ORDER YOUR COPY NOW >>
The funkier side of Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings. The indisputable reigning champions of Soul give 12 blazing hot tracks – made famous in their infamous Soul revue – their long overdue album debut. Majority previously unreleased including exclusive 45-only tracks such as "Genuine Pts. 1 & 2", "He Said I Can", "When I Come Home", and"Longer & Stronger."
El Rego is a true legend of African Soul Music. Here for the first time on album are 12 of his greatest recordings from the late '60s and early '70s hand-picked by Daptone Records.
20 page hardcover Bookcase CD featuring El Rego’s own story of his life and music along with pictures from his personal collection and artwork from his original 45’s. The music has been remastered with great care, and the vinyl contains an exclusive BONUS 45’ of “Se Na Min”, one of his most sought after afro-funk tracks.
ORDER YOUR COPY NOW>> Get a FREE download of "the world" here...
Due to popular demand, one of the best albums of the year now comes with Charles Bradley's landmark covers of Neil Young's "Heart of Gold" and Nirvana's "Stay Away." Bonus songs are not available on the LP format but ARE available for download via MP3 coupon that comes with every LP.
Charles Bradley's voice has evolved from a lifetime of paying dues, having
nomadically labored for decades at various day jobs from Maine to Alaska -
singing and performing in his spare time - before re-settling in his
hometown Brooklyn and eventually finding a musical home at Dunham. In his
distinctively rough-hewn timbre one hears the unmistakable voice of
experience - each note and gruff inflection a reflection of his extended,
sometimes rocky, personal path. It's only fitting that No Time For
Dreaming's producer Brenneck (also a member of The Dap-Kings and The Budos
Band) would recognize in Bradley a kindred musical spirit - a singer whose
performances exude both raw power and poignant beauty. Recorded at Dunham
Studios, and mixed at Daptone Records' internationally revered "House of
Soul" Studios, No Time For Dreaming is the inspired sound of an awakening.
Charles Bradley “No Time For Dreaming” – The Instrumentals LIMITED LP – Get yours now! >>
Daptone friends, your PRAYERS have been ANSWERED! Charles Bradley “No Time for Dreaming” - The Instrumentals is HERE! 12 DYNAMITE tracks of unstoppable instrumentality. These hypnotic hymns played oh so skillfully by Brooklyn’s premier SUPER group, Menahan Street Band, promises to be the consummate summer soundtrack for all you hip cats and kittens.
Brooklyn's youngest rapping sensation, the 3 Titans, hopped on the scene this year with their inspiring 7” single "College" backed with "Life Of A Scholar". The 3 Titans single marks the first Dunham
production recorded at the new Dunham Sound Studio. This record
turned some heads for sure being the first hip hop release from the
Daptone/Dunham family. So much so that all the DJs are asking for more, and we're bringing it with this new 12" single including instrumentals and a cappellas.
Daptone Records is proud to present The Budos Band III, unleashing The Budos Band’s brazen sound and inspiring fervor among music lovers throughout the world. Produced by Bosco Mann and TNT at Daptone Records’ “House of Soul Studios” in Bushwick, Brooklyn, the band’s third full-length studio effort was conceived during weekly, beer-fueled Staten Island writing sessions – as well as more than 150 live gigs over the last two years – and recorded during a 48 hour period in January 2010.
Get a sneak peak of "I Learned the Hard Way" download the title track HERE
CLICK HERE TO ORDER Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings' upcoming album "I Learned the Hard Way", out April 6th, is now available for pre-order via the Daptone Records Super Soul Super Store!
Daptone Gold CompilationCD/LP
A 23 track compilation featuring rarities, classics and previously unreleased tracks from Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, The Budos Band, Binky Griptite, Lee Fields, Antibalas and more. Vinyl release is a double LP packaged in a deluxe gold foil gatefold jacket with extensive liner notes, and will include a poster, sticker and .mp3 download card. CD release is a deluxe gold foil digipak with 6 page booklet including extensive liner notes and photos.
