Professor Eddy

Sensual songs for romantic evenings! One of them is the brilliant ‘Slow hand’ by the Pointer Sisters . In the 1970s the girls were aiming at the R&B market and had small hits, like ‘Yes we can can’ and 'How long betcha got a chick on the side’. They became highly successful after recording ‘Fire’ (written by Bruce Springsteen) and moved more into the pop market. In the 1980s they had their biggest hits, like ‘Jump’, ‘I’m so excited’ and ‘Slow hand’, of course. Then, by the end of the decade, they were wiped away from the scene when house, hip hop and swingbeat took the place of soul and disco. In 2004 Junior Jack used 'Dare me' from the Pointer Sisters (that originally came out in 1985) for their hit 'Stupidisco': 'Is it love you're after' by Spyder Turner is one of the sensual grooves. The song became a hit for Rose Royce: Light a candle and enjoy the sensual grooves! Tracklist: The Mystic Moods Orchestra – The Other Side Of Midnight (1975) Milton W...

Yes, that’s me, Professor Eddy, on the left spinning some records. The guy on the right is Daan from the excellent cool jazz dj-act Swoolish . 'Soul Searching' was the show I used to host for Laid Back Radio. Every now and then I was a guest dj for Laid Back on FM Brussels as well. Last summer I played the Dimitri from Paris remix of ‘Love is’ from the big Greek Demis Roussos. It was his new single at the time. Demis Roussos was a much in demand disco star at the Loft, one of most popular clubs in NYC back in the day. Those disco singles never became chart successes at the other side of the ocean. People in Europe couldn't imagine the not so tiny Demis as a dancing disco star, as he wanted us to believe in his lyrics. One of his best selling songs in the Netherlands was the Mediterranean sounding ‘My friend the wind’, but 'L.O.V.E. got a hold on me' (written by the guys behind the classic 'I will survive) is way more precious to me. You can hear the album vers...

It’s time to make a soul twist. One of the standout tracks is the one by Dee Dee Sharp, ‘What kind of lady’. The echoes in the song really make me shiver! In the early 1960s Dee Dee Sharp (born Dionne LaRue) was a teenage star and sang a duet with Chubby Checker, ‘Slow twisting’. In 1968 Dee Dee recorded 'What kind of lady' for Gamble Records, owned by producer Kenny Gamble whom she had married a year earlier. ‘What kind of lady’ was one of the early Gamble & Huff productions. The song was arranged by Bobby Martin and Tom Bell in some kind of Motown style. The four of them became very successful in the 1970s and created the sophisticated ‘Philly sound’ (Stylistics, O’Jays, Three Degrees, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes and many more). When Dee Dee Sharp-Gamble and husband Kenny had marital problems, he wrote ‘You’ll never find a love like mine’ which became a hit for Lou Rawls in 1976. Kenny and Dee Dee officially divorced in 1980. Del Shannon and FrankieValli (from ...

Another episode of Boogie Cops! Again some soulful (underground) disco tracks from the late seventies and early eighties, with a few exceptions. I tried to make the Michael Jackson classic spookier by adding more of Vincent Price’s raps and a few horror effects, like MJ’s voice… ;-) Spot the differences by listening to the first track of the mix and the original later on: Thriller by Michael Jackson One of the best bands of today are The Noisettes. They sound a little bit like Amy Winehouse, but their vocals are much deeper. And their lyrics are quite nice to listen to. They have a new single out ‘Every now and then’ which is so good! In this mix I used ‘Never forget you’. Picture by Chicagos-Finest Full tracklist: Michael Jackson – Thriller [Eddy’s Horrific Edit] (1982) Quincy Jones – You’ve Got It Bad Girl (1973) Anthony White – Stop And Think It Over (1976) Noisettes – Never Forget You (2009) Rice & Beans Orchestra – You’ve Got Magic (1977) Starship Orchestra - ...

Picture by FreeFoto.com It’s time to ease things down a little bit. This is my follow-up for ' Slow & Easy Grooves part 1 ' that came online a few weeks ago (24th of November). One of the highlights in the mix is Roger (Troutman). He became well-known for singing through his talking-box (which gave him a robot or vocoder sound). He was co-founder of the legendary eighties funk band Zapp, together with his brothers Larry and Terry. They were an inspiration for many hiphop acts. Roger can be heard on ‘California love’ from 2Pac, for instance. During an argument about money Larry killed his brother Roger on the 25th of April 1999, before he aimed the gun at himself. Hall & Oates were a rock-soul duo and highly successful from the late 1970s to the mid 1980s. ‘Kiss on my list’ is one of their best pop singles. Tracklisting: Carmen McRae – How Long Has This Been Going On? [MJ Cole Remix] (2002) Chromeo – I Can’t Tell You Why [Eddy’s Edit] (2009) Kristinia DeBar...

