1975 music
Related: music - 1970s - 1970s music
Love to Love you Baby (1975) - Donna Summer [Amazon.com] [FR] [DE] [UK]
First record pool
David Mancuso starts the first ever record pool (a means for record companies to distribute promos to DJs). Promo 12 Inches appear with Calhoun’s ‘Dance Dance Dance’ rumored the first. [Tom Moulton says "So Much for Love" by Moment of Truth [...]]
Disco Mix
So "disco version" or "disco mix" means primarily that the record is longer than the version released for radio play, though it may also mean that the cut is specifically mixed for a "hotter," brighter sound. Disco DJs are much more concerned with the technical quality of the records they play than their radio counterparts, rejecting otherwise danceable singles because of the deadness of their mix or their loss of distinction at high volumes. This passion for quality has had its effect: Both Atlantic and Scepter have put selected single cuts on 12-inch discs at 33 1/3 for best reproduction at top volume. -- Vince Aletti in Rolling Stone Magazine, 8/28/75
Singles
- Lonnie Liston Smith - Expansions'
- South Shore Commission - Free Man http://www.allthingsdeep.com/dge/ssc.htm
- Cloud One - Atmosphere Strutt
- 'Zone - Rhythm makers (De-Lite)
- 'Mellow Blow' - Barrabas
- 'Mister Magic' - Grover Washington, Jr.
- 'And You Call That Love' - Vernon Burch
- 'Do It Anyway You Wanna' - People's Choice
- 'Face The Music' - Dynamic Superiors
- 'Foot Stompin' Music' - Bohannon
- 'Helplessly' - Moment Of Truth
- 'Make Me Believe In You' - Patti Jo
- 'Peace Pipe' - B.T. Express
- 'Salsoul Rainbow' - Salsoul Orchestra
- 'What Can I Do For You' - Labelle
- O 'Jays - I Love Music
- Donald Byrd - Change (Makes You Want To Hustle)
- Johnny Hammond - Los Conquistadores Chocolates
- Grupo Folklorico Y Experimental Nuevayorquino - Anabacoa
- Ohio Players - Sweet Sticky Thing
- Lafayette Afro Rock Band - Darkest Light Strut records has a Lafayette comp
- Joe Bataan - La Botella
- Notations - Superpeople
- Eddie Drennon & BBS Orchestra - Do What You Gotta Do [available on Strut]
- Main Ingredient - Hapiness is Just Around the Bend
- Regeneration feat. Stanley Cowell - Trying to Find a Way
- Madeline Bell - That's What Friends Are For
- Sound Experience - Boogie Woogie
- Larry Young's Fuel - Turn Off The Lights
CDs
- Al Green (1975) - Greatest Hits [Amazon US]
One of the must-own soul albums, Greatest Hits is fattened with five extra tracks in this reissue. Al Green brought the Memphis Sound into the '70s by slightly softening it, melding smooth funkiness with his miraculous voice and innate sensitivity: his love songs, while perfect for the bedroom, are as conversational as they are blatantly seductive. By adding the likes of "Belle," a 1977 single that's a near-goodbye to the pop life, to the original lineup of "Let's Stay Together," "Look What You Done for Me," "Call Me," and the others, this edition of Greatest Hits also intriguingly fills out the story. --Rickey Wright for amazon.com - Marcus Garvey/Garvey's Ghost - Burning Spear [Amazon US]
1. Marcus Garvey 2. Slavery Days 3. Invasion 4. Live Good 5. Give Me 6. Old Marcus Garvey 7. Tradition 8. Jordan River 9. Red, Gold and Green 10. Resting Place 11. Ghost 12. I and I Survive 13. Black Wadada 14. John Burns Skank 15. Brain Food 16. Farther East of Jack 17. 2000 Years 18. Dread River 19. Workshop 20. Reggaelation
This was where it all started for Burning Spear, in those days a vocal trio of Winston Rodney, Delroy Hines, and Rupert Milligton. And what a bomb to drop for a debut! It was heavier, and more militant, than anything that had ever been heard in reggae before, taking elements of the music and combining them in a new way. A concept album of sorts, it helped raise awareness of the black leader while still keeping a strong Rasta vibe to the sound, hypnotic and dread. Time has shown it to be one of the classic albums of reggae, charged and powerful. Chris Nickson for amazon.com [...] - Africa Must Be Free by 1983 (1975) - Hugh Mundell [Amazon US]
1. Let's All Unite 2. My Mind 3. Africa Must Be Free By 1983 4. Why Do Black Men Fuss And Fight 5. Book Of Life 6. Run Revolution A Come 7. Day Of Judgement 8. Jah Will Provide 9. Ital Sip 10. Unity Dub 11. Africa Dub 12. My Mind Dub 13. Western Kingston Style 14. Levi Dub 15. Revolution Dub 16. Judgement Dub 17. Sufferer Dub
This is one of the albums most precious to me. The inclusion of the dub versions on the cd means 2 albums are included here. I have always been impressed by the consciousness and conviction, to say nothing of the musical beauty, of Mr. Mundell's vocal work. I believe that he was in his mid-teens when these tracks were laid down, which makes them all the more impressive. This work belied the continued vibrancy of reggae music following the loss of Bob Marley. Infuriatingly, we were to lose Hugh Mundell to gun violence not long afterward. This is a cd any reggae fan ought to have. It is the best Hugh Mundell cd to buy first because of the inclusion of the dub album. I've sung "Run Revolution A Come" and "Day of Judgement", while walking down the street, knowing the songs had the capacity to scare and shock. I've also sung "My Mind", "Let's All Unite", and "Jah Will Provide" in the same settings, knowing the hearts and souls of those who heard would be balmed by the lyrics and music. Graham Hunt for amazon.com [...] - Mystic Voyage (1975) Roy Ayers [Amazon US]
