Smooth Sailing: Roller Boogie, Yacht Rock & West Coast Pop

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I wish I could roller skate… 😉The tracks by State Cows and Mamas Gun are brand new. The latter is a tribute to Bill Withers and written on the day he died. Enjoy this new part of Smooth Sailing!

Until this day Evie Sands remains a very underrated singer/songwriter, although she has received more appreciation in recent years, especially in the English Northern Soul scene. Evie Sands began recording as a teenager in the mid-1960s. After a rocky start and having trouble with unreliable record executives who stole her songs, she finally had a hit single with Any Way That You Want Me in 1969. Her debut album, also named Any Way That You Want Me, was released several months after the single had peaked. It took five years before Estate of Mind saw the light of day. Produced by Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter, the album marked her continued output as a first class songwriter. The very sensual Love In The Afternoon is one of the tracks on the album.

In 1980, You Might Need Somebody by American country singer and guitarist Turley Richards peaked at number 54 on the Billboard Hot 100. A year later, Randy Crawford covered the song for her album Secret Combination. Her version reached number eleven on the UK Singles Chart, but it was a modest success worldwide. English singer Shola Ama's 1997 version charted well throughout Europe and New Zealand, which made this version the most successful one.

Tracklist:

Goldsmoke – Love Come Down (2019)
Cher – Hell On Wheels (1979)
Ned Doheny ‎– If You Should Fall (1976)
Al Jarreau – Girls Know How (1982)
Carl Anderson – Amour (1982)
State Cows – Two Kindred Spirits (2022)
Steely Dan – Bad Sneakers (1972)
Howdy Moon – And You Never Knew (1974)
Stallion – Atlanta (1977)
Alessi – You Can Have It Back (1976)
Marshall Hain – Take My Number (1978)
Maxine Nightingale – Reasons (1976)
Kimiko Kasai – No Way, Not Me (1984)
Randy Crawford – You Might Need Somebody (1981)
Harri Stojka Express – How Much I Love You (1981)
Evie Sands – Love In The Afternoon (1974)
Larsen-Feiten Band – Morning Star (1980)
Greg Phillinganes – Girl Talk (1981)
Jan Akkerman –  She's So Divine (1979)
Brief Encounter – Sweet Tender Loving (1981)
Mamas Gun – Looking For Moses (2022)