With a little bit of soul

Calvin Arnold's working hard to satisfy his woman.

Good job.

track's info:
Calvin Arnold - Satisfy my woman
IX Chains Records 1975

Young boy in a world without love, can you see where you're going?

There have been quite a few upsetting things goin' on in Greece the past month, provin' once more –not that there was ever any doubt- that the government and the state is as rotten as hell would be if it actually existed and that most citizens of this country -and other countries as well for that matter- are so ignorant and indifferent, it hurts. 

Having said that, this post today ain’t about sharing music. It’s about sharing the very profound will of mine that someday we will all be able to search for our inner selves, leave the superficial, vain and materialistic part of us behind, unite and truly love each other, so that we finally understand that we need no fancy stuff, we need nobody to rule us, nobody to make decisions for us and nobody to say what’s right and what’s wrong.

Cause everything could only be right then. And people wouldn’t have to go on hunger strikes, facing death, to claim human rights.

Stretch your mind and unite, people. There’s your power.
It ain’t cool to be an outsider in this.

track's info:
Jon Lucien - Search For The Inner Self 
Ampex Records 1971

Cheatin' soundtrack

This is the happiest cheating song I've ever heard.

I mean, you can even dance and sing-along to being cheated on with this gem right here from The Presidents! All the cheated ones out there unite under this groove.

track's info:
The Presidents - Girl you cheated on me
5-10-15-20-25-30 years of love
Sussex Records 1971

Dude's track

If I were a dude I'd definitely make good use of this tune to get the chick I'd have my eyes on -and probably fail dramatically with this sound in 2014.

But since I ain't, I'll still make good use of this awesome rare track by relaxing and enjoyin' it, the few hours I have free these days.

track's info:
Charles Beverly - Don't you want a man like me
Vanessa Records

Vinyl-lover tune

Well, there's another tune I've never heard before and for once again I was introduced to it by Vinyl Addicted through his soundcloud page.

Vinyl Addicted is one of the favorite guests in this blog (see here), a true lover of vinyl and disco, funk, house music (you'll find everything in his blog) who regularly edits and shares true rarities. One of his last projects was this very tune from his collection, that can't be found easily on web record stores. His remastered work with extra loops and beatline can be found here and you can download it for free in his fb page.

Thank you once again, mate!

track's info:
-Yeow - Give my heart away 
Rumble Records 1983 

Soul Sunday

In reverse mode today, travelling towards the '70s and meeting Beverly & Duane in one of those rare, lovin' tunes.

We ain't got much, but we sure got soul ;-)

track's info:
-Beverly & Duane - We got to stick together
Beverly & Duane
Ariola 1978

Love&soul

Year after year things get harder and harder. After a whole lotta smiles that turned into laughters, disappointments that turned into creativity (or in tears -I'm only human), beginnings, endings, dances, anxieties, fights, hugs, struggling, winning and losing, this gal had a cozy birthday yesterday. And I have to say that only one thing remains the solid truth in my mind and my life: sharing our love is so much better than not sharing it at all.

Emmett Garner Jr. couldn't have put it better.

*Donny Hathaway also "hides" behind this. Remember him?

track's info:
Emmett Garner Jr. - So much better
Maxwell Records 1970

That's the right Attitude

Don’t know what it is these days, but there’s been a lotta diggin’ in the oldies. There’s a good chance the gloomy weather brings out this past-appreciation, nostalgic, mushy feeling in me, but it feels like a really constructive journey. And look what I found.

Attitude was an '80s group brought to life by David Frank and Mic Murphy from The System, with just one album in their palmarès, "Pump up nation". The "Love me tonight" track only made it to #90 of the R&B chart in the summer of '83 -when my playmobil was the only valuable thing in this world- but I've said it before and I'll say it again: who cares about the charts?

