Little Gems

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Maximus
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Little Gems

Post by Maximus » Mon Oct 22, 2018 8:41 am

Just a disco classic with a bassline that just throbs all the way through:

https://youtu.be/qJNM5JA1g3I
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Undie
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Re: Little Gems

Post by Undie » Tue Oct 23, 2018 9:26 pm

Think this has dated incredibly well, house meets hip hop.
1988
Paid in full - Eric b and rakim - cold cut remix

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Re: Little Gems

Post by Maximus » Wed Oct 24, 2018 8:28 am

Going back to the Loaded/No Wave themes, that punk-funk era was full of strange but rewarding musical diversions.

I think it's been mentioned before but the Ze Records 'Mutant Disco' compilation album was a must-have at the time and included a number of Was (Not Was) classics as well as Cristina, Lizzy Mercier Descloux, Kid Creole and others. I never got the album myself since I had most of the tracks in one form or another anyway.

The early standard for UK punk-funk was carried by this tune in particular. It's a cover but it'll go here:

A Certain Ratio - Shack Up

That aside, this track was big among the club crowd but never really seemed to make it into the mainstream. Still a huge chunk of electro-funk though:

Prince Charles And The City Beat Band - In The Streets

And, again as I've mentioned before, Washington's Go-Go style of percussive funk burned bright for a few months and disappeared again which is a big shame in my book:

Trouble Funk - Drop The Bomb
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Re: Little Gems

Post by Undie » Wed Oct 24, 2018 10:42 pm

There's series of compilation called Disco not disco which has very similar tracks/ artists.

I'm a bit confused by kid Creole. I keep coming across stuff he produced / played on, which is stunning but I'm not sure of his own material. I remember Annie and Stool pigeon coming out. Just doesn't fit

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Re: Little Gems

Post by Maximus » Thu Oct 25, 2018 9:31 am

Kid Creole was both a stage personality and came slightly later in his career so a lot of his early music and production was as August Darnell in various bands - There But For The Grace... by Machine was one 12” I bought at the time and is a particular fave.

You’re A Wonderful Thing Baby was his first reasonable commercial success with soul/dance fans but they didn’t much care for the pop stuff you mention that came afterwards, me neither really.

I will say though that I saw him live at his peak and he (and the band) were superb, especially as Coati Mundi was in the band and did ‘Me No Pop I’ and a couple of others too.
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Re: Little Gems

Post by Maximus » Sat Oct 27, 2018 5:16 pm

Just working my way through the synth episode of 'Loaded' (as mentioned by Undi) and, with reference to the above, this came to mind.

It's basically Go-Go meets Kraftwerk:

Trouble Funk - Trouble Funk Express

I like it but could understand those that don't.
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Re: Little Gems

Post by Undie » Tue Oct 30, 2018 12:15 pm

Not keen on that to be honest, trying to be two different things but not coming across as either.

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Re: Little Gems

Post by Maximus » Tue Oct 30, 2018 7:04 pm

Undie wrote:
Tue Oct 30, 2018 12:15 pm
Not keen on that to be honest, trying to be two different things but not coming across as either.
Yeah, that's the weakness - I'm just a sucker for both styles so manage to ignore it.
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Re: Little Gems

Post by Undie » Fri Nov 02, 2018 11:02 pm

Stepped away from blue Monday briefly to remember how good this song is

Temptation - New Order

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Re: Little Gems

Post by Maximus » Sat Nov 03, 2018 9:17 am

Undie wrote:
Fri Nov 02, 2018 11:02 pm
Stepped away from blue Monday briefly to remember how good this song is

Temptation - New Order
Thanks a lot for that - I agree 100%, and that's a great video too.

When I (briefly) played drums in a band Stephen Morris was my template. I never saw JD but was at New Order's first London gig - very fine too, although the memory is somewhat dim.

I became obsessed with this instrumental version of Thieves Like Us which I still adore:

New Order-Thieves Like Us (Instrumental)

I also caught up with the BBC thing with him and Gillian Gilbert and really liked it. They were kind of relaxed and funny, unsuprisingly like a middle-aged married couple. The music was great too, although some of it wasn't synth related (like the early Bowie).
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Re: Little Gems

Post by Maximus » Sat Nov 03, 2018 10:44 am

I really can't remember if I posted this pre-crash but I certainly intended to.

