Soul Strutter

Tuesday, 12 July 2022

Fantastic Epics [1969] - Let's Get Together [Kelton #121-245]

The standard of new releases so far this week has been very poor hence there has been nothing new posted as yet.

Rather than posting pretty mediocre product for the sake of it because it's new, I'll take the opportunity of posting some quality vintage material that I don't think has been posted here previously.

It appears the The Fantastic Epics began recording in 1966 with their first single on Tip Top billed as Jimmy Burns & The Fantastic Epics. Jimmy Burns was a blues singer who had a monster northern soul tune "I Really Love You" recorded earlier in 1965 on Erica which got a 1979 reissue on John Anderson's Grapevine label due to it's popularity in the mid/late 70s.

The group released another three singles on Tories in 1969, however they consisted of various versions of "Fun And Funk" along with just one other song "I Won't Forget'cha Brother".

The track featured here is "Let's Get Together" which has been a popular sound on Northern Soul dancefloors for far too many years to remember. Discogs doesn't date it and 45Cat has it dated 1966, but it sounds later to these ears and there is a comment suggesting it may be 1968 but even that doesn't really correspond with it's sound compared to the two Torie's funk outings. Kelton was a Chicago label that released only three singles, one is dated 1969, this one 1966 and the third 1971 and I would guess that this may be more from the latter era as it sounds more late 60/early 70s to me and the flip is one of those late 60s street funk style tunes.They consistently sell for in excess of £100 and up to £225 on Discogs.

Another clue is that the song was written by one of The Triplett Twins, Leon Triplett, who were active from 1970.

All their recordings were on Chicago labels so I would presume that is where they were from, or at least based.

Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Northern Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Kelton
Cat No:	121-245
Date:	1969?
Price:	£100-£225 (approx.)

Friday, 10 April 2020

Fantastic Epics [197?] - Lets Get Together [Kelton 121-245]

Not much known about the Fantastic Epics. I believe that they were Chicago based.

All release except the 45 credited to Jimmy Burns & The Fantastic Epics were Aries Productions which was a Chicago record company run by James Mack who worked at Brunswick and arranged most of Tyrone Davis' releases. Aries owned Kelton which released only 3 known/listed 45s. Most releases on the Aries main label were by Shelley Fisher and Tenison Stephens.

Fun And Funk was written by Brooks, Harris and Martin Luther Dumas Jr., the latter was with Crystal Winds and Rasputin's Stash, both Chicago funk bands in the 70s/80s. The other Tories side was written by Robert Lee Thurston and Vince Willis, both Chicago writers, and Willis was also a member of Rasputin's Stash and, interestingly, played keyboards on Bobby Hutton's Piece Of The Action album. I wonder whether there's a connection between Rasputin's Stash and Fantastic Epics?

Fantastic Epics [197?] - Lets Get Together [Kelton 121-245]

A great slab of 70s Northern Soul written by Leon Triplett one half of The Triplett Twins with (twin?) brother Levi (although apparently another release states Triplett Twins). They also wrote Ernie Hines - Electrified Love on We Produce in 1971.

Fantastic Epics [197?] - We Do It All Up In Here [Kelton 121-246]

Early 70s street funk/rap.

Jimmy Burns & The Fantastic Epics [1966] - You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone [Tip Top 2013]

A driving Northern Soul thumper.

Jimmy Burns recorded a Northern Soul classic 'I Really Love You' on Erica in 1965 which is still pretty rare and would cost 4 figures if you managed to find one. The song was written by Robert Lee Newsome who also recorded it under the alias Bobby James on Karol with an instrumental version on the flip, which I believe is even rarer than the Jimmy Burns 45. Newsome also wrote and sang with the Chicago 60s group The Vontastics as Bobby Newsome. I have created a post with different versions of the song.