This is the third and final part in the Yokohama, Japan graffiti series.These photos were taken recently by Amoeba Music and graffiti/hip-hop fan ACCO.


                         

                             

JAYDEE "Plastic Dreams"

Ever since last Sunday at the 14th Annual Clubhouse Jamboree when I heard DJ Spinna spin this classic early nineties house track (which, like most longtime electronic music fans, I own and have somewhere in my collection), the damn song has been stuck in my head non-stop. So consequently, I felt compelled to dig it up and play it on WFMU two days ago. And when I did I got a ton of  calls, emails, and comments from other music fans who shared my love for this everlasting funk-driven house classic from fifteen years ago. Odds are if you went to any clubs or raves or parties in Cali in the early nineites you too also know and love this song. It was released in 1992 on R&S Records, with the video (below) dropping a year later when Epic picked it up. The song was recorded by JayDee (no not J Dilla), the Dutch DJ/producer Robyn "JayDee" Albers, who consequently remixed/re-released it (including in 2004 --see 12" cover above), although the very original mix was just so perfect that it couldn't be topped (in my opinion). Look for it at Amoeba Music in various formats and on various releases. I own it on a 4-CD compilation from few years ago called Funky House No.1 -- one of many it can be found on.

This is Part II in a three part series of graffiti found around the streets of Yokohma Japan, all captured on camera recently by Amoeba Music fan ACCO, who is a diehard hip-hop fan. Note the many stylistic differences between Japanese and American graffiti -- both subtle and distinct -- including the common recurring influence of Anime (Japanese animation) in many of these Tokyo pieces.

Singer, pianist and songwriter Bobby Byrd, who is credited with discovering James Brown in the 1950's and consequently was one of the Godfather of Soul's main collaborators for twenty years, died September 12th of lung cancer at his home in Georgia. He was 73 years of age.

Byrd, who many may know from shouting that famous refrain "Get on Up" on the James Brown hit "Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine," also co-wrote that song. He is additionally credited with co-writing several other James Brown hits that included "Talkin Loud and Sayin' Nothin," "Get Up, Get into It and Get Involved," and "Licking Stick." And at James Brown's funeral late last year he sang "Sex Machine" and "I Know You Got Soul." In fact, it was an ugly dispute over the the authorship credits of this latter song (1971 hit single) that led to the parting of ways between the two artists.

How Byrd originally met Brown in the early 1950's is a pretty interesting story in and of itself. Reportedly Byrd's religious and ever-charitable family helped secure Brown's early release from a juvenile detention facility in Georgia. This was after Byrd, as part of an outside visiting baseball team, met Brown behind the detention walls. The two young men first bonded over baseball and then later music. After Juvenile Hall Bobby Byrd's family providied a home for the young James Brown. While there James joined Bobby's gospel group, the Gospel Starlighters, which soon after became more of a secular/RnB group and  called themselves the Famous Flames. By this stage Brown's superior talents were obvious and he became the group leader and later a huge star. However Bobby Byrd stuck with him as part of that group and later the JBs for a total of twenty years, including such performances as the famous Live at the Apollo recording.

Have you noticed how many cool in-stores Amoeba has been having lately? Well add tonight (Friday September 14th) to that list with the wonderful Kinski playing for free at 6PM at Amoeba Music San Francisco in support of their recently released SubPop album Down Below It's Chaos. For more information on tonight's show and the new album (which was recorded in their hometown of Seattle, WA) click here. And if you miss the free show you can always catch them later tonight at San Francisco club Bottom of the Hill with Unnatural Helpers opening for them. This show will probably sell out so get to the club early and/or better still, try and make it to the Haight Street Amoeba at 6PM. (For pics from the SF instore, click here.)

Unfortunately the scheduled White Stripes NorCal show at the Greek Theater in Berkeley on Sept 21st has been canceled, along with several other Stripes tour dates, including San Diego and Inglewood, because drummer Meg White is reportedly suffering from acute anxiety and consequently unable to travel. "We hate to let people down and are very sorry," Meg is quoted in a statement on the White Stripes website. Ticket holders should return tix to place of purchase...