Charles Hilton Brown - 1974 - Owed to Myself

Charles Hilton Brown 

1974 

Owed to Myself

01. Try A Little Tenderness 6:00

02. I'm Coming Home 4:43

03. Tell Me Once Again 4:57

04. Maddox 4:35

05. Love Train 3:50

06. G.R.E 5:20

07. Ain't No Sunshine 5:00

08. Argument's 4:10

Arranged By – Assagai

Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Frederick Mathias

Bass – David Ganpot

Chorus – Duo Macumbo

Congas – Ayinde Folarin

Drums, Percussion – Gabriel George

Guitar – Keith Ganpot

Keyboards – Peter Nelson

Tenor Saxophone – Kirk Redding

Trumpet, Trombone – Roy Edwards

Vocals – David Ganpot (tracks: 8), Frederick Mathias (tracks: 8)

The story here goes back to Italy, for this private pressing on Ampex from famed Assagai’s leader, Charles Hilton Brown. Among outstanding renditions and re-arrangements of funk and soul classics, the outstanding number here is the superb funk gem titled “Arguments“. Call it afro-rock, if you like, it’s all about stupid dope sounds.

Charles Hilton Brown is an American soul singer who briefly sang with the The Four Kents before issuing two singles on Durium in 1971/72. In 1974, he collaborated with the South African band Assagai for the album Owed to Myself, released on Ampex Records.

First track of the album is the famous “Try a little Tenderness” of Otis Redding; we find also an elegant version of “Ain’t No Sunshine” of B. Whiters, but the real surprise are the tracks composed by Charles himself, full of energy and completely to be discovered. We have identified G.R.F. as the explosive track, the most “appetising” for Afro/Funk DJs. A swirling blend of soul, funk, and jazzy grooves — and a super-rare album that we’ve never seen in the original!

Supposedly, backing on the record is by the British Afro Funk group Assagai — which sounds right to us, because there’s a nice rolling conga groove on many of the tracks. Lead vocals are by Charles Hilton Brown, in a nicely raw soul style that reminds us a bit of Otis Redding, and a bit of Mike James Kirkland on some of his early 70s material. The record features vocal covers of a number of soul hits — like “Try A Little Tenderness”, “Love Train”, and “Ain’t No Sunshine” — plus some originals that are even better, like the funky instrumental “GRF”, and the tunes “Maddox” and “Tell Me Once Again”. Nice and raw, and with a sound hip enough to match the record’s cover!