Introduction by Binky Griptite ● Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings “I’m Not Gonna Cry” ● The Budos Band “Up From The South” ● Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens “What Have You Done” ● Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings - “How Long Do I Have To Wait For You?” ● Lee Fields “Could Have Been” ● Antibalas featuring Mayra Vega "Che Che Cole Makossa" ● The Budos Band “Budos Rising” ● Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings “Got A Thing On My Mind” ● Charles Bradley & the Menahan Street Band “The World” ● Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings “Make It Good To Me” ● Lee Fields and Sugarman & Co. “Stand Up” ● Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens “What Is This” ● Binky Griptite with the Sugarman Three “A Lover Like Me” ● Menahan Street Band “Make the Road by Walking” ● Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings “Tell Me” ● Sugarman & Co. “Down To It” ● The Dap-Kings “Nervous Like Me” ● Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings “Giving Up” ● The Budos Band “Ghostwalk” ● The Gospel Queens feat. Cynthia Langston “I Need You To Hold My Hand” ● Binky Griptite & the Mellomatics “The Stroll Pt. 2” ● Sharon Jones & Lee Fields “Stranded In Your Love”
Pax Nicholas and The Nettey Family “Na Teef Know De Road of Teef"CD/LP
Nicholas Addo-Nettey became a full member of Fela´s legendary band Africa 70 as a conga player and background singer in 1971. The first record he appeared on was Lady Shakara – an international smash hit and one of Fela´s greatest. In the 70s, stars like James Brown, B.B. King, Ginger Baker, Stevie Wonder and Manu Dibango came to Lagos to visit Fela’s Shrine club to hear this new and incredibly heavy thing called Afrobeat. While playing and recording for Felas ´s Africa 70 (he appeared on Fela’s releases between 1971 and 1978), Mr. Addo-Nettey always had his own thing going on the side. He released two solo LPs for the Tabansi Label with the Martin Brothers Band from Portharcort, Nigeria, one of them being “Na Teef Know The Road of Teef” in 1973. A heavy afro-funk record, that was recorded with Africa 70 musicians and singers in Ginger Baker´s highly equipped Lagos studio, where many of Fela´s albums were recorded as well. Fela was not amused at all about these kinds of things, even less when he heard how strong the “Na Teef…” album was. He reportedly said: “Don’t you ever, EVER play it again!” And so it was. Despite being a killer record, “Na Teef…” remained undercover for more than 30 years. READ MORE...
The Budos Band “Budos Band EP" CD/LP
Available Digitally and on Vinyl. Limited CD’s available on our online store only!
From the vaults of Daptone Records, comes a collection of 6 unreleased tracks from the infamous Budos Band. Recorded after the Budos Band I sessions but
before those for the second album, this EP is a fascinating glimpse into the group's evolution as musicians and recording artists. The Budos Band EP is a must have for Budos and Daptone fans alike. It stands as a vital account of the band's movement between musical styles and records a singular moment in the group's existence. It will indeed stand the test of time and remain a bedrock of Budos lore. ORDER NOW
Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens “What Have You Done my Brother" CD/LP
LP includes a coupon for free mp3 download of the entire album
Hundreds of new artists rear their heads on the scene every year, each struggling in vain to distinguish themselves from the rest with the gimmicks and novelties of the latest radio fads. However, rarely will an artist come along that can transcend the boxes and boundaries of our musical landscape with nothing but the pure soulfulness of her voice. MORE... Order LP CD
Menahan Street Band “Make the Road by Walking”
LP includes a coupon for free mp3 download of the entire album
The Menahan Street Band is a collaboration of musicians from Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, El Michels Affair, Antibalas and the Budos Band, brought together by musician/producer Thomas Brenneck (Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Budos Band, Amy Winehouse) to record hits in the bedroom of his Menahan St. apartment in Bushwick, Brooklyn. MORE...
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The Voices of Panola Co., Mississippi
Como Now
Recorded Live at Mt. Mariah Church, July 22nd, 2006
Deep in the heart of Panola County, Mississippi lies Como, a small rural town where children and grown folks alike have been living and breathing gospel for as long as they can remember. In the summer of 2006, Daptone Records placed a small ad in local papers and on the radio inviting singers to come down to Mt. Mariah Church to record their songs. The result is COMO NOW, a stirring collection of traditional and original a cappella gospel from the voices of Panola County’s own families. MORE...
