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2024 Reissue

Strut present the first definitive retrospective of an icon of 1970s and ‘80s soul, jazz and disco, Patrice Rushen, covering her peerless 6-year career with Elektra / Asylum from 1978 to 1984. Joining Elektra after three albums with jazz label Prestige, Patrice had shown prodigious talent at an early age and had first broken through after winning a competition to perform at the Monterrey Jazz Festival of 1972. By the time of the recordings on this collection, she had become a prolific and in-demand session musician and arranger on the West coast, appearing on over 80 recordings for other artists. She joined the Elektra / Asylum roster in 1978 as they launched a pop / jazz division alongside visionaries like Donald Byrd and Grover Washington, Jr. “The idea was to create music that was good for commercial radio / R&B,” Patrice explains. “We were all making sophisticated dance music, essentially.”

Drawing on some of the leading musicians in L.A. like saxophonist Gerald Albright, drummer “Ndugu” Chancler and bassman Freddie Washington and keeping an open minded approach from her training in classical, jazz and soundtrack scores, Patrice’s music was a different, more intricate proposition to many of the soul artists of the time. “L.A. musicians were not so locked into tradition,” she continues. “None of us were accustomed to limitation and the record label left us to take our own direction.”

Early classics like ‘Music Of The Earth’ and ‘Let’s Sing A Song Of Love’ were among Patrice’s first as a lead vocalist before her ‘Pizzazz’ album landed in 1979, featuring the unique disco of ‘Haven’t You Heard’ and one of her greatest ballads, ‘Settle For My Love’. “Although ballads make you feel more vulnerable as an artist because they are often personal, I think listeners relate to that sincerity,” she reflects. By now, Patrice’s records were supremely arranged and produced as her confidence as an all-round writer, producer, arranger and performer grew. Slick dancefloor anthem ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ and the ‘Posh’ album in 1980 led to her landmark album ‘Straight From The Heart’ two years later. Receiving little support from her label, Patrice and her production team personally funded a promo campaign for the first single from it, ‘Forget Me Nots’. It went on to peak at no. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the album was later Grammy-nominated, while the track became a timeless anthem and popular sample, inspiring Will Smith’s theme for the film ‘Men In Black’ and George Michael’s ‘Fastlove’.

Patrice’s final album for Elektra, ‘Now’ kept the bar high with sparse, synth-led songs including ‘Feel So Real’ and ‘To Each His Own’. It concluded a golden era creatively for Patrice which remains revered by soul and disco aficionados the world over.

‘Remind Me’ features all of Patrice Rushen’s chart singles, 12” versions and popular sample sources on one album for the first time. Formats included a 3LP set and 1CD fully remastered by The Carvery from the original tapes. Both formats include an exclusive new interview with Patrice Rushen and rare photos.

• First definitive Patrice Rushen compilation released on vinyl since the ‘80s
• Includes all of her chart hits, DJ favourites and sample sources
• Official release featuring full interview with Patrice Rushen about her career and music • Features rare photos from her personal collection + some of the photographers she has worked with during her career
• Fully remastered by The Carvery from the original ¼” tapes
• Start of full Patrice Rushen reissue programme from her Elektra era

Disco don The Rephlex is back with a couple of signature reworks, and this time it is two giants of the disco world that are in the spotlight. First up, disco innovator Patrice Rushen's 'Time Will Tell' gets flipped into a paced, seductive disco sound with tambourines and big horns, funky drums and a nice falsetto vocal all getting you going. On the flip, Nubiyan Twist's 'Lights Out feat Nile Rodgers' slows things down and gets a little more saucy with noodling guitars, golden chords and sliding hi-hats all encouraging you to cut loose. Both of these are timeless revisions.

Prelusion is the debut album from iconic recording artist Patrice Rushen, originally released on Prestige Records in 1974. The album effortlessly zigzags between Post-Bop and Jazz Fusion, and features contributions from legendary saxophonist Joe Henderson. Reissued on vinyl for the first time in 50 years as part of Jazz Dispensary’s Top Shelf series, the album was cut from the original analog tapes by Kevin Gray, pressed on 180-gram vinyl at RTI, and packaged in a gatefold tip-on jacket.

