SPRING
GOTTA GET MY HANDS ON SOME (MONEY)
FATBACK - HOT BOX (LP) - SPRING
LET THE DRUMS SPEAK
THE FATBACK BAND - YUM YUM (LP) - EVENT
THE BOOTY
THE FATBACK BAND - NIGHT FEVER (LP) - SPRING
The song "king Tim 3 (Personality Jock)" is often referred to as the first commercial HIPHOP or RAP record, as it was available in New York City record shops several days before the release of "Rapper's Delight" by the SUGARHILL GANG in 1979.
KING TIM 3 (PERSONALITY JOCK)
FATBACK featuring KING TIM 3 - 12" - SPRING
NYCNYUSA
THE FATBACK BAND - 12" - POLYDOR
GOING TO SEE MY BABY (CLASSIC NYC 12" MIX)
THE FATBACK BAND - 12" - EAST END
Interactive CKCU
Neil & Drake, The Dancing Labrador
I like this format for Black History Month that you have come up with this year, Elorious. I always had lots of Kool and The Gang......vinyl, cassette, cd and live shows on DVD. I like Fatback but have heard very little of their catalogue, so looking forward to getting better aquainted with their discography. Crown Heights Affair must have been in the mix somewhere in my past, however, it will be nice to discover them in more depth. As always, thanks for sharing your passion with the rest of we poor mortals in the disco universe lol.

8:47 AM, February 1st, 2025
Forman S.
I know that spanish hustle song but I don't remember any other Fatback song. :Looking forward to this spotlight. Happy Black History Month! What are you doing on Feb 15?

12:40 PM, February 1st, 2025
Professor Mike
Awesome show as always

1:03 PM, February 1st, 2025
Elorious Cain (host)
Thank you for the comment, Neil!

1:03 PM, February 1st, 2025
Elorious Cain (host)
Thank you, Forman S.!

1:05 PM, February 1st, 2025
Elorious Cain (host)
hello Mike! Hope you catch the FATBACK bug!

1:06 PM, February 1st, 2025
Fatback
I wish I was à mini-moog

1:18 PM, February 1st, 2025
Elorious Cain (host)
Fatback is amazing!!

1:19 PM, February 1st, 2025
Minimoog
Actually, I WISH I had a fat BACK! My FRONT is fat!!! I look like à folded pizza!!!

1:28 PM, February 1st, 2025
Elorious Cain (host)
It is all good, Minimoog! Happy you are tuning in!

1:33 PM, February 1st, 2025
Bobby Calzone
Hey! Im in the groove! You're in the Groove! We're all I. The Groove! It's voracious today! Fuck the opera! Althpugj it is la traviatta.... oh well, it will always play again... but THERE IS ONLY ONE CARETAKER OF FUNK!!!!

1:38 PM, February 1st, 2025
Bc
Oops sorry, I meant FUNK the opera... wouldn't want no trouble with the crtc, man

1:39 PM, February 1st, 2025
Verdi
Fuck the crtc

1:39 PM, February 1st, 2025
Elorious Cain (host)
Happy you're gettin' the FATBACK bug, Bobby! but I warn ya! It's gonna get very funky...

1:40 PM, February 1st, 2025
Elorious Cain (host)
Crazy Crazy, Verdi!

1:43 PM, February 1st, 2025
Bc
Oops, sorry about that... that was the other side of the food... he's always pissed off cause he's a little overburnt

1:50 PM, February 1st, 2025
Elorious Cain (host)
All the best, Bc!

1:59 PM, February 1st, 2025
Fumbles & The Fatback Fanclub
As far as I can tell.......CRTC does fuck all for our tax money it receives ..........so FUNK 'dem !!

2:09 PM, February 1st, 2025
Fatback
Oh yeah, I forgot: the reason I wish I were a minimioog,is because I would have been played with a lot in the 70s! You know what I mean?

2:09 PM, February 1st, 2025
SYNTH a SIZW
Hey, there's nothing sexual there, its stricly keyboard. I mean, just better than my back sceathedypu know?

2:11 PM, February 1st, 2025
Neil & Drake, The Dancing Labrador
Don't understand how I missed 22 albums by such a funky bunch of New Yorkers!!??!! Fatback is beyond fantastic. !!!! It is simply FUNKTASTIC !!

2:13 PM, February 1st, 2025
Elorious Cain (host)
Hello SYNTH a SIZW!

2:15 PM, February 1st, 2025
Elorious Cain (host)
I missed a lot of their music too, Neil!

2:16 PM, February 1st, 2025
Neil & Drake
It's like radio in general never took NY funk seriously so there was no exposure, no even in the clubs. But Thank You for this well deserved DEEP DIVE with FATBACK. Who is their female vocalist?? She's got a groove on her !!

2:30 PM, February 1st, 2025
Elorious Cain (host)
It is my pleasure! I don't know who the female vocals were provided by.

2:35 PM, February 1st, 2025
Bc
Me either! I never knew of Fatback before!?! This SOOOOO funky!!! m really glad I diddnt choose the opera! ... you know im moody booger; I go by mood... I like all music except that sheiss techno in front of my house !!!

2:38 PM, February 1st, 2025
Elorious Cain (host)
Black History Month is a great opportunity to show artists like this.

2:42 PM, February 1st, 2025
Neil & DL
For my money......Fatback kicks all their peers right outta da park !!....including SugarHill Gang !!

2:52 PM, February 1st, 2025
N & DL
Thank you for having us in, Elorious !!

2:55 PM, February 1st, 2025