Professor Eddy

C-Heads / Nessa Pullman As I wrote earlier, around the mid-70s popular off-shore pirate stations that used the AM dial on the radio, disappeared one by one, due to government decisions in Europe. The more sophisticated and technically better FM radio stations were willing to play album tracks and longer songs from bands like Electric Light Orchestra and Steely Dan. Those bands used the improved studio techniques and possibilities to a full extent. Eventually FM radio became the new standard worldwide. Especially in the United States AOR artists came to full bloom on the FM dial. After winning the television talent show Opportunity Knocks, Candlewick Green signed to Decca Records, and had a hit single with the song Who Do You Think You Are? , written by Des Dyer and Clive Scott of the band Jigsaw. The single reached number 21 on the UK singles chart and number 25 on the Dutch Top 40 in the early spring of 1974. Both Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods and Saint Etienne later covered the

Ethan Jones Like so many artists elsewhere, a lot of Dutch bands and musicians were influenced by the West Coast sound too. As my fellow Smooth Operator , Martijn Soetens, once wrote on his blog: “In the Netherlands an umbrella and a sweater are necessary almost any time of year. So it's quite natural that we need sunny music to get our vitamin D.”  Dutch duo (although born in South Africa) Rob and Ferdi Bolland are best known for their work with Austrian singer Falco. They wrote, produced and sang on the Billboard number one Rock Me Amadeus in 1986. In the 1970s they started as a folk duo, sounding like Seals & Crofts, but by the end of the decade they tried several other styles, like disco and the West Coast sound. Free In L.A. is the b-side of their single Music Man , which did not make the Dutch charts at the time. “I can’t get enough Of that West Coast stuff” ( Free In L.A. / Bolland & Bolland) The duo also wrote and produced Presidential Suite by Tiffany (not to b

Pexels Enjoy part 49 of this long lasting Eddy's 80s Grooves series ! One of the representatives of City Pop, Miki Matsubara was quite popular in Japan in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Around 2020 she was rediscovered, because Stay With Me became hugely successful on TikTok. Unfortunately, she did not experience that reappraisal herself, because she died of cancer in 2004. Four years prior she stopped all music activities and disappeared from the spotlight altogether. She burned all her cherished sheet music and records. In an e-mail sent to her cousin at the time, she wrote: "Please forget all the times in the past when I was singing and composing." Next up is a Mixcloud Exclusive for subscribers only, followed by a new Sunshine Radio show for everyone. Tracklist: Chaka Khan – What Cha' Gonna Do For Me (1981) Gary Taylor - Just What I Have In Mind (1983) New Horizons – Your Thing Is Your Thing (1983) Ronnie Jones – You And I (1982) Miki Matsubara – Stay Wit

Pexels Enjoy part 5 of the series sunny breeze from the West Coast : mostly light-hearted pop music influenced by the Californian vibe of the late seventies and early eighties. “Pacific waves take my mind away When the sun sets on the ocean” (California 1 / Con Funk Shun) Like most touring musicians, Al Stewart spent a lot of time in hotel rooms, so it was no surprise that there were two songs about hotels on his album Year Of The Cat : Midas Shadow and Broadway Hotel . About the latter, he told his biographer Neville Judd: "It's a song about trying to understand people who live in hotel rooms, people who are rich and can afford houses but prefer to live in a hotel room. That’s like living with no past, nothing tangible you can attach them to." Next up is part 49 of Eddy's Eighties Grooves ! Tracklist: Niko Bokos – Watchu Doin’ Tonight (2024) Carter & Chanel – Don’t Let Love Go (1981) Homi & Jarvis – Love’s Taken Over (1983) Erik Tagg – Fancy Meeting You

Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye Enjoy this weekend's Billboard soul top 20 from 1974, counting down from 20 to 1! 😊 It is a special year to me, because 1974 was the year that I discovered pop music.  The Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart from exactly 50 years ago mainly contains a lot of classic (Motown) soul, with some early disco here and there. Only some lyrics are no longer acceptable in 2024. For instance, Bobby Womack mainly wants a woman to clean the house and prepare delicious food for him and Leon Haywood seems to justify domestic violence by stating that problems should be kept indoors. Ecstasy Pleasure & Pain, Spinners, Billy Paul and MFSB are the representatives of The Sound Of Philadelphia, or Philly Soul for short, the sound that would start the disco craze in years to come.  The sessions for Diana & Marvin , a duets album by then super stars Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye, started in 1971 and took until the beginning of 1973. Diana Ross told in an early 1973 inter

