New to Me

Had a couple of hours to kill so popped into Real Groovy and sifted through the Soul sale bin. Getting home I realised that I was excavating a very narrow 1977-8 vein. Maybe that's my thing?

The Floaters - Floaters (1977)

The highlight is side 1 track 1 Float On clocking in at 11:49 and affords the team to introduce

themselves and let us know their star signs and their preferred type of lady. I love anything zodiac.

This track went to Number 1 on the US R&B Chart in and inspired a Sesame

Street skit titled "Gimme Five" - imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery but inspiring a a Sesame Street skit surely must provide some form of immortality.

The track also features Dennis Coffey on guitar and "sitar".

Johnnie Taylor - The Best of Johnnie Taylor (1976-1980)

I would normally avoid buying best of compilations in favour of individual albums - and there were a number of albums to choose from. But I couldn't turn down the opportunity to get Disco Lady and Disco 9000. I am a sucker for a track with disco in the title - this is my confession. Another note worthy track is (Ooh-Wee) She's Killing Me with its groovy Moroder like opening.

Johnnie Taylor is new to me, and having got the Best Of home I am tempted to go back and pick up the other albums - especially the soundtrack to the movie Disco 9000 (which has tagline "When He's In The Groove The Mob Better Move").

The Moments - Sharp (1978)

Just to prove my point that "disco" in a track name helps me hand over the shekels side 2 track 1 is Disco Man (apologies for the strange listening method for sharing). The start has a bit of a repetitive drive that puts me in mind of Steve Reich which in turn reminds me of a book I read a couple of years ago called Repeating

Ourselves:American Minimal Music as Cultural Practice. As the Amazon product description puts it: Fink juxtaposes repetitive minimal music with 1970s disco; assesses it in relation to the selling structure of mass-media advertising campaigns; traces it back to the innovations in hi-fi technology that turned baroque concertos into ambient "easy listening"; and

appraises its meditative kinship to the spiritual path of musical mastery offered by Japan's Suzuki Method of Talent Education. It is a really good read (honestly).

Eddie Floyd - Experience (1977)

Eddie is a man in conflict. Side 1 track 1 is Feel My Body - almost too sexy to put

on. Certainly not when your mum is visiting. But side 2 track 1 is Don't Expose Your Thing.

What is wrong is that my main reason for buying this album was the cover - a very satisfying yellow/orange, a very solid afro, and sparkly letters. I am just lucky that the music is also groovy, if a little too hot for your mother.

Joe Sample - Rainbow Seeker (1978)

I picked this up because of the date and the instrumentation and vague feeling that Joe Sample might make the kind of music that I like. Imagine my surprise when I listened to In All My Wildest Dreams. Classic. A classic that I should possibly already known about but at least now I am caught up.