Just in time for Mardi Gras, the newest release from the Tipitina’s Record Club is The Wild Magnolias Featuring The New Orleans Project Outtakes + Live 1973-1974. The Orange vinyl and (purple 45 single for club members) conveys the bright music contained within.
The Wild Magnolias monumental first two albums, their self-titled release in 1974 and They Call Us Wild 1975, were pivotal in recording Mardi Gras Indians with a backing band for the first time, creating that sound deep in New Orleans and delivering it to the world. The previously unreleased tracks here show the group melding with the Willie Tee assembled outfit to develop a new funk that still rings out today.
The record showcases a wide range of legendary Big Easy artists. The A side finds Theodore “Bo” Dollis as the Big Chief, leading The Wild Magnolias on tambourine and vocals supported by, James “Smokey” Smothers, vocals, congas, bongos, Lawrence “Crip” Adams, vocals, cowbell, tambourine, Leonard “Gate” Johnson, vocals, tambourine, James “Gator June” Johnson Jr. vocals, tambourine, Washington “Bubba” Scott vocals, triangle, tambourine, Johnny “Quarter Moon” Tobias, vocals, tambourine, whistle and Norwood “Gitchie” Johnson, bass drum. Big Chief of the Golden Eagles, Monk Boudreaux, also dropped in to help on vocals and congas.
The New Orleans Project, fronted by Tee on keyboards, featured Snooks Eaglin, lead guitar; Earl Turbinton Jr., saxophones; Julius Farmer, electric bass; Larry Panna, drums; and Alfred “Uganda” Roberts, congas. For the B-side, The Wild Magnolia lineup remains the same, but The New Orleans Project changes to Willie Tee, keys; Louis “Guitar June” Clark, lead guitar; Erving Charles, electric bass, while keeping Panna and Roberts on drums and congas.
The early studio outtakes from the players are up first on the A-side of the vinyl. The opening “Two Way Pa E Way” takes the classic chant from Big Chief and pairs it with backing vocals from the rest of the Magnolias, fusing spiritual vocals with deeply funky bass and drums from the start. As the percussion of tambourines and congas increases, so do the electronic keys and scratchy guitar licks, all the while the call and response chants roll on in circular fashion.
The highlight comes next: an instrumental version of “Handa Wanda”. Numerous percussive elements from the players emerge as the layers of sound increase. Gorgeous deep piano, smooth sax, and wah-wah guitar deliver the awesome funk that is extended but never dull; it could roll on forever and would make for great sampling for hip-hop producers. “(Somebody Got) Soul, Soul, Soul” accelerates the funk tempo with excellent wah-wah guitar work, sax accents, and stop-start jams. It ends abruptly, but those two instrumental jams gloriously capture the players in their prime.
The B-side hits the live stage, showcasing one of the group’s first non-New Orleans performances as they played the Pope Auditorium in NYC on July 2, 1974. The ensemble opens with an elongated intro that is laid-back, with keys and cymbals shimmering in a spacey fashion, in the vein of relaxed Grateful Dead jams from the time. The tambourines start shaking for “Handa Wanda” before Willie Tee’s electro keys lead the charge on “Smoke My Peace Pipe”. Both tunes find the vocals a bit distant as Big Chief and crew were certainly playing to the crowd.
The album ends with a short instrumental jam to wrap up a unique release from the Record Club. The added 45 for subscribers is three songs featuring just The Wild Magnolias recorded acoustically, live in Milwaukee, 1977, delivering what a practice session would sound like, all tambourines and chants.
For those new to these songs, starting with the original studio albums is a must, but for fans of The Wild Magnolias who have listened to those records for decades, Outtakes + Live 1973-1974 is an exhilarating look into one of the foundational New Orleans cultural and musical institutions.
