Hank Ballard And The Midnight Lighters - From The Love Side / Finger Poppin' Time

Year Released: 1972
Genre: Funk / Soul

Description:

Released on People Records in 1972 — the same James Brown–helmed label that launched The J.B.’s — “From the Love Side” showcases Hank Ballard’s seamless evolution into the raw funk sound of the early ’70s. Produced by Brown himself, the track is a slow-burning, horn-heavy jam laced with wah-wah guitar, thick bass, and Ballard’s gravelly vocal preaching love and redemption with streetwise conviction.

The B-side revisits Ballard’s 1960 hit “Finger Poppin’ Time,” reimagined with a funkier, dirtier edge: choppy guitar, tougher drum breaks, and an unmistakable People Records groove. The result is both nostalgic and forward-looking — a veteran R&B shouter now fully embedded in the funk era.

“From the Love Side” would later gain cult status among funk collectors and DJs for its heavy groove and signature James Brown production sheen — a deep cut that bridges the late soul period and early proto-disco funk.