Professor Eddy

Pexels Enjoy light-hearted soul, pop and (yacht) rock from the seventies on this new Sunshine Radio episode! Again songs from the era mixed with original jingles and air checks. The track by Sly & The Family Stone is my tribute to Sly Stone who recently left us. His death was a bit overshadowed by the passing of another musical genius, Beach Boy Brian Wilson two days later. Sly Stone was the first one to blend rock, soul and funk in an extraordinary way. It’s good to know that the two surviving original members of British success band Mud, Rob Davis and Ray Stiles, still occasionally perform live as Mud. They did a gig at the Factory Live venue in Worthing last year. They played most of their hits, but forgot to perform their best single, Drift Away,  released in 1978. Five years earlier the song was made successful by Dobie Gray, but it was originally written by Mentor Williams (brother of famous songwriter Paul Williams) and first recorded by Mike Berry in 1972. This was a f...

Pexels Enjoy the songs that were hits, or at least should have been hits, in Europe and the US during the warm summer of 1979! The opening track by Bell & James is from the new compilation Thom Bell - Didn't I Blow Your Mind? The Sound Of Philadelphia Soul 1969 - 1983 , out on Ace Records. Both LeRoy Bell and Casey James had played in Special Blend before beginning to write songs together. At some point Bell's uncle Thom Bell got them signed to Gamble & Huff as songwriters for their Philadelphia International label. Through the years the duo composed for Elton John, MFSB, The O'Jays, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Freda Payne, Phyllis Hyman, The Three Degrees, and others. Eventually A&M Records took notice and signed them to a full album deal in 1978. Nobody Knows It is from their second album, Only Make Believe . Dance Awa y by Roxy Music was originally written by Bryan Ferry for his 1977 solo album In Your Mind , but did not make the final track listing. It...

A couple of months ago I put the spotlight on France , now it’s time to hear some very cool German songs. The title of the mix refers to Afrika Bambataa who once called Kraftwerk ‘those funky guys from Germany', but he could have said 'those funny guys from Germany', because I like their humour in their songs. I believe I once read that the last track of the mix, ‘I'm In Love With A German Film Star’ from the Passions, is about the crazy German actor Klaus Kinski. He's shown on the picture above which is from the excellent movie 'Fitzcarraldo', that was directed by Werner Herzog (who also directed 'Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans', the best movie of 2010). Klaus Kinski is the father of beautiful actress Nastassja Kinski (ex-wife of Quincy Jones). One of the best German songs ever is ‘Theo, Wir Fahr’n Nach Lodz’ from Vicky Leandros. She was the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest in 1972, taking part with 'Après Toi' for Luxemburg...