Yes, those are the opening lyrics to Jimmy Castor’s title song, E-Man Groovin’. He was an absolute genius. I have an embarrassing number of Jimmy Castor records, but this really stands out among them and not just because of the excellent album cover. There’s a “Best Of “cd of The Jimmy Castor Bunch, but sadly it does not contain E-Man Groovin’, one of my favorite songs of all time (and technically, a dance instruction song…not many instructions required, you know what to do). The instrumentals are a slow,sleazy groove akin to something from a low budget 70’s porn film.
In high school, my best friend and I mustered up the deepest,soul-sounding voices two scrawny, soul obsessed, white girls could, put on this song as loud as the record player would allow, and proceeded to leave an outgoing message that said something like, Me: ” I’m sorry, bro, I can’t come to the phone right now, I’m too busy hanging’ out with the E-Man” Kirs: ” AAAAAAHHHHHH YEAHHHHH” ME: “OH MAN!!! EVERYTHING is beautiful to me!!!” Kirs: “AAAAHHHHHHHH YEAHHHH!!!! EVERYTHING is beautiful to the E-Man!!!!!” It’s so silly, but we thought we were so funny, and let’s face it, we really did want to be soul singers! Months later, we got a message from a guy who sounded dangerously close to Barry White. It was: “Man, I thought I had the wrong number, but now I realize I have the RIGHT number! I wanna come hang out with you guys! Where you at?! You’re crackin’ me up!!!”. We were thrilled, but he never called back and he never left his number. Oh well, at the time, my city boasted the highest murder rate per capita in the nation. Maybe we were better off? I doubt it.
Facebook
Twitter
Press
Contact
Allee Willis
Being a card-carrying Earth Wind & Fire person/songwriter, the Jimmy Castor Bunch was a little too far off the AM radio radar for me. But I always appreciated their LP covers, supremely art directed with massive doses of Kitsch. This makes me realize I must go back and give their/his music another chance.
As for the opening line of “E-Man Groovin'”, those were the type of lines I hated at the time. I took it as a sign of songwriter laziness but I covet and revere them now.
If you somehow had the presence of mind to make a cassette of that phone message please spin it again here at awmok.com.
More Jimmy Castor please!
windupkitty
hahaah! yeah, I originally got this album (I can’t for the life of , remember where!) because the cover was hilarious and the music was just, well, baffling! My father used to walk around the house chanting,”Bertha Butt, one of the BUtt sisters” all day, much to my mother’s dismay. I had no idea Jimmy Castor was so prolific. I do appreciate The Jimmy Castor Bunch more these days, but as far as song writer laziness goes: I’m just not sure how much sing writing went into some of this stuff at all!!!
A lot of his songs sound like stream of consciousness talking and singing backed by sometimes ENDLESS go-nowhere, probably not pre-written jams that could have only been weed-induced. Honestly, sometimes I feel stoned just listening to this stuff!
BUt yeah, his covers were cheesy and I’ll be submitting another one soon as well as mailing you a cd mix(you really asked for it now! You might lose your mind!). I just looked up his website and he finally put E-Man Groovin’ on itunes. I emailed by friend (from the above story) and she almost cried; it’s been a long time coming to get this digitized. I wish we still had that answering machine tape…it somehow got lost forever…. something both kirst and I deeply regret…..but who knows what will happen the next time we get together…our best stories from childhood always start with, ” this one time, when we were bored…..”
mrs_wotan
Oh, I remember that message so well, and still laugh thinking about it! I hope I have a tape recorded copy of it somewhere…I’ll check the archives…
I believe there was even more to it than you mentioned. I remember it going something like this:
Windupkitty: “Hey, you’ve reached the answering machine of (me), Ben Wallace, and James Jones!” (the latter two names completely made up with no connection to actual individuals)…
Me: “Yeah! Alright!”
Windupkitty: “We can’t pick up the phone right now cuz we’re too busy diggin’ on a mellow groove, if you know what I mean” (I still don’t), “but if you leave you’re name and number we’ll get back to you, cuz we don’t wanna loose your Supa-luv” (our pronunciation of the conecpt of ‘super love’. I think that word/concept is also a song title from that album?)…”Oh, MAN!!! EVERYTHING is beautiful to me!” (also a song title)
Me: “Everything is beautiful when we’re hangin with the E-Man!”
Windupkitty: “Ah, YEAH!!”
We may have been scrawny, soul-obsessed, and quite bored, but the memory just keeps getting more and more funny with time. Too bad we didn’t truly appreciate the profound depth of thought and artistic innovation of The Everything Man at that time. Good thing education and life experience has finally allowed us to do so!
windupkitty
OhMAn! Thank GOD you have a brain that doesn’t look like swiss cheese! Girl, I didn’t even come close to remembering this correctly! Jesus, I forgot about the Supa-love and our made up names…how could I when we were almost arrested while in drag? Of course,if I remember correctly, you weren’t James Jones then, you happened to be Fabdul that day (wish your dad still had that fez!). I miss you so much! Be my neighbor again,this living apart thing has to stop, and let’s definitely take Allee’s advice with the answering machine messages….So far, I have learned that Allee always knows what to do….it would be an egregious error to not take her advice….
Allee Willis
I love that the two of you have re-created your 70s soul excursion into answering machine messages. I think you should have a reunion and grace each other’s cell phones with similar sentiments. If you want to stray a little from the Castor Bunch I’ll let you lift some Earth Wind & Fire.
mrs. wotan, is your collection is fantastic as windupkitty’s?
mrs_wotan
Oh, no one has a collection like windupkitty. I am a humble student to the true master. But I have a few things, and most importantly, a true appreciation! Wonderful site, by the way, Allee Willis! I am having a blast exploring it :)
Allee Willis
If you know windupkitty you must have a few mind blowing possessions yourself!