24-carat black
24-carat black
Chances are you've heard 24-Carat Black, even if you've never heard of them, as their work's been sampled by the likes of Digable Planets and Jay-Z. The world's greatest reissue label recently unearthed the group's shelved follow-up to 1973's underappreciated "dark urban concept album," Ghetto: Misfortune's Wealth, and is set to release the previously unheard Gone: The Promises of Yesterday later this month. Here's one blazing track that was too rough to make the final cut for the record; the label explains:
"The worst part of unearthing old music is digging up something in a far-too-advanced state of decay. This was the most disappointing moment from the 24-Carat Black excavation. An uptempo cut with all the right moves, this untitled jam would've certainly made our tracklist, if not set the bar for the material we found. Unfortunately, far too much is missing. Note the drop-outs, distortion, and overall crustiness. This is Dale Warren at his most fiery. The driving drums and echo-laden congas give a raw urgency not always present on either set of 24-Carat recordings. There was no working with this material, however, and the best efforts of experienced professionals to restore even small parts of it were for naught. Enjoy it here, as much as it is possible... it won't likely be presented anywhere else."
Check this album mp3 sampler, which should give you an idea of this thing's greatness. Buy 24-Carat Black's Gone: The Promises of Yesterday here (and while you're over there, pick up that Pisces record on vinyl).
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