Pexels Enjoy this super seventies show on Sunshine Radio ! 😊 Earl Young played the drums on the opening track by The Modulations. To promote their album Groove Machine - The Earl Young Drum Sessions , Ace Records wrote about him on their website: “His ‘four on the floor’ style essentially shaped the sound of dance music as it evolved through the middle of the decade and particularly during the peak years of Disco.” After becoming popular in the United States through touring and occasional airplay on hard rock radio, Scottish band Nazareth finally broke through to pop-chart success with a unique power ballad version of Love Hurts . This track was originally performed by the Everly Brothers, but never became a true hit until Nazareth recorded it in the mid-seventies with the intention of making it a single b-side. Eventually it became their landmark in pop history, thanks to the hard-hitting drum beat, the aching slide-guitar and above all the razor blade vocals from singer D

Unsplash Imagine yourself at a beach club late in the evening, enjoying some drinks at the bar, the atmosphere is relaxed, the guests are having a good time, while watching the sunset and listening to the Smooth Operators who play in the background. Tracklist: Party Jacket – Isabella (2023) Leisure ft. Muroki – Summer Season (2023) Nicholas Cangiano – Little By Little (2022) Flo Naegeli – In My Mind (2022) Say She She – Wrap Myself Up In Your Love (2022) Hush Moss – Many Hearts (2023) Oilly Wallace – Flowers Of Your Youth (2023) BowAsWell – Something Else (2023) Rainee Blake – One More Night (2023) Kids Return – Lost In Los Angeles (2022) Meeka Kates – Laredo (2022) SuperGOODThings – Hottie & The Yachty (2022) Charles Watson ‎Feat. Pearl Charles – Figure Skater (2022) Bad Colours – Maybe I Should Move To L.A. (2022) James Wyatt Crosby – Is There A Reason (2022) Dawn Patrol – Bring On The Good Times (2022) JIM – Don’t Let Me Down (2023)

Unsplash Part 2 of the series Reeling In The Years , enjoy this Mixcloud Exclusive ! Next up is a new episode of Sunshine Radio for all listeners.  Tracklist:   Fleetwood Mac – Heroes Are Hard To Find Mark Capanni ‎– I Believe In Miracles Barnaby Bye – Can’t Live This Way Carpenters – Jambalaya Main Ingredient – Summer Breeze Ace – How Long American Gypsy – Lady Eleanor Lonette McKee – The Way I Want To Touch You Bonnie Raitt – Got You On My Mind Minnie Riperton – It’s So Nice (To See Old Friends) Todd Rundgren – A Dream Goes On Forever Syreeta ‎– Spinnin' And Spinnin' Dave Mason – Misty Morning Stranger The Hollies – The Air That I Breathe Steely Dan – Rikki Don’t Lose That Number Redbone – One More Time Mud – I Can’t Stand It Tony Joe White – I've Got A Thing About You Baby

Pexels Enjoy this exclusive disco night created by the Smooth Operators ! The tracks by L'Impératrice, Françoise Hardy and Beckie Bell were recorded in France. The French have always been at the forefront of disco, ever since its beginning in the 1970s. Artists like Cerrone, Patrick Juvet and Sheila B. Devotion set the pace. And later on, dj’s like Martin Solveig, Dimitri From Paris and Bob Sinclar took over. Nowadays L'Impératrice are the new representatives of French disco. Next up is a Mixcloud Exclusive ! Tracklist: Game – Gotta Take Your Love (1982) Full Flava Feat. Beverlei Brown – After The Dance Is Through (2008) L'Impératrice – Me Da Igual (2024) Françoise Hardy – J’Écoute De La Musique Saoûle [Woody Braun Remix] (1978) Al Johnson & Jean Carn – I’m Back For More (1980) Tyra Levone – Keep Steppin' (2019) Taana Gardner – Heartbeat [Eddy’s “Hotstepper” Edit] (1981) Mary Jane Girls – All Night Long (1983) Soul II Soul – Back To Life (However Do You Wa

