HAPPY DOLLS - CD SHOW ALBUM NO.1

Popis - SHOW ALBUM NO.1:
Officially release for the first time. LP miniature sleeve. Exclusive retro-style inner sleeve. English liner notes by DJ Soulscape. Original press photo & the Happy Dolls. Logo sticker included. Originally released in 1978. The Happy Dolls, with a single surviving album from 1978 released in Canada, represent the last of the 5-piece girl groups who would perform mostly in the Las Vegas and other North American scenes. Chronologically, their work comes from a time when the entertainment industry's center of mass was shifting from the 8th Army scene to the domestic gayo market. Although the Dolls performed mainly around Toronto and their album was recorded in Canada, their roots go back to Korea, circa 1970. The reason this album should be considered an important record in Korean band history can be found in the two funk numbers: Pick up the Pieces (Average White Band) and Funky Stuff (Kool and the Gang). On these tracks the band's rhythm section lays down tight grooves that would not sound out of place anywhere - this is possibly the closest a Korean band has ever come to nailing genuine funk. Funky Stuff, featuring an uncanny clavinet and a brass section whose dynamic is filled out by the 5-piece band, is already a sought-after find among DJs and collectors. Then there's the tour de force track Drum Solo by drummer Boonie Kim, which is exactly what it says it is. It's hard to imagine, with a drummer of average confidence, thinking to include a drum solo track all by itself. But the track works beautifully - precision timekeeping, nuanced strokes, and shifting beat progressions are all in there. This track, along with stories of how the Dolls would take the stage with the Korean flag fixed to the kick drum, will be remembered as one of this album's legendary moments.