Sunday, July 27, 2014

Some Sunday Soul...


1984 saw the first chart foray in the UK for Cecil and Linda Womack, with the sublime "Love Wars". Totally out of sync with what was passing for "soul" music at the time, "Love Wars" was a welcome blast from the past, seeming to come from the golden era of early 70's soul, rather than the vapid, synth led soul that was in the charts in '84. Looking back it would be hard for the brother of soul legend, Bobby Womack, and the daughter of Sam Cooke not to make great music together. Before I played this last night I had forgotten how good this track is, especially the full 12" version that awaits your listening pleasure today.

Hope you enjoy...

Love Wars

Friday, July 25, 2014

Disco Friday...


Disco Friday was always destined to have a track from the "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack so today is the turn of the Trammps with the disco classic "Disco Inferno". Inspired by a scene in the '74 movie, The Towering Inferno, where a discotheque goes up in flames, "Disco Inferno" was originally released in '76 and topped the US disco chart in '77 for 6 weeks. But it wasn't until its inclusion on the soundtrack album that it really took off in all it's 10 minute plus glory. A great vocal group, with the added bonus of the celebratory vocals of Jimmy Ellis their music has stood the test of time pretty well and is still guaranteed to fill any self respecting dance floor today.

Disco Inferno (Full Version)

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Some Sunday Soul...


Hard to believe it is almost four years since the passing of one of the great soul vocalists, Mr Solomon Burke. Often referred to as "King Solomon" he possessed one of the most recognisable and warm soul voices of all. He was marketed in '62 by Atlantic Records as the first "soul singer" but was soon surpassed in the public eye by label mates such as Aretha and Otis, although Jerry Wexler always considered Solomon to be the best of all them. Looking at his biog it is hard to believe he had the time to record for over forty years as he had 21 children and more than 80 grandchildren !!

Unbelievably he never had a Top 20 hit but will always be remembered for the lasting contribution he made to soul music. There is so much more to this great singer than "Everybody Needs Somebody". Towards the end of his career he recorded an album of tracks written by the likes of Elvis Costello, Bob Dylan, Nick Lowe and Tom Waits that is up there with the latter albums by the late, great Johnny Cash.

Don't Give Up On Me

Friday, July 18, 2014

Disco Friday...


Not really sure if today's tune would be classified by everyone as a "disco" song or not. But, what is sure is that if this doesn't get your disco feet dancing then you should check whether you are still breathing. 1984 saw Jocelyn Brown hit the UK Top 20 for the only time in her career, as a solo performer, with the dance classic "Somebody Else's Guy" although she did have UK hits as a vocalist for the likes of Todd Terry, Incognito and Right Said Fred !! A quick trawl on the net also revealed that she has sang backing vocals for the likes of John Lennon, Roberta Flack, Janis Joplin and Chic. That's a pretty impressive musical C.V. to have by anyone's standards. Great voice, great song from one talented disco diva.

Somebody Else's Guy

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Some Welsh Punk...


Released back in '87 on the Recordiau Anhrefn label, "Mindless Slaughter" was a compilation album for Artists For Animals. Basically a bunch of like minded artists who were trying to highlight the cruelty inflicted upon animals that were used in testing for commercial, educational or scientific research purposes. The album contained tracks from the likes of Conflict, The Three Johns, Chumbawamba and Peel faves, Yr Anhrefn. As I used to man the anti vivisection stall in Glasgow, as an impressionable teen, I duly purchased a copy of said album on glorious vinyl when it came out and still have it to this day.

Initially Yr Anhrefn only sang in their native Welsh tongue and, although they recorded three Peel sessions and appeared on The Tube, they were largely ignored by the music press and public alike. Unsurprisingly, I cannot speak any Welsh but I have have always enjoyed listening to their Peel sessions (and trying to work out what they are singing about) and feel the time might just be right for a Welsh punk revival....

Cornel

Sunday, July 13, 2014

Tommy Ramone RIP...



Hard to believe that at only 65 years old the last of Da Brudders is gone.

Rest easy Tommy.

53rd & 3rd

Some Sunday Soul...



