Archive for the ‘Herbie Hancock’ Category

Tokyo Record Stores and Forgotten Funk

Thursday, October 6th, 2016

Hey.

Hey.

Hey.

I finished my guide to record stores in Tokyo. It took me seven plus months and is something like 15,000 words. It’s easily the biggest thing I’ve ever written and is the most work I’ve ever put into something. I know it’s not perfect, but I am really proud of it so if you ever read this blog and thing “man, that Lost Turntable guy is dope I wish I could show him how much I appreciate him” then you can do that by sharing that thing.

Okay, done groveling, here’s B-grade 80s funk.

Mico Wave
Star Search (Shep Pettibone Mix)
Star Search (Edit)
Star Search (Instrumental)
Star Search (Acappella)
Mico Wave is a Bootsy Collins protege who released his sole album, Cooking From The Inside Out, in 1987.

(I really appreciate his commitment to the whole microwave pun.)

I know at one point I owned that album, but I can’t seem to find it physically or digitally, and that’s a real bummer. It’s not a lost classic, but it’s pretty damn good. This track, a failed single that didn’t chart, is Mico at his best. And by “his best” I mean “fully ripping off Prince.” Although I guess that’s not entirely fair. This track in particular is much more in the Zapp camp than in the Prince, embracing electro far more than the Purple One typically did. Makes sense that Mico would also spend part of the 80s working with Herbie Hancock during his electro phase.

Speaking of which…

Herbie Hancock
Vibe Alive (Edit)
I really wanted to share the 12″ version of this, but that’s on Amazon and iTunes now, so if you want that you’ll have to actually pay money. Consider this now out-of-print 7″ version a sampler of the main course.  Mico Wave co-wrote this one, alongside Hancock and Bill Laswell. Considering the caliber of those two giants, I wonder how the hell he got that gig. Did Bootsy have dirt on Herbie or something? I mean, Mico appeared to be a more-than-talented musician and songwriter, but going from “failed Prince rip-off” to “co-writer on a Herbie Hancock album” is a hell of a jump forward. Good for him, I hope he made that money while the getting was good, as he’s seemed to have completely vanished off the face of the earth. His last credit was in 1996, on an album by some group called The Devotees. I can’t find anything online about them, which is a real bummer considering that album featured appearances by Bernie Worrell, John Popper, Vernon Reid of Living Colour and Trey Gunn of King Crimson. Anyone got any info on that one? Sounds like something else.

Posted in Herbie Hancock, Mico Wave | 2 Comments »

In A Big Funky

Thursday, July 7th, 2011

Apparently there’s this awesome music site called turntable.fm.

I run a website called Lost Turntable.

Who the hell do I have to talk to get a damn invite to that place? Seems like a travesty of justice to me if I ever heard one.

Big Country
In A Big Country (Live)
I found this on a strange record called Vertigo Sampler. It’s a 2LP sampler, with one label each getting a side. Phonogram got the A-side, Beggars Banquet the B-side, Polygram the C-side and 4AD rounding out the collection with the D-side. That means you get an album with Colourbox, Mark Knopfler, Big Country, Dexy’s Midnight Runners, ABC and The Cult all together. And the whole thing originally cost the price of a 12″ single.

It was probably a great way to expose music fans to new artists they might not hear otherwise, so it’s a safe bet that record companies today would never try it.

According to the linear notes, this live version was recorded in Austin, Texas on March 22nd, 1984.

Herbie Hancock
Chameleon (Special ’83 Dance Remix)
This shit is funky with a capital UNKY.

Okay, so that didn’t make much sense. But that’s how good this jam is, it destroys your ability to form complete sentences. It’s a 14-minute funkgasm that will have you funking the funky night away until you can’t funk no more. If case you were wondering where this funksplosion came from, I found it off of a super-funky 12′ single for “Autodrive.”

Funk.

Belinda Carlisle
Band of Gold (Extended Mix)
Band of Gold (Dub Mix)
Band of Gold (Single Mix)
Most upbeat song about a downbeat topic ever? I think so.

While I get the basic gist of this tune, does anyone know what the hell this song is actually about? I’ve heard two prevailing theories. One, put forth by original singer Freda Payne, is that the woman singing the song is “frigid” and unwilling to consummate the romance on the couple’s wedding night. However, I’ve also heard another theory that it’s about the how the husband is either impotent or gay, and that’s why they can’t get it on. Either way, that’s a weird topic for a disco classic.

These remixes from from a 12″ single, and the also feature Freda Payne as a ringer on backup vocals.

Posted in Belinda Carlisle, Big Country, Herbie Hancock, live, remixes | 3 Comments »