Rimshots hit the spot

Up until recently my record collection had spent a long period lying pretty much idle, untouched and unloved. Also, lately, I seem to possess an increasingly misfiring memory (just and age thing, nothing serious you understand). Put these two things together and there is in fact a big upside, and that is when I dig out records from my boxes it’s like going on a voyage of discovery all over again.

Today’s featured single is a case in point. “Dance Girl” reminds me of the Fatback Band’s “Wicki Wacky” I thought spinning it for the first time in years. Then I noticed the credits and realised it was written by the Fatback Band. I then noticed I had actually written Wicki Wacky in brackets on it’s cardboard sleeve. I must therefore have gone through exactly the same thought processes when I originally acquired this record, which would have been about 30 years ago now. What I didn’t have at my fingertips back then though was tinternet, which has now allowed me to shed some more light on this track.

“Dance Girl” was originally recorded and released by the Fatback Band in 1973. It was their last release on the Perception label before moving to Event/Spring. For some reason the track was released with the performer credit Fatback Brother Bill Curtis and not the Fatback Band. Perception folded right after the release and it pretty much sunk without trace. With such a strong track disappearing so quickly it was clearly ripe for a cover and so in stepped the Rimshots. (It was also covered by the Mighty Tom Cats).

The Rimshots were the resident band at Joe and Sylvia Robinson’s All Platinum label stable. They were led by guitarists Walter Morris and Tommy Keith, who also did occasional double duty as composers and producers. I don’t know who exactly played on the tracks here as their line-up was somewhat fluid, which I guess is not unusual for a house band. They had sizeable, increasingly disco tinged, funk hits in the mid 70s with "Do What You Feel, Pt. 1" , "(7-6-5-4-3-2-1) Blow Your Whistle" and “Super Disco”. Prior to this however their brand of funk had carried a much harder edge as you will hear on the tracks in this post.

On the B side of this single is “Who Got The Monster”. This made a UK single release on All Platinum as an A side but I don’t think “Dance Girl” made it in the UK in any form. I remembered “Monster” as being more in the disco mould and not as strong as “Dance Girl”. Again the memory was malfunctioning, because it is in fact a storming instrumental with some searing guitar licks.

They’re both strong tracks, I can’t separate them, so you get both. Double delight!

7-6-5-4-3-2-1 Blow Your Whistle - Anthology

The Rimshots - Dance Girl 1974 (gone)
The Rimshots – Who Got The Monster 1974 (gone)