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Menahan Street Band “The Crossing” b/w “Every Day A Dream”
*Exclusive! – ORDER NOW
Menahan Street Band make a grandiose return with their latest release. Led by a hypnotic, haunted Ukulele and intersected by thick, sorrowful hornlines, "The Crossing", a dark, powerful slab of down-tempo soul conjures moods both reflective and triumphant.
EVER-SOUL + Bob & Gene 45 bundle
Get this Ever-Soul shirt and Bob & Gene’s latest full color picture sleeve 45 “It’s Not What You Know (It’s Who You Know)” together!
Bob & Gene It’s Not What You Know (It’s Who You Know) b/w Lonely Nights
*With full color picture sleeve!ORDER NOW
Tweezed from the beautiful MO DO tape boondoggle, back in '05-6, this un-released single has been a planned release for some time and an office favorite for too long. Astoundingly the percussion cooked up on these two sides come from only pots, pans and box's - yes, even what sounds exactly like an open high hat on "It’s Not What You Know." The songwriting and vocal performance are no less remarkable.
Charles Bradley "Heart of Gold b/w In You (I Found a Love)"
Also Available for Digital Download
ORDER NOW
Like many of the great soul singers before him, Charles Bradley has taken a rock n roll classic and given it a soulful makeover. Backed (once again) by the instrumental juggernaut that is Menahan Street Band, Charles Bradley and the boys take Neil Young’s “Heart of Gold”, and flip it on its head – adding enough horns and groove to transform this track into a bona fide Soul classic.
El Rego Vimado Wingnan” b/w “E Nan Mian Nuku
ORDER NOW
Hailing from Benin, El Rego et ses Commandos recorded a plethora of unbelievably soulful records in the sixties and seventies that range from traditional rhythms of West Africa, to afro-latin, afro-funk, and even Benin-style blues. This is a taste of the upcoming full-length, out Fall of 2011.
Available NOW at the Daptone Super Soul Super Store ORDER NOW
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings' I Learned the Hard Way album now available as a LIMITED EDITION BOX SET on all 7" vinyl. This set features all twelve of the album cuts from the latest smash release on ELEVEN 45's includng TEN BONUS TRACKS. Includes a 28-page full color 7x7 booklet with never before seen live and behind the scenes photos.
Charles Bradley No Time for Dreaming b/w Golden Rule ORDER NOW
The boys at Dunham have done it again - this time with a two-sider of epic SOUL proportions. Originally an unreleased track from the catalogue of Joe Quarterman, “No Time for Dreaming” is a horn drenched moover, that Charles master fully transforms into something all his own. Oh, and that insanely tight band backing up Sir Charles – why it ’s none other than Brooklyn’s instrumental giants, The Menahan Street Band.
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings Better Things b/w Window Shopping ORDER NOW
"BETTER THINGS", the hit song from Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings’ latest album I Learned the Hard Way – that has been melting dance floors across the globe – is finally available as a 45. Please drink plenty of liquids and dress accordingly before you drop the needle on this one.
3 TITANS
C-O-L-L-E-G-E b/w Life of a Scholar ORDER NOW
The 3 Titans, Khalil Jackson, Jorden Plaines, and Dallas Ifill, are rhythmically gifted fifth-graders with their sights set on higher education. On their debut 7” for Dunham Records, “C-O-L-L-E-G-E” b/w “Life of a Scholar”, the precocious eleven-year-olds trade rhymes about the benefits of going to college and the determination it takes to get there over two sides of old-school, hard-as-nails (and refreshingly sample-free) beats provided by the notorious Menahan Street Band.
Darrell Banks
Don't Know What To Do b/w My Love Is Reserved ORDER NOW
When it comes to sixties soul music, Memphis vs. Detroit equals raw vs. smooth, gritty vs. slick, down-home vs. uptown, right? At least that's the received wisdom. So how do you explain these two polished yet gut-wrenching tracks?
