By Steve Rhodes
A loose collection of whatnot.
1. The Chicago Gangsters were actually from Ohio. More deets after the vid.
From 1975, uploaded to YouTube this week by NSFW vinyltrustkool96, perhaps to misdirect you.
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“Despite their name, the Chicago Gangsters were originally from Ohio,” according to Milk Crate Breaks, consisting of brothers James, Sam, Chris, and Leroy McCant. Their sound ranged from heavy funk and disco to sweet, smooth soul.
“They adopted the name Chicago Gangsters after catching on with the Gold Plate label, where they worked with prolific songwriter/arranger Richard Evans and a number of Chicago’s top studio musicians.
“Gangster Boogie” became a massively popular sample, most prominently appearing on L.L. Cool J’s hit “Mama Said Knock You Out.”
Other prominent samples include these by Schoolly D, Kool Moe Dee, Bell Biv DeVoe, Geto Boys and Chilli D.
2. I’ve always liked the voice and songwriting of downstate’s Shawn Colvin, but I agree with the Reader’s Peter Margasak that she’s been produced much too slickly, which ultimately is her own responsibility. Her appearances this week at the City Winery provide a good excuse to look again at our post about her memoir, in which we excerpt the Illinois parts.
3. Jackson Ampworks by the Chicago Music Exchange.
“Meet Your Maker” – A new series on the different manufacturers available at Chicago Music Exchange. In this episode the creator and master builder of Jackson Ampworks, Brad Jackson, stops by the exchange to give us the exclusive story on what his amps are all about.
Posted on November 8, 2012