For those wondering, originally released by Pickwick Records in 1978, the first recorded Con Funk Shun album was ‘Organized Con Funk Shun’. The band’s official debut album ‘Con Funk Shun’ was released in 1976 and features the track ‘Sure Feels Good To Me’, which is also featured in an alternative mix on ‘Organized’ album.

It is the first time ‘Organized Con Funk Shun’ has been available on CD, digital download and streaming.

Prior to developing their identity as Con Funk Shun, the band worked in the early 70s as a back up group for The Soul Children a well-known R&B act, as Project Soul.

It was while Project Soul were recording these songs and looking to send demo’s to record labels a change of name was considered, and the band came up with many ideas, after a long discussion somebody complained “To many names and too much confusion” to which a response was “Not confusion Con Funk Shun” the question was then asked “What’s that?” the answer came “Con Funk Shun is organized confusion”, needless to say the name stuck.

As original sleeve note writer states ‘Organized Con Funk Shun’ is “Great Stuff!” ‘Organized Con Funk Shun’ was recorded in Memphis and produced by Ted Sturges.

If you love the sound of Con Funk Shun, this is the album you have been missing for many years. All major Con Funk Shun releases are also available on Robinsongs.

1. Time
2. Get Down With It
3. Do You Really Know What Love Is For
4. Sure Feels Good To Me
5. Love In Me
6. Seascape (Instrumental)
7. Funky Things On Your Mind

Being that this was Con Funk Shun’s first album, it set the stage for what was to come during their reign as a premier R&B group. During this time, the group was under contract to the Memphis-based Crankshaft Productions, Inc. and under the direction of Ted Sturges.

Estelle Axton (co-founder of Stax) discovered the band and signed them to her independent label Fretone Records. There they recorded their debut album in Memphis, released in 1973. That same year a collection of Memphis sessions was recorded (later released as The Memphis Sessions). These early records captured the raw, hard-driving funk of their club days to perfection.

That aside, this album covers everything from funk to R&B/soul to jazz; Love in Me offers a spirited alto sax and melodious guitar rhythms, blended smoothly with the velvet vocals of Michael Cooper and Felton Pilate. Love in Me segues into the horn exhibition of Seascape, featuring Pilate, Karl Fuller and Paul Harrell; the track is jazzy, mellow and soulful, but set in a ballad tempo.

However, the featured ballad on the album is Do You Really Know What Love Is For. Lyrically speaking, the song is a good indication that Con Funk Shun was a young group with maturity destined for success; the track is complemented by a young Felton Pilate, whose tenor nurtures the song graciously.

Official Purchase Link