• 3 tbsp Thai red curry paste (check the label to make sure it’s vegetarian/ vegan)
• 1 tbsp smooth peanut butter
• 500g sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks
• 400ml can coconut milk
• 200g bag spinach
• 1 lime, juiced
• cooked rice, to serve (optional)
• dry roasted peanuts, to serve (optional)
METHOD
• Melt 1 tbsp coconut oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and soften 1 chopped onion for 5 mins. Add 2 grated garlic cloves and a grated thumb-sized piece of ginger, and cook for 1 min until fragrant.
• Stir in 3 tbsp Thai red curry paste, 1 tbsp smooth peanut butter and 500g sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks, then add 400ml coconut milk and 200ml water.
• Bring to the boil, turn down the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 25-30 mins or until the sweet potato is soft.
• Stir through 200g spinach and the juice of 1 lime, and season well. Serve with cooked rice, and if you want some crunch, sprinkle over a few dry roasted peanuts
Bubbles… what an ace track! I just acquired the rather excellent Butterflies Are Free set, which is the complete recordings of The Free Design, covering seven albums, plus a few oddments, over the period 1967-72.
I emailed Chris Dedrick – their de facto musical leader – years back, and got a lovely reply. I’d hoped to interview him for my putative music book, on music of the early ‘70s. Sadly, since then, he passed away. The ‘Big C’, alas.
Prior to getting Butterflies I had a couple of their albums on CD, and the most of the rest as digital only downloads. I also have a Chris Dedrick solo album, from ‘72, called Be Free. I don’t think I’d ever had their kid’s album, Plays For Very Important People, until now.
Initially a trio of siblings, they were augmented by a fourth family member, (?), becoming a vocal harmony quartet. They also played instruments, with Chris the most active that way (guitar, keys, trumpet, etc.). But in the studio for their recordings, they were backed by stellar sessionistas, such as (names!).
Enoch, avec le pipe!
One of the reasons they’ve remained a bit under the radar might be that they weren’t on a major label. Fearing that a major would be too constraining, they went with audiophile Enoch Light, on his Project 3 label. This ensured them total artistic freedom (and great sound!). But it also meant they didn’t have the publicity machinery of a major label promoting them.
The marks of the late ‘60s era are strong, their whole sound and vibe partaking of a groovy hipness that, ironically, dates the music a little, and is also in danger at times of coming across as a little naff. But, having said this, at the very same time they also have a beguiling mixture of naïveté and musical sophistication that has a timeless appeal. And, despite sharing certain qualities with other similar-ish ‘sunshine pop’ acts of the era, they’re pretty damn unique.
And, for me, Bubbles – posted at the head of this entry – captures this all extremely well. Bill LaVorgna’s drumming is particularly noteworthy, on this oddly funky nugget, negotiating the odd time signature with a lithely supple and elastic groove that makes the whole thing groove very nicely.
But right from the get go, the first and title track of their debut album, Kites Are Fun, sets out their stall; goofily child-like, lyrically, musically adult, and whilst outwardly joyful, there’s nearly always a wistful lonely teardrop in there somewhere. Lovely stuff, as Alan Partridge (or Shakin’ Stevens, if you credit Coogan’s alter-ego) might say.
And as a little additional bauble, the lyrics to Bubbles:
Blowin' bubbles outta the window Chewin' bubblegum and blowin' big bubbles Gettin' gettin' ridda ridda all my troubles, Watchin' the tadpoles glubba, glubba in the puddles Soap bubbles carry my dreams up high Bubble gum kinda keeps my heart from gettin' heavy and cryin'
Ma 'n' Pa are arguin' again, today I lost my best friend The kitty has a little cold, 'n ' grammama is getting older My tummy has a little pain, 'n' when does Jesus come again?
Blowin' bubbles outta the window Chewin' bubblegum and blowin' big bubbles Gettin' gettin' ridda ridda all my troubles, Watchin' the tadpoles glubba, glubba in the puddles Soap bubbles carry my dreams up high Bubble gum kinda keeps my heart from gettin' heavy and cryin'
Blowin' bubbles outta the window Chewin' bubblegum and blowin' big bubbles Gettin' gettin ridda ridda all my troubles, Watchin' the tadpoles glubba, glubba in the puddles Soap bubbles carry my dreams up high Bubble gum kinda keeps my heart from gettin' heavy and cryin'
I absolutely adore some of the Funkadelic/Parliament music. And it’s often very largely due to tremendous rhythmatics, from the drums, obviously, and bass, guitar, keys, etc.
One of the engine room crew responsible for some of this musical wizardry was Tiki Fulwood. As the years go by, and my appreciation for musicians like Fulwood grows, I want to know more about them.
This post will, I hope, grow into a little biog/tribute to this superb musician. First of all, I’ll link to a few things I found on the web about him, such as this, from George Clinton’s website.
Tiki, funky cowpoke, in wide-brimmed hat.
I was surprised to learn that Fulwood had played the drums not only on lots of fab Funkadelic stuff, but also on two stone cold soul pop classics, Tyrone Davis’ Can I Change My Mind and Turn Back The Hands of Time. Dude should be a legend for those alone!
Another more in depth piece can be found here, posted to the ‘rate your music’ website, by someone going by the tag soulmakossa. Whoever you are, thanks for this superb piece!
In my search for all things Tiki, I also found this, from another drummer (props to Ben Woollacott), giving his take on one of Fulwood’s opening fills, in this instance from the Funkadelic track Goold Old Music.