Strut present the first definitive retrospective of an icon of 1970s and ‘80s soul, jazz and disco, Patrice Rushen, covering her peerless 6-year career with Elektra / Asylum from 1978 to 1984. Joining Elektra after three albums with jazz label Prestige, Patrice had shown prodigious talent at an early age and had first broken through after winning a competition to perform at the Monterrey Jazz Festival of 1972. By the time of the recordings on this collection, she had become a prolific and in-demand session musician and arranger on the West coast, appearing on over 80 recordings for other artists. She joined the Elektra / Asylum roster in 1978 as they launched a pop / jazz division alongside visionaries like Donald Byrd and Grover Washington, Jr. “The idea was to create music that was good for commercial radio / R&B,” Patrice explains. “We were all making sophisticated dance music, essentially.”

Drawing on some of the leading musicians in L.A. like saxophonist Gerald Albright, drummer “Ndugu” Chancler and bassman Freddie Washington and keeping an open minded approach from her training in classical, jazz and soundtrack scores, Patrice’s music was a different, more intricate proposition to many of the soul artists of the time. “L.A. musicians were not so locked into tradition,” she continues. “None of us were accustomed to limitation and the record label left us to take our own direction.”

Early classics like ‘Music Of The Earth’ and ‘Let’s Sing A Song Of Love’ were among Patrice’s first as a lead vocalist before her ‘Pizzazz’ album landed in 1979, featuring the unique disco of ‘Haven’t You Heard’ and one of her greatest ballads, ‘Settle For My Love’. “Although ballads make you feel more vulnerable as an artist because they are often personal, I think listeners relate to that sincerity,” she reflects. By now, Patrice’s records were supremely arranged and produced as her confidence as an all-round writer, producer, arranger and performer grew. Slick dancefloor anthem ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ and the ‘Posh’ album in 1980 led to her landmark album ‘Straight From The Heart’ two years later. Receiving little support from her label, Patrice and her production team personally funded a promo campaign for the first single from it, ‘Forget Me Nots’. It went on to peak at no. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the album was later Grammy-nominated, while the track became a timeless anthem and popular sample, inspiring Will Smith’s theme for the film ‘Men In Black’ and George Michael’s ‘Fastlove’.

Patrice’s final album for Elektra, ‘Now’ kept the bar high with sparse, synth-led songs including ‘Feel So Real’ and ‘To Each His Own’. It concluded a golden era creatively for Patrice which remains revered by soul and disco aficionados the world over.

‘Remind Me’ features all of Patrice Rushen’s chart singles, 12” versions and popular sample sources on one album for the first time. Formats included a 3LP set and 1CD fully remastered by The Carvery from the original tapes. Both formats include an exclusive new interview with Patrice Rushen and rare photos.

• First definitive Patrice Rushen compilation released on vinyl since the ‘80s
• Includes all of her chart hits, DJ favourites and sample sources
• Official release featuring full interview with Patrice Rushen about her career and music • Features rare photos from her personal collection + some of the photographers she has worked with during her career
• Fully remastered by The Carvery from the original ¼” tapes
• Start of full Patrice Rushen reissue programme from her Elektra era

‘Haw-Right Now’ is a monster track, from Patrice Rushen’s 1974 debut LP “Prelusion” featuring the tightest bass and drum groove you could imagine over which she and saxophonist Joe Henderson play incredible lines. A massive jazz dance track.

It is backed by the chunky jazz funk of ‘Kickin’ Back’ –originally released in 1976 as an early 12 inch single on the back of club plays.

Repress!

Strut continue their Patrice Rushedn original album reissue series with the definitive edition of her influential classic ‘Now’ from 1984.

Released after the global success of ‘Straight From The Heart’ and the huge hit ‘Forget Me Nots’, ‘Now’ stripped back the arrangements and explored a new sonic palette, combining top level musicianship with the evolving studio technology of the mid-‘80s. “By this time, I had built a little home studio,” explains Patrice, “and the new synthesizers and drum machines opened a lot of possibilities. A lot of the pieces on ‘Now’ started off as demos based on these instruments and we just went with it quite naturally, adding guitar, bass and drums.”

