plunky & oneness of juju: make a change
Francisco Espregueira
Plunky & Oneness of Juju is a legendary rhythm & blues-African-jazz-funk band, that has seen a lot of their work reissued by Strut Records. Following African Rhythms and African Rhythms 1970-1982, it is a pleasure to re-introduce one of their special records, Make a Change, originally released in 1977. Founded in San Francisco in 1971, the group was originally known as Juju but has continued to evolve for over 30 years, performing and recording with changes in personnel and under different group names - always led by J. Plunky Branch.
Make a Change was recorded in their hometown Maryland, becoming a commercial success within the Washington D.C. area and featuring the international hit “Everybody Way But Loose”. The album marked a transition for the band with lead vocalist Jackie Eka-Ete recording her last sessions with Plunky, and Virtania Tillery taking over lead vocal duties. Besides the dancefloor favourite “Every Way But Loose”, that became an anthem in the U.S.’s club scene of the time, Make a Change contains other special cuts. Funk workout “Higher” and the wistful stepper “Always Have To Say Goodbye” have remained staples among soulful DJs worldwide and, like the rest of the album, are songs that are still relevant all these years later. Like Plunky says, “The positive messages are universal and timeless”.
This definitive edition of Make a Change features the full original album alongside five previously unheard studio takes, all remastered by The Carvery from the original tapes. But there’s more… bonus tracks include extended studio takes and a previously unheard versions. A timeless record from a timeless act of African-American music, now reissued on vinyl, courtesy of Strut Records.
“We approached the sessions in the same way that we had approached all of our music since the early ‘70s. We played extended jams because we would always find something within those explorations. The songs had enough organic qualities to be considered R&B and enough rhythm to be Afro funk.”