Naomi Shelton featuring Cliff Driver
Wind Your Clock b/w Talkin' About A Good Thing ORDER NOW
Shortly before the demise of Daptone’s predecessor, Desco Records, at the close of the twentieth century, a 10” test pressing was cut from a session with Gospel-Soul belter Naomi Shelton (then appearing under her married name, Naomi Davis)
Binky Griptite
The Stroll b/w The Stroll Pt. 2 ORDER NOW
Another slab 'o soul from Dap-Kings guitarist/emcee Binky Griptite who never fails to put the show in showmanship.
Menahan Street Band
The Wolf b/w Bushwick Lullaby ORDER NOW
The MSB challenges the Budos Band to a duel with "The Wolf", the fast-paced ethio tinged number that has recently served as the opening song of their on-stage appearances.
Eddie & Ernie We had three equally soulful songs to choose from and after exhausting ourselves from trying to choose just two...we decided to press two versions! ORDER NOW
Bullets Don’t Have Eyes
b/w In These Very Tender Moments
PICTURE SLEEVE
Bullets Don’t Have Eyes
b/w with alternate B-side
You Made my Life a Sunny Day WEBSITE EXCLUSIVE
Sometime in the early 1960s Hank Mullen’s friend and fellow Buffalonian Carl LaRue, an organ player, traveled with his group (Carl LaRue and His Crew) all the way to Phoenix, Arizona, where he’d secured a steady gig as the house band at the local Zanzibar club. Soon after starting the job, he would invite a young (16yr & 19yr old) vocal duo to perform some of their original songs in front of his band during shows. Ernest Johnson Jr. and Eddie (Edgar) William Campbell were eager to make it in music and for the next 10 odd years would attempt to do so. They managed to record and release a handful of singles across varied imprints spread throughout the United States, from South Carolina to Chicago, from New York to Phoenix.
Binky Griptite and The Mellomatics
One Time, You're mine ORDER NOW
Binky Griptite’s smash live hit has finally been cut to wax for your home enjoyment. “One Time, You’re Mine” is the kind of no nonsense, Meat-and-Potatoes Soul.
Sharon Jones -Produced by Ticklah
How Long Do I Have to Wait for You
(Reggae Version) ORDER NOW
This reggae version of a Dap-Kings' favorite is really TERRIFIC! Reggae mastermind TICKLAH (AKA Victor Axelrod, AKA Earl Maxton) has re-cast Sharon's vocals to the beat of his own drum, and it feels So Right!
Charles Bradley & The Menahan Street Band The Telephone Songb/w Tired of Fighting ORDER NOW
Is that the telephone ringing?... Hello?... Oh snap it’s Charles Bradley! Oooh, and he’s doing his LOVE THING. If Soul is your Goal, you better pick up, because Charles is on your main line, and he definitely can’t hold. He’s in a way on this record, and it’s B-A-D! This is the second 45 from the upcoming album "Make The Road by Walking" from The Menahan Street Band.
Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings “100 Days, 100 Nights”
b/w “Settling In” (45 exclusive!) ORDER NOW
Are you in the mood for a fantastic record? Well take off everything you’re wearing and try this on. Not only do you get to spin 100 Days in sweet warm vinyl, you also get a new song available only on 7" format. Settling In is a bluesy mid-tempo groover from the 100 Days, 100 Nights recording sessions.
Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens
What have you done b/w I'll take the long road ORDER NOW.
Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens are Gospel Soul of the highest order. Within the Daptone family, Naomi's name resonates deeply as a rare and beautiful performer. When she sings, anyone present is intoxicated and overcome by the love and joy that pours from her.
Hank "Soul Man" Mullen
Listen b/w He upset your dreams ORDER NOW
The A side is an up-tempo groover concerning the saddest subject of all; not one, but two broken hearts. This is an effort from the Avengers on the Audel imprint out of Buffalo NY. The band formed in the mid-sixties and toured a dynamic show with...
You’ve been licking ‘round the bottom of the Soul bowl lately, scrounging for every bit and morsel you can find. And now this! Our second volume of Daptone cuts that have never been digitized before.
