Record Digging 101

Folks, meet BJ. BJ is a friend of mine who, with his wonderful girlfriend Monica, just traveled from our nation's capital (by car) to spend the summer in beautiful San Francisco. And not just anywhere in San Francisco, but in the thick of it all - on the crest betwixt Upper and Lower Haight. What a summer they'll have. Having already visited the city as tourists, the pair have become more than familiar with the Amoebas and Rasputins of the area and I felt that as a local, BJ should get an idea of some of the record havens to be found off the beaten path.
The above photo gives a brief hint at what the basement looks like. Beyond the back-to-back rows of records, hanging guitars and 13-inch deep clearances in which you are expected to stand, 4-crate tall stacks eliminate all chances at a safe escape in the case of an emergency which makes this spot, well.... better than most others. If not more fun to navigate. Never have I felt so nimble as when I hoisted myself over said 4-crate stack to peruse the soul section. Well worth the effort - and risk of bodily harm. And at $5 for ANY record in the place, this is the kind of store that let's you get away with murder when you find that special dig.



And special digs we found. In the above above pictures, you'll note that BJ is test-driving a copy of Joe Simon's GET DOWN. Oh, so lovely. I put him on to that, and in exchange? He gets me into WHO I AM by David Ruffin. Now, sadly, I'm not up on mr. Ruffin like I gathered that I should be. But having gotten through the record twice now, I'm definately on the hunt. "Walk Away From Love" is beautiful and the man has a great knack for performing convincingly. Super.
Perhaps the inspiration for mr. K. West's affinity for mascot outfits, this 1978 Odyssey album, HOLLYWOOD PARTY TONIGHT dons a lion mascot - headless, and the lovely Lopez sisters in formal where. It is, I guess, your standard soul/disco fare. Super dope though. I hadn't heard any Odyssey prior to this, but again, something else that I'm checking for. One of the nicer releases from trios that I picked up this weekend. As dope as it is though, it pales in comparison to the following:
Love Unlimited's IN HEAT came out in the wonderful year of 1974. I was not even a twinkle in my parents' eyes while Barry White was killing mainstream America with his solo career and releasing more potent, soulful material via his femmebot threesome, Love Unlimited. Oh, how they've influenced hip hop in the last 20 years. Nas, Q-Tip, Pras & Mya (yes, THAT one), Masta Ace, Cappadonna, OC, Guru and EPMD have all used L.U.'s sound for some of their bigger hits. IN HEAT, my newest L.U. acquisition is also my favorite. For me to highlight a particular cut would be almost criminal - like a parent naming a favorite child, or my girlfriend picking her favorite Asian dish. So I'll just list the tracklisting and you can make your own pick(s):
1. Move Me No Mountain
2. Share A Little Love In Your Heart
3. Oh I Should Say, It's Such A Beautiful Day
4. I Needed Love - You Were There
5. I Belong To You
6. I Love You So, Never Gonna Let You Go
7. Love's Theme

Seriously, 5 stars. Per song. That's like 35 stars. And two more fore each fingernail longer than 2 inches on the album's cover. So that's like 65 total stars which, by my math, kids, makes it a classic.