Times are changing...

I felt like like compiling 70s tracks talking about changes, all sorts of changes, sentimental, cultural and social...

Past only become past when changes occur, individuals, people and nations must constantly evolve (and learn from their mistakes). The idea of progress, change, is actually what defines History and gives it a direction either good or bad.

Only dumbs and loosers never change their mind and opinions. Anyone should reconsider its lifestyle, opinions etc on a regular basis and embrace C.H.A.N.G.E.S.

C.H.A.N.G.I.N

Soundsofthe70s.blogspot presents 70s rare groove made of change

1 Marlena Shaw - Pictures and memories - Disco

2 Esther Phillips - Changin' - Modern Soul

3 Clydie King - Long Road Ahead - Soul

4 James Brown - New Breed - Funk

5 Betty Lavette - Waiting For Tomorrow - Soul

6 Lonnie Smith - It's Changed - Jazz

7 Charles Kynard - Change up - Acid Jazz

8 Ralph Robles - Yesterday - Latin

9 Jimmy Sabater - Times Are Changin' - Latin

10 Black Sugar - The Dawn Of My Madness - Latin

11 High Inergy - We Are The Future - Soul

12 Brown sugar - I'm Going Through Changes Now - Disco

13 The Eight Minutes - Looking For a Brand New Game - Disco

14 Brian Auger's Oblivion Express - Change - Funk

15 Janinha - Amanhã - Brasil

16 Balança Povo - Novo Dia - Brasil - Funk

17 Brazilian Singers - Um Frevo Novo - Brasil - Samba

Teasers :

Marlena Shaw - Pictures and memories (1977)

enjoy full compilation here

p.s.: I know we are all very busy and short of time, but take some to share comments. I appreciate to understand what is behind the thousands of downloads of the individual tracks or compilations.

From the 1975 album The legendary zing album by the Trammps, one of these monster tracks with a built-in groove that smoothly builts up again and again.

Note that this LP is considered the first Disco LP ever edited, by the band who would later sing the huge Disco Inferno.

"Prior to their disco fame the Trammps released Rubber Band as a single in 1975 on Buddah a real soul gem that has featured on more than one occassion in modern hip-hop.

It was sampled as the basis for the Game’s release ‘Hate It Or Love It’ getting re-worked & chopped-up by the legendary production team of Cool & Dr.Dre. J Dilla used it for ‘Dilla Says Go’ from Donuts."

Trammps - Rubber band (edit)

Buddah records 1975

4 years and half later (yet...) Sounds of the 70s shows 400.000 hits and not a single file deletion. This is why you won't find big hits here, music is free, rare and good (occasionaly...)

stay tuned

Angela Bofill became Dave Gruisin favorite in the late 70s and this fortunate cooperation gave birth to 2 great albums in 1978 (Angie) and 1979 (Angel of the night) mixing jazz, soul and disco vibes in a very rich and delicate way.

so 70s...

Angela Bofill - What I wouldn't do

from Angel in the Night (Arista 1979)

Orginal vinyl rip - 320 kbps EAC mp3

Does this monster bass ring a bell to you?....

Locksmith, Far beyond

Unlock the funk - Arista 1980 (produced by Harvey Mason)

Orginal vinyl rip - 320 kbps EAC mp3

Another majestic production by Gene Page for Nancy Wilson, dated 1974, is the track Streetrunner from the LP All in love is fair. Nancy wilson is at her pick again here, backed by really deep strings arrangments that give her energy to release profound vibes

A very beautiful piece of 70s music...

Nancy Wilson - Streetrunner

from the 1974 RCA LP All in love is fair

Original vinyl rip - 320 Kbps EAC mp3

Do you recognize the intro? If not, then I know for sure that you never listened to any EBONY disco mixes... Great track from this RCA soul band rare LP, under the command of genius 70s arranger and composer BERT DE COTEAUX (The one behind Marlena Shaw much acclaimed and downloaded "Think about me" track I posted earlier).

