Goin' Out by Grand Slam

We are excited to announce the release of an intense and previously undiscovered funk rap / boogie single on our label, featuring two tracks recorded in 1986.

While researching for his book on 80s funk music in Germany, DJ Scientist explored bands from Bavaria that collaborated with GIs. One of these bands is Grand Slam, a group that remains active to this day. The band’s leader, Toby Mayerl, lived near a US Army base in Amberg, where he fell in love with funk after hearing Roger Troutman and Zapp. He soon became part of two groups: Total Control and Grand Slam.

Originally led by guitarist Harry Zawrel, Grand Slam had a “European” funk sound similar to Talking Heads or Level 42. However, in 1985, Mayerl took over the band and merged it with Total Control, a mixed group that included African-American soldiers. From that point on, they shifted towards a heavier funk and soul sound, continuing to work with musicians from the GI community. By late 1986, they had enough material to record their debut album, Make My Day. Although published by the independent label Kerston, the album was only available on cassette, primarily sold at their concerts in early 1987.

DJ Scientist managed to track down an original copy of this ultra-rare tape in the MUZ archive in Nuremberg. "What I heard blew my mind," he said. "The cassette featured seven raw, well-produced funk and soul jams with fantastic arrangements and vocals." As an old-school funk and disco rap collector, he was immediately captivated by the track "Goin' Out," which features GI rapper Calvin E. Flagg. This song evokes the energy of early recorded rap singles from labels like Enjoy or Sugar Hill Records.

By 1986, the "new school" era of hip-hop was in full swing with artists like Eric B. & Rakim, and electro rap had been dominating the scene since Bambaataa’s ‘Planet Rock’ in 1982. So, had ‘Goin' Out’ been released in the U.S. at that time, it might have sounded a bit outdated. But Grand Slam was never about following trends; they have always remained true to their funk and soul roots.

On Side B, the second track from the unheard debut album, ‘Don’t Let You Down,’ offers another glimpse of what we've been missing. This uptempo boogie-funk track features lead vocals by Aletha Mcbryde, Calvin E. Flagg, and Oliver Allwardt, along with thrilling synths and a lively brass section - perfect for turning up the volume.

Both tracks have been remastered from the original master tapes, which Toby Mayerl fortunately still had in his archive. For the first time, these surefire party starters can now be heard in pristine audio quality. The artwork for the release is inspired by original band posters, with the Grand Slam logo taking cues from Bootsy's Rubber Band’s Body Slam! cover from 1982. This limited vinyl pressing is capped at just 350 copies. Here’s hoping the full album will see the light of day sooner or later as well - it promises a fantastic mix of 70s-style soul jams, boogie, and funk.

The Outer Edge is an independent record label from Berlin, Germany. Focused on rare and lost recordings, unissued songs from master tapes or music that never received the attention it deserved.