On&On

I’ve been digging around in Spotify for some time now, and I’m really enjoying it as a way of discovering new music and rediscovering old favourites.

Here’s a Soul/Funk/Disco playlist of some newly unearthed treasures (for me at least), along with a few old favourites I haven’t heard for a while.

1. Georgy Porgy (disco version) by Toto, featuring Cheryl Lynn
2. I Am the Black Gold of the Sun by Rotary Connection and Minnie Riperton
3. So I Can Love You by The Emotions
4. Am I Cold Am I Hot by Bill Harris
5. Would You Believe In Me by Jon Lucien
6. Music Is My Sanctuary by Gary Bartz
7. Heart’s Desire by Don Blackman
8. Mellow Mellow (Right On) by Lowrell
9. I Love You by A Taste of Honey
10. No Half-Steppin’ by Heatwave
11. Last Night Changed It All by Esther Williams
12. Elevate Our Minds by Linda Williams
13. Is Anybody Thinking About Their Living? by Marvin Gaye
14. You Want Somebody Else by The Impressions
15. My Little Girl by Bobbie Humphries
16. Inside My Love by Minnie Riperton
17. Musical Massage by Leon Ware

Open Lost Soul Vol. 1 in Spotify

Notes.
1. Toto? “I bless the rains down in Africa”? Yes, that Toto. But all is forgiven thanks to this.
2. Rotary Connection were a Chicago band connected to the Chess label. Here they have Minnie Riperton’s amazing vocals in an epic, psychedelic, hippy hymn.
3. You should know The Emotions’ vocal talents from their Maurice White collaboration Best of My Love. This is one of their very early hits, from 1969.
4. Not my favourite vocal style this, but I like the piano-led instrumental breakdowns. Philly-esque.
5. This one seems to be on quite a few compilations but it’s a new one for me. A classic, solid groove track with a great vocal.
6. A Mizell-produced track, with Syreeta Wright on guest vocals (I think), slightly reminiscent of Womack and Womack.
7. If you can get past the doobie doo wap vocals, there is some fantastic playing and production here. From the days before the Quantize button. The album Blackman has more great tracks like this (but sadly is not on Spotify as yet).
8. Epic groove built on a synth bass line, with the full treatment of strings and shagadelic vocal.
9. Not the world’s most inventive lyric but the instrumental build up is good.
10. From Rod Temperton, the genius behind tracks such as Boogie Nights and Michael Jackson’s Rock With You, a supertight Heatwave track.
11. A classic breakbeat- remember Duck Rock?
12. Uplifting piano anthem with a hint of latin.
13. Apparently an outtake from the I Want You album. The incomparable Marvin raps semi-seriously over the second half of this one.
14. I came across a couple of excellent Impressions albums thanks to Soul-Sides. A triumphal, upbeat song with lush orchestration but a poignant message. Curtis Mayfield’s affecting voice makes it work.
15. A sprawling synthjazzflutefunk jam. I am fond of Bobbie Humphries’ voice, though she is primarily a flautist. I’m hearing Marvin G. in this one too.
16. A classic Minnie Riperton song. Forget double entendre, this is straight to the point. Leon Ware had a hand in this one. Tribe Called Quest fans will recognise the instrumental electric piano break.
17. Ware is the man behind the Marvin Gaye album I Want You. If you know that album, the songwriting style, orchestrations and production quality on Ware’s own album, Musical Massage, will be very familiar.  Sadly, inevitably, his voice pales in comparison to Gaye’s. Nevertheless the album has some highpoints. This is the title track.