@ChrisMayLA6 Congratulations! Although your #KillerCuts and music aren’t really my thing, I greatly enjoy and am much informed by your political and other posts. And I’ll keep following, sharing and interacting with them.
For those of you interested in such things, this account is now among the 1140 most followed accounts on Mastodon....
I just wanted to thank you all for following, reading & commentating on what I have to say each day....
and if you're not following, why not give it a go; you'll find a lot of political economy, some discussion of music (see especially the #KillerCuts posts) and regular book reviews as well as commentary on arts & the university sector.
Killer Cuts has reached it 100 tracks & I will be taking a pause from music recommendation until after Easter.
You can find all the track recommendations by using the hashtag #KillerCuts
If you use Qobuz then @clinfoot has been assembling a ready made shuffle from the list - thanks, and a salute from this Chris to another!
Hope you have enjoyed the selection & have added some (all?) to your shuffle.
Will be back in a while with another music 100....
ProfDJ's killer cuts for your streaming shuffle, No.100
Candi Staton. Young Hearts Run Free
This soul-dance classic marries a wonderful uplifting semi-disco arrangement with a song about being stuck in a abusive marriage. What's funny is how often this has been requested at wedding parties I've DJ'd; really not the right message for the newly wed couple if anyone listened to the lyrics properly. Still a great record, which always fills the dance floor.
ProfDJ's killer cuts for your streaming shuffle, No.99
The Specials. Ghost Town
This classic bit of British political reggae remains a timeless critique of inequality & racism in the UK. Driven by a spacey (dubby) reggae backing & haunting organ, it delivers a mesmeric message of decline which over 40 years latter hasn't lost its potency as a protest record... and it still sounds great too!
ProfDJ's killer cuts for your streaming shuffle, No.98
Eddie Harris. A Little Wes
I love this Eddie Harris mid-tempo groove, which gets going after its brassy intro. A sort of modal, latin rhythm backs Harris' famous electro-sax playing as well as a great relaxed guitar& piano solos while the track loops along offering a hypnotic groove for your listening pleasure. Always reminds me of a summer evening... relaxing & chillin'
ProfDJ's killer cuts for your streaming shuffle, No.97
Sanatana. Oye Como Va
Santana's cover of the Tito Puente standard was perhaps the first time I ever heard latin jazz (albeit here rockified) and it remains a favourite track some 50 years later. Taking the great latin rhythm & chants of the Puente classic & adding the organ & guitar sound of Santana just blew my mind, but you can also check out Puente's original for a different (more latin) take. A classic either way!
ProfDJ's killer cuts for your streaming shuffle, No.96
Mike Post (with Larry Carlton). Theme from Hill Street Blues
A bit of nostalgia for you today, this great theme by Mike Post brings back memories (for me) of one of the greatest police series ever shown on TV, and is a great bit of 'sophisticated' LA jazz. Its a very pleasing piano led, down tempo evocation of the early morning (for the titles of HSB). If you're of an age, this will take you right back to Rollcall!
ProfDJ's killer cuts for your streaming shuffle, No.95
Stretch. Why Did You Do It
Written in response to a music business 'betrayal' Stretch's only hit single is a great bit of rock-funk. Its a driving funk rhythm with a great sparse production including some great horn playing and backing its signature gravelly vocals. Its a bit like a sort of mutant Average White Band, which they never managed to repeat (perhaps they poured all the outrage into this one song?)
ProfDJ's killer cuts for your streaming shuffle, No.94
Led Zeppelin. Kashmir
Led Zep's Kashmir is a bit like a heavy rock version of Ravel's Bolero, a hypnotic repetitive swirling rhythm slowly building (albeit with added vocals from Robert Plant) into a cacophony; I was a big Led Zeppelin fan in my teens but this track transcends that early enjoyment, making it into killer cuts entirely on the basis of its mesmerising quality.... they knew what they were doing!
ProfDJ's killer cuts for your streaming shuffle, No.93
Jackie Moore. Make Me Feel Like a Woman
This is great bit of southern soul with a strong blues inflection; great horn section arrangement & a blues rhythm section back Jackie Moore's strident vocals to make this a soul classic. It may have been recorded 50 years ago but sounds as fresh today as it did then - just brilliant!
@ChrisMayLA6 Didn’t we have something by the Rapacious Rentiers a few weeks back in your #KillerCuts?
ProfDJ's killer cuts for your streaming shuffle, No.92
The Gap Band. Outstanding
This is a great bouncy, mid-tempo dance track, driven by a great rhythm arrangement & the Gap Band's vocals; its a great example of where modern soul was in the 1980s. But, its also a case of the 12" remix completely ruining the thing that made it such a great groove (so stick with the original LP version). Just lovely!
ProfDJ's killer cuts for your streaming shuffle, No.91
Pink. Stupid Girls
This is a great bit of feminist pop (and the video is great too); a driving pop rhythm backs a politically engaged Pink bemoaning the way that women's aspirations are narrowed by popular culture. Just goes to show that pop can be political (and doesn't have to sacrifice musical appeal, to be so)... and is perhaps more often political that we might assume. Punch that fist in the air!
ProfDJ's killer cuts for your streaming shuffle, No.90
Samm Henshaw. Church
This glorious gospel-infused track caught my attention nearly a decade ago (you'll have guessed mostly I listen to older music) and it really stood out from much else I was hearing on the commute to work (on the radio). It's a wonderfully up-lifting vocally led track with a great rhythm track featuring some groovy piano playing. Enjoy
ProfDJ's killer cuts for your streaming shuffle, No.89
Eddie Cochran. Three Steps to Heaven
This lovely mid-temp love song from Eddie Cochran is a wonderful piece of 1950s pop. The relationship between Cochran's guitar & vocals with his backing singers is just sublime. Its short & sweet, and is the sound of summer for evermore.
[a little bit of trivia: Sting sings a great solo version in the 1980 indie film Radio On, set in Bristol]
ProfDJ's killer cuts for your streaming shuffle, No.88
Isaac Hayes. Theme from Shaft
From its intro (on the high hat) to the funky rhythm this classic film theme almost defines the blaxploitation soundtrack; great arrangement, evocative vocals from Isaac Hayes and a killer horn section.... just timeless.
(and if you like a funky film theme song here's a Killer Cust bonus: Lalo Schifrin's main theme for Bullitt is also a groovy masterclass that also kicks)
ProfDJ's killer cuts for your streaming shuffle, No.87
The Futures. Ain't No Time Fa Nothin'
This classic (if lesser known) bit of funk from the Futures is just lovely lilting, funky bit of soooo groovy Philly Soul. Despite some great vocals and the usual Philly arrangements, this lovely track seems to be lesser known than much of Philadelphia International Records output... so I thought I'd contribute to changing that this morning. Enjoy.
ProfDJ's killer cuts for your streaming shuffle, No.86
Taste of Honey. Boogie Oogie Oogie
This great disco anthem was unusual in being by a band led by two women (including the bassist). Its a great bit of dance music, grooving along on a great bass rhythm & guitar playing (sort of Isleys' influenced), behind a great vocal inviting you to boogie, as you will be.
(you'll want the original not the remix, though!)
ProfDJ's killer cuts for your streaming shuffle, No.85
Lou Donaldson. Ode to Billy Joe
This little Blue Note gem comes from a sub-genre of popular song instrumentals that featured on many of their LPs during the 1960s. A great funky shuffle drives Donaldson's treatment which starts with just the vocal line & then slowly as the track progresses bends & stretches that into a funky bit of soul jazz. Some great other solos make for a glorious 60 minutes of groovy jazz
