{"product_id":"brother-soul-ramsey-lewis-cookies-back-in-the-ussr","title":"Brother Soul \/ Ramsey Lewis – Cookies \/ Back In The USSR","description":"\u003cp\u003eGenre: Soul \/ Funk \/ Breakbeat\u003cbr\u003eYear Released: 2017 (BAB001) \u003cbr\u003eOriginal releases: (Melvin Bliss – Synthetic Substitution 1973 \/ Sweet Daddy Floyd - I Just Can't Help Myself 1978)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDescription:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis double A-Side was the first 45 issue on the label Breaks \u0026amp; Beats, taken from Breakbeat Lou’s infamous Ultimate Breaks comps back in 86, and is a certifiable cornerstone of Hip-Hop production. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Cookies” by Brother Soul has that tough, stripped-back late-60s \/ early-70s funk energy where the rhythm section does almost all the work. The track is driven by:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003edry, upfront drums,\u003cbr\u003eclipped guitar patterns,\u003cbr\u003erepetitive bass movement,\u003cbr\u003eand a loose but disciplined pocket.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere’s very little excess arrangement. Instead, the groove cycles hypnotically, which is exactly why records like this became prized by breakbeat collectors and hip-hop DJs decades later. “Cookies” feels less like a polished studio composition and more like a functional rhythm tool — music designed to lock dancers into motion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe roughness is part of the appeal. It has the slightly gritty, room-sound quality associated with regional funk 45s that later became central to rare groove culture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn the flip side, Ramsey Lewis’s take on Back in the U.S.S.R. completely reframes the original. Instead of reproducing The Beatles version directly, Lewis turns it into sophisticated jazz-funk with electric piano textures, tighter rhythmic syncopation, and a more groove-oriented structure.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat’s fascinating is how naturally the song adapts. The original Beatles composition already had strong rhythmic momentum, but Lewis emphasizes:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erolling basslines,\u003cbr\u003eswinging drum feel,\u003cbr\u003ejazz phrasing,\u003cbr\u003eand extended instrumental interplay.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe result sits somewhere between soul jazz, jazz-funk, and post-Motown groove music. It’s less about the novelty of covering a Beatles song and more about extracting its rhythmic potential.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a 7-inch pairing, the record works beautifully because both sides are ultimately about rhythm-first reinterpretation:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrother Soul distills funk down to its raw essentials,\u003cbr\u003ewhile Ramsey Lewis transforms pop songwriting into jazz-driven groove architecture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe format itself enhances the experience. These tracks belong on 45:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eshort,\u003cbr\u003eimmediate,\u003cbr\u003epunchy,\u003cbr\u003eand designed to hit hard the moment the needle drops.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor collectors, this kind of release represents the sweet spot where soul, funk, jazz, and DJ culture intersect — records that may not have been massive mainstream hits, but became enormously valuable in dance-floor and sampling culture because of the strength of their grooves rather than their chart history.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Funkadoobian","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53777734730065,"sku":null,"price":22.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/9850\/9393\/files\/BROTHER_SOUL_cookies_f.jpg?v=1778760586","url":"https:\/\/thefunkadoobian.com\/products\/brother-soul-ramsey-lewis-cookies-back-in-the-ussr","provider":"The Funkadoobian","version":"1.0","type":"link"}