Liquid Liquid

by Steve Huey
 
The minimalistic funk of New Yorks Liquid Liquid consisted almost entirely of percussion grooves with a smattering of bass, plus congas, marimba, and the occasional vocal thrown in. The quartet consisted of Scott Hartley (drums, percussion, talking drum), Richard McGuire (bass, percussion, piano, guitar), Salvatore Principato (percussion, vocals), and Dennis Young (percussion, marimba, roto toms). The band released three EPs during its existence — 1981s Liquid Liquid and Successive Reflexes, and 1983s Optimo. The latter contained the track Cavern, which became the basis for Grandmaster Flashs White Lines (Dont Do It). In 1997, Grand Royal Records released a collection of those three EPs, plus a 1982 performance, Live from Berkley Square.