Starting off her career in the Chicago clubs in the 1940's, as "Little Miss Sharecropper", it wasn't until the mid 1950's that Lavern Baker became better known after signing to Atlantic Records and releasing the likes of "Tweedle Dee".

In the mid 1960's she switched labels to Brunswick but by then her fifteen minutes of fame were largely over. Shame as she was an extremely versatile singer with a big voice but, as with so many other great vocalists of that era, she has largely been forgotten about in the sands of time.

I'm The One To Do It

Friday, July 11, 2014

Disco Friday...


This week's disco tune comes from British based band, Heatwave, and was also famously sampled in '87 by Public Enemy on "Sophisticated Bitch". Fusing elements of funk through their sound allowed Heatwave to stand out from the crowd when disco was at its height, and aligned with their constant touring they developed a tight, funky sound that saw them sitting pretty in both the UK and US charts, until they seemingly imploded in '78 with Rod Temperton quitting the band, although he did continue penning most of their songs. They did continue recording for a few years afterwards but never quite matched the heights of "Boogie Nights" and the incredibly danceable "The Groove Line"

Hope you enjoy...and have a wee boogie whilst enjoying...

The Groove Line

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Johnny, You're Too Bad...


An absolutely glorious day here in Lanarkshire calls for some glorious summer sounds. From reggae's glory days in the early 70's came forth the joy that is "Johnny Too Bad". Apart from their contribution to "The Harder They Come" info on The Slickers is pretty hard to come by, with even the writers and performers on "Johnny Too Bad" in dispute, with some sources crediting Delroy Wilson and others crediting his brother Trevor. What is not in dispute is that whoever wrote the song created one of the finest reggae tunes of all time, that is just perfect for today's gorgeous weather in the West Of Scotland.

Johnny Too Bad

Sunday, July 6, 2014

Some Sunday Soul...


Some Sunday Soul today from Chicago vocal group, The Chi-Lites, featuring the exquisite vocals of Eugene Record.

Originally called the The Hi-Lites, then Marshall and the Chi-Lites and finally opting for simply The Chi-Lites after the departure of Marshall Thompson, they racked up many hits in the early 70's, most famously "Oh Girl". If you ever want an example of perfect vocal harmonies look no further than "Oh Girl". You could just melt into those harmonies...smooth as a smooth thing can be...

On their early singles the influence of one and only Smokey Robinson shone heavily through their music, but they quickly developed their own sound based around the writing and production of the vastly underappreciated Eugene Record, who gave the band songs that distinguished them from the other silky, smooth vocal groups of the time, ranging from chart topping ballads to funky little numbers that spoke out about the social injustice and race relations that were so prevalent in the States at the time, just like the wonderful track below...

Give More Power To The People

Friday, July 4, 2014

D.I.S.C.O.


The disco is starting slightly later this week due to the DJ losing his sequined shirt earlier, but with no further ado it's time to start the tunes off tonight with a disco classic from 1975 from the one and only Donna Summer. Recorded on her back on the studio floor with the lights out, apparently in order to achieve that famous vocal, it was hardly surprising that the Beeb, in their usual "saving the nation from filth" manner banned "Love To Love You Baby", which according to Time magazine had Summer simulating 22 orgasms throughout the song. I've often wondered which poor sod at Time magazine drew the short straw and had to count them.

One of the most iconic songs of all time "Love To Love You Baby" just gets better and better as it slowly unfolds its swirling beauty over almost seventeen minutes of disco magic...

Love to Love You Baby

Thursday, July 3, 2014

Back In '88


Pioneers of fusing jazz and hip hop...
First hip hop band to use a house producer...
Responsible for one of the finest hip hip albums of all time...

Why, of course , it's The Jungle Brothers and their 1988 debut, Straight Out The Jungle. Twenty six years ago this month saw the release of one of hip hop's defining albums. Although not a huge commercial success it's innovative mix of house, jazz, funk and and a strong Afrocentric slant laid down a blueprint for what was to follow over the next few years with the likes of  De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest and Queen Latifah. Probably best known for the Todd Terry produced "I'll House You" the album has sort of been overlooked in amongst the wealth of great hip hop releases at that time, but still sounds as fresh and exciting as it did back in 1988.

Because I Got It Like That