Out Of Sight
* The Vibrations: Watusi (4 mb) | Feel So Bad (3.5 mb) | Peanut Butter (3 mb) | What Made You Change Your Mind (3.5 mb)
From Out Of Sight: The Checker Years : RPM Records : RPMDSH 278
Imagine what would happen if Chicago and Los Angeles got together and had a bastard love child. Well now you can, courtesy of the magic sounds of The Vibrations. Originally hailing from Los Angeles under a different name, they really found their stride when they were picked up by Checker, a subsidiary of the great Chicago label, Chess Records. They quickly took off with the recording of Watusi.
Matt ‘Guitar’ Murphy opens with a strident phrase, Leake provides insistent triplets on the keyboard, Thomas lays down a toe-tapping backbeat, Board blows a rasping reed solo and Boyd gives rock-steady bass rhythm while the Vibrations add hand-clapping support while urging ALL to slide to the left and to the right, two steps forward, keep it tight, there’s a dance called the Watusi, it’s outta sight!. Hypnotic, rhythmic, insistent, a great R&B dance record…
(from the liner notes)
For whatever reason, this band never really achieved the success that they deserved. One issue that they faced was the changing popularity of doo-wop vocal groups in favor of soul music. Also, being known as a slightly gimmicky dance band probably didn’t help out. But a listen through their catalog shows that they were much more than just a dance band. They could really do it all.
And thanks to the efforts of RPM Records, you can now bask in the incredible sounds that they produced while they were on the Checker label. So, strap on your dancin’ shoes, crank that stereo up to 11, put on Watusi and be prepared to shake your rump off.
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