All the 45 only jams that your hipper friends with record players have been so smarmy about for so long. I’m sure you would have bought them on vinyl if your apartment wasn’t so small, right? Or maybe you already did, but want these handy digital ones so you can listen to them on your telephone when you’re not near enough to your dear old turntable.
Either way, I’m sure you’ll enjoy Volume two of Daptone’s 7” Singles Collection. And don’t forget, singles are for couples too!
TRACKLISTING
1. The Matador - The Mighty Imperials
2. Now That I'm Gone - Charles Bradley & The Bullets
3. Can't Stop Thinking About You - Charles Bradley
4. Could Have Been - Lee Fields
5. You Don't Know What You Mean (To a Lover Like Me) - Lee Fields and The Sugarman 3
6. How Long Do I Have To Wait For You (Instr.) - Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
7. This Love Ain't Big Enough for the Two of Us - Charles Bradley & The Bullets
8. (She's Got) Twilight Eyes - Charles Bradley & The Bullets
9. I Just Dropped In to See What Condition My Condition Is In - Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings
10. Stand Up - Lee Fields and The Sugarman 3
11. Stand Up Pt. II - Lee Fields and Sugarman 3
12. Nervous like me - The Dap-Kings
13. Che Che Cole - Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra
How many times have you been at a swinging soul party and overheard someone say, "I'd really love to taste
some of those soulful and delicious Daptone cuts that are only available on 45's, but I don't have a record player"?
I
know what you're thinking: if only I had a dime for every time! Well now a dime (or two) is all it will cost your phonographically impaired friends to download one of these exclusive cuts to play on their own MP5-BOX. You
heard right, the considerate folks at Daptone have compiled the entirety of their infamous 45' catalog onto a series
of download only albums. Finally, you too can own tracks that have previously only been available to DJ's and
vinyl junkies.
1. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings -Got A Thing On My Mind, Pt.
1
2. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings -Got A Thing On My Mind, Pt. 2
3. Lee Fields & the Dap-Kings -Give Me A Chance, Pt. 1
4. Lee Fields & the Dap-Kings -Give Me A Chance, Pt. 2
5. The Sugarman 3 -Funky So-and-So, Pt.1
6. The Sugarman 3 -Funky So-and-So, Pt. 2
7. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings -Make It Good To Me
8. The Dap-Kings -Casella Walk
9. Charles Bradley and Sugarman & Co. -Take It As It Come Pt. 1
10. Charles Bradley and Sugarman & Co. -Take it... Pt. 2
11. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings -Got To Be The Way It Is, Pt.2
12. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings -Got To Be The Way It Is, Pt.2
13. Naomi Davis -Promised Land, Pt. 1
14. The Sugarman 3 -Promised Land (Instrumental)
15. The Company -La Culebra, Pt. 1
16. The Company -La Culebra, Pt. 2
17. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings -What Have You Done For Me Lately? Pt. 1
18. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings -What Have You Done For Me Lately? Pt. 2
Man, that record was hard to put together. David Griffiths showed up at Daptone with the ugliest boxes of tapes I've ever seen. Dirty, unlabeled, every possible format and speed. It was a mess him and I spent days and days going through them and cataloging their contents, trying to find the highest quality sources to put an album together. Now that William Nunn had passed, and passed his tapes to Dave along with his blessings and his stories, we had the responsibility of the whole MoDo legacy in our hands. And the whole legacy was scattered on these tapes. Sometimes we thought we found a perfect master and three quarters of the way through it would cut into a dog race that someone had recorded off the radio. I couldn't believe that they didn't have any more concern for these masters. However, like any kind of digging, the rush of unearthing a complete master of one of these gems was worth all of the hours of dust and cataloging. Hearing unreleased tunes like "You Don't Need Me" or "Somebody's Doin' it" for the first time off those reels was pretty exciting. We even found a reel with what looked like the original intended track listing for an album scribbled on the back. We tried to follow it as much as possible.
