1974 music
Related: music - 1970s - 1970s music
Singles: The Bottle (1974) - Gil Scott-Heron
Technics Turntables
The industry standard turntable, the Technics SL-1200 was first released in 1974. In 1979, the current "MK2" version was released, which added quartz direct-drive accuracy. In addition, the SL-1200MK2 features: feather touch start/stop button, heavy duty aluminum platter, adjustable weights on tone arm, S-shaped tone arm, anti-skating control, high torque motor, removable headshell, slide pitch control (+/-8%), removable dust cover, and pop up target light. [...]
Donna Summer [...]
Black Ark Studio
In 1974, with the help of King Tubby, Lee "Scratch" Perry built his own Black Ark studio in Kingston, Jamaica. Some of the most exciting records of the seventies by the likes of Junior Murvin, Max Romeo and The Heptones are recorded and mixed there. [...]
Blackboard Jungle
It was around 1974 when Lee Perry issued his 'Blackboard Jungle' dub album on Upsetter. It is probably King Tubby's first dub album, although it was only a very limited pressing, and was quickly changing hands for £20.00 or more. The music included is all from the early 70's. and included dubs of the Wailers 'Kaya'. 'Keep On Moving' and 'Dreamland', Junior Byles 'Place Called Africa' and 'Fever', plus two cuts of the title track also known as 'Bucky Skank'.--By Dave Hendley & Ray Hurford [With thanks to Colin Moore], (C) Small Axe 1979 http://www.rayx.freeserve.co.uk/King%20Tubby.htm [Jun 2004]7" Extended Mix Single
Debuting in late 1974 the original "extended mix single" first appeared as a U.S.A. promotional only 7-inch single. [...]
Singles
- Gil Scott-Heron - The Bottle (Turbo, 1974)
- William DeVaughn - Be Thankful For What You Got
- Isaac Hayes - Pursuit of the PimpMobile (Enterprise, 1974)
- Creative Source - Who is He And What is He to You (Sussex, 1974)
- LTG Exchange - Waterbed
- Billy Parker's Fourth World - 'Get With It'(4:03) (1974)
- Marc Moulin - "Sam Suffy" (1974)
- Milton Nascimento - Os Escravos De Jo (1974)
- First Choice - The Player(74)
- Fela Ransome-Kuti and The Africa 70 - Shakara
- Labelle - What Can I Do For You?
- Kool & The Gang - Summer Madness
- Fred Wesley and The JB's - Blow Your Head
- Brother To Brother - Chance With You
- Herbie Hancock - Chameleon (after the break)
- 100% Pure Poison - Windy C
- Bob James - Nautilus
- Ann Sexton - You're Losing Me
- Marcus Belgrave - Space Odyssey
- Junior Byles - Curly Locks [Lee Perry]
- The Upsetters - Kentucky Skank
- Sun Goddess - Ramsey Lewis
CDs
- Autobahn (1974) - Kraftwerk [Amazon US]
Though they'd recorded three previous albums, Kraftwerk's modern pop legacy starts with the sounds of a few footsteps and a slamming car door--the beginning of a 22-minute musically impressionistic excursion down Germany's famed superhighway. An unexpected hit on both sides of the Atlantic, Autobahn's "fahren, fahren, fahren" refrain echoes "Fun, Fun, Fun" by the Beach Boys (just one of Kraftwerk's unlikely influences), while the entire concept recalls Brian Wilson's frustrated attempts at creating what he called "a pocket symphony." The rhythmic synth pulse that carries the title track will be familiar to Kraftwerk admirers, while cofounder Florian Schneider's flute work and other more delicate melodic touches hearken back to the band's prog-rock foundations (as do the atmospheric "Kometenmelodie 1 & 2," "Mitternacht," and "Morgenspaziergang"). Kraftwerk's fascination with technology has been well documented, but the revelation of Autobahn is the playful human spirit behind the robots' masks. --Jerry McCulley for amazon.com - Love to Love You Baby (1974) - Donna Summer [1 CD, Amazon US]
in 1974, she hit it really big with the worldwide disco hit "Love to love you baby" after meeting producer Giorgio Moroder and signing to the Oasis sub-label of Neil Bogart's Casablanca label. It is the typical disco song of the period - with Giorgio Moroder / Pete Belotte's thumping disco beat, the wah-wah guitar and the big orchestra (actually "Munich Machine"). "Need-a-man blues" is other disco track from this first Oasis album. --discofunk.com - Thrust (1974) - Herbie Hancock [Amazon US]