The album continued Patrice’s unerring skill in fusing intricate jazz musicianship with infectious grooves. The solid boogie classic ‘Get Off (You Fascinate Me)’ lit up dancefloors and ‘Feels So Real’ became one of Patrice’s best loved songs, an effortless mid-tempo soul stepper. The album is also celebrated for the tender ‘Gotta Find It’ and one of Patrice’s most poignant ballads, the intricate and politically charged ‘To Each His Own’.

The album marked the end of Rushen’s tenure with Elektra before a move to Arista and remains a much-referenced part of her career. “I think it was a great representation of where we were at the time and it may have been a little bit ahead of its time”, she reflects. Famously, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis had become fans, attending her live shows, and, allegedly, the feel of Janet Jackson’s debut album ‘Control’ two years later was heavily influenced by Rushen’s approach on ‘Now’.

Pizzazz is the fifth album by American Jazz singer Patrice Rushen. Pizzazz was her second highest charting album, reaching #39 in 1979. It features the hit single "Haven't You Heard". The single soared to the top of R&B radio play lists and remains among Rushen's biggest hits.

When Patrice Rushen was being lambasted by Jazz fans for making the switch from Jazz instrumentalist to R&B/ Pop singer, she was also winning over a quite a few people: R&B fans loved her singing. Her profile in the R&B world continued to increase with Pizzazz.

The whole album is excellent, drawing on influences as Earth, Wind & Fire, Minnie Riperton and Stevie Wonder. Pizzazz might have received some negativity from Jazz critics, but from an R&B/Pop perspective, it's among Rushen's most rewarding and essential albums.

DJ DSK is back with more dancefloor goodness, DNA Edits vol 6. The A side is an edit of Patrice Rushen's 80s R&B classic remind me. The flip side is a funky house/disco edit of Funkadelic’s Knee Deep, both are DJ friendly remixed from the stems with intros/outros big sound and banging beats.

The landmark 1980 album, representing a period of consolidation for Patrice Rushen. Her studio reputation as a go-to pianist and arranger among other artists and musicians was well established and was growing exponentially. Although never originally planning a career as a solo artist, she had built this side of her work through three Prestige albums and two sophisticated soul and disco albums for Elektra, 'Patrice' and 'Pizzazz'. "I was lucky to have a group of musicians that I knew well by the time of these recording sessions," remembers Patrice. "I had my pick of really incredible players because of all of the studio work I was doing. I also played with Lee Ritenour, Harvey Mason and others almost on a weekly basis at The Baked Potato club in L.A." Tracks include the singles 'Don't Blame Me', 'Look Up!' and 'Never Gonna Give You Up'. "'Never Gonna Give You Up' came out of playing ideas at home. Bassist Freddie Washington was living with my family while he tried to get a foothold in L.A.'s music scene and that groove came out of those jams. With 'The Dream', I had been listening to Minnie Riperton's 'Come To My Garden', one of my favourite albums. With Charles Stepney's arrangements, I saw that he didn't have to use large instrumentation to be orchestral in his approach. So, 'The Dream' was a homage to that kind of writing." "After 'Posh', we had a much better idea from the performance side what was important in our music and that informed my next album, 'Straight From The Heart'. We took a little break after 'Posh' was released, although I was still writing and working regularly on scores for film and TV. That had always been my main focus in my music."

Stix Records, a sub-label of Favorite Recordings, is back with "Disco Reggae Vol. 6", continuing the much-loved series that kicked off over a decade ago.

Born in Jamaica, Reggae has always shared deep roots with Soul, Funk, R&B, and Pop from the US, and the island’s musicians have long mastered the art of reimagining iconic songs through their unique lens. With the Disco Reggae series, Stix Records proudly continues that tradition, serving up fresh reggae reinterpretations of timeless classics across various genres.
This sixth edition expands the selection with tributes to legendary artists like Roy Ayers, Patrice Rushen, Cymande, The Isley Brothers, Ramsey Lewis and Earth, Wind & Fire, to name just a few.

