New series about Funk on BBC Radio

[QUINNY]

In my defence:
There is a huge difference between a record that WAS played a lot in the day and received rave reactions and ones that have been picked up from cut out bins 20 years later that are merely obscure.
THE RHYTHM MAKERS later became G.Q. and re-did a track 'Soul on your side'? as Disco Nights, which was of course a gigantic hit.
Zone was for me at least (and many of my DJ colleagues) one of those records that just made you drop your jaw and say SHIIIIIT!!!! It just blew me away and still sends shivers down my spine when I play it. It was just so damned funky, solid and special (to me at least).
It is on 3 Cds to my knowledge, all three of which should be findable.
Disco Nights - GQ (as a bonus track on CD)
Make It Funky - Various Artists
Star Funk Vol. 15 - Various Artists
I'm not someone who lists obscure tracks just to look hip or to drive you guys insane. All I ever say is these are records i've played and/or these are ones I've dragged out to put onto minidisc.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: QUINNY on 2002-10-03 19:00 ]</font>

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: QUINNY on 2002-10-03 19:15 ]</font>

[zeca azevedo]

On 2002-10-03 14:36, QUINNY wrote:
In my defence:
There is a huge difference between a record that WAS played a lot in the day and received rave reactions and ones that have been picked up from cut out bins 20 years later that are merely obscure.
THE RHYTHM MAKERS later became G.Q. and re-did a track 'Soul on your side'? as Disco Nights, which was of course a gigantic hit.
Zone was for me at least (and many of my DJ colleagues) one of those records that just made you drop your jaw and say SHIIIIIT!!!! It just blew me away and still sends shivers down my spine when I play it. It was just so damned funky, solid and special (to me at least).
It is on 3 Cds to my knowledge, all three of which should be findable.
Disco Nights - GQ (as a bonus track on CD)
Make It Funky - Various Artists
Star Funk Vol. 15 - Various Artists
I'm not someone who lists obscure tracks just to look hip or to drive you guys insane. All I ever say is these are records i've played and/or these are ones I've dragged out to put onto minidisc.

Hey,

again, why the hell you think that who's been listing or listening to "obscure" tracks is doin' this just to look hip? Why don't you accept that somebody simply LIKE this songs? If you choose songs to look hip, that's your problem. If you know someone who picks obscure, I mean, "obscure" tracks just to look smart, well, you don't have the right to say that EVERYBOBY who likes "obscure" tracks are trying to look hip. Maybe some of them are really hip, baby, who knows? Before judging others...

BTW, Quinny, you have a history, so do we. I'm a 40 years old guy, so I was there too, I saw some of your "obscure" tracks making people shake and shout on the dancefloor yesterday and even today. We should respect your history, you should respect ours... It's YOUR history and YOUR point of view, not exactly the OBVIOUS TRUTH, you know what I mean?

zeca azevedo, a piece of history himself

[QUINNY]

Zeca: What IS your problem. Have I touched a raw nerve or something?
BTW: With licensing laws being what they are you were old enough to have 'been there' in 1980 or thereabouts. Need I say more. That's a smilie!

[Blaxman]

Hmmmm......excuse me Quinny...but, I must remember you, we (Zeca and me) live in Brazil. This kind of laws were not much serious over here, specially in the 70's!!

Yes!! We are barbarians!!! :lol:

Blaxman, being nosy!

[QUINNY]

For my money this week's show was much better. Still not convinced that Fred Wesley's section is any good or the Drive In feature. Lyn Collins was informative, but I feel the music featured by The Godfather was well below par.
Do you think someone at the BBC gave Norman some gentle prods after last week's show??

[ruoffended]

you should be happy to have shows like this , you can not imagine how awwwwwful are radio stations here in Montreal , same stupid songs everyday ! RU

[QUINNY]

I don't feel lucky. A show like this has been a long time coming on the BBC. Don't you think we envied N.America years ago with its Black music stations, when all we had was the BBC.
BTW you can listen to it on the web for the next week. see previous link from Jazzpilgrim or just type in "radio2" + "funk" in google and you'll go straight to it.

[QUINNY]

I don't wanna start anything here, so please read this and keep any disagreement non personal. I promise NOT to argue.

16th October:
IMHO:
This week's show was struggling to come up with the goods.
I wish Norman wouldn't play so many of the late sixties funky boogaloo type of funk tunes. They are not THAT funky and quite boring after the 3rd or 4th variation. All they show is that no one could hold a candle to James Brown.
Out of all the fantastic output by Marvin Gaye why the hell play that nondescript, instantly forgetable, track he played tonight. Surely Marvin Gaye deserved better than to be a part of a seriously lacklustre, manufactured 'trip to the movies' section. Talk about scraping the barrel.
O.K. everyone's heard 'A Real Mother For Ya' by Johnny 'Guitar' Watson, but I'd still play that in preference to 'Superman'. The difference in class between those two tracks is as wide as the Atlantic.
For me Norman's playing fairly second rate stuff and not playing enough funk classics (as defined by the average R2 listener and possible convert). He's also not made any attempt to chart any funk history or give us much in the way of informative chat. Now, if this was the 207th show in a continuing series that might be O.K. but this was the 3rd of 6 for BBC Radio 2, with a fairly ageing, fairly conservative listenership that may know nothing about funk. Would this show have turned any new listeners on? I doubt it. Hey, You've got to get them on the hook before you can reel 'em in. What is the point of having a National show if you aren't even going to try and pull in new listeners and TRY and make some converts?
I'm beginning to lose interest and that really is, for me, a crying shame.
Wish I could write something better about it!!