The title of this mixtape is a little bit inspired, of course, by the wonderful classic of A Taste Of Honey. They made such good records with the highly innovative Mizell Brothers behind the production desk. Fonz and Larry Mizell started to work on the Blue Note jazz label in the early seventies, but they became more crossover disco-jazz-funk producers later on. Check out their work with organ player Johnny Hammond, trumpeter Donald Byrd and flautist Bobbi Humphrey. They sound almost perfect! John Morales Universal Robot Band and Instant Funk can be found on a great new John Morales tribute on BBE records, named after his famous M&M mixes. John was a remix-pioneer in the late seventies and early eighties. He initially worked with tape, a pair of scissors and glue to rework original dance tracks. His intention was to create longer versions to play at his gigs. John started spinning records in his native Bronx, ending up playing in several of the Manhattan clubs. An original...

Picture by DottieboBottie It’s time for some good old-fashioned disco! In this case boogie not only means (post) disco music from the late seventies and early eighties, but most of all soulful (underground) disco. Johnnie Taylor’s ‘You’re The Best In The World’ has been used for the excellent ‘Squeeze me’ from Dutch dance-act Kraak & Smaak last year. And if you listen to Jennifer Lopez after the disco classic of Tavares you’ll understand why I squeezed her in... ;-) Thanks to F. and Andrew ' Lovefingers ' Hogge for the inspiration! Full tracklist: Julia & Company – Breakin’ Down (Sugar Samba) (1983) Toba – Moving Up (1982) Margie Joseph – Knockout (1982) Voyage – Point Zero / From East To West (1978) El Coco – Cocomotion (1978) Montana – The Toys Come To Life (1978) Don Ray – Body And Soul [Edit] (1978) Eddie Gale – Black Rhythm Happening (1969) Carl Carlton – Everlasting Love (1974) Father’s Children – Hollywood Dreaming (1979) Tavares – ...

I gathered lots of funky gems in this mix, from the early seventies to the here and now. The edits in this mix are shorter versions of the originals. Bumpy Green blows more than 9 minutes for instance, so I took away a little bit of the middle section. I rebuilt Marvin Gaye's 'A Funky Space Reincarnation' for this mix. The original version of this song (from the album 'Here my dear') has been used for a Dior commercial to promote 'J'adore', with Charlize Theron in it. I’ve always liked Swiss experimental duo Yello. The song I picked is from their latest album ‘Touch Yello’. They show on 'The expert' how James Brown would have sounded if he was still alive today. The Roy Ayers track can be found on Can You Dig It , which came out on Soul Jazz Records. Run to the shops for the brand new Al Kent album, ' Secret Sounds '. It's great! I chose 'Reverb is your friend' for this 'Funk ain't a word' mixtape. Full trackli...

Picture by FreeFoto.com Strangely enough the inspiration for this mix came when I saw Wilson Pickett singing ‘In the midnight hour’ in a very good documentary, called ‘ History of rock ‘n’ roll ’. It remembered me of the slicker Roxy Music version. Although I like the raw voice of Wilson Pickett, the song is more about seducing when Bryan Ferry sings the lyrics. I’m a big fan of his introvert, sophisticated funk. Soul singer Maxwell once said that Bryan Ferry was his biggest influence. It took me almost a year to complete this mix. Only after listening to a set of Japanese dj Daizi I found the right mood to finish it off. So enjoy these midnight grooves! Track listing: Roxy Music – In The Midnight Hour (1980) Zapp & Roger – Slow And Easy (1993) Linn Segolson – Troubled Times (2005) Barbara Lynn – Nice And Easy (1971) Valerie Simpson – Keep It Coming (1972) New Birth – Never Can Say Goodbye (1971) J. Blackfoot – Taxi (1983) Leon Ware – Words Of Love (1982) Kellee ...

