South Bronx Story

Track Listings

1. You're No Good

2. Moody

3. UFO

4. It's Alright

5. Moody (Spaced Out)

6. Tiny Sticks

7. My Love for You

8. Come Away

9. Dance

10. Parking Lot Blues

11. Chistelle

12. About You

13. Erase You

14. Get Funky

15. Hold Me Right

16. I Can't Tell You What to Do

South Bronx Story

Average customer rating:

Wow!
Where's the pfunk?
essential recording
A triumph of pure innocence
Post Funk Pleasure

A South Bronx Story
ESG
Manufacturer: Universal Sound
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00004TJ4D
Release Date: 2000-05-29

Tracks:

You're No Good
Moody
UFO
It's Alright
Moody (Spaced Out)
Tiny Sticks
My Love for You
Come Away
Dance
Parking Lot Blues
Chistelle
About You
Erase You
Get Funky
Hold Me Right
I Can't Tell You What to Do

Amazon.com

The four Scroggins sisters (Renee, Deborah, Valerie, and Marie) and neighbor Tito Libran burst on to the music scene from left field in 1981 with the remarkable success of "UFO" and "Moody" off their debut 12-inch record. Thanks to the ascendance of hip-hop, the South Bronx was very much on the musical map at the time. But ESG's minimalist funk, which featured live instruments, was closer in spirit to what was coming out of the U.K. at the time--PiL, Gang of Four, and the Factory label (which released ESG's first three songs). Their approach also had kinship to New York bands Konk, Bush Tetras, and Liquid Liquid (the latter two would become their label-mates on the semi-legendary 99 Records). "Moody" entered permanent rotation at New York dance clubs such as the Paradise Garage, while "UFO" became a hip-hop building block, used as sample material for at least a dozen other records (and still counting). The appeal of the tracks lay in the taut interaction between Deborah and Valerie's bass and drums, abetted by Marie and Tito's congas as well as Renee's sparse but precise guitar and unadorned vocal style. The stripped-down nature of the sound lent itself to hip-hop producers' layering on top of it and has helped the music successfully weather the intervening decades--there's none of that "What were they thinking with that synthesizer sound?" problem that afflicts some early '80s music. The CD includes much of their 99 Records output and tracks from their self-titled 1991 release on the Pow Wow label. The 99 Records label itself went down in legal flames, and that Renee Scroggins' apparently owns the rights to the music is noteworthy in itself. But the historical significance and sheer listenability of the music make this a most welcome reissue. --Bob Bannister

Album Description

Collection of the best tracks from the late '70s funk band. 15 tracks including 'You're No Good', 'Moody', 'UFO', 'It's Alright' and 'Moody (Spaced Out)'. 2000 release. Standard jewel case housed in a slipcase.

Album Details

House/hip-hop. Once Again Re-released this 16-track Album from this Highly Influential Band from the Late 70's who Are Still Thriving Today. Esg were Immersed in Both the Ny Dance Club Scene and in the Meeting of Punk and Dance Culture.

Customer Reviews:

Wow! .......2005-12-27

So I just listened to this record and all I can say is WOW. This album is SO much fun. The best way I can compare this record to other stuff out there / music genres (because it's so different than a lot of stuff out there) is to say that ESG is doing a 60's Motown record in the time when rap and funk were emerging in America as valid and popular forms of music. That means you've got great little yelps and backing vocals from the lead vocalist's sisters a la The Supremes, while a strong bass line rocks in the background. This is DEFINITELY something to buy. Great for dancing or for just bringing the energy level up in the room. So glad I discovered them...!

Where's the pfunk?.......2005-06-02

I started collecting music in the disco era & moved into punk & new wave as a teen. I was quite into Gang of Four, New Order, PiL, Paul Haig, The Slits. I was also into the early minimalist rap (Doug E Fresh, Beastie Boys' "Cookie Puss", Strafe/Harlequin 4's "Set it off"). I also got to see The Bush Tetras in concert in my hometown (Allentown, PA). However, this group completely passed me by. Never heard them in a club, nor on college radio, until around 1990 when I heard a more current (house) version of "Moody". So it was quite a surprise, when I finally bought this, to hear how consistently good the tracks here are. My only disappointment is that they didn't record more over the years.

