Diciembre 24, 2008 a 8:26 pm (Disco)
Witch Queen (2001)
Arranged By [Horns], Horns – Carlisle Miller
Arranged By [Strings] – Curt Watts , Jack Lenz
Bass – David Hood
Drums – Roger Hawkins
Engineer – David Yates , Gabriel Bouchet , Gregg Hamm , Mick Walsh , Philippe Espantoso , Steve Melton
Executive Producer – Lloyd Yudelson , Ron Rivkin , Sid Berkson , Steve Grossman
Executive Producer, Guitar – Jimmy Johnson
Guitar – Howard Forman
Horns – Roger Walls
Keyboards – Barry Beckett
Mastered By – José Rodriguez
Percussion – Luc Boivin , Malika
Percussion, Producer – Gino Soccio , Peter Alves
Synthesizer – Denis LePage
Vocals – Heather Gauthier , John Oriettas , Mario Cadotte , Paul Chacra.
LP produced by Gino Soccio on the Roadshow label (BT Express). Two disco cover versions of classic rock songs – “All right now” (by Free) and “Bang a gong” (“Get it on” by T. Rex). This is cd version by Record Label Unidisc (Canada).
Tracks:
1. Witch Queen (Of New Orleans)
2. All Right Now
3. Bang A Gong (Get It On)
4. Got The Time
5. Bang A Gong (Get It On) (Radio Edit)
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Diciembre 24, 2008 a 8:16 pm (Disco)
Knock On Wood (1978)
Amii Stewart is one of the few singers who consolidated world fame with a string of successes that left a definite mark on the story of dance music from the mid seventies and is still doing so today.
Amii, an Aquarian born in Washington D.C. started her career in the world of theatre and dance by enrolling in ‘Workshops For Careers In The Arts’, the first arts school of it’s genere in the nations capitol. Through the ‘Wokshops’ she performed in many productions including the Emmy Award winning special ‘Genesis Juba and Other Jewels’.
Joining the Tony Award winning musical ‘Bubbling Brown Sugar’, first in Miami then on Broadway and finally London where Amii was recongized not only as a singer/dancer but also for her ability as assistant director/cheoreographer and actress.
Her first record was called ‘You Really Touch My Heart’. But her official entrance into the world of music; the golden age of ‘disco’ was at the end of 1978 with ‘Knock On Wood’. Selling more than 8 million copies it is still recognized as one the most original and exticing songs to come out of the disco era. The album, equally successful was followed by ‘Paradise Bird’ where she started to use more influxes of ‘Pop’.
Tracks:
1. Knock On Wood
2. You Really Touched My Heart
3. Light My Fire / 137 Disco Heaven
4. Bring It On Back To Me
5. Closest Thing To Heaven
6. Am I Loosing You
7. Get Your Love Back
8. Only A Child In Your Eyes
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Diciembre 24, 2008 a 2:07 pm (Afrobeat, Disco, Soul)
Ojah Awake (1976)
The brainchild of Teddy Osei, a Ghanaian sax player, composer, and drummer who came to London to study music, Osibisa was one of the first African bands to win worldwide popularity. Their mix of African (especially highlife) and Caribbean forms made them a sensation in the mid 70s and their popularity continues today, even though recording dates have fallen off.