Tomorrow I’ll celebrate my 29th (or so…) birthday and so it’s time for a party! ;-) The George Benson track in this 'Funk & Soul Surprise Party' is from his latest record, called ‘Songs and stories’. This (very smooth) album was produced by bass player Marcus Miller. He worked for Luther Vandross and Miles Davis in the past. ‘ Family reunion ’ is a Rod Termperton composition, the guy who wrote ‘Thriller’ for Michael Jackson of course. I could have chosen for ‘ Nuthin’ but a party ’ from the album, but ‘ Family reunion ’ is a better track, I think. And it's always good to have family reunions at parties! :-) Full tracklist: Ramsey Lewis – Tondelayo Chanson – I Love You More Ruby & the Party Gang – Ruby’s Surprise Party George Benson – Family Reunion Ronnie Jordan & Dana Bryant – The Jackal Pleasure – Space Is The Place Gene Harris – H.R.D. (Boogie) Brand New Heavies – We’ve Got [A Tom Moulton Mix] The Spinshots – Qui Est In, Qui Est Out Edwin Starr – Stop The War...

Bump and hustle music? I don’t know what that is, but it sure sounds good to me! This is perhaps my best effort so far to mix up soul, funk and disco. Special attention to Charlie Rich, who is most famous for his million selling country single ‘Most beautiful girl’ (my mom’s favourite track of all-time…). But he sounds best when he’s a soul singer. Listen to ‘Lonely weekends’ for instance. On this new mix for Mixcloud I slipped in ‘Love is after me’ (composed by David Porter & Isaac Hayes), a northern soul classic. Full tracklist: Earth, Wind & Fire – Let Me Talk (1980) Patrice Rushen – Never Gonna Give You Up (1980) Mantra – Here We Come (1981) Glen Adams Affair – Just A Groove (1980) Players Association – Turn The Music Up (1978) Booty People – Somethin’ Simple (1979) A Taste Of Honey – Ain’t Nothin’ But A Party (1980) Darlene McCoy – U-N-I-T-Y (2007) The Rebirth – Evil Vibrations (2004) Johnny Hammond – Gambler’s Life (1974) Marvin Gaye – After The Danc...

Funky chill grooves for chilly autumn evenings. Special attention for one of the best Motown remixes ever, done by a certain guy called Professor Eddy… ;-) It’s a rework of ‘Falling in love again’ by Marvin Gaye, from his excellent album ‘Here, my dear’ that was dedicated to his ex-wife Anna Gordy (sister of Motown boss Berry Gordy). To support her financially Marvin and Anna agreed on giving her the royalties of the album. But that was a mistake, because the album didn’t sell at all. And Anna was furious when she heard the lyrics. They were all about their relationship and their legal battle afterwards. His career was slipping through his fingers and eventually Marvin Gaye ended up broke in Oostende (Belgium). Nowadays it’s really a mystery why the album wasn’t a success, because it’s one of his best records. I added a different beat to ‘Falling in love again’, some keyboards and a few other things. I stayed as close to the original as possible, because it’s such a good track. The ...

The funky bus rides for the last time! Soon there will be no need for me to take the bus to work everyday. So I’ll miss it, that’s for sure! Again a couple of funky songs and some of them are actually about bus stops… ;-) There’s a little bit of Norman Whitfield production magic on it too (Rose Royce). And don't forget to listen to the sung version of 'Love's theme', Barry White's claim to fame. Picture by labanex Full tracklist: Michael Jackson – We’re Almost There (1975) Philly Devotions – Hurt So Bad (1976) Ojeda Penn – Brotherson (1980) Salsoul Orchestra – Chicago Bus Stop (1976) Don-E – Bus Stop! (2005) Young Disciples – Apparently Nothin’ (1991) Larry London Project – A Love Like That [Village Soul Mix] (2007) Rice And Beans Orchestra – Our Love Concerto (1977) Average White Band – School Boy Crush (1975) Rose Royce – Do Your Dance [Eddy’s Edit] (1977) Willie Hutch – Disco Thang (1979) Black Bass Band – Tico Tico (1976) Constellati...

