An underground song recommended for an old school party

[eddie]

How 'bout "Erucu" an instrumental by Jermaine Jackson, the Skullsnaps "It's a new day." Most rappers and samplers know the Skullsnaps tune. My favorite almost obscure Philly tune is "I told you so" by the Delfonics. That song just doesn't get its due.

[K-Bee]

Originally Posted by QUINNY

Eddie: Would be interesting to hear other people's take on these titles as they were fairly mainstream in the UK.

Besides Booker Newberry, Positive Force and Rick James I only know these because I joined this site. It may be an age thing though

[eddie]

Originally Posted by K-Bee

Besides Booker Newberry, Positive Force and Rick James I only know these because I joined this site. It may be an age thing though

Most tracks were out at the same time (early 1980's). Tony Lee on Radar records sounds much like Dtrain. France Joli had subsequent albums after her hit "Come to me" produced by member of Unlimited Touch. Change was the group that featured Luther Vandross and Jocelyn Brown. "Hold tight is from the 1981 Miracle album before they were produced by Jam and Lewis. Firefly has another recent thread posted today in this forum. Supposedly they are Italian but they sound very much like Shalamar. Weeks and Co. and the Strikers were the last of the self contained funk units almost like Ohio Players meet Crown Heights affair. Tracy Weber's Sure shot is an uplifting soul groove reminiscent of Cheryl Lynn. Most of these tracks (1,2,3,4,5,7,8) are available on compilations from lo-fi Candadian Unidisc imports.
Some viewers said these were mainstream in the UK. I am 29 and from NY state and have heard about half on black radio and found the rest on fairly obscure imports. Trust me these are worth getting on vinyl or CD compilation.

[buckaroo]

Originally Posted by QUINNY

Eddie: Would be interesting to hear other people's take on these titles as they were fairly mainstream in the UK.

Yeah.

How about some obscure tracks like "On The One" Lukk?
Or "Love Situation" Mark Fisher?
Even "Hold Me Tight" Robert White?

[eddie]

Howday buckaroo! What style are these songs and what labels were they on. I'm primarily into the soul/funk/quiet storm thing but I always want to know about obscure releases that have a cult following. Good to have you in this discussion.

[buckaroo]

Howdy back to you, pardner.

They're all dance tracks from 1985 (a great year for music).
The one by Lukk is on Expansion records. They were a group from New York featuring a lead singer called Felicia Collins.
Robert White is/was also from the US. His track was on the Calibre label among others.

The last one by Mark Fisher (former member of Second Image) was sung by the gorgeous Dotty Green...I can't recall the label at the mo. I'll have to take a look at me vinyl. :oops:

These obscure pieces, are the kind of tracks I love the most.
:lol:

[LITTLE SCOTTY]

Hi....what do you think about :

THE FANTASTIC ALEEMS - hooked on your love(gianatos mix)
(the 1980 promo version on panorama label with instru on b side!!!! )

MILTON HAMILTON - my love supreme (good good old underground disco song..)


best regards

[eddie]

I looked at my collection and found I have both tracks on the Disco spectrum 2 and Disco fever compilation. I played them both and certify them as underground classics. I also rediscovered another great song. Al Hudson and the partners-Spread love. Thanks for the post.

[discosavvy]

Eddie wrote:

Firefly has another recent thread posted today in this forum. Supposedly they are Italian but they sound very much like Shalamar.

I vote Klique's song "I Can't Shake This Feeling" (1982) as the most Shalamarish song ever made. Firefly is less Shalamarish and more Chicish and really does sound like a lot of the other Italian disco songs of the same period.

Weeks and Co. and the Strikers were the last of the self contained funk units almost like Ohio Players meet Crown Heights affair.

"You've Been Gone" by Crown Heights Affair (1980) is a sonic match with "Just a Touch of Love" by Slave (1979).

"Rock Your World" by Weeks & Co. sounds a lot like early rap songs.

Eddie, how come "Glow" by Rick James sounds like some kind of tribute to disco or something, especially in the intro? I regard it as the last classic disco song, and a good one at that. I first heard the song in 2003 or 2004, and the first time I heard it on the radio was on WYBC FM New Haven in November 2004.

[eddie]

It's funny I first heard "Glow" around 2000 in 105.1 Jammin' oldies in NYC. I hadn't heard of the track and his scat just blew me away. I knew if I had heard it on the radio before I would have wrote it down because it sounds very distinct yet tough to place as far as year (1985).
I never heard the 12" of Superfreak until I bought the Streetsongs deluxe set. I thought it might just be repetitious but there's a second half to that song. Radio only plays what sounds right for the era and is of a certain length. If it doesn't make a six month run in rotation, it may or may not be revisited.
"Love is gonna be by your side" is the only cut I know by Firefly. The guitar to me is very reminiscent of "There it is" by Shalamar. (Another abandoned track in the USA). And in the verses, the lead singer seems to use Howard Hewett's vocal inflections. Unfortunately I've never heard anything else by them.
The Strikers and Weeks & co drew creativity off of go-go which is the toughest subgenre to define. There grooves are too mellow for early rap but it definitely is in that direction.