Joey Negro: Backstreet Brit Funk Vol.2 Part 2 Vinyl 2LP Joey Negro

Long-awaited 2-part follow up to Joey Negro’s crucial 2010 collection of rare British boogie! While Backstreet Brit Funk Vol. 1 was a CD-only affair (save for a measly 4-track sampler 12”), Joey Negro and Z Records have lovingly made the entire Vol. 2 available as two separate double vinyl sets, and this is Part 2 (find Part 1 here). A lot of this music is virtually indistinguishable from stateside boogie and jazz-funk, but the exchange of West Indian patois and Estuary English that starts off side 1 track 1 (Cache’s “Jazzin’ And Crusin’”) lets you know right off the top you’re not in baseball country anymore. Another subtlety that tips off the British jazz-funk sound is that they tend to go for a slightly broken rhythm with that early kick every couple bars or so, just to fuck with the dancers (think “Southern Freeez” or early 52nd Street), anticipating Bugz In The Attic by more than 2 decades. This collection covers a wide range of sounds that ruled London discos in the late 70s and early 80s, from Prelude-style syrupy machine funk (AD2000’s “Love Time Machine,” The Antilles’ “I’ve Got To Have You”), to rich Mizell-grade jazz-funk (“Jazzin’ And Cruisin,” Touchdown‘s “Ease Your Mind”) to straight-up anthems (Index’s “Starlight,” Ritual’s “Non Stop Boogie”). O.G. press snobs, dig all you want, you’re just simply not gonna find these in the States. Do not sleep! Recommended.

• part 2 of 2
• double vinyl pressing
• gatefold sleeve
• liner notes by Joey Negro
• music label: Z Records 2018

reviewed by carparts, bottles & cutlery 07/2018