CON FUNK SHUN CANDY LP Category / Style / Moods: R&B Funk, Quiet Storm 12.77 / 2008-09-15 S asocc 1979 MERCURY US LP TITLE: CANDY ARTIST: CON FUNK SHUN CONDITION COVER: VG- CC VINYL: VG+ Click here for info on grading and abbreviations OUT OF PRINT ORIGINAL GATEFOLD SLEEVE PRESS Click the pix for a better view TRACKS: Disc: 1 Review by Alex Henderson What a difference a few years can make. When Con Funk Shun joined the Mercury/Polygram roster with a self-titled LP in 1976, the Northern Californians were still finding their way. They weren't well known, and despite their tremendous potential, they had yet to make the transition from decent to excellent. But when Candy came out in 1979, Con Funk Shun had come to be regarded as funk royalty -- and deservedly so. Candy, which was the band's fourth album for Mercury, is a gem. This LP contains some excellent love songs; "Not Ready" and the hit single "Let Me Put Love on Your Mind" are fine examples of smooth, romantic '70s soul ballads. But Con Funk Shun was best known for hard, tough, gutsy funk, and there is plenty of that on Candy (which was co-produced by Skip Scarborough). Some people no doubt bought Candy after hearing "Let Me Put Love on Your Mind" on the radio, but most Con Funk Shun fans acquired the record because of sweaty funk jams like "Chase Me," "Main Slice," "Da Lady," and the title song. From the expressive lead vocals of Michael Cooper and Cedric Martin to Con Funk Shun's killer horn section, all of the pieces fall into place nicely on Candy. By the mid-'80s, Con Funk Shun had gone high-tech -- in other words, more synthesizers and drum machines and fewer horns. But in 1979, horn-driven funk bands were still in vogue in the R&B world, and Con Funk Shun was a perfect example of one. Synthesizers were being used in soul and funk, although R&B had yet to go totally electronic. Candy went down in history as one of Con Funk Shun's best albums, and it is isn't hard to understand why. Biography by Craig Lytle Con Funk Shun was formed by high-school classmates Michael Cooper and Louis "Tony" McCall, along with Karl Fuller, Paul "Maceo" Harrell, Dennis Johnson, Cedric Martin, and Danny "Sweet Man" Thomas. All of them had been playing together since their high-school days in Vallejo, CA. Felton Pilate, also from Vallejo, joined the group after his band, a local rival, disbanded. In the early '70s, the group was a backup band for the Soul Children with the name Project Soul. And when they weren't on the road with the Soul Children, they were creatively working with various Stax staff writers. In the mid-'70s, Project Soul made an effort to become a headliner, but they met dead-ends and little success. However, they found good fortune at Audio Dimensions, a Memphis recording studio owned by producer Ted Sturges. Around this time, he group named itself after the title of one of their instrumentals, "Con Funk Shun." During their three-year stint at Audio Dimensions, Sturges, besides owning the studio, was also Con Funk Shun's producer. Their association resulted in the group's first album, Organized Con Funk Shun. As their sound developed, Pilate and Cooper emerged as the primary lead vocalists. Around the time their first album for Crankshaft Productions, Inc. was being recorded, the eighth member, MC and technician Dennis Johnson, left the group to attend seminary in California. By 1976, the group signed to Mercury, where they remained for ten years. Their first hit for Mercury was "Ffun," written by Michael Cooper as a tribute to the R&B/funk band Brick. One of the premiere party funk bands of its time, they also began recording ballads and instrumental tracks by the early '80s. Aside from being the primary musicians on all their albums, Con Funk Shun also contributed to each of their albums as writers, arrangers, and/or producers. Burnin' Love, the septet's last album with Mercury, was recorded without their longtime musical center, Felton Pilate, who left the group in 1986 to become a successful producer. (Pilate eventually became the musical force behind MC Hammer.) Melvin Carter, a frequent collaborator of Con Funk Shun, joined the group upon Pilate's exit, and that same year Michael Cooper left for a solo career. Con Funk Shun disbanded after their last album with Mercury, but reunited in the '90s, and began performing at festivals and concerts around the world. 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