100% Pure Groove Vol.1 - Various Artists > Reviews > Groovy Baby

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Average
Lyrics	Sublime
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
Value for Money

Advantages:	Some great Hits
Disadvantages:	Some dire ones too .

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

I do not often buy music CD`s, but when I heard this in our local pub I asked the landlord what it was and had to buy it. This is not a new CD. It was released in 2002 by Telstar.

It cost me £15.99 from Woolworth’s and is a compilation (2 disc) of some great 80`s disco hits and contains 40 songs.

DISC 1.

1) The Fatback Band – I Found Lovin`. Released in 1983. Great dance floor music. One to make you wave your hands in the air during the chorus. `I found lovin, since I found you`.

2) Freeze – Southern Freeze. Released in 1980. This came out at the height of the soul revival and was a breath of fresh air. Played all over the airwaves. `People everywhere doing the southern freeze, you knew you were the one, the only one for me`. Played at `Soul Weekends` up and down the country.

3) Cheryl Lynn – Encore. Released in 1983. Not one that may jump out at you, but once you hear the first few bars, you’ll remember it.

4) Maze – Joy & Pain (featuring Frankie Beverly). Released in 1981. Another brilliant song. As soon as it starts playing, you want to sing along with the chorus. `Joy and Pain, I like sunshine and rain`.

5) Kool and The Gang – Get Down On It. Released in 1981. I was/am a big fan of KATG. Saw them live at Hammersmith Odeon about 14 years ago and they were fantastic. Not all the original line up, but most. `Get down on it, how you gonna do it if you really don’t wanna dance, get down on it`.

6) Candido – Jingo. Released in 1980 (instrumental). The most annoying song, but one that got everyone up doing that silly dance that went with it.

7) Royalle Delite – (I’ll Be A) Freak For You. Released in 1984. `I`ll be a good girl to the world, I`ll be a freak for you. Not a great hit. Playable, but one you may skip, like I am doing now.

8) Earth, Wind & Fire – Let`s Groove (And title of the Album). Released in 1981. Who does not remember this one? The Kings of disco and all that went with it. There were about 20 members in this band and they had the best outfits. Pure sparkle and dance. `Boogie on down, down, Let`s groove tonight, share the spice of life`.

9) Gwen Guthrie – Ain`t Nothin` Goin`On But The Rent. Release in 1986. Great hit. A bit different to all the other soul songs around, very catchy.

10) Midnight Star – Midas Touch. Released in 1986. Can not remember any of their other hits apart form this one. Maybe they only had this one. `I`ve got the midas touch, everything I touch turns to Gold`. Obviously. Not great. Skipped that one too.

11) Chaka Khan – I`m Every Woman. Released in 1978 (thought this was an 80`s compilation?). Brilliant. Speaks for itself. `I`m every woman, it`s all in me, anything you want done baby, I`ll do it naturally`. Love it. Chaka Khan is a legend.

12) Loose Ends – Hangin` On A String. Released in 1985. Soapy and boring. I can not think of anything I really like about this song.

13) Nu Shooz – I Can`t Wait. Released in 1986. Another one I would leave in the bargain bin.

14) Evelyn King – Love Come Down. Released in 1982. One of the best songs on the album (in my opinion). `Baby you make my love come down, Oh, you make my love come down, make it come all the way down, ah, you make my love come down`. Fab song and a great hit record for EK.

15) David Joseph – You Can`t Hide (Your Love From Me). Released in 1983. Again, I can not remember any of his other songs (?). Pretty tame and boring stuff in my view. Cheesy.

16) The Limit – Say Yeah. Released in 1984. Some of these are really staring to sound the same now. This is another bland, samey song. The worst one the album so far. Even more cheesy.

17) Keni Burke – Risin` To The Top. Released in 1982. Very soulful. A slower song. Nice for a romantic dance or dinner. He has a great voice.

18) The Jones Girls – Nights Over Egypt. Released in 1981. I do remember this one, just. Never heard of them again. Not surprised really. Nothing original here. I`ll pass.

19) Ashford & Simpson – Solid. Released in 1984. One of the best songs on the album. Brilliant. I`ve lost count of the amount of times this record has made me get up and dance. `Solid, solid as a rock, and nothings changed it, the thrill is still hot hot hot`

20) Fat Larry`s Band – Zoom. Released in 1982. A beautiful song. `Zoom, just one look and them my heart went boom, suddenly and we were on the moon, flying high in a neon sky`. Nice slow one with a catchy chorus to make you sing along.

