Up next, we’ve got our favourite legend from down under… It’s Alex Preston! The Sydney Native has recently released his Funk groover ‘All I Need’ on Toolroom, the stellar follow up to his hit ‘Love You Better’ which made waves earlier this year! Channeling his inner Stevie Wonder throughout, Alex has outdone himself on this one, blending a rock solid House beat with his signature guitar licks creating his dance floor heater.
We were loving the tight Funk feel on this record so much over here at Toolroom HQ that we reached out to Alex to find out what his all-time favourite Funk records are! His select do not disappoint that’s for sure…
Alex Preston – ‘All I Need‘
Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson – ‘Superman Lover‘
I love the guitar solo on this record! It’s so Funky and in the pocket. I also love the vocals and lyrics, it’s just got such a classic 70s Funk feel. My Dad had this on vinyl and used to listen to it when I went through his record collection…
Chaka Khan – ‘Fate‘
I love Chaka Khan and this is my favourite track of theirs. It’s been sampled in so many House tracks and in my mind it’s one of those songs that links contemporary House Music with old school Disco & Funk.
Gwen McRae – ‘Keep The Fire Burning‘
I grew up playing this record in bars when I was learning to DJ around Sydney. It’s a timeless record that could be released now and still feel relevant. Gwen’s vocals are incredible!
Labi Siffre – ‘I Got The‘
This is one of my all-time favourite Funk and Soul tracks that has been sampled in so many tracks. It’s one of those iconic records that every time I listen to it, I hear something different!
Herbie Hancock – ‘Doin’ It‘
I grew up playing Jazz & Funk and playing Herbie Hancock records on guitar was how I learnt how to play complex Jazz Funk chord progressions. This track for me is one of those crossover tracks where an incredibly talented Jazz player like Hancock, does his spin on Disco & Funk. I think that’s being a true artist, taking on whatever is in vogue (in this case Funk) and doing it in his own way.
Booker T. & TheMG’s – ‘Green Onions‘
I made an edit of this track a few years ago to play in my sets. It’s got such an iconic rhodes riff that you know is ‘Green Onions’ as soon as you hear it!
Jimi Hendrix & The Band Of Gypsies – ‘Who Knows‘
I heard this song when I was about 14 and was captivated by the drum groove and Jimi’s Funk guitar solo. We used to jam out on this when I was in a band as a teenager and it forms the basis for a lot of the riffs I write now – including the one in ‘All I Need’!
The JB’s – ‘Pass The Peas‘
You can’t have a top 10 Funk records without some James Brown vibes and this track is by James Brown‘s Band. I love that it’s basically just a horn jam and it reminds me of my favourite thing to do when I’m playing music and that’s just improvise. When I play live a large part of my performance is just improvised and made up on the spot.
Brides of Funkenstein – ‘Disco To Go‘
I love the groove in this track, it has so many classic Funk sounds with the horns and clavinet. The record sounds so full and when I’m working on my own tracks, I try to create the same feeling with the instruments I use.
Darondo – ‘Didn’t I‘
This is one of my favourite tracks of all time! I would say it’s more of a Soul record than Funk as the tempo is pretty slow, but it still has loads of groove and feels. This is a song that I listen to after a mega long session in the studio to let my ears chill out!
