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Showing posts from December, 2012

This Year’s Dream: Special Tribute To Mizell Brothers

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Mizell Brothers A special mix for special days! To close this year properly I present to you a tribute to Fonce and Larry Mizell, a.k.a. the Mizell Brothers. In the late 1960s Fonce worked for Motown and co-wrote for instance ā€˜I want you back’, ā€˜ABC’ and ā€˜The love you save’ for the Jackson 5. Exactly 40 years ago Larry and Fonce started their production company ā€˜Sky high’ and began to work for several artists, like Donald Byrd, Bobbi Humphrey and Johnny Hammond. They created a unique multi-layered sound that shimmers somewhere between funk, jazz, soul and disco. After having huge commercial success with A Taste of Honey (ā€˜ Boogie oogie oogie ’), they suddenly stopped producing and playing on records and they mysteriously disappeared. Larry only shortly appeared on ā€˜Play with the changes’ from 4Hero in 2006. Fonce sadly passed away last year. Tracklist: A Taste of Honey – Boogie Oogie Oogie [The 3% Edit] (Capitol/1978) Mizellstory – N R Time (Blue Note/2005) The Jackson 5 ...

Love Letters & Blackmail

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A tribute to all the stressed mailmen who are running around to post tons of Christmas cards! I discovered Jens Lekman more or less by accident. I like ā€˜Postcard to Nina’, because it’s sad and funny at the same time. He has a new album out, called ā€˜I know what love isn’t’. All the songs are about heartache and pain, but always with a humorous twist. And I like the new album ā€˜Bloom’ from Italian singer Andrea Balducci as well. Check out his single ā€˜ Just dropped in ’ and listen to his version of 'The letter' (originally from The Box Tops ) that I selected for this mailmen tribute! Picture from Perfect Day Dream . Enjoy! Tracklist: Ryan Shaw – Blackmail (2012) Ruby Velle & The Soulphonics – My Dear (2012) David Ruffin – The Letter (1969) Jack Montgomery ā€Žā€“ Dearly Beloved (1966) Andrea Balducci – The Letter (2012) Mantronix – Love Letter (Dear Tracy) (1988) Aaliyah ā€Žā€“ 4 Page Letter (1997) R. Kelly – Love Letter (2010) Stephanie McKay – This Letter (2008)...

Groovy, Sexy & Soulful Part 18

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Enjoy this 18th part of ā€˜ Groovy, sexy & soulful ’! Tracklist and linernotes: The George Martin Orchestra – Fillet of Soul New Orleans (1973) From the James Bond movie ā€˜Live and let die’ (picture). Matt Monro – From Russia With Love (1964) Another track from a James Bond score. Barbara Lewis ā€Žā€“ Workin' On A Groovy Thing (1968) Detroit's own very smooth, suave and sophisticated soul diva Barbara Lewis goes for a solid, soulful approach on this title track of her last Atlantic album. Noah – Sexy And I Know It (2012) An acoustic cover of the LMFAO track. 'I got a passion in my pants...' Young-Holt Unlimited – Soulful Strut (1968) The trio consisted of Ken Chaney (piano), Eldee Young (bass, cello, vocals), and Issac Holt (drums), formerly of the Ramsey Lewis Trio. It became a #3 hit in the United States and went to #1 in Canada. Neither Eldee Young nor Red Holt is believed to have played on the track, which was the work of session musicians identifie...

Discokicks!

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When I started to listen to pop music in 1974, glam rock (created by Marc Bolan from T-Rex) was very popular, but disco started to break through. ā€˜Rock your baby’ from George McCrae was the spark that lighted the fire. Dance music became hot and glam artists of the seventies like David Bowie (ā€˜Fame’,ā€˜Golden years’), Glitter Band (ā€˜Makes you blind’) and Mud (ā€˜Shake it down’) tried to move to the dance floor (the guitar player of Mud, Rob Davis, wrote ā€˜ Can't get you out of my head ’ for Kylie Minogue years later). Soul and disco music seemed to go very well with glam rock around the mid-seventies. To prove my point I added the intro of ā€˜ Ballroom blitz ’ from the Sweet to the Pied Piper remix of Michael Jackson’s 'Rockin’ robin'. And if you are not convinced, well, at least the musicians wore the same type of clothes… ;-) Enjoy! Picture from My Hair Care . Tracklist: Michael Jackson – Rockin’ Robin [Pied Piper Vs Professor Eddy Remix] (2012) The Supermen Lovers – Keep...