DISC 2

1) Tom Browne – Funkin` For Jamaica. Released in 1980. Fantastic song. I can actually remember hitting the dance floors in my teens with this one. Makes you want to get up and boogie. Ask anyone who Tom Browne is and they probably wouldn`t know, but ask them if they know this song and chances are they will (if they listened to this kind of music).

2) Rockers Revenge – Walking On Sunshine. Released in 1982. As soon as this song starts, you want to dance. `Your mine, your mine, your walking on sunshine, I`ve got to tell you that your doing fine, your walking on sunshine`.

3) The Gap Band – Oops Upside Your Head. Released in 1982. What can I say? The song that gets played at nearly every wedding and birthday party to see who is game enough to get down on the floor and hitch their skirt up and wrap your legs around the person in front of you. Been there, done that. What a giggle. `Oops upside your head, say oops upside your head`

4) Patrice Rushen – Forget Me Nots. Released in 1982. Catchy little number. But never heard of her again after this one.

5) Indeep – Last Night A D.J Save My Life. Released in 1982. Another fab hit. Background sound (phone ringing etc). `Last night a DJ saved my life, last night a DJ saved my life from a broken heart`.

6) Shalamar – I Can Make You Feel Good. Release in 1982. I`ll admit that I went out and brought their album. Lots of good hit records and hung around for a few years. This album still sounds good today and brings back heaps of memories. `Cause baby I can make you feel good, Oh so good, let me make you feel good, I can make you feel good`.

7) Sister Sledge – Lost In Music. Released in 1979 (another one not form the 80`s, but who cares?). Another classic from the sisters. `We`re lost in music, caught in a trap, no turning back, we`re lost in music, feel so alive, I quit, my nine to five, we`re lost in music`. A big hit.

8) Diana Ross – Upside Down. Released in 1978. That surprised me. Wow. Diana Ross at her best. `Upside down you turn me, inside out and round and round. Brilliant song and a top ten hit for DR.

9) Luther Vandross – I Really Didn`t Mean It. Released in 1986. Mr Soulful. What an absolutely fantastic song. Everything LV writes turns into a hit record. `Told my girl, bye bye, but I really didn`t mean it, said I met somebody new, so fine, but I really didn`t mean it`. Love LV. Great music man.

10) Funkadelic – One Nation Under A Groove. Released in 1978. Never liked this record. Sounds like a kid has put it together in the garage. Awful voice. Terrible. Skip it.

11) Gwen McCrae – All This Love That I`m Giving. Released in 1979. Do not remember this one at all. Does nothing for me. Nice enough voice, but nothing special.

12) The Blackbyrds – Rock Creek Park. Released in 1978. Pretty funky. Reminds me of the background music to `Starsky & Hutch`. Just take away the lyrics and you are transported back to a time gone by. Nice song. Catchy.

13) Lonnie Liston Smith – Expansions. Released in 1975. Not sure I can really comment on this one. I was only 8 when it came out. He sounds a bit like Luther Vandross though. Nice voice. Funky tune. Not bad at all.

14) Mary Jane Girls – All night Long. Released in 1983. Nice tune. A few of these on here appear to be one hit (or 2) wonders. I remember this song quite well, but can not name another record they had. Nor do I remember what they looked like. Slower song.

15) The Real Thing – You To Me Are Everything. Released in 1976. This is more like it. Proper music. Another of my favourites on this album. Pure genius. I think I have played this quite a lot. The CD is jumping on me. `You to me are everything, the sweetest song that I can sing, oh baby`.

16) Booker Newbury III – Love Town. Released in 1983. Another disco dance floor classic. `Everybody, bring your body, to love town, midnight madness, love town`. Great.

17) Juicy – Sugar Free. Released in 1985. Rubbish. Who on earth are `Juicy`?

18) Mtume – Juicy Fruit. Released in 1983. Just as bad, if not worse than the one above.

19) Marvin Gaye – Sexual Healing. Released in 1982. The best song on the album (in my opinion). Marvin does sexy music like no one else. How many times does this get played? It has to be classed as a classic hit song.

20) Zapp – Computer Love. Released in 1985. What the hell is this? I am trying not to laugh as I listen to it. It is dire.

My overall opinion of this album is that there are some pretty decent records on here, but here are plenty of `Turkey`s ` too.

Would I recommend you buy it? Well, you can judge for yourselves now. I would still buy it. It`s nice that you can skip the bad songs and just play the ones you like, as I do. I have gone back now and am playing `Lost In Music` again.

If you like this sort of music, the chances are, you may like some of the songs I didn`t. So I`ll leave the final decision to you.

Enjoy.

Fran