I can’t find a picture of Donald Austin!
“Listen – Donald Austin – Crazy Legs – MP3″
Greetings all.
How’s by you?
All is well hereabouts with summer rolling in and all, but if the rain doesn’t stop I’m gonna crack up. Enough already.
When I left you on Friday I promised I’d be dropping something funky today, and I will not disappoint. Truth be told, this is the very same funky cut I was promising a week ago Friday, but then the Galactic Fractures mix dropped, and then Sam Butera passed away, and thing just kind of happen and we all try to stay flexible, bending like the reed of in the wind, so here we are today, none of us worse off for having waited.
The tune in question is one of finest examples of 1970s funk guitar, ‘Crazy Legs’ by Donald Austin.
I haven’t been able to track down much in the way of hard info on Austin. He originally recorded ‘Crazy Legs’ for the Woody label (run by Woodrow ‘Woody’ Wilson, who also produced records for Bobby Franklin, the Floaters and Leo Lyons) and then leased to Eastbound.
The tune is a fast mover with a lead guitar line that sounds like the inspiration for the Grateful Dead’s ‘Shakedown Street’, with some cool electric piano in the verses. The lead guitar has just a touch of wah-wah pedal on it, and there’s a nice, reverbed percussion breakdown in the middle of the record.
Aside from the fact that Austin worked as a guitarist and arranger on sessions for Junie Morrison (of the Ohio Players), Fuzzy Haskins (of Funkadelic), and Ron Banks and the Dramatics, I haven’t been able to find any trace of him after he early 80s. If anyone has any information, please pass it along.
I hope you dig the tune, and I’ll be back on Wednesday with some sister funk.
Peace
Larry
PS Don’t forget to head over to Iron Leg for some psyche.
Funky16Corners 
June 14, 2009 at 10:16 pm
I wonder if it has anything to do with the Soul Toronadoes tune of the same name. I think I remember it to be a bit different but I could be wrong. Anyway, great tune! Have a great week.
June 14, 2009 at 10:49 pm
Different tune Alejandro. I posted the Soul Tornados a while back.
June 18, 2009 at 3:59 am
oooeee! just perfect for a sunny morning in London, on a day when i don’t have to work – great tune
June 22, 2009 at 5:59 pm
I love it! Those drums really pop, and the guitar is so friendly. Fun Jam! Thanks for the share!