Rhythm - Are you ready for this RCA (1976)

Orginal vinyl rip - 320 kbps EAC mp3

As you noticed I am hooked up on Divas... so let's keep on with the serie since I can see that I am not the only one here in this mood

Let me present you Merry Clayton, most famous for being the other part of the Rolling Stone Gimme Shelter duet with Mick Jagger in 1969.

The track I suggest today is a cover of a classic Bob Dylan composition, but as you will see, in a splendid soul rendering, from her great 1975 Keep your eyes on the Sparrow Lp.

This LP and the other 3 are availble on itunes by the way. Emotions and her 1971 albums are fantastic too.

Merry Clayton

Rainy day women # 12 & 35 (1975)

Orginal vinyl rip - 320 kbps EAC mp3

enjoy and share your comments

A brief post for a great track from Jerry Butler in a much more Disco Funk than usual, surely because of the presence of Michael Sutton on the composing. Great piece of 70s music!

Jerry Butler - I don't want nobody to know (Motown 1976)

Original Accuphase system vinyl ripping & 320 EAC kbps mp3

I was searching for a theme for the first 2010 compilation and realised that I still had to give my definition of 70s "love" songs.

By love songs I do not refer to cheesy orchestral 70s disco but rather to deep songs from soul to jazz that reveal either in joy or pain love sentiments from their composers. The 70s were again a huge territory for many songwriters to express in words and notes their deepest love sensations.

Sounds of the 70s presents

L.O.V.I.N grooves

20 out-of-print 70s songs to break your heart

(vinyl rip 320kbps)

1 Linda Evans - I've been searching

2 Glady Knight & the Pips - Friendly persuasion

3 The Love Machine - Very Special Moment

4 Marlena Shaw - Feel Like Makin' Love

5 Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose - Big Time Lover

6 Martha & The Vandellas - The Tracks Of My Tears

7 Gentle persuasion - Gotta lotta love

8 Esther Satterfield - Love Music

9 Lou Donaldson - Love Walked In

10 Chemise - She can´t love you (original 12" mix)

11 Teo Dore - Love message

12 Brian Auger's Oblivion Express - You'll Stay In My Heart

13 Eddie Harris - When A Man Loves A Woman

14 Johnny Bristol - Love Takes Tears

15 Bobby Womack - I'm In Love

16 Grey & Hanks - Love's In Command

17 Minnie Riperton - Baby, This Love I Have

18 Dee Dee Bridgewater - Love Won't Let Me

19 Trevor Dandy - Is There Any Love

20 Destruments - Love (Interlude)

enjoy and comment!

Extract teaser : Linda Evans - I've been searching (1979)

SPECIAL MONSTER DISCO POST

This week Obama had a major reform passed on the American Congress, a reform that will change the balance of power between the people and a greedy insurance system, unwilling to assume any risk inherent to the business. Obama definitely entered in History by achieving this, following a social trend iniciated in the 60s (Medicaid, 1964) and the 70s.

To celebrate in a 70s Disco mood I propose this superb track from Ullanda McCullough, from the out of print 1980 album she did backed by Ashford&Simpson. As you can expect, arrangements are explosive and sweet at the sametime, I just love this sound...

Ullanda McCullough, Bad Company (1980), mp3 320kbps (vinyl rip)

(Note that I upgraded some elements of my HiFi system, the sound is even better now)

One of the best labels in re-edition of super-hard-to-find 60s/70s music (ace records) has strike again with a splendid compilation of material composed by the trio Nick Ashford, Valerie Simpson and Josephine Armstead.

These 3 genius met in NY in the mid-60s (they were 20 years old) before they separate and that Ashford and Simpson left to Detroit for Motown (you know the rest of their success, check my previous posts). Nick, Valerie and Josephine had all started writing music in Church Gospel groups, Valerie had learnt the Piano by ear (isn't it genius?..). Each had joined NY in search of a fertile ground for work, Nick was inicially homeless for a time in the Big Apple (a bench in Bryant Park Manhattan says "Nick was here").