[Blaxman]

Quinny,

How can you supose the other listeners did not like the show?

You tell us, you did not. OK, no problem. But, are many other people who should have liked (or did not, I know).

I think the real question is:
Is the purpose of the show teach the listeners to like those songs? To get new fans for this kind of stuff? To get new listeners? Or maybe...they play this stuff just to please the already existent fans of this stuff?

To me, it seems just like a matter of taste.

I'm just trying figure out, since I cant listen to this show over here in Brazil. :sad:

Peace


_________________
SENHORES DO GROOVE - BRAZIL

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Blaxman on 2002-10-16 19:44 ]</font>

[jazz_pilgrim]

On 2002-10-16 19:41, Blaxman wrote:
Quinny,


To me, it seems just like a matter of taste.

I'm just trying figure out, since I cant listen to this show over here in Brazil. :sad:

Peace


_________________
SENHORES DO GROOVE - BRAZIL

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Blaxman on 2002-10-16 19:44 ]</font>

Blax, I put in a link earlier on in this thread where you can listen to the show on the web. The BBC store it for seven days! If you can't listen to it via the link, my friend, let me know - 'coz I've recorded them all so far and I can put them on a couple of tapes for ya!! :grin: :grin:

A word in FAVOUR of Norman Jay in case our friends around the world are getting the wrong opinion about him. Norman has made his name as a Seventies rare groove DJ. I first discovered his music on London pirate soul radio in the mid-Eighties, and has been instrumental in digging out some real gems out of the bottom of the crates over the years..... Whether you like these tunes or not is a matter of personal taste - exactlyas you said, Blax! ... Some people don't like them, some people do (like me :grin:). Blax - I have this funny feeling you would like the music he plays!

And look what Norman Jay has achieved in his life - he has a regular 3-hour show on local BBC radio, he was picked to present a black music show on national BBC radio, and he has an MBE (medal from the Queen) for his services to black music!

I am a Brit who actually appreciates the fact that we have such good music on our radios!!




BTW I am hoping he is gonna play Funky Dude's Outhouse track!! :grin: :grin:
_________________
If it moves - funk it!!

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: jazz_pilgrim on 2002-10-17 02:51 ]</font>

[QUINNY]

[quote]
On 2002-10-17 02:48, jazz_pilgrim wrote:


BTW I am hoping he is gonna play Funky Dude's Outhouse track!! :grin: :grin:
_________________

Jazz, now that would be interesting, but I've only seen that track mentioned on one web site. I doubt whether it's that good (but you knew that).
BTW: Politicians sit in Parliament and many get Peerages for their troubles. Do you hold them up as beacons or believe in them 100%? :grin:

[Bernie]

Hi Jazz,

I just wanted to thank you for makng me aware of Norman Jay's show on BBC. Having largely ignored this style of music I found the two shows I've heard thus far entertaining and sparking an interest in something I knew little about. The fact that I listened to both shows straight through says something. I hope to catch the next edition. Thanks again.

[jazz_pilgrim]

On 2002-10-17 07:59, Bernie wrote:
Hi Jazz,

I just wanted to thank you for makng me aware of Norman Jay's show on BBC. Having largely ignored this style of music I found the two shows I've heard thus far entertaining and sparking an interest in something I knew little about. The fact that I listened to both shows straight through says something. I hope to catch the next edition. Thanks again.

Glad you enjoyed the show, Bernie!

If you want to find out more about Norman Jay - especially his Sunday night show - check out:

http://www.musiclinks.co.uk/normanjay/html/welcome.cfm

The reason I mentioned his Sunday night show is that during the last hour he always plays some obscure but very good pure disco music from the Seventies and Eighties. I think a lot of you would find it interesting to listen to. Luckily his Sunday night show is live via the Web ... Last sunday he played obscure tracks from Charo and The Salsoul Orch, Double Exposure and Norman Connors for example ...

I would stress Bernie that I have no personal link with Norman Jay - I am simply a great fan of the music he plays! :grin: And I think it is worth sharing his music with the rest of you!!

And watch out - because in the past I know he has played a few gigs in the US and Australia!

Happy listening!

[Blaxman]

Jazz, since you've mentioned, I did heard sometime ago the Funky Dude's fave track - Outhouse - despite the title, the track is pretty cool indeed!! Great 70's disco funk tune!! (IMO) Will not be my all time fave, but is a good track!

About the Norman Jay show, I'll try to hear it. Be sure!!


Peace

[QUINNY]

Well, I've listened to this week's show for the third time and...........................zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
It's still not pushing MY buttons.
Maybe in 25 years time when I'm old and infirm with senile dementia or something.
How's that for misplaced optimism? :lol:

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: QUINNY on 2002-10-17 16:50 ]</font>