JAMES MASON

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I got this off answers.com since I was researching this l.p. for my Ebay auction.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=190363966913&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT

What can I say other then it's all that!

Jazz-funk fans, believe the hype: James Mason's Rhythm of Life is every bit the overlooked classic its small but fanatical cult following has built it up to be. Smoothly soulful (but not slick) and spiritually uplifting throughout, the album's blend of funky fusion and progressive R&B is hardly the stuff purist dreams are made of, but anyone who loves the deep grooves of Donald Byrd or Mason's former employer, Roy Ayers, will immediately understand why this is considered a masterpiece in acid jazz circles. Breezy ballads and ferocious up-tempo groovers alike benefit from Mason's sure sense of songcraft and his knack for full-bodied arrangements. Mason plays all the guitars and loads of vintage synths (two different ARPs and Fender Rhodes electric piano among them), so he's largely responsible for the instrumental meat of every track. And though he's a strong soloist when he chooses, his focus is more on creating luxurious textures and working the grooves. And work them he does -- the faster tracks are amazingly driving for the jazz-funk genre, taken at tempos that would be fast even for R&B or rock, with lots of frantically slapped bass from Gene Torres. Clarice Taylor's vocals are far more soulful than the charmingly amateurish jazz-funk norm; what's more, the songs -- all but one co-written by Ninoska Escobar -- aren't just perfunctory groove vehicles, but feel more substantially structured than is typical for the genre. At least four -- "Sweet Power Your Embrace," "Free," "Funny Girl," and "Slick City" -- have become rare-groove club standards, and the title cut is an absolute monster. Records like Rhythm of Life -- catchy, funky, richly textured, and utterly joyous -- are a huge reason the acid jazz movement came into being; since their virtues aren't as prized by hardcore jazzers, they might otherwise be consigned to oblivion. Thankfully, this one was rescued. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide

Sweet Power your Embrace and Free were released as a double a Side single in 1977. While Sweet Power Your Embrace and Funny Girl received a limited 12" release in 1977 too.

They also pulled out I Want Your Love in 1996 but I haven't heard it so I don't know what they did to it.

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Welcome to the Deep, Dark, Mysterious ITALIAN Jungle

The sole l.p. by Zebra Crossing was released in 1978 on EMI Italy. We're Going Places was a minor hit and was even included on a couple Italian K-Tel style compilations.

Let's talk outfits! Our female lead vocalist here seems prepared for her audition for XENA Warrior Princess. While her male counter-parts are trying to decide whether they are going for a futuristic space trip or perhaps an audition as extras for the next Zorro film.

The get-ups might be a bit silly but the music is truly serious, particularly Life after Life which opens Side B, from the first riffs you can tell this one's a scorcher.

Husband and wife team Mario & Giosy Capuano were active through-out the 70's previous to this. In fact their release just previous to this one was a cover of The Theme from Close Encounters of the Third Kind as Capuano. Check it out by clicking below. They also recorded as an alias as MA.GI.C with an Italo Disco single on Mr. Disc Records in 1981 called Shampoo. That too I would be eager to hear as Mr. Disc is one of my favorite Italo labels.


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Tracklist for Zebra Crossing

A1 We're Going Places (4:57)
A2 Just Another Day (5:11)
A3 Gypsy Boy (3:38)
A4 Flim - Flam (5:01)
B1 Life After Life (5:18)
B2 Yours Truly (4:41)
B3 Milk N' Honey (3:42)
B4 Dixie (5:07)

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THE LATE GREAT TEDDY PENDERGRASS

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At 59 years of age Teddy Pendergrass has left the stage. He had been hospitalized for months.

From his incredible run as the drummer and then later the lead singer of Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes to the launch of his solo career in 1977 Teddy's voice has been one of the most cherished to the punters on dance-floors around the world. His smooth and silky baritone also fed the fantasies of many couples in the mood for some romancin'.

In 1982 his Rolls Royce hit a tree. The accident injured his spinal cord and paralyzed him from the waist down. He did continue to have some soul hits after that but not in the rapid succession that he had in the mid to late 70's.

I remember being blown away by I don't love you anymore the first single from his debut solo l.p. but I later found out that the entire album is a Gamble and Huff, McFadden and Whitehead masterpiece. Dexter Wansel, MFSB, Bobby Martin all the players and shakers of the Philly Sound were there to lend him a hand.

The second l.p. Life is a Song worth Singing also dazzled. It featured the classic ballad Close the Door. I may have only been a precocious disco loving kid but I could tell that this song was HOT. That masculine explosive voice captured me yet again.

Close the door
Let me give you what you've been waiting for
Baby I got so much love to give
I wanna give it all to you

Close the door
No need to worry no more
Let's bring this day to a pleasant end
Girl it's me and you now
I've waited all day long just to hold you in my arms
And it's exactly like I thought it would be
Me loving you and you loving me

Close the door
Let me rub your back where you say it's sore
Come on get closer
So close to me
Let's get lost in each other
Come here baby

I've waited all day long just to hold you in my arms
And it's exactly like I thought it would be
Me loving you and you loving me

Close the door baby
And let me know you're mine
Plenty good lovin' all through the night
And then again and then again
When the morning comes

Then he sizzled again with Turn off the Lights. By then you just know he was gettin' panties throw up on stage like Tom Jones and Englebert Humperdinck used to.

