Well , Well , Well I was certainly surprised when I came across the new Pet Shop Boys track ” Monkey Business” the voice is unmistakably Neil Tennant and in the video we even see Chris Lowe Dancing. Hotspot is their fourteenth studio album and they prove once again they are in a league of their own. It’s ” synthy” as a PSB track should be , but it adds some Disco elements ( which will NEVER be a complaint coming from me) throw in a vocoder, some violins and we are ready to play this track in any throwback set ( but use the Prins Thomas diskomiks REMIX)
The boys don’t disappoint with this single, and it’s a call back to tracks like New York City Boy focusing more on the “fun” side of their catalog You should have no problem filling the dance floor when this comes on.
.Monkey business’ is taken from the new album ‘Hotspot’, released 24th January 2020. You can listen to the album here – https://petshopboys.lnk.to/hotspot
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.Monkey business’ is taken from the new album ‘Hotspot’, released 24th January 2020. You can listen to the album here – https://petshopboys.lnk.to/hotspot
I’ve made it a point to have each one of my kids listen to a few cuts from Earth Wind and Fire’s 1979 album ” I Am ” often I’ve wondered if younger people can ” feel ” and appreciate the music , as we did back in the day. 31 years after it’s release I am still compelled to ” spread the word” on one of the most influential records in my life.
” I Am ” offers 9 beautifully arranged tracks that are elevated by excellent musicianship as well as lyrical content integrity with a humanitarian edge. Although it didn’t include interludes as with previous albums, this production delivers Earth Wind and Fire’s inspirational message to uplift the conscious state of mankind musically.
It was 1979, the peak of the Disco craze and record labels targeted the dance floor which is why in my opinion a track like ” Boogie Wonderland” was produced for this album Up to that point, the group had not included any Disco flavored songs in any of their prior releases. The band finally gave a nod to the style, with “Boogie Wonderland” ( which featured The Emotions ) it instantly became a Radio ” Disco ” hit ( reaching number 2 on the Hot Soul Singles chart ) For the record as a DJ , I never considered or played ” Boogie Wonderland” as a Disco record in any of the clubs I worked at here in Miami in the 70s or early 80s.
Probably, No wait a second….definitely the most inspirational, uplifting songs ever written ( my opinion of course ) is ” In The Stone “, Maurice White’s song about an abiding love that is written in stone. Written by Allee Willis ( September ) Maurice White and mega producer David Forster the song elevates your mood from the very first notes . A majestic introduction like no other you’ll ever hear. ( can you tell how much I love this song? ) “In the Stone” appeared on the soundtrack of the 2002 film ” Drumline” and became a staple of Marching bands all over the nation.
Well known for their soulful ballads “After the Love Has Gone” written by David Foster, Jay Graydon, and Bill Champlin and peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Co-writer Graydon originally wrote the song for his group ” Airplay” ( a fixture of most Yacht Rock Playlists ) The track stands out for it’s iconic Saxophone solo towards the end by Don Myrick , who also performs the solo on EWF’s ” Reasons”
The rest of the album does not disappoint with tracks such as energetic ” Can’t Let Go ” and the mid temp ” You and I ” the music of EWF has no borders, no color, no religion it is the music of mankind , a positive message we all need to stop and listen to
And what did my kids think of it , you may wonder? They loved it. They still listen to it to this day, they say ” it will always remind them of their “Pops” “
In 1976 at the age of 15 & 16, two aspiring DJs , unable to get into any of the straight clubs in Miami , found themselves in front of the WindwardResort Motel in Miami Beach. They both agreed that they would say ” We left our IDs in the car ( Those lines worked back then ) Half an hour past their curfew of 10:00pm , they approached the front door and a large bouncer who calmly waved them in, No questions asked . The music was getting louder, the dance floor packed with bodies, and a song that would introduce them to a whole new world of music they couldn’t get at their local record store. The song was ” Love in C Minor” by Cerrone but they wouldn’t find out the name of the song until two weeks later because the DJ had covered the label with tape, a practice back in the day to sound exclusive. I was one of those two kids who would forever be in love with the music known as ” Disco”
Jean-Marc Cerrone born 24 May 1952 is a French disco drummer, composer, record producer. Rumor has it that he had some serious beef back in the day with another Disco superstar Alec R. Costandinos ( Click here for Interview )
His album covers were unmistakable , using controversial images for his European releases that usually had to be sanitized for US Releases. Release after release his tracks became dance floor staples for ” Disctheques” around the world. Here in Miami Cerrone’s tracks especially Supernature have all endured the test of time and can still be heard at bars, nightclubs and events.