Unsplash Enjoy this new episode of Smooth Sailing ! The title and the content were inspired by the North West Coast, Matt Bird’s weekly show on Radio PVS . You surely have to listen to him each Saturday, if you can.   USA based singer Fonteyn (Suzanne May) spent her formative years pursuing musical theatre and acting in her home country England. Although she played in some movies and lived in L.A. for a while, it wasn’t until she started making music that she felt able to express herself authentically. About her songs she once told in an interview: “Nostalgic, dreamy and theatrical. I have always been captivated by Karen Carpenter’s voice, it makes me cry. I love Todd Rundgren, his Something/Anything? album has influenced me a lot, but also Carole King, Paul McCartney, Burt Bacharach, I could go on!” Next week the two dudes from the Smooth Operators will return! 😊 Tracklist: Rainee Blake – One More Night (2023) Craig Dove – I’ve Got To Tell The Lady (1978) Fonteyn – Jody (2024)

Enjoy the Cashbox Black Contemporary Top 20 that was dated exactly 44 years ago! I love that soulful disco sound of the early 1980s, when electronics did not dominate yet. Nowadays the opening track by Kenny Loggins (number 20) has been classified as “yacht rock” in stead of soul. Tracklist: Kenny Loggins Feat. Michael McDonald – This Is It Donna Summer – On The Radio Ronnie Laws – Every Generation Rufus & Chaka Khan – Do You Love What You Feel Twennynine Feat. Lenny White – Peanut Butter Tavares – Bad Times Slave – Just A Touch Of Love Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway – You Are My Heaven Patrice Rushen – Haven’t You Heard Michael Jackson – Rock With You Vaughan Mason And Crew – Bounce, Rock, Skate, Roll Parliament – Theme From The Black Hole Sister Sledge – Got To Love Somebody Brothers Johnson – Stomp! Narada Michael Walden – I Shoulda Loved Ya Spinners – Working My Way Back To You/Forgive Me Girl Shalamar – The Second Time Around Kool & The Gang – Too Hot

Unsplash The numbers went through the roof the last couple of months, so let’s celebrate 3 million plays on Mixcloud by playing some of my all-time favourites on Sunshine Radio ! 😊 One of the songs is Sundown . the classic from Gordon Lightfoot. And one of the comments on YouTube was this one: "Think of all the great songs we'd never have if Gordon's first wife hadn't been such a bitch!" Gordon Lightfoot also wrote the wonderful If You Could Read My Mind that became a disco hit for Viola Wills in 1980. The track by Dutch duo Lion is from the soundtrack to the incredibly good Netflix series One Day , especially when it comes to the music. The protagonists are Emma Morley (Ambika Mod) and Dexter Mayhew (Leo Woodall), who first cross paths on the night of their graduation from Edinburgh University. It’s an encounter which has consequences for the rest of their lives. The story shows us their wellbeing on every 15th of July for the next 15 years. Emma and Dexter sea

Unsplash Enjoy music mostly from and otherwise inspired by the 1980s! The majority of the tracks can be categorized as “sophisti-pop”. Many popular artists of the genre incorporated sweet pop-soul into their sound, which made it fit smooth jazz radio formats. The synthesized sound of sophisti-pop made it a typical product of the 1980s and by the beginning of the next decade, it had largely faded out, leaving us with quite a few really enjoyable songs. Electro pop band The Human League were very successful during the first part of the 1980s, but they seemed to have taken a dead end street in the mid-eighties. To get a fresh sound the record company hired R&B producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis who had just finished Janet Jackson’s album Control . The collaboration did not go well, because Jam & Lewis mainly used their own musicians and replaced vocalists Joanne Catherall and Susan Ann Sulley in favour of their studio singer Lisa Keith. The album Crash was based on two ideas t

