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Showing posts from January, 2019

AOR Radio: Mellowed Out

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C-Heads Magazine “It’s hard to fathom how a middle-aged man could be disappointed with his young, 19-year old girlfriend, particularly when he looks like a member of Steely Dan.” (Quote from Hello Loser ) Hey Nineteen by Steely Dan is one of the tracks I selected. I also chose to play two tracks from AOR Global Sounds Vol. 4 , which came out on Favorite Recordings last week. When Charles Maurice (Pascal Rioux) started the series in 2015, his aim was to share his long time love for the AOR/West Coast/Yacht Rock movement. On the 4th volume, he again dusted off forgotten mellow rock tracks from all over the world that are heavy on influences from funky jazz and soul. Enjoy this new AOR Radio episode! Tracklist: Peter Sarstedt – Mellowed Out (1982) Arlana ‎– When You Call My Name (1983) Mario Acquaviva – Notturno Italiano (1983) 1619 Bad Ass Band – Just For You (1976) Ambrosia – You’re The Only Woman (1980) George Benson & Michael McDonald – What’s On Your Mind (...

Summer Sweetness: Jazzy & Mellow Beats by The Smooth Operators

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C-Heads Magazine Brazilian drumming legend Ivan ‘Mamão’ Conti has been experimenting and innovating for the last half a century. As one third of cult Rio jazz-funk trio Azymuth, Mamão was at the root of the group’s ‘samba doido’ (crazy samba) philosophy, which warped the traditional samba compass with jazz influences and space age electronics. On his brand new album Poison Fruit (out on Friday January 25), Mamão shows that he still has the skills to make experimental Latin music. Enjoy this very early taste of summer by The Smooth Operators (Martijn Soetens and I)! Tracklist: Ana Caram ‎– Blue Bossa (2001) John Legend – Love I’ve Never Known (2011) Ash Reynolds – Under The Moon (2018) United Future Organization – Friends ... We'll Be [Jazzanova Mix] (1997) Kali Uchis – Body Language (2018) The Juju Orchestra ‎– Do It Again (2007) Sensuàl – Adão E Eva (2008) Amazonics Feat. Mayla Da Viola – Rock Your Baby (2011) Lilian Vieira – Longe (2013) Stefania Dipier...

Eddy’s Eighties Grooves Part 26: Slow Moves

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C-Heads Magazine "Darlin', don't say a word, cause I already heard What your body's sayin' to mine I'm tired of fast moves, I've got a slow groove On my mind" (Slow Hand / Pointer Sisters) The Mexican-American soul singer Raquel Rodriguez, who is on this cloudcast as the second track, is something special, as she draws inspiration from Prince, Chaka Khan, Stevie Wonder, Amy Winehouse and Bruno Mars, to create a smooth balance of 70s funk, 80s synths and 90s R&B. Enjoy part 26 of Eddy's Eighties Grooves : songs from and inspired by the 1980s! Tracklist: Carlos Bivar – Maré (1983) Raquel Rodriquez – Night’s Over (2018) Carter & Chanel – Together Forever (1980) Pointer Sisters – Slow Hand (1981) Ronnie Milsap – (There’s) No Getting Over Me (1981) Al Johnson & Jean Carn – I’m Back For More (1980) Greg Guidry – Gotta Have More Love (1982) Charms ‎– Givin' It Up (1983) Spargo – Head Up To The Sky (1980) Fruit...

Brazilian Sugar: Classic Latin Soul

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C-Heads Magazine Enjoy these Latin beats! Señor Coconut And His Orchestra is led by Uwe Schmidt and inspired by his move from Germany to Santiago, Chile. The Señor Coconut project revisits classics of the 70s and 80s, reinterpreting them with a Latin flair. The project began as Señor Coconut (Uwe Schmidt on his own). Señor Coconut Y Su Conjunto is also Uwe Schmidt. "Y Su Conjunto" means "And His Band" in Spanish, but in fact, the "band" consists of an Akai MPC3000 and S6000. Next up is a new part of Eddy's 80s Grooves ! Tracklist: Fania All Stars – Intro (1973) Sabrina Malheiros – Salve O Mar (2017) Nouvelle Vague – Dance With Me (2006) Stelvio Cipriani – Le Cerbiatte (1972) Jean Honeymoon – The Way You Looked At Me (2017) Alessandro Alessandroni – Mitzi (1974) Edu Lobo – Viola Fora De Moda (1972) Joyce – Aldeia De Ogum (1980) Jorge Ben ‎– Oba, La Vem Ela (1976) El Chicano ‎– Viva Tirado (1970) Señor Coconut And His Orchestr...

More Late Night Seventies Soul by The Smooth Operators

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Nereyda Bird Instagram Enjoy this mixtape with more classic & rare soul from the 1970s, selected by The Smooth Operators . Tracklist: Archie Bell & The Drells – Don’t Let Love Get You Down (1976) Marvin Gaye – Come Get To This (1973) The Emotions – So I Can Love You (1970) The Main Ingredient – Let Me Prove My Love To You (1975) Donny Hathaway – Love, Love, Love (1973) The Staple Singers – I’ll Take You There (1972) Luther Ingram – Get To Me (1978) The Four Tops – Strung Out For Your Love (1976) Ann Peebles – I’m Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down (1974) The Jacksons – That’s What You Get (For Being Polite) (1978) The Love Unlimited Orchestra – Strange Games & Things (1976) Al Wilson – Touch And Go (1973) The Isley Brothers – Love The One You're With (1971) Joe Simon – Drowning In The Sea Of Love (1971) Dennis Coffey And Luchi De Jesus – At The Beach (1974) Odyssey – Battened Ships (1972) Shuggie Otis – Aht Uh Mi Hed (1974) Rasa – W...

Sweet Inspiration: Bubblegum Soul From The Seventies

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Photo by Caju Gomes on Unsplash Pop radio in the 1970s was a delightfully diverse thing. Tune in your transistor to a Top 40 station and you’d hear everything from easy listening to acid rock. But lost amidst the mythology of that tempestuous time are dozens of sweet, catchy, lightning-in-a-bottle hit records. Nowadays we call them bubblegum or sugar pop. It is a genre of pop music with an upbeat sound contrived and marketed to appeal to pre-teens and teenagers, which may be produced in an assembly-line process, driven by producers and often using unknown singers. In short, songs that were meant to become hits or at least meant to enjoy a large audience. So in a way the premanufactured sound of Motown (“the hit factory”) and even the Philly sound of Gamble and Huff could be called bubblegum for a great part as well, although there are many exceptions, of course. Best example of Motown’s bubbblegum are the Jackson 5 who did not play and hardly sang themselves (The Ron Hicklin Singer...