Cerrone now tours as a DJ and still performs . He has new material ” DNA” which sounds like a Giorgio Moroder/Kraftwerk hybrid with some Pink Floyd overtones . My personal choice from his new album is “ I’ve got a Rocket “
Although the track was released in 1972 , it wasn’t until the summer of 1975 that I attended a house party where the record player was being manned by an older kid about 17 or 18 years old. Salsoul’s ” Tangerine” has just finished playing , and the dance floor ( the middle of someone’s living room ) was clearing when I first heard the song that would attach itself to a memory I would create that night. My first slow dance . At first it sounded like something my parents would hear at the time, Latin Music was something I only heard at adult parties, but slowly I saw many of the kids leading girls to the dance area and turning down the lights, after a minute or so only one girl remained and only one shy, introverted boy , looking awkwardly at each other knowing that by the process of elimination they were destined to be each others ” First Slow Dance”
The song was Suavecito by Malo a SanFrancisco group led by, Richard Bean, Arcelio Garcia and Jorge Santana brother of Carlos. The song was written by and sung by, Richard Bean. Abel Zarate and Pablo Tellez Fifty years later, the song is known the unofficial “Chicano national anthem.” although a couple of Cubans I know will tell you that for any kid growing up in Miami in the 70s ,it was our anthem too.
https://youtu.be/ZRzOfYyIIO4
Suavecito” is a song recorded by Malo in 1971. … Suavecito means “soft” or “smooth” in Spanish. The song has been called “The Chicano National Anthem.” The song became a hit in the U.S. (#18) and Canada (#14) during the spring of 1972.
Alberto Carpani (April 23, 1956 – May 11, 2020) best known for his Italo disco releases in the late 1970’s and early 1980 as Albert One .He was also a DJ and music producer. His many single releases , embraced by DJs here in South Florida and sold as ” Imports” include “Yes No Family”, “Turbo Diesel”, “Heart on Fire”, “Lady O”, “For Your Love”, “Secrets”, “Hopes & Dreams”, “Everybody”, “Visions”, and “Loverboy”. They were released on the popular Import labels ZYX Music and Baby Records (Italy).
As a Disco fan…. Italo music was not a smooth transition from the lush violin filled productions to the electronic and sometimes simplistic arrangements of Italo Disco. But with the decline in new Disco material many DJs immediately embraced this style.
He was also known as A1, Jock Hattle, Albert One, and A.C. One. He was involved in many Italo projects such as Clock On 5, Enola, Funny Twins, Tom Dollar, and X-One. His last major hit, 1999 single “Sing a Song Now Now“, reached number 6 in the Spanish music charts.
Albert One died of COVID-19 during the pandemic on May 11, 2020. You can hear Albert One and his hits on Rewind 1039 24 hours a day.
South Florida’s Top DJs together all weekend on Rewind 1039 ,Miami’s Throwback Station playing the Best in 70s and 80s . Just Download the App ” Rewind 1039 ” and start listening .SFDJA website allows you to hear from your PC at home or Work
Manu Dibango died Tuesday after contracting the Coronavirus, representatives of the artist have confirmed.
Dibango was 86 from Cameroon, and was best known to Disco fans all over the world for his 1972 hit “Soul Makossa” which can still be heard at clubs and stations here in South Florida.
It was written in Duala , a native dialect from Cameroon. ,The track is best known for the repetitive phrase “ma-mako, ma-ma-sa, mako-mako ssa”, which was adapted and used in songs by many prominent artists, such as Michael Jackson‘s “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” from his album Thriller (1982) ( Dibango sued Jackson over the uncredited interpolation, winning an out of court settlement. ) and Rihanna‘s hit single “Don’t Stop the Music” from Good Girl Gone Bad (2007) (the complaint was deemed inadmissible) .
He died early this morning( tuesday March 24, 2020) in a hospital in the Paris region.
Countless number of Freestyle artists have tried to unsuccessfully reinvent themselves with ” new” material that comes across forced and artificial , with laughable results and No support from Djs . Stevie B is that rare exception . His new track ” When Your Heart is Calling” could have been a radio hit back when he started in 1988. With this track he doesn’t attempt to re-invent, instead he reaffirms his status as the Most Influential Freestyle artist to come out of that era, hopefully setting an example for other artists who might attempt to record new material.
The track uses Cybertron’s ” 1983 hit ” Clear” as a the music bed for this single , Stevie bounces and pops lyrically just the way he did on his previous material. Fans of Freestyle music will not be disappointed as this is the ” Real Deal”. Djs will be able to feed this track to audiences slipping it in their sets with no complaints from the dance floor. I’m hoping he might release another Freestyle version but with original music, but for now this , in my opinion is one of the Best ” New” original songs released by an artist of that era. The cut can be found on his new lp ” The Best of Life”
