Burton Inc. - L.A. Will Make You Pay $$$ (2013)

In the '70s radio stations were a powerful force across the whole of the U.S., and anyone with a transistor radio had access to all kinds of music. Live music was another matter altogether, and unless you found yourself in a major city, your nights out were limited to what the local talent had to offer. This was especially so with soul and funk acts, as mainstream rock and pop was where the money was. So for a small time, for Oklahoma soul bands such as husband and wife Charles and Barbara Burton's groups Messengers Inc -- and later Burton Inc -- times were tough. However, like many purveyors of soul, tough times were no match for those with determination, persistence and a story to tell. Many artists scraped enough money together to make a 45 or two on their own label; but the Burtons took this to another level -- they got themselves organized and released their own full-length LPs. With these two albums, Jazzman tells the story of the Burtons and their contribution to 1970s Midwest funk and soul. Their dreams and desires, struggles and setbacks are all set out in the 16-page extensive liner notes, complete with previously-unseen photos of the bands. But above all, here are two albums chock-full of good music -- the second reissue is L.A. Will Make You Pay $$$ from 1976 with soulful disco and boogie, including the rare title-track dancefloor favorite "L.A. Will Make You Pay $$$." All tracks fully licensed and digitally restored from the original master tapes.