All covers on this volume were carefully curated by Charles Maurice, ensuring a cohesive and inspired selection throughout.
At the controls, it’s the same crew of friends as usual ; Taggy Matcher, Soul Sugar aka Booker Gee, and Mato, and this time, Mystic Jungle joins the gang with a killer Roy Ayers cover.

Get ready for a feel-good ride, perfect for dancing under the stars, cruising with the windows down, or just vibing with friends.

Get back to the golden age of Roller Disco Funk with a double vinyl including all the hits of the genre ! Featuring : Claudja Barry - Barry White - Inner Life - Patrice Rushen - Carol Willians - Positive Force - Frankie Smith - The Whispers














n C4 Instant Funk - I Got My Mind Made Up (You Can Get It Girl) 7” Version

Betino’s Records is taking pride in releasing Lucas Moinet Trio debut album. Entitled "Time Travel", it takes us on a deep journey into Jazz Fusion, Funk, Boogie, and 70's inspired vocoder love songs. Lucas Moinet invited his music friends to be a part of the project : Camille Frillex, on bass and Lulu Jems on drums plus a few guests like Illa on vocals, Donald Devienne on trumpet, Lucas Piette on saxophone and Stupid Flash for some additional production. Being a multitalented musician, he composed, arranged the music and recorded the Fender Rhodes piano, guitars, Korg MS20, string machine & vocoder parts in the studio. Through the vocoder, he turned Jazz Fusion into love songs, from the funky "Close to You" to the organic "Crescendolls Are Missing", paying tribute to the Rhodes and vocoder masters from the 70's. Herbie Hancock, Patrice Rushen and Alain Mion to name a few…
The album explores a lot of different styles with the downtempo bossa nova track "Soupir de Caracole" or the deep and atmospheric "New Morning".
Everything was composed, recorded, arranged and mixed at Lucas Moinet's Studio 937 in Paris. The production and recording process took a long time and after many years, the band is really proud to introduce "Time Travel".

Funk collection featuring gems from Blowfly, Patrice Rushen, Tommy Stewart and Clarence Reid.

Debut release on GAMM for San Francisco's edit and reworks maestro King Most.
For this supa funky 7inch, King Most first takes on Dorothy (Ashby), Dilla (Jay) and Phife (Dog) and puts it all in the blender for a rare groove(ish) hip hop jam...on a slight Detroit tip.

On the AA side King Most hits up Patrice Rushen and blends her with Soul II Soul vocals for a warm and tasteful rework.

Classic old school GAMM material :)

Trumpeter Eddie Henderson came to prominence as a member of Herbie Hancock’s Mwandishi in the early-70s after which he recorded a pair of seminal jazz-funk fusion classics for Blue Note—Sunburst (1975, and Heritage (1976)—the latter featuring a forward-looking crew with Julian Priester, Patrice Rushen, Paul Jackson, Mike Clark, Billy Hart, Mtume, and others. This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is stereo, all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.

As time marched on, many of the DJs I had been working with such as Pete Tong, Paul Oakenfold, Trevor Fung, Simon Dunmore and Johnny Walker got involved in the world-leading UK dance scene, raking in cash by making records. I thought ‘I’ll Have some of that!’ This led to my first foray into the studio creating the proto-acid jazz classic 12”, ‘Psychedelic Jack (That’s Where It’s At)’, which cheekily sampled Frank Zappa, Soft Machine and Gong. With me and Gilles on vocals, it got us signed to Acid Jazz Records, who released in 1988 under the name of Extasis.

That was just the start and nearly 35 years later (gulp!) I’ve had a ball, producing Galliano and Paul Weller, working with Mick Talbot, Roy Ayers, Linda Clifford and Sharon Redd, remixing Will Downing, Ce Ce Rogers and Blaze. I’ve made house tunes with Faith’s Terry Farley, run the legendary Dadhouse Records label with Dave Jarvis. I also set up my own studio and released music under a variety of names, both for my own labels and Acid Jazz Records. Recent releases include my solo albums “Firebird” (2023) and “Dream World” (2024). There was also “Back To Business” with Mick Talbot, released in 2023.

