ZAPP 1st LP 'More Bounce' TEST PRESSING Funk Boogie Roger Troutman Bootsy funky

$

70

Zapp - the classic first album

Original USA 1980 Test Pressing of Warner Bros #BSK 3463, used as an Advance Promo and been in the personal collection of a music business executive since then.   He never played most of these records.  In the case of this record it looks like it was played once or twice at most.  The viny looks perfect.  Labels have very minor 'foxing' (small brown age spots) on one side only - see last pic (I don't know if they'll be visible, but they're barely visible in person anyway).  Cover is generic diecut cover with Info sheet (the original photocopied sheet) taped to the front.   Info sheet has one tear at bottom.

Very desirable record for the collector, in 'firstest of first pressing' form... and best sounding pressing possible (first press off the stampers)... and perfect vinyl!

AMG Bio:
One of the most underrated funk groups of the 1980s, Zapprevolutionized the computer pop of electro with their trademark vocoder talk boxes and bumping grooves, emulating the earthier side of Prince and Cameo, with a leader in Roger Troutman who was more than efficient at polished production. The family group, with brothers Roger, Lester, Larry, and Tony Troutman, grew up in Hamilton, OH, influenced by hometown heroes the Ohio Players as well as Parliament and other funk groups. Tony was the first to begin recording, with an obscure single for Gram-O-Phon Records, "I Truly Love You," which scraped the R&B charts in 1976. Joined by his brothers (with Roger on vocals and guitar, Lester on drums, Larry on percussion, and himself contributing bass) and christened Zapp, the group played around the Midwest and gradually picked up backing vocalists (Bobby Glover, Jannetta Boyce), keyboard players (Greg Jackson, Sherman Fleetwood) and a horn section (Eddie Barber,Jerome Derrickson, Mike Warren). 

Zapp's following quickly gained notices, and Bootsy Collins himself was hired on to work with the group on their debut album. Released in 1980, Zapp hit the Top 20 on the pop charts, thanks to the single "More Bounce to the Ounce." The following year, Roger worked onFunkadelic's The Electric Spanking of War Babies and released his solo debut album, The Many Facets of Roger. His special cover of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," complete with vocoderized talk box, pushed the album into gold territory (as Zapp had done). Zapp II appeared in 1982 and proved just as popular as the group's first, including Zapp's only number one R&B single, "Dance Floor." 

AMG Review:
Released in 1980 just as George Clinton's P-funk empire had reached the brink of its existence, Bootsy protégé Roger Troutman proved himself a worthy successor with Zapp's self-titled debut album and its subsequent two follow-ups. In actuality, Zapp originally was a branch of the Parliament/Funkadelic collective, as group leader Roger Troutman was originally signed to Clinton's short-lived CBS subsidiary, Uncle Jam Records. After Troutmancompleted the album with CBS' money, Clinton's help, and Bootsy's production, Warner Bros. stepped in, offered Roger a considerable sum of money, and slyly bought the album -- leaving a distressed Clinton with no Zapp album for his shaky boutique label. Propelled by the dancefloor smash "More Bounce to the Ounce," the album quickly became a considerable hit. It was here that Troutman first defined the vocoder-laden funk aesthetic that would become his trademark for the remainder of his career. In addition to the near ten-minute "More Bounce," the album also featured "Be Alright," another epic jam that slowed down the funk to a smoked-out, almost ballad-like tempo (both songs would later fuel numerous early-'90s West Coast rap hits via sampling). Of the remaining four songs, "Funky Bounce" and "Brand New Player" also stand as perennial standouts, further affirming Troutman's dense funk aesthetic. Later Zapp albums would have their moments, but this debut is absolutely solid from beginning to end, in addition to being the foundation from whichTroutman would base all later work, and with "More Bounce to the Ounce" and "Be Alright," it houses two of the best moments in '80s funk.   

All records are original USA pressings - not recent reissues - unless noted.  Check out our Grading / Condition info.  NM (Near Mint) is usually my highest grade.  Labels are NM unless noted; and item has no writing, stamps, stickers, drillholes, or other noteworthy defects unless specifically noted or shown in photos otherwise. 

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