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Showing posts from April, 2013

Groovy, Sexy & Soulful Part 23 Couch Edition

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The Spinners Part 23 of Groovy, Sexy & Soulful ! A couple of soulful songs that sound perfect just before bedtime: the grooves will keep you awake, while you sit on your couch and relax... It starts with the groovy bass from Groove Theory, followed by a great Billy Ocean cover from Sy Smith & Rashaan Patterson. I like the vintage 80s sound of Footprintz. Their album 'Escape yourself' is out now. ' Frozen dove ' is an exclusive track that is not on the album. The song from soul band The (Detroit) Spinners (picture) is another tribute to singer Bobby Smith, who died last month. Picture below from Corrin Green . Enjoy! Tracklist: Groove Theory – Tell Me (1995) Sy Smith featuring Rahsaan Patterson – Nights (Feel Like Getting Down) (2012) Angie Stone – Backup Plan (2012) Aaliyah – Miss You (2005) Brownstone – Grapevyne (1994) Chanté Moore – Love’s Taken Over [Quiet Storm Mix] (1992) SWV – Right Here (1992) Yvette Michelle – I’m Not Feeling You (

Funky Chillin’ On A Sunny Afternoon (Preview Of Summer)

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It is very sad that pianist/singer/writer Don Blackman died last week. I remember hearing 'Holding you, loving you' for the first time (on 'Another late night' from Zero 7) and I couldn't believe that the guy who made that beautiful song released only one album... Blackman was born in Queens, NY, grew up surrounded by jazz influences; a cousin was McCoy Tyner's friend and saxophonist Charles McPherson (a Charlie Parker disciple) was Blackman's neighbour. Blackman played with McPherson's group in 1968 alongside Sam Jones and Louis Hayes when he was 15 years old. He switched to electric piano and toured with Parliament/Funkadelic in the early 1970s. He later became an original member of Lenny White's Twennynine (‘Peanut Butter’), a key piece in Jamaica Queens' 1970s' jazz-funk explosion. A deal with GRP/Arista birthed the solo album ‘Don Blackman’, including 'Heart's desire', in 1982. It was a wonderful collection of songs that c

Caught The Funk In A Synthesizer

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Look at all these rumours (to quote Timex Social Club) that have been circulating on the internet that Montreal duo Footprintz have gone their separate ways. If these are to be believed (and they certainly seem to be true), their debut album ‘Escape yourself’ could also be their swansong. If it is, then it's a fine way to go out. Assisted on production duties by the ever-reliable Ewan Pearson, the Canadian pair has delivered a tactile, touchy-feely collection of dream-pop (think Holy Ghost or Benoit & Sergio combined with eighties shoegaze). Woozy, warm and inviting, it should appeal to those who enjoy the early electro sound of bands like The Human League , Soft Cell and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. The latter, Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys, released a nice new album as well, called ‘ Metroland ’). There will be a new double album from Miss Kittin, ' Calling from the stars ', on April 22. She's mostly known for her work with Felix da Housecat. Enjoy th

Funking Up The Dance Floor

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A funky disco mix to spice up the dance floor! The track from Mayer Hawthorne is brand new. He sounds a little bit like Hall & Oates in their heyday (there's a nice quote about Hall & Oates in the movie ' The place beyond the pines '). You can download 'Designer drug' for free on Soundcloud . I selected the funk classic 'Got to give it up' from Marvin Gaye, which is used by Robin Thicke for his latest single ' Blurred lines '. Talking about funk, I quote a few words about it from Allmusic.com : The roots of funk lay in James Brown's post-1965 soul hits, particularly "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" (1965) and "Cold Sweat" (1967). Sly & the Family Stone, who started out as a soul band influenced by rock and psychedelia, became a full-fledged (albeit pop-savvy) funk outfit with 1969's Stand!. However, the record that officially ushered in the funk era was James Brown's epochal "Get Up (I Feel Like Be