En Avant La Zizique, a famous essai by french writer Boris Vian, is also a record label, founded by two active diggers. Their specialities : 10 inches, artisanal imprint, and southern’s genres as rhythm’n’blues, soul and funk. From EALZ! Records shelves and private collection, here come some heavyweight dancefloor friendly cuts by some of their favorite (overweight) singers. Big names and underrated ones, but all strong characters. 785kg of funk & soul! And when it’ s time to party, En Avant La Zizique is still ready to give you a big slice…
Solomon Burke (160 kg)
Maggie’s Farm
«Groovy up-tempo treatment of a classic Dylan’s song by the king of rock & soul, baptist preacher and father of 21 declared children. In EALZ ! Records bible (Sweet Soul Music by Peter Guralnick) Solomon Burke was described as a man who could bless a child with one hand, and pinch a nipple with the other. We just love it!»
Etta James (120 kg)
You Give Me What I Want
«When Etta James gets funky, she’s able to smash everything all around, and this single is a perfect illustration ! This incredible tune came out during the worst time life of Etta James. In 1974 she was totally addict to heavy drugs and alcool. She was 35 years old and had to spend 17 months in a psychiatric hospital to get rehab.»
Rodge Martin (135kg)
Lovin’ Machine
«Rodge Martin was a regular act of the Nashville soul scene during the 60’s. He had a bunch of singles produced by local records company and made a lot of appearance in Hoss Allen TV Show called « The Beat ». A popular southern TV program where every afro-american music stars of the time came sing a couple of tune… a kind of early Soul Train concept with some “killers” in the backing band. He died of an heart attack age of 27.»
Baby Huey & Babysitters (180 kg)
Messin With The Kid
«Few years before his famous one and one only album on Curtom, the massive Baby from bay area was beginning in music with this hard to find cut from the mid sixties. Straight and powerful rockin’ Rhythm & Blues for this classic Junior Wells relecture.»
Big Maybelle (190 kg)
96 Tears
«She’s sometimes credited as the mother of rock’n’roll. Indeed she was the first to record the monument (in 1955) Whole Lotta Shaking Goin On’, one of the early Quincy Jones productions. More than 10 years laters she cut really nice stuffs for mafia related Rojac imprint. The Harlem based label conducted by Jack « fat jack » Taylor released this great cover of San Francisco garage hymn ! Listen to the lady, she’s like a volcano, an hurricane. Showing to all the skinny neo soul women how to do it. It was her last hit, she died from diabetes in the early 70’s.»
