I came across this CD, The Kings of Diggin’ at the Tower Records sale in Nashville, and it’s the best $10 I ever spent. I highly recommend it. DJ’s Kon, Amir and Muro share two discs worth of their favorite vinyl relics, culled from their years of audio spelunking in the back of America’s record stores: obscure soul, funk, jazz fusion and other groovy nuggets abound. In particular, one track stood out, as it’s the basis for a current chart hit.
The Moon People – Hippy Skippy Moon Strut
Astute listeners will also recognize that the tune splices its groove with a variation on “Tighten Up” by Archie Bell and the Drells.
The chart hit in question is Christina Aguilera’s “Ain’t No Other Man,” and I’m glad this gave me the excuse to address something. Her new record is fantastic. Yes, you heard right, Colter has purchased a Christina Aguilera CD. Why? Because DJ Premier is behind the boards for several tracks and Christina cuts loose from the constrictive pop format here and there. You’re already tired of her “Candyman” from the Verizon commercials, but it’s a nice homage to that 40’s/Andrews Sisters sound. There’s also a convincing gospel soul number, and several legitimately funky songs. And her voice. It has some magical direct line to the spinal cord. I had hoped that her new record would lay off the studio gloss, as her voice is one of the few in pop that does not require multi-tracking. My hope is that she’ll someday attempt a raw, stripped-down soul/jazz record, but I’m not holding my breath.