Sly Stone, I can safely say, is the funkiest man ever born in Texas.  Ray Davies, the mastermind behind the Kinks, was born of a more dainty British cloth.  Don’t get me wrong, Ray’s rebellious awesomeness cannot be questioned, but there is no doubt that he is crumpet eating, village green strolling, nostalgia reflecting English gentleman.  What was so great about the rock revolution of the 1960s was how world’s so seemingly divergent, could merge through music, in thrillingly unpredictable ways.  The song below is such an instance.  This is a fantastic, funky, and fresh studio outtake of Sly tackling Ray’s garage rock classic, “You Really Got Me.”  Words to describe what awaits you behind the play button are useless in the face of Sly’s sleek and sexy guitar playing.  So, do your soul a favor and groove to this.

Happy Tuesday everybody, part 83 of my countdown is all about soul.  In fact the rest of the week is soul week here at williesimpson.com.  I officially kick things off with Al Green’s soulful classic, “Tired of Being Alone,” from his 1971 LP, Al Green Gets Next to You. This song is like a bridge from classic Motown pop to sophisticated 70s soul.  It features that familiar Motown sound with the syncopated brass and steady drumming, but is differentiated with less busy production that allows for Al’s voice to soar seductively in an emptier space.  It’s a work of genius.  This clip is a priceless rare performance of a young Al singing live in full 70s soul glam.  It’s Al in his utter prime which is kind of redundant because he has rarely been out of his prime in his sprawling hall of fame career.  Be sure to come back tomorrow for some classic Marvin Gaye.