Exile (1978) Sing a Song - LOST70sGEMS

A very hard album to track from 1978 is the band Exile' third foray into discofied rock n roll. While the style was losing favour with them and their audiences I had to find this album. It only recently appeared online so here's my choice track from a very very hard to find gem. The infectious bubblegum pop harmonies of Sing a Song combined with a bright disco guitar and descending bass line and exuberant jacked up delivery are almost rip offs of the Jackson Five' debut single, I Want You Back. Rock n Roll Women carries the same holy sunny harmonies but more an organ rocker along the lines of Corporate rock but with some atmospheric chicken scratch. Whatever Mood You're In combines Hendrix purple haze intro wah wah scratch with a Caribbean flavoured organ cowbell tune. Leave Me Standing is a bouncy old school funky honey tonker. The band has a Grand Funk Mitch Ryder vibe on some tracks don't it feel good is a sleazy drawn out clanky funk and muddy waters blues wailing track to end it.

Clancy (1976) Jeka Jose - LOST70sGEMS

Clancy a British funk soul outfit's second album produced much better songs, the best of which is Jeka Jose, the squelching wah wah guitar and bleusy stabs along with a reggae organ makes this the most concise cut from the album with it's mix of Santana Latin flavour in its vocals and the jazz playing. The watery organ solo, the Hendrix influenced guitar work and Sly Stone styled ensemble group package made them a fierce contender for the Average White Band another Scottish blue eyed soul/funk act who of course succeeded  by aping Black American artists with greater flair.