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Cassiano: Onda
From 12″ (Polydor, 1977)
The 2010 edition of the Soul Sides Summer Songs series has a few small changes. For one, the archive has been moved over to Word Press. Secondly, I’m going to post all summer song posts to our main site (here) but still archive everything at its dedicated site.
Most importantly, for at least this year, I’ve asked contributors to write about just one song. For some naive reason, I thought this would make it easier but it’s actually been quite a challenge from folks to limit [...]
Continue reading SUMMER SONGS 2010: LAUNCH!
I’ve been meaning to digitize my old mixtapes for a long time and finally got around to it. The only actual tape–>digital transfer I’ve made in recent years was Headwarmers, which I put together back in 1997 (I’ll be making a copy of this available for free download eventually). The next volume, Mixtification (O’s Dub Vol. 7) came out in early 1998.
I have to say, it’s been fun revisiting this era though I’m also struck at how many songs I probably would never [...]
Continue reading BLAST FROM THE PAST: MIXTIFICATION
The Truthettes: He’ll Open Doors For You
So Good To Be Alive
From Child’s Prayer (Malaco, 1981)
Brother Jesse Jackson and the Mighty Wings over Zion Singers: Can’t Nobody Take You There
From 7″ (Designer, 1973)
It should be fairly obvious now that I have a soft spot for gospel soul songs that interpolate existing soul songs. They’re covers of a sort but especially when lyrics get changed, they really transform the original source material into something else entirely.
One of the best examples I can think of is this [...]
Continue reading HOLY GHOST POSTS: TRUTHETTES AND MIGHTY WINGS
Bizarre Inc: I’m Gonna Get You (Original Flavour Mix)
From 12″ (BMG, 1992)
Lauren Flax feat. Sia: You’ve Changed
From digital single (DANR, 2009)
Apart from the fact that I’m procrastinating (hey, it’s hard to get into summer work mode!), I’m not embellishing when I say I really do dig this particular sound. I was never a house-head by any means and these songs, in particular, were really pop crossovers rather than deep house classics. But man, give me a good synthesizer chord progression and some four-on-the-floor and I can get [...]
Continue reading PUMP THIS PARTY!
Gary Byrd: Soul Travelin’ (Horny Unity Edit)
From 7″ (RCA, 1973)
I’ve known about this single for years; just never bothered to track one down until recently and I’m glad I did. I always thought of it, first and foremost, as “that song with those great horns” but when I actually listened to the whole thing, I was very much tickled by its gimmick: Byrd traveling around the country to different soul cities and having the band interpolate a series of classics, including Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition,” the Jackson 5′s “ABC” and even the [...]
Continue reading GARY BYRD: ON AWARD TOUR
I’m certainly showing my age here in just focusing on ’90s dudes – I’m sure there are more contemporary cats I could highlight (the late Nujabes always seems to come up, for example) but for me, when I think “piano loops,” these three have their fair share, to say the least. For example, to me, the undisputed king of piano loops has been DJ Premier. I wouldn’t necessarily go as far to say that it’s his “signature sound” – Primo’s drum chops might be closer to that – but when you peer through his [...]
Continue reading MOVING KEYS: DJ PREMIER
Jay Electronica: My World
From Victory mixtape (2010)
DJs Furious Style and Dub’s Victory mixtape of all Jay Electronica joints has stayed in steady rotation since the beginning of the year and one song that I keep coming back to is his tribute to Nas, “My World.” I’m not sure who produced this (prob Jay himself?) but I like how he revisits Ahmad Jamal to create a beat similar-to-but-not-a-duplicate of “The World Is Yours.” And soaking in that vibe made me nostalgic for all the good piano-based beats
To be sure, I’m hardly the [...]
Continue reading MOVING KEYS
Barbara Acklin: I Can’t Do My Thing
To Sir, With Love
From I Did It (Brunswick, 1970)
Jackie Wilson: Go Away
I Get Lonely Sometimes
From Beautiful Day (Brunswick, 1973)
If you’re looking for soul records, it’s inevitable that you’re eventually going to cross paths with Brunswick. In the R&B world, the label is best known for its association with Jackie Wilson but at various points in history, they were also home to Young Holt Unlimited, Barbara Acklin, Willie Henderson, the Chi-Lites, The Lost Generation, even Lionel Hampton, Orlando [...]
Continue reading BARBARA ACKLIN + JACKIE WILSON: DOING THEIR THING
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