Month: November 2014

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Alex Gutierrez Blog

Grace Jones is Back

I love Grace Jones. Saw her several times in the 70s at the South Florida Nightclub Limelight in Hollywood. Great show, Great tracks , “Do or Die”, ” I Need a Man” ” Sorry” her timeless rendition of ” La Vie En Rose” Her own Unique style , her instantly recognizable voice as if commanding you to do her will. That was Grace !!
Her New Track ” ORIGINAL BEAST” in over 20 years on the New Hunger Games Soundtrack delivers the Grace we remember growling her vocals over a tribal drum beat with reggae riffs here and there and an electronic bass line that kicks in half way through the track but never quite delivers the goods. The track ends and you’re left with a sense of ” That’s it?”Definitely not made for Dancing ,unless you’re in a Cirque du Soleil show. Hey I get it , it’s on a soundtrack. It maybe playing over a scene where leopards and panthers hunt human prey by the light of the moon. Ok but as a stand alone Grace Jones track it lacks the musicality I remember her for.We’ll wait for the Remix

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Bringing Back the Funk !

Roger Troutman ( Zapp) is smiling up in Heaven . So is Rick James and a couple other “Funkmeisters” that aren’t with us anymore. The New Track by Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars packs in all the elements of Funk and other 80s R&B styles you can handle in their latest track ” Uptown Funk” ( Co-written and Co-produced by Marrs) It took me about 5 seconds to recognize that these guys had alot of respect for the styles that inspired them to record this track. Its all right there guitar Riffs, Horn section and those 80s keyboards.
For those of you ( like myself) who are not familiar with Mark Ronson He was the man behind Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black album and produced tracks for Q-Tip, Nikka Costa, Daniel Merriweather, Sean Paul, Mos Def, Lilly Allen, Duran Duran, and Ghostface Killah.He has also remixed Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, and The Smiths. Getting myself aquainted with his work Ronson packs a punch in everything he touches ,Energy is his middle name. His stepfather is Mick Jones from Foreigner, he was a DJ,and would go on to win three Grammys for ‘Producer of the Year’ as well as ‘Best Pop Vocal Album’ and ‘Record of the Year’ (which he shared with Amy Winehouse) .Uptown
The track sizzles from start to finish and is testament to the appreciation that many young musicians and vocalists have for their forefathers. Hope is not lost when cuts like this hit the airwaves. Providing today’s generation with a glimpse of a world beyond EDM and Hip Hop. Thankyoy Mark and Bruno !!
Released November 10, 2014
DJ Alex Gutierrez

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Alex Gutierrez Blog

Leroy Gomez still makes you " Get Up and Boogie"

Dont Let Me Be Misunderstood
Leroy
A few years ago on our Disco program Open House Radio we had the pleasure of interviewing one of the early stars of Disco, Leroy Gomez. His project Santa Esmeralda with friends Nicolas Skorsky and Jean Manuel de Scarano, songwriters who had launched their own label was the collaboration that led to the worldwide hit Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood, with Gómez on lead vocals, and debuted on the independent French labels, Fauves Puma ( To date selling more than 25 million units ) The track ( written by Bennie Benjamin, Gloria Caldwell, and Sol Marcus for the jazz singer Nina Simone, who first recorded it in 1964)added disco arrangements infused with elements derived from flamenco and other Latin styles with a European flair and opened the door for other Disco projects to explore and derive from other genres. He remained with Santa Esmeralda until the fourth release in late 1978, Beauty.He was on the Phillips as well as the famed Casablanca Record label. Aside from his work with Esmeralda, Leroy released ” Get up and Boogie” in 1979 a dancefloor sizzler that was well received by club DJs of the time. His ” You’re My Everything” remains one of the most beautiful ballads written to date ( sampled by Rap Group Dead Prez in 2000). He continues to tour and record. Check out our Interview below.
DJ Alex Gutierrez

Open House Radio Leroy Gomez Santa Esmeralda Exclusive Interview by Open House Radio on Mixcloud


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From Party All the Time to " Gettin' Irie"

