Having already gained the support of Questlove from The Roots (Okayplayer), Mark Lamarr (God’s Jukebox on BBC 2), Craig Charles (The Funk & Soul Show on BBC 6), DJ Muro and Keb Darge, it would seem The Baker Brothers need no introduction. With 6 albums, a full-length live DVD and numerous other releases under their belt, this band has been rocking dancefloors far and wide for over 10 years, and gone on to achieve enormous success in Japan. Renown for the raw sound of their gritty instrumentals and infectious beats, on this new single the group adds some healthy sprinkles of soul to their bowl of funk cereal.

“Once I Had A Friend” is a surefire crowd pleaser that underlines the band’s evolution towards a more refined style of playing, that goes beyond the boundaries of the contemporary deep funk scene. The original track is a modern soul stormer written by Curtis Robinson and released on M Records, which has gone on to become an ultra hard-to-find 45. It was first brought to popularity by Kon & Amir in 2007 when they included it in their “Off Track Volume 1: The Bronx” compilation (BBE Records). In this revisitation by The Baker Brothers both the vocal cut on side A and the instrumental version on the flip have more crunch than a box of cheerios, certifying that when these good folks hit the kitchen, they sure can cook up a musical storm!