EJ Flavors

I had to tear myself away from the primaries and work to do this. Come to think of it, this was much, much more appealing....

Old School Wednesday: Smile.
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01 - The Whatnauts - Help Is On The Way
02 - Central Line - Walking Into Sunshine
03 - D-Influence - Phuncky Times
04 - Twennynine Featuring Lenny White - Rhythm
05 - Bernard Wright - After You
06 - Garry Glenn - Got You On My Mind
07 - Soul II Soul - Time
08 - Don-E - Me Oh My
09 - Repercussions - Turn Your Card
10 - Pride 'n Politix - One Of Those Things
11 - Kleeer - Intimate Connection
12 - Lalah Hathaway - Smile
13 - Mica Paris - You Can Make a Wish
14 - Pebbles - Stay With Me

Things have been a little hectic, so this is going to be a little brief - I'll be able to add more a bit later. The two startup tracks from The Whatnauts and Central Line should sound familar to you, as they've been sampled by two quite popular hip-hop tracks. D'Influence's Phunky Times is a personal acid jazz fave of mine that I've used before and had to pull out of the crates again.

Twennynine's Rhythm is off of the album Just Like Dreamin' which was brought to my attention while going on a Lenny White rampage sometime ago. Bernard's After You, which took me some time to track down, is the track which follows his famous cut Who Do You Love? from the LP Mr. Wright. This blends into Garry Glenn's Got You On My Mind which I was pleasantly surprised to have heard after seeking a request from Strollin4Luv (much props for putting a bug in my ear).

Soul II Soul's instrumental Time from Volume II: A New Decade brings us into Don-E's Me, Oh My and Repercussion's splendid Turn Your Card, also from Earth and Heaven. I remember seeing Pride 'n Politix on BET's Video Soul as they were interviewed by Donnie Simpson. This prompted me to purchase the album Changes. Intimate Connection from Kleer brings us to Lalah's Smile, my personal favorite off of her debut CD. I then close with Mica's You Can Make A Wish and a track that I consider to be one of the hidden gems of Pebbles, Stay With Me off of her Always CD.

The podcast is here for your listenin' pleasure, so if you're so inclined, take a listen. Special thanks to TGrundy for his assistance. For those who'd like to subscribe to these podcasts, enter this link manually into iTunes. If you have requests or questions, send an email to ejflavors [@] gmail [.] com. Take it light!

Back from Podcamp 2.0 which was a beautiful thing, no doubt. The trip to NYC was inspiration for this OSW:

Old School Wednesday: Acid Jazz, Volume 4.
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01 - D-Influence - Changes
02 - Donald Byrd - Sister Love
03 - Brooklyn Funk Essentials - The Creator Has A Master Plan
04 - Swing Out Sister - Don't Let Yourself Down
05 - Carleen Anderson - Nervous Breakdown
06 - Bob James - Nautilus
07 - Incognito - I Love What You Do For Me
08 - James Taylor Quartet - Summer Fantasy
09 - Jhelisa - Whirl Keeps Turning
10 - Stylistics - People Make The World Go Round
11 - Repercussions - Test Of Time
12 - Herbie Hancock - Chameleon
14 - Loose Ends - Choose Me

Let's see, where do I begin? Well, we start off with D'Influence's Changes, one of the tracks from the their initial release Good4We. That track grooves you right into Donald Byrd's Sister Love, from the 1973 album Street Lady. Brooklyn Funk Essentials' The Creator Has A Master Plan is a rendition of the original Pharoah Sanders track. It's followed by Carleen Anderson's Nervous Breakdown, which marked my official introduction into acid jazz. I tracked down Bob James' Nautilus after I heard the remake of the track from Nuyorican Soul (a very, very solid album).

Incognito's track I Love What You Do For Me is from Vibes, Tribes and Scribes, continuing on to James Taylor Quartet and Jhelisa's Whirl Keeps Turning from Galactica Rush. The Stylistics extended version of People Make The World Go Round (reintroduced by Zero 7's Anotherlatenight) leads the way into Repercussions' Test Of Time, another solid LP. Herbie's Chameleon is from the 1973 album Headhunters. After Herbie's track, the mix is then concluded by Loose Ends' Choose Me from A Little Spice.

The podcast is here for your listenin' pleasure, so if you're so inclined, take a listen [coming soon]. Special thanks to Macedonia for the much needed push, and especially for those people I met at Podcamp NYC 2.0, which was very enligtening (as a matter of fact, it was so good, I've already started planning for the next trip to NYC, believe that.) For those who'd like to subscribe to these podcasts, enter this link manually into iTunes. If you have requests or questions, send an email to ejflavors [@] gmail [.] com. Take it light!

