Eternal Rhythm: Mighty Ryeders - Help Us Spread The Message
The Mighty Ryeders’ Help Us Spread the Message is the kind of album that, in its own quiet way, rewrites the rules of groove. Released in 1978, at a time when funk was either mutating into disco or retreating into the underground, this album exists in a rarified space: independent, organic, and effortlessly tight. The Mighty Ryeders weren’t household names, nor were they part of any major funk movement—but that’s exactly what makes this record so essential.
From the off, the album announces itself with an almost utopian sense of rhythm. “Let There Be Peace” is a perfect opener—airy, elastic, and infused with an undeniable optimism. The band’s musicianship is sharp but never rigid; the horn stabs are precise yet warm, the basslines roll rather than thump, and the vocal harmonies have the same relaxed sincerity that made Stevie Wonder’s Innervisions so powerful. It’s the sound of a band that believes in its own message and knows exactly how to communicate it.
But what really sets Help Us Spread the Message apart is its ability to balance sophistication with an earthy, street-level funk. “Evil Vibrations” is the album’s undeniable centerpiece, riding a sun-drenched groove that is so smooth it almost disguises the song’s depth. Lyrically, it’s about clearing negative energy, but musically, it’s all about movement—one of those rare tracks where every instrument breathes in unison, an impossibly tight yet effortless ride. It’s no wonder the track became immortalized through hip-hop sampling, most famously by De La Soul on Stakes Is High.
Even when the Ryeders shift gears, they never lose their sense of cohesion. The slow-burn soul of “Lovely” sounds like it could have been cut at Muscle Shoals, while “Sar Children” and “Help Us Spread the Message” take a more expansive, spiritual approach to funk. The production is crisp but unfussy, emphasizing feel over polish. And that’s the heart of this record—nothing is overthought, yet everything is exactly where it needs to be.
In the years since its release, Help Us Spread the Message has become one of those rare cult classics, endlessly rediscovered by crate-diggers and groove-seekers alike. It’s a record that reminds us that funk wasn’t just about excess or showmanship; it was about community, about belief, about the unshakable idea that a rhythm could carry something deeper. The Mighty Ryeders may not have had the name recognition of their contemporaries, but they had something just as powerful—timelessness.
Pick up a rare second pressing here