(GRC 1973)

Funk-inspired rock (or maybe that's the other way around) out of Michigan. Ripple rips some classics here, including the soulful "I Don't Know What It Is, But It Sure Is Funky" that many will recognize for it's "oh la, oh la, eh" vocal interplay at the intro. "Get Off" kicks the tempo into a higher gear with a heated instrumental that's a little post-JBs in its sound. And then there's my personal favorite, the apt-named "Funky Song" ("ain't nothin'goin'onŠ"). "Ripplin'" closes the album on some riveting conga action and organ swirls before the horns launch in on this grooving, uptempo cut.


* Classic self titled funk LP by Ripple from 1973. Features the hit "I don't know what it is, But it sure is Funky." Sampled numerous times, including Special ED's "I got it Made" and Kid-N-Play's "Rollin" Also on the LP is the funk bomb "A Funky Song". Re-mastered from the original reels, Ripple sounds even funkier now than they did 30 years ago. A true classic funk LP.

Track Titles
YOU WERE RIGHT ON TIME (Dee Ervin/Dee Dee McNeal)
Act One Music Co., Inc. BMI 3:37
BE MY FRIEND (Keith Samuels/Ripple, Inc.)
Act One Music Co., Inc. BMI 3:34
I DON’T KNOW WHAT IT IS BUT IT SURE IS FUNKY
(R. Beavers/J. Hill/P. Joyner/D. Taylor) Jabee Music Publishing Co./Bridgeport Music Inc. BMI 3:28
I’LL BE RIGHT THERE TRYING (Dee Ervin)
Act One Music Co., Inc. BMI 3:52
GET OFF (Ripple, Inc.)
Act One Music Co., Inc. BMI 3:37
SEE THE LIGHT IN THE WINDOW (Earl Singleton/Nathan Wilkes) Act One Music Co., Inc. BMI 2:55
A FUNKY SONG (Keith Samuels/Ripple, Inc.)
Act One Music Co., Inc. BMI 3:19
WILLIE PASS THE WATER (Dee Ervin/Ruth Robinson) Act One Music Co., Inc./Dividend Music Corp. BMI 3:38
DANCE LADY DANCE (Keith Samuels)
Act One Music Co., Inc. BMI 2:41
RIPPLIN’ (Ripple, Inc.) Act One Music Co., Inc. BMI 5:06


Ripple - Ripple

Label: GRC
Catalog#: GA-5005
Format: Vinyl, LP
Country: US
Released: 1973
Genre: Funk / Soul
Style: Funk
Credits: Arranged By - Dee Ervin , Ripple
Arranged By, Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Percussion - Dave Ferguson (2)
Bass, Vocals - Simon Kenneth Carter
Congas, Percussion, Vocals - Walter Carter
Drums, Percussion, Timbales - Brian Sherrer
Engineer - Glenn Meadows , Milan Bogdan
Guitar, Lead Vocals - Keith Samuels
Piano, Organ, Vocals, Vibraphone - Curtis Reynolds
Producer - Dee Ervin (tracks: A1, A2, A4, A5, B1 to B3, B5)
Saxophone [Tenor], Flute, Percussion - William Hull
Notes: Recorded at The Sound Pit, Atlanta, Georgia.

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Comment by Edie Antoinette on May 31, 2009 at 9:23pm
Thank you Sweets. I still remember the first time I heard it in 1973..I played it alot!! (understatement) LOL
Comment by Shelley "SoleMann" King on May 31, 2009 at 9:04pm
It's fine wherever you place it....I'm loving this
Comment by Shelley "SoleMann" King on May 31, 2009 at 7:58pm
WHOA....Now this is niceeeeeee
Comment by Edie Antoinette on May 31, 2009 at 7:18pm
Yes, I fell in love with them as soon as my husband put it on the turntable. I looked for the LP for a long time too after my collection was stolen shortly after I moved to Milwaukee along with my sound system. I had gotten some gigs here as a Lady DJ at this place called Toran's and Robert's Lounge.

I wouldn't even listen to music for a year after it happened--then slowly began to rebuild..sigh

They kind of remind me of the groups you mentioned--and Mandrill.
Thanks for your feedback too Gene...

