Tell me what you know about this music

January 16, 2004 9:11 AM

I was switching stations in Dallas the other day and came across one of the most magnificent pieces of music--where can I hear more? [more inside]

The subgenre of music is one that I'm not that familiar with. It was doubtless from the seventies, with funky horns playing both as a section and in crazy jazz riffs. There was some sort of shouted vocal. The whole thing was beautifully improvisational but at the same time tight as all hell. At the end of the piece it sort of trainwrecked, with laughter and hoots and hollers at the end. All in all, a stunning blend of funk, soul, and jazz the likes of which I've never encountered. And of course, no DJ came on to tell me who it was. I know I haven't provided anywhere near enough information to peg the tune or even the band, but can anyone tell me where on the musical map this music fits? (It seems, as near as I can tell, to be the kind of music that Prince was listening to when he recorded his Lovesexy album.)

posted by vraxoin to Media & Arts (19 answers total)

Have you tried calling the radio station? If you call at approximately the same time of day you heard it and talk to the DJ, perhaps he or she can fill you in on the artist, genre, and maybe even make some recommendations as to where to look for more like it.

And let us know what the song you heard is when you find out; it sounds cool.
posted by boomchicka at 9:25 AM on January 16, 2004

Yeah, call the station. You don't have to even wait for the same time. You just have to know the time. Radio stations are required by law (in Canada at least, I assume it's the same in the USA) to keep playlists with dates/times.
posted by dobbs at 9:40 AM on January 16, 2004

I'm guessing it was either on KNON or KNTU, since those are probably the only two Dallas stations that would play something like that. Their websites may be of some help.
posted by Ufez Jones at 10:02 AM on January 16, 2004

If you know which station it was and when it was played, this site may be able to help you identify it.
posted by pmurray63 at 10:08 AM on January 16, 2004

Perhaps Sun Ra and his Arkestra?
posted by machaus at 10:29 AM on January 16, 2004

Radio stations are required by law (in Canada at least, I assume it's the same in the USA) to keep playlists with dates/times.

O/T, but...W.T.F.??? A freaking LAW to keep playlists? What possible reason could there be for such a stupid law?
posted by davidmsc at 12:25 PM on January 16, 2004

Radio stations usually pay a few flat copyright fees which entitle them to use nearly any piece of music. They then keep playlists which are spot-checked at various times throughout the year to determine how artists should be compensated. However, no one is required by law to actually go and look up a song on the log for you. It's quite likely you'll get a lazy jock who doesn't want to bother.
posted by TurkishGolds at 12:39 PM on January 16, 2004

Do you know what the words were? If you can give us a phrase or chorus, it'll help.
posted by amberglow at 12:49 PM on January 16, 2004

It's quite likely you'll get a lazy jock who doesn't want to bother.

Yes, that's why I recommended trying to track down the DJ who played the track in the first place. He or she might be more knowledgeable about the type of music, and a tad more eager to share info and recommendations. Well in a perfect world they would, anyway. :)
posted by boomchicka at 12:51 PM on January 16, 2004

Does sound kind of like Sun Ra, circa "Space Is the Place." Even if it wasn't, you might want to check him out -- sounds like you'd enjoy him.
posted by languagehat at 12:51 PM on January 16, 2004

I wish philly had a radio station that would play that. I'm going to have to open the control panel "assumptions" and do some tweaking under the "Dallas culture" tab.

did I just write that out loud?
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 1:04 PM on January 16, 2004

Heh, I know what you mean, Flanders. Check out the two stations I linked above. KNTU plays various kinds of jazz all the time, and KNON has a wide variety of programs throughout the week. KNON is one of the true local community radio stations you can even find anymore, and they do have a web stream.
posted by Ufez Jones at 1:10 PM on January 16, 2004

davidmsc, my bad. Probably more accurately, a "regulation," not a law. Sorry sorry.
posted by dobbs at 1:18 PM on January 16, 2004

stupidsexyFlanders, if you live anywhere toward the eastern side of Philly, you can pick up WPRB (103.3 FM) from Princeton, which is a real honest-to-god college station and plays all manner of crazy-ass stuff you'd never hear on WXPN or WRTI. Try it, you'll like it - unless you cross the Schuylkill. From there westward it starts to get iffy.
posted by soyjoy at 1:28 PM on January 16, 2004

Fela Kuti maybe? Or some other afro-beat type stuff?
posted by sklero at 2:52 PM on January 16, 2004

The description sounds to me like Harry Whitaker's Black Renaissance, which may or may not be right but is some crazy free-wheeling jazz/spoken work/funk/soul that's well worth checking out.
posted by .kobayashi. at 10:10 AM on January 17, 2004

Could it possibly be Soulfinger?
posted by adamrice at 10:31 AM on January 17, 2004

You may also be thinking of The Last Poets who did spoken word poetry in a distinctly Black Power vein. I'm still voting for Sun Ra [not a lot of laughing in Last Poets songs] but it's worth checking out.
posted by jessamyn at 11:19 AM on January 17, 2004

FYI in Canada it's a law/regulation that radio stations have to play 30%-ish (it might be 35%) Canadian content.
posted by deborah at 1:37 PM on January 25, 2004