The Soul Searchers - Salt of the Earth (Remastered) (1974/2018) [Official Digital Download 24/96]

Another great Funk album, dating from 1974 including funky hits ‘Blow Your Whistle, ‘Funk For The Folks’, ‘If It Ain’t Funky’ , and one of the most sampled tracks ever ‘Ashley’s Roachclip’, a great mid tempo funky instrumental with a perfect beat. Also check their great version of ‘Close To You’ which has been popular on the London 2 step scene, showing a mellow soul side to the band, who at this time featured Bennie Braxton as singer along side Chuck Brown. Essential Funk and Breaks album.

"The second Soul Searchers LP expands the band's music into deep and dark new dimensions. While boasting an even funkier street-smart approach than the previous We the People, Salt of the Earth achieves new levels of jazz-inspired sophistication as well. The much-sampled "Ashley's Roachclip" and "I Rolled It, You Hold It" are brilliant evocations of mind-warping psychedelia, but the group also slows down and gets straight with a shimmering reading of the classic Bacharach/David love song "Close to You." Between those two extremes lurk angular yet soulful grooves with all the widescreen power of contemporaries like Earth, Wind & Fire and Kool & the Gang, but with a structural complexity all their own." (Jason Ankeny, AMG)

Tracklist:
01. I Rolled It You Hold It
02. Blow Your Whistle
03. Close to You
04. Funk to the Folks
05. Ain't It Heavy
06. Windsong
07. Ashley's Roachclip
08. We Share
09. If It Ain't Funky

Personnel:
Chuck Brown, electric guitar, lead vocals
John "J.B." Buchanan, trombone, piano, synthesizer, percussion, vocals
Donald Tillery, trumpet, percussion, vocals
John Euell, bass
Kenneth Scoggins, drums, percussion
Lino Druitt, congas, bongos, percussion
Lloyd Pinchback, flute, saxophone, percussion
Bennie Braxton, organ, vocals

Produced by Carroll Hynson, Joe Tate

Digitally remastered