Professor Eddy

Artists who merge different genres always make the best music, especially by the end of the 1970s and in the beginning of the 1980s. The artists I selected (with a few exceptions) mixed the waters of soul, disco and rock. Enjoy this second part of smooth sailing : skinny dipping and softly rocking! If you think to know the track by Tez Cadey, then you may be right, because the sample is ‘ Native New Yorker ’ from Odyssey. “As with so many lukewarm AOR albums, there is always at least one killer track which stands out though. And on Chris Christian's debut LP for Boardwalk it was surely What Can There Be. With the percussive piano reminiscent of Minute by Minute era Doobie Brothers, the laid back groove of the bass with the occasional cheeky slap, the multi-layered harmonies and the lovelorn lyrics, it had all the classic yacht rock attributes which were commercial gold in 1980/81. Yet inexplicably it was never released as a single.” (Quote: AOR Disco ) Picture Joan Smalls: Mi...

Joseph Szabo - MrDisco, 1984 In 1984 traditional soul and disco had completely disappeared from the map. Dance music became some kind of club soul that was heavily influenced by the electronic music that English new wave and electro pop bands, like The Human League, made. But soulful pop re-appeared on the charts after the 'disco sucks' meltdown in the late 1970s. For instance, Deniece Williams and The Pointer Sisters were regular guests on the Billboard Hot 100. “If one person could claim the crown for 1984, it would have to be Prince, who released his hit movie, Purple Rain. This classic movie spawned a mega-successful soundtrack, several hit singles and the beginning of the PMRC, a group that tried to censor the type of music people could listen to. Michael Jackson, who held 1983’s crown, started the year off well but made a major career miscalculation when recording Victory with his brothers.“ (Quote: blogcritics ) Enjoy this new episode of Eddy's 80s Grooves ! ...

Joan Smalls by Patrick Demarchelier (Vogue April 2013) To celebrate the beginning of spring this Friday, I tried to create some kind of soulful yacht rock mix. The closest I can get to a yacht, I suppose… Check out the best 100 yacht rock songs and the yacht rock series at Channel 101 as well, if you like the genre. Urban Dictionary gives a definition of yacht rock: “Another name for the adult-contemporary musical movement in the late 1970's and the early 1980's. It was defined mostly by its smooth sound. Popular Yacht Rockers include: Kenny Loggins, the Doobie Brothers, and Steely Dan.” Thanks to Mr Funk for the inspiraton! Tracklist: Herb Alpert – Rise (1979) Joe English – Is There Not One Good Man (1980) Harvey Scales – I Can’t Give You Anything But Love [Loveboat Caress] (1978) Peabo Bryson – I’ve Been Down (1981) Reed Nielsen & Mark Pearson – Got Me Where You Want Me (1983) Bill LaBounty – Dream On (1982) Lava – Something (1984) Frankie Val...

Donna Summer Let’s go back to 1983 with Eddy's 80s Grooves part 7! 'Hot Summer Nights' by Love Club is one the tracks (“It's so warm outside and you're so warm inside”) as some kind of prelude to summer: “As for the lead singer, I have no clue. No name is given in the credits. Her voice is very powerful, and she couldn't have been more than 28 when she made this. You begin to wonder why she didn't go on to a bigger career.” ( Discogs.com ) Tracklist: Caiphus Semenya – Without You George Benson – Lady Love Me (One More Time) Teddy Pendergrass – You And Me Right Now Lonnie Liston Smith – Never Too Late Gladys Knight & The Pips – Save The Overtime (For Me) Aurra – Live And Let Live Jr Tucker – Too Young To Fall In Love Kashif – I Just Gotta Have You (Lover Turn Me On) T-Connection – Love Shines On Imagination – Looking At Midnight Love On Laserdisc – A Hit In 1983 (The Night Is Calling) The Human League – Fascination [Eddy...

Picture: Superfly My imaginary blaxploitation soundtrack is inspired by a brand new album on Soul Jazz Records, called ‘ Inner City Beat! Detective Themes, Spy Music and Imaginary Thrillers '. The music on the album is a killer selection of funky, deep, rare, exciting and dancefloor heavyweight ‘spy themes’, ‘detective music’ and thrillers from the 1960s and 1970s. The music spans heavyweight break-beat funk, deep and heavy jazz, super-catchy mod themes, imaginary super-charged orchestral soundtracks and more. Gloria Jones I have an album by Steve Harley (Cockney Rebel) in my collection with vocals from Gloria Jones. She was Marc Bolan’s girlfriend and is known for singing ‘Tainted love’, but most of all she is a well-respected background singer. She is also one of the artists in the Oscar-winning movie ’ 20 Feet from stardom ’. The film is both a tribute to the unsung voices who brought shape and style to popular music and a reflection on the conflicts, sacrifices and r...