RECORD CRACK: K.C. & The Sunshine Band get the MOFI treatment

It’s music you have heard over and over again: on the radio, on TV, perhaps throughout your life. I’ve had a copy of this since I was a kid, I danced, grooved, and got down to it. It has been a “dollar bin gem” for decades, and a thrift store masterpiece because so many people bought it. Now, one of the biggest albums of the disco era is getting the audiophile treatment courtesy of Mobile Fidelity.

The second album by K.C. & The Sunshine Band was self-titled, which lead many to believe that this was their debut, which lead many to wonder what happened to their second album when their follow-up was called Part 3. This album was the unofficial “Part 2”. The album features the big hits “That’s The Way (I Like It)”, “Get Down Tonight” and “Boogie Shoes”, but there were some awesome album cuts that either because dance floor classics or eventually part of the sample fodder for countlesss hip-hop producers, including “What Makes You Happy”, “Ain’t Nothin’ Wrong”, and “I Get Lifted”, along with the two part “Let It Go”.

The album felt/feels good, and it is sure to sound good with this MOFI remaster, but considering that you can go to any garage sale, thrift store, and charity shop to find a regular T/K Records pressing for nothing more than a dollar, will it be worth paying the audiophile price for it? If you treat your music seriously and have always liked this for how the regular pressing sounds, I would say yes.

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SOME STUFFS: The chairman of the board gets the MFSL remastered treatment, this time on vinyl

Yes indeed, jazz and pop music fans, when you see the words Original Master Recording on top of the album cover, it means business. Frank Sinatra always meant business, and the folks at MOFI/MFSL are giving his Sinatra & Strings album, released by Reprise in 1962, the remastered treatment on vinyl.

The album was arranged and conducted by Don Costa, the first union between the two. Some of you will know him as the father of rock/soul singer Nikka Costa. Even if you’re not a fan of Sinatra, hearing Sinatra & Strings will give you a chance to hear how great those classic recording studios sounded in the early 1960’s, one of many reasons why fans and collectors continue to seek and explore the Sinatra catalog.

Those who have already ordered this pressing of Sinatra & Strings will be happy to know that the albums were shipped to customers on September 16th. You can order your copy directly from Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab.

SOME STUFFS: Little Feat’s “Dixie Chicken” to get the MFSL treatment

Growing up, Little Feat always had the most interesting covers. A piece of cake on a swing, a duck wearing nylons and garters, a gelatin mountain, and then there was the cover for Dixie Chicken. Over the years the woman on the cover, drawn by the late Neon Park, reminded me of actress Kirstie Alley, maybe it had that Playboy feel to it. Of course, the hands of the lady was not quite human at all. The album covers were the lure and would become their trademark for awhile, but it was the music that kept fans coming back and going to shows.

Dixie Chicken was their third album released in 1973 and while it appealed to rock fans, the purpose of the album was to honor the music and people of New Orleans. From a hip-hop perspective, the album did supply “Lose Yourself”, the intro beat of which has been used many times in the last 19 years. The name of the album also inspired a group of ladies from Texas to form their own band, The Dixie Chicks.

36 years later, Dixie Chicken gets the remastered treatment with the help of the Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, who will release the album as an Ultradisc II™ 24 KT Gold CD in May, with most likely a vinyl counterpart to follow. Fans are able to pre-order the CD by clicking here. If you’re only familiar with “Lose Yourself” and not the rest of the album, find out what you’ve been missing: