Steel Funk, by John Gibbs and the Unlimited Sound of Steel Orchestra

Steel Funk

by John Gibbs and the Unlimited Sound of Steel Orchestra

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1.	Steel Funk (vocal) 03:28		buy track
2.	Brazil 03:31		buy track
3.	Street Cries 04:32		buy track
4.	Trinidad & Tobago 06:41		buy track
5.	Theme from Shaft 04:19		buy track
6.	Guantanamera 06:06		buy track
7.	Cast Your Fate to the Wind 03:31		buy track
8.	Steel Funk (instrumental) 05:01		buy track
9.	J’Ouvert (TEC 12" version) 05:28	info	buy track
10.	Trinidad (disco mix) (Sold Steel 12" version) 05:09		buy track

about

ジョン・ギブス＆ジ・アンリミテッド・サウンド・オブ・スティール・オーケストラ『スティール・ファンク』

スティール・ドラムと流麗フィリー・ディスコが溶接されたジョン・ギブスの名盤『スティール・ファンク』（1977年）初の「公式」再発。

トリニダード・トバゴ出身のジョン・ギブスは、スティール・パン奏者であると同時に博士号を持つ科学者であり、スティール・パンを「オムニヴィブラフォン」と呼んで独自の理論を提唱し（関連著書もある）、70年代の米国を拠点に活動した。彼はフィラデルフィアのアレンジャー／プロデューサーのルイス・デリスと組み、ジ・アンリミテッド・サウンド・オブ・スティール・オーケストラの名で録音を行い、1977年に研究成果として本作『Steel Funk』を発表。カリプソ、ディスコ、クラシックとオリジナル曲で構成されたこのアルバムは、ギブスの理論で統制された5人編成のスティール・パン・バンドと30人編成のスタジオ・オーケストラの豪快な「溶接」が魅力で、ディスコファンク・クラシックとして聴き継がれてきた。

本アルバムはルイス・デリスがマスターテープからリマスター（一部再ミックス）を施した「2014年版」であり、1977年オリジナル版と別物の質感に変貌。選曲もオリジ盤から変更し、アルバム未収曲「J'Ouvert」と「Trinidad (Disco Mix)」を追加収録した。

「Trinidad」はラリー・レヴァンが愛したガラージュ・クラシック、「J'Ouvert」はDJハーヴェイもプレイする人気チューン。先行発売の12インチ2種と完全ヴァージョン違い＆ダブりなし！

★今回2014年版にあわせジャケット新装。ペインティングは2yang/津山吉弘。
★「J'Ouvert」(1979)　→当時リリースされたアルバム未収録シングルのオリジナル12インチ・ヴァージョン(→EM1129TEPとは内容違い)
★「Trinidad (Disco Mix)」(1978)→当時リリースされたオリジナル12インチ・ヴァージョン（→EM1128TEPとは内容違い）の2 曲

credits

released March 24, 2018

Following the appetizer of the two 12" singles "Trinidad (Disco Mix)" [EM1128TEP] and "J'Ouvert" [EM1129TEP], we now serve up the main dish, the fine 1977 album Steel Funk by John Gibbs and the Unlimited Sound of Steel Orchestra, a new addition to our 'EM Steel Pan Series'.

Trinidadian steel-pan player John A. Gibbs studied science at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica where he earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees and formed The Jamaica All Stars Steel Band. This was the start of a dual career in science and music that eventually took him to the United States.

He moved to Philadelphia in the mid-70s and met Philly arranger/producer Louis A. deLise, with whom he collaborated to create a new steel pan music, welding Trinidadian steel music to Philly soul. He researched and advocated a new style of steel pan music, describing the steel pan as an 'omnivibraphone' in his 1978 book The Unit Steel Band, in which he combined his scientific and musical backgrounds to illuminate the physics of the steel pan.

Gibbs' innate musicality comes to the fore on Steel Funk, where he compiles several years of experience with deLise into an appealing Trini-Philly groove union, with the five steel pan players of the Unlimited Sound of Steel Orchestra working in sync with a 30-piece studio orchestra of brass, strings and rhythm. The songs range from Calypso to film theme to pop standard, covers and originals, but Steel Funk is not a chintzy pastiche, it's a glorious unity. We offer this re-release as 'the 2014 version', newly remastered, with improved sound quality, a different track order and new cover art drawn by Yoshihiro Tsuyama/2Yang.

NOTE: All tracks are NOT duplicated on the two 12" singles "Trinidad (Disco Mix)" [EM1128TEP] and "J'Ouvert" [EM1129TEP].

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EM Records Osaka Prefecture, Japan

On October 1, 2023, Japan Post announced that it will resume accepting international mail to the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Germany, France, etc., as it has secured enough shipping capacity. Please check our shipping policy about more details. Thank you.

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