Gotta Put Me On

Sunshine, sunshine, sunshine : )

Can't get enough of this sort of thing right now.

Hey Anon, there's a lyrical wink to this in the P.M Dawn too.

A Tribe Called Quest - 'Bonita Applebum' (1990)

Subterranean By Design

You'll give me a hundred reasons why I shouldn't like this Joni Mitchell lyric-referencing Spandau Ballet-sampling soft pop hip-hop thing, but I have to tell you - I do.

Especially when the sun's shining, baby.

P.M Dawn - 'Set Adrift On Memory Bliss' (1991)

Yeah Baby

Our occasional series of extended slow-jam classics builds into a magnificent library your whole family will enjoy.

Confession: I knew the Ice Cube* before I knew the original.

In belated memoriam Marvin Isley (bass) who quit this crazy scene on 6th June.

The Isley Brothers - 'Footsteps In The Dark, Pts 1 & 2' (1977)

*re-upped

I Think I'll Call It A Morning

I'm gonna take myself a piece of sunshine
And paint it all over my sky

Be no rain
Be no rain

Gil Scott-Heron - 'I Think I'll Call It A Morning' (1971)

Karma (coma)

Connections, connections, connections and....more connections.

I only went out to pay a cheque in at the bank but something made me drop into the strange-scrappy charity shop by the station and what, what should I find there but that dark masterpiece Maxinquaye - on vinyl, 'near-mint', a quid. I see it's going on the internets for £20. I'm feeling lucky, punk.

Thought my run of Massive Attack-linked things had ended with Wally Badarou, but Lady Serena Dibity had other plans.

Tricky - 'Overcome' (1995)

This Is England

Almost posted some Algerian rai, just for the heck of it...

But have this instead, because it is brill.

Still miss you Joe.

Daydreaming

Connections, connections, connections: another African (though in this case, Paris-born) artist and another track sampled by Massive Attack on Blue Lines (an album I am increasingly convinced was the finest of the 90s) - this one all funky synthy, and dig those (electronic?) bongos.

It's Isaac Hayes meets Jan Hammer, but in a good way.

I've been playing it over and over all week.

Wally Badarou - 'Mambo' (1983)

The Smiling Hour

It's a World Cup in South Africa cocktail special, baby.

And it's bloody lovely.

Hugh Masekela - 'Grazing In The Grass' (1968)

Tropicality

Strange weather here: rain/sun/rain/sun - heat: all a bit tropical, I thought, as I walked back through the woods from the station tonight, hacking dense vegetation from my path with my faithful machete.

So - this'll do nicely: lilting and lovely and impossible not to sway your big hips to.

From a 21 year old Observer offer mail-order cassette: the Lion Of Zimbabwe, banned from Mugabe's State radio and living in exile in the USA.

Thomas Mapfumo - 'Mwoyo Wangu (My Heart)' (1989)

Yeah Baby Serendipity

Working up to a Friday post as the sun beat down outside I ripped Stevie's 'Rocket Love' from Hotter Than July (and it is, baby) and thought to myself, out of nowhere - 'mellow, mellow right on!'

What a lucky (excuse the pun) break! As I bet Massive Attack agree.

For this it most certainly must be.

And it wouldn't surprise me if our occasional series of extended slow-jam classics builds into a stunning collection your whole family will enjoy.

Lowrell - 'Mellow Mellow Right On' (extended version) (1979)

Yeah Baby Tuesday

This week I'm off with the girlies for half term - which means not having to get up too early, which means not having to go to bed too early, which means staying up late listening to the funky sounds on Your Classic And 21st Century Soul Station Solar Radio and playing 'Intermediate, Portuguese' and the like at Windows internet checkers.

Hey, I know how to have a good time.

This starts out all 'Do The Latin Hustle' or Saturday Night Fever's 'Manhattan Skyline' until in come real steel drums and then a properly funky bassline bubbling up behind the disco strings; they say Larry Levan played it at the Paradise Garage and I bet Darcy's got the 12".

It's kinda TGOE Friday on a Tuesday, but I think you can take it.

John Gibbs & The US Steel Orchestra - 'Trinidad' (1977)