I’m really fond of soul music in which the disco feeling shines through. So this is a mixture of funky soul and early disco. Tracks in which you can hear the transition from soul to disco in particular are ‘Queen for a day’ by American Gypsy (who lived and recorded in Holland) and the wonderful song by Philly Devotions, ‘I just can’t say goodbye’ (which I first heard on ‘Super disco friends’ by Dimitri From Paris). And for listeners who liked the ‘funk train’ mixes, I put in railroad tracks by Beverly Ann and Tyrone Davis. And if you think that you hear Whitney Houston, then you’re close, because it’s her mother Cissy... Enjoy the saxophones too on this steamy mix! Tracklist: Lyrics Born – I Changed My Mind [Stereo MC’s Rattlesnake Mix] (Quannum/2000) Laura Vane & the Vipertones – Steam (Social Beats/2009) Eddie Drennon & The B.B.S. Unlimited – That’s Just Too Bad (Casablanca/1978) Dionne Warwick – Out Of My Hands (Arista/1979) Richard Hewson Orchestra - Love Bit...

Everyday I take the bus to work with good funky music in my ears, so that’s where the inspiration comes from! I put in the original version of 'Maybe so, maybe no' (Mayer Hawthorne). A little bit of Northern soul as well (Tobi Legend). And lots of excellent funk and disco tracks. So fasten your seat belts for a funky and bumpy busride! Picture by Steve Brandon Tracklist: Frankie Smith – Double Dutch Bus (1980) Constellation Orchestra – Funk Encounter (1978) L.A. Boppers – Where Do The Bop Go (1981) Bobbi Humphrey – No Way (1986) New Holidays – Maybe So Maybe No (1969) Tobi Legend – Time Will Pass You By (1968) Thunder & Lightning – Bumpin’ Bus Stop (1975) Carl Weathers – That’s Love Calling (1982) J.R. Funk & the Love Machine – Feel Good Party Time (1980) B.T. Express – Give Up The Funk (Let’s Dance) (1980) Con Funk Shun – Ffun (1977) The Fatback Band – (Are You Ready) Do The Bus Stop (1975) Lenny Williams – Please Don't Tempt Me (1977) Ham...

The Three Degrees The first song of my tasty grooves is an all-time favourite of mine. I like the vocoder intro, followed by girls’ talk and the lyrics about a guy who loves macaroni (or is it about something else?). It’s from an album I bought more than 30 years ago. It’s not their best LP, but I’m a fan of the Three Degrees, ever since I saw them singing ‘Dirty ol’ man’ on television. Once you’re a fan, it never gets away… ;-) Even the late David Carradine spoke some flattering words about the three singing girls in Tarantino’s movie ‘Kill Bill’. Picture by rokarita So, more grooves as tasty as macaroni in this mix! Tracklist: The Three Degrees – Macaroni Man (1977) Metropolis – Thunder And Lightning (1978) T-Life – Something That You Do To Me (1981) Kerr – Back At Ya (1984) Konk – Your Life [Eddy’s Edit] (1984) Eruption – I Can’t Stand The Rain [Instrumental] (1988) First Choice – Great Expectations (1979) Magic Disco Machine – Scratchin’ (1975) Ingram – When...

A soul mix for the lovers among us and the serious heartbroken… :-) At some points in the mix I tried to loosen things up with some nice party jams like ‘Peekin’ by Brass Construction (the lyrics about peeking on a girl are really funny!) and Harari (an edit done by a guy who almost worked for Britney Spears…). I also slipped in a track by Mayer Hawthorne whose album is the best of 2009 (so far). The first song sounds a little like a Rick James ('Super freak') parody and is taken from a great compilation album by Joey Negro , called ‘ Locked in the vinyl cellar ’. 'The only way is up' is a very nice rare soul gem by Otis Clay and was later covered by Yazz & the Plastic Population (which is one of the worst tracks ever...). Enjoy the 'Tender grooves'! Tracklist: Captain Sky – Moonchild [Joey Negro Edit] (1979) MFSB – Love Has No Time Or Place (1975) Monday Michiru – I Wanna Be Where You Are (2000) George Benson – Love X Love (1980) Lowrell Simon –...

Sinds het beluisteren van ‘ Disco Jazz ’ ben ik helemaal om. Vroeger vond ik grote orkesten die probeerden hip te zijn helemaal niets. Vaak stond er een ongeïnteresseerde oudere dirigent voor die zich leek af te vragen waar het orkest mee bezig was. Een showorkest stond symbool voor oudere heren die op de automatische piloot speelden. Maar bij nader inzien blijken sommige nummers toch razend knap in elkaar te zitten. De arrangementen zijn bij een aantal orkesten bijzonder inventief en de melodieën zijn niet zomaar na te neuriën. Bovendien swingen veel van die stukken de pan uit! Muziek op de grens van disco en easy listening en met de juiste knipoog gemaakt. De namen van de orkesten blijken helaas niet zo origineel, want die gaan niet veel verder dan de naam van de leider (Kai Warner, Peter Thomas en natuurlijk de onvermijdelijke James Last), maar een goede uitzondering daarop is de Erotic Drum Band. Daar stel ik me heel wat anders bij voor dan de drumband die vroeger bij ons door de...

