September 22, 2015

Groovy Tuesday: Van McCoy & The Soul City Symphony’s “Disco Baby”

Every Tuesday, the Analog Kid blog goes back in time and features some of the best groovy R&B/soul songs from the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s. Sometimes you’ll hear songs from individual artists or from a specific year, and other times you’ll get an entire full-length classic LP ripped directly from the Analog Kid’s vast vinyl vault. Warning: by R&B/soul, I also mean disco. I could go all Disco Tex & His Sex-O-Lettes on your ass at any given moment, so just be ready!

 

VanMcCoy

Van McCoy had been writing and producing music (both for himself and for other artists) since the early ’60s, but he will always be best remembered for 1975’s monster crossover disco smash “The Hustle.” The single came out of nowhere to reach the top of both the Billboard Hot 100 and Soul charts in July of 1975, and I can promise you that the little Analog Kid played his copy of the 45 until it disintegrated.

My 45 may have been needled to death years ago, but I would estimate that I currently own at least 12 physical copies of “The Hustle” on various compilation CDs. I’ve actually been looking for the full-length Disco Baby LP for years, and I finally found a near-mint copy at my local Half Price Books a few months back. In addition to a slightly-longer-than-the-single version of “The Hustle,” Disco Baby also contained some top-notch renditions of some of the biggest soul/R&B/disco hits of 1974/75. The Soul City Symphony– McCoy’s backing band on the album– featured some soon-to-be-legendary musicians, including guitarist Hugh McCracken and drummer Steve Gadd. Gadd had a pretty good year in 1975– in addition to his stick work on “The Hustle,” he also contributed the memorable drum part on Paul Simon’s “50 Ways To Leave Your Lover.”

Van McCoy passed away in 1979 at the age of 39, but he left behind one of the most memorable songs of the disco era. You hipsters can slag on “The Hustle” all you want, but we all know that you secretly sing along when it comes up on your radio iPod Spotify Apple playlist. Really, it’s OK to admit it. Do it.

 

Van McCoy & The Soul City Symphony_ Singles & B-Sides

Van McCoy & The Soul City Symphony: Disco Baby

Avco Records, 1975

Vinyl rip courtesy of The Analog Kid

 

1. “Disco Baby” (Hugo & Luigi/Weiss)

Disco Baby

2. “Fire” (Williams/Satchell/Bonner/Beck/Jones/Middlebrooks/Pierce)

Fire

3. “The Hustle” (McCoy)

The Hustle

4. “Get Dancin'” (Crewe/Nolan)

Get Dancin’

5. “Doctor’s Orders” (Stephens/Greenaway/Cook)

Doctor’s Orders

6. “Turn This Mother Out” (McCoy)

Turn This Mother Out

7. “Shakey Ground” (Bowen/Hazel/Boyd)

Shakey Ground

8. “Spanish Boogie” (McCoy)

Spanish Boogie

9. “Pick Up The Pieces” (Average White Band)

Pick Up The Pieces

10. “Hey Girl, Come And Get It” (Hugo & Luigi/Weiss)

Hey Girl, Come And Get It

_____________________________________________________

Bonus Tracks!

The first rule of The Analog Kid blog is that if you write about a song on the Analog Kid blog, you share the song on the Analog Kid blog.

 

Fire

Ohio Players: “Fire” (Williams/Satchell/Bonner/Beck/Jones/Middlebrooks/Pierce)

From the album Fire

Mercury Records, 1974

Fire

 

Disco Tex

Disco Tex And His Sex-O-Lettes: “Get Dancin'” (Crewe/Nolan)

From the album Disco Tex And The Sex-O-Lettes Review

Chelsea Records, 1974

Get Dancin’

 

The Carol Douglas Album

Carol Douglas: “Doctor’s Orders” (Stephens/Greenaway/Cook)

From the album The Carol Douglas Album

Midland International Records, 1975

Doctor’s Orders

 

AWB

Average White Band: “Pick Up The Pieces” (Average White Band)

From the album AWB

Atlantic Records, 1974

Pick Up The Pieces

 

Still Crazy After All These Years

Paul Simon: “50 Ways To Leave Your Lover” (Simon)

From the album Still Crazy After All These Years

Columbia Records, 1975

50 Ways To Leave Your Lover

Posted by on September 22, 2015 in Disco, Rock, Soul/R&B and tagged , , , , , , , , , .

