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Shaolin Soul Selection: Wu-Tang Clan's source material and inspiration

David Pescovitz at 10:01 am Thu, Mar 21, 2013

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NewImageThe Wu-Tang Clan wears its Stax soul influences on its sleeves and in its samples. A few compilations of Wu-Tang sample source material have been floating about but now Soul Temple Music have done it right with "The RZA presents Shaolin Soul Selection: Volume 1." Culled from the Stax archives, the 24-track compilation features classic hits like Isaac Haye's "Walk On By" (live performance above) and David Porter's "Hang On Sloopy," but also more obscure tracks by The Emotions, The Dramatics, Booker T & The MG's, and many other artists. I picked it up as the 3-LP vinyl set. No soul compilation has come close to hitting all the right notes for me since the promo-only "East Memphis Music" 2-LP or (outstanding) 5-LP sets from 1984 that are fairly easy to grab used. In fact, at this moment AudioPhile USA -- which always does right by me in terms of top-quality used vinyl, killer customer service, and flawless packing/shipping -- has still-sealed copies of both for $30 and $150 respectively.

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David Pescovitz is Boing Boing's co-editor/managing partner. He's also a research director at Institute for the Future. On Instagram, he's @pesco.

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  • http://twitter.com/_m4tth3w_ Matthew Wong

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2S0zu3M0rY

  • http://twitter.com/ErnestValdemar Ernest Valdemar

     I know it’s March, but back in November ’12 I decided to got through my collected Xmas music backlog, and found this. Perhaps off–topic, but it seems oddly germane:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-a2jZ2Al64

    AT 579 views and 0 comments, it at least deserves wider viewership than the standard model of pop culture history allows.

  • noah django

    embed problems:  the video posted is for Hayes’ “Walk on By,” (also on the comp, though) not “Joy” as stated in the post, and it is embedding disabled.

    Joy:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmZAvAuCDn4

    RZA also curated a volume of Keb Darge’s Funk Spectrum series (well, kinda–Keb switched labels so it was called Kings of Funk) back in ’05.  http://www.rapsterrecords.com/content/rza-keb-darge-kings-funk
    the other Funk Spectrum curators were Keb and Josh Davis, Kenny Dope, and Pete Rock.  Funkay.

    • David Pescovitz

      Fixed, thanks!

      • noah django

        i’m here to help, sir.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Jonathan-Vanasco/728395557 Jonathan Vanasco

    I can’t help but think of the Wugazi versions of some of these tracks