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Mace2theO Webcast #22 - Mother's Finest

Maceo Musicology Webcast #22 (The Funk of Mother's Finest) by Mace2theo on Mixcloud

"They sound like Soul Train crashin' into Headbanger's Ball!"

Artist Spotlight - Mother's Finest

They are what can be called a rock-funk band with heavy overtones. Riff-heavy and soulful at the same time,they are a phenomenal stage act. Formed in Atlanta,Georgia by vocalists Glenn Murdock and Joyce "Baby Jean" Kennedy, the original line-up was rounded out with Gary "Moses Mo" Moore on guitar, drummer B.B. Queen, Gary "Wyzard" Seay on bass and Mike Keck on keyboards.

'Discovered' by renowned hard rock producer Tom Werman (Cheap Trick, Ted Nugent, Motley Crue) who signed them to Epic Records and fronted by the amazing Joyce 'Baby Jean' Kennedy, Mother's Finest delivered in 1976 one of the eras most astounding albums. Fusing gritty funk with an explosive hard rock underbelly, the band was instantly praised as a welcome amalgam of Led Zeppelin and Sly & The Family Stone.

They opened for the Who on their 1976 tour and got raves from the rock press. The band were guests on the German tv show Rockpalast and from that one oncert established a cult status in parts of Europe that lasts to this day. With all this rock acclaim, their highest charting single was the ballad "Love Changes" which charted only on the R'n'B charts.(rock candy, rock roots)

While they had become well-known on the southern rock circuit, it wasn't until the single "Baby Love" in 1977 (a year before Prince's first album) that their sound reached most Funkateer's ears and blew us away. Getting that album "Another Mother Further" and then discovering the previous self-titled Columbia debut released in 1976, I then heard the track "Gvie You All the Love (Inside of Me)" and I was forever sold. From there, it quickly became apparent that the combination of guitarist Moses Mo unleashing some of the heavy riffs and Baby Jean working a lyric with those soaring vocals was something different from what else was out there.

They could rock, they could funk and they could "sang" but they were dangerous when they brought it all together.

They remain almost criminally under-appreciated. They are one of my favourite bands.

So let me introduce you:

1. Baby Love
2. Mickey's Monkey
3. I Can't Believe
4. Love Ain't Goin' Nowhere*
5. Give You All the Love (Inside of Me)
6. Thank You for the Love
7. Mr. Goodbar
8. Funk-A-While (live @ Villa Berg)*
9. Don't Wanna Come Back (live @ Villa Berg)*
10. Love Changes
11. Dis Go Dis Way, Dis Go Dat Way (Maceo mix)*
12. If 6 Was 9 (with Vernon Reid)*

*If you are already a fan of MF, then you'll enjoy these tracks

Listen later here