Born at Theme Ltd, one of London’s most exciting new music studios in the heart of Camden, ‘Driver’s Seat’ is an unapologetically bold and enduring work. MICHAEL, staying true to his name, delivers a debut project that is authentic and unfiltered, offering a glimpse into his true self. Staying true to the ethos of Theme Ltd, he channels his optimistic spirit into tracks that radiate hope and possibility. ‘Driver’s Seat’ combines infectious raw technique with a mesmeric, intimate journey into the mind of a true artist. The collaboration with Theme Ltd is unmistakable, evident in the crisp precision of the audio. This is elevated by the use of their new Live Studio, acoustically treated to perfection by audio legend Paul Gilleron, who also lent his expertise to iconic venues like the O2 and Roundhouse.

‘Drivers Seat’ opens with ‘In The Rain,’ where veteran vocalist Chili graces the track with her soothing yet powerful voice, perfectly complementing a timeless R&B instrumental reminiscent of Anita Baker / Patrice Rushen. MICHAEL uses this introduction to immerse listeners in his musical utopia. The next track, ‘Drivers Seat’—the project's namesake—oozes effortless cool, with a memorable chorus and a captivating melody that leaves listeners both intrigued and enamoured by the enigmatic MICHAEL character. The B side continues the motif of positive self-expression and praise with ‘Satisfaction’ an optimistic celebration of love. The prospect of joy is more ambiguous in the ultimate track ‘And I Love You’ cruising down an infectious baseline, crafted in collaboration with resident producer Theme, the soft beautiful vocals take us to the natural end of a uniquely wonderful debut project.

You may not have heard of Long Beach O.G. Greg Royal aka Pür Royale, but you're definitely familiar with his work. With a resume of remix, production, engineering, and editing work ranging from Dr Dre's "The Chronic" to Bobby Brown's "My Prerogative", to the dub version of Patrice Rushen's "Feels So Real", Greg left an indelible mark on contemporary black music from the mid-80's to mid-90s.

In 1993 however, a one off 100 copy house 12" self titled as "Royal Phenomena" on the surface didn't seem to quite fit with the more traditional hip-hop and r&b output of his extensive discography. I only found out it existed through connecting with another unsung west coast pioneer, Aaron Paar, for Must Have's 2016 Teflon Dons compilation. Greg is credited as a mixing and recording engineer on practically every release on Aaron's own consistently excellent label Worldship. After listening to Aaron tell his story, it was clear Greg's studio experience and mentorship were key elements in the development of Aaron's signature tough SP-1200 house sound. "Royal Phenomena" remains an elusive connecting point for LA hip-hop and underground deep house, and Greg and Aaron remain friends and frequent collaborators.

Aaron put me in touch with Greg, who miraculously kept his original DAT tape recordings of these unique house excursions and was happy to finally share them with a wider audience. Blending hip-hop production techniques, west coast Latin sleaze, midwestern minimalism, and a dash of UK bleep, the LA underground house sound remains singular.

Die größten internationalen Hits der 80er, 90er und 2000er Jahre in einer exklusiven Doppel-Vinyl-Kollektion! Entdecken Sie die wichtigsten Künstler, die ihre Jahrzehnte geprägt haben!

Don’t let the list of stellar sideman gigs (with Elvin Jones, Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard, McCoy Tyner, Woody Shaw et al.) make you overlook the solo work of saxophonist Azar Lawrence; for over 45 years he has recorded a string of spiritual ‘n’ soulful jazz albums that come closer to the ethos and aesthetic of John Coltrane than probably any of Lawrence’s contemporaries. Recorded for the legendary Prestige label in 1976, People Moving is his third solo album, and it’s one of his best; it features such luminaries as Lee Ritenour, Patrice Rushen, Harvey Mason, and Mtume on a soaring set of funky tunes produced by a young Skip Scarborough, who would go on to helm recordings by Bobbie Humphrey, Con Funk Shun, and Phyllis Hyman among others. First vinyl reissue!

