Roy Lee Johnson and the Villagers - "The Dryer (Pt. 1)" (Stax)

Here we have a smokin' hot piece of funk from 1972. It's from a man who's recorded blues and soul for labels like Columbia ("When A Guitar Plays The Blues"), Okeh ("Black Pepper Will Make You Sneeze"), Phillips ("Guitar Man")and Josie ("Boogaloo No. 3"), among others. Quite a number of his 45s are relatively easy to get and are well worth it. This record is his entry in the funk genre and it's quite a winner as I hope you'll agree when you hear it.

Johnson was born in 1938. Details about his life are scarce, even though his singing and songwriting career have lasted for more than 40 years. His best known credit remains "Mister Moonlight," a song he wrote and recorded for a single that was later recorded most famously by The Beatles. This single comes around the time of an album he recorded with The Villagers for the Stax label and like I said, it's a winner.

The record opens with Roy making the following declaration: "Hahaha, I'm gonna take you out of the washer, then I'm gonna put you in the ringer and then I'm gonna throw you in the dryer." Thus begins a raucous tune with scratchy guitar, a killer bass line, loud, blazing organ and blastin' horns. The momentum keeps up throughout the 2:18 running time of the song, as Roy yelps and sings all over the place.

Here's yet another side that should have been a hit. But whatever, this is as killer a piece of solid funk as I've ever come across. Hope you dig it as much as I do.