Speedometer

UK's premier funk band started out as a quartet gigging in small clubs in the Southeast of England in 1999, playing classic funk tunes by artists such as The Meters and The JB's. The band soon expanded, adding the now renowned horn section (The Rev Horns) and vocalists (The Speedettes) in 2001, which has enabled them to deliver the powerhouse deep funk sound they're known for today.

In 2000, the first single was released "Soul Safari" on Soul Fire Records and soon followed several other releases by other labels. Each of the limited run 45 singles sold out to a rapidly growing funk audience.
Three years later the band joined forces with Blow it Hard Records to record the first Speedometer LP. THIS IS SPEEDOMETER (VOL.I) which blended their love of heavy deep funk with Soul and fused this with Latin grooves that gave the eagerly awaiting funk fans and DJ's one of the best new authentic funk albums since the 1970's.

2005 saw the follow up album "THIS IS SPEEDOMETER (VOL. 2)".This second volume proved the bands credentials in delivering unrivalled heavyweight funk grooves and super-soul vocals from soul diva Ria Currie and the Speedettes. The funky re-work of Beyonce’s “Work it out” has been one of the most successful new funk 45’s to date and in the top 10 of most funk/soul DJ’s around the globe. The album also led them to Japan for a fantastic sellout tour playing 8 shows in Nagoya & Osaka. Check out 'Speedometer live in Japan' video on u tube. Just type Speedometer funk into the search box.



2006 saw Freestyle Records in the UK release “Diggin Deeper”. A compilation of all of Speedometer’s early 7" 45 releases in one place on CD for the very first time. It also saw them back in Big Noise Studios to start laying tracks for the next album "4 Flights Up" due out in early 2007 on Freestyle Records. Over the years, Speedometer has worked with many of the US funk legends including Sir Joe Quarterman, Eddie Bo, Marva Whitney, Sharon Jones, James Bell (The Highlighters), Lee Fields, Billy Wooten and most recently, gigging and cutting two tracks in the studio with Robert Moore. (To be released soon)All the artists were blown away by Speedometer's authenticity to the original soul-funk sound The 2007 album "Four Flights Up" is widely regarded as one of the best funk albums of the last 10years. The band will be releasing a live album in 2008 and start recording their 5th studio album in summer 2008 for release next year. The heaviest funk is yet to come..............

This Is Speedometer Vol.I (Blow It Hard 2003)

Speedometer is one of the 3 bands most likely to deliver the first new-funk offering that would have the right ingredients to transcend this niche market of enthusiasts, obsessives and occasional buyers, crossing over into the wider soul/funk/jazz audience and beyond. This LP is frankly the best collection of new 'authentic' soul, funk scorchers from any artists - ressurected or new to the 'scene'. They seem to have taken the standards raised by Daptone over the last 2 years and given it another funky foot forward. Recorded with a personnel of 17 musicians and singers the LP is a masterpiece that shifts from first class Marva Whitney, Mary ‘Queenie’ Lyons influenced sister-soul screamers (Wait Up, Just Keep On, What Am I Gonna Do) to laid back Meters-esque grooves (Mullet) and onto hard Jazz-Dance Latin fusions (Episode In Palmetto) with spectacular fluidity. The LP contains a surprising deep soul ballad "All I Ever Need" and "Episode In Palmetto" is one of the highlights , a hard Jazz-Dancer that takes 6 hours of the best 'Out To Lunch' sessions and condenses it into 3 minutes 16 seconds of furious Afro Cuban/Latin percussion and flute infused grooves. "What Am I Gonna Do" is the kind of mid-tempo, sister funk that if it were a recently unearthed old 45 would have the collectors scrambling for a copy like newly born puppys to their mothers teats. Expect to see the future-anthem "Grow Bag" on many a play list to come. Funk recording of the decade? Certainly a very serious contender, utterly outstanding work.