E. LIVE returns to STAR CREATURE with yet another Boogie Blast Off, this time of the Jazz-Funk variety, marking his third full-length release with the esteemed Chicago label. The much-anticipated album is set to make seismic waves in 2024. With a nu-school approach leaning towards the jazzier realms of disco, E. LIVE masterfully maintains an unwavering dance floor allure. The album is a brilliant fusion of accessible and sophisticated sounds, creating an enchanting sonic landscape that seamlessly bridges disco and jazz elements. Genius Level production for a solo studio act. Highly recommended for fans of musical luminaries such as ROY AYERS, PATRICE RUSHEN, KHRUANGBIN, FKJ, and TORO Y MOI, etc...8 tracks & full picture sleeve.

"Phoenix" is the highly-anticipated, expansive next album in the musical evolution of alto saxophonist and composer Lakecia Benjamin, and first for Whirlwind. The album was produced by the multi- Grammy- award winning Terri Lyne Carrington and featuring a star- studded line up of specially curated guests; Dianne Reeves, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Patrice Rushen, Sonia Sanchez, Angela Davis and Wayne Shorter. The band comprises trumpeter Josh Evans, Victor Gould on keys, Orange Rodriguez on synths, drummer Enoch (EJ) Strickland, percussionist Negah Santos and bassist Ivan Taylor. Trumpeter Wallace Roney Jr., Rhodes organist Anastassiya Petrova and bassist Jahmal Nichols all join for one track each.

Late Night Tales reissues the classic and hard-to-find
‘Late Night Tales: Jamiroquai’, compiled by none other
than Jay Kay himself. The 10th edition of what is now
a classic series of compilations was originally released
20 years ago, and hasn’t been available on vinyl for
over 15 years. A blissful collection of soul, disco, jazz,
rare groove, and funk, this collection is an electrifying
journey through the aural influences of one of the UK’s
most seminal jazz bands.
Jay Kay showcases a wealth and breadth of inspiration
that wouldn’t be amiss on the late-night dancefloors
of the Loft (or Giant Steps, for that matter). From The
Pointer Sisters’ uplifting and soulful ‘Happiness’ and
jazz funk legend Johnny ‘Smith’ Hammond’s ‘Fantasy’
to the anthemic ‘Stay Free’ by Ashford & Simpson and
mellifluous ‘Music Of The Earth' by Patrice Rushen,
these two discs form a rite of passage into the creative
mind of a true musical legend.

Rediscover all the legendary hits that shaped the sound of Funk Music on a nice double vinyl. Including such great songs as "And The Beat Goes On" by The Whispers, "A Night To Remember" by Shalamar or "Midas Touch" by Midnight Star...

All the essential tracks of Funk, sung by the greatest legends of the genre, gathered in a double vinyl, with :

Johnny "Guitar" Watson - Imagination - Grandmaster Flash - James Brown - Loleatta Holloway - The Whispers - First Choice - Barry White - The Sugarhill Gang - Syl Johnson...

"Phoenix" is the highly-anticipated, expansive next album in the musical evolution of alto saxophonist and composer Lakecia Benjamin, and first for Whirlwind. The album was produced by the multi- Grammy- award winning Terri Lyne Carrington and featuring a star- studded line up of specially curated guests; Dianne Reeves, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Patrice Rushen, Sonia Sanchez, Angela Davis and Wayne Shorter. The band comprises trumpeter Josh Evans, Victor Gould on keys, Orange Rodriguez on synths, drummer Enoch (EJ) Strickland, percussionist Nêgah Santos and bassist Ivan Taylor. Trumpeter Wallace Roney Jr., Rhodes organist Anastassiya Petrova and bassist Jahmal Nichols all join for one track each.

"Phoenix" is the highly-anticipated, expansive next album in the musical evolution of alto saxophonist and composer Lakecia Benjamin, and first for Whirlwind. The album was produced by the multi- Grammy- award winning Terri Lyne Carrington and featuring a star- studded line up of specially curated guests; Dianne Reeves, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Patrice Rushen, Sonia Sanchez, Angela Davis and Wayne Shorter. The band comprises trumpeter Josh Evans, Victor Gould on keys, Orange Rodriguez on synths, drummer Enoch (EJ) Strickland, percussionist Nêgah Santos and bassist Ivan Taylor. Trumpeter Wallace Roney Jr., Rhodes organist Anastassiya Petrova and bassist Jahmal Nichols all join for one track each.

