Circles by Atlantic Starr

[FranceJoliFan]

Has anyone listened to this lately? It still sounds so good.

Can anyone recommend some other songs in this vein? Maybe some under-appreciated singles that didn't get the attention they deserved.

[SandraDee]

Did u know that 'Brilliance', the LP that Circles was taken from got recently released on CD for the first time? I absolutely love that track & can I recommend 'Bring Your Sweet Loving Back' by Starpoint also from '82 as it is in a similar style, I feel, & was equally under-valued at the time. Oh & 'Let Somebody Love You' by Keni Burke from '81 also has a similar joyous, classy, soulful sound.

[tony98]

I think at the last count i had Atlantic Starr on a 7" a 12" the original LP and about 3 comp Lps, so i guess i must like it. A track i always played before it was Change "Searching", another big early 80's track for me was Richard " Dimples" Fields "I've Got To Learn To Say No".

[eddie]

"Love me down" from the same Lp is in a similar vein.

[FranceJoliFan]

San/ton/ed: Great recommendations.

I like sophisticated R&B. But it seems like Chic and Chic-inspired productions get all the attention. (Don't get me wrong, I like those too.) But other groups were creating interested grooves back then.

Other faves:

I'll Do My Best (For You Baby) -- The Ritchie Family
If You Feel It -- Thelma Houston
Don't Give It Up -- Linda Clifford
Do You Love Me -- Patti Austin
Love Times Love by George Benson

[K-Bee]

"Brilliance" is the one Atlantic Starr LP I do not own, but I've always been under the impression that it's their best ever effort.
Fans should also take notice of their 2 first LPs. A much harder disco-funk sound to them. "Kissing Power" is one of my favs off that era.

[musiquelover]

Here's a recommendations for you:
Narada – Divine Emotions

I think that it goes into a similar musical direction.

[SandraDee]

Other recommendations:

I'll Be Your Pleasure - Esther Williams
Ready For the night - Margie Joseph
Too Tough - Angela Bofill
Dancing To The Beat - Henderson & Whitfield
Do It To The Music - Raw Silk
If You Want Me - Barbara Roy
Don't You Want My Lovin' - Wanda Walden


All classy funky early 80s disco/soul tracks.
Disco didn't die, it just mutated into this classy funky stuff or became very electronic hi-nrg like Miquel Brown or Lime, depending upon which clubs one visited.

[visuals]

I have seen some titles mentioned in this thread that brought back a few memories from BITD. I too have been spinning some of the 80's tunes here recently. Maybe a couple of these weren't from the 80's but they had the sound.

Prince - 17 Days (this has been on heavy rotation for the past week)
Prince - Erotic City (extended mix)
Aurra - Are You Single
Dynasty - Here I Am
Dynasty - Groove Control
Crown Heights Affair - Sure Shot
Invisible Man Band - All Night Thang
Change - Change Of Heart
D-Train - You're The One For Me
D-Train - Keep Giving Me Love
D-Train - Keep On
Debra Laws - How Long
Kleeer - Intimate Connection
Tyrone Brunson - The Smurf
Shannon - Give Me The Night
Mtume - Sugar Free
TS Monk - Bon Bon Vie
Midnight Star - Midas Touch
The Whispers - Keep On Loving Me
The Jacksons - Girl I Want Your Body
Bill Summers & Summers Heat - Call It What You Want To
Bill Summer & Summers Heat - The Box
Pieces Of A Dream - Mt.Airy Groove (my hometown anthem)
Parliament - Body Language
One Way - Pop It
Gwen Guthrie - Outside In The Rain
Cheryl Lynn - Encore
Roger - So Ruff,So Tuff
Zapp - More Bounce To The Ounce
Zapp - Funky Bounce
War - Outlaw

There is a cool Chips Ahoy commercial that has been airing lately where 4 cookies are driving in this convertible car and they all get snatched out and eaten. That single commercial prompted to spin 80's tunes from this genre:

Human League - Don't You Want Me Baby
Human League - Fascination
Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls
Culture Club - Miss Me Blind
Mister Mister - Broken Wings
Billy Idol - Eyes Without A Face
Phil Collins - Comin' In The Air Tonight

Oh yea, I have been in the 80's mode lately too! Sorry to stray but seeing those titles you guys mentioned along with what I have been listening to lately, I guess I just couldn't resist.

