Roger Troutman - So Ruff So Tuff

The kind of music you'd have in one those unbelievably cool discos in films. The place where they dance as if they need to touch their knees with their elbows.

This is available on "The Many Facets of Roger", which is a glorious funk album, which is impressively self centred funk.

Dennis Coffey and the Detroit Guitar Band - Scorpio

Dennis Coffey was one of the "Funk Brothers", that is, part of the legendary group who made up the musicians who did the backing for Motown Records. So you've probably heard him many times before, but this is his own strange, funky brew.

East Harlem Bus Stop - Get On Down

As a big fan of the Fatback Band's "Do The Bus Stop", I thought this was worth a look. Again, its been sampled to death, but it is some tight funk with a cracking cover. One of the aspects to music which has basically disappeared over the years is covers, both album and single.

You don't need to have a strong visual image to market something, but you know, it helps. When it really works, you remember those musicians.

Banbarra - Shack Up

This was covered by "A Certain Ratio", but the original sank into obscurity when it was released. The more digging I do into soul and funk, the more I find that there are a lot of gems like this that haven't yet had the chance to really shine.

Hamilton Bohannon - Disco Symphony

A master percussionist who is widely sampled but not widely known. The chances are that if you've even put a toe into a nightclub in the last ten years then you heard something that was ripped off from this man.