Forgotten Heroes? NARADA MICHAEL WALDEN

[Videoskooter]

Great guy, great records but where is he now?

"I Shoulda loved Ya"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmJLl...elated&search=

"Gimme Gimme Gimme"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFwvM...elated&search=

"Divine Emotions"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCELq...elated&search=

[ol'skinflint]

Originally Posted by Videoskooter

Great guy, great records but where is he now?

"I Shoulda loved Ya"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmJLl...elated&search=

"Gimme Gimme Gimme"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFwvM...elated&search=

"Divine Emotions"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCELq...elated&search=

try his website, it's great. Narada is an award winning producer who has worked with everyone from Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, Barbra Streisand and Sylvester to Sister Sledge, George Benson, Jeff Beck and Santana (not to mention about a dozen others). I'm pleased to say I met him in person and he's an extremely gracious and humble man. It seems changes in the recording industry and recording techniques have resulted in many artists and producers being a bit less visible (and audible) but his success and recorded output are almost equal to that of Chic's Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards. If memory serves, he's even won grammy awards for his work (probably with Whitney Houston). An amazing producer/artist/songwriter/musician. If you can find his first solo recording, "Garden of Love Light", pay any price. It's that good.

[SandraDee]

Wounded Bird have released most of his disco-era LPs on CD but not 1982's 'Confidence' which is annoying 'cos it was one of his best IMO.:evil:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ex...den&mode=music

[needlefingers]

He is a very special writer, producer and singer.

If you don't know his song Tonight I'm Alright, check it out. That's a great dance song. The first time I heard it I thought it was Firefly.

[SandraDee]

Originally Posted by needlefingers

If you don't know his song Tonight I'm Alright, check it out. That's a great dance song.

I absolutely love that track, along with 'I Don't Want Nobody Else (to dance with you)'; the brass sound & percussion are mindblowing!8) I decided to check out his earlier stuff like 'Soul Bird' & that's fab too if a little jazzier. I'm glad he decided to go bald rather than wearing those awful wigs too!:-o

[Tony West]

Hey SandraDee and needlefingers I'm with you on "Tonight I'm alright", that song just stirs me inside and gives me chills already! (hey there's a song in there somewhere).
As needles says it is a great dance song with great production and stirring horns and vocals... Naradas' finest!

[ol'skinflint]

Narada's song "I Shoulda Loved You" has one of the most vicious bass lines I've ever heard. It's in "The Disco Box" and probably on his greatest hits CD also (which I don't see often in stores anymore)

[Paulo]

Originally Posted by ol'skinflint

try his website, it's great. Narada is an award winning producer who has worked with everyone from Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, Barbra Streisand and Sylvester to Sister Sledge, George Benson, Jeff Beck and Santana (not to mention about a dozen others). I'm pleased to say I met him in person and he's an extremely gracious and humble man. It seems changes in the recording industry and recording techniques have resulted in many artists and producers being a bit less visible (and audible) but his success and recorded output are almost equal to that of Chic's Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards. If memory serves, he's even won grammy awards for his work (probably with Whitney Houston). An amazing producer/artist/songwriter/musician. If you can find his first solo recording, "Garden of Love Light", pay any price. It's that good.

NARADA MICHAEL WALDEN was also the drummer in the progressive-rock / jazz-rock-fusion band MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA and in KING CRIMSON's ROBERT FRIPP album EXPOSURE.

It was a shock to prog-rockers when I SHOULD HAVE LOVED YOU invaded the airwaves... credited to Narada himself. What?? The drummer of MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA is doing DISCO ??

Narada had serious credentials as a fusion drummer. He was taken as serious as BILLY COBHAM or BILL BRUFORD... Suddenly he was a top DISCO artist. They were in shock. And I was very happy to laugh at their faces.

[Nano]

Same thing happened with Herbie Hancock, Stanley Clarke and some others...

I had the VICTORY album BITD and it was really excellent, jazz-prog ending suite included. Breathtaking.

Then you have his work as disco producer for Stacy Lattisaw and Sister Sledge

[Energyguy]

Big fan of this talented writer and producer. Loved the stuff he did for Aretha during her 80`s period...

[discophil]

Oh man, "I Don't Want Nobody Else" is awesome! Off that same album is a song called "Give Your Love a Chance". Back in the early 80's there was a pre-BET black-only music channel out in Oakland, CA that I used to catch on cable late-night. I had my VCR set up and recorded the video for "Give Your Love" and that's when I got hooked on Narada Michael Walden. A great talent!

[srg]

my faves:

Divine Emotions-HUGE here in Toronto as it was the theme song of a popular local tv dance show ("Electric Circus") in the mid-80's...great pop-disco.

Gimme Gimme Gimme- duet with Patti Austin- heard it all over radio during a trip to Brazil in 1985...perfect summer song...

High Above the Clouds- IMHO this is his masterpiece: it reminds me of an epic Dan Hartman production, but set in the 80's...takes me away every time..."high" indeed! 8)