Fans of Herbie Hancock, you should come here before "Headhunters". Any jazz prententions left over from that are erased in an instant as Hancock swings into full funk mode. The opening "Palm Grease" is highlighted by a beat-heavy percussive groove as the Headhunters lay down a rhythm groovy enough to accomodate Hancock's staccato keyboard work. The next cut,inspired by a zen koan "Actual Proof" is a long,busy cut with a rightously polyrhythmic rhythm with Herbie's downplayed synthesized keyboards flying in all directions. "Butterfly" is a fusion ballad so beautiful and memorable that not only do many jazz artists since have used and covered it's melody but Herbie himself remade it in 1994 on his "Dis Is Da Drum" album-it's a Hancock classic and could be the highpoint of this record. The closing "Spank-A-Lee" is a pure funk jam that is the records statement of intent. "Thrust" is unique in so many ways-unlike most period fusion or funk/jazz it isn't excessive or bombastic, the arrangements while very funky are subdued and the overall instrumentation subtle and most important-while predominantly uptempo the album is not incredibly dancable-our feet arn't this limber, but that doesn't mean you don't want to try! Plus despite it's funkiness the music is heavily improvised, giving it a pseudo jazz feel. Overall this is the Hancock/Headhunters statement of intent that "Headhunters" is said to be but all too often is not-jazzy funk instead of jazz that's funky. -- Andre' Scot Grindle for amazon.com - Phaedra (1974) - Tangerine Dream [Amazon US]
This 1974 masterpiece from Christopher Franke, Edgar Froese, and Peter Baumann ebbs and flows with richly dark soundscapes of electronic sounds and synth. Phaedra was a progenitor for much ambient--and some dance--music, influencing such artists as Steve Roach. After listening to Phaedra it's easy to understand why. The signature pulsing of thick, beautiful Tangerine Dream synth falls across the ambient treasures here, pulling along the orchestral dreamscape before oozing aside for thick washes of expansive sound. The now-classic title cut is both soothing and ghostly, throbbing with subtle sequences and twisted metallic calls before diving into a swamp of nightmarish whistles and hoots. "Mysterious Semblance" soars and swoops like a lovely electronic eagle, bringing tripped-out light and cosmic dignity to the collection. This and the follow-up Rubycon are juicy pieces to the Tangerine Dream pie. --Karen Karleski for amazon.com - Meet the Residents (1974) - Residents [Amazon US]
The Residents' early work is perhaps their most bizarre andchallenging. Mixing elements of Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart, John Cage, and Sun Ra with their twisted sense of song structure, they craft an odd and often indescribable musical collage unmatched by anything that came before them. Allegedly, the band sent a tape (bluntly-titled "The Warner Bros. Album") to Warner Bros., who ended up passing on the record. Since no name had been written on the package, the rejection slip was sent to 'residents' at the return address. The group adopted the name and decided to put out their stuff themselves, forming Ralph Records in 1972. This album is much more primitive sounding, in both the music and the production technology, than their later synthesizer work. Most of the tracks utilize analog tape effects and more traditional instruments like piano, guitar and horns. The album's infamous cover, a defacing of "Meet The Beatles," enraged Capitol Records (although, supposedly one of the Beatles found it funny and bought a copy). This new re-release benefits greatly from the 20-bit mastering, clearing up much of the previously muddy sound. The original CD release had paired this record with the four songs from their first single, "Santa Dog," but they are no longer included (they can now be found on the 1999 Residents collection, "Refused"). Despite the proliferation of contemporary oddball acts that these guys have influenced (Primus, Ween, Mr. Bungle), this disc still sounds as warped and otherworldly as ever. --Myke O'Clock for amazon.com - Rock Bottom (1974) - Robert Wyatt [Amazon US]
Robert Wyatt's 1974 masterpiece Rock Bottom is among the most layered, lovely, and luscious pop records ever as well as a testament to survival. As Wyatt explains in the notes, "The night before the new group was to have its first rehearsal, I fell from a fourth floor window and broke my spine." Produced by Nick Mason, the cream of England's vital prog-rock scene contributed their most subtle, least-wanky efforts for their dear friend's solo recording. Ivor Cutler, Fred Frith, Hugh Hopper, and Mike Oldfield shine alongside ethereal singer/songwriter/keyboardist/percussionist Wyatt. The most touching of these playful drone-pop songs appear to detail Wyatt's relationship with his wife/collaborator, Alfreda Benge. "Your lunacy fits neatly with my own," he sings. --Mike McGonigal for amazon.com - Rasta Revolution (1974) - Bob Marley [Amazon US]
