The Checkmates LTD.
Band members Related acts
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line up x (1974) - Sonny Charles (aka Charles Hemphill) -- lead vocals, keyboards, percussion - Lou Gonzales -- trumpet - Mario Panvini -- bass - Paul Maturkanic -- guitar - Clint Mosley -- bass - Joe Romano (RIP 2008) -- trumpet, trombone, keyboards, vocals - Marvin "Sweet Louie" Smith (RIP 2007) -- drums, percussion, vocals - Chip Steen -- percussion - Bobby Stevens -- lead vocals - Regina Warfield -- vocals - Gene Wing -- trumpet
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- Chops (Joe Romano) - Justice V (Harvey Tree) - Steve Miller Band (Sonny Charles) - Joe Romano (solo efforts) - Bobby Stevens (solo efforts)
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Genre: funk Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: F/S/O Company: Rustic Catalog: RR
2004 Country/State: Fort Wayne, Indiana Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: original inner sleeve Available: 1 Catalog ID: -- Price: $20.00
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Released on their own Rustic label, 1974's "F/S/O" marked a reunion for singers Sonny Charles and Bobby and Marvin Smith. Following their late-'60s split, separately Charles and the Smiths had been reduced to performing at California and Nevada clubs and casinos. In 1974 the trio decided on a reunion. Recruiting a new backing band they start touring which brought an opportunity to work in a film.. The Checkmates LTD. had previously appeared in Gason Kanin's 1969 Where It's At and they were in the lookout for another film opportunity. A concert in Las Vegas brought them into contact with Harry H. Novak who had written a blaxploitation film script and was interested in hiring the band to provide the music. They agreed to provide music on the condition they be given roles in the film. That role expanded with Charles being allowed to contribute to script updates. The movie was filmed over a couple of weeks with Charles being given the raw film as a basis for writing music. He somehow managed to come up with new material over a weekend.
Recorded
on the fly, the resulting "F/S/O" (the title an
acronym for "furnishing the services of" serving as The Checkmates
LTD.'s fifth album. While the connection wasn't very clear, produced
and arranged by Charles, the album served as the soundtrack for the Michael
Finn produced blaxpotation film The Black Connection. The film
featured the entire eleven piece band
Using his real name (Charles Hemphill), Charles was responsible for writing, or co-writing all ten of the selections. Handling most of the lead vocals, Bobby Stevens was quite impressive; able to handle hard fund and the more MOR-ish ballads. The Lou Gonzales, Joe Romano and Gene Wing horn section was tight, but not overwhelming. Lead guitarist was a standout throughout. As far as soundtrack albums went this one wasn't bad with most of the ten track reflecting true songs, rather than your normal throwaway soundtrack atmospherics. Compared to their earlier releases the album featured a far funkier sound. Tracks like "(Ain't A) Goddamned Thang Going On", "Might Get Betta", "Sexy Ways" and the stunning "Run Nigger Run" all but abandoned their earlier soul and pop moves in favor of hard core funk which recalled material from the likes of mid-'70s Isley Brothers, Larry Graham, or Sly & the Family Stones. The ballads "I Must Be Dreaming" and "Pretty Balloons" were more in keeping with their earlier catalog. Pleasant, but forgettable compared to those heavy funk tunes! It may not have been the perfect soundtrack album, but it was enjoyable and when you recognize the pressures and compressed timeframe it was recorded under, those results are even more impressive.
In case anyone was interested, he liner notes featured brief "interviews" with Charles, Smith and Stevens - each bemoaning the way their unnamed former recording companies had screwed them of royalties (in case you were curious, those prior labels were the small California-based Ikon, Capitol and A&M).
"F/S/O" track listing: 1.) Louie The Piper (Charles Hemphill - Marvin Smith) - 6:11 rating: **** stars Awesome stomper !!! One of the album standouts. 2.) (Ain't A) Goddamned Thang Going On (Charles Hemphill) - 4:31 rating: **** stars Imagine the Blood, Sweat & Tears horn section having learned to be funky ... Powered by a Larry Graham styled bass line and Charles growling voice (Regina Warfield on backing vocals), "(Ain't A) Goddamned Thang Going On" was nice slice of funky, but the title and druggy lyrics were guaranteed to ensure radio never got close to it. LOL 3.) I Must Be Dreaming (Charles Hemphill) - 6:55 rating: **** stars Bobby Sherman's smooth soul voice gave the ballad "I Must Be Dreaming" a textbook '70s feel. The tracks always reminded me of something off an early War album. 4.) Street Of Dreams (Charles Hemphill) - 1:44 rating: *** stars Powered by some rollicking horns "Street of Dreams" was a likeable funk tune, though far too shorts. If you watch the above YouTube clip you'll see where the tune fit nicely into the film soundtrack.
(side
2) The album's most conventional track, the ballad "Pretty Balloons" came off as sounding sorta "lounge act". The track was pretty enough, but sounded out of place on the collection. 2.) Sexy Ways (Charles Hemphill) - 5:22 rating: **** stars Powered by Charles growling vocals and Maturkanic's fuzz guitar, "Sexy Ways" was another slice of deep funk. The tracks always reminded me off a slice of mid-'70s Isley Brothers with Paul Maturkanic's fuzz guitar recalling Ernie Isley. Admittedly you could only repeat the title track so many times before it started to get boring. Luckily the 45 featured an edited version of the track.
- 1974's "Sexy Ways" b/w "Run Nigger Run" (Rustic catalog number RR-502 A/B)
3.) Might Get Betta (Charles Hemphill - Robert Stevens) - 2:14 rating: **** stars Deep funk tune ... Hysterical lyrics. The song was also tapped as the "B" side on their "Got To See "U" Soon" single. 4.) Coming Down (instrumental) (Charles Hemphill) - 1:50 rating: ** stars I've never seen the film so I'm not sure what role the instrumental "Street Of Dreams" had in the plotline. Regardless, it served as a brief showcase for Paul Maturkanic jazzy guitar and Charles's squeaky synthesizers. 5.) Run Nigger Run (Charles Hemphill) - 6:45 rating: **** stars The title was certainly non-PC and will undoubtedly offend many folks. About all I can say is that it's hard to imagine a band recording this today ... As for the song itself, I guess vinyl heads would call it a "banger". Reflecting a mixture of Charles burping '70s synthesizers, Chip Steen's Latin percussion, Paul Maturkanic's blazing lead guitar solo, a pumping horn section and some awesome lead vocals, this one was pretty wild. Had they been more sensitive to the song title, this could have been a massive hit. The track also appeared as the "B" side to their 'Got To See "U" Soon" single. 6.) Got To See "U" Soon (Charles Hemphill) - 3:46 rating: **** stars One of the album's more commercial offerings, the closer "Got To See "U" Soon" blended Latin percussion with a slinky groove and likeable group chants. It was another track that reminded me of early War. Easy to see why Rustic tapped it as the leadoff 45:
- 1974's "Got To See "U" Soon" b/w "Might Get Better" (Rustic catalog number RR-501 A/B)
© Scott R. Blackerby May 2025
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with Charles, Bobby Smith and Marvin Smith all appearing in the film.
Charles was featured as the bruiser, Sonny was featured as the drug dealer
and pimp (great role), while Marvin was a chauffeur driver. (I've never
seen the movie, but the plotline had something to do with a Las Vegas drug
dealer who gets in trouble with the mob over missing cocaine.)
YouTube has a brief clip that will give you a taste for the film.
Yeah, I'd cruise around in a Rolls Royce if I was looking to be discrete: 