A1		Monkey Stick (3:18)
A2		You Know You Can (Just Do It) (3:40)
A3		Wait Up (3:34)
A4		Just Keep On (Doin The Do) (3:13)
A5		Mullet (2:56)
A6		It's Our Turn (3:21)
B1		What Am I Gonna Do? (3:48)
B2		All I Ever Need (3:26)
B3		Episode In Palmetto (3:15)
B4		The Best You Can (3:58)
B5		Growbag (2:57)

http://www.shareonall.com/speedometer_-_this_is_speedometer_vol._1_jqrm_zip.htm

This Is Speedometer Vol.II (Blow It Hard 2005)

The second long player from one of the UK's oldest funk outfits, very little has changed from their first long player, they are still playing their sophisticated mix of hard as nails funk with elements of Latin jazz-dance with very strong leanings to the stripped back sound of the Meters.

There's some nice new funk worthy of dance floor action here "Dapper Dan" sounds like a lost outtake from the JB's circa "Pass The Peas", "Work It Out" while not as downright saucy as the original Beyonce sung classic it should nevertheless get some fun kicking off! A very welcome return from one of the UK's leading live funk acts.

A1		At The Speakeasy
A2		Have You Got The Message
A3		Dapper Dan
A4		Speedtrap
A5		Work It Out
A6		You Got Me Started
B1		Foot & Mouth
B2		Return To Palmetto
B3		Power Generation
B4		City Strut
B5		Crew Cut

http://www.shareonall.com/speedometer_-_this_is_speedometer_vol_2_kjug_zip.htm

Diggin' Deeper (Freestyle 2006)

A wealth of rare early work from the UK's Speedometer -- tunes that were initially pressed up only as limited edition singles on labels like Timmion, Soul Fire, and Kennel Klub -- all brought together here for the first time on CD, along with a few previously unissued numbers! Speedometer have definitely been one of the heaviest funk combos going on the other side of the Atlantic for a number of years -- a Meters-influenced group with plenty of bass and scratchy guitar at the bottom of their tunes -- but also a great talent for blasting the horns way way over the top, and changing up the rhythms with a tightness that few other combos can match! The whole CD's a delight all the way through -- and is just about the only way you'll find these tracks anymore. Titles include "Soul Safari", "Speedometer (parts 1 & 2)", "Descarga D'Escargot", "It's My Thing", "Two Beat Beast", "Upstairs At Boston Road", "Up The Down", "Ain't Going To Thursford (parts 1 & 2)", "Hold The Bus", "Time For Change", and "Accra International Airport".




1. Speedometer Parts 1 & 2
2. Soul Safari
3. Descarga D'escargot
4. Kool And The Gang
5.Up The Down
6. Accra International Airport
7. It's My Thing
8. Two Beat Beast
9. Time For Change
10. Upstairs On Boston Road
11. Ain't Going To Thursford
12. Hold The Bus


http://www.shareonall.com/Speedometer_-_Diggin_Deeper_2006_usuc_zip.htm

Four Flights Up (Freestyle 2007)

Speedometer get better and better with each new record -- and this time around, they've risen to the upper level of grooving in the deep funk underground -- sitting nicely next to the best from the Daptone, Soul Fire, and Tru Thoughts camp with an approach that's heavy on the drums, filled with funky guitars, and topped with plenty of horns! Vocals are great too -- thanks to guest appearances from Ria Currie and Miami soul legend Robert Moore -- both of whom really flesh out the tunes wonderfully with their soulful styles. Core instrumentation is as tight as it can be, and it looks like the move to the Freestyle label has really been a great one for the group! Titles include "Four Flights Up", "Meter's Running", "No Man Worries", "Same Old Thing", "Make It Alright", "Am I Your Woman", "Chicken Run", "This Ain't Movin", "Safari Of Soul", "Do Right Man", and "The Real Me".



01. Meter's Running
02. No Man Worries feat. Ria Currie
03. Same Old Thing
04. Make It Alright feat. Robert Moore
05. Am I Your Woman feat. Ria Currie
06. Four Flights Up
07. Main Man
08. Take a Chance feat. Ria Currie
09. Straight
10. Do Right Man feat. Robert Moore
11. The Real Me feat. Ria Currie
12. Safari Of Soul
13. This Ain't Movin feat. Ria Currie
14. Chicken Run


http://www.shareonall.com/Speedometer_-_Four_Flights_Up_jnbe_zip.htm