Descrizione
Athens of the North’s Euan Fryer is not the only collector and selector who believes that the Leaders’ obscenely rare 1971 single ‘(It’s A) Rat Race’ should be considered a genuine deep funk classic. In fact, it was deep funk specialist Keb Darge who first brought the record to the attention of DJs and dancers in the UK in the early 2000s. Happily Fryer has tracked down the band and got their permission to reissue their sought-after classic. Formidably funky, the A-side version features fantastic group vocals rising above a bed of hazy horns, bustling drums, warm bass and razor-sharp, Blaxploitation style guitars. The accompanying instrumental take is superb, too, with a variety of woodwind and brass solos – often drenched in reverb – replacing the group’s fine vocals.