Thanks for that Clive, you can see my point about Fast Track copying the Players' style, I think. Especially in that they were double sleeved albums where you had to open out the gatefold to get the whole picture.

Those three Ohio Players albums are the greastest funk albums of all time, btw. They had recently made the cross-over from modern jazz to funk, they did it brilliantly. I remember the review in Blues & Soul describing it as "complicated funk." Which is pretty accurate I guess.

When the band moved on to a major label deal, Westbound managed to persuade the leader Walt 'Junie' Morrison to stay on at Westbound as a solo artist. They thought he was 90% of the talent in the band apparently. His solo album on Westbound is considered a towering classic of funk by those who have heard it (I say that because it only sold 300 copies.) The Diskery tried to get me a copy without success.

Morrison later became a sidekick of George Clinton and was a keyboard player in the whole Parliament/Funkadlic thing.

I reckon you could devote a whole thread (or blog!) to titillating covers from 70s funk & soul albums.

In other words, I'm hoping someone already has.

The Sugar Billy album is indeed great. And the cover!

Anyway, seeing as TPC might've forgotten to post the original of Super Duper Love:

HERE

Thanks G Man, I was just about to.

So instead here is Pleasure The title track from the Ohio Players second album.

Featuring Walt Morrison on lead vocals, a flute solo (!) and a FAN-TAST-IC Hammond Organ solo.

It's one of those songs that you have to PLAY VERY LOUD.

Then There's Ecstacy - the title track of the Ohio Players third album.

Again genius, and again - PLAY LOUD.

TPC, I think you might really enjoy the Funky16Corners blog. Today, Willie Tee is up.

If anyone felt the need to post other tracks from that Sugar Billy LP, I'd feel the need to listen to them.

Inca - I'd certainly be interested, I looked at that other Nigeria 70 album and came close to getting it too, but instead bought a CD of African disco - this one, in fact.

I've since ordered a couple of things from Benin, possibly in a voudon style? So, yeah, please, any other compilation recommendations appreciated as I'm just guessing so far.

Anyway, my shuffle has been shuffled to have that "Deep Disco" thing on it (you know, some of the terms used on the African comps I've come across are a bit iffy I sometimes feel, unless I'm being hyper-sensitive), a comp called "Sock It To 'Em Soul" which apparently is for those who don't want to spend years digging around for the originals and want them together in one handy place - I'm not yet sure I'm that type of person - and a Little Walter compilation. The electrified mouth organ rules.

Archie Bronson Outfit's new LP - Coconut.

You should milk that for all it's worth.

Does it feature guest vox by Paddy McAroon?

Pass me my coat, would you?

The Archie Bronson Outfit album is really quite different from anything they've done before. Has its moments though.

Walls 'ST' Lovely digital psychedelia from members of Banjo or Freakout and Allez Allez. Nothing to do with sausages.

Dead Skeletons 'Dead Mantra' (www.myspace.com/dodenspiegel)

Lindstrom and Christabelle 'Real Life Is No Cool' Simply brilliant dance crossover album by cosmic beard disco sort going chart dance bound with nods to Patrick Cowley, Donna Summer, Quincy Jones, Prince...

The Fall 'Our Future Your Clutter'

Blood Of The Black Owl 'A Bannishment Ritual' Arboreal ambient doom made by a dude who looks exactly like Obelix.

High On Fire 'Snakes For The Divine' best metal of the year so far.

Liars 'Sisterworld' such a superb album.

New Young Pony Club 'The Optomist' NYPC finally hit paydirt with a confident second album make-over.

Gonja Sufi

The Foals 'Total Life' Sounds like The Cure gone acid afrobeat. In a good way.

Wardruna 'Rune' Norway's 'gay of the year' Gaahl from Gorgoroth and pre-Christian, Old Norse music fans make Viking drone.

Shining 'Black Jazz' industrial death metal free noise jazz.

And: Kellermensch, Nitzer Ebb, Jaga Jazzist, Wooden Veil, Oh No Ono, Easy and Toshybot, Autechre and UFOmammut.

owen pallett - heartland.
wonderful, best string based album since promenade, and its a better record than that was.

lonelady - nerve up.
as per its thread.

postmarks - memoirs at the end of the world.
expected it to be quite motown/st etienne and it is, its also quite henry mancini to, really ace.

sunshine underground - nobodys coming to save you.
unexpected surprise. decent second album with better tunes/songs than the debut.

soft pack - soft pack.
don't know if i'll still play this in a years time and don't care. essentially the vivian girls done by boys.

and one from last year that i can't stop playing -
pacific theater - animals at night.
wonderful collection of songs that remind a bit of both fanfarlo and (lazy reference) arcade fire.

