Nighttime Lovers 10 - 2009 - PTG

Dutch soul funk connoisseurs Vinyl Masterpiece (VM) will always have a special place in my heart. I was there from the very start when they were born in 2004 and I was asked to write the liner notes of their very first release, the rare album “I Need You” by Network. I’m both honoured and proud of that! Many great both albums and compilations have been released ever since and one of the finest and earliest series of compilations is “Nighttime Lovers”. On the 16th of February 2009 the 10th CD in the series was out, and of course, I couldn’t refuse to review such an intriguing CD.

What is so special about this release is the fact that VM have included an extra CD with a top-notch megamix by Frankie Rodriquez! But let’s start with CD 1.

When listening through the CD the first time I noticed that it has both ups and downs. Angela Bofil’s electrofunkish “Can’t Slow Down” is not her best track (think “This Is A Dream” instead). Jimmy William’s bouncy “All My Lovin’” is better and I like that crazy synth a lot plus William’s off beat song! The break is darn tasty too! Candy Bowman’s smoker “I Wanna Feel Your Love” needs no further presentation, what a stomper!

Keyboardist Jeff Lorber and his Band are next with “Best Part Of The Night”, a soul pop effort reaching not much higher than average. Richard John Smith’s song is not much better. Earl Turner’s “Love Caught You By Surprise” is quite catchy but far from a top-notch production. And I don’t like Elaine & Ellen’s track either but an early lay back mid-tempo effort of later New Jack Swing king Keith Sweat in “My Mind Is Made Up” bring me up again! He’s perhaps not the best singer out there but I sure like his soar voice.

Tough and funky “Word Up” by Legacy is nice and so are the three beauties of The Jones Girls and their 1983 hit “On Target”. Next up is yet another bouncy funker in The Husdson’s “You Keep Me up”. I really like the end result here, tight and solid! Kim Herte’s sensual “Do You Wanna Dance With (With Me) is THE highlight of the CD. This is a brilliant production with sassy vocals and a soulfully interpreted funky beat that makes you craving for more. Glass wraps it up with moody “Let Me Feel Your Heartbeat”.

So what about CD 2? The megamix is very competent and a pure joy to listen to. It is jam-packed with great tunes of Krystol, Sahara, Beau Williams, Lillo Thomas and Evelyn “Champagne” King. The big surprise for me was Legion’s infectious and messy mid 80s achievement “Guarantee”, LOVE IT!

Considering it’s a 2CD set with an exclusive megamix CD by Frankie Rodriquez besides some really competent 12” versions it’s an easy buy.

Patrik Andersson

Patriks Soul Funk Music

Howard Hewett - I Commit To Love - 1986 - Elektra

Hewett is definitely one of my all time favourite vocalist with the sensitivity and ability to move people’s hearts that is just incredible! His voice is simply irresistible!

Hewett is perhaps best known as one of the originally three members of the highly successful disco band Shalamar. They were one of Solars’ most pleasing and successful acts (together with The Whispers) with their typical bubble-gum kind of stylish and joyous disco. Shalamar's songs were mainly thanks to master mind producer Leon F. Sylvers III always very catchy and easy listening and Hewett’s voice was simply the strawberry on the sweet cake.

In 1986 he left the band for a solo career. Shalamar’s music was not sprinting on the charts as earlier and in a rapidly changing music environment he felt that it was time for a new era. He became engaged with Elektra and released the debut “I Commit To Love” on that label the same year.

Hewett wrote half of the music and the rest comprised various writers like producer Ed Grenga and friend Stanley Clarke. The album quality is far from solid though with just two really enchanting melodies positioning them far beyond everything else on the album. The rest mainly includes poor pop soul efforts. And that’s a common problem for Hewett all through his solo career to find good material that could match his outstanding voice. The musical genius Stanley Clarke penned the highly enchanting hit “I’m For Real” (#2 on the US R&B chart). This tune is one of my all time favourite, It's just beyond my understanding! What a mesmerizing melody and what an entrancing song! I can hear it over and over again, sing a long, and never ever get tired. My spirit is just in total bliss and music could hardly be much better than this! The second interesting track is the captivating ”I Got To Go”. These two really shows the glow of Hewett's personality. They are the wine in a the water (the rest of the album).

Hewett got some tremendous skills and even though that is proven all the way on only two occasions the album is more than well worth buying for these two alone.

Patrik Andersson

Patriks Soul Funk Special

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Babyface - Tender Love - 1989 - Solar

In 1989 I bought my first three CDs from a big department store downtown Stockholm. One of them was Babyface’s second album “Tender love”. The by then still quite new CD technique had attracted my for some years but it wasn’t until now I had the money to buy my precious Pioneer PDS702 CD-player. The competent machine is still around today and still offering that all fresh and spectacular crystal clear sound.

Babyface, or Kenneth Edmonds, was not new name to me back then. He had both produced and written, together with friend L.A. Reid, several hits in my possession for the legendary The Whisper (“Rock Steady”), Pebbles (“Girlfriend”) and Bobby Brown (“Every Little Step”). He even got his own band with Reid called The Deele that had a few minor hits during the 80s. In many ways he took over after the decline of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis in the late 80s as THE hot black producer and I liked his stuff a lot!