Unsplash 22 modern tracks inspired by the sound of classic soul music. Modern soul that gives you retro feels. Tracklist: The Sextones – Beck & Call (2023) Junior Scaife – When My Heart Beats (2023) Bobby Oroza Ft. Cold Diamond & Mink – The Otherside (2022) Adi Oasis – Red To Violet (2023) Thee Sacred Souls – Love Is The Way (2022) The Charities – Bring Your Love (2023) Object Heavy – For The Better (2023) Jalen N’Gonda – If You Don’t Want My Love (2023) Alanna Royale – Fall In Love Again (2023) Angels of Libra – Curtis (Do You Wanna Be A Star?) (2022) The Regime & Pro Uno – Sunny Day (2023) Les Imprimes – If I (2023) Jonny Benavidez – My Echo, Shadow And Me (2023) Aaron Frazer – Bad News (2021) Thee Marloes Rhythm – Love Potion (2021) Skinshape Ft. Andy Platts – The Longest Shadow (2023) Lexsoul Dancemachine – Lazy Breeze (2022) José James – 38th & Chicago (2024) Glam Sam & His Combo – Lost In The Art World (2023) Sunset Rollercoaster – Coffee’s On

Unsplash The Smooth Operators (Martijn Soetens and I) introduce you to yacht rock songs that you must have heard at least once in your life! We present some real yacht rock classics and yacht rock songs that we think should have been classics. Harden My Heart by American pop/rock group Quarterflash was written by guitarist Marv Ross and included on the band's debut album, Quarterflash (1981). The song was originally released as a single in early 1980 by Seafood Mama, Quarterflash's predecessor band. Quarterflash's version became a top-10 hit in the United States, peaking at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1982. Guitarist and songwriter Marv Ross remembered that a friend of his had given him the title and that he came up with the lyrics very quickly. Last Monday Michael McDonald, front man of the Doobie Brothers, celebrated his 72th birthday: "Emerging from the laid-back California rock scene of the '70s, McDonald found his niche in a unique blend of

Enjoy the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart of this weekend in 1978, ranked from number 30 to 1! At the group's start Stargard's members were Rochelle Runnells, Debra Anderson and Janice Williams. The vocal trio recorded the theme song to the soundtrack of the Richard Pryor movie Which Way Is Up in 1977. Motown's former sound wizzard Norman Whitfield produced the track, which also came upon Stargard's self-titled debut album. The song spent two weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart. Which Way Is Up also peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and number 12 on the Disco chart. Their other two hit singles were What You Waitin' For and Wear It Out . Debra Anderson left Stargard in 1980, when their success was diminishing. They released their final album as a duo in 1982. Next week The Smooth Operators will return! Tracklist: Rose Royce – Ooh Boy Donna Summer – I Love You Peabo Bryson – Reaching For The Sky Pockets – Com

Mick Haupt Enjoy this exclusive Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart of this day in 1978, ranked from number 30 to 1! Some tracks that were labeled as 'soul' at the time would now be called differently. El Coco, Le Pamplemousse, Bee Gees and Donna Summer have been given the definitive label of ‘disco’ and I don’t know how Player was categorized as ‘soul’ by Billboard in 1978. That type of music was called pop/rock in the 1970s and is now mostly known as yacht rock or AOR. All the other tracks on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart are soul songs through and through. Next up is a Billboard chart for all listeners. Tracklist: Earth, Wind & Fire – Serpentine Fire Al Green – Belle Donna Summer – I Love You Le Pamplemousse – Le Spank Bee Gees – Stayin’ Alive Pockets – Come Go With Me Rose Royce – Ooh Boy Parliament – Flash Light El Coco – Cocomotion Lou Rawls – Lady Love The Blackbyrds   – Soft And Easy Enchantment – It’s You That I Need Bar-Kays – Let’s Have Some Fun

Mick Haupt Enjoy some soul music for the late night hours! 😊 Jean Shy was born September 19, 1950 in Chicago, the oldest of six children. She was a member of a young trio that sang in churches throughout the Chicago area. When she was only 12 years old, she signed to Chess and the label's act Tim & Jean recorded her song Spring Fever , which turned into a local hit. Once she left high school in 1970, she signed to Brunswick Records. She regularly played with Chaka Khan and toured Europe to support Al Green, Gene Chandler, The Stylistics and Jackie Wilson. Through the years she released a couple of singles, but What Tomorrow Brings was shelved at the time, for unknown reasons. She never hit the big time, but her most successful solo single was Night Dancer from the soundtrack to the 1979 disco movie Roller Boogie . In the 1990s she sang lead vocals on Mercedes Benz by Euro dance act T-Spoon. My Love from Earth Wind & Fire is from their 1981 album Raise! : "No wonde

