Eugene Blacknell

Although Oakland/East Bay guitarist Eugene Blacknell never released a full-length during his lifetime, he still got a lot of attention — both from contemporary local DJs and record collectors later on — from the many 7"s he produced, including "Gettin Down" and "We Know We Got to Live Together," which Beck sampled on "Black Tambourine" from his 2005 album Guero. The San Francisco-based label Luv N'Haight/Ubiquity included a track of his, "The Trip" (performed with his band, the New Breed), on their 2003 compilation Bay Area Funk, and in 2007 the same company, with the help of Blacknell's son Gino, who gave them access to original tapes and early rare work done by the Savonics, issued We Can't Take Life for Granted, an album that highlighted the artist's skills and ability to play in a variety of genres, including blues, R&B, and, of course, funk.