Written and produced by Rick James and Kevin Johnston and ranked as #36 on the list of the 100 Worst Songs Ever. Comedian and actor Eddie Murphy scored big in 1985 with this infectious and catchy track that basically complained about his girlfriend’s addiction to ” Party All The Time” The track which was Murphy’s second attempt in the music biz reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100.Djs of the time embraced the track at both clubs and private events. Rick Jame’s signature funk sound were all over this track which featured Eddie Murphy getting down and serious in the studio with James by his side on the Video. Rick James appearance gave the track the credibility it needed since a solo attempt by Murphy would have been greeted as a parody. His third album Love’s alright only reached #80Eddiemurphyalbum
Recently Eddie has has been trying his hand in the Reggae Genre with a Snoop Dog Collab titled ” Red Light”…..not bad Eddie …Good Luck!
DJ Alex Gutierrez

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Jimmy Ruffin Mended our Broken Hearts

Born May 7, 1939, Collinsville, Mississippi, he first signed with a Motown subsidiary, the short-lived Miracle, in 1961. He had several hits between the 60s and the 80s, the most successful being “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted.” He would recall in an interview “I heard this tune being sung by the writer James Dean. The song had the kind of words one can feel and it was a beautiful, melodic song. When I asked him whom the song was for, he told me the Spinners were going to cut it. But I told him to give it to me instead. He liked my version enough to let me have it’
He was known as the older brother of former Temptations lead David Ruffin ( who died of a drug overdose) In 1980 he released the album “ Sunrise” produced by Robin Gibb and featuring Maurice & Robin Gibb on two tracks “Where Do I Go” and “ Forever ,Forever written by Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb .He died Monday November 17 th in a Las Vegas hospital. He was 78.jimmy_ruffin-ruffn_readyjimmy

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Giorgio Moroder Returns with " 74 is the New 24"

Take a 1/2 cup of his Academy Award-winning theme from the 1978 movie Midnight Express and add 1/4 cup of Donna Summer’s ,Moroder produced track ” I Feel Love” throw in some filters and a couple of Daft Punk vocoder riffs proclaiming that ” 74 is the New 24″ and you have Giorgio Moroder’s New track in over 30 years.
“Dance music doesn’t care where you live,” Moroder said in a press release. “It doesn’t care who your friends are. It doesn’t care how much money you make. It doesn’t care if your 74 or if you are 24 because… 74 is the new 24!”
The track taken from his new album will feature collaborations with a variety of artists, including Charli XCX, Kylie Minogue, Britney Spears and a few others.
Moroder reemerged back into the limelight with his contributions on Daft Punk’s 2013 release Random Access Memories,and has recently been seen as ” Guest DJ” in a variety of music festivals.

Moroder’s signature sound is all over this track. It is evident that he called the shots in the studio during the creative process. For old school Djs like myself it’s 1979 all over again. The track contains elements from every possible dance genre you can think of smoothly transitioning from Electronic to New Age to Hyper Disco all the while keeping the listener engaged . I’m still a little on the fence on the title of the track ” 74 is the new 24″ which can be a mouth full and may deter some younger listeners who may be turned off by the age gap, but I think the “Collabs” will help with mainstream acceptance.It is great to see these great talents re surfacing. French producer Cerrone has been active in the Dance Music scene for decades. It is time to recognize the men who are responsible for all of Dance Music.giorgio