Enjoy this new Mixcloud Exclusive , packed with guilty pleasures! 😊 The best Middle Of The Road (MOR) music sounds good in every environment. If you put it on, no one runs to the record player to change the music or when it’s on the radio, you don’t feel the need to change the channel at any time. It’s sometimes called silly or dubious pop, but bubblegum pop is simply defined music that’s manufactured to sell as much records as possible and it’s mostly aimed at a very young audience. Bubblegum pop is the opposite of album rock from serious bands, like Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Pink Floyd. Having a good time are the keywords. And just like MOR, bubblegum pop always sounds good on the radio, at least in their seventies heyday. Some of the tracks are intentionally funny and could be called "novelty pop" as well, like the one from Typically Tropical. Years later The Venga Boys turned the song into We're Going To Ibiza , but they left out the humour. After writing and pro

Pexels Turn on your nearest stereo equipment, tune in to Sunshine Radio and listen to retro sounds all day long! 😊  The track by The Four Seasons (without Frankie Valli!) is on the upcoming 4CD set Sean Rowley Presents: Guilty Pleasures 20th Anniversary , out on Demon Music Group next Friday: "One-hit wonders and exotic recordings that perfectly soundtracked a sun-kissed ’70s U.S. west coast life style, less so in ’70s Britain." As I wrote earlier, in the mid-seventies British rock band Mud was one of the biggest acts in Europe with quite a few number ones under their belt, but when the decade came to a close, they struggled to survive. On their 1979 album As You Like It frontman and former teen idol Les Gray sang on only 4 tracks, indicating his detachment from the band by then. When the LP and the accompanying single You’ll Like It / Can’t Stop came out, the remaining members had already signed a new record contract and had recruited Margo Buchanan as their lead

Unsplash Some sunshine pop and joyful songs from the 1960s to warm you up and make you feel happy in these cold, dark days of winter! 😊  Sunshine pop is a label that is put on the happy, sometimes a little psychedelic, Californian music of the late 1960s and is lyrically inspired by the peace movement and musically by the vocal harmonies of bands like the Beatles, Beach Boys and Mamas & Papas. It makes you feel like being in warm California: I'd be safe and warm If I was in L.A. California dreamin' On such a winter's day (California Dreamin') The track by West Coast Consortium is from their new 3 CD box set All The Love In The World – Complete Recordings 1964 to 1972 : “Not a group from the Cali scene of the 60s, as their name might make you expect – but instead a very cool UK group, and one who've picked up some of the best sunshine pop inspirations of the period, then mixed them with trippier touches as well!” (Dusty Groove) Primarily recorded in Los Angeles

Jess Loiter We're sailing as smooth as possible into 2024 😊 Enjoy! American soft rock band Gulliver was formed in the late 1960s in Philadelphia. One of the members was then unknown backing singer and keyboard player Daryl Hall. They released one album only in 1970, then Daryl Hall left the band to form a successful duo with John Oates.  In 1980, You Might Need Somebody by American country singer and guitarist Turley Richards peaked at number 54 on the Billboard Hot 100. A year later, Randy Crawford covered the song for her album Secret Combination . Her version reached number 11 on the UK singles chart, but it was a modest success worldwide. English singer Shola Ama's 1997 version charted well throughout Europe and New Zealand, which made this version the most successful one.  When the hits dried up in the late 1970s, British band Mud tried to get back on top in 1978, but the record company made a great mistake to release Cut Across Shorty as a single. It was the we

Matthew Leland Let’s start the year with the golden years of FM radio 😊 Enjoy!  The closing track by JIM is brand new. It's a project from JIm Baron, a member of house/disco band Crazy P and he's also known as Ron Basejam. Phillip Mitchell only released one single for Event Records in 1975. Despite the beautiful ballad There’s Another In My Life being an R&B hit, he did not have a follow-up. However, there were three songs recorded at the Brad Shapiro-led Muscle Shoals session, and I’ll See You In Hell First was the superb mid-tempo track that was shelved until compiled on an Ace CD in 1990. The Bee Gees have had a great musical career, but they always seemed to take themselves a little bit too seriously. In the media they appeared to have little self-criticism and even walked out of a TV program by BBC presenter Clive Anderson because they appeared to lack self-mockery. When their records started to sell less in the early 1980s, according to the brothers, it was due to