Smooth Sailing: Chillout Pop, Laidback Disco & Yacht Rock

Joan Smalls

This is the hottest summer ever in the Netherlands, so the only place you can properly chill out is at the beach… The opening track is by party pop duo More Giraffes. Surf is their version of a summer anthem. On C-Heads Magazine they tell about the song:

“We started this song with the chorus, which was so simple and perfect to us. We love imagining characters and creating vignettes in our songs, so we wrote the verses about someone leaving the material world behind to live their best life oceanside, chilling with dolphins and drinking negronis with turtles. More than anything it’s about self love."

In the BBC4 series I can go for that: the smooth world of yacht rock Katie Puckrik argues that the pure Yacht sound was born in 1976 when seasoned session musician Michael McDonald joined The Doobie Brothers.

"Alongside The Doobies’ mellow tracks, Steely Dan and Hall & Oates also delivered perfect studio-engineered productions that remain as escapist and indulgent a listen today as they did when they were made."

Enjoy this chillout part of Smooth Sailing!

Tracklist:

More Giraffes – Surf (2019)
Carey Harris And Michael Orr – Afterwhile (1975)
Ted Coleman Band – What A Lovely Way To Spend A Lifetime (1980)
Philip Goodhand-Tait – Leon (1972)
Photoglo – Beg, Borrow & Steal (1980)
Liner – Ship On The Ocean (1978)
Amy Holland – How Do I Survive (1980)
Ned Doheny ‎– If You Should Fall (1976)
Christopher Cross ‎– Mary Ann (1980)
Carl Anderson – Amour (1982)
Michael Sembello – Lay Back (1983)
Nina Askeland – Runnin' (1983)
Paulinho DaCosta – My Love (1984)
Jimmy Messina – Love Is Here (1979)
Traks – Long Train Runnin' (1982)
Bobbi Dazler – Spirits (1977)
Al Jarreau – Girls Know How (1982)
Barry Manilow – Early Morning Strangers (1974)
The Doobie Brothers – Minute By Minute (1978)
The Bird And The Bee – I Can’t Go For That (2010)