Getting ready for Podcamp NYC 2.0, and I can't wait. Let's do this.

Old School Wednesday: Reach For It
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01 - Tom Browne - Thighs High
02 - George Duke - Reach For It
03 - GQ - Is It Cool?
04 - Raw Silk - Do It To The Music
05 - Pleasure - Glide
06 - Aquarian Dream - You're A Star
07 - Melba Moore - You Stepped Into My Life
08 - Alexander O'Neal - (What Can I Say) To Make You Love Me
09 - The Sylvers - Come Back Lover, Come Back
10 - Cherrelle - When You Look in My Eyes
11 - Stevie Wonder - That Girl
12 - Garry Glenn - It's Love Again
13 - Steely Dan - Deacon Blues
14 - Bootsy Collins - I'd Rather Be With You

Tom Browne and George Duke tracks were always staples in my home, so they're pretty much a given to start this off. GQ's Is It Cool? is one of my favorite tracks that was never released. Raw Silk's Do It To The Music gives the East Coast vibe, while Pleasure's Glide delivers from the West Coast.

Aquarian Dream, a band spearheaded by Normal Connors, delivers the great track, You're A Star, from their album Fantasy, Melba Moore also delivers with a mellow track from 1978, You Stepped Into My Life. Alexander O'Neal's (What Can I Say) To Make You Love Me (from Hearsay) is followed up with The Sylvers' Come Back Lover, Come Back (from Concept).

Cheryl Norton (also known as Cherrelle) delivers a track from the album Fragile with When You Look In My Eyes. One of my favorite tracks from Stevie (That Girl) is followed by one of great tracks from Garry Glenn, It's Love Again, from GG which was released in 1981. This is followed by some blue eyed soul from Steely Dan (Deacon Blues from Aja) and some funk groovin' from Bootsy (I'd Rather Be With You from Stretchin' Out In Bootsy's Rubber Band).

The podcast is here for your listenin' pleasure, so if you're so inclined, take a listen. For those who'd like to subscribe to these podcasts, enter this link manually into iTunes. If you have requests or questions, send an email to ejflavors [@] gmail [.] com. Take it light.

In the mix....

Old School Wednesday: Number One
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01 - Imagination - Just an Illusion
02 - GQ - Shake
03 - Kleeer - Winners
04 - Crown Heights Affair - Sure Shot
05 - Foster Sylvers - Misdemeanor
06 - Jeffrey Osborne - Plane Love
07 - Patrice Rushen - Number One
08 - Stevie Wonder - Stranger On The Shore Of Love
09 - George Duke - Someday
10 - Gary Taylor - Compassion
11 - Gwen Guthrie - (They Long To Be) Close To You
12 - Isley Jasper Isley - A Once In A Lifetime Lady
13 - Mint Condition - Forever In Your Eyes
14 - Lalah Hathaway - Baby Don't Cry

I'm sure we're all familiar with Imagination's Just An Illusion, but when's the last time you've heard Shake from GQ and Winners from Kleeer? I remembered those being played at roller rinks and clubs back in the day. This is followed up by a very nice request from Brother Tashi outta Philly, Sure Shot, one of the many hits from Crown Heights Affair.

Jeffrey's Plane Love, a personal fave from 1984 is followed by one of my favorite instrumentals of all time, Number One. Stevie's Stranger On The Shore Of Love follows, one of the tracks from In Square Circle. I had to locate Someday from George Duke after I heard the sample of the track on Common's LP. This is followed by one solid track from Gary Taylor called Compassion.

I was reading about Gwen Guthrie last week on Wikipedia which made me pull out this stellar remake of a track from The Carpenters (They Long To Be) Close To You. This is followed by Isley Jasper Isley's Once In A Lifetime Lady and the very first track I heard from Mint Condition some time before their first album came out, Forever In Your Eyes. I then close everything out with Lalah's Baby Don't Cry, which has a familiar female singer prevalent on the track.

You know the drill - there's a little more in the podcast, so if you're so inclined, take a listen. For those who'd like to subscribe to these podcasts, enter this link manually into iTunes. If you have requests or questions, send an email to ejflavors [@] gmail [.] com. Take it light!

And here we go.

