123: Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings - Naturally (2005)
Are you ready to do the Dap Dip? This week, the Discord & Rhyme Super Soul Revue travels back to 2005 to discuss Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, who play sunny R&B that sounds like it came straight out of the late ‘60s or early ‘70s. But despite the retro sound, there’s nothing retro about this band, who were just playing the music they loved and recording it the way they loved it. And Sharon Jones herself was the real deal, a classic diva who was born in the South literally across the state line from James Brown. The world lost Sharon Jones to cancer in 2016, but her voice lives on in the Dap-Kings’ catalog, which includes six wonderful studio albums and innumerable covers recorded for hire. So put a fish in your dish and join Rich, Mike, and Dan to talk about an album that will make you fall in love with soul all over again.
Miscellany
The teaser clip before the theme song comes from a 2009 interview with Sharon Jones on the independent Nashville radio station Lightning 100.
This 2010 Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings concert from the German television show Rockapalast is probably the best document of the band as a live act, and has very good audio and sound quality.
This was too huge a subject to get into in the episode, but “Fish in the Dish” belongs to a lengthy tradition of soul songs about food. The blog Parka Avenue did an excellent roundup of ‘60s soul food songs, including a post about instrumentals and another focusing on songs with vocals.
Speaking of fish, Sharon Jones (and Dapette Saundra Williams) joined Phish on stage for their 2009 Halloween show covering the entirety of the Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main Street. You can hear the full show on LivePhish.com, and we also talked about Phish on the podcast last year.
The song Mike and Rich are quoting during the Meters clip is the 1988 Ultramagnetic MCs song “Ease Back,” which prominently samples “Little Old Money Maker.”
Not only does the “Think” break have its own Wikipedia article, the Wikipedia article has its own shirt.
Other links
Daptone Records (daptone.com)
Sharon Jones’ final interview (YouTube)
"Shitty Is Pretty" by Gabriel Roth/Bosco Mann (funkydown.com)
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings on Late Night with Conan O’Brien (YouTube)
Soul Boulders mix by Matthew Africa & DJ B.Cause (Soundcloud)
“The fish was delish” (Homestar Runner)
Discord & Rhyme’s Naturally playlist (Spotify)
Discord & Rhyme’s merch store (TeePublic)
Discord & Rhyme Roll Call
Rich Bunnell (host)
Mike DeFabio (moderator)
Dan Watkins
Naturally tracklist
How Do I Let a Good Man Down?
Natural Born Lover
Stranded in Your Love
My Man Is a Mean Man
You’re Gonna Get It
How Long Do I Have to Wait for You?
This Land Is Your Land
Your Thing Is a Drag
Fish in the Dish
All Over Again
Other clips used
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings:
Stranger to My Happiness
The Dap Dip
What Have You Done for Me Lately?
You Can Run (feat. Saundra Williams)
(Introduction)
When I Come Home (live)
Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours
Take Me with U
Midnight Rider
Inspiration Information
Tell Me
Better Things
Others:
Rod Stewart - The Motown Song
Amy Winehouse - Rehab
The Soul Providers ft. Lee Fields - Switchblade
The J.B.'s - Doing It to Death
Aretha Franklin - Respect
Aretha Franklin - (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman
Marva Whitney - What Do I Have to Do to Prove My Love to You
Lyn Collins - Think (About It)
James Brown - Funky President (People It's Bad)
The Meters - Little Old Money Maker
Mitch Mitchell and Gene King - Never Walk Out on You
Jackie Wilson & Lavern Baker - Think Twice (Version X)
The Shadows of Knight - Oh Yeah
The Shadows of Knight - I'm Gonna Make You Mine
Funkadelic - Everybody Is Going to Make It This Time
Amy Winehouse - You Know I'm No Good
Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars - Uptown Funk!
Woody Guthrie - This Land Is Your Land
A Perfect Circle - Imagine
James Brown - Give It Up or Turnit a Loose
James Brown - Introduction/Out of Sight/Bring It Up (Live)
Antibalas - Indictment
The Descendents - Catalina
They Might Be Giants - Withered Hope
The Poets of Rhythm - Eulogize the Source
El Michels Affair - Murkit Gem
The Sugarman 3 - Down to It
Band/album personnel
Sharon Jones – Vocals
El Michels – baritone saxophone
Neal Sugarman – tenor saxophone
Dave Guy – trumpet
Homer "Funky-Foot" Steiweiss – drums
Binky Griptite – guitar, emcee, back-up vocals
Boogaloo Velez – congas
Tommy "TNT" Brenneck – guitar, piano
Bosco "Bass" Mann – bass, piano, vibes, tambourine
Lee Fields – vocals (3)
Alex Kadvan – cello
Antoine Silverman – violin
Entcho Todorov – violin
Stuart D. Bogie – jaw harp (9)
Earl Maxton (Victor Axelrod) – organ (10)
Credits
“Discord & Rhyme (theme),” composed by the Other Leading Brand, contains elements of:
Duran Duran - Hungry Like the Wolf
Amon Düül II - Dehypnotized Toothpaste
The Dukes of Stratosphear - What in the World?? ...
Faith No More - Midlife Crisis
Herbie Hancock - Hornets
Kraftwerk - Autobahn
Talking Heads - Seen and Not Seen
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings - How Long Do I Have to Wait for You? (this episode only)
You can buy or stream Naturally and other albums by Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings at daptone.com, your local record store, or the usual suspects such as Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and Amazon. Follow Discord & Rhyme on Twitter @DiscordPod for news, updates, and other random stuff. Editing and production are by Rich Bunnell, and special thanks to our own Mike DeFabio, the Other Leading Brand, for original music. See you next album, and keep as cool as you can.