So glad about this journey of mine these days. You gotta go back in music to purely appreciate it today. (Wow. If no one’s ever said it before, I’ll take the credit for this, thank you).

track's info: 
Attitude - Love me tonight 
Pump Up Nation
Atlantic 1983

Soul to the people

It’s been a long time since the last time we shared a set, so there you go. Rare sound with a lotta soul, that's gonna lead off this week.



You know, sometimes I wish there wasn’t any rare soul. I wish nothing was rare about soul. I wish soul was everywhere and all around, everyone felt it in their bone and we all lived happily ever after. Any chance this could happen sometime soon?

The rare side of the '80s

The '80s can be many things, depending on where you choose to grab 'em. They can be both Boy George and Mötley Crüe, Madonna and Van Halen, Michael Cretu and Whitesnake, Michael Jackson and Public Enemy, Prince and Run-D.M.C, Billy Joel and Def Leppard, Tina Turner and Duran Duran, Talking Heads and Simply Red, David Bowie and New Order, Pointer Sisters and Sonic Youth -oh my god this could go on forever.

So far so good, but the '80s can also be this

and this

and this

 and this

This could go on forever as well. Only in this case you'll have to dig a little bit deeper.

tracks' info: 
-Raw Silk - Just in time & space
West End Records 1983 

-Kwick - Nightlife
To the point
EMI America 1981

-Khemistry - Who's fooling who
Khemistry
Columbia 1982

-Gwen McCrae - Keep the fire burnin'
On my way
Atlantic 1982

Manic Monday's loss

What stars well doesn't necessarily end that way as well, but there's no harm in tryin' to welcome this week and month with some good music to soothe the gloomy Monday and make it treat us better. It's not a standard, but I usually find myself attaining that goal whenever I go back to sounds I 've known and loved for years - at least that's what I feel like doing right now. Join in.

It's almost ridiculously optimistic, but you gotta have that sometimes. The Soulvation Army band to the rescue. Dance people!

                                             

Man-to-man advice by Ray Parker Jr. Oh well, screw the advice and listen to the damn music! You might also want to check out and download for free the micamino retouch. One more way to love a woman.

I don't care if it's Brotherly Love or Chestnut Brothers. Sure thing is that Al and Tyrone Chestnut wrote and produced a slaphappy track which makes me smile. Thumbs up for Grover Washington Jr. and his sax. Some of you might be interested in a more up-tempo, danceable version by Dean "Sunshine" Smith, which you can find here. 

There's a slight chance you won't see the light just yet and on a Monday, but Chew do their best so that you 'll have your chance. 

Are you there yet?

You 're on your own now. Keep it up as it suits you. Oh, and have the nicest possible week. And month.

tracks' info:
-The Soulvation Army Band feat. Flora Wilson - Dancing on a daydream
Soulvation Army 1974

-Raydio - More than one way to love a woman
Rock On
Arista 1979

-Brotherly Love - Whole lotta you in me
Robinson & Son Records 1990

-Chew - See the light
See the light
Capitol Records 1983

-Michelle Lamb - Natural High
Hooked on your love
Dealers Choice

If it ain't got soul, mute it

People say if you know what you 've got, you ain't got much. I say if you ain't got soul, you ain't got nothin'. So what's it gonna be?

Not exactly one of the tunes that someone would pick for a summer soundtrack. But that someone ain't me.

Written and sung by Natalie Cole and believed to be referring to Tina Turner, this song has got so much funked up soul, it hurts.

Nothing to do with Salt-n-Peppa. Sorry.

Young boy in a world without love can you see where you 're going?

No loser could ever love this one.

Fellas, if it ain't got soul, mute it. Otherwise it will mute your soul.

tracks' info: 
-Elvin Spencer - Lift this hurt
 Winner Records 1970

-Natalie Cole - Annie Mae
Thankful
Capitol Records 1977

-Salt & Pepper - Man of my word
Heatwave 1969

-Jon Lucien - Search for the inner self
Ampex Records 1971

-Brothers of Soul - I guess that don't make me a loser
Boo Records 1968