SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE SOUTH SIDE MOVEMENT – THE SOUTH SIDE MOVEMENT (50th ANNIVERSARY EDITION)

The South Side Movement
The South Side Movement (50th Anniversary Edition)
Real Gone Music

The latest reissue to come from Real Gone Music is the debut album from the short-lived funk ensemble The South Side Movement. As the backing band for Simtec & Wylie, the group is perhaps best known through their influence on hip-hop, as the lead single from their 1973 release, “I’Been Watching You”, has been sampled heavily by the likes of The Beastie Boys, Jadakiss, Beck, and Erykah Badu, among others. In celebration of the 50th anniversary of their eponymous album, Real Gone Music has issued the first ever reissue of The South Side Movement, on blue vinyl.

The South Side Movement opens with the fat bass, subdued drums, soft organs, and accenting horns, supporting the raspy vocals of Melvin Moore. Through an ever so slight psychedelic haze, the track feels inspired by ‘70s rock – Moore’s vocals can be compared to that of Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler – with a tone that feels like a precursor to the southern rock that was starting to emerge, all the white, The South Side Movement remains eternally funky. “I’Been Watching You” begs the question as to how The South Side Movement’s career would come to a close just two years later, yet it shines bright as a crate digger’s dream. The slightly obscure hit, that is incredibly nostalgic for its time, from an even lesser-known band makes “I’Been Watching You” ripe for the picking. It is fascinating to see how the legacy of The South Side Movement is almost entirely separate from their own creative output, and instead rests as an influence for hip-hop, used among the most eclectic producers who stumbled upon gold when they found The South Side Movement.

The remaining nine tracks further demonstrate the songwriting and performance of The South Side Movement to be discernably funky, while remaining distinct from the defining sounds of genre in the early ‘70s: Motown, Muscle Shoals, James Brown, Sly Stone, and Stevie Wonder. Without a second single to compete with “I’Been Watching You” for the listener’s attention, there are multiple songs that make The South Side Movement a strong record. From the brisk, up-tempo funk of “Have A Little Mercy”, and the slow-burning saunter of “You’re Gonna Lose My Love” to their cover of Wonder’s “Superstition”, The South Side Movement is a cut above most other funk debuts.

The South Side Movement is a narrative that reminds us that, no matter how great of a record you may have just dropped and no matter how tight a band you are, artists are constantly at the mercy of time. There is no reason that The South Side Movement should have been lost only to receive its first reissue treatment half a century later. While not necessarily a classic or a catalyst for change in the genre, The South Side Movement is a timepiece that symbolises exemplarily, and slightly experimental, ‘70s funk. While it will likely remain an eclectic curation among tastemakers and those who’ve put the time into digging deep, The South Side Movement is among the greatest of lost gems from this era to receive the reissue treatment that I’ve heard in some time.

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