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The first half of the seventies in Belgium should be regarded as a Golden Age, when a generation of great musicians experimented with funk, jazz, Latin, and other groovy genres. Unearthing these treasures takes time since most of them are hidden on single B-sides or obscure editions of library music. In 2014, Sdban Records collected a selection of lost gems with Funky Chicken (SDBAN 001CD/001LP/002LP). Funky Chimes combines lesser-known tracks of well-known artists with newly discovered names, and bona fide diggers gold. The music's quality matches that of its predecessor, but the treasure hunt was even more adventurous, and the stories behind some of the nuggets even more gripping. Take Experience (performer unknown), for instance: this one was found on a five-inch flexi disc people in Belgium could obtain by saving points from cookies and pasta packages. And The Sumos, a band brought into existence to cash in on Carl Douglas's "Kung Fu Fighting" (1974), released an entire album filled with oriental bubblegum. But Funky Chimes is not a freak show, but a two-hour collection of excellent and unique grooves. The Free Pop Electronic Concept is a rare blend of soul and budding electronic music. Skleroptak is a one-off collaboration between the Polish saxophonist Jan Wróblewski and the jazz orchestra of the Belgian national broadcast corporation. There are also some lesser-known top tracks from grandmasters here. The late lamented Marc Moulin is featured in three different performances: as a pianist on Philip Catherine's debut, as a master arranger on the Belgian chansonnier Lieven's only album, and with the hitherto unknown radio tune "Mona Call" he produced as Kiosk. CD version includes 36-page booklet. Features: The Soul Scratchers, Francis Coppieters, S.S.O., The Flying Guitar, The Sumos, Bud Hunga And His Diplomatic Music, Experience, The Peter Laine Orchestra, Kandahar, Kiosk, Guido Carnagy, André Brasseur, Electronic System III, The Indian Sound Of... Black Foot, Hearts Of Soul & Shampoo, Roland Thyssen, R. Dero, Philip Catherine, Skleroptak, Etta Cameron, Selectasound '88 & The Bob Boon Singers, Hugo Raspoet, Leslie Kent, Patricia Burns, Georges Hayes And His Philharpopic Orchestra, The Free Pop Electronic Concept, and Lieven.
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