by Andrew Hamilton
Instant Funk, the nine-piece funk unit discovered by Bunny Sigler, created a stir in 1979 when Salsoul released the single &I Got My Mind Made Up (You Can Get It Girl).& Swirling, screaming horns announce the chorus; hand claps, tambourines and a maniacal rhythm guitar battle the heavy bottom; and a woman delivers erotic lines for added impact. Salsoul followed the number 20 pop and number one R&B (for three weeks) hit with &Crying,& a race horse whose relentless beat only subsides near the fade; Carmichael's vocal is passionate, almost deranged. &Never Let Me Go Away,& a rare Instant Funk ballad, was so overblown the melody got buried. Spooky voices and haunted-house sounds wallpaper &Dark Vader&'s comic-book lyrics and funky hooks. Rolling horns pump &I'll Be Doggone& (not the Marvin Gaye hit), a cooker that rolls for seven minutes. Four of the eight tracks are killers; a pretty good average for a disco/funk group.