Melvin Sparks - Spark Plug (1971)

Spark Plug is the 2^nd album by Melvin Sparks recorded for Prestige in 1971

Massive funkiness! This album ranks as one of the best from the early 70's period at Prestige, and it features a crack group of young heavy hitters like Sparks on guitar, Leon Spencer on organ, Grover Washington on tenor, and Idris Muhammad on drums – all wailing, just wailing, away on long funky tracks with solos that go waaaaay over the top! There's a full, extended brilliance here that has to be heard to be believed – an intensity of jazz funk energy that few groups or scenes in later years ever matched. Tracks include the wild "Conjunction Mars", "Spark Plug", and a funky cover of "Who's Gonna Take The Weight". © Dusty Groove, Inc.

Prestige Records, PR 10016, 1971

Recorded 1^st (#A1) & 8^th (#A2-B3) March, 1971
At Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Musicians:

Melvin Sparks - Guitar

Virgil Jones - Trumpet

Grover Washington Jr. - Tenor Saxophone

Leon Spencer Jr. - Organ (#A1)

Reggie Roberts - Organ (#A2-B3)

Idris Muhammad - Drums

Tracks:

A1. Who's Gonna Take The Weight? {Kool & The Gang} (9:22)

A2. Spark Plug {Melvin Sparks} (8:49)

B1. Conjunction Mars {Melvin Sparks} (8:12)

B2. Alone Together {Howard Dietz, Arthur Schwartz} (4:17)

B3. Dig Dis {Melvin Sparks} (6:48)

Total Time: 37:28

Credits:

Producer - Bob Porter

Engineer - Rudy van Gelder

Artwork [Cover] - Tony Lane

Liner Notes - Tom Curry

Kool & The Gang [Members]

Gene Redd, George Brown, Richard Westfield, Robert Mickens, Dennis Thomas, Woodrow Sparrow, Robert "Kool" Bell, Ronald Bell]