Alex Gutierrez

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Disco's Only Grammy Award

Gloria Gaynor
Without question some of the best Disco material was released between 1978 and 1979. Many consider the most popular year for disco was in 1979. Disco in some form or another had penetrated just about every facet of daily life and it was evident at the top of the music charts, many radio stations had converted to an all-disco format. Disco flavored theme songs and intros were common on American television. . In the second half of the year, disco’s popularity began to declined due to the saturation and ” Cheese-afication” of the style. 8 of the Top 10 songs of 1979 were Disco.
1 Knack My Sharona
2 Donna Summer Bad Girls
3 Chic Le Freak
4 Rod Stewart Da Ya Think I’m Sexy
5 Peaches and Her Reunited
6 Gloria Gaynor I Will Survive
7 Donna Summer Hot Stuff
8 Village People Y.M.C.A.
9 Anita Ward Ring My Bell
10 Robert John Sad Eyes
It only made sense for the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to add a Best Disco Recording category for the 22nd Grammy Awards.
The Nominees were “Boogie Wonderland” by Earth, Wind & Fire, “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor, “Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough” by Michael Jackson, “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” by Rod Stewart, and “Dim All the Lights” by Donna Summer. Most of which were more representative of Soul music than Disco. Absent from this group artists like Alec R.Costandinos,Cerrone, Giorgio Moroder, Sylvester and many others who were recognized by the Disco community for their contribution to the genre.
And the winner is……………Gloria Gaynor with ” I will Survive ” not a terrible choice by any means ,but represented more of the commercial side of Disco instead of it’s purest form. By 1980 “mainstream disco” had ended, but the Genre continued to flourish in cities like Miami and New York and in future styles like house ,trance and EDM. Disco had had not provided record execs with the kind of dependable, multi-platinum acts that the business depended on for its profits. The Disco Category could have continued to exist for a few more years in my opinion at which time the name ” Disco” could have been replaced with ” Dance” The award for Best Dance Recording was first presented to Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder in 1998 for the song “Carry On”.Donna And Giorgio

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She grew Up Riding the Subway…..

You grew up riding the subways running with people
Up in Harlem, down on Broadway
You’re no tramp but you’re no lady talkin’ that street talk
You’re the heart and soul of New York City
Native New Yorker Odyssey
If you are a true Disco fan not only do you instantly recognize those lyrics as Odyssey’s 1977 hit ” Native New Yorker” but you are instantly transported back to the first time you heard the song. The track exemplifies the class and style that Disco should be remembered for. An elegance conveyed through musical notes perfectly arranged to capture a moment in Disco History that lives within this song.Written by Sandy Linzer (Working My Way Back to You”) and Denny Randell ( “Swearin’ To God” ).Native New Yorker was also recorded by Frankie Valli in 1977, Esther Phillips in 1978, and Black Box in 1998.
November 16 is the birthday of Lillian Lopez ( Lillian Lopez-Collazo-Jackson, 16th November 1935, Stamford, Connecticut, U.S.A., Died 4th September 2012, Basingstoke, Hampshire, U.K.) originally from the Virgin Islands.

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Happy Birthday Jimmy Ellis of" The Trammps"

Tenor Jimmy Ellis was the lead singer of the Trammps.Born in 1937 in Rock Hill, South Carolina, Ellis was the eldest of six children.He remained with the Trammps until 2008, when Alzheimer’s disease forced him to retire.Ellis was a founding member of The Trammps, who were born out of previous acts The Volcanos and The Moods. rsz_trammps
He will be remembered by generations as the voice on The Trammps’ 1976 Grammy Nominated song ” Disco Inferno” ( rumored to have been inspired by a scene in the 1974 film The Towering Inferno in which a Disco catches on fire.) The track was also included in the 1977 chart topping soundtrack ” Saturday Night Fever “Although considered by many DJs of the time as ” Radio Disco” the track epitomizes Disco Culture in the mainstream. Happy Birthday Jimmy!

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Santana Abraxas celebrates it's 44th Anniversary

44 Years ago today in 1970 – Santana’s “Black Magic Woman” was released.In 2003 this album was ranked number 205 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums.The album was a perfect blend of Rock and Latin Rhythms ranging from the Jazzy “Incident a Neshabur” to the highly energetic ” Se Acabo” to the Magical ” Black Magic Woman” The Famous cover is a piece called Annunciation by Mati Klarwein To this day it is one of the few albums I can enjoy from beginning to end. The Romantic and mesmerizing instrumental ” Samba Pa Ti” became a signature song for many of Miami’s Bands back in the early 70s. ” There is no doubt that this album influenced and inspired a generation of Latin immigrants in the early 70s.
Band Members on the Album
Carlos Santana – lead guitar, backing vocals, producer
Gregg Rolie – keyboards, lead vocals
David Brown – bass
Michael Shrieve – drums
José “Chepito” Areas – percussion, conga, timbales
Mike Carabello – percussion, conga