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 |
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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