Once in the late 90s I picked up a CD anthology of rare funk & soul singles at Midnight Records, (formerly at 148 W. 23rd St.) just down the street from the Chelsea Hotel. I purchased disc one of a 6-volume series entitled Funkaphonix: Raw & Uncut Funk 1968-1975. Amusing to learn that one of the standout tracks, “The Buzzard” by ‘C. Smalls & Co.‘ was released in 1968 on A&M – not the first funk label that comes to mind:
“The Buzzard“
C[harlie] Smalls (1968)
Arranged by Charlie Smalls
Produced by Bruce Langhorne
How intriguing to discover later that this same Charlie Smalls once appeared at the end of a Monkees episode called ‘Some Like It Lukewarm‘ that was filmed near the end of 1967, with Davy Jones as the eager and attentive student, who learns the musical differences between “white” and “black” soul from instructor Smalls, who demonstrates on the piano:
Record World
October 15, 1968
Charlie Smalls would go on to win the 1975 Tony Award for Best Original Score for his work on The Wiz.
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LINK to Funk on Zero to 180
