Mellow Mellow FM Radio: New Year’s West Coast Breeze

Daniel Salgado

Happy new year to all my listeners and subscribers! 

Hop in your car, tune in to Mellow Mellow FM Radio and start driving down Route 66 on this first day of 2021! Normally this kind of music would be called yacht rock, but let’s name it smooth car rock this time 😊

The track by Smokey Robinson is from the compilation 76 In The Shade, compiled by Bob Stanley, member of the band Saint Etienne. This is what he wrote about the song in his linernotes:

“Get Out Of Town was an instant picnic, the warm breeze in your hair and you escape the city in a red convertible.”

Montana-born Nicolette Larson began her musical career in San Francisco in the early 1970s. Moving south to Los Angeles to become a successful singer, she met Linda Ronstadt, who recommended her to Neil Young, when he was looking for backing vocalists. Larson got the call to head to his ranch and cut vocals for American Stars ’N’ Bars. She also sang on his next album, Comes A Time, which featured Lotta Love. That would become Larson's own signature song as included on her 1978 debut album Nicolette. It hit #1 on the easy listening/adult contemporary chart and went to #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1979. Larson was chosen Female Vocalist of 1978 by Rolling Stone. The magazine wrote that no one else could have had so much fun on an album. It was a pity that she could not keep the momentum. Her follow-up single, Rhumba Girl did not become a major hit and her second album, In The Nick of Time, released November 1979, did not have the wow-charm that her first one had, although there was a nice duet with Michael McDonald on it. In the 1980s she could not restore her popularity, so she decided to change her muscial direction to country music. In 1986 she had a top-40 country hit with That's How You Know When Love's Right, a duet with Steve Wariner. Sadly Nicolette Larson died of cerebral edema and liver failure in 1997.

"It's gonna take a lotta love
To change the way things are
It's gonna take a lotta love
Or we won't get too far

So if you look in my direction
And we don't see eye to eye
My heart needs protection
And so do I"

Tracklist:

Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons – A New Beginning (1972)
Diane Tell ‎– Tes Yeux (1982)
Chromeo – Clorox Wipe [L-Like Remix] (2020)
Nicolette Larson – Lotta Love [Disco Mix] (1978)
The Stills-Young Band – Midnight On The Bay (1976)
Solaris ‎– You And Me (1979)
Motels – Suddenly Last Summer (1983)
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel ‎– Irresistible (1985)
Fotomaker – All There In Her Eyes (1978)
Jeff Lorber – Your Love Has Got Me (1982)
Boz Scaggs – What Can I Say (1976)
Sly & The Family Stone – Family Affair (1971)
Chicago – Old Days (1975)
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)   
Laura Allan – Opening Up To You (1978)
Hall & Oates – Las Vegas Turnaround (1973)
Bob Welch – Don’t Let Me Fall (1979)
Jim Spencer ‎– Wrap Myself Up In Your Love (1979)
Janine Dexter ‎– I Love Making Love To You (1975)
Bryan Ferry – Let’s Stick Together (1976)
Orleans – Dance With Me (1975)
Lui – Oh, Oh (Think I'm Fallin' In Love) (1978)
Nightshift – Ocean Bay (2007)
China Crisis – Black Man Ray (1985)
The Norwegian Fords – Wonder What It Takes (To Take Your Girlfriend Home) (2011)
Rumer – Home Thoughts From Abroad (2012)
Fleetwood Mac – I Don’t Want To Know (1977)
Bruce Roberts ‎– I Don't Wanna Go (1977)
Stephen Stills – Closer To You (1976)
Steely Dan – Peg (1977)
David Gates ‎– Never Let Her Go (1974)
Alive And Kicking ‎– Tighter, Tighter (1970)
Mott The Hoople ‎– All The Young Dudes (1972)
James Vincent – Space Traveler (1976)
Wings – With A Little Luck (1978)
Dr. Hook – Sharing The Night Together (1979)
Smokey Robinson – Get Out Of Town (1976)
Lynsey De Paul ‎– Won't Somebody Dance With Me (1973)
Minnie Riperton – When It Comes Down To It (1974)
Dane Donohue – Casablanca (1978)
Bridget St. John – Some Kind Of Beautiful (1974)
Byrne & Barnes – Love You Out Of Your Mind (1981)
Lesley Duncan ‎– The Magic's Fine (1978)
Fred Knoblock – Why Not Me (1980)
Jefferson Starship ‎– Miracles (1975)
Carpenters – I Won’t Last A Day Without You (1974)