1. Mr. Brown 2. Soul Rebel 3. Try Me 4. It's Alright 5. No Sympathy 6. My Cup 7. Duppy Conqueror 8. Rebel's Hop 9. Corner Stone 10. 400 Years 11. No Water 12. Reaction 13. Soul Almighty
An overlooked, underated, seminal landmark of an album, not only for the Wailers but for Reggae in general. The production (Lee Perry), musical, and vocal arrangements on this album were groundbreaking. The Wailers experimented in ways they had not done before or after. Unique, original, raw, and stripped down. If you think "Legend" is the best the Wailers had to offer then this may not be your cup of tea. But if you're a budding Wailers/Reggae fan looking to expand your horizons this would be essential for your collection. big_wheel for amazon.com [...] - Shuggie Otis - Inspiration Information [Amazon US]
Like Stevie Wonder and Allen Toussaint before him--and Prince and D'Angelo afterward--Shuggie Otis was a musical visionary whose early 1970s recordings showed he could do it all, writing, arranging, performing, and producing some of the decade's most satisfying, innovative, and, unfortunately, overlooked music. This reissue of his 1974 Inspiration Information album--a soulful song cycle that took three years to create and was worth every minute--ranges from early drum machine-driven experiments like "Xl-30" and "Aht Uh Mi Hed" (note the Sly Stone spelling influence) to Otis's most stunning pop confection ever, "Strawberry Letter 23." (The latter song, which ended up being a big hit for the Brothers Johnson, is one of four bonus tracks taken from Otis's 1971 Freedom Flight album). Otis, who once turned down an offer to replace Mick Taylor in the Rolling Stones, continues to perform around the Bay Area on his own and with his father, bandleader Johnny Otis. Hopefully, the long-awaited resurrection of this material will help bring him the attention he deserves. --Bill Forman for amazon.com [...] -
Brian Eno- Here Come the Warm Jets [1 CD, Amazon US]
In 1973, fed up with Bryan Ferry's domineering in Roxy Music, Eno leapt into a solo career that would find him championing the "art" in "artifice." This record is a who's who of the then-burgeoning English art-rock scene, featuring Robert Wyatt, Robert Fripp, and every member of Roxy Music except its leader (thus answering the musical question, "What if Eno had helmed the third Roxy record instead of Ferry?"). Warm Jets sports a lightheartedness that was a refreshing antidote to the pomposity of Yes and ELP on the dark side of art-rock's spectrum, with nonsensical, sound-based couplets such as "Oh headless chicken / How can those teeth stand so much kicking?" This debut is a milestone not just for Eno, but for all rocking music. Listen to Fripp's furious guitars on "Baby's On Fire" and "Blank Frank." It's incredible, Velvet Underground-inspired rock in a scene that had forgotten what rocking meant. --Gene Booth [...] -
King Tubby Meets The Upsetter At The Grass Roots Of Dub (1974) - King Tubby, Upsetters [Amazon US]
I remember hearing tracks from the above album back in 1974 when I was a youth. Back then there were a few guys who ran a small sound system and they used to try their equipment out at the local youth club where I used to regularly go. I always remember seeing these huge woofers placed in the corners with tweeters stacked on top of them. There were wires running all over the place connecting the speakers to the huge amp (every now and then a valve would blow). There was only one turntable and I remember the DJs quickly changing the discs over. I was always intrigued by the music they would play. The singles normally had the artist and song title scratched out and the LPs had blank white labels. There was one LP that they played to death and I was dumbfounded by this new style of reggae music; just instrumental with heavy bass lines and lots of reverb and echo. I had to have that LP and asked what the LP was, "King Tubby Meets The Upsetter At The Grass Roots Of Dub" I was told. This CD includes this album on it on the first 10 tracks. These are "vintage" dubs and essential to anyone's dub collection. The remaining 4 tracks have been added to increase the playing time but shouldn't be confused with the first 10 tracks. This is an original King Tubby masterpiece. --shorty10, amazon.com