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Six Degrees of Narada Michael Walden ...
[This is a refconfigured re-posting of sorts, (can't find my original, it's lost somewhere in the black hole called the Org Search Engine  ....]
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... If most folks have heard of Narada, it's because of his work as a producer for artists like Aretha Franklin, Stacy Lattisaw, Whitney, and Mariah Carey...but his work actually spans most genres of music, through Jazz, Rock, Fusion, and R&B, Funk and Pop....he's definitely one musician with which you could probably play that "six degrees" game .... 
... At the start of his professional musical career, he was actually trying to meet up with Jimi Hendrix. At the time, he felt that he could be the bridge between Mitch Mitchelll's Jazz -influenced Rock drumming, and Buddy Miles' fat, funky backbeat...Unfortunately he never got the chance , but along the way, he met up with John Mclaughlin, who was at the height of his fame with the Mahavishnu Orchestra. At the age of 18, Narada ended up inherting the drum chair from the departing drummer Phennom, Billy Cobham. This in turn, led to a meeting with Jeff Beck, whose group was touring with Mahavishnu. A friendship developed and Narada ended up writing and playing on most of Jeff Beck's stellar 'Wired' album. Amid all the fanfare, he also took a turn in the ever-revolving drum chair in Weather Report, arriving at the same time as a new young bassist named Jaco Pastorius. Narada was asked to stay on by Joe Zawinul, but he really wanted a solo career -- and he debuted on Atlantic Records in 1976, with Garden of Love Light. the album showcased his formidable drumming and compositional skills, along with a little help from friends like Jeff Beck, Carlos Santana, Will Lee and David Sancious. Throughout consecutive albums, he displayed his chameleon-like quality, traveling from fusion to funk and R&B Ballads, to Pop, to Rock, and back to fusion. along the way, he scored hits on the R&B and Dance charts with tunes like Delightful, I Don't Want Nobody Else (To Dance With You), I Shoulda Loved Ya, and Gimme, Gimme, Gimme (with Patti Austin). His albums after the seventies grew more amd more commercial and dance oriented, but at the same time, his talents as a producer were now in greater demand. Soon his resume became a Who's Who of the music world... Just a partial list of people Narada has played with, written for, and/or produced: Ray Charles Aretha Franklin Carlos Santana Jeff Beck Rick James Stevie Wonder John Mclaughlin Barbara Streisand Curtis Mayfield Angela Bofill Herbie Hancock Mariah Carey Allan Holdsworth The Temptations Al Jarreau Robert Fripp Whitney Houston Todd Rundgren Al Green Don Cherry Larry Graham Sting Jaco Pastorius Weather Report Chick Corea Stacy Lattisaw Johnny Gill Eddie Murphy Patti Austin Phyllis Hyman Patti Labelle Shanice Diana Ross George Michael George Benson Jean Luc Ponty Lou Rawls Hiram Bullock