Why did Daptone decide to reissue this album? I never considered this a reissue. It manifested under fairly unique circumstances. Many of the songs had in fact come out on Nunn's MoDo label as 45's forty some-odd years earlier, but some had not. More importantly, they had conceived of most of the recordings as an album and the album had never been made. All of the music was done, but it was simply never assembled and released. Perhaps that was why it was such a painstaking process to finish it. We felt a real responsibility to try to complete the vision of the record that they imagined so long ago. More than all of that, though, we put it out because of the music. For a lot of the Daptone crew, that record has remained on high rotation. It's that sweet soul sound that we're all fans of, but as of now, we don't have anyone in our roster that can really sing that way. Maybe we should be scouting the high schools.
What’s your favorite song on this record and why? That's a hard one. I Can Be Cool really blew me away from the first time I heard it. It's got that heavy, open I'm Your Puppet kind of groove and killer lyrics. The arrangement undergoes a strange metamorphosis toward the end and slips into a completely different groove. A number of their songs do that. That's pretty cool. They also opted for very slightly out of tune recorders instead of a horn section which definitely gives it a sprinkle of je ne sais quoi. There are a lot of songs on there that move me though. You Don't Need Me has a killer bass line. And sometimes, late at night, You Gave Me Love can be just right.
Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens “What Have You Done, My Brother?”
Released May 2009 - Buy
Daptone Records Co-owner/Producer, Bosco Mann, on Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens and the recording of this album:
Recording this record was a challenge. When Cliff and I first conceived of it, we wanted to do an album of all message songs - meaning, we wanted to do all uplifting songs, songs about righteousness, but no literal gospel. Songs about "Love", but not calling Jesus' name. Kind of like the songs the Staples Singers and Curtis Mayfield did when they crossed over. We started rolling tape in 2006. On Cliff's recommendation, I had gone through a lot of gospel songs that we were already doing on church gigs and tweaked the lyrics to amputate all of the religion out of them. I changed "Hem of His Garment" to "If All My Money Were Love", and "Pray On My Child" to "Walk On My Child". It wasn't out of disrespect. Just like Wilson Pickett, Ray Charles and all the rest of the great R&B singers, we figured Naomi had to change "Jesus" to "baby" in order to sell some records. There was a lot of precedent for this approach to recording a "gospel-tinged" soul record. I also wrote a handful of new tunes for these first sessions like "By My Side," "Am I Asking Too Much", "Rise Up,"and "Movin'" (the latter two never made the final cut for the record.) We were still recording on the old 16 track tape machine then. The results were mixed. That first take of "I'll Take the Long Road" (a song I'd originally intended for a reggae group) came out beautiful. It was just one of those natural studio moments that just worked, and in the end it was one of the only things from this first session to make the wax. However, most of the rest of the session was not as fruitful, we shelved it and got into some other things for a few months.
We reconvened in 2007. We had some different back up singers, another drummer, and some new songs. I believe we kept "By My Side" from that session. Not because the backing was flawless, but because Naomi slaughtered it to the point where we couldn't ask her to cut it again. Other than that, the outcome was little better than the first sessions. Again, we shelved the project. It was better than the first sessions, but we knew that Naomi deserved a great record. It was painful for me personally, because I knew how much she and Cliff wanted to get a record out. Cliff had seemed content to release the first sessions. I didn't want to hold them back, but Neal and I agreed that the sessions hadn't yet reached their potential.
I took a lot of time after those sessions, listening to tapes and comparing the performances to Naomi and the Queens' live show. At some point I had to acknowledge that they were just putting a little more into the songs about Jesus. These were women who were sincerely in love with Jesus and you could hear it in their songs. Not that they didn't dig in to some of the other songs that I'd written - Naomi had taken some of them to heart and was really breathing life into them - but the gospel songs would have to be just that: gospel songs. Neal and I shrugged and made peace with our place as two more Jews putting out records about Jesus.
