What started out by many as a tribute to the music and the 'sound' of late sixties and early seventies funk and soul has now evolved into a thriving, if somewhat convoluted, music scene that is relatively free from the commercial restraints that a larger movement and the inevitable larger record labels may exact upon it.

Whilst the aforementioned labels, Desco and Soul Fire, are American (as well you might expect) the majority of the deep funk revival has its feet relocated thousands of miles across the Atlantic in Europe. The revival and the enthusiastic support is particularly prevalent in the UK. In fact the funk scene in general has always had some sort of enthusiastic following in the UK over the years. We're now in a position where there is more funk and beat orientated library and soul music available than in any time since its heyday. I'd actually go further than that and suggest that there is a damn sight more!

So how has this happened and why is there such a wealth of re-issues and compilations at the moment?
Part of the thanks must go to bands like Speedometer who help to keep the music alive by playing up and down the UK and elsewhere. Without these bands, who many people have heard but don't realise it, the funk scene would start to dry up. We're already in a position where, to loosely quote Keb Darge, most of the good and previously unknown funk records have been discovered because of the extensive digging done by DJ's, musicians and collectors.

But don't worry, because there is a solution! The deepfunk scene shares in equal measures an association with the past and present. Bands like Speedometer and record labels such as Deep Funk, Stark Reality, Daptone Records, Timmion, Kennel Klub and Soul Fire, to mention a few, are all dedicated to bringing you a fresh and exciting blend of modern funk recorded with varying degrees of authenticity and grit. And the best thing about it?? No boring old ballads, no disco or misguided attempts at Jazz/Rock fusion and definitely no Cameo or early eighties 'naked funk' sound-alikes!

Starting out as a funk quartet in 1997 as a tribute to The Meters, Speedometer worked with The James Taylor Quartet and expanded their line-up to include a percussionist and horn section and wrote their own material to the form the band roughly as it is today. In 1999, they recorded their Digging Deep promo ep which attracted attention from the now defunct New York record label Desco Records. The first single, Soul Safari, a blend of funk and afro-beat, was described by Dusty Groove (American Internet Record Store) as the best release from the label ever.

The band, the same year, were asked by the Jazz Café, London, to perform with Marva Whitney, James Brown's soul diva, for two exclusive UK shows. Marva described Speedometer as "really hot! These guys could show my band in the US a thing or two!" Speedometer continue playing the big funk clubs around the UK and have worked with Sharon Jones, Lee Fields, Sir Joe Quarterman and Eddie Bo.
2001 saw the launch of THE SPEEDETTES, the hot and tasty soul vocal duo, Niki and Carrie, who recently joined the band who feature on the forthcoming single "Wait Up" which will be hitting the dancefloors and record stores in March on Keb Darge's Deep Funk label and which I can guarantee to be one of the best soul/funk releases of the year.

To help us to understand more clearly the movement and what it represents, I spoke to Leigh Gracie, the guitarist from Speedometer, about the band, the deep funk scene and its current direction.

Interview