Freestyle puts out another reissue 12" in their drive to unearth rare and classic UK funk, soul & boogie records - this time a much needed pressing of the late Candy McKenzie's heavy boogie-funk cover of Patrice Rushen's classic Remind Me. Produced by Candy's late cousin, and seasoned session bass player, John McKenzie (and licensed from the family estate) this was originally released in 1983 - and comes with an excellent dubbed-out 'Different Style' instrumental version on the flip.

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Candy McKenzie (1953-2003) was a North West London-based vocalist from a Guyanese family heavily steeped in musicianship . She began learning the piano at a young age, picking up vocal harmony from her father, a jazz bass player. Her brothers Bunny & Binky, were also celebrated bassists. Candy would marry young in 1970 at the age of 17, though just one year later her brother Binky (who played with the likes of Cream, Alexis Korner & John Mclaughlin in the late 60s) tragically killed her mother and father, along with Candy's husband in an attack at the family home to which Candy was present. Candy was also injured but escaped with her life.

In the years that followed the tragedy Candy, regularly accompanied by her brother Bunny, would find reggae vocal session work - often at the Chalk Farm Studios frequented by many key producers & acts. She found her way onto Aswad's first album and Keith Hudson's legendary Flesh Of My Skin Blood Of My Blood LP - and a little while later on a couple of sessions with Bob Marley for Island, under the supervision of Lee Perry.

The latter two parties took a keen interest in Candy, with Island wisking her away to Jamaica in 1977 to record an album at the legendary Black Ark. Her vocals found their way onto The Congos seminal Heart of the Congos LP, but the album she recorded with Perry was shelved - with just the Black Art holy grail 12" Disco Fits / Breakfast in Bed finding it's way to release at the time.

Back in London, Candy spent the early to mid 80s recording various lovers and funk/soul 12"s, including this fantastic cover of Patrice Rushen's Remind Me, produced by her cousin John. She went on to record singles for labels like Elite & Cooltempo throughout the '80s and early '90s, and appeared as backing vocalist with the likes of Leonard Cohen, Whitney Houston, Elton John and Diana Ross. She passed away in 2003, with her one and only album recorded at the Black Ark finally seeing release on Trojan in 2011.

Candy's cousin John McKenzie got his starts in the music industry in the mid 70s as part of prog group Man and communal festival rockers Global Village Trucking Co., as well as playing with the likes of Annette Peacock and Steve Hillage. His father Mike McKenzie was also a key Carribbean jazz figure in the UK throughout the early 1950s, through to the '60s and '70s. John would become a heavily in-demand session musician - playing with everyone from the Eurhythmics to Bob Dylan - while also finding time to produce this record, alongside a couple of excellent 12"s with Mel Gaynor as Finesse, between 1982 and '83. He would regularly tour the world as a live musician for a huge array of headline acts, appearing on multiple chart hits, and in his later years was a member of the excellent group Ibibio Sound Machine. He lost his battle with cancer in 2020.

This reissue is dedicated to the memory of both John & Candy McKenzie.

Welcome to the FLIP SERIES. It's a new series where a group or an artists are sharing an album together.

Japanese Jazz trio Nautilus are starting with the A-Side. Label head Oonops is working with them since 2017 and this is their eighth common project. He selected two of his favourite tunes from Nautilus back archive which are called "In The Rain" - a cover version of an old soul classic by The Dramatics from 1971 as well as "Kudu" by Eddie Henderson from 1976 (both previously only available on the Japanese market). Additionally there are three new cover versions which Oonops desired to get arranged: "Manhã" by Azymuth, "The Bottle" by Gil Scott-Heron and "Be Thankful For What You Got" by William DeVaughn! All classics and new reinterpreted in the typical Nautilus way.

For the flip side Oonops selected his favourite tunes by traditional Japanese singer Anna Sato & Nautilus drummer Toshiyuki Sasaki. They released two common digital albums named "Message & Message 2 - Reincarnation" and now found on this mini sampler on 12"-vinyl for the first time.