In 2008 we brought them back into the studio with a fresh approach. Some things had changed. I called in friend and local jazz drummer Brian Floody for most of the sessions and Homer Steinweiss for the rest. The Queens' line up had changed as well, bringing Cynthia Langston in to sing the top parts, leaving Edna Johnson on the bottom, and solidifying Bobbie Gant in the middle. The studio had undergone some changes as well. By that time, we had abandoned the 16 track for an 8 track Ampex machine. This meant we didn't have enough tracks for each of the musicians and singers to have their own tracks. My first instinct was to let the background singers just gather around one mic, which would open up a couple tracks, but just before the session, I changed my mind. We gave each singer their own mic and their own track. Some of these songs were new to them and they didn't have all of the parts and blends completely worked out. I needed them on separate tracks in order to make sure we could sit them right in the mix. Because of that, we had to economize the tracks for the rhythm section. We put the bass amp and guitar amp facing eachother and stuck one microphone in between. It actually wasn't hard to get a balance and I could control the bass pretty well with the low end of an eq. Similarly, the piano and organ were mixed together on a single track. (There were a few tunes where I screwed up the balance between the keys. "Where'd the piano go?," Cliff would ask me. I had to group mix the backgrounds, fly them to another track, and overdub an additional piano on a handful of songs. You can hear the ghostly original piano poking through on some of the tunes.)
The other major change was giving Naomi and the Queens back the original gospel lyrics. Suddenly, tunes like "What More Can I Do" and "What Is This?" started coming to life. I think we recorded on a Thursday and Friday evening and took the weekend off. That Sunday I listened to the roughs and was much happier with what we had. It just felt that the record needed one more tune, something heavy and dark to balance all of the transcendent optimism of the record. I grabbed my guitar, strummed a couple minor chords and scribbled out "What Have You Done, My Brother". Like the other's I'd written for Naomi, it wasn't a brilliant song by any stretch of the imagination, but it had a rhythm and a message that she could really get into. She took to it right away and we cut it in couple of takes. We decided to cut A Change Is Gonna Come on that last day two. Cliff put together the backgrounds and we overdubbed them afterwards. A combination of finally having the right line-up and the right songs (with the original lyrics) made this third session a success. After a few days of voting, fighting, and a lot of splicing, through which many songs and verses met there painful end on the cutting room floor, we chopped the tapes down to what the truly essential moments. Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens finally had a Daptone record.
What Have You Done, My Brother? is the only record that I've ever recorded that I could sit and listen to from the moment it was finished. Most records I can't enjoy for years. Like lots of great records, It didn't sell so well. Perhaps the irony is that after all that people actually couldn't get their heads around buying a gospel record. I have no regrets about going back to the Jesus lyrics, though. We made a deep, natural, soulful record. I think we captured what makes Naomi the most beautiful and powerful singer around. I have yet to record another record that made me as proud.
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings 2/17 Copenhagen, Denmark - Koncerthuset Cancelled & Re-scheduled for more info click here
2/18 Helsinki, Finland - Cirkus
Cancelled & Re-scheduled for more info click here
2/19 Olso, Norway - Rockefeller
Cancelled for more info click here
2/21 Amsterdam, Holland - Paradiso >>
2/22 Utrecht, Holland - Tivoli >>
2/28 Berlin, Germany Huxleys >>
2/29 Hamburg, Germany Uebel & Gefahrlich >> 3/1 Koln, Germany Gloria >> Click here for more SJDK shows & details
The Budos Band 2/18 Vancouver, BC - The Red Room >>
2/19 Seattle, WA - Neumo’s >>
2/20 Bellingham, WA - The Wild Buffalo >>
2/21 Portland, OR - Dante’s >>
2/23 San Francisco, CA - Noise Pop @ The Independent >> Click here for more shows & details
Charles Bradley
2/15 Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon >>
2/16 Minneapolis, MN - Fine Line Music Cafe >>
2/17 Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall >>
2/18 Chicago, IL - The Metro >>
2/19 Bloomington, IN - Bluebird Theatre >> Click here for more shows & details Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens
Charles Bradley, the film!
Poull Brie's directorial debut is about the set the film and music world on fire with this gem. Stay tuned!
Your wishes finally come true!
Enter here to win a serenade from the screaming eagle of Soul for you or your loved one...
