Based in Detroit, the Politicians’ members were the equivalent to Motown’s Funk Brothers, but for the Hot Wax and Invictus labels. Though the Politicians recorded only one album, it contained enough heat for three. Led by trombonist/composer/producer/arranger McKinley Jackson, the group included Melvin Griff (piano, saxophone), “Peanut” Roderick Chandler (bass, saxophone), Z. Slater (drums, percussion), and “Clay” Clarence Robinson (organ, trumpet). As a DJ, I’ve found The Politicians Featuring McKinley Jackson to be a treasure trove of brash and soulful funk. On the evidence of this sole release, Jackson deserves to be much better known.
The album kicks off with “Psycha-Soula-Funkadelic” which Jackson and Griffin wrote with the great Ruth Copeland (reviewed here earlier this month); it’s a peak-time scorcher that encompasses the styles in its title. “The World We Live In” is a stealthy psychedelic funk bomb that sashays at the “It’s Your Thing” tempo. A crazy, modulated whistling sound coursing through the whole song sounds like a Theremin (or Minnie Riperton) in the throes of ecstasy; it really sets this tune apart from nearly everything in the funk canon. The coolness keeps on coming with “Church,” whose nonchalant funk with clavinet and what sounds like a celesta has serious uplifting potential.
Our old buddies Holland-Dozier-Holland—long free from Motown’s strictures—make their greatness felt on “Free Your Mind,” which isn’t as heavy as Funkadelic nor as tight as the Meters, but it vibrates in a nice, laid-back vein that’s ideal for low-key summer hangs. A hit for fellow Detroit soul unit 100 Proof Aged In Soul, “Everything Good Is Bad” boasts a fantastically moving melody with unison soulful male/female vocals. Flute, strings, and Southern-friend guitar calligraphy also elevate this song, of which I never tire.
Things slow down and get a bit mushy on side 2, but it does have the LP’s peak, “Funky Toes.” Featuring one of the most distinctive clavinet riffs I’ve ever heard (and I’ve heard a lot), this cut is as filthy as anything that Funkadelic or Kool And The Gang were laying down in 1972. No wonder DJ Spooky sampled it for his ill trip-hop classic, “Galactic Funk.” “Close Your Big Mouth,” a Jackson-Slater cowrite, is the sort of poised, celebratory jam that’s a perfect send-off for this party platter.
UK label Demon reissued The Politicians Featuring McKinley Jackson on vinyl in 2019; the Japanese label Solid re-released it in 2018. It’s not an easy pull, but it’s well worth putting in the effort to score one. -Buckley Mayfield
Located in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood, Jive Time is always looking to buy your unwanted records (provided they are in good condition) or offer credit for trade. We also buy record collections.
