Song:Just Take Your Time
Album:Carolina Funk: First In Funk
Just Take Your Time was recorded in 1973. It wasn't a hit at the time because it was never distributed properly. The single became a collectors item and has resurfaced on this various artists CD from the British label Jazzman Records. Innersouls were from Asheville, NC led by sax player Otis Ware. Other members who were on this recording were Stanley Baird on sax, Leroy Posey on trumpet, Sammy Bowens on guitar, JC Martin on bass and Norris "Country" Duckett on drums. They were all students at Stephens-Lee High School in Asheville. They played local clubs. Stock car racer Dickie Plemmons hired Innersouls to play at his son's birthday party. And he liked them so much that he decided to manage them. In 1973, he took them to Harry Deal's recording studio in Taylorsville. According to Ware, Just Take Your Time was written in the studio and it was recorded live. There were no overdubs. It sounds pretty good for a bunch of high school students. Unfortunately, the single was never distributed. The band gave it away at shows. It was Innersouls' only recording. The song got buzz in recent years when British DJ Keb Darge started playing it. But of course it wasn't available on CD until UNC-Chapel Hill DJ Jason Perlmutter unearthed a copy and along with some other Carolina funk rarities released this CD on the British label Jazzman Records. Now-Again Records licenses Jazzman CDs in North America. In 1975, Ware and some other members of Innersouls formed Bite, Chew & Spit. They toured extensively on the east coast but were never able to get a record deal. By 1979, disco was more popular than funk and Ware says the band didn't want to play disco music so they split up. Otis Ware became a minister and leads the Solid Rock Missionary Baptist Church in Kenilworth, NC. Apparently he's one funky preacher. Stanley Baird and Norris "Country" Duckett went on to N.C.C.U. (New Central Connection Unlimited) and were on the 1977 album Super Trick released by United Artists. Baird still teaches music and plays in local jazz clubs. Here's a video for Just Take Your Time by Innersouls. Most of the Innersouls info is courtesy of a 2008 article by Jon Elliston of the Asheville Mountain Xpress.
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