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Narada Michael Walden What does everyone think of him? Aside from his writing and producing credits for other people, I love his own solo work. Trouble is I can't find any decent albums of his anywhere. I've downloaded a whole load of brilliant songs that I can't find to buy  | |
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I got a couple of his solo albums (I don't know exactly how much he actually released in his own name) The one that spring to my mind immediately and also the one I would recommend in tracking down is Garden of Love Light, and I also somwhat enjoyed Awakening back in the day
  Vanglorious... this is protected by the red, the black, and the green. With a key... sissy! | |
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gimme gimme gimme
all night long the man's a genius!  | |
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Yes Lawd!! 
I'm a big Narada fan!! he's was the first person I had heard (back in '78-79) that was doing it all, stylistically. I first heard the Awakening album, and in one LP, he covered Rock, Funk, Jazz Fusion, Pop, Disco, R&B, ballads, and even Calypso! the title song, "Awakening", featuring Carlos Santana, is my favorite song of all time! It's funny, he started out his professional career trying to meet and play with Jimi Hendrix. Unfortunately, Hendrix died before that could happen, but Narada's played with damn near everybody since, 
he's probably one of the most versatile artists in the business, having played with--shoot, over half the artists in the biz, the good, the bad, and the ugly, ranging from: Ray Charles, Weather Report, Stevie Wonder, Sting, Rick James, Santana, The Temptations, Mariah Carey, George Michael, Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, Herbie Hancock, Barbara Streisand, Al Green, Whitney Houston, George Benson, Todd Rundgren, Patti Austin, Curtis Mayfield, Jeff Beck, Stanley Clarke, Stacy Lattisaw, Angela Bofill, Shanice, Al Jarreau, Patti LaBelle, Eddie Murphy, Mahavishnu John Mclaughlin, En Vogue, Lionel Richie, Steve Winwood, Jaco Pastorius, Sister Sledge, Mica Paris, Starship, Chick Corea, The Winans, Sheena Easton, Don Cherry, Wynona Judd, Roy Buchannan, Tevin Campbell, Larry Graham, Stephanie Mills, Lisa Fischer, Tommy Bolin, Pointer Sisters, Regina Belle, Lou Rawls, Taylor Dane, Cherelle, Pia Zadora, etc,...even...unfortunately...Kenny G....
he's released 10 solo albums, but these are my favorites(all available on CD, at places like Amazon.com): Awakening, 1979 I Cry, I Smile, 1977 Garden Of Love Light, 1976 The Dance of Life, 1979    
There's also this 'best of' compilation: "Ecstasy's Dance: The Best of Narada Michael Walden" 
He also released a very cool album in 1995, Sending Love to Everyone, but it was only available as a Japanese Import(unfortunately, it's out of print now)... ... [Edited 8/18/05 9:34am] " I've got six things on my mind --you're no longer one of them." - Paddy McAloon, Prefab Sprout | |
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paligap did a masterful job laying out the history. 
I'll just add, to hear his phenomenal drumming skills...   
...anyone who can follow the incredible Billy Cobham in this band gets a  from me.
Misc others...    
..."Yeah, the boy can play." tA France countdown - T-Minus 6 days and counting.
 Tribal Disorder
http://www.soundclick.com...rmusic.htm "Ya see, we're not interested in what you know...but what you are willing to learn. C'mon y'all." | |
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theAudience said: paligap did a masterful job laying out the history.
I'll just add, to hear his phenomenal drumming skills...
...anyone who can follow the incredible Billy Cobham in this band gets a from me.
Misc others...
..."Yeah, the boy can play." tA France countdown - T-Minus 6 days and counting.
Tribal Disorder
http://www.soundclick.com...rmusic.htm Damn I didn't know he played with all of these artists! | |
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Divine Emotion is still hot  | |
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eldog98 said: Damn I didn't know he played with all of these artists!
Check out paligap's initial post. 
tA France countdown - T-Minus 6 days and counting.
Tribal Disorder
http://www.soundclick.com...rmusic.htm "Ya see, we're not interested in what you know...but what you are willing to learn. C'mon y'all." | |
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Gimme gimme gimme
all night long Gimme gimme gimme keep playing that love song,that love song who remembers that song from 1985? | |
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DavidEye said: Gimme gimme gimme
all night long Gimme gimme gimme keep playing that love song,that love song who remembers that song from 1985?I remember the video, too !
... " I've got six things on my mind --you're no longer one of them." - Paddy McAloon, Prefab Sprout | |
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paligap said: DavidEye said: Gimme gimme gimme
all night long Gimme gimme gimme keep playing that love song,that love song who remembers that song from 1985?I remember the video, too !
... with the two kids,right?  | |
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DavidEye said: paligap said: I remember the video, too !
... with the two kids,right? actually Narada and his date at a drive in movie.... ... " I've got six things on my mind --you're no longer one of them." - Paddy McAloon, Prefab Sprout | |
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theAudience said: I'll just add, to hear his phenomenal drumming skills...
...anyone who can follow the incredible Billy Cobham in this band gets a from me.
Misc others...
Exactly, and it's interesting to contrast the Jazz rock Fusion stuff with some of the R&B/Pop albums Narada produced, wrote, and played on:                
... [Edited 8/19/05 8:08am] " I've got six things on my mind --you're no longer one of them." - Paddy McAloon, Prefab Sprout | |
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His drumming was great on Jeff Beck's "Wired"
Michael wrote "Blues For Mez" on Ray Gomez's "Volume" CD. | |
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I see I'm not the only 'oldhead' on this site. Yeah, I too was into Micheal during his early drumming session days. Have his early solo stuff on vinyl. | |
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Don't forget, (especially the 'oldheads') )Narada Michael walden also played on this legendary classic album which IMHO, is a mandate for any rare groove collector!