Osibisa’s eighth album in only five years, 1976’s Ojah Awake was the Ghanaian Afro-poppers’ commercial high point in their adopted home of Great Britain. Though the band had a strong cult following throughout their career, this big-selling album spawned two big hits: the Brazilian-flavored “The Coffee Song” (a ’40s novelty song that had previously been recorded by the Andrews Sisters, Rosemary Clooney, and, improbably, Frank Sinatra) and the disco-tinged groover “Dance the Body Music.” As might be imagined, then, this is Osibisa’s most slickly commercial record, with Gerry Bron’s glossy production smoothing out the free jazz influences that had peeked around the corners of earlier Osibisa gems like Woyaya. (It’s telling that as “purer” West African highlife artists like King Sunny Ade started showing up on U.K./U.S. cultural radar, Osibisa’s critical reputation plummeted.) That said, in no way does Ojah Awake feel like a sellout move; Teddy Osei and company keep the rock and funk influences as a flavoring, not a main dish, and the exciting, potent highlife of the title track or “The Warrior” is among the group’s best work. This is an excellent album for newcomers to Afro-pop, though those already familiar with more challenging artists like Thomas Mapfumo or Fela Kuti might find it a little bland. The AIM CD adds two contemporary single tracks, “Living” and “That’s Life,” and an alternate take of “The Coffee Song.” (AMG)
Tracks:
1. The Coffee Song
2. The Warrior
3. Flying Bird
4. Cherry Field
5. Dance the Body Music
6. Ojah Awake
7. Keep on Trying
8. Hamattan
9. akabo
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Diciembre 24, 2008 a 2:06 pm (Afrobeat, Funk, Rock)
Mandrill (1970)
Mandrill’s debut isn’t half the album it could’ve been, since the band’s talented musicianship and desire to experiment were often subverted — by ambitions of pop success as well as a dry, over-serious approach to music-making. The three Wilson brothers, though masters of over a dozen instruments, still hadn’t mastered the added burden of songwriting; “Warning Blues” is perfunctory (as is the vocal performance) and “Symphonic Revolution” is a bland summer-day soul song with cloying strings. The group sounds much more confident getting into a good groove and allowing room for some great playing; the band’s self-titled song, “Mandrill,” is the best here, featuring great solos for flute and vibraphone. Mandrill also loved playing with different musical forms: “Rollin’ On” moves from an average rock song to a torrid Latin jam and climaxes with a testifying gospel session. Most ambitious of all is the five-part, 14-minute suite “Peace and Love,” but the intriguing concept is negated by a few bizarre pieces, one of which sounds like a parody of a Vincent Price reading over a Santana jam. The band would soon learn that experimentation and stylistic change-ups were a means, not an end. (AMG)
Tracks:
1. Mandrill
2. Warning Blues
3. Symphonic Revolution
4. Rollin’ On
5. Peace and Love (Amani Na Mapenzi): Movement I (Birth) /Movement II …
6. Peace and Love (Amani Na Mapenzi): Movement II (Now)
7. Peace and Love (Amani Na Mapenzi): Movement III (Time)
8. Peace and Love (Amani Na Mapenzi): Movement IV (Encounter)
9. Peace and Love (Amani Na Mapenzi): Movement V (Beginning)
10. Chutney
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Diciembre 24, 2008 a 2:04 pm (Funk)
Non Stop (1975)
When one thinks of the cultural contributions that Brooklyn’s African-American neighborhoods made in the 1980s and 1990s, the people who immediately come to mind range from director Spike Lee to major rappers (the Fat Boys, Big Daddy Kane, MC Lyte, Biz Markie, among many others) to soul/urban contemporary singer James “D-Train” Williams. But back in the 1970s, Brooklyn was known for its disco-minded brand of funk. Brooklyn funk wasn’t the kind of hardcore funk that you expected from James Brown, George Clinton’s P-funk empire (Parliament/Funkadelic, Bootsy Collins, the Brides of Funkenstein, etc.), the Gap Band, Rick James, or the Ohio Players — it was funk-disco, and Brooklyn outfits like B.T. Express, the Crown Heights Affair, and Skyy were huge in the clubs (especially black clubs). When B.T. Express’ second album, Non-Stop, came out in 1975, Scepter assumed that it would fare well in dance clubs — and sure enough, club DJs went wild over this record. However, Non-Stop contained some major radio hits as well, including “Peace Pipe” and “Give It What You Got” (both of which reached number five on Billboard’s R&B singles chart). Meanwhile, “Still Good, Still Like It” and “Discotizer” are among that tracks that weren’t big radio hits but grabbed the attention of club jocks. The LP’s only ballad is a cover of the Burt Bacharach/Hal David favorite “Close to You”; although B.T. Express’ version is pleasant enough, the fact remains that romantic ballads were never its strong point. Up-tempo material is what defines Non-Stop and makes it one of the band’s finest, most essential albums. (AMG)
Tracks:
1. Peace Pipe
2. Give It Whatcha You Got
3. Close to You
4. Discotizer
5. Still Good Still Like It
6. You Got It – I Want It
7. Devil’s Workshop
8. Happiness
9. Whatcha Think About That?
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