During 3 years (1964-1967) the trio scored superb compositions for a big number of chart-busting groups like the Shirelles, Betty LaVette, Aretha Franklin from R&B labels as VJ, Scepter Records, ATCO, Wand.

This compilation is a must-have for any 60s/70s collectors, it is absolutely good from track 1 to 24, great remastered sound and the notes are really well documented. I will post one teaser track but of course do not count on me to go further, this is great work by the guys at Ace Records /Kent soul and and it needs to be respected.

The Diplomats - Love ain't what it used to be (Wand 1965)

Ashford, Simpson, Armstead

from the Compilation

The Real Thing - the songs of ASHFORD, SIMPSON & ARMSTEAD

(Ace Records 2009)

download of the track with the right arrow in the box

1979, Capitol records, Hollywood : it had to be disco.

Freda Payne jumps late on this train with the "Hot" LP. I picked the track that best meet with my expectations from this Capitol period. The song builts up perfectly, in a Patrick Adams way, backed by a nice strings section, James Gadson on the beatbox and Lee Ritenour on the guitar.

Freda Payne - Savin'it (Capitol 1979)

320kbps mp3 original vinyl rip

In a previous post I presented the "Hits, remixes and rarities" compilation of (Nickolas) Ashford & (Valerie) Simpson Warner Bros years.

I feel I need to pay more tribute to this extraordinary couple who ranks so so high within the category of the 70s multi-talented composers-musicians-singers. Besides their own hits they composed dozens of 70s anthems like "Ain't no mountain high enough", "The Boss" for Diana Ross, "Clouds" for Chaka Khan.

To my opinion, almost every thing they did is between good and pure genius... until 1981. After this year, as most artists who had crossed the whole 70s scope, they didn't feel "at home" in this new synthetic-digital-pop environnement and the novelty they had brought was impossible to repeat a decade later.

The more I listen to their discography from 1973 to 1981, the more I understand how their style built-up, particularly thanks to a rythmic section that reached perfection with genius bass player Francisco Centeno who complemented perfectly Valerie Simpson's piano skills. Francisco Centeno who can also be noted for his role in the monster disco LP "Rap-O-Clap" by Joe Bataan, equals Bernard Edward from the Chic tandem or Marcus Miller and Louis Johnson in the way he made bass guitar a key element in the rythmic section and give it a funky bouncy fat sound. You can spot Francisco Centeno in great shape here, live with Aretha.

I will share with you a great track extracted from the double live LP "Performance", although this track and 2 more from this LP were recorded in studio only.

This Show is available at Itunes, Spotify, Amazon etc... so I will only share one track as a "promo" initiative, and strongely recommend you to get the full LP, excellent all the way through (check out the "Clouds" medley...)

Ashford & Simpson - It shows in the eyes (320 kbps)

full album "Performance" available on itunes and dustygrooves

Splendid slow boogie track from the very nicely produced 1981 "What about us" LP by Champaign, a septet black&white band that only scored well with this album.

This song, with a higher pitch, has been sampled in hip hop on several ocasions.

Killer bass as you noticed (and ugly LP cover too...).

Champaign - I'm on fire (Columbia 1981) mp3 320kbps

Hi folks. Quick post, extract from this great 1976 RCA album by one of the greatest brazilian diva, Claudia, better known for here 1971 lp "Jesus Christo".

I picked a track that shows the very funky touch of this fabulous artist who always managed to get surrounded by edgy musicians.

My definition of Brasil funk.

Claudia - Ana cor de cana (1976) 320kbps

Many 70s artists became famous for the few hits that made the charts, leaving aside from airwaves and discos huge chuncks of their production. This somehow inevitable comercial approach of music, focused on hits, led to great results but also left in the dark very valid tracks that for some contextual reasons never succeed to become anthems. The hip-hop scene, in search of multi-million dollars worth loops, was the main responsible in the widescale 70s music digging that led to the revival of many b-sides and so far overlooked tracks.

