Are you Lonely? Do you need somebody to hold on to?

Refreshed link from a post I did in 2008 when this blog was just a baby.

In 1983 Street Level Records Canada released Are you Lonely? by Hipnotic. A duo of brothers from Canada. It was co-written and produced by Alan Felder who have written great soulful tracks for the O'Jays, Kim Covington and others. It is five minutes and ten seconds of sheer joy. I'd have to call it a grower. When a customer of mine, a plastic surgeon from Florence, Italy brought it to my attention several years ago I remember thinking this is kinda catchy but so are a lot of 80's R and B Boogie type tunes.

I simply wasn't that impressed that every time I saw this record on Ebay it sold for hundreds of dollars, in some cases even above $600.00. I always thought to myself, that damn lucky vendor. Another auction where they slap Modern Soul or Boogie on the title line and the bidders get into a frenzy. Is this record even rare? What makes it special?

But by nature I'm not cynical. So I listened to it again and again. It only got better. The deep chocolate soulful vocals, the gorgeous melody, the amazing synth, the flute, the funky break, it just churns and churns and churns. The boogie is so damn infectious you just have to play it again the minute it's over. It's remained among my most played on iTunes for several years now. Oww! Oww! Oww!

"Lonely, do you want my mind, body and soul? Lonely! Lonely, Are you Lonely? Do you need somebody to hold on to? Are you Lonely?"

For those who want immediate gratification while the mp3 downloads, several you tube members posted video of the record playing on a turntable. Here's one by an Italian you tuber. Now who would go to the trouble of filming a record on a turntable and then posting it on you tube? Now that may be another blog post, or maybe not. Live and let live I always say.



ARE YOU LONELY?

My buddy Paul Goodyear just did a new re-edit.  You should get it on Beatport.

AND HERE'S TO YOU, JUST FOR YOU, NEW YEARS 2016

One of the greatest groups bring DISCO into the 80's was Skyy, also known as N.Y. Skyy in the U.K. Randy Muller EX Brass Construction wizard is one of the reasons the group is so brilliant.

One of my favorite Skyy tunes is also the rarest one for collector's.  It's called Here's to You and on 12" it was only released as a white label PROMO.  It's not even as danceable as some of their most catchy tunes like Let's Celebrate or First Time Around which were huge at The Paradise Garage.  But I really enjoy it's funky downbeat message.
HERE'S TO YOU, JUST FOR YOU
I'm including a wonderful edit Chris Baron did a few years back.  I'm sure you'll agree he treated it respectfully and actually improved on the original.  Something that I don't find true to a lot of the countless edits of disco that come out every week.

They were quite the snazzy dressers too!

Paul Thomas is the Man...Circle City Band

Indianapolis singer songwriter Paul Thomas took advantage of a gospel labels expansion into r and b and brought three great singles to Circle City Records as the Circle City Band. Each was picked up later by Becket Records too. For me they are the epitome of quality modern soul, funk, boogie. The best parts of disco being brought to the next level and into the freshly started 80's.

Magic the first single from 1983 was hot indeed, so hot that BET (Black Entertainment Television) chose it as it's theme song.

Back when Ebay bidders had more money to shell out this 12" often shot up well above $100.00 especially for the Promo on Circle City Band records. Now it gets about half that amount.
"That MAGIC from the sparkle in your eyes makes me realize, I know that you're the only one for me.
The true devotion from the feeling in your heart, means we'll never part, you know that I'm the only one you need.
That MAGIC from the sparkle in your eyes makes me realize I know that you're the only one for me.

Hot baby. Hot baby. Girl you're makin' me hot baby. ALRIGHT!"

The follow-up from 1984 My Place is funkier and features vocoder which I personally have a deep weakness for. As do many a collector of Boogie and Electro. The lyrics are fun but not nearly as catchy and smart as Magic. 

The 3rd single Party Lights (shake your body get loose) is probably my least favorite of the three. It is clearly more Electro and vocoder Funk in that Newcleus, Aleem kinda way. There is some very tasty sax work though. Paul Thomas also seems to channel his inner falsetto as he varies the pitch in his vocals on this track more then he had with the previous two. The chipmunky sounding retort "shake your body get loose" reminds me a lot of the Newcleus "wicky wicky wicky" which was very Electro hot in the same period.

I'd rate all three songs growers. They take repeated listens to really appreciate and personally I think all three kick some major ass!

CIRCLE CITY ZIP

I Love it by Trussel is PERFECTION

Trussel was a funk group from Petersburg, Virginia who first came to some fame as Evelyn King's touring band. Then they had one l.p. release in 1980 on Elektra Records. It featured the infectious disco throw-down Love Injection. But the real prize on it was I Love It. A few years back it was included on the superb cd series Azuli Presents, this one featuring Derrick L. Carter, Choice: A Collection of Classics. Since re-discovering it, it has been consistently one of my most played tracks in iTunes.

It is simply just not your typical disco or funk tune. Not even a dollop of cheese on this one. It's a veritable house party in itself. The production work by Fred Wesley, who formerly had collaborated with the Ike and Tina Turner Review, James Brown and Funkadelic is adventurous and far from commercial sounding. Around this time Fred Wesley also came out with a major Loft classic with his own House Party 12" on RSO records. It was featured on Nuphonic records Loft Classics Volume 2 compilation. But back to I Love It cause hot damn I just love it so much!

