Soul Searching
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 version of 'Love is' in this new Soul Searching mix that I created on Christmas Day. 'Be my baby' by the Ronettes is one of the 'Soul searching' tracks as well. Producer Phil Spector has been sent to prison, but his songs remain timeless.
And don’t to forget to listen to the Del-Vikings. Their 1970s remake of ‘Come go with me’ is probably the only soul record with a glam rock beat! The song is an example of ‘beach music’: upbeat soul that was very popular in the jukeboxes at the beaches of the Carolinas in the US. It’s more or less the same kind of music as ‘northern soul’ in the UK, although beach music goes back to the doo wop of the 1950s. Picture by Lance Tilford
This is the tracklist of 'Soul Searching' which is inspired by my shows for Laid Back Radio under the same flag:
The Temptations – Message From A Black Man (Gordy/1969)
Dee Dee Warwick – Suspicious Minds (Atco/1971)
The Ronettes – Be My Baby (Philles Records/1963)
Big Al Downing – The Story Of My Life (Chess/1962)
Marvin Gaye – At Last (I Found A Love) (Tamla Motown/1968)
Walter Jenkins – Back In My Life (Faderkat/1975)
Dee Dee Bridgewater – One In A Million (Guy) (Elektra/1980)
Impact – Happy Man [part 1] (Atco/1976)
The Trammps – Soul Searching Time (Atlantic/1976)
Roy Ayers – Aragon (Polydor/1973)
The Del-Vikings – Come Go With Me (Wand/1972)
Billy Thompson – Black Eyed Girl (Wand/1966)
Judy Street – What (Strider/1966)
Demis Roussos – Love Is [Album version] (Discograph/2009)
Axis – Ela Ela (Riviera/1972)
Teddy Pendergrass - Get Up, Get Down, Get Funky, Get Loose (PIR/1978)
Little Betty Baker – Stop Boy (All Platinum/1971)
The Stylistics – Fly! (T.K. Disco/1978)
Barbara Pennington - Spend A Little Time With Me (United Artists/1976)
First Choice – Happy Love Affair (JM After-Session M&M Mix) (BBE/2009)
Archie Bell & the Drells – Where Will You Go When The Party’s Over (PIR/1976)
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