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The Dap-Kings

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

The Dap-Kings · Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings were an American funk and soul band on Daptone Records, part of a revival of the funk and soul of the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s. Its roots lie with the Soul Providers of Gabriel Roth, also known as Bosco Mann, and Phillip Lehman, who started the label Desco Records in the 1990s. Sharon Jones, then still a prison guard, sang backing vocals and was discovered that way.

Music and breakthrough

When Roth and Lehman parted ways in 2000, Roth started Daptone Records with saxophonist Neal Sugarman. A new group emerged, the Dap-Kings, with among others Roth on bass, Sugarman on saxophone, guitarist Binky Griptite, tenor saxophonist Leon Michels and drummer Homer Steinweiss. The debut album Dap-Dippin' with Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings came out in 2002, followed by Naturally (2005) and 100 Days, 100 Nights (2007). The 2014 album Give the People What They Want was nominated for a Grammy.

Influence

The Dap-Kings are also known as Daptone's house band, above all for their collaboration with Mark Ronson, including on Back to Black by Amy Winehouse. The sound is that of analogue recordings with a tight, rhythmic horn section, in the tradition of James Brown. After the death of Sharon Jones in 2016, the album Soul of a Woman was released in 2017. The band kept playing together until 2018. Their work showed that old soul and funk can still sound alive.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Back to Black by Amy Winehouse and notice the horns and the rhythm underneath, played by the Dap-Kings. Can you hear how the recording sounds like a record from the 1960s?

Discography

Studio albums

Categories: Artists