His second album on the legendary Solar label is really competent soul and it is preferably the heart aching ballads that really catches my attention. And even though much of it sounds awfully similar I must admit that it is very hard, why not say impossible, to resist the touching music. Track one, the quirky pop funk “It’s no crime” became a huge hit (#1 on the R&B charts) but it’s the amazing ballads a bit later of “Whip Appeal” (#2 on the R&B charts), “Soon As I Got Home” and “Given A Chance” that unconditionally open up the door to my heart. Both the music and the lyrics here are meaningful, so touching full of pure love! The rest is fine soul too but these three really raises my spirit sky high. Babyface has the ability to really affect people. It’s hard to describe what it is; he simple moves me over and over again.

I really hope you haven’t missed this beautiful album, otherwise I strongly suggest that you buy one of the finest moments in the late 80s and lay back and close your eyes.

Patrik Andersson

Patriks Soul Funk Special

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Change - The Glow Of Love - 1980 - Warner Bros

Change is one of my absolute favourites in the 80s soul, funk and R&B music and I have really studied and writing about them in every way since the debut album “The Glow of Love” in 1980. Change is surely disco but also so much soul.

The man behind this studio project was the notorious French-Italian businessman Jacques Fred Petrus. In the late 70s he scored a great deal of success around the world with studio creations like Macho and Peter Jacques band. He delivered Italian produced disco performed by US vocalists. He was really hot in 1980 when he launched Change backed up by his brilliant staff of Italian songwriters, especially Davide Romani and Mauro Malavasi. Their music combined with Luther Vandross voice, THE soul icon in the 80s and 90s, but still unknown at the time exploded in a rarely seen firework resulting in five Grammies and eternal hits.

The six-track album hits you hard right from the start with a dream dance tune, the pure masterpiece “A Lover’s Holiday”. That one is followed by two other disco focused soul gems “It’s a Girl’s Affair” and “Angel In My Pocket” featuring some nice vocals by high end singers like Jocelyn Brown and Diva Gray. When Vandross showed at the second half he really owns the scene entirely. The title track is so well performed and getting goose bumps is an understatement. Vandross REALLY liked the song. In an interview for Vibe Magazine in September 2001 Vandross said "---this is the most beautiful song I've ever sung in my life....". His second high light is “Searching” that is heart aching and irresistible soul performed with a sensitivity few can reach and even fewer can beat.

The debut of Change is a soul gem in disco clothes and a must have if you have missed it, not because it was Vandross brilliant breakthrough but because the entire album is a true pleasure.

Patrik Andersson

Patriks Soul Funk Special

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Gwen Guthrie - Portrait - 1983 - PTG

The first time I got to know Gwen Guthrie was back in 1982 with the amazing "It should have been you" that is one of the classics out there. But it was much later, in the late 90s, I really got to know her music when I bought her 1985 album "Just for you" and 1986 album "Good to go lover", both including a decent amount of memorable grooves. More recently I got the opportunity to listen to "Portrait", her second release from 1983. Let's have a look on that one. The albm that was re-issued on CD in 2008 includes except the eight original tracks three exclusive bonus mixes wrapped in the classy package of PTG records.

In my mind this perhaps isn't the best album by Guthrie but it still contains plenty of both soulful and funky grooves. Almost all of the more up tempo tracks got a quirky funky groove similar to each other with highlights like the complete a slightly sleepy (in a good sense) "Seventh heaven", refreshing "Family affair" and bumpy "Hopscotch" but you'll also find a more dance oriented tune in the cheerful "Padlock". The ballads are OK but don't give my goose bumps. But the final three(!) bonus mixes however is a very nice addition not to be forgotten.

Although the album got both ups and downs it deserves a place at your home, especially with the three great extra mixes by Larry Levan. Together with the fact that the vinyl is finally released on CD you got all the reasons to check it out!

Patrik Andersson

Patriks Soul Funk Special

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Beau Williams - No More Tears - 1986 - Capitol

Like Barry Towler said about Kazu Matsui's album "Is That The Way To Your Heart" being that very extra close to his heart I say the same about Beau Williams album "No more tears". Although I can only say that about two tracks, as the album is very inconsistent in quality. But on these two Beau delivers a heart aching soul from heaven totally impossible to resist. Born in a religious and musical family in Houston, TX, Williams became a part of the rich Gospel tradition laying the musical fundament of his life that after a commercial detour brought him back to his roots in 90s. The album "No more tears" is from his commercial era on Capitol and was released in 1986.

The start is just stunning. The today classic soul dance gem "All because of you" just got it all. Williams powerful and sensitive voice leaves no one untouched. Next, "Been too long", a typical 80s track that really catches the feeling from back then. Let's skip the following two and focus on "Give me up" instead, yet another dance floor aimed track. My God! To be honest I cried like a baby when I heard this one for the first time (too many memories I guess) and that say a lot of this tune, as I usually don't cry often! Once again Williams song creates the entire experience and even though the music is great it is the voice that is completely mind blowing. It's just a fantastic achievement and one of the best tracks I ever heard and the obvious highlight on the album. The rest is descent stuff but Beau Williams did not after all release an all through solid album so let's leave them behind as well. Find the two and bring them to your heart and you'll see, SOUL!

Patrik Andersson

Patriks Soul Funk Special

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