Record Kicks unleashes a “15th anniversary” edition of British outfit Baby Charles’ self-titled landmark debut album, out on March 17th on ltd edition LP and digital deluxe version with bonus tracks.
Together with Nicole Willis And The Soul Investigators’ “Keep Reachin’ Up” album, 2008’s Baby Charles debut LP is the album that defined the European funk scene of the 2000s. Mojo Magazine described them as “the most likely candidates to lead the Deep funk scene” after hearing the album. Driven by the single “I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor”, an afro-funk cover of the Arctic Monkey’s hit, the LP went rapidly sold out, it was never been repressed and it now changes hands for ludicrous sums on the web. English writer, DJ, and television presenter Mark Lamarr, who wrote on the album’s liner notes to “file it amongst your funk classics”, invited the band to BBC’s Maida Vale Studios, where they recorded a legendary live session for his BBC Radio 2 God’s Jukebox show. In France, the album benefited from a massive support from legendary Radio Nova station thanks to its”Nova Aime” campaign, while in 2009 Pitchfork crowned Baby Charles, together with Sharon Jones & The Dapkings, as the reference band of the international funk scene. Unfortunately, the band split up in 2011 when they were about to enter the studio to give birth to the awaited sophomore album and while the debut LP started reaching a cult status among djs and collectors.
The 15thanniversary edition will hit the streets on March 17th, 2023 on limited edition LP and Digital Deluxe Edition featuring two bonus tracks: “Time Wasting”, which displays the heavier psychedelic edge of Baby Charles, with an unstoppable chugging groove, a heavy horn-led break, and climatic chorus to finish the track off, and “Jackson Fingers”, for which the band created a brand-new groove that could work just as well as a sixties soundtrack or as a dance-floor friendly slab of soul-jazz.
The “Baby Charles” album was published on March 10th, 2008 and followed the release of 3 heavyweight 45s, all of which found heavy rotation in funk spots around the globe. On the album, Soul diva Dionne Charles delivers her unique, self-penned stunning vocal performance, while the band lays down the heavy funk grooves. Throughout the 12 tracks, the combo displays a range of styles, which reflect their diverse influences. There’s the Latin-inspired bass groove in “Treading Water”, the Meter’s style funk of “Invisible”, the James Brown influence on “Hard Man” and “No Controlling Me”, the afrofunk of “I Bet You Look Good On The Danceflloor”, there’s even some Egyptian Jazz thrown in the mix on the instrumental track “The Sphinx” and a deep soul version of DJ Shadows’ “This Time”. The result is a must-have album for diggers, djs and funk and soul fans.