This search for the not obvious / obscure good music from famous (or not) artists is one the motivation of this blog too.

To illustrate this, I picked this mega solid groove from Tata Vega, from the 1978 sadly never re-mastered Try my love LP, famous for "get it up for love" track. Motown legacy works at full power here, check the amazing background vocal (Patti Brooks, Brenda Russell) and Jermaine Jackson on the bass...

Tata Vega - Magic Feeling (1978)

I ran across a fantastic re-edit of all time 70s disco classic "Ring my bell" by Anita Ward while surfing in the SoundCloud network. Behind this great revival is Laurie (a.k.a Laurie Laptop) a dj/musician/producer from Manchester who strangely seems to be more into ambient/electro than disco music...

I encourage you to encourage him to keep on re-editing disco!

Listen and you will understand why...

Download on the right arrow

Anita Ward - Ring My Bell (Laptop Edit) by laurielaptop

The 70s are a bottomless pit of musical gemms, as shows this spectacular and unexpected compilation made in Japan on the roots of Scandinavian soul jazzfunk and boogie. The land of Abba and its neighbours was also home of one the finest musicians in jazz, soul, a background that for sure explains the quality of today's music from this scene.

I chose a track by former Abba guitarist Lasse Wellander who delivers a solid jazzfunk piece from 1976, miles away from his disco imprints.

full compilation available at juno.co.uk

Extract: Lasse Wellander - hotel 167 (1976)

To start the year well, here is my proposal

From the 1975 RCA rarest LP of this east cost blues/soul artist, a precious hard-to-dig funky gemm that I love from A to Z, intro, clavinet, chorus, horns...

Rory Block - Lovin'of your life (RCA 1975)

Rory Block - Lovin' Of Your Life SOUNDSOFTHE70s.blogspot by soundsofthe70s.blogspot

download on the right arrow and share your emotions (if any)

Hi folks and happy new year to you all.

In 2010 I hope to be able to bring to you nice 70s tracks, hand-picked and hand-ripped. The 70s is a huge cellar of nice funky track to uplift us and make us relax, to face the so many calamities that the world is facing.

I hope 2010 will bring REAL change, not the sort of cosmetic ones that we have seen so far, especially regarding the banking and financial sector.

These guys have to PAY, some heads must roll, fast.

Sounds of the 70s Christmas compilation is ready to go!..

I hope you will enjoy listening to it as much as I did gathering these 15 great tracks as a tribute to all the 70s divas who, like diamonds, are eternal.

1 Brenda Russel - A little bit of love

2 Phyllis Hyman - If You Ever Change Your Mind

3 Rena Scott - We can make it better

4 Donna Washington - Going for the glow

5 Patti York - He's comin' in the morning

6 Betty Wright - Smother Me With Your Love

7 Margaret & Carol - He's my Guy

8 Inez Foxx - Let Me Down Easy

9 Zulema - I love you baby

10 Mary Wells and Motown-Jamaica - My guy

11 Diane Tell - Les Mauvais Numero

12 Doris Monteiro - Regra tres

13 Zaira - Fogo de palha

14 Simone - Para Lennon e McCartney

15 Celia Cruz & Johnny Pacheco - Quimbara

Extracts:

Betty Wright - Smother Me With Your Love by soundsofthe70s.blogspot

Brenda Russel - a little bit of love by soundsofthe70s.blogspot

Donna Washington - Going for the glow by soundsofthe70s.blogspot

here to enjoy the full compilation !

Given the justified success of the previous post I will go on with with the 70s Divas series

Nancy Wilson's name naturally shows up in the 70s ladies hall of fame

I chose I'm in love, a splendid track from her 1978 Lp Music on my mind on Capitol, a rather hard to find record, never released on CD.