All aboard for a safe return journey. The outward passage became number 1 on the Mixcloud week Top 5! ‘Midnight train to Georgia’ was originally called ‘Midnight plane to Houston’ and written by country singer Jim Weatherly. Cissy Houston (Whitney’s mom) changed it into ‘Midnight train to Georgia’. Later on this version became a soul classic for Gladys Knight (with her Pips imitating a train!). ‘Nytro express’ is an early version of ‘R.R. express’ by Rose Royce (on ‘ Get on the funk train part 1 )', both written and produced by Norman Whitfield. And ‘We’re on the right track’ by Blue Magic was a cover version of the Ultra High Frequency song (on ‘ Get on the funk train part 1 ' too). ‘Metal on metal’ by Kraftwerk is the outro for ‘Transeurope express’ (on ‘ Get on the funk train part 1 ' also) and ‘The groove machine/the boogie train’ by Bohannon is an early take of ‘Party train’ (on ‘ Get on the funk train part 1 ' as well). Enjoy the ride home! Picture by Vii...

' Get On The Funk Train ' blijkt enorm aan te slaan. Ik sta er zelfs mee in de top 5 van Mixcloud ! Vandaar dat ik nog maar een paar funkplaten uit de kast heb getrokken en er een vrolijk funkfeestje van heb gemaakt, met een kleine serieuze noot hier en daar. Let vooral op de Duitse funk van Jan Delay . Op de 1 of andere manier klinkt dat erg komisch. Je verwacht geen Duitse zang op een straffe funkbeat. Zijn cd 'Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Soul' is net uit. Beluister 'm eens, je zult versteld staan! Dit is de tracklist voor de 'Funky Vibes On Your Radio': Joe Quarterman & Free Soul – (I Got) So Much Trouble In My Mind (1972) Backyard Heavies – Soul Junction (1971) The Nazty – It’s Summertime (1976) Madhouse – Get Some Of This (1972) Breakestra Feat. Choklate – Take My Time (2006) The Isley Brothers – It’s Out Of The Question (1969) Edwin Starr – If My Heart Could Tell The Story (1969) Tower of Power – So Very Hard To Go (1973) Ohio Players ...

Worrying about my future, I step into a waiting train with a tired step. Unlike my own destination, I don't have to worry about where this train ends. I find a spot by the window and grab my book and MP3 player. A little later a dark man with enormous suitcases enters the carriage. His face looks vaguely familiar to me. He nods kindly and sits down opposite me. When the train starts moving, to my surprise he pulls out a complete drum kit from his luggage! When I ask what he's planning to do, he starts laughing. Just wait and see. He places the drums in front of him in the narrow aisle and begins to play. My goodness, this man can do something! His smile no longer leaves his face as he drums a particularly tight rhythm. I watch with amusement. OK, enough! He puts away his drumsticks and begins to blind the windows with large, black-dyed sheets. Meanwhile, more people enter the train. I think I recognize the late funk singer from Parliament, Ray Davis, in one of the conductors. I...

A tribute to the "cinematic soul", the music from the so-called "Blaxploitation" movies of the seventies. A unique combination of jazz, funk, (early) disco and (of course) soul that reflects the dark times of that era. Enjoy! Tracklist: Willie Hutch - Theme of Foxy Brown Bobby Womack - Across 110th Street Isaac Hayes - Theme from Shaft Billy Paul - Am I Black Enough for You? Joe Simon feat. Mainstreeters - Theme from Cleopatra Jones Herbie Hancock - Death Wish Millie Jackson - It Hurts So Good Marvin Gaye - Trouble Man Gary Bartz NTU Troop - Celestial Blues Aaron Neville - Hercules Don Julian - Shorty the Pimp The Impressions - That's What Love Will Do The Blackbyrds - Cornbread The Four Tops - Are You Man Enough? Curtis Mayfield - Superfly James Brown - Down and Out in New York City Edwin Starr - Easin' In Esther Phillips - Home Is Where the Hatred Is William DeVaughn - Be Thankful for What You Got Donny Hathaway ...