"Manhã" played by Gilles Peterson (BBC Radio 6 Music)

For all fans of this band: stay excited because a debut live tour for Germany in May 2022 is planned! credits released September 2, 2022

Arranged by: Toshiyuki Sasaki
Drums: Toshiyuki Sasaki
Keys: Mariko Nakabayashi
Bass: Shigeki Umezawa

A1 written by: The Dramatics
A2 written by: Azymuth
A3 written by: Gil-Scott Heron
A4 written by: Patrice Rushen
A5 written by: William DeVaughn

Flipside:
Drums arranged by: Toshiyuki Sasaki
Vocals arranged by: Anna Sato

Artwork and layout: Glueset
Photography Nautilus: Orie Ichihashi
Photography Anna Sato & Toshiyuki Sasaki: Rino Kojima
Conceptual project idea: Oonops

Some are looking for gold or oil and others are passionately looking for forgotten music treasures! Those who can be described as "sound gold diggers" criss cross record shops or confidential places to unearth musical nuggets previously kept in the dark. This practice began with sampling in the 80s and has now become a way of safeguarding the world's musical heritage. With our new "Diggin' Collection", we invite you to discover soul, funk or disco gems from the 70s and the 80s available on three nice vinyls for your pleasure.

Craig Charles has been a soul & funk fan since his teenage years in Liverpool, going to see local heroes The Real Thing live, and wearing out his shoe leather dancing in the city's many underground clubs. Craig has been sharing that passion for the music via his 6Music and BBC Radio 2 shows and DJ nights for nearly 20 years. His brand new 'Trunk Of Funk' compilation series, blends up-tempo club classics, with fresh music from the cream of the crop from the contemporary soul and funk scene, and will be Craigs very first vinyl release - a beautiful, double vinyl gatefold LP and he's certainly excited about it, stating; "I can't wait to bring you big beats, bass lines and booga-bloomin-loo! Presenting The Craig Charles Trunk Of Funk Volume 1 as my first ever vinyl release has put a proper wiggle in my walk!" This collection of 21st century disco, soul, funk & afro grooves from includes tracks from contemporary heroes of the scene such as Monophonics, Amp Fiddler and The James Taylor Quartet, it's also peppered with some old school classics and rare grooves from legends such as Roy Ayers, PP Arnold, Miriam Makeba and Patrice Rushen. Craig has personally selected and sequenced this collection to take the listener of a musical journey, the closest thing to having Craig visit and personally DJ for you in the comfort of your own home! It also includes two 'Trunk Of Funk Edits' that are 100% exclusive to this compilation and not available anywhere else.

Massive crossover hit from the American Gospel star Kirk Franklin, marrying Patrice Rushen's classic with R&B and hip hop leanings to create this uplifting, inspiring and infectious feel-good sensation.

A true Tony Humphries, Southport and soul collectors favourite finally getting a full single release.

(glossy laminated) His deviant disco songs talk about love and the happiness it breeds, while letting the rage of a rather different-looking militant crooner go.


Cola Boyy, aka Matthew Urango, is a 28 year old musician, coming from Oxnard, California, discovered on the occasion of a concert in Los Angeles during June 2016.
Cola Boyy is an unusual and self-taught musician & singer. His very typical but natural voice is the consequence of a disability from birth.
His deviant disco songs talk about love and the happiness it breeds, while letting the rage of a rather different-looking militant crooner go.

Penny Girl is the soon-to-be 2018 disco hit telling the story of a crime of passion. Poetic as a McCartney's song, as effective on the dancefloor as a Patrice Rushen's tune, and fun like the Frankie Smith's Double Dutch Bus.

Have You Seen Her is the kraut-disco curiosity from the EP, halfway between the Ghetto Brothers' rage and the funkiness of a Kurtis Blow's instrumental. You will also find there a chorus made of extreme noisey guitar chords and a Michel Berger like piano solo, all swaying to the dancing beat.

Buggy Tip is the track that could have been in the hands of an eclectic DJ like Nicky Siano at Studio 54. Disco strings, catchy choruses to sing along... Cola Boyy turns the melancholic memories of an ex girlfriend into a banger to dance & shout in a hot late night club.

The whole EP, recorded between Los Angeles and Paris, produced by French producer 'nit', is a witness of his raw talent and the foretaste of an album coming in 2019.