Songs In Soft Focus Part 4: Smooth Jazz & Mellow Disco

I collected some soul, jazz & disco songs that all have one thing in common: they all would fit wonderfully in a yacht rock mix, because of the same relaxed and sophisticated “West Coast vibe”. Cool Out from Leroy Hutson, for instance, sounds like Steely Dan’s jazzy pop, Ragan Whiteside puts a soulful, groovy twist on Little River Band’s Reminiscing and did you know that Toto’s Jeff Porcaro played drums on Kathe Green’s Love City, which was initially released on Motown?

In 1975 Kathe Green joined Motown Records, with producer Frank Wilson putting the best L.A. studio musicians together to work on her album (James Jamerson, Ray Parker Jr and forementioned Jeff Porcaro), but the record company lost interest along the way. After Love City was withdrawn as a single, Beautiful Changes appeared some time later, but little was done to promote it. Eventually Love City did come out, followed by the album two months later, but at that time it was banished to the Prodigal label. Kathe Green would never make a record again, which is a pity, because I like her album a lot.

Enjoy this fourth part of Songs In Soft Focus!

Tracklist:

Ragan Whiteside – Reminiscing (2019)
Leroy Hutson – Cool Out (1975)
Crac – You’re Everything To Me (1980)
Silly Boy's Ghost Relatives – Secret (2019)
Maë Defays – Temps De Vide (2020)
Dionne Warwick – Déjà Vu (1979)
Angela Bofill – What I Wouldn’t Do (1979)
Linx – So This Is Romance (1981)
Charms ‎– Givin' It Up (1983)
Con Funk Shun – Kidnapped! (1980)
Pointer Sisters – Slow Hand (1981)
The Emotions – Yes, I Am (1979)
Marlene With Seawind ‎– Summer Nights (1982)
Kathe Green – Love City (1976)
Melissa Manchester ‎– I Wanna Be Where You Are (1977)
Leslie Smith & Merry Clayton – Before The Night Is Over (1982)
Smokey Robinson – Being With You (1981)