Splendor Solis (1532–1535) – Salomon Trismosin
[Youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DR_NMtBEj4]
“I am the Black Gold of the Sun” by the Rotary Connection (Wmc#29)
While researching world peace in relation to Georges Bataille, I found Splendor Solis, which reminded me of Rotary Connection‘s “I am the Black Gold of the Sun” voiced by the late Minnie Riperton (of “Lovin’ You” YouTubefame).
“Ne touchez pas à l’animal” (1971) by Rita Cadillac via au carrefour étrange
“É Bom Para o Moral” (1984) by Rita Cadillac
The first Rita is French, she was an exotic dancer of the generation of previously mentioned Rita Renoir, the tragedienne of strippers. The title of her single reads “Do not touch the animal”.
The second Rita is Brazilian and her song translates as “It’s good for the moral”. It’s an outrageously uplifting Euro-dance song of the same mantle that holds Lou Deprijck, the virtually unknown but at the same time one of the most successful Belgian music producers ever, of whom I’ve given you guilty pleasures #7 and Que Tal America.
What Lou and Rita share is a love of the Brazilian thing, logical for Rita since she is Brazilian, logical for Lou since he loves party music and Brazilians have been very apt at producing party music.
Sleeve of the seven inch of Max Berlin’s “Elle et moi“ (1978)
“Elle et moi” is a musical composition by Max Berlin, first published in 1978 on the Belgian recording label USA Import.
This is the type of track which has survived in popular consciousness through nightclub play rather than radio play. I can’t remember hearing “Elle et Moi” on any commercial radio station.
Skilled and knowledgeable DJs usually play “Elle et moi” after or before Gainsbourg’s 1968 Requiem pour un con (YouTube), from the soundtrack to the film Le Pacha.
Youtube: 100% Pure Poison’s “Windy C”, St. Germain’s “Sure Thing” and, “Get Involved by Pete Rock
If a musical composition’s popularity and quality can be measured from the number of times it’s been sampled, “Windy C” has fine credentials.
Windy C is a musical composition from the 1974 “Coming Right at You” album by 100% Pure Poison. “Windy C” was sampled for Pete Rock‘s “Get Involved” and St. Germain‘s Sure Thing.
Continuing the musical connections:
Sure Thing is a musical composition by Ludovic Navarre published on Tourist, featuring samples from “Windy C” and the soundtrack of Dennis Hopper‘s film The Hot Spot (John Lee Hooker, Miles Davis and Taj Mahal).
Let me give that video (not sure if original or some Youtube bricolage, stylish nevertheless):
[Youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=FgUFZQ4-HcY&]
“California Soul”Youtube (1969) by Marlena Shaw
There are those records which invite you to perform grand gestures and theatrical movements on the dancefloor. This is one of them. A very spacious sound from the sunny side of the United States. Happy music.
My sensibilities in literature, film and the visual arts may sometimes be more to the gloomier side, in music I love bright, happy and danceable (exceptions notwithstanding).
Shaw is best-remembered for the use of her vocals in the 1996 “Remember Me” by Blue Boy Youtube.
Previous World Music Classics.
24->24 Music, Dinosaur L’s one full-length album. Recorded in 1979 and released in 82 on Sleeping Bag Records
I missed this release when it came out late last summer, and I do not own the rare original vinyl on Sleeping Bag. Recommended for Arthur Russell fans. The fact that so many and so cheaply priced copies of this record are turning up surely means that the Arthur Russell hype, which has influenced the tastes of internet-age music connoisseurs and their audiences, is waning.
If you are new to Russell, having the composition “Go Bang!” (with its iconic phrase “I want to see all my friends at once”) is worth the price of the CD alone.
Despite the waning of the hype, Russell remains of course an extremely interesting musical case history, especially because he crossed the line between art and pop in a most elegant manner, without losing face at either side.
The cover art of this re-issue appears to be original, though I have no idea who made it. Could the creator have been influenced by this poster for the first Memphis exhibition? Surely not.
[Youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fb8S51M2GAc&]
Currently in heavy rotation is this track by Hercules and Love Affair. For a longer mix of better quality check Hercules & Love Affair on Myspace.
I’ve heard two remixes, which were unremarkable.
Best track of 2008, so far. The video reminds me of Moroder’s “Knights in White Satin” sleeve art. The whole track is Moroder/Cowley – influenced, not strange if you consider that the track is published by DFA Records, the leading label of electroclash (the eighties revival that has taken the dance music world by storm since 2002/2003 and which was the ideal soundtrack to accompany the nihilism of the post-dot-com era.)
Update: full lyrics, the percussion on the MySpace version of this track reminds me of musical drummer hero Earl Young, and who does the horns? They are sublime.
Previous World Music Classics.
RIP Teo Macero [1] and Joe Gibbs
Teo Macero (October 30 1925 – February 19 2008), was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and record producer. He was a producer at Columbia Records for twenty years, and most notably produced the Miles Davis album Bitches Brew[2], one of the first albums to apply the studio as a musical instrument, featuring edits and studio effects that were an integral part of the music.
Joe Gibbs (1943 – 21 February 2008) was a Jamaican reggae producer, best-known for producing “Uptown Top Ranking”.
“Uptown Top Ranking” [3] (1978) is a single by Althea and Donna, produced by Joe Gibbs based on the riddim of the Alton Ellis’s song “I’m Still In Love” of 1967.
Alton Ellis‘ song “I’m Still In Love” [4] is a 1967 single previously popularized by Marcia Aitken’s cover “I’m Still In Love With You Boy” and the dub track “Three Piece Suit” by Trinity. It’s still a popular riddim today.
Via Simon Reynolds [5].
I’ve recently taken the decision to watch more pulp and listen to more pop. Let’s start with the pulp.
[Youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c92TGgK68ZE&]
From: Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo
Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo (2005) is the sequel to the 1999 film Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo. Rob Schneider stars as Deuce Bigalow, a male prostitute who must go to Europe to help his pimp T.J., played by Eddie Griffin, find a murderer who is killing the greatest male prostitutes of Europe. Film critic Roger Ebert includes the movie in his most hated films list.
This particular scene is about African American stereotypes . Don’t worry, plenty of European stereotypes in this American nouveau exploitation: the gross-out film. My previous male prostitute film was American Gigolo, I suppose. My latest male prostitute novel was Our Lady of the Flowers by Jean Genet.
For pop I have an enduring classic of camp and pulp by Belgian’s own Lou Deprijck, principally known for his underground disco twelve inch “Que Tal America”. While the previous is considered the “high art” of disco, what I’m about to present you is truly guilty. Here is
[Youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsJun-ZtqTs&]
“Disco Samba”
The dodgiest things about this track are that a) it is a medley; and b) it is rip-off of Jorge Ben but nevertheless succeeds in spreading a joyous vibe; c) the song originated in Belgium, a country of which American journalists have remarked in post-9/11 hysteria that they ” have trouble enough fighting bad breath, never mind a real enemy soldier.”