Listening first time to The Optimist by New Young Pony Club in hope more than expectation but this sounds huge.

Lindstrom and Christabelle 'Real Life Is No Cool' Simply brilliant dance crossover album by cosmic beard disco sort going chart dance bound with nods to Patrick Cowley, Donna Summer, Quincy Jones, Prince...

totally feeling this album.
it's excellent.

also, released end of last year, but not distributed massively in UK, there is the 2 cd set from mungolian jetset, 'we gave it all away ... and now we're taking it back', that combines their various remixes, and a set of new productions.

a sprawling mix of prince funk, yello, skylab styled psychedlica, sample overload, lindstrom (he's involved), the orb etc.

it takes a few listens, but its one of the most out there but still fun dance pop albums i've heard in years.

So, I was looking for a better version of the cover of that African disco comp I mentioned above and noticed someone on a Yahoo blog has made it available to download. I can't vouch for it though, at your own risk and all that.

Current listening...

Goldfrapp - Head First: Hm. A return to form, or at least a meander towards form, after the underwhelming Seventh Tree. However, for what's ostensibly a pop album some of the songs are a bit unmemorable, and the whole thing sounds gossamer-translucent, whereas I would have preferred a bit more oomph. They've done I nice job emulating the early 80's Moroder style, though. Perhaps they should be less uptight about writing hook-laden songs and go for something a bit more... freeform, that Alison can croon along to with a little more abandon, like she did to those Orbital tracks.

New Young Pony Club - The Optimist:
Love it. Their approach to songwriting seems to be to combine lyrics, lazy basslines and cool synth washes without worrying if they'll run in the wash, and it works a treat.

Gorillaz - Plastic Beach:
A real grab-bag, but that's what Albarn seems to be about these days. Like it.

I've got the Lindstrom and Christabelle thing on now, and very lovely it is too.

Looking forward to hearing the North Atlantic Oscillation album - what I've heard so far has been very agreeably like Midnight Juggernauts.

I'm mightily impressed by the sheer size and scope of the Gorillaz album, though to be honest it doesn't on the whole come too close to my own spheres of musical interest. White Flag with the Arab Orchestra is fantastic though.

Been listening to Titus Andronicus 'The Monitor' Pretty straight up angular guitar record but with a ramshackle Pogues like approach to it. Decent.

Took quite a few listens to get much out of the new Liars album but now give it a qualified approval.

The Optimist is really good.

AVI Buffalo: Growing on me, some really lovely melodies.

John Grant "Queen of Denmark": Very very good, a small bit like the Michael Head solo album, though a bit more dramatic/epic.

Cleemann "45 Minutes Mostly About Caring": Love it, Series Two Records have some gems but this is my fave.

Steve Mason "Boys Outside": Decent, good tunes, nice layering of sounds but still feel it could be better.

LCD Soundsystem "This Is Happening": Very good. Better than the debut but not as good as sound of silver. It could do with a couple less songs, and a couple of songs could do with being shorter. I do largely love it even if its littered with so many 80s references that I spend to much time trying to remember which bits have been lifted from other stuff (it seems mainly Bowie and Dave Stewart but there's a lot of funk beats as well).

exit calms debut is really ace if your into (the) verves first 2 albums and early singles which is pretty much what has been said about them for the last couple of years. i really wish i could think of a more original sound alike description but i can't. there's nowt more apt.

disappears lux is great as well. a little velvet underground with a little dose of brmc. made for great stuck in traffic music today.

Working through a pile of stuff alphabetically just now.

The new Apples In Stereo is a bit disappointing after their last album which was easily their best. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti. Well you either get them or you don't, I don't and even though I try their new stuff from time to time I have no expectations of it and I am never disappointed.

Band Of Horses. I loved the track Funeral from their 2005 debut album and have stuck with them hoping for something a bit close in quality. Nothing comes near really, they are a band I would not bother with in the future I reckon.

Broken Social Scene. Their stuff is way too complex to get a good sense of in just one listening but my one listening of the new one was really positive.

My top must hear recommendations for the year so far encompass maybe only four albums, the ones by Liars, Besnard Lakes, Retribution Gospel Choir and Get Well Soon.