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September 17, 2015

The Lost Boys: Hard-To-Find ’80s Albums (Ric Ocasek’s “Beatitude”)

“The Lost Boys: Hard-To-Find ’80s Albums” gives you exactly what the title implies: a rare or out-of-print album from the ’80s in its entirety. Some will be from CD, but most will have been lovingly transferred from pristine vinyl culled directly from the Analog Kid’s vast collection. Whatever album I choose, it will be one that you can’t easily find a physical copy for sale on Amazon or in your local record store (if you even have one anymore). Death…by stereo!

 

Ocasek

Back in October of 2013– in the wee early days of The Analog Kid Blog– I wrote a post that featured many of my favorite solo songs from some of the best front men of the early ’80s. That entry included Ric Ocasek’s often-forgotten radio hit “Something To Grab For,” a track from his 1982 solo debut Beatitude. (You can read that entire post here https://theanalogkidblog.com/2013/10/31/koona-tchuta-solo/ if you’d like!)

I’ve always loved “Something To Grab For,” probably because it would have fit perfectly onto Shake It Up (one of the seminal albums of my 9th grade days). Ocasek didn’t try to reinvent the wheel with Beatitude— he simply kept writing fabulously catchy rock/new wave songs. Fellow Cars member Greg Hawkes played some keys on Beatitude, as did future producer extraordinaire Stephen Hague. Ocasek produced the album himself, helping to pave the way for a post-Cars career behind the boards for bands like Romeo Void, Weezer, and No Doubt.

Beatitude was briefly available in CD back in the ’90s, but it is long out of print. I’ve never even seen a used copy in the stores, and trust me– I’ve looked. Until I find one, this brand new 320 kbps rip from my original vinyl copy will have to suffice!

 

Beatitude

Ric Ocasek: Beatitude

Geffen Records, 1982

320 kbps vinyl rip courtesy of The Analog Kid

 

1. “Jimmy Jimmy” (Ric Ocasek)

Jimmy Jimmy

2. “Something To Grab For” (Ric Ocasek)

Something To Grab For

3. “Prove” (Ric Ocasek)

Prove

4. “I Can’t Wait” (Ric Ocasek)

I Can’t Wait

5. “Connect Up To Me” (Ric Ocasek)

Connect Up To Me

6. “A Quick One” (Ric Ocasek)

A Quick One

7. “Out Of Control” (Ric Ocasek/Greg Hawkes)

Out Of Control

8. “Take A Walk” (Ric Ocasek)

Take A Walk

9. “Sneak Attack” (Ric Ocasek)

Sneak Attack

10. “Time Bomb” (Ric Ocasek)

Time Bomb

______________________________________________

Bonus Tracks!

The first rule of The Analog Kid blog is that if you write about a song on the Analog Kid blog, you share the song on the Analog Kid blog.

 

Never Say Never 2

Romeo Void: “Never Say Never” (Romeo Void)

From the U.S. 12″ EP Never Say Never

Columbia Records, 1982

Never Say Never

 

Weezer 1

Weezer: “Surf Wax America” (Rivers Cuomo/Patrick Wilson)

From the album Weezer

Geffen Records, 1994

Surf Wax America

 

Rock Steady

No Doubt: “Don’t Let Me Down” (Gwen Stefani/Tony Kanal/Tom Dumont)

From the album Rock Steady

Interscope Records, 2001

Don’t Let Me Down

Posted by on September 17, 2015 in Alternative, New Wave, Rock and tagged , , , , , , .

6 Comments

August 20, 2015

The Lost Boys: Hard-To-Find ’80s Albums (Greg Kihn Band’s “Kihntagious”)

“The Lost Boys: Hard-To-Find ’80s Albums” gives you exactly what the title implies: a rare or out-of-print album from the ’80s in its entirety. Some will be from CD, but most will have been lovingly transferred from pristine vinyl culled directly from the Analog Kid’s vast collection. Whatever album I choose, it will be one that you can’t easily find a physical copy for sale on Amazon or in your local record store (if you even have one anymore). Death…by stereo!

 

gregkihnband

 

1984’s Kihntagious was the last album credited to the Greg Kihn Band, a staple of early ’80s album rock radio. Kihn and his bandmates had been crafting superb power pop songs for years, and finally had their breakthrough Top 10 single with 1983’s “Jeopardy” (they had come close in 1981 with “The Breakup Song,” which peaked at #15). A classic video helped propel “Jeopardy” all the way to #2– a little song called “Beat It” likely kept the band from reaching the top slot.