The breaks are on fire on this track. In fact by about five and a half minutes in it turns into a full-stop jazz funk jam session. The lead singer starts a frenzied insane scat and then the hook just repeats over and over:
I Love It
I Love Only You
I Love It
And The Things That You Do
I Love It
I Love Only You
I Love It
And The Things That You Do....That You Do....That You Do...That You Do

Truly a disco funk jazz odyssey. This love mantra just keeps repeating until it fades out but by then you should love it too.

Here grab it:
I LOVE IT ZIP

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THIS LOVE IS REAL VALERIE Mc NAIR an obscure Detroit dance effort

This scarce double A side came out on a private press label out of Detroit, Michigan called Real Rhythm Records.  On discogs.com there are only 5 listings for this label so it's real obscure.

The click's got that whole call and response thing going on and a bit of a rap.  So it sounds a bit more dated.  While This Love is Real is a bit more on the electro-freestyle tip.  They are both great and even though I'm selling my copy in my ebay store I'm gonna let you have a nice rip of one side.
A RIP OF THIS LOVE IS REAL
BUY MY VINYL ON EBAY

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Party Let's Party Oxygen

Here's a funky disco number from 1981.  Certainly not an easy one to find, it's on Etcetera Records.  Did they even have any other releases? oxygen zip

The label based out of Cherry Hill, New Jersey actually did have a few other releases.  But very few at that.

DANISH HARMONICA PLAYER LEE OSKAR ONCE A MEMBER OF WAR...HAUNTED HOUSE

Rare and coveted disco 12" release on Elektra from 1978, Lee Oskar's Haunted House is very cool.  I just sold mine a few weeks ago to a happy Italian collector.  But luckily I had another copy, check it out HERE

Though born in Copenhagen Lee moved to the U.S. and was one of the founding members of the seminal funk band War.  GRAB IT

PUT OUR HEADS TOGETHER O'JAYS

Though not one of their better known tracks, and they have many.  This 12" single from 1983 ushered in a serious electro funk groove for the R and B band.  From their l.p. When Will I See You Again it didn't cause much of a stir at the time.  But it's now quite collectable and does pretty well whenever it gets posted on Ebay and Gemm.

GET IT HERE  DOWNLOAD IT
I know for myself back in 1983 it passed me right by, but I am very grateful to have been exposed to it later.

The single peaked at #35 on the U.S. R and B charts and #11 on the U.S. dance charts.

PIDGIN ENGLISH FELA STYLE UPSIDE DOWN edit

I don't know a lot about Nigerian revolutionary Fela Anikulapo Kuti but I do know that he is one of the most important afro music luminaries of the twentieth century. A buddy of mine at university back in the mid 80's told me that his music was very influential on dance floors in Ibiza. This buddy who was one of my first introductions to the "jet set" was likely telling it like it is. Italian dj Daniele "Cosmic" Baldelli used to play Fela in his sets at baia degli angeli the seminal 70's Italian disco near Pesaro. Cosmic often played sets of Afro and World music. Afrobeat which was Fela's style of music is a mixture of jazz, funk, rock and traditional African chants and rhythms. Now that's a mouthful!

My two copies were sold in my Ebay store. They sold for a lofty price so it could safely be noted that this 1976 12" release is rather scarce. Fela Ransome Kuti recorded under a multitude of names. This release was under the moniker Fela Anikulapo Kuti and Africa 70.

flipside edit

Here's a fascinating documentary.









Fela Kuti died of Kaposi's Sarcoma on August 2, 1997.

I LOVE IT, TRUSSEL MASTERPIECE

Trussel was a funk group from Petersburg, Virginia who had one l.p. release in 1980 on Elektra Records. It featured the infectious disco throw-down Love Injection. But the real prize on it was I Love It. A few years back it was included on the superb cd series Azuli Presents, this one featuring Derrick L. Carter, Choice: A Collection of Classics. Since re-discovering it, it has been consistently one of my most played tracks in iTunes.

It is simply just not your typical disco or funk tune. Not even a dollop of cheese on this one. It's a veritable house party in itself. The production work by Fred Wesley, who formerly had collaborated with the Ike and Tina Turner Review, James Brown and Funkadelic is adventurous and far from commercial sounding. Around this time Fred Wesley also came out with a major Loft classic with his own House Party 12" on RSO records. It was featured on Nuphonic records Loft Classics Volume 2 compilation. But back to I Love It cause hot damn I just love it so much!

It just has to be heard to be understood. Do help yourself to the download.

LISTEN TO TRUSSEL

The breaks are on fire on this track. In fact by about five and a half minutes in it turns into a full-stop jazz funk jam session. The lead singer starts a frenzied insane scat and then the hook just repeats over and over:
I Love It
I Love Only You
I Love It
And The Things That You Do
I Love It
I Love Only You
I Love It
And The Things That You Do....That You Do....That You Do...That You Do

Truly a disco funk jazz odyssey. This love mantra just keeps repeating until it fades out but by then you should love it too.

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