Oh yeah, if I had to pic a favorite I guess it would be #2 and they get down on #5 (listen to the way they end it--that's tight!!!!) I use to love #6 too...heck--I love em all! LOL

They were really a great group!
Comment by KnightD12 on May 31, 2009 at 6:32pm
So this is Ripple? I like what I`m hearing, a little Earth, Wind & Fire, with a lil Kool & The Gang flavor thrown in.
I`m really diggin that title track. Now thats Funky! I hear the JBs influence in that one too. And the track "Rippin" is BAD! These guys sure can play. Thanks for posting this :)

Introspection

Entr'acte

  1. play Norman Brown — Night Drive
  2. play Norman Brown — Feeling
  3. play Norman Brown — Still
  4. play Miles Davis — miles 1
  5. play miles 2
  6. play miles 3
  7. play miles 4
  8. play miles 5
  9. play Marvin Gaye — I Met A Little Girl
  10. play Santana — 01 Singing Winds, Crying Beasts
  11. play Santana — 02 Black Magic Woman-Gypsy Queen
  12. play Mongo — 02. Afro Blue



The history of the Butlers/Raw Soul is dense, but for all of us music nerds, that's normal. It is not totally clear what year the Butlers actually formed but they released their first single in 1963 on Liberty Records. That single was "She Tried To Kiss Me" and another single followed on Guyden entitled "Lovable Girl." After the Guyden single the Butlers took a break not recording another record until the single "Laugh, Laugh, Laugh" was released on the Phila label in 1966. The group also backed Charles Earland and Jean Wells on one Phila single ("I Know She Loves Me"). 


As you might be noticing, the Butlers were doing a fair amount of recording but not achieving much success. The group's recordings sold regionally but never had the promotion to make an impact on the national scene. After the single with Phila, the Butlers moved to the Fairmount label (part of the Cameo-Parkway family) and released a handful of singles, some being reissued singles of the past. The Butlers were with Fairmount for 1966-67 and then moved to Sassy Records. Sassy released the group's greatest single (in my opinion) "Love (Your Pain Goes Deep)" b/w "If That's What You Wanted." A copy of that 45 sold for just under $500 last summer on eBay. Even though that isn't that much in the world of record collecting--it's still a hefty sum. The Butlers released another single on Sassy ("She's Gone" b/w "Love Is Good") that appears to be even 
harder to come by then the "Love (Your Pain Goes Deep)" single.

 

The true history become a bit blurred here as the AMG biography states that the Butlers last record was released on C.R.S. in 1974 (". However, between 1971 and that single, Frankie Beverly formed a group called Raw Soul and released a number of singles. Some of the songs recorded by Beverly during this period are "While I'm Alone," "Open Up Your Heart," (both on the Gregor label) and "Color Blind." "Color Blind" was released by the Eldorado label and rerecorded by Maze. Beverly's big break came when Marvin Gaye asked Raw Soul to back him on a tour. Gaye helped Beverly/Raw Soul get a contract at Capitol. Beverly decided to take the group in a different direction, a name change occurred, and Maze was created. 

The above isn't the most complete history of Beverly but hopefully someone will know a way to get in touch with the man or his management because a comprehensive pre-Maze history needs to be done on Frankie Beverly (his real name is Howard, by the way). Below you'll find every Frankie Beverly (pre-Maze) song available to me right now ("Color Blind" will be up soon). 

If you have a song that is not included below, shoot it over to funkinsoulman (at) yahoo.com and it will go up in the next Frankie Beverly post (later this week--highlighting Maze). Also, if you have any more information please share your knowledge. The Butlers material has been comp-ed sporadically (usually imports) but the entire Maze catalog has been reissued and is available. 

Enjoy.  "She Kissed Me" (Fairmount, 1966 or 1967) 
 
 "I Want To Feel I'm Wanted" (not sure which label or year) "Laugh, Laugh, Laugh" (Phila, 1966) "Because Of My Heart" (Fairmount, 1966 or 1967)
   
 "Love (Your Pain Goes Deep)" (Sassy, 1967)
   
 "If That's What You Wanted" (Sassy, 1967)
 



Frankie Beverly is one of those cats that has lasting power. He started in the music business doing a tour with doo wop group the Silhouettes and then formed his own group called the Blenders. The Blenders never recorded a single, Beverly wouldn't appear on wax until forming the Butlers a few years later. Along with Beverly, the Butlers included Jack "Sonny" Nicholson, Joe Collins, John Fitch, and Talmadge Conway.

Beverly would later enjoy great success fronting Maze and Conway would become a
well-known penning Double Exposure's
"Ten Percent" and the Intruders' "Memories Are Here To Stay." 
 While Maze is a phenomenal group, Beverly's work before that group will always stand out as his best (imo).

The Butlers produced tunes that most Northern Soul fans would kill for and Raw Soul gave the funksters something to pursue. If, by chance, you know of a way to get in touch with Frankie Beverly or his management, please drop me an e-mail. It would be absolutely great to do an interview with him about his pre-Maze work. He's still playing out, most recently doing a New Year's Eve show in Atlanta.
:: Funkinsoulman ::

Power...Through Simplicity ♪♫♪

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