Kihntagious didn’t spawn any massive hits, but it did contain my personal favorite song from the band: the ultra-contagious “Reunited.” I’m still not sure why “Reunited” fizzled on the pop charts, but it did get all the way to #9 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.

After the release of Kihntagious, the long-running band called it quits. Kihn went on to a successful solo career, and eventually became a very popular DJ and author. Kihn is also one of the select few rock stars who follow The Analog Kid Blog on Twitter, so clearly he is a man of exquisite taste.

Kihntagious was briefly available on CD in Germany in the late ’80s, but even The Analog Kid has never seen an actual copy. Instead, I have crafted this lovingly-restored 320 kbps rip from my original vinyl. They don’t make ’em like that anymore…

 

Kihntagious [320 kbps]

Greg Kihn Band: Kihntagious

Beserkley Records, 1983

320 kbps vinyl rip courtesy of The Analog Kid

 

1. “Reunited” (Kihn/Wright/Phillips)

Reunited

2. “Rock” (Kihn/Wright)

Rock

3. “Make Up” (Kihn/Wright)

Make Up

4. “Stand Together” (Kihn/Wright/Douglass)

Stand Together

5. “Confrontation Music” (Kihn/Douglass)

Confontation Music

6. “One Thing About Love” (Kihn/Wright/Phillips/Lynch/Douglass)

One Thing About Love

7. “Worst That Could Happen” (Kihn/Phillips)

Worst That Could Happen

8. “Trouble With The Girl” (Kihn/Wright/Phillips)

Trouble With The Girl

9. “Cheri Baby” (Wilson/Brown)

Cheri Baby

10. “Hard Times” (Kihn/Wright/Lynch)

Hard Times

11. “Work, Work, Work” (Kihn)

Work, Work, Work

_________________________________________________________

Bonus Tracks!

The first rule of The Analog Kid blog is that if you write about a song on the Analog Kid blog, you share the song on the Analog Kid blog.

 

Jeopardy [U.S. 12_]

Greg Kihn Band: “Jeopardy [Dance Mix]” (Kihn/Wright)

From the U.S. 12″ single Jeopardy

Beserkley Records, 1983

Vinyl rip courtesy of The Analog Kid

Jeopardy [Dance Mix]

 

Rockihnroll

Greg Kihn Band: “The Breakup Song” (Kihn/Wright/Phillips)

From the album Rockihnroll

Beserkley Records, 1981

The Breakup Song (They Don’t Write ‘Em)

 

Thriller

Michael Jackson: “Beat It” (Jackson)

From the album Thriller

Epic Records, 1982

Beat It

Posted by on August 20, 2015 in Pop, Power Pop, Rock, Soul/R&B and tagged , , , , , , , , .

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August 19, 2015

The Lost Boys: Hard-To-Find ’80s Albums (“Out Of Mind Out Of Sight” By Models)

“The Lost Boys: Hard-To-Find ’80s Albums” gives you exactly what the title implies: a rare or out-of-print album from the ’80s in its entirety. Some will be from CD, but most will have been lovingly transferred from pristine vinyl culled directly from the Analog Kid’s vast collection. Whatever album I choose, it will be one that you can’t easily find a physical copy for sale on Amazon or in your local record store (if you even have one anymore). Death…by stereo!

 

Models band

If you had access to MTV back in the spring and summer of 1986, you likely remember the incredibly catchy “Out Of Mind Out Of Sight” from the Australian band Models. The song peaked at #37 on the Billboard Hot 100 in June of 1986, and was also the band’s only #1 single in their native country.

“Out Of Mind Out Of Sight” may have been Models’ only Top 40 hit in the United States, but the entire Out of Mind Out Of Sight record is definitely worth a listen. The album has never been released on CD in the United States, and I recently created a brand-new high quality rip of my original LP. My personal favorites are “Cold Fever” and “Barbados,” but the entire album is a fantastic piece of post-punk new wave and well worth your time. Check out the bonus tracks for a very rare extended dance mix of “Out Of Mind Out Of Sight” that seems to use every ’80s remix cliché in the book, yet still somehow manages to be quite charming!

 

Models

Models: Out Of Mind Out Of Sight

Geffen Records, 1985

Vinyl rip courtesy of The Analog Kid

 

1. “Out Of Mind Out Of Sight” (James Freud)

Out Of Mind Out Of Sight

2. “Big On Love” (Sean Kelly)

Big On Love

3. “Stormy Tonight” (James Freud)

Stormy Tonight

4. “Ringing Like A Bell” (Sean Kelly)

Ringing Like A Bell

5. “King Of Kings” (Sean Kelly)

King Of Kings

6. “Cold Fever” (James Freud)

Cold Fever

7. “I Hear Motion” (Models)

I Hear Motion

8. “Sooner In Heaven” (James Freud)

Sooner In Heaven

9. “These Blues” (James Freud)

These Blues

10. “Barbados” (James Freud)

Barbados

________________________________________________

Bonus Tracks!

