Jimmy Castor (January 23, 1940 – January 16, 2012) – Space Age (1976)
The funk pioneer co-produced this cosmic jam, written by Jimmy Castor Bunch drummer Ellwood Henderson, Jr. and co-arranged by Gerry Thomas.
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The singer-songwriter, saxophonist, percussionist, and all-around musical genius Jimmy Castor led the Jimmy Castor Bunch, one of the groups who helped funk explode in the 1970s.
See our earlier post on Castor for more on his legendary musical career.
The title track to the Jimmy Castor Bunch’s 1972 album It’s Just Begun became one of the most well-known funk anthems of the seventies. With its ultra-funky break, it was especially popular at the New York City block parties where hip hop originated.
Yet an even funkier and far less heard version of the track was originally released as a single in 1970 on the short-lived Kinetic label. The original version had a rawer sound and more percussion than the famous album version. It was co-written by Castor, his songwriting and production partner John Pruitt, and JCB keyboardist Gerry Thomas, who was also a member of the Fatback Band.
What is also little remembered about “It’s Just Begun” is that it was a message song, reminding us the world could unite on the dancefloor.
“Day or night, black or white, dance the same, you gotta do your thing. Peace will come...this world will rest, once we have togetherness.”
The Jimmy Castor Bunch appeared on the TV show Don Kirshner's Rock Concert in 1976. Their set included the super-funky jam “E-Man Boogie” off the 1974 LP Butt of Course… which was co-written and arranged by Gerry Thomas.
That same year, they released their seventh studio album E-Man Groovin' (1976). Packed with funky jams, it reached #29 on the R&B album charts, the group’s highest-charting LP since It’s Just Begun hit #11 in 1972. Castor’s drummer Ellwood Henderson, Jr. wrote one of the album’s singles, the cosmic funk workout “Space Age.” Henderson co-arranged it with Gerry Thomas.
The LP’s phenomenal title track was co-written by Castor and Pruitt and released as a single in the UK and Europe, with the mellow cut “Super Love” on the B-side, a lyrically heartfelt tribute to love. Another highlight was the stellar jam “Everything Is Beautiful To Me,” written by Henderson, which ended on a very funny note.
In 1977 they released Maximum Stimulation, their last album on Atlantic before switching labels for a short time to TK Records. It was another collection of funky numbers, starting with its superb opening cut “E-Man Par-Tay” (We’ve told you to bring your body to the party!). Other standouts were the LP’s upbeat title track, the excellent jam “Mind Power,” the straight-ahead instrumental funk workout “TR-7,” and the equality anthem “Equal People” with a humorous but profound message for us all.
Happy Cosmic Birthday to the great Jimmy Castor.
Further info:
“Jimmy Castor, Musician Who Mastered Many Genres, Dies at 71,” obituary, The New York Times, January 17, 2012.
“Remembering The Everything Man: A Jimmy Castor Interview,” The Quietus, January 20, 2012.
#soul #funk #JCB #EverythingMan #JimmyCastor