THE BASIS POINT

Friday Funk: More Mess On My Thing

 
 

All things always get messed up, and only those who remain cool stand the test of time. So Friday Funk installment 116 is More Mess On My Thing off the 1993 debut album Practice What You Preach by German funk revivalists Poets of Rhythm. This album was re-released 6 more times from 1993 to 2006.

There are two great stories here for fellow music and funk fans.

First, the German band formed when members were in their 20s out of love for ’60s and ’70s American funk. Music author and professor Oliver Wang notes their influences as early Kool & the Gang, The Meters of New Orleans, and late ’60s James Brown.

Members of the group supposedly came to the U.S. and left copies of their 7-inch records in music stores, hoping that people would assume the singles were obscure, long-forgotten tracks from the past.

One such collector was funky Bay Area indy rapper Lyrics Born who discovered their album in a New Orleans record store and signed them to his label Quannum records for their Dsicern/Define album in 2001. This album was reissued by Brooklyn funk/soul label Daptone Records in 2021, a testament to the band’s staying power.

Second, More Mess On My Thing truly sounds like it could be 1969 funk, but it’s not. Nor is it a cover. It’s an original. But in 1969, an 18-year-old Bootsy Collins and his band recorded a demo called More Mess On My Thing for James Brown, and it won them the band name The J.B.’s, which was Brown’s band that changed the course of popular music. This J.B.’s song was lost until released in 2019 after being remastered by Mario Caldato — who engineered Beastie Boys’ Paul’s Boutique album and co-produced their Check Your Head and Ill Communication albums.

Markets have been messy in 2023, but what else is new? So this Friday Funk installment 116 should help you get your cool back for the weekend.

The Basis Point Friday Funk Installment 116 - Poets of Rhythm - More Mess on My Thing - Play It Now
Poets Of Rhythm More Mess On My Thing – Play It Now

And here’s the totally different but also killer J.B.’s song of the same name. Hang in for Bootsy’s bass solo at 4:10.

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Liner Notes:

– If you like Friday Funk, here’s full Spotify playlist and Friday Funk archives.

– If you don’t like Friday Funk, please consult our music policy.

 

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Comments [ 2 ]
  1. Dennis Pettigrew says:

    Such interesting stories about The P.O.R.! Keep the funk flowin’.!

  2. I know, right? Lineage. And of course your artwork is like 🎶 as always. As we like to say…

    💸 The Basis Point is the only finance site with a horn section 🎺

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