The first rule of The Analog Kid blog is that if you write about a song on the Analog Kid blog, you share the song on the Analog Kid blog.

 

Models_ Singles & B-Sides

Models: “Out Of Mind Out Of Sight [Extended Dance Mix]” (James Freud)

From the U.S. 12″ Out Of Mind Out Of Sight

Geffen Records, 1985

Out Of Mind Out Of Sight [Extended Dance Mix]

Note: Wow, ripping this 12″ version from vinyl was a REAL challenge. The single was sealed in the shrink when I bought it, but for some reason the vinyl was an absolute mess. I have cleaned it up to the best of my abilities, so please forgive the cracks and pops and just enjoy this ’80s rarity!

Posted by on August 19, 2015 in Alternative, New Wave, Rock and tagged , , , .

6 Comments

August 18, 2015

Groovy Tuesday: Wild Cherry’s “Electrified Funk”

Every Tuesday, the Analog Kid blog goes back in time and features some of the best groovy R&B/soul songs from the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s. Sometimes you’ll hear songs from individual artists or from a specific year, and other times you’ll get an entire full-length classic LP ripped directly from the Analog Kid’s vast vinyl vault. Warning: by R&B/soul, I also mean disco. I could go all Silver Convention on your ass at any given moment, so just be ready!

 

Wild Cherry 2

I’m going to bet that most of my readers have never heard Electrified Funk, the 1977 follow-up to Wild Cherry’s hugely successful debut album. I’d also lay money that the only track you’ve heard off that first LP is “Play That Funky Music,” a song that spent three weeks at #1 in September of 1976. A few years back, my wife bought me a DVD box set featuring some of the best performances from The Midnight Special, the classic late-night music show from the ’70s. Would you believe that Wild Cherry turned in one of the best performances on the whole set? They did indeed “play it right,” even if most of America was shocked to find out that the band consisted of five white guys from Ohio.

To no one’s surprise, Wild Cherry spent the majority of Electrified Funk attempting to recreate the magic of “Play That Funky Music.” “Baby Don’t You Know” (the opening cut and first single) was a virtual rewrite of the barely-a-year-old smash, and even managed to one-up the funky music-playing white boys with the boast, ‘The honkys got soul.” And for the most part, it was true.

“Baby Don’t You Know” peaked at #43 on the Billboard Hot 100, and Wild Cherry never again sniffed the Top 40. The band will go down in history as one of the ultimate one-hit wonders, but Wild Cherry actually did manage to play that funky music with wit, precision, and– dare I say it– soul.

 

Electrified Funk

Wild Cherry: Electrified Funk

Epic Records, 1977

Vinyl rip courtesy of The Analog Kid

 

1. “Baby Don’t You Know” (Robert Parissi)

Baby Don’t You Know

2. “Are You Boogieing Around On Your Daddy” (Robert Parissi)

Are You Boogieing Around On Your Daddy

3. “Dancin’ Music Band” (Rober Parissi)

Dancin’ Music Band

4. “Put Yourself In My Shoes” (Robet Parissi)

Put Yourself In My Shoes

5. “Closest Thing To My Mind” (Robert Parissi)

Closest Thing To My Mind

6. “Electrified Funk” (Robert Parissi)

Electrified Funk

7. “Hole In The Wall” (Robert Parissi)

Hole In The Wall

8. “Hot To Trot” (Robert Parissi)

Hot To Trot

9. “Hold On (With Strings)” (Robert Parissi)

Hold On (With Strings)

10. “It’s All Up To You” (Alvin Fields/Michael Zager)

It’s All Up To You

______________________________________________________

Bonus Tracks!

The first rule of The Analog Kid blog is that if you write about a song on the Analog Kid blog, you share the song on the Analog Kid blog.

 

Wild Cherry

Wild Cherry: “Play That Funky Music” (Robert Parissi)

From the album Wild Cherry

Epic Records, 1976

Play That Funky Music

Posted by on August 18, 2015 in Disco, Funk, One-Hit Wonders, Pop, Soul/R&B and tagged , , , , , .

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