The 45 King
Armen b/w Ella - Jole
scum stats: limited to 500 colored vinyl copies, part of a 5 x 7" set
Starting off the new year with this gem included as part of my secret santa present. Ace store manager Molly listened closely to me rambling about limited edition 45's from Detroit pressed at Archer Record Pressing, made some calls, went above and beyond the call of duty and landed with this absolute GEM.
The 45 King was an esteemed hip hop producer, originally renowned for his ability to make beats from obscure 45s. He did Jay-Z's "Hard Knock Life" and Eminem's "Stan" so dude's CV is legit.
This particular single comes from a series he did working with tracks from Detroit's Westbound Records as a source, specifically multitrack masters from the Ohio Players and Junie Morrison. The a-side is named after Westbound impresario Armen Boladian. I'm not sure who Ella and Jole are.
Regardless, these instrumental tracks are exquisite heavy funk, absolutely primed for someone to rap over them (have they?). Could vibe to this all night long. The material just hits a sweet spot, harder to find every day, that puts a smile on my face and makes me happy to live in a place and time where such things are able to happen.
You guys are great!
That’s a fantastic gift. I’ll definitely take a look. Happy New Year.
First, I want to say thank you for the Ikey Owens record. I grooved to it and felt groovy! Second, The 45 King sounds like something I need to dive into. Thx!
I need to join you for the secret Santa next year!!! But I was lucky enough to score the set from Bandcamp. Thanks so much for turning us onto all this great music, your taste and mine are very similar. Thanks again……