WOOOOOO!

Had to start with that.  Cherries records does it again with a debut 45 release from Tony Ozier out of Portland, Oregon.  This 7-inch features two tracks previously available on his Beats Galore, Volume 1 CD, released in October 2011, but now you can get the full analog experience.

The A-side, titled “The Funk,” features a heavy baseline driven track, full of electronic piano, synth, and organ.  Once the hook comes in with the guitar, it’s game over!  Someone get Dam-Funk on the line for some vocals.  This track brought me very much to same feeling I had when I first heard Exile flip D-train’s “You’re The One For Me,” successfully bringing a 115bpm song down to a bouncy 95 or so.  The way this track opens, with a heavy crash and synth stabs, really just gets you moving from the jump.  

B-side “Back To The Mitten” (what?!) features a slow piano intro that gradually progresses into a bounced out synth bass chill piece.  This is a much more mellow track, incorporating a melodic flute throughout.  While I will say that my choice cut is the a-side, this one grew on me.  While I was listening to this for the first time, I for some reason was thinking that this track could be on the radio right now, because there was some sort of sense of familiarity that I couldn’t put my finger on.  Then, all of a sudden near the end of the track, the vocals came in, “Every little thing I do, you’re on my mind…”  Ah!  Nostalgia smacked me in the face and took me back to 94, bumping 92.3 the beat, and heading to Tower Records to get more “3 for 99 cents” cassingles. 

Both of these tracks are ready for vocals right now, in my opinion.  Get Steve Arrington & Charlie Wilson to rock on the a-side, and literally call up Soul 4 Real and let’s get an “Every Little Thing I Do 2012″ for the youngins.

One thing that I noticed, and is worth mentioning, is my tonearm was moving quite a bit when playing the b-side, as opposed to the a-side where it looks pretty much stationary.  Not sure if that has to do with how the record is pressed, but with the b-side containing much more sustained notes, the “wobbly” effect was definitely noticeable. 

TO OUR READERS: We have one copy of this release to the first person who can tell us what city Tony Ozier calls his hometown.  Answer must be posted on our blog to win.

-Frank Foreal