Vh1 Divas Tribute to Soul
Check the bonus, web-only performance from a memorable night. Sharon is always on fire but this one... oh boy!
New Live Video
Amazing, bone chilling new video of Heartaches and pain by Charles Bradley. This is pure magic, believe it
The one and ONLY Charles Bradley talks to PBS. Check this great video interview which includes some live footage of the man in action...
You can now follow Charles Bradley on Twitter and "Like" him on Facebook and stay updated on upcoming tour dates, releases and videos!
New Video!
Watch the premiere of the video for Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings "If You Call" directed by Philip Di Fiore here
The Gibson Video interview with Binky!
SJDK's guitar player and MC, Binky Griptite was interviewed by Gibson guitars. Check out the interview this way...
Follow The Budos Band on Twitter
Staten Island's Afro Soul Sensation, The Budos Band are on the Twitter. Stay in touch with their latest noise here
New Album by Cochemea!
SJDK's baritone Sax player Cochemea Gastelum releases "The Electric Sound of Johnny Arrow. It's pure fire! check it...
I Learned the Hard Way Premiere
Starring Lee Fields, Charles Bradley and Tommy "TNT" Brenneck. Directed by Phil Di Fiore. Watch it HERE!
Gabe Roth Interviewed @ Waxpoetics
Daptone co-founder, the infamous Bosco Mann sat down with Waxpoetics and told them his story. Check it
Sharon Jones & DK on Talk Stoop (NBC)
Sharon, Binky and Dave Guy @ Talk Stoop with Cat Greenleaf. Acoustic version of I learned the hard way included. Peep!
Latest News from Binky Griptite
Binky's Radio show, Ghetto Funk Power Hour is filled with raw Soul Power! Catch it live or in the archives.
DAP APP!
Stay updated on Daptone news, listen to our jukebox, watch videos and more with our new App, it's FREE!
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook
Become our fan on facebook or follow the movements of your good folks at Daptone Records on Twitter.
New Video
Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens' "What Have You Done" Shot in Daptone Records' backyard. Soul!
Pictures from Naomi's record release
Ya missed it? don't worry. Here is a series of beautiful photos taken by Jacob Blickenstaff.
Sharon Jones and Bosco Mann, bass player in the Dap-Kings and co-founder of Daptone Records, talk to NPR in Washington, D.C.: this way...
Menahan Street Band on Spinner
MSB visited AOL Spinner's studio's to tape an exclusive interview and performance. Jump here for videos and photos.
Austin City Limits TV Show
The PBS show featured the soulful stylings of Sharon
Jones & the Dap-Kings. www.austincitylimits.org
Watch the video from Obama fundraiser.
Our good friends at Deep in the Pocket Video productions hooked us up with this great video of the Obama fundraiser. Thanks Mateo!
PMA! (Pretty Much Amazing)
SJ&TDK's drummer, Homer Steinweiss is up to no good again. This time he created an amazing video of the latest dance craze.
Como Now Reviews: Soulful!
The New York Times and Time Out both agree, The Voices of Panola County, with their sweet, soulful Gospel, take you to church!
New video for "Tell Me"
Antique video cameras + Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings make a beautiful combination. See for ya'self!
Rummaging for... records
Neal Sugarman & Gabriel Roth of the D-Kings steer us to the best places to score quality vinyl in the NYC area. Lay it in the cut!
Dap Kings' Horns play in new Al Green Record. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Al Green's new release.
Lay it Down.
Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings perform at Later with Jules Holland. Note: The video stream link is only valid in the UK. link
New Budos Video for Origin of Man
They put their lives on the line, just to make an awesome video. Look out!
Late Night with David Letterman Video
In case you went to sleep early that night and could not catch the performance on Letterman here is a link for you...
The video for 100 Days, 100 Nights is live all over the world thanks to Dap-U-tube. Go ahead and check it out. It's a winner!
Homer Steinweiss, The Dap-king's Drummer has opened a blog about food. It features delicacies from the Dap-Kings Tours Yumm!
Exclusive download of WDAP's GhettoFunkPowerHour hosted by Binky Griptite featuring Daptone Hits. Get it!