"Sweet Power Your Embrace" - Yep that's my main man Michael Walden! Funny, I got a mate named Jeff, he performed with Narada on "Top Of The Pops" circa 1988 for his UK mainstream hit "Divine Emotions". Jeff has just released his own solo album which U can see here - and he's a brit too!
'dre Tried many flavours - but sooner or later, always go back to the Purple Kool-aid!
http://facebook.com/thedrezoneofficial Http://Twitter.com/thedrezone | |
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DreZone said: Don't forget, (especially the 'oldheads') )Narada Michael walden also played on this legendary classic album which IMHO, is a mandate for any rare groove collector!
"Sweet Power Your Embrace" - Yep that's my main man Michael Walden! Funny, I got a mate named Jeff, he performed with Narada on "Top Of The Pops" circa 1988 for his UK mainstream hit "Divine Emotions". Jeff has just released his own solo album which U can see here - and he's a brit too!
'dre  Kool!! Thanx, Dre!!
... " I've got six things on my mind --you're no longer one of them." - Paddy McAloon, Prefab Sprout | |
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Yeah i love some of his later productions off yet more albums he did a few tracks on:-
   
(ok one track with tracie spencer. But its one of waldens best) 
And of course 
Thats one of my all time fav songs. I like his "divine emotions" album of 1988. 
Title track is rubbish, but ballads like "thats the way that I feel about cha" "how can I make you stay" and pure chippendale campathons like "explosion" are great tracks. He also did a blast of a track that is only avialiable off "innderspcae" called "is it really love". Narada is known for his ballads, but that track is off the chain. 
U can blame him for making whitney houston too. He pioneered that "twinkly keyboard" sound, that one time partner walter affainsief copied for mariah carey and michael bolton. | |
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thesexofit said: I love that album | |
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Ellie said: thesexofit said: I love that album Me too. Its one of my all tiem favs. No joke 
I love waldens "keeponsmilin'". I played "you got the flavour" last night. Love that track. Sounds like it was used for a pepsi commerical. Woulda been a good idea. "if you go away" is awesome too. One of my all time fav songs (wally a, who stole waldens sound, produced that one) | |
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Paligap said: Johnny's guru had everyone sporting that button back in the day, huh? | |
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theAudience said: paligap did a masterful job laying out the history.
I'll just add, to hear his phenomenal drumming skills...
...anyone who can follow the incredible Billy Cobham in this band gets a from me.
i love this album, though i always thought the rhythm section was a lil light in the ass. 
Yeah, Billy is a realmuthafoya!! | |
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I think I heard some of his production on this. I see his name in credits all the time but never checked out his solos. | |
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sinisterpentatonic said: Paligap said: Johnny's guru had everyone sporting that button back in the day, huh? He even drug Carlos "Devadip" Santana into the Sri Chinmoy thing. Then I read an article in Rolling Stone (when it was good) asking John why he left the practice. John said something like, "I wanted to drink beer again."
tA France countdown - T-Minus 3 days and counting.
Tribal Disorder
http://www.soundclick.com...rmusic.htm "Ya see, we're not interested in what you know...but what you are willing to learn. C'mon y'all." | |
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PG you all over this'n baby baba | |
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His album Confidence is one of my all time favorite 80s albums. Number One, Summer Lady, Holiday, I'm Ready, etc
Yeah Narada was tight Bringing Together Five Decades of R&B/Funk/Soul/Dance
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theAudience said: sinisterpentatonic said: Johnny's guru had everyone sporting that button back in the day, huh? He even drug Carlos "Devadip" Santana into the Sri Chinmoy thing. Then I read an article in Rolling Stone (when it was good) asking John why he left the practice. John said something like, "I wanted to drink beer again."
tA 
I remember Santana saying something similar in an interview, after he had left Sri Chinmoy. The interviewer asked him what he was into now, and Santana replied, "Tennis....." ... " I've got six things on my mind --you're no longer one of them." - Paddy McAloon, Prefab Sprout | |
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Back in the stone age we played a gig in a small town called Kilona.
One of the guys who used to sing all the slow high Heatwave ballads decided to "bust out" while singing "I Shoulda Loved Ya". During this song he went into James Brown mode. After singing stuff like "Sho Nuff Must Be Love" He felt the power. | |
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cranshaw62 said: Back in the stone age we played a gig in a small town called Kilona.
One of the guys who used to sing all the slow high Heatwave ballads decided to "bust out" while singing "I Shoulda Loved Ya". During this song he went into James Brown mode. After singing stuff like "Sho Nuff Must Be Love" He felt the power.
He just had to break out, huh? cranshaw62 said: His drumming was great on Jeff Beck's "Wired"
Michael wrote "Blues For Mez" on Ray Gomez's "Volume" CD. I love that tune! Gomez is one of my favorites, definitely an unsung guitar hero... ... " I've got six things on my mind --you're no longer one of them." - Paddy McAloon, Prefab Sprout | |
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He was your typical "pretty boy ballad singer" but on this gig he was "in concert"!
A lot of stuff Jeff Beck and Steve Vai do with the vibrato bar where you play a harmonic and change the pitch to make a melody Ray Gomez was doing that first. Beck told Ray he got it from him but Jeff never got around to saying it publicly if you know what I mean. | |
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