BRAINSTORM ORIG '79 FUNKY ENTERTAINMENT LP DISCO BOOGIE

BRAINSTORM FUNKY ENTERTAINMENT LP Category / Style / Moods: R&B Funk, Urban DISCO 14.77 / 2008-01-13 S asocc 1979 TABU US LP TITLE: FUNKY ENTERTAINMENT ARTIST: BRAINSTORM CONDITION COVER: VG VINYL: VG+ OR BETTER Click here for info on grading and abbreviations TOUGH TO FIND ORIGINAL PRESS Click the pix for a better view TRACKS: Disc: 1 1. Hot for You Womack, Woods 10:41 2. A Case of the Boogie Dees 9:38 3. Popcorn Bright, Estus, Gonsalves, Kent ... 4:47 4. Funky Entertainment Kent, Overton, Woods 4:14 5. You Put a Charge in My Life Mack, Peters 4:11 6. Don't Let Me Catch You With Your Groove Down Gonsalves 4:44 Review by Alex Henderson It's often been said that if an R&B act didn't have a lot of dancefloor appeal in the late '70s, it could forget about being commercially successful. That isn't necessarily true; Frankie Beverly's Maze, just to give one example, was never a dancefloor favorite -- and yet, all of its late-'70s albums went gold. Nonetheless, having disco appeal certainly didn't hurt. When Brainstorm's second album, Journey to the Light, failed to sell, some people reasoned that it was due to a shortage of up-tempo material. So with its third and final album, Funky Entertainment, the Detroit band decided to go for maximum disco appeal and make up-tempo songs a top priority. While Journey to the Light was primarily an album for listening, Funky Entertainment is very dance-oriented. In fact, the ballad "You Put a Charge in My Life" is the only thing on the LP that isn't aimed at the dancefloor. Obviously, Brainstorm was hoping for another "Lovin' Is Really My Name" -- nothing on this LP is in a class with that hit, although exuberant tunes like "Popcorn," "Hot for You," and "A Case of the Boogie" are mildly catchy, if unremarkable and contrived, examples of late-'70s disco/funk. Funky Entertainment wasn't a big seller, but it did enjoy some exposure in dance clubs. At the same time, there were die-hard Brainstorm fans who felt that by neglecting ballads, slow jams, and quiet storm material, the Motor City residents were selling themselves short creatively. And, to be sure, Funky Entertainment is the least-essential and least-memorable of Brainstorm's three albums. Biography by Ron Wynn A Detroit '70s funk band, Brainstorm recorded for Tabu in the late '70s. They started in 1976, and one of their members, Renell Gonsalves, was the son of longtime Ellington sax great Paul Gonsalves. Other bandmembers were vocalist Belita Karen Woods, Charles Overton, Jeryl Bright, Larry H. Sims, Gerald Kent, Trenita Womack, E. Lamont Johnson, and Willie Wooten. They made a good inspirational/message track in 1977, "Wake Up and Be Somebody," but enjoyed their biggest hit later that year in "Lovin' Is Really My Game." It reached number 14 on the R&B charts. They never scored another one. This exquisite piece of retro music history is a vinyl sound recording (not a CD). Please visit the A Sound Deal store for similar items and information on grading and shipping. Add me to your favorites for red hot sales bulletins and sneak previews of upcoming products. Combine Items to Save $$$! Click here to check the store for more! ©A Sound Deal