1. Brother Green (The Disco King) 2. Mystic Voyage 3. Wee Bit 4. Take All the Time You Need 5. Evolution 6. Life Is Just a Moment, Pt. 1 7. Life Is Just a Moment, Pt. 2 8. Funky Motion 9. Spirit of Doo Do 10. Black Five
Now, who do you know that didn't have this in their private stash of LPs? They didn't mind other albums gettin' mishandled by clubhanded party guests and Malt-o-Meal eating babies, but this one was always in the "don't nobody but me touch it" file....and for good reason, too. Like me, them audiophiles couldn't live normal life if anything disrupted that funky groovin' and mellow vibin' Ayers and crew presented on this mystic thang. The newest Ayers I purchased was "Naste" a few years ago....it was, kool, but can you imagine hip-hop in your vibe? That, to say the least, wuddn't fer me. That's why I love this ol' skool Ayers. You can put it on and you feel that...Uhmmm-huuuh. -- ygsgs_in_the_quadrivium for amazon.com [...] - Donald Byrd - Places and Spaces[Amazon US]
1. Change (Makes You Want to Hustle) 2. Wind Parade 3. (Fallin' Like) Dominoes 4. Places and Spaces 5. You and the Music 6. Night Whistler 7. Just My Imagination
This is it folks, the finest music that you could possibly delight your ears with. Places and Spaces defies categorisation because although Byrd himself is a Jazz trumpeter, under the careful and tight production of the Mizzell brothers he becomes so much more. This album fuses Jazz, Soul and even funk - yet the sum of it's parts do not do the final outcome any justice, because this is more than just another "funky" fusion album, Places and Spaces has depth and soul that I have rarely heard on any other albums and added to that there is not a weak track on the entire CD. The title track is probably the best song, it is laid back and smooth like much of the Mizzell brother's work. If you have heard Harlem River Drive by Bobbi Humphrey then you will know what it is all about: laid-back beats with a sublime floating lead-melody with sparse yet soulfull vocals. Falling like Dominoes is another highlight on this album, it is the most up-beat song, and it combines uplifting vocals with a dirty groove that makes you want to get up and dance. My words can not do this album justice, you really need to listen to it for yourself, but suffice it to say that I feel this is the greatest album of all time, and seeing as how it's so diverse there is probably a song on there for everybody whether you like Jazz, Soul, Funk, Disco, Fusion, 80s Groove or even hip-hop(a lot of well-known rap artists have sampled this album to good effect ie. Pete Rock). Long live the Byrd man - he makes me wanna hustle. music fan from Wrexham, UK for amazon.com [A Mizell production.] [...] - The Mothership Connection - Parliament[1 CD, Amazon US]
Mothership Connecton was the album that put P-Funk on the map. It was an all or nothing project for George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic. Mr. Clinton invested a large sum of money, into this conceptual project, luckily it was very successful. This album contains hit after hit of classic funk material. An eclectic blend of funk, jazz, blues and gospel are all rolled into this album. The title track is classic funk. Listen to the drum virtuosity of Jerome Brailey and you will understand why he was and still is one of the best drummers in music. The choral vocals, tight horns and booming bass playing of Bootsy Collins make this and album that must be heard. -- Orlando Bryant [...] [...] - Concepts in Unity - Grupo Folklorico Y Experimental Nuevayorquino [Amazon US]
1. Cuba Linda 2. Choco's Guajira 3. Anabacoa 4. Adelaida 5. Luz Delia 6. Carmen La Ronca 7. Canto Asoyin 8. Canto Ebioso 9. A Papa Y Mama 10. Iya Modupue
I found out about this album when I was collecting Salsoul records. At the time when Salsoul re-released their disco albums, they also started re-releasing their latin releases. Salsa and Soul = Salsoul, geddit? - Expensive Shit/He Miss Road - Fela Anikulapo-Kuti & The Egypt 80 Band [1 CD, Amazon US]
1975's Expensive Shit is paired on this new MCA reissue with He Miss Road, another Kuti release from that same year. The album's centerpiece, lead-off and title track was undoubtedly one of the most influential tracks to the Afro-beat movement, and to artists like the Talking Heads, who experimented with similar tribal rhythms on Fear of Music and their landmark album, 1980's Remain in Light. Its complex, bongo- centric percussion is tempered with funk guitar, discordant piano, and brass eruptions. And when, six minutes into the semi-improvisational, instrumental jam, Kuti awakens with a yowl and begins his political rant, he changes music forever. - Paul Cooper [...] - Expansions - Lonnie Liston Smith & the Cosmic Echoes
[1CD, Amazon US]
This particular album really brought Lonnie Liston Smith and the Cosmic Echoes to the forefront of the "commercial " jazz scene in 1975. The infectious bass line and percussion interplay with the bongo and triangle still gets folks to groovin' here in [today]. Lonnie's brother Donald does his smooth vocals, Cecil McBee on bass, Lawrence Killian and Leopoldo on percussion along with Michael Carvin, Freddy Hubbard's brother David on reeds, and Art Gore's driving drumbeats, made Expansions a Jazz -fusion classic. [...] - Cloud One - Atmosphere Strut [1CD, Amazon US]
1. Spaced Out 2. Charleston Hopscotch 3. Dust to Dust 4. Atmosphere Strut 5. Disco Juice 6. Doin' It All Night Long
Features one of my alltime fave cuts: Atmosphere Strut itself. I believe this is a collaboration with Greg Carmichael of Red Greg Records