80s Love On

It's been a long time, I shouldn't have left you, without a strong GROOVE to step to. A slexion of 12 tunes from the 80s. We open with a bright one from George Duke followed by another rich chorus from Jocelyn Brown. It then settles down into mid-tempo head-nodding heaven with that special combination of slap bass and synth. Watch out for the uncannily similar keys in the Patrice Rushen and Asso tracks, and the killer break from Webster Lewis. We then slow it down a touch and make it sweeter for the last three tracks culminating in Gwen 'sticking like crazy glue' for when the lights come on.

80s Love On (12 full songs, unmixed, 1 hour, 81mb)

George Duke - Shine On - Dream On - 1982

Inner Life & Jocelyn Brown - I Picked A Winner - Inner Life 2 - 1981

Patrice Rushen - Number One - Straight From The Heart - 1982

Quincy Jones - Betcha Wouldn't Hurt Me - The Dude - 1980

Asso - Don't Stop (12") - 1983

First Love - It's a Mystery To Me (12") - 1982

Central Line - Walking Into Sunshine (Larry Levan Mix) - 1981

George Benson - Never Too Far To Fall - In Your Eyes - 1983

Webster Lewis - Give Me Some Emotions - 8 For The 80s - 1980

Sylvia Striplin - You Can't Turn Me Away - Give Me Your Love - 1980

Don Blackman - Holding You, Loving You - Blackman - 1982

Gwen Guthrie - (They Long To Be) Close To You (Larry Levan Remix) - 1986

New York City

I'm off to my old stomping ground New York tomorrow, to catch up with some old friends and do a little work I guess. To keep you entertained in the meantime, a gimlet triplet of NYC greats...

Miroslav Vitous - New York City - Magical Shepherd - 1976 (booty-shaking storm trooper)
Oddysey - Native New Yorker - 12" - 1977 (opening credits of Cagney & Lacey)
Ahmad Jamal Trio - Autumn in New York - Ahmad's Blues - 1958 (super-sophisticated shuffle)

Believe in what you stand up for

Believe in what you stand up for.

Albert Ayler - Free At Last - New Grass - 1968
Archie Shepp - Attica Blues - Attica Blues - 1972
Doug Hammond & David Durrah - Wake Up Brothers - Reflections in the Sea of Nurnen - 1975
Gary Bartz Ntu Troop - Rise - Taifa - 1970
Sun Ra - Nuclear War - Nuclear War - 1982
Oneness of Juju - Love's Messenger - Space Jungle Luv - 1976

Make It Last Forever

I can't get enough. A bedroom selection perfect for that long evening in...

Gwen McCrae - Keep The Fire Burnin'
Sharon Redd - Can You Handle It (12")
Patrice Rushen - Remind Me
Dexter Wansel - The Sweetest Pain
The Three Degrees - I'll Be Around
Barry White - It's Only Love
Love Unlimited - Move Me No Mountain
Teddy Pendergrass - Come Go With Me
Inner Life & Jocelyn Brown - Make It Last Forever (Full Length Larry Levan Remix)
Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes - You Know How To Make Me Feel So Good

Ascension

Transcendental meditation, the half world between waking and sleeping, soothing spiritual lullabyes.

Ascension (66 minutes, 61mb)

Lonnie Liston Smith & The Cosmic Echoes - Peaceful Ones
Pharoah Sanders - Astral Travelling
Alice Coltrane - Journey in Satchidananda
John Coltrane - Naima
Meirelles E Os Copa 5 - Contemplacao
Mulatu Astatke - Ene Alantchi Alnorem
Doug Hammond - Moves
Pharoah Sanders - Colors
Norman Connors - Welcome
Lonnie Liston Smith & The Cosmic Echoes - Let Us Go Into the House of the Lord
McCoy Tyner - His Blessings
Stanley Cowell - Lullabye

Lascivious: '72 to '79

Can you overdose on strings? On luscious funked soul? Here are 10 of the best, collected with rich production, grooves and sweet longing in mind. Starts off with one of my all time favourite songs and just gets sweeter. So sweet that by the end you might just have to dig out some Dead Kennedys to stop the onset of diabetes.

Stevie Wonder - As - Songs in the Key of Life - 1976 (watch Theo Parrish eulogise)
Syreeta - To Know You Is To Love You - Syreeta - 1972
Leon Ware - Share Your Love - Musical Massage - 1976
Minnie Riperton - Reasons - Perfect Angel - 1974
Leroy Hutson - All Because of You - Hutson - 1975
Marvin Gaye - I Want You - I Want You - 1976
Norman Connors & The Starship Orchestra - Wouldn't You Like To See - This Is Your Life - 1977
Deniece Williams - How'd I Know That Love Would Slip Away - This Is Niecy - 1976
Phyllis Hyman - Under Your Spell - You Know How To Love Me - 1979
Jean Carn - You Are All I Need - Jean Carn - 1977

Join the dots. Stevie of course needs no introduction. Syreeta was Mrs Stevie Wonder for two years. Niecy Williams made her breakthrough after successfully auditioning for Wonder when she was 26. She toured with him and also sang backing vocals for Minnie Riperton. Leon Ware sang with Minnie Riperton on several recordings including on songs from the same album as Share Your Love. He also co-wrote and produced Marvin Gaye's I Want You album. When Riperton was in Rotary Connection she worked with Phil Upchurch on guitar. He also adds the guitar to this Leroy Hutson track. Hutson was Donny Hathaway's room mate at university. Donny Hathaway and Roberta Flack's 1980 album featured vocals from Stevie Wonder and Eleanore Mills. Eleanore Mills sings this Norman Connors tune and Jean Carn appears elsewhere on the same album. Connors also featured Phyllis Hyman on several records over the years, most notably You Are My Starship.