Preview: BUS PEOPLE EXPRESS (THE POETS OF RHYTHM) // Augusta, GA b/w South Carolina {Daptone}

Daptone’s newest 45 is a clear vinyl from the legendary (and we don’t use that lightly) Poets Of Rhythm, who have an anthology upcoming on the label. The single’s a repress of a 1993 release: read on for more…

“First released in 1993 as the 2nd single on Hotpie & Candy Records, this long out of print single shows the soul-saints, which later became The Poets of Rhythm, at their most raw and funky . Inspired by a greyhound bus trip Bo and JJ took on Christmas eve ´91, from New York To New Orleans, these sessions were originally demo recordings for the first poets of rhythm LP “Practice what you Preach”. The A side, “Augusta Georgia” is a blazing funk masterpiece that has even the most discerning funk enthusiast clambering for an original copy. The B side, “North Carolina” was later rerecorded for “Practice What you Preach”, but the group agreed that the loose energy present on the original demo couldn’t be recreated in the studio. It was then decided to release the original 4-track cassette recordings as, Bus People Express. Predating any releases as Poets of Rhythm, this was the first an array of aliases the band would assume in the years to follow. Both sides are included on the forthcoming Daptone LP – Poets of Rhythm Anthology 1992 – 2003.” 

Listen to previews here.

Here’s a poster from the Poets’ first (only so far??) Manchester gig in 2007 – bloody fantastic night.