Creative Source - Pass The Feelin' On

One of those tracks where they nail the groove so well you wish it was twice as long.

Creative Source - Pass The Feelin' On - Pass the Feelin' On - 1975

Reuben Wilson - In The Booth...

Silky smooth.

Reuben Wilson - In The Booth, In The Back, In The Corner, In The Dark - Got To Get Your Own - 1975

Roy Ayers & Wayne Henderson - For Real

A lazy summer vibes version of the classic Richard Flowers song.

Roy Ayers & Wayne Henderson - For Real - Step Into Our Life - 1978

JR Bailey - Everything I Want I See In You

Soul is best when it sounds like it comes through a badly tuned car stereo and you're racing down the palisades on your way back to the city in the wee small hours after an emotionally charged weekend...

JR Bailey - Everything I Want I See In You - Just Me 'N' You - 1974

Candi Staton - The Best Thing You Ever Had

Canzetta Maria Staton, born in a town of 800 souls in Alabama in 1943, picked cotton and sang gospel as a child. At 17 she ran away to LA with Lou Rawls, but was talked out of a wedding by Lou's mother. "We almost got married by his mother sent me back and told me to stay in school". Two minutes twenty of perfect southern-fried soul. Live on baby.

Candi Staton - The Best Thing You Ever Had - Candi Staton - 1972

I Hate I Walked Away / We Made It

Bad sampling just steals a riff and makes a fast buck off someone else's talent. Good sampling takes something, cuts it up, stretches it, reinterprets it and makes something new. Something that does justice to both the new track and the old. I was listening to tunes from Syl Johnson's Back For A Taste Of Your Love album (available at Dust2Dust) and the opening bars of the track I Hate I Walked Away just seemed so familiar. I couldn't work out why I knew them until after the 8th bar when, instead of Syl's words, I wanted to sing along "We Made It". I quickly found the tune I wanted, listened, and yes, there was the sample. But not just taken unadulterated. No. Pitched up, just the strings looped a little early to add a jump and then at the bridge a loop of that 8th bar. Nice work by Carlos “Six July” Broady. Compare and contrast, enjoy the sample game and appreciate what I can't believe is the first Hip Hop tune on this blog.

Syl Johnson - I Hate I Walked Away - Back For A Taste Of Your Love - 1971
Ghostface Killah - We Made It - Supreme Clientele - 2000

Mr Fingers - Introduction

I first stumbled across this album at my then girlfriend's sister's house in Stockholm. I was looking for something to listen to while they caught up and was very surprised to see Mr Fingers in among the Groove Armada and Air. The words Larry Heard didn't mean anything to her and apparently it belonged to an old boyfriend. She didn't understand my excitement. Larry's crystal keys and Robert Owens soothing soul now just sound like Sweden to me - clean design, clean living, smooth and untroubled.

Mr Fingers - Alright - Introduction - 1992
Mr Fingers - We Can Work It Out - Introduction - 1992
Mr Fingers - On A Corner Called Jazz - Introduction - 1992

Shakatak - Day By Day

Continuing on this 80s theme, here's something from a little later in the decade: Shakatak from 1986. Al Jarreau guests on this easy tune and his singing and scatting is underpinned by good keys and that classic bass sound. Allmusic.com describes them as a British Jazz-Funk Combo and notes they're big in Japan and while this makes it all seem a bit Alan Partridge I still like it.

Shakatak - Day By Day (Featuring Al Jarreau) - City Rhythm - 1986

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

Too High

Following on from Stevie's The Real Thing, here's another great song of his with some different treatments. There's the scratchy hip hop of Yesterday's New Quintet and then the sensitive nu soul of Dwele - two tracks that happen to go very well together on mix tapes. I've also included Amp Fiddler's version from Carl Craig's Detroit Experiment, which isn't as good as it should be considering the great contributors. Oh, and Stevie's original from Innervisions.

Dwele - Too High
Yesterday's New Quintet- Too High - Stevie - 2004
The Detroit Experiment - Too High - The Detroit Experiment - 2003
Stevie Wonder - Too High - Innervisions - 1973

Black Ivory - What Goes Around

Oh QPR, why do you make life so difficult? 3 minutes away from a famous victory at promotion-chasing Derby and we concede an equaliser. To make it worse Southend get a winner and we're back in the bottom three. Just gotta keep believing.

Enough of that...time to put a smile back on my face and some pep in my step. The Patrick Adams managed, Vince Montana arranged Kwanza debut 45 from Black Ivory, released in the summer of 1974. Available on the second release from the excellent Créme De La Créme series of compilations which I strongly recommend you buy.

