Incredibly this is the first CD or Vinyl reissue of this fantastic Funk album from 1972.
This is the record that put (Chuck Brown and the) Soul Searchers on the map, and is one of the all time great Funk albums, and was the very first Funk album that I purchased, back in the day.

At this point they were an eight piece band with a full horn section, organ and percussion, and were considered along with The JB’s, Kool and the Gang, War, Fatback Band and Mandrill to be amongst the leading funk bands of their time. The band has continued for well over three and a half decades and are still performing with some of the original members, having become the leading Washington Go-Go band in the 80’s, influencing groups like Trouble Funk, and Little Benny and The Masters who followed.

Chuck Brown had begun his musical career in the early 60’s playing guitar with Jerry Butler and The Earls of Rhythm, joining Los Latinos in 1965 that enthralled him with their syncopated backbeat. The Soul Searchers recorded two great albums for Sussex in the early 70’s this one and the follow up ‘Salt of the Earth’ from 1974. After a one-off single on Polydor ‘Boogie Up The Nation’ in 1975, they re appeared as Chuck Brown and The Soul Searchers and had a gold album and US No1 single hit with ‘Bustin Loose’ on the Source label. Chuck is widely recognised as having created the ‘Go-Go’ sound combining Latin Beats, African Call and Chant and American Jazz, which has become the sound of Washington DC. He says that ‘Disco was too fast people didn’t want to get all sweaty, they just sat down, so we cut the beat in half and called this new sound ‘Go-Go’ because it never stops’. Chuck and the Soul Searchers have recorded many albums since 1980 and had a string of Go-Go hits including ‘Go-Go Swing’, ‘We Need Some Money’, ‘Back It On Up’ and has toured the world many times with his great live show.

This album contains funk floor fillers like the title track, ‘Soul To The People’ , ‘1993’ and the great instrumental version of Lyn Collins’ Think’ , the driving groove of ‘It’s All In Your Mind’ and the jazzier funk of ‘Blowout’.

This album has also contributed to many Hip Hop and Soul samples, most notably ‘Think’ by GANGSTAR on ‘Take A rest (remix)’, HERBALISER, and CPO, ‘1993’ by ERIC B and RAKIM and KINDRED, making it also in demand by hip hop sample collectors.

The album has been heavily in demand and hard to find for the past 20 years, with original vinyl copies easily commanding and deserving a £50 price tag. Hopefully this release will enable a new and wider audience to enjoy the raw sound of the Soul Searchers. Soul To The People!!

Laurence Prangell
October 2006.

Track list (click to hear tracks - one minute clips)