As others mentioned, they are analogous to the other groups that get lumped into the funk punk genre (the aforementioned artists), however they do still sound distinct from the others in the genre. The lead vocalist sounds very similar to Neneh Cherry. Hopefully they will still record with current resurgence in popularity of the early 80s genres. This release sounds very good, it sounds like it was mastered from original tapes. The liner notes give some helpful info on the group itself, however more detailed info on the individual tracks (including a track listing), like what the original releases were, would have been helpful.

essential recording.......2005-04-08

It's hard to believe that this band is only recently getting the attention they deserve. The material on this CD places the listener at the very start of current musical genres: hip hop, dance, alternative, punk funk, etc. Martin Hannet's presence as ESG's first producers make the importance of ESG in the development of such 'important' bands as New Order, Gang of Four,etc. VERY clear. If you are a DJ, either on college radio or doing parties and weddings, you will ALWAYS get a strong reaction from listeners and dancers when you slap this baby on! Plus, these sisters deserve your financial support -- they were sampled like crazy in the early days of hip hop, and so haven't received the royalties they deserve!

A triumph of pure innocence.......2004-01-27

Having caught the attention of this from reading a Pitchfork review, I though about checking this out on amazon.com for some time, given that it is the only ESG remaining available.

Though I have always been repelled by punk's thuggishness, "A South Bronx Story" was the fruit not of thuggishness, but of pure childlike innocence that I had never heard before. The rhythms were indeed rather uncalculated but never noisy, and the vocals of Renee and her sisters possessed a beauty that can only come out of simplicity, as well as a romantic feeling that was could seemingly see both sides ("up, high, down low" being typical) rather than being sentimental.

The songs themselves are distinctly minimalist, chiefly relying on basslines and percussion, but the occasional guitar line is most distinctive because it is so untrained, notably on the famous "UFO", which really does need to be heard in its proper setting rather than as a sample. The dramatic, if not fiery, "Moody" is bound to give any listener an upbeat feeling with its almost real-life description of a girl looking for a lover: Renee never feels guilty of what she wants to say, she just says it. The same feeling permeates all of the first ten songs on the record, with the other highlight being the distinctive beat/minibeat rhythm of "Tiny Sticks" that yet again shows the way thuggishness is so opposed to expression. "My Love For You" might be purely a dance number, but never has something this accessible sound so charming, yet the voices of the Scroggins sisters seem able to bounce back and forward effortlessly and without strain. Even on more conventional numbers in the latter half of the record, like the funk-rock "Erase You" and "Get Funky," ESG failed to lose their trademark na?vete.

Like later trip-hop groups, ESG showed how beautiful simple rhythms can be for listening pleasure. This was not really something to dance to; it was music that shows the beauty of innocent simplicity. The pictures of the Scroggins sisters on the back cover are really charming and should be seen.

Post Funk Pleasure.......2003-11-04

I think this minimalistic dance music fits into an early-eighties genre that is distinct from post punk and new wave. I call it "post funk" and I'd also include, among others, Bush Tetras, Liquid Liquid, Quando Quango, and Factory-era A Certain Ratio in this category.

Post funk consists of funky melodic bass lines, spare vocals, and African or Latin percussion usually filtered through digital delay equipment for an atmospheric slightly creepy feel. Unlike the funk music of the seventies, the guitar sound is thin and it's kept in the background.

Even though post funk music had its heyday in the New York City of twenty years ago, it is still heavily sampled by hip-hop artists. "UFO," an ESG track produced by the infamous Martin Hannett, remains an especially popular choice.

Tracks:

Bam Bam Jam
Erase You (Puppy To Your Side)
In The Streets
Dance To The Beat Of Moody
There Was A Time
You're No Good (Alternate Version)
I Wanna Dance
Moody (A New Bood)
Standing In Line
Earn It
Like This
Six Pack (Original Version)

Album Description

Nearly 25 years after their debut, this NY quartet were a major influence on Post-Punk, Rap, No Wave and House music. Following up from the amazing South Bronx Story, this collection features rare recordings that are just as good as anything the Scroggins sisters released during their heyday. 12 tracks including 'Bam Bam Jam', 'Six Pack' (Original Version), 'I Wanna Dance' and more. Souljazz. 2007.

Album Details

South Bronx Story Two Gathers Together Rarities from the Group's 25 Year Career (And Still Going Strong!). Featuring Alternate Mixes of Classic Tracks Such as "You're No Good", Alongside the Legendary New York Cut-up Mix of "Moody" and "The Beat"(Dance to the Beat of Moody), as Well as Super-rare Tracks, Out of Print for Over Twenty Years Make this Album Essential for Any Esg Fan.