Turn off the lights and light a candle
Tonight I'm in a romantic mood, yeah

Let's take a shower, shower together, yeah
I'll wash your body and you'll wash mine, yeah
Rub me down in some hot oils, baby, yeah
And I'll do the same thing to you

Just turn off the lights, come to me
Girl, I wanna give you a special treat, you're so sweet
Turn off the lights and let's get cozy
See, you're the only one in the world that I need

I wanna love you, love you all over, yeah
Over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again
Whisper sweet words of love in your ear
Show you I much I missed you, missed you, my dear

Turn ‘em off and come to me
Tonight, I'm in a sexy mood, baby
And light a candle
Girl, there's something that I-I wanna do to you, I wanna do, I wanna do to you, baby

Would you mind if I asked you to
Would you rub me down
Would you rub me down in some, in some burnin' hot oils, baby, yeah
I swear I can do the same thing, the same thing to you, baby

Turn ‘em off and let's get cozy
I wanna give you a special treat, you've been so sweet
Turn ‘em off and come closer
You're the only one in this whole wide world that I'd ever need

Turn ‘em off and light a candle
You see, there's somethin' I, somethin' I, somethin' I, somethin' I
Somethin' I wanna do to you, baby

I'm lyin' here waitin', my dear
You can get what you want any time you want it
I'm lyin' here waitin', my dear
Come get what you need, give me what I need

Tell me what you wanna do (There's somethin' I)
Tell me what you wanna do, babe
(There's somethin' I, somethin' I wanna do to you, baby)
Tell me what you wanna do (Yeah)
Tell me what you wanna do, babe (Yes)

Tell me what you wanna do (I've got somethin' in my mind)
Tell me what you wanna do, babe
(Somethin' that I've been wantin' to do all the time, yeah, yes
Tell me what you wanna do (I wanna give you a special treat)
Tell me what you wanna do, babe (‘Cause you've been so sweet, yeah, yes)

(Anything that you want, anything that you need, I got it, I got it)
Tell me what you wanna do (I can do it)
Tell me what you wanna do, babe (I'm willin')
Tell me what you wanna do
Tell me what you wanna do, babe (I'm willin' to try)

In 1980 he rang in the new decade with yet another scorcher Love T.K.O.

Lookin' back over my years
I guessed, I've shedded some tears
Told myself time and time again
This time I'm gonna win

But another fight, things ain't right
I'm losin' again
Takes a fool to lose twice
And start all over again

Think I'd better let it go
Looks like another love T.K.O. (Oh...oh...oh...)
Think I'd better let it go (What you think about it, girl), let it go, baby (Oh, yeah)
Looks like another love T.K.O. (Mmm...mmm...mmm)

Tried to take control of the love
Love took control of me
'Cause you lose all thoughts, sense of time
And have a change of mind

Takin' the bumps and the bruises
Of all the things of a two-time loser
Tryin' to hold on, faith is gone
It's just another sad song

I think I'd better let it go (What you say about it?)
Looks like another love T.K.O. (Oh...oh...ho...whoa...yes)
I think I'd better let it go), let it go, baby (Oh, baby)
Looks like another love T.K.O. (Mmm...hmm...oh...ho...oh...)

Oh...ho...whoa...ho...
Ooh...hoo...
Oh...ho...oh...
Ooh...ooh...
Mmm...mmm...

Tried to take control of the love
Love took control of me
'Cause you lose all thoughts, sense of time
And have a change of mind

Takin' the bumps and the bruises
Of all the things of a two-time loser
See I try to hold on, my faith is gone
It's just another sad song

And I think I'd better let it go (Let it go, let it go)
Looks like another love T.K.O. (I think I'd better)
Think I'd better let it go, let it go, baby (If I know what's good for you, girl)
Looks like another love T.K.O. (I couldn't stand this pain much longer)

Think I'd better let it go, let it go, baby (Whoa...oh...yeah)
Looks like another love T.K.O. (Ooh...ooh...baby)
(Oh, sometimes, sometimes I just feel like I wanna say)
(I wanna say, mmm...mmm...)

'Cause it looks like another love T.K.O.
(Tired of gettin' beat up by love)
Think I'd better let it go, let it go, baby (Before it's too late, yeah)
Looks like another love T.K.O. (Hey...ey...oh, yeah) (Mmm...hmm...mmm...hmm...mmm...hmm...mmm...hmm...)

Think I'd better let it go (Yeah)
Looks like another love T.K.O. (Hey, yeah, whoa, I think I'd better)
Think I'd better let it go (Let it go), let it go, baby (Oh, yeah)
Looks like another (Yeah) love T.K.O.
(Oh, they say love is better the second time around)

Think I'd better let it go (I can't stand on my feet)
Looks like another love T.K.O. (I'm falling down, no, 'cause, 'cause, 'cause)
I think I'd better let it go (Let it go, baby)

The TP l.p. from 1980 featured another ballad Can't we Try and the above referenced Love T.K.O., Feel the Fire and Take me in Your Arms Tonight which both featured the dynamite Stephanie Mills.

By 1981 with his It's Time for Love l.p. he sort of went a bit in another direction and I wasn't really following his career anymore. But I'll always hold a special place in my heart for this voice.

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