Mauri Bailey / The Explorers - Soul Pop / Countdown To...Soul

Year Released: 1969 (2002 Soul Fire reissue)
Genre: Funk / Soul / Breakbeat

Description:
This rare double-sider, originally released on Giant Records, is a gem of late-’60s instrumental funk. “Soul Pop” by Mauri Bailey lays down a punchy organ groove and tight drum kit foundation, blending raw R&B energy with proto-funk sophistication. “Countdown To... Soul” by The Explorers flips the mood — an urgent, cinematic break-driven instrumental built around stabbing horns, syncopated guitar, and percussive rhythm changes.

“Countdown To... Soul” has become a sought-after breakbeat cut among Hip-Hop producers and DJs, admired for its crisp, open drums and deep groove. Its rhythmic phrasing aligns it with the kind of instrumental soul used by DJ Shadow, Cut Chemist, and The Herbaliser in the 1990s sample era. Though not officially sampled on major releases, both sides circulate in the deep funk DJ scene, earning near-mythic “holy grail” status for crate-diggers.