Lee Fields And Sugarman 3 - You Don't Know What You Mean

Year Released: 2000
Genre: Soul / Funk / Deep Groove

Description:
“You Don’t Know What You Mean” pairs powerhouse vocalist Lee Fields with Sugarman 3, the instrumental soul-funk outfit led by Neal Sugarman (later co-founder of Daptone Records). Released on Desco Records, the track is a quintessential example of the late-’90s deep funk revival sound that brought analog authenticity back to contemporary soul music.

Driven by raw drums, vintage horns, and a gritty Hammond organ groove, Fields delivers a heartfelt and urgent vocal performance steeped in the emotional intensity of late-’60s deep soul. The production is lo-fi yet full-bodied — an aesthetic choice that mirrors the sonic character of forgotten funk 45s.

The record has been a staple in funk DJ sets and rare groove circles. The Desco/Daptone production ethos it represents — organic instrumentation, no quantization, and all live takes — would later influence artists and producers in both the neo-soul and modern funk movements, from Mark Ronson to The Dap-Kings’ work on Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black (2006).