I have a long, endearing love of breakbeats. And none more so than those found on the infamous Street Beat label, Ultimate Breaks And Beats. All 25 volumes*.
So I decided to have a look and just see which year, according to UB & B, was the most funkiest.
Well 1962 - 1965 have zipadeedoodah, but the earliest year is 1961 with The Monkees "Mary Mary" (which coincidentally was the first track on side A on the series' first volume).
The most recent track used was "Liquid, Liquid" by Cavern and this was 1983, believe it or not.
Suffice to say that if you wanted to make a funky piece of breakbeat coolness then you would be better off having gone in to a studio sometime around 1975 where you would have rubbed shoulders with some of the following:
UPP "Give It To You"Dynamic Corvettes "Funky Music Is The Thing"
Johnny Hammond "Shifting Gears"
20th Century Steel Band "Heaven And Hell"
Banbarra "Shack Up"
Please "Sing A Simple Song"
Magic Disco Band "Scratchin'"
The Headhunters "God Make Me Funky"
Chicago Gangsters "Gangster Boogie"
Donald Byrd "Change"
Roy Ayers "Brother Green"
Grover Washington, Jr. "Mister Magic"
The Black Byrds "Rock Creek Park"
Lonnie Liston Smith "Expansions - Part 1"
Yes, 1975 is the funkiest year with no less than 22 breakbeats used on this series. In fact 1973 - 1976 were indeed the funkiest years altogether with the most breaks than any other years.
So if you are celebrating your 34th birthday this year then you may have a feeling that you possess the funk just that little bit more than anyone else. Me? I'm 4 years out, sheeeit.
*Yes, I know that a further volume, #26, has since come out but I'm discounting this one purely on the fact that it's too recent. And I STILL haven't got a copy yet. On ANY format!
And there are a few 'unofficial' ones out there too like 499, 500 and 508.
Anyway it's my game, my rules and my decision is final. So spin on it!
n.b. Since writing this I've noticed that Mary, Mary is incorrectly listed as 1961 when in fact it didn't come out until 1966.
n.b. Since writing this I've noticed that Mary, Mary is incorrectly listed as 1961 when in fact it didn't come out until 1966.
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