Some Funkettes
Homage to Patrick Cowley on Dark Entries! Previously unreleased cover songs recorded from 1975-1977.

Some Funkettes

Patrick Cowley

€ 24,95
  • LP
Label
Dark Entries
PICK-UP AT SHOP / FREE SHIPPING FOR ORDERS WITHIN BELGIUM AND EXCEEDING € 100 (FYI: we notice delays at Bpost which are out of our hands, if you want to be a 100% sure about delivery date, best choose pick-up) / Shipping costs are dependent on various factors and are calculated in your shopping cart. Add this item to your cart to see the shipping cost. Or pick up your order at our store in Ghent.

Description

This album is dedicated to the memory of Patrick Cowley (October 19, 1950 - November 12, 1982) and Francesca Rosa (November 9, 1954 - October 3, 2016) All songs from Short Circuit archives courtesy Maurice Tani Thank You: Maurice Tani, Joe Tarantino, Francesca Rosa, James Cowley, George Horn and Eloise Leigh.

Dark Entries is humbled to continue digging through the archives of legendary producer Patrick Cowley. While best known for his production on chart-topping cybernetic disco anthems such as Sylvester’s “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)” or his own “Menergy”, Cowley, who passed away from AIDS-related illness in 1982, left us with a substantial body of work. Since 2009, Dark Entries has been working with Cowley’s friends and family to shed light on the lesser known facets of this singular artist’s output. This has resulted in a string of celebrated archival albums, including Catholic (featuring Jorge Socarras), School Daze, Muscle Up, Afternooners, and the recent Mechanical Fantasy Box. Some Funkettes, the latest addition to this series, is a collection of previously unreleased cover songs recorded from 1975-1977. These raw, unembellished tributes both showcase Cowley’s early musical interests and chart the development of his production techniques. 

Some Funkettes opens with Cowley’s sauntering instrumental rendition of “Do It Anyway You Wanna”, the disco classic by People’s Choice. Next is a psychedelic reworking of the Temptations’ “Papa Was a Rolling Stone”, here hazily retitled “Papa Wuzza Rollinston”. Over its 7 minute runtime, the track’s metronomic, minimal groove builds to a frantic synth solo - this is pure Bay Area motorik. “Spiked Punch”, a curious riff on Herbie Hancock’s “Chameleon” follows. Cowley’s lurching, minimalist reimagining of Hancock’s opus prefigures the work he would later do on Sylvester’s masterpiece “I Need Somebody to Love Tonight”. 

Side B opens with a truly important historical document: Cowley’s cover of Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love”. The Moroder-produced disco anthem was a critical influence on Cowley - he would later resculpt the original song into arguably its highest form with his 15-minute-long remix. The instrumental cover version here is sparse and euphoric, brimming with classic Cowley synth signatures alongside the infectious Moroder bassline. A relatively faithful take on Bazuka’s 1975 funk classic “Dynomite” follows. The record closes with the dub version of “Spiked Punch”, which highlights developments in Cowley’s recording and synthesis techniques by way of its resonant burbles and spring reverb-laden passages.

Some Funkettes was made possible with help from Patrick's brother Jim and his former studiomate Maurice Tani. All songs were mastered for vinyl by George Horn. The sleeve is a collage designed in 1975 by Cowley’s former roommate Francesca Rosa that was found covering a reel to reel box. It features a yin-yang symbol and a photograph of a scruffy 24 year old Patrick, to which we added his original handwriting. Each record comes with an insert featuring a four page essay by Francesca as well as a postcard featuring liner notes and a photograph by Cowley’s roommate and best friend, Theresa McGinley. This peek into Cowley’s formative years arrives just in time for what would have been his 70th birthday. 

Tracklist

A

  • 1.Do It Any Way You Wanna
  • 2.Papa Wuzza Rollinston
  • 3.Spiked Punch

B

  • 1.I Feel Love
  • 2.Dynomite
  • 3.Spiked Punch Dub

Videos

More by Patrick Cowley

You might also like

Shopping bag