Even more unlikely it is to find a funk 45 which has been produced, recorded and released in Germany in the 1970s. And we talk about proper funk, not the cheesy-catchy euro funk stuff which most people have in mind when thinking of european funk records. There are a few exceptions though, and this one is certainly one of them. Still under the radar and not being played on neither the current soul nor funk scene, Milton Bowser's The Ride could be a future hit within both scenes. No matter how other people rate it, we like it quite much and are just proud to present this historical peace of german funk.
Shirley Wahls is known as one of the young pioneers of Gospel music. Singing in the church since the age of three, she began her singing career in the junior choir of the Mt Pleasant Baptist Church under the direction of Ruth Jones. Her professional career began with such legendary groups as "The Argo Singers", "The Ward Gospel Singers" and "The Dorothy Norwood Singers" before trying her hand on secular music around the mid 1960s.
Between 1967 and 1976 she had released eight 45RPM singles on different labels such as King, Calla, Smash, Blue Rock, and Giant. The two songs featured on this 45 are probably her funkiest recordings and were long overdue for an official reissue. We'd like to say "Thank You" to Ms. Wahls for giving us the permission to re-release these wonderful songs. This is an essential double-sider which certainly fills any dance floor.