Black Ivory - What Goes Around (Comes Around)

Deniece Williams - This Is Niecy

Niecy's first album under her own name is great from start to finish. Good songs, good tunes, good production and sweet good feelings all the way through. I'm tempted to post the whole 7 track album here, but that doesn't seem fair so please do try and buy it - there's not a single duff song. If you do get it you'll find one whole section that's been sampled by Ian Pooley among other delights. The first track here, Free, is probably the best known. It's slowed down and impeccable. But she's just as potent on the more up-tempo numbers. It's Important to Me has got a kind of hokey feel, but addictive nonetheless, and Cause You Love Me Baby continues to bring the smiles.

Deniece Williams - Free
Deniece Williams - It's Important to Me
Deniece Williams - Cause You Love Me Baby

I also posted what I think is the best track from this album earlier.

James Mason - Rhythm of Life

MY GOD! I've just read an almost identical post at Dilated Choonz even down to a Ready Brek comment posted two weeks prior to this one. How embarrassing.

Ready Brek. In 1989, when I was 13, I was given a tape. I can still picture it. A black 'limited edition' TDK. On side one were people like Eric B and Rakim, Big Daddy Kane and EPMD with every track detail written out in full. On side two, just two words: Rare Groove. I now recognise (most of) the tunes and it had classics from Bill Withers, Roy Ayers and Gil Scott Heron among others. This tape rocked my world, and I still cherish it (although I have no tape player any more). It opened with this first James Mason track which I later learned came from this, his only album; an album that almost defines Rare Groove since it was rescued from obscurity by the Acid Jazz scene. James Mason was heavily involved in Roy Ayers's supreme Running Away and took much of that feeling into this 1977 record, particularly on Sweet Power Your Embrace. But Mason's album is more impassioned, urgent and less polished than anything the great Ayers achieves - Roy, I guess, is just too cool. In the liner notes James says "For making the music that has inspired and shaped my musical values over the years, SPECIAL THANKS to The Crusaders, Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, Joseph Zawinul, Stevie Wonder, The Pointer Sisters and Stanley Clarke. And for the learning experience working as a member of his band afforded me, THANK YOU to Roy Ayers". Quite right. I love this sound and hope you do too.

James Mason - Sweet Power Your Embrace
James Mason - Free
James Mason - I've Got My Eyes On You

Allen Toussaint - From A Whisper To A Scream

Allen Toussaint is a New Orleans legend. He wrote for years under the pseudonym Naomi Neville for people like Ernie K Doe, Lee Dorsey and Irma Thomas. He produced the Meters first records after having hired them to provide backing for his record company's late 60s releases. He also produced Lady Marmalade for Patti Labelle in 1975. Today, nearly 70 years old, he's living in New York while his New Orleans home is rebuilt following Hurricane Katrina. This album, released in 1970, was his first recorded under his own name. Both songs here are effortlessly brilliant and real growers - good friends that you might not have seen for years but with whom you can immediately relax and laugh over a beer.

Allen Toussaint - From A Whisper To A Scream
Allen Toussaint - What is Success

Check out Home of The Groove for unbelievable coverage of the New Orleans sound.

Billy Paul - When Love is New

Nice cushions. The first three tracks from this 1975 album on Philadelphia International just blow me away. It's the mid 70s and social conscience is de rigeur. People Power gets things started with great energy, especially when the vocals come in after 30 seconds. The feel good message keeps swinging along with high hats just a little less metronomic than on a lot of Philly Soul and better for it. If we all pull together we really can make a difference. Yeah baby. Next up, America, has a hopeful message both subtle and patriotic (in the real sense of the word rather than 'with us or against us') sung and spoken over skittering percussion and lush Bobby Martin production. Third is Let The Dollar Circulate, which takes the pace down a bit and just cries out to be looped, EQed and stretched by someone like J Dilla. Oh.

Billy Paul - People Power

Billy Paul - America (We Need The Light)

Billy Paul - Let The Dollar Circulate

Tim Maia

A selection of very decent Brazilian funk from Tim Maia from across a number of his albums. The first smoking, the second sunny, the third swaggering yet sweet and the fourth just consumate soul.

Tim Maia - No Camino do Bem

Tim Maia - Festo Do Santo Reis
Tim Maia - O Que Voce Quer Apostrar
Tim Maia - Imunizaco Racional Que Beleza

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

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.

Teddy Pendergrass - You Can't Hide From Yourself

Don't dismiss this as cheesy. Free yourself from the fascist shackles of that received wisdom 'taste'. Enjoy this wonderful '77 Teddy Pendergrass track - penned by Philly legends Gamble & Huff. That opening. That bassline. Those horns. It's an infectious, rightous, riotous funk. And I'm not being ironic. Heaven forbid. At the risk of invalidating everything I've just said though - take a look at these two pictures - and consider the fact that Teddy used to have 'ladies only' concert nights. In '82 the poor bastard had a car accident and was left paralysed from the waist down. That didn't stop him calling his next album Love Language including a track called 'Hot Love'. What balls.

Teddy Pendergrass - You Can't Hide From Yourself