This track is deep, you will understand what I mean as of the intro, which is itself a amazing piece to sample...

freshly ripped on Accuphase 1978 hifi system into mp3 320k

enjoy:

Nancy Wilson - I'm in love SOUNDSOFTHE70S.BLOGSPOT.COM by soundsofthe70s.blogspot

(to download click on the arrow on the right bar below "info")

Among 70s divas, Marlena Shaw stands high. Her out of print Just a Matter of Time LP (1976) is a shiny demonstration of her talent.

I thought I needed to share this opinion with this splendid track, Think about me, which I discovered in a Dj Muro mix recently. Definitely splendid.

Marlena Shaw - think about me (1976)

Accuphase original LP rip, 320kbps mp3 Lame encoding

Marlena Shaw - Think about me SOUNDSOFTHE70S.BLOGSPOT by soundsofthe70s.blogspot

enjoy (to download click on the arrow on the right bar below "info")

Hi folks, tonight being saturday, this post has to be Disco. 2 Euro Disco tracks "au menu". Although I am not a big fan of this genre I noticed that Euro Disco is gaining more and more atention in the Dj community:

1- Gipsy, by Number One Ensemble, from their 1980 unique and rare Lp Gipsylon. Great keyboards and guitar, great energy here.

2- You keep me hangin'on (1978), by Pado&Co, from Cerrone Label Malligator, featuring Cerrone on the drums. This track is long but it works well like that, and you can always shorten it... Cerrone's touch at its best here, not too "porn/coke disco"...

Both tracks ripped from vinyl with Accuphase Hi-Fi sound system, I hope that nobody will complain about the sound...

Number one ensemble - gipsy - SOUNDSODTHE70S.BLOGSPOT by soundsofthe70s.blogspot

Pado & Co - you keep me hangin'on SOUNDSOFTHE70S.BLOGSPOT by soundsofthe70s.blogspot

Enjoy...

Hi folks. Today a brief post to pay tribute to one of the greatest 70s jazz funk band, Seawind. Among their discography, my favorite album is "Light the Light", 1979. Pauline Wilson´s voice has the perfect tone, pitch and color that define a 70s voice...

Judge by yourself with this superbly grooving jazz-funk track, that I rank definitely among my all time 70s favorite

I strongly recommend you to buy the full remastered album, easily affordable, it will fit perfectly in your 70s cd collection and your kids will be very happy to see a real cd in a few years, when boring mp3 will have erased them from earth...

Seawind - Sound Rainbom from the Light the Light album (download is on the right arrow) - mp3 320kbps

Seawind - Sound Rainbow SOUNDSODTHE70S.BLOGSPOT by soundsofthe70s.blogspot

ps : the 300.000 visitors limit has been passed... thanks for sharing your apetite for 70s sound

Among the many genius music arrangers/composers/players of the 70s, who could as easily be involved in jazz projects as well as in disco ones, TOMMY STEWART stands very high.

Initially a music teacher, Tommy Stewart became famous thanks to his collaboration with Marlon McNichols and their Bump & Hustle disco hit.

The label Funky town grooves recently released a fantastic compilation of fully remastered disco/rare grooves tracks arranged and/or composed by TOMMY STEWART, from bands such as Cream de Coco, Hambone or the Spirit of Atlanta.

The sound of TOMMY STEWART is vey unique, a amazing blend of Disco/Rare Groove/Jazz/Soul/Blues, with many layers of the best American musical heritage from the 70s all sumed up in rich and soulful compositions.

Highly recommended compilation!

buy here (dusty groove)

And to give you a taste of what TOMMY STEWART could do in 1973, here a killer track from the lp THE BURNING OF ATLANTA by the band THE SPIRIT OF ATLANTA formed around Tommy Stewart, on Buddah records. A real bomb I ripped from the re-issue LP.

I am using this new SoundCloud widget for the first time, I think it is really cool. You can download the track in its 320kbps format by clicking the right arrow.