No Condition Is Permanent

Pictured: The Isley Brothers.

[Charlie] Ahearn and [Freddy] Brathwaite stumbled into a scene where no clear lines had been drawn between disco and funk. Just as downtown dance djs had drawn heavily on records that were also played in the Bronx during the first half of the 1970s—including Babe Ruth, “The Mexican”; James Brown, “Give It Up”; Bobby Byrd, “Hot Pants”; Lynn Collins, “Think”; Cymande, “Bra”; Isley Brothers, “Get into Something”; Gil Scott-Heron, “The Bottle”; and Lonnie Lis- ton Smith, “Expansions”—so Herc and Bambaataa blended disco with funk for audiences that would have expected nothing less, in part because disco was often funky. “People don’t recognize this but we killed Disco!” points out Coke La Rock, Herc’s dj and mc partner. Bambaataa adds that he “used to play a lot of disco for the people who were heavy into the hustle” because all sorts of dance styles were in play at the time. Afrika Islam, who carried Bambaataa’s record crates and helped set up the Zulu Nation sound system, confirms that sound was a liquid force. “The Bronx was hip hop, but when I say hip hop I’m not talking about just James Brown and Sly Stone,” he argues. “I’m talking about James Brown and Sly Stone and Inner Life and Sylvester and Roy Ayers. I’m talking about all of it. That was the sound of the Bronx.”

— Tim Lawrence, Life and Death on the New York Dance Floor 1908-1983

LISTEN TO EPISODE 364 OF NO CONDITION IS PERMANENT:

DOWNLOAD EPISODE 364 OF NO CONDITION IS PERMANENT BY CLICKING ON THE THREE DOTS /\

Here’s what we played in Ep. 364 of No Condition Is Permanent:

THE FIRST SET

The Isley Brothers — “That Lady (Part 1)” — Ministry Of Sound: Anthems Disco

Asiko Rock Group — “Lagos City” — Nigeria Disco Funk Special: The Sound Of The Underground Lagos Dancefloor 1974-79

The Chancellors — “Surf Beat” — Surfin’ The Great Lakes: Kay Bank Studio Surf Sides Of The 1960s

Oriental Funk — “Come Together” — Thai Beat A Go Go Vol. 3: Groovy 60’s Sounds from the Land of Smile!

Small Faces — “Hey Girl” — From The Beginning

La Playa Sextet — “No Me Dejes” — Boogaloo Pow Wow: Dancefloor Rendez-Vous In Young Nuyorica

The Outsiders — “Time Won’t Let Me” — Nuggets: Original Artyfacts From The First Psychedelic Era 1965-1968

The Rebels — “Rhodesia” — Jamaica Funk: Original Jamaican Funk and Soul 45s

IT’S MADISON TIME…

Leroy & the Drivers — “The Sad Chicken” — Funky Crimes

THE SECOND SET

Salah Ragab & The Cairo Jazz Band — “A Tribute To Sun Ra” — Egyptian Jazz

Earl Wright, & His Orchestra — “Thumb A Ride” — Double Cookin’: Classic Northern Soul Instrumentals

Pazy & The Black Hippies — “Come Back Again” — Wa Ho Ha

The Shangri-Las — “The Dum Dum Ditty” — Myrmidons of Melodrama

Juaneco Y Su Combo — “Perdido En El Espacio” — The Birth Of Jungle Cumbia

The Rolling Stones — “It’s All Over Now” — Singles Collection: The London Years

Prince Jammy — “Fist Of Fury” — Kamikazi Dub

Rose Royce — “Born To Love You” — Car Wash OST

THE THIRD SET

Joss Henry — “Apollo Pop 76” — Moris Zekler: Fuzz & Soul Sega From 70’s Mauritius

The Rainbows — “Gonna Go Down” — Mercury Rock & Roll Party

Orquestra Harlow — “La Contraria” — Orchestra Harlow Presenta A Ismael Miranda

The Cramps — “Drug Train” — File Under Sacred Music: Early Singles 1978-81

Dino Vangu & Africa Nova — “Vin Paul” — Kin Nostalgie

S&H Scamps — “Punjab” — Weirdsville!

Ros Sereysothea, Sinn Sisamouth And Friends — “Please Tell Me How Much You Love Me” — Cambodian Psych-Out

THE FINAL SET

John Otway and Wild Willy Barrett — “Really Free” — John Otway and Wild Willy Barrett

Cheb Khaled & Safy Boutella — “La Camel” — Kutché

Billy Lee & The Rivieras — “You Know” — Sundazed 45rpm

Ferry Djimmy And His Dji-Kins — “Young Revolution” — Rhythm Revolution

The Gestures — “I’m Not Mad” — Garage Beat ’66 Vol. 2: Chicks Are For Kids!

Errol Brown and The Revolutionaries — “Chapter 15” — Tip Top Dub

Marvin Gaye — “I Knew One Day My Day Would Come (Instrumental)” — Let’s Get It On

Alfredo Linares Y Su Sonora — “Descarga” — Gózalo! Bugalu Tropical Vol. 4

LORD BUCKLEY’S WEEKLY BENEDICTION…

The Creeps w. Ronnie Dawson — “The Whip (Ginchee)” — White Trash Rockers Vol. 2: I Am An Ape 1950’s-Early 1960’s

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