Another classic bit of re-releasing from the funk and soul archives by Rocafort Records, this time those of Stone Records from Macon, Georgia on Stone Records: The Complete Singles. And it’s not just the re-releasing that’s classic but the curation too for this box set contains liner notes by a man who knows more about golden era funk and soul than most people alive – soul historian John Ridley of essential digger’s internet resource Sir Shambling’s Deep Soul Heaven.
Stone Records 60s output comprised, it seems, of just six tracks across three years and three 45s by, respectively, Alice Rozier & Little Joe, Flintstones (no, not them) and Thomas Bailey & The Flintstones Band – again, nothing (apart from the name) to do with a town called Bedrock. Arranged in order of release, it’s the Alice Rozier/ Little Joe tracks first – the slow-burning, heavy-emoting torch song duet I’m Gonna Hold On To You b/w the brisker proto-funky R&B of I Love You. The middle 7″ features the double twangy dancefloor R&B groover action of Ruby with Flintstones on the flip and of course that just leaves Thomas Bailey to team-up with another two appearances by Flintstones on the final one. This latter is a game of two halves featuring the super-heavy southern funk of Flintstone Shuffle which is worth the price of admission alone and comes accompanied by I Need You (Most Of All), ending the collection as it began (and fittingly given its brief mayfly-like existence) with a slow-burning torch song.
(Out 19 December on Rocafort Records)