Author Archive: dereksmusicblog
THE BROTHERS JOHNSON-BLAM!
THE BROTHERS JOHNSON-BLAM! Before Quincy Jones spotted The Brothers Johnson at a Stevie Wonder rehearsal, they’d been part of Billy Preston’s band. After Quincy Jones discovered guitarist George and bassist Louis, The Brothers Johnson embarked on a twelve year, seven album adventure for Herb Albert’s A&M Records. The first four albums The Brothers Johnson released …
PLATYPUS-PLATYPUS.
PLATYPUS-PLATYPUS. In the seventies, Dayton, Ohio was funk central. Among the funk bands emerging from Dayton were The Ohio Players, Lakeside, Heatwave, Slave and Platypus. Of these groups, Platypus stood out. They were the only group to incorporate elements of progressive rock into their music and would record two albums for Casablanca Records in 1979 …
DJ VADIM-DON’T BE SCARED.
DJ VADIM-DON’T BE SCARED. Sometimes, the word innovator is used too often, but in the case of Saint Petersburg born DJ Vadim, innovator is a fitting description of this veteran DJ and producer. Over the past twenty years, DJ Vadim has DJ-ed in sixty-nine countries, played over 2,500 times and still found time to found …
GQ-DISCO NIGHTS.
GQ-DISCO NIGHTS. After a chance meeting with a man walking his dog and a change of name to GQ in 1978, the lives of four musical veterans were forever changed. Later that year, when GQ released their debut single Disco Nights (Rock Freak) in December 1978. and it would reach number one in the US R&B …
DIONNE WARWICK-HEARTBREAKER.
DIONNE WARWICK-HEARTBREAKER. Dionne Warwick found her career at a crossroads in 1978. She was without a recording contract and even contemplating retiring. Her final album for Warner Bros, 1977s Love At First Sight had failed to chart and Dionne hadn’t had an album certified gold since 1968s Dionne Warwick In the Valley of the Dolls. …
DOUBLE EXPOSURE-TEN PERCENT.
DOUBLE EXPOSURE-TEN PERCENT. December 11th 1975 is a significant date in the history Salsoul Records. It was the date that Double Exposure started recording their debut album Ten Percent, which would become their most successful album, and one of Salsoul’s biggest selling albums. Ten Percent which will be released on 17th September 2012 by BBR …
LIPPS INC-MOUTH TO MOUTH.
LIPPS INC-MOUTH TO MOUTH. When Minneapolis based producer Steven Greenberg and the former Miss Black Minneapolis Cynthia Johnson entered the studio to record a single Rock It as Lipps Inc in 1979, little did they realize the commercial success that was about to come their way. Once Rock It was recorded, it was then released …
FIRST CHOICE-DELUSIONS.
FIRST CHOICE-DELUSIONS. Three men played a huge part in the success of two of the most important and successful record companies of the seventies, but despite doing so, don’t get the credit they so richly deserve. These three men are bassist Ron Baker, guitarist Norman Harris and drummer Earl Young. Together, were known as the …
THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA-THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA.
THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA-THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA. Sometimes, fate plays an important part in the success of an artist, album or in the case of Saloul Records, a record label. This was the case when Ken Cayre met vibes virtuoso Vince Montana Jr. Ken Cayre wanted to import the Philly Sound to his nascent record label, Salsoul, …
THE SALSOUL STRINGS-HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE.
THE SALSOUL STRINGS-HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE. Recently, I’ve been reviewing many of Salsoul Records’ releases, and during these reviews, explaining how Salsoul Records started to change around 1978. This change came about when several of Salsoul’s key personnel started to leave the label or play less of a role in the label’s releases. This …
THE ORIGINAL MASTERS-DISCO VOLUME 8.
THE ORIGINAL MASTERS-DISCO VOLUME 8. As many regular readers of this blog will realize, I’m constantly on the lookout for new music to tell you about. With the lack of new releases from both the major and independent record companies, I’m having to dig even deeper looking for new music. That’s meant I’ve been checking …
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS: WHEN COUNTRY MEETS SOUL.
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS: WHEN COUNTRY MEETS SOUL. Compilers it seems, are always looking for new ideas for the compilations, that will make their particular compilation standout from the sometimes overcrowded compilation market. Record companies big and small, sometimes perceive compilations as shooting fish in a barrel, an easy way to make quick buck. Having said …
M.F.S.B.-THE GAMBLE AND HUFF ORCHESTRA.
M.F.S.B.-THE GAMBLE AND HUFF ORCHESTRA. Over the last few weeks, I’ve been charting the rise of Salsoul Records and then the changes in personnel that ensued from 1978 onwards. The story of Salsoul Records wouldn’t have happened without Philadelphia International Records and Gamble and Huff. M.F.S.B. were Philadelphia International Records legendary house-band, and in 1975 …
SAM COOKE-THE RCA ALBUMS COLLECTION.
SAM COOKE-THE RCA ALBUMS COLLECTION. With record companies on what seems like an extended summer break, it gives me the opportunity to look back at albums I’ve overlooked or not had time to review when they were released. Now as someone whose something of a self-confessed music addict, who can’t go more than two days …
THE FOUNTAIN MUSIC AND PLAZA IN CROWD COLLECTION.
THE FOUNTAIN MUSIC AND PLAZA IN CROWD COLLECTION. Recently I wrote a feature on two of Electronic Dance Music’s most ambitious and innovative labels, Japan’s Fountain Music and Plaza In Crowd. Although Fountain Music and Plaza In Crowd were only founded in June 2008 by Shinji Tokida, they’ve been releasing innovative and groundbreaking music since …
INNER LIFE-INNER LIFE I.
INNER LIFE-INNER LIFE I. In the last few articles I’ve written about Salsoul Records, I’ve mentioned how from 1978 onwards, things were changing at Salsoul. The Salsoul Orchestra played a huge part in Salsoul’s success. They were much more than musicians, with many of its members songwriters, arrangers and producers. This included the Baker, Harris, …
DOUBLE EXPOSURE-FOURPLAY.
DOUBLE EXPOSURE-FOURPLAY. Before changing their name to Double Exposure, the Philadelphia quartet of James Williams, Joseph Harris, Charles Whittington and Leonard “Butch” Davis were known as United Image. The group had formed back in the sixties, whilst the four members of United Image were still in high school. Through their lifelong friendship with legendary Philadelphia …
dereksmusicblog
dereksmusicblog 