The Beginning Of The End – Funky Nassau
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Some records are just near impossible to find in good condition. They are usually the ones with universal appeal that cameo’d at house parties on the regular and were repeatedly played until needle burned. They include the likes of Bob Marley, Jimmie Hendrix, and Tito Puente and need no introduction or courtship. The Beginning Of The End, a family island soul and funk band from Nassau may not have the same appeal as the above mentioned legends, but you’ll definitely have a tough time finding any of their material in even decent condition.
It is with bittersweetness that I announce that after 10+ years I finally got my hands on playable original copy of this wish-list record (without playing inflated ebay prices). Every song is playable except for the title track and my favorite island funk bomb – Funky Nassau, which rests right on top of a prominent heat warp. Fortunately this billboard chart topper was a huge hit at home in the Bahamas, the UK, and in USA and was pressed on 45 and widely distributed so I have a pair to flip when necessary. So why was a record with such a hit and so groundbreaking for the region so difficult to find in album form? Your guess is as good as mine.
Even without the blockbuster Funky Nassau the album still holds it’s place as one of the most solid all-around island soul-funk albums to ever be recorded. I know I’m not alone in my thinking either. Just about every song on this album as been sampled by beatmakers, covered by bands, and played by DJs all over the globe.
Please join me as I listen to The Beginning Of The End for the fifth time today!
Come Down
When She Made Me Promise
– Smokestack
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