[SandraDee]

Originally Posted by visuals

IDynasty - Here I Am

That's a coincidence; I was playing this earlier today! I love Dynasty.

[SandraDee]

Originally Posted by visuals

Mtume - Sugar Free

Do you mean Juicy rather than Mtume?

[eddie]

"Here I am" is definitely my fav from that list as well, Visuals.

Invisable Man's Band which was actually Keni Burke and the Five Stair Steps where also underrated with "All night thing". I think that song would sound good mixed with the Gap Band's "Party Train."

I'd also recommend "Wet my whistle" and "Curious" by Midnight Star in addition to the track already mentioned. There's a 5:45 minute version of this track on different compilations. I have several CDs that say '12" version" but its a shorter edit. It's well worth tracking down that Sequel best of pressed in 1994.

There's also a group called Tease who released 2 Lps in the mid 80's as well as a single called "Tingle" that is very midtempo and groove oriented as well. It was included on the Cd pressing of Remembered but not on the vinyl version.

Visuals: I'm surprised you dig Human League. I only mildly like the extended version of "Human". I have a Dutch import best of CD but I hopefully will soon be getting rid of it.

[visuals]

Originally Posted by SandraDee

Do you mean Juicy rather than Mtume?

Yes, In fact I did mean "Juicy"...Thanks for pointing that out. I guess I had "Juicy Fruit" by Mtume on my mind and somehow fouled up.

Dynasty was a great act from Solar. That entire album was good in my opinion and as a matter of fact, Just about everything on the Solar & Salsoul labels were smoking at that time.

Originally Posted by eddie

"Here I am" is definitely my fav from that list as well, Visuals.

Invisable Man's Band which was actually Keni Burke and the Five Stair Steps where also underrated with "All night thing". I think that song would sound good mixed with the Gap Band's "Party Train."

I'd also recommend "Wet my whistle" and "Curious" by Midnight Star in addition to the track already mentioned. There's a 5:45 minute version of this track on different compilations. I have several CDs that say '12" version" but its a shorter edit. It's well worth tracking down that Sequel best of pressed in 1994.

There's also a group called Tease who released 2 Lps in the mid 80's as well as a single called "Tingle" that is very midtempo and groove oriented as well. It was included on the Cd pressing of Remembered but not on the vinyl version.

Visuals: I'm surprised you dig Human League. I only mildly like the extended version of "Human". I have a Dutch import best of CD but I hopefully will soon be getting rid of it.

Wet My Whistle & Curious were both great cuts. I can't seem to remember the group Tease or the single that you mention. Looks as if it's been deleted as it also carries a heavy price for a used one. The cover of that "Remember" album looks like it could be early 90's or very late 80's at the least...Still, I don't remember it.
I got into the Human League during the dawn of the video age by watching MTV in the early 80's. This type of stuff was virtually shoved down the viewers throat back in those days. The memories of the times are what makes these songs special to me.

[K-Bee]

Originally Posted by eddie

There's also a group called Tease who released 2 Lps in the mid 80's as well as a single called "Tingle" that is very midtempo and groove oriented as well. It was included on the Cd pressing of Remembered but not on the vinyl version.

Great group indeed, and yet another quality Mtume production. They also did what I consider to be the definitive cover of Average White Band's "A Love Of Your Own"

[eddie]

Tease was not well known but that Lp was out around 1988 but it sounds a tad older and has quality midtempo soul produced by Mtume. "Remember" was a ballad much in the vein of the Whispers and they also threw some southern soul into the mix like what you would hear on Malaco. It's one of the best records from that era. It's odd but I actually prefer soul music from 1987-93 for midtempos and ballads.