Records at Random Vol. 32 - Bohannon Insides Out


The 1981 single “Genius of Love” by the Tom Tom Club is notable for a number of reasons. The most obvious of those are that it’s funky as hell, and it’s lyrics are almost preposterously surreal, combining syrupy romanticism, overt drug references, and a ludicrous appreciation for different styles of music. It’s that last element of the tune, exemplified by numerous shout-outs to musicians including Bob Marley, Smokey Robinson, and even Kurtis Blow that’s particularly memorable to me, especially the kooky way the band chants the names of James Brown and, inexplicably enough, Bohannon, a Georgia-born drummer who would go on to play behind Stevie Wonder and work as an arranger and bandleader for Motown before making a name for himself as a recording artist in his own right in the Disco-era.

Why are the Weymouth sisters whispering the name of Hamilton Bohannon, an artist not nearly as well-known or universally loved as some of the others mentioned on the song, over and over again? For the longest time I had no idea, until I finally copped one of his albums. That album was Insides Out, the third LP from he and and his eponymously-named band, released in 1974 on Dakar/Brunswick Records. Its stomping Disco sound, based largely around a stripped down rhythm section (including members of Detroit-then-Atlanta-based Funk outfit The Counts on some tunes) laying down repetitious extended grooves fueled by heavy metronome-like drums and chunkily muscular bass, topped with a light sprinkling of plucky guitar, and featuring only occasional vocal interjections (often consisting of nothing more than simple chants or whispers not unlike those heard on “Genius of Love”) did a lot to clarify the connection.

The album starts off with “Foot-Stompin’ Music,” a song whose title describes what it and most of the other tunes on the disc sound like to a t. It’s almost punishingly propulsive, locomotive in a way that forces the listener to tap their foot, then stomp it, and finally get up and dance. It’s music to sweat to, plain and simple. It’s also got one of my favorite vocals on the album, with high-pitched whines imploring the party-people to clap their hands and have a good time leading off the proceedings which is joined by a chorus of voices shouting “rock,” singing the chorus, and spelling out the name “Bohannon,” before a voice (presumably that of Bohannon himself) chants the name again… Almost exactly like the ladies of Tom Tom Club would years later. In the immortal words of Col. John “Hannibal” Smith, I love it when a plan comes together.

The rest of the a-side is more of the same, with efficiently minimalist Disco-Funk being the order of the day on songs like “East Coast Groove” and “Disco Stomp.” The b-side switches things up with three of it’s four tracks being more lushly orchestrated “slow jams” that marry a sophisticated sort-of cocktail-lounge vibe, replete with jazzy instrumental flourishes, and languid Southern Rhythm & Blues influences that remind me a lot of some of Prince’s bedroom ballads like “Slow Love.”

While Bohannon may not have garnered the accolades of a James Brown, records like this are more than reason enough to warrant his enshrinement next to Soul Brother No. 1 on Tom Tom Club’s kitschy Dance classic.

- El Keter

This entry was written by El Keter, posted on December 14, 2007 at 11:48 am, filed under Music and tagged . Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post. Post a comment or leave a trackback: Trackback URL.

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