Night Owls Return with "Gossip" 7-inch Featuring Malik "The Freq" Moore, Elgin Park, Alex Désert & Jesse Wagner (F-Spot Records)
Los Angeles super-group/production team, Night Owls have returned with yet another pipin' hot slice of Reggae-infused Soul/Funk on wax, "Gossip" B/W "What'cha See Is What'cha Get." Just a quick refresher: Night Owls' core line-up consists of Dan Ubick (The Lions, Connie Price & The Keystones) on guitar, Blake Colie (Seu Jorge, The Lions) on drum kit, Dave "Wilder Style" Wilder (The Lions) on bass, and Roger Rivas (The Aggrolites, Jason Mraz) on organ and piano. Frequent The Witzard readers and vinyl enthusiasts alike may recall Night Owls from their previous two 7-inches, "There's A Break In The Road" B/W "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)" with Afrodyete and Terin Ector, respectively, or Durand Jones-assisted "This Christmas," both issued last year on LA-based F-Spot Records. Now, Dan Ubick, Blake Colie Dave Wilder & Roger Rivas have returned, again, joining forces with F-Spot Records for third consecutive 7-inch/digital single together as Night Owls. Side A features a slightly updated rendition of Cyril "C-Sharp" Neville's Leo Nocentelli-penned and produced 1969 Josie/Rhino Records classic, "Gossip."
In addition to Dan, Blake, Dave & Roger, "Gossip" boasts contributions from Malik "The Freq" Moore (The Lions) on lead vocals and Elgin Park (Greyboy Allstars) supplying the infamous coral sitar part, in homage homage to the original, but with a true Night Owls Jamaican twist. Across Side B, we find a more mid-tempo jam, an impassioned cover of The Dramatics' 1971 45, "What'cha See Is What'cha Get" featuring the vocal cocktail of Alex Désert (The Lions, Hepcat,) Jesse Wagner (The Aggrolites,) and Malik Moore on back-up. Malik "The Freq" Moore & Alex Désert are, of course, Dan Ubick & Dave Wilder's bandmates from The Lions and Jesse Wagner is part of The Aggrolites along with Roger Rivas. Overall, this 45 showcases an all-star blend of Southern California's finest musicians, who elevate and update these Soul/Funk classics to a whole 'nother level. F-Spot Records boasts these tunes "are a must-have and sure to get the dance floor (or living room) going strong!" Both Sides A-B were produced by Dan Ubick & Night Owls for DanUbe Productions recorded and mixed "to perfection" at The Lion's Den in Topanga, California by Ubick himself. Night Owls' "Gossip" B/W "What'cha See Is What'cha Get" single is now available on 7-inch, as well as digitally, via F-Spot Records.