I think people do sometimes forget that he came out with a fair amount of average tunes but then this just reaffirms his genius (working with Larry Graham is never a negative either) - the guitar alone is pretty close to where I think Hendrix would have got to, had he lived, and there's no higher praise than that:

breathtaking

It's actually an old spiritual song with an origin lost in history and I've got two other versions, both of which are very different but both fairly classifiable as little gems.

This I put on a par with the Prince - funkier and jazzier:

Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child - Kathleen Emery

And another fine version in a more folk-soul Bill Withers style - great bassline and organ stabs:

Clarence Smith - Sometimes I Feel like motherless child
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Re: Little Gems

Post by Gaspode » Sat Nov 03, 2018 10:20 pm

Strange Fruit - Billie Holiday

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Web007rzSOI
Odd thing, ain't it... you meet people one at a time, they seem decent, they got brains that work, and then they get together and you hear the voice of the people. And it snarls.

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Re: Little Gems

Post by Gaspode » Sat Nov 03, 2018 10:22 pm

Along the same theme...

Missisippi Goddam - Nina Simone

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJ25-U3jNWM
Odd thing, ain't it... you meet people one at a time, they seem decent, they got brains that work, and then they get together and you hear the voice of the people. And it snarls.

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Re: Little Gems

Post by Maximus » Sun Nov 04, 2018 10:46 am

Two beauties Gassy.

I'll be honest, I find it difficult to listen to the Billie - it's very strong medicine.

On a similar theme I have various versions of this but Lamarr reckons this is maybe the best reggae record ever. He may be right:

Ken Boothe - Is It Because I'm Black
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Re: Little Gems

Post by Gaspode » Sun Nov 04, 2018 11:04 pm

Maximus wrote:
Sun Nov 04, 2018 10:46 am
I'll be honest, I find it difficult to listen to the Billie - it's very strong medicine.
Know what you mean Max, it's hardly a floor filler and meant to deliver a stark message, which it does....
Odd thing, ain't it... you meet people one at a time, they seem decent, they got brains that work, and then they get together and you hear the voice of the people. And it snarls.

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Re: Little Gems

Post by Maximus » Mon Nov 05, 2018 11:30 am

Came up on shuffle and I was reminded just how brilliant it is - I guess I'd call this vintage house but then it might be techno - I'm sure Undi can put me right.

Either way it's one to get lost in - there are a couple of versions but this is my favourite:

Derrick May - Strings Of Life
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Re: Little Gems

Post by Undie » Mon Nov 12, 2018 2:24 pm

A very important tune, is that good close enough ?

i believe it is classed as House, purely because Techno hadn't been coined to describe harder sounding minimal house, I don't think it was used properly until energy Flash by Joey Beltram came out. I could be wrong

I do love this
David Bowie - Love Is Lost (Hello Steve Reich Mix by James Murphy for the DFA - Edit)
The Ashes to Ashes bit is very well placed

This came on shuffle and liked it a lot.
John Coltrane - By The Numbers
As much as Coltrane is on this, it's all about the piano for me

I'm not minding some Jazz at the moment

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Re: Little Gems

Post by Undie » Tue Nov 13, 2018 9:17 am

Maximus wrote:
Mon Nov 05, 2018 11:30 am
Came up on shuffle and I was reminded just how brilliant it is - I guess I'd call this vintage house but then it might be techno - I'm sure Undi can put me right.

Either way it's one to get lost in - there are a couple of versions but this is my favourite:

Derrick May - Strings Of Life
All the rage these days to go classical, but this one seems a bit more natural than others https://youtu.be/1w72OtqjRro

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Re: Little Gems

Post by Gaspode » Tue Nov 13, 2018 11:29 pm

A real belter that I have not heard in years, thanks Joan..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpuSR28tFqQ
Odd thing, ain't it... you meet people one at a time, they seem decent, they got brains that work, and then they get together and you hear the voice of the people. And it snarls.

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Re: Little Gems

Post by Maximus » Wed Nov 14, 2018 11:22 am

Undie wrote:
Tue Nov 13, 2018 9:17 am
Maximus wrote:
Mon Nov 05, 2018 11:30 am
Came up on shuffle and I was reminded just how brilliant it is - I guess I'd call this vintage house but then it might be techno - I'm sure Undi can put me right.

Either way it's one to get lost in - there are a couple of versions but this is my favourite:

Derrick May - Strings Of Life
All the rage these days to go classical, but this one seems a bit more natural than others https://youtu.be/1w72OtqjRro
Wow!

That really is something special thanks Undi.
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