Song:Take Me
Album:Peanut Butter Wolf Presents Stones Throw Ten Years
Today this 1971 one off single is considered to be an early funk classic. It was lost for many years until it was resurrected by the popular California DJ Peanut Butter Wolf and his record label Stones Throw Records. Fabulous Souls were led by sax player and lead singer Ira Raibon. They were from Indianapolis. Other members were Michael Clay on bass, Lance Sennet on guitar, Jeffrey Speights on keyboards and Johnny Whitby on drums. Take Me was released on their own label in 1971. It was quickly forgotten and Raibon moved to Santa Ana, CA. He resurfaced in the late 70s group Sweetalk. But mostly he has been a sideman and session musician working mostly with singer songwriter Nick Waterhouse. Peanut Butter Wolf (real name-Chris Manak) is based in San Jose, CA. He releases a lot of remixes on his Stones Throw label. One of his frequent collaborators is rapper Madlib (real name-Otis Jackson Jr.). A self confessed rare 45 junkie, when Manak heard that Raibon lived in Santa Ana, he asked him if he could release Take Me on one of his CDs so that a new generation could hear the song. Raibon agreed to that and Stones Throw released it as a single in 2002 and on the CD Peanut Butter Wolf's Jukebox 45s. That CD is available but so is this 2CD Stones Throw retrospective. As I said, Raibon is currently in Nick Waterhouse's band. But now he is known for this rediscovered lost funk classic. Here's a video for Take Me by Fabulous Souls.
Thank-you very much Frank. I have heard that song before, when I was young, in the 70's. It sounded very familiar to me. Then I knew I had heard it before. Good song, it is a classic.
ReplyDeleteDr.Ira Raibon, is the professor of Music Business and Media at the Orange County Performing Arts H.S. in Santa Ana, Ca.
ReplyDeleteHe has always lived on the beach in So.Orange County. when he left the Fabulous Souls he moved to Newport Beach where he lived for 2 years then to Corona Del Mar for another 3 years.