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Showing posts from May, 2019

Smooth Sailing: Cruising & Prepartying

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Constance Jablonski Instagram We’re cruising, just like Motown legend Smokey Robinson, enjoy the preparty! " One of Robinson's best sides ever, "Cruisin'" floated to up to number four on both the R&B and pop charts in fall 1979, pushing Warm Thoughts into the R&B Top Four and the pop Top 14"  ( Allmusic.com ) The Game by Soulpersona & Princess Freesia was made in a minimal studio, which is essentially a spare room in their flat. It was recorded and composed using only headphones so as not to wake the neighbours. The album was financed by their supporters through crowdfunding where they managed to reach and exceed their target in just 28 days. Tracklist: Linx – So This Is Romance (1980) Chicago ‎– Just You 'N' Me (1973) Atlanta Rhythm Section ‎– So Into You [Rodney Justo Mix] (1979) Steve Miller Band ‎– Fly Like An Eagle [Disco Syndicate's Easy Ease Edit] (1976) Bee Gees ‎– Love You Inside Out [Gazeebo Edit] (197

Funky Chill Out Beach Vibes

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Pixabay Enjoy these funky chill out beach vibes to get in the mood for the summer! One of the tracks is Rollercoaster by British duo Everything But The Girl. It is originally from their CD Amplified Heart . This 1994 album brought the couple to mainstream audiences via the dance remix of their song Missing , which was done by house veteran Todd Terry. The single ultimately peaked at number 3 on the Dutch charts and at number 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Eventually Amplified Heart sold around 232,000 copies in the United States. It went on to sell over a million copies worldwide.  Ben Watts and Tracey Thorn are currently inactive as a duo, although they occasionally work together. Tracy Thorn released Record two years ago. Tracklist: Carol Welsman – What A Fool Believes (2007) Everything But The Girl – Rollercoaster (1994) Zeb – Brazilenco (2001) Democustico – Rejoycing (2006) [Re:Jazz] – People Hold On [Alternate Acapella Take] (2004) Pink Martini & Saori Y

Get Down With That Funky Beat

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Marvin Gaye's You're the Man was intended to be the follow-up album to his masterpiece What's Going On , but after the release of the title track as the first single, Gaye withdrew its entire release. This was in part due to the poor sales of the song, as well as the fact that Gaye's political views were different to those of Motown boss Berry Gordy. For these reasons, You're the Man was long considered a "lost" album. Last month it has finally been released to celebrate what would have been Gaye's 80th birthday on April 2. It is still a pity that it took so long. I chose to play the funky track The World Is Rated X . Enjoy this funky disco party! Tracklist: Tuxedo – The Tuxedo Way (2019) Grey & Hanks – Dancin’ (1978) Thelma Houston – Don't Know Why I Love You (1977) Teddy Pendergrass – The More I Get, The More I Want (1977) Soul Survivors – Expressway (To Your Heart) (1967) MFSB – Let’s Go Disco (1975) Archie Bell & th

Smooth Sailing: Slow Disco, Mellow Soul & Folk Funk

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Joan Smalls The opening track, Cafe Tropical from Ukraine's Vincent Inc and regular collaborator Lola Allen is an extraordinaire slow disco track, complete with laidback guitar that echoes seventies jazz-funk, easy listening-styled voices and on top of that a gloriously cheesy eighties sax line to finish it off. Who? by Odyssey is a ‘one single only’ disco project from Greek synthesizer player and movie composer Vangelis Papathanassiou ( Chariots of fire ), who is also known for his work with Aphrodite’s Child. Former singer of that band, Demis Roussos, sang this song as well a couple of years later. He called it I dig you . The guys from Odyssey make it a vulnerable disco song, but Demis did it with more self-confidence and power, which gave the song a totally different meaning. Enjoy this new sunny part of Smooth Sailing ! Tracklist: Vincent Inc & Lola Allen – Café Tropical (2019) Donna Summer – State Of Independence (1982) Alessi – Jagged Edge (1982) Ia

Too Slow To Disco Neo En France SPECIAL

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Unsplash This cloudcast is inspired by DJ Supermarkt’s new part of his Too Slow To Disco compilation series that came out last Friday. The critically acclaimed and hugely succesful series used to focus on AOR, yacht rock and West Coast pop, but En France is a collection of contemporary French lazy disco songs that refer to Daft Punk and Air, for instance. One of the tracks I selected is Lomboy’s Loverboy , which is on the album as well: “French culture has always prized the distinct, the colourful, the melodic – in everything from music to food to fashion. Their films (and their equally delectable soundtracks) have been unabashedly driven by big ideas and unforgettable melodies. Their pop music has always had Anglo-American heroes, but taken its own form, often more dandy-ish, erotic and daring… So welcome back to France – chic but not Chic, yet always ready to dance. The best music is always a patchwork of ideas, borrowed, reinterpreted and remade. A long-distance love affair be

AOR Radio: California Grooves

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Unsplash Enjoy the late seventies, early eighties sound of Californian AOR Radio ! The tracks by Thelma Houston and Judy Pollak & 33 1/3 are from a brand new Japanese compilation album, called Bitter Grooves: Mellowness Pre-AOR Styled Soul , out on P-Vine Records. Next time there will be a special about the new part of the Too Slow To Disco album series, called Neo En France . Tracklist: Thelma Houston – No Love In The Morning (1980/2017) Chicago – Street Player [Eddy’s Edit] (1979) Pablo Cruise ‎– Whatcha Gonna Do? (1977) Trombone Shorty ‎– Long Weekend (2013) Stephanie Mills ‎– Whatcha Gonna Do With My Lovin' (1979) The Commodores – Girl, I Think The World About You (1976) Judy Pollak And 33 1/3 ‎– Come With Me (1977) Work Drugs – Shadow Fall (2019) Brent Cash – I Think I'm Falling In Love (2008) Pages – Who’s Right, Who’s Wrong (1979) Ambrosia – Biggest Part Of Me (1980) Nielsen/Pearson – If You Should Sail (1980) Exile – Kiss You All O