Old School Wednesday: Take A Little Trip
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01 - Michael Wycoff - Tell Me Love
02 - Earth, Wind & Fire - And Love Goes On
03 - Rufus featuring Chaka Khan - At Midnight (My Love Will Lift You Up)
04 - Fatback Band - Goin' To See My Baby
05 - Shuggie Otis - Inspiration Information
06 - Johnny Hammond - Fantasy
07 - Level 42 - Starchild
08 - Minnie Riperton - Take A Little Trip
09 - S.O.S. Band - Weekend Girl
10 - Shalamar - Help Me
11 - Don Blackman - Holding You, Loving You
12 - Heatwave - The Star of The Story
13 - O'Jays - Help (Somebody Please)
14 - Tavares - Check It Out

This podcast has been challenging for me. As I stop and think about the number of OSWs that have been produced (approximately 150, give or take a few), I often feel like I need to take some time out and recharge. The self-imposed rules I have had (play no track twice within 6 months, and tracks must be at least 10 years old), and the amount of time it takes to do each one (3 hours at a minimum) have been more than a little work, and I've often thought about retiring. Thanks to this mix, however, I think I'm going to keep on doing this, and I'd encourage other podcasters to do the same.

I could tell you so much about each track, because every track has it's particular groove for me, but I'll keep it brief. Michael Wycoff's Tell Me Love is one of the most underrated classics, especially considering the background vocalists, who worked primarily with Luther Vandross. Earth Wind & Fire's And Love Goes On is from the 1980 album, Faces. Rufus' At Midnight (My Love Will Lift You Up) is the quintessential jam session and is followed up by Fatback Band's Goin' To See My Baby, laden with some serious, serious drum licks.

Shuggie Otis' Inspiration Information was way ahead of it's time (just ask David Byrne from Talking Heads, who had Shuggie's tracks re-released), while Johnny Hammond's instrumental Fantasy and Level 42's mid-tempo Starchild continue bridging the gap with pop, soul, and jazz.

Minnie's Take A Little Trip is the track that I was listening to at the beginning of the month that made me smile, thereby giving me a little push to complete this. Atlanta's own SOS Band's Weekend Girl which is a very popular track being played on quiet storm stations everywhere, is followed by two sleepers. Shalamar's Help Me (from 1982's album Friends) which shines primarily because of it's string and vocal arrangements are accentuated with a killer bassline, and unfortunately was not released as a single. The same holds true for Don Blackman's Holding You, Loving You, with its stellar piano arrangement. The mix is brought to a close with my personal fave from Heatwave, The Star of the Story, O'Jay's Help (Somebody Please) sampled by Total (among others), and Tavares' very first hit, Check It Out.

Special thanks to Pil Hill for the intro drop (give that man some Coirvoisier, please). As usual, there's a little more in the podcast, so if you're so inclined, take a listen. For those who'd like to subscribe to these podcasts, enter this link manually into iTunes. If you have requests or questions, send an email to ejflavors [@] gmail [.] com. Take it light!

Lemme drop this with a quickness:

Old School Wednesday: Hangin'
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01 - Ohio Players - Love Rollercoaster
02 - Stephanie Mills - Put Your Body In It
03 - Harvey Mason - Till You Take My Love
04 - The Jones Girls - You Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else
05 - Marvin Gaye - Funk Me
06 - Raydio - Jack And Jill
07 - Hall & Oates - I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)
08 - Michael Franks - Let Me Count The Ways
09 - RAMP - Daylight
10 - Stylus - Hangin'
11 - Stevie Wonder - You've Got It Bad Girl
12 - Michael Cooper - Over And Over
13 - Rose Royce - Ooh Boy
14 - Rick James & Tina Marie - Happy

I'm pretty sure you're well aware of these tunes, but pay special attention to RAMP- the tune will sound very familiar. (More info about them here.) My particular fave one is Stylus' Hangin' which I first heard as a sample on a Little Brother track. Special thanks to Roney, DarrenKeith, DYKC, and Todd Kelley for their blessing of Love Rollercoaster. As usual, there's a little more in the podcast, so if you're so inclined, take a listen. For those who'd like to subscribe to these podcasts, enter this link manually into iTunes. If you have requests or questions, send an email to ejflavors [@] gmail [.] com. Take it light!

Spring is here.

Old School Wednesday: Vernal Equinox, 2008
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01 - Quincy Jones - Ai No Corrida
02 - Rufus - Do You Love What You Feel
03 - Alexander O'Neal - The Lovers
04 - Brigette McWilliams - No Groove Sweating
05 - Kenny Lattimore - Climb The Mountain
06 - Kenny Loggins - Heart To Heart w/ Michael McDonald
07 - Toto - Georgy Porgy
08 - Wally Badarou - Chief Inspector
09 - Naked Eyes - Promises, Promises
10 - Boz Scaggs- Jojo
11 - Lionel Richie - Love Will Find a Way
12 - Heatwave - Mind Blowing Decisions
13 - Jackson Sisters - Day In The Blue
14 - Ethel Beatty - It's Your Love

Quincy and Rufus bring us to Alex's The Lovers, which are graced with background vocals by Cherrelle, Lisa Keith, and a host of others. Brigette McWilliams's No Groove Sweating spreads the goodness of the Marvin Gaye vibe. Kenny's Climb The Mountain was personally my favorite track from his debut CD.

Two stellar tracks from Kenny Loggins and Toto (with vocals by no other than Cheryl Lynn) bring us to Wally Badarou with Chief Inspector. Naked Eyes and Boz Scaggs lead the way into mellow tracks by Lionel Richie and Heatwave. These cuts leaad the way to very rare tracks, the Jackson Sisters' cut Day In The Blue and Ethel Beatty's It's Your Love.

Much love Pil Hil for dropping the intro track. There's a little more in the podcast, so if you're so inclined, take a listen. For those who'd like to subscribe to these podcasts, enter this link manually into iTunes. If you have requests or questions, send an email to ejflavors [@] gmail [.] com. Take it light!

Here we go....

Old School Wednesday: Haven't You Heard
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01 - Patrice Rushen - Haven't You Heard
02 - Shalamar - Talk To Me
03 - Chaka Khan - I Know You, I Live You
04 - Jaki Graham - Round and Around
05 - Slave - Dreamin'
06 - Madonna - Love Song
07 - SOS Band - High Hopes
08 - Leon Sylvers III - Let's Go Thru It
09 - Peaches & Herb - Star Steppin
10 - DeBarge - I Like It
11 - Keni Burke - Something New Like A Sweet Melody
12 - The Doobie Brothers - You Belong to Me
13 - Raydio Feat. Ray Parker Jr. - Two Places at the Same Time
14 - D Train - Shadow of Another Love

I'm sure that most people are familiar with the Patrice Rushen, Shalamar, and Chaka tracks. but may not have had much exposure to Jaki Graham, previously a vocalist for Kiss The Sky, and her track Round and Around. Slave's Dreamin' is a great track from Stone Jam that was never released as a single, followed up by a duet from Madonna called Love Song. SOS Band and Leon Sylvers III pave the way for Star Steppin', a classic steppers tine. DeBarge is followed up with a track I had never heard before, Something New. The tracks from The Doobie Brothers, Raydio, and D-Train round out the set nicely.

Much props to Xquizzyt1 for the last mix, Yvonne for helping me track down the Keni Burke track, Pil Hil for helping me out with the intro track, and Macedonia for providing the impetus of unearthing this duet between Madonna and a well known (some would say iconic) artist, Love Song. For those who'd like to subscribe to these podcasts, enter this link manually into iTunes. If you have requests or questions, send an email to ejflavors [@] gmail [.] com. Take it light!

I was in Austin, Texas this past weekend enjoying all that is SXSW, and I will be next there next year, be sure of that. Shoutouts go to all of the SXSW people I had a chance to hang with- there's absolutely way too many to mention. Since I'll be recuperating for the next week, or so, I had Xquizzyt1 fill in for me. So, for now, I present:

Old School Wednesday: The X Mix
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01-Sylvia Striplin - Give Me Your Love
02-Sharon Redd - Can You Handle It
03-Narada Michael Walden - I Shoulda Loved Ya
04-Skipworth & Turner - Thinking About Your Love
05-Fonda Rae - Over Like A Fat Rat
06-Jeanette Lady Day - Come Let Me Love You
07-The Strikers - Body Music
08-Unlimited Touch - Searching To Find The One
09-Young & Company - I Like What You're Doing To Me
10-D Train - Keep On
11-Wish feat. Fonda Rae - Touch Me (All Night Long)
12-Man Parrish - Hip Hop Be Bop
13-Xena - On The Up Side
14-Howard Johnson - So Fine
15-Imagination - Just An Illusion
16-Nick Straker Band - A Little Bit of Jazz
17-Third World - Try Jah Love

I must admit, I have never heard the Xena track, so it's always good to have little surprises here and there. No vocals on this mix, as there wasn't enough time to incorporate them in town- look for them on the next OSW and the upcoming In Rotation. Much props to Xquizzyt1 for this mix. For those who'd like to subscribe to these podcasts, enter this link manually into iTunes. If you have requests or questions, send an email to ejflavors [@] gmail [.] com. Take it light!