If you were a record producer...

[zeca azevedo]

Imagine this situation:

you are a successful DISCO/DANCE record producer, your walls are filled with platinum records form top to bottom, and your favorite multinational record company offers carte blanche to you: you can record the artist you want, in the studio you want, you can pick the song, the musicians, etc. The company will support your decisions with money and a great marketing plan - advertising on the best publications, an expensive video for MTV, WEB SITE, etc. Do you have some artist or song or musicians in mind for this blockbuster recording? You can pick any artist ALIVE (the dead can't sing or play, I'm sorry). Maybe it is a good chance to put a forgotten star on the trail of success again, who knows?

Let me know your choices. I'll think about mine...

Peace,

zeca azevedo

[K-Bee]

Actually, some well known producers of today's house music scene have already started do bring out long forgotten artists (forgotten by the average record buyer - not members of this board, I might add)

Masters at work have recently brought back James Ingram, Patti Austin & Jody Watley.
Swedish producers "Slippery People" did great things for Leroy Burgess last year.
Blaze worked with EWF's Philip Bailey on their "Breathe" single in 2002.
The collaboration between Bob Sinclar and James D-Train Williams on Bob's latest album is also worthy of attention.

I'd really like for somebody to bring back Booker Newberry III & Shirley Murdock. They both deserve it. Vocalists of that caliber are not to be missed.

[Paulo]

Hello Zeca:

If I were a rich producer I would pick-up my favourite 2 artists and do the following:

First, I would try to convince Rinder And Lewis to reform EL COCO. I'd like to produce their new stuff and there would be a 2003 brand new EL COCO album. The 12" would have the house mixes of their new single plus a 70's disco version.

I also would like to make a modern dance record of their old stuff, things like cocomotion, dancing in paradise, afrodesia, fait le chat, just be you... all updated to a modern house beat.

Second : I would do excactly the opposit with my other favourite artist: THE PET SHOP BOYS. I'd like them to make a 70's disco album. We would choose old material and re-recorded it as if we were in 1977. I'd love to listen to 70's disco versions of songs like I WANT TO WAKE UP, WAS THAT WHAT IT WAS?, ONE AND ONE MAKE FIVE, BEFORE, THE END OF THE WORLD, etc...

[zeca azevedo]

Hello Zeca:

If I were a rich producer I would pick-up my favourite 2 artists and do the following:

First, I would try to convince Rinder And Lewis to reform EL COCO. I'd like to produce their new stuff and there would be a 2003 brand new EL COCO album. The 12" would have the house mixes of their new single plus a 70's disco version.

I also would like to make a modern dance record of their old stuff, things like cocomotion, dancing in paradise, afrodesia, fait le chat, just be you... all updated to a modern house beat.

Second : I would do excactly the opposit with my other favourite artist: THE PET SHOP BOYS. I'd like them to make a 70's disco album. We would choose old material and re-recorded it as if we were in 1977. I'd love to listen to 70's disco versions of songs like I WANT TO WAKE UP, WAS THAT WHAT IT WAS?, ONE AND ONE MAKE FIVE, BEFORE, THE END OF THE WORLD, etc...

Hi Paulo,

thanx for your reply, this is exactly the kind of answer this topic needs. About PSB, I think the 70's sound will do them good. Even if I'm not a PSB fan, I have much respect for their work (I really like the song they did with DUSTY SPRINGFIELD, WHAT HAVE I DONE TO DESERVE THIS - a genuine pop classic).

If I was a rich DISCO/DANCE producer, I'd love to work with CHIC, but without Bernie Edwards, it's not the same thing. So I'm still thinking about the answer to my own topic.

Peace,

zeca azevedo

[SandraDee]

What a great topic. I'd love to see Linda Clifford record new material with the afore-mentioned Pet Shop boys & also do camp cover versions of songs again like she did with 'Bridge Over troubled Water'. Her LP could be like the one they did for liza minelli but with more raunchiness! :D

[Leatherman]

[
Swedish producers "Slippery People" did great things for Leroy Burgess last year.



I liked the Bob Sinclar D Train too, wasn't so hot for the Blaze EWF collabaration (did you see Philip Bailey denied it was him in interviews?). Thought the Patti Austin was too close to "Razzamatazz" - pointless. James Ingram was nice though.

What was this Slippery People thing like then?

[K-Bee]

Leatherman:
I don't know much about Slippery people other than they are a couple of guys from Sweden who recently brought Leroy back into the limelight.
The tracks called "Sweet Thing" and is kinda a cross between Modjo's "Lady" and Joe Smooth's "Promised Land"
with some live strings and old-school D-train like synth parts added.....Great Stuff 8) :)

did Phillip Baily really deny being on the Blaze record....wonder why he would do that. I mean, it's not like he's having a career of his own these days (outside smooth jazz circles :x , that is)
Breathe's the best thing he's done for ages.

[Leatherman]

Is it a cover of Sweet Thing by Conversion (A Burgess production Vanguard from 82) do u know? It goes "Your my Sweet Thing - Love Explosion..." - hope not as i'd prefer a new song.

I love both Blaze and Phillip Bailey but didn't like Breathe (though i know loads of people went crazy for it). I wasn't into the way it stole the verses from Boogie Wonderland and it just didn't move me the way other Blaze tracks have (Like We All Need love for eg) On further listening I felt thier whole Spiritualy Speaking was a bit over rated.