A Brief Introduction To Lowriders

Since re-launching the blog we've had some up to date tunes, deep, Northern and beat ballads, so it's time explore what is now becoming more popular on the UK Sunday soul sessions taking our lead from our US cousins in L.A. Chicano/lowrider scene. 

For the uninitiated: Chicano mainly because it is the Mexican (descent) community and lowrider relates to the fact that they cruise around in (lowered) vintage cars playing the 'oldies' from their cars. Essentially the 'oldies' are the slow deep, sweet and mellow side of soul which we in the UK have overlooked in our quest for 'dancers' whether it be four on the floor Northern stompers, R&B, Popcorn, modern dancers, two-steppers or crossover - the thrust has always been for soul you can dance to ... sadly quite often at the expense of soulfulness ... as long as it's got the right beat!    Perhaps this is why this sound is becoming increasingly more popular to the 'soul connoisseurs', although to be fair, this music has been played in The Jim Wray Lounge at Soul Essence Yarmouth weekenders for the last 2 decades. Also, since the popularity of Sunday sessions, without the need to necessarily 'please' the dancefloor, DJ's are being a bit more adventurous.

Here's an article which has taken extracts from Wax Poetics #49 Latin Issue which had a feature called 'Bittersweet Harmony' dedicated to lowriders by Allen Thayer

As I understand it (more than happy for comments to correct/update me) the scene tends to be split between northern and southern California.  In the south there's a group of DJ's who call themselves The Southern Soul Spinners who are Ruben Molina, Soulera 5051 (Arlene Sepulveda) & Josh Whittemore.

Kent released a compilation last year (Jan 2019) called This Is Lowrider Soul which is a great introduction if you're coming to this fresh.  This was compiled by soul aficionados Sean Hampsey (UK) & Ruben Molina (US).

Here's a track from it that may highlight how the scenes 'crossover' (pun intended) as this has been played this side of the pond for years (coincidentally also on US Kent).

Four Tees [1970] - One More Chance [Kent]

The Ambasadors [1969] - I Really Love You [Arctic]

Here's a more 'typical' sound and one which we (in UK) would have previously bypassed.

Kansas City Express [1975] - This Is The Place [American Artists]

Another example of the genre which has just been reissued on Ocean Of Tears due to demand (NB NOT on the Kent compilation).

Durand Jones & The Indications [2017] - Is It Any Wonder? [Colemine]

It is not restricted to oldies as there is a scene evolving making 'neo' sweet soul music e.g. Durand Jones & The Indications and many others.

NS597 The Ambassadors [1965] - Too Much Of A Good Thing [Pee Vee 1000]

597 The Ambassadors [1965] - Too Much Of A Good Thing [Pee Vee 1000]

b/w Whole Lotta Soul

Format: 45

Label:    Pee Vee

CatNo:  1000

Year:     1965

Value:    $350 - $500  J.Manship £300

A blue-eyed soul group from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, originally formed as The Seven Dwarfs (who recorded 'Stop Girl'). They became the Ambassadors in 1964.

The " Too Much of a Good Thing " session was recorded in Philadelphia (for Pee Vee owned by Pancho Villa) with the following personnel:

Bill Parmer (bass), Bobby Bitts. (drummer), Bob Weaver and Mike Sultzbach (sax), Tony Purcell (trumpet), Don Hodgen & Rick Reardon (vocals), Burton (piano), Eric Spitzer (guitar).

For full story from Burton the keyboard player visit http://www.northernsoulmusic.co.uk/ambassadors.html.

Found another posting @ SoulSource (visit site for full story) from the sax player:

"The group started as the Seven Dwarves. In 1964, they added two horns—a trumpet and a sax, very unusual for the time—and became the Ambassadors. Our first gig was at the Silver Springs Fire Hall, near Lancaster. In 1965, we cut our first record, Too Young for Me (flip side: Pork Chops, an instrumental) on the Fleet label. We cut a second disk, I Want a Love (flip side: Those Things Called Girls), which was never marketed. Only one copy of that record exists: a metal and acetate dub. Our third record was Too Much of a Good Thing, on the Pee Vee label (flip side: Whole Lotta Soul). The group had several drummers and bass players over the years, and we lost one singer, who was no longer with the group at the time of Too Much. The Ambassadors continued playing through December, 1966, then disbanded.

In 1984, most of the original members reunited, with a couple of new guys, to play a reunion concert. It went so well that we kept going, playing with various personnel until 1992. We continued with the same music: the sweet soul sound of the sixties. Since 1992, we have reunited several times for one-time concerts, the most recent being in October, 2004.

We played behind a number of acts in the ‘60’s, including Lee Andrew and the Hearts. But we never played behind the Trannells—also from Lancaster, by the way. They were their own band. Our only connection to them was that our bassist on Too Much once played with them.

Our records are occasionally available on e-bay. A brand new copy of Too Much of a Good Thing—never played, still in original sleeve—recently brought $370.

By the way, the Ambassadors from Philadelphia, referred to on this site as the Uptown/Atlantic/Arctic group, was a different group."

7 Dwarfs [196?] - Stop Girl