VA - Sources: The P&P Records Funk & Rap Anthology [Compiled by Bill Brewster] (2015)

Sources is a brand new series which will examine the output of a number of extremely influential independent U.S. labels throughout the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.

In an age where corporate anonymity reigns supreme and music is being treated like aural wallpaper, the Sources series will go back to a time when record labels really meant something via their A&R policies, their ground-breaking releases, their everyday modus-operandi and their general philosophies. What made these operations unique? How did they manage to compete with the major companies? How did they protect their artist rosters? What sort of people ran these operations and how did they manage to survive in the cut-throat music business?

Bill Brewster, co-founder of the influential DJ History website and forum and author of the acclaimed “Last Night A D.J. Saved My Life” will be compiling and writing the sleeve notes for the series. The first six releases will concentrate on 6 New York independent labels which have each been massively influential in the evolvement of Dance Music over the last 30+ years – Easy Street, Fresh, Sleeping Bag, Sam, Streetwise and P&P.

Each 3 x CD package will be full of lovingly re-mastered original 12” mixes as selected by Bill. These will include many tracks which have never made it to CD before and you can be sure that a variety of ‘secret weapons’ will emerge from each of these packages! All notes and scans will be included in a 16 page colour booklet which fits beautifully within the 3CD superior digipack. The usual Harmless PR and Radio operation will support all Sources releases.

The sixth Sources package also comes from one of the most collectible Black Music labels of all-time – the highly enigmatic and mysterious P&P Records. P&P Records was the company founded by Harlem based Peter Brown – an operator of the highest degree in terms of productivity and the sheer amount of releases which came out on a bewildering array of labels like P&P, Georgia Peach, Sound Of Gold, Gilyard, Queen Constance, Funk Groove, Land Of Hits, Heavenly Star, La Shawn, Sound Of New York, Fresher And Fresh and Today And Tomorrow amongst the ones which are known. Most of these releases were personally distributed by Peter Brown throughout Harlem and New York but most through the independent and ‘Mom & Pop’ stores which meant their distribution was limited and mainly within the New York area. Most P&P original releases are now highly collectible with many selling for several hundred pounds a copy, IF you can find one!

P&P Records is such an enigma that untangling the releases, different labels and year of release is an ongoing task. Some P&P Records have only recently been discovered, some P&P releases have never been found and there will be several P&P releases that have yet to be unearthed. As of 2015, there is no accurate listing and releases like ‘Sources: The P&P Records Anthologies’ are probably more like works in progress.

We divided the P&P catalogue that we know about into two different packages – ‘Sources: The P&P Records Soul & Disco Anthology’ and ‘Sources: The P&P Records Funk & Rap Anthology’ since the label spanned all these areas.

The P&P Records Funk & Rap volume probably contains over £4000 worth of records at their current value, since P&P is pretty much the most collectible group of labels for Funk and Rap output, or, ‘Ghetto Funk’ for short. Plus the mostly crude recordings and mastering techniques are now in fashion as people search for more ‘earthly’ natural records rather than the highly polished records from the era. Having said this, ‘Sources: The P&P Records Funk & Rap Anthology’ has been extensively re-mastered so that these records can be heard properly for perhaps the first time. The collectors of P&P were right. The scope and diversity of P&P Records is testament to the hustling skills of Peter Brown – perhaps the ultimate Harlem hustler. Who’d have thought that a scuffling set of badly-distributed Ghetto records from the 70s and 80s, would become the most collectible labels in the world some 40 years later? P&P we salute you! "

Tracklist:

Disc: 1
1. Ain't It Time (Original Club 12"" Mix) - Queen Yahna
2. Black Ice (Original 7"" Mix) - Sons Of Darkness
3. I've Been Working (Original 7"" Mix) - Wild Honey
4. Shake Off That Dream (Original 7"" Mix) - Eddie Owen
5. The Groove I'm In (Original 7"" Mix) - Florence Miller
6. Here's To You (Original Club 12"" Mix) - Ella Hamilton
7. NY Applejack (Original Album Version) - Scott Davis & The Movements
8. Who's Gonna (Original Album Version) - Otis Turner
9. I'm Coming Back To Life Again (Original 7"" Mix) - Florence Miller
10. The Greatest Debt To My Mother (Original 7"" Mix) - Henry Brooks
11. It's Party Time With Getting In The Groove Pt 2 (Original 7"" Mix) - Sentimental Souls
12. Long Time Ago (But I Wish Today Was Yesterday) (Original 7"" Mix) - Smokie Brook
13. Freaktime (Original Club 12"" Mix) - Scott Davis & The Movements
14. I Believe In Love (Original 7"" Mix) - Florence Miller
15. Do The Funky Donkey (Original 7"" Mix) - Otis Turner & The Mighty Kingpins
16. Feel The Spirit (Original Club 12"" Mix) - Foster Jackson Group
17. Dance To The Music Freakout (Original Club 12"" Mix) - Wayne Forde & Stereo
18. God's Greatest Gift To Man Is A Woman (Original Club 12"" Mix) - Margie Lomax

Disc: 2
1. School'n (Put Your Mind To The Message) (Original Club 12"" Mix) - Sherod
2. Family Rap (Original Club 12"" Mix) - Family
3. Tricky Tee Rap (Original Club 12"" Mix) - Troy Rainey
4. Spoonin Rap (Original Club 12"" Mix) - Spoonin G
5. Death Rap (Original Club 12"" Mix) - Margo's Kool Out Crew
6. A Game Of Life (Original Club 12"" Mix) - Lavaba & E. Mallison
7. Boogie Feelin' Rap (Original Club 12"" Mix) - Sweet G
8. Scoopy Rap (Original Club 12"" Mix) - Scoopy
9. Willie Rap (Original Club 12"" Mix) - Willie Wood & Willie Wood Crew
10. Fly Guy Rap (Original Club 12"" Mix) - Fly Guy
11. Equidity Funk (Original Club 12"" Mix) - Mistafide

Disc: 3
1. Roller Rink Funk (Original Club 12"" Mix) - Shift
2. Big Foot Boogie (Original Club 12"" Mix) - Brisko The Kidd
3. This Is The Way You Do The Breakdance (Original Club 12"" Mix) - Super Coper & Clarence Breakers
4. One Time Two Time Blow Your Mind (Original Club 12"" Mix) - (MC) Rock Lovely
5. Win Jesse Win (Original Club 12"" Mix) - Stack
6. Sweet Naomi Rap (Original Club 12"" Mix) - Naomi Peterson
7. CC Crew Rap (Original Club 12"" Mix) - CC Crew
8. Roller Rooster Rap Dance (Original Club 12"" Mix) - Fresh Female
9. It's Rough (Original Club 12"" Mix) - The Imperial Three
10. Hip Shaker (Original Club 12"" Mix) - Two Hype
11. Gangster Rock (Original Club 12"" Mix) - Little Starski
12. Smooth Talk (Original Club 12"" Mix) - Mr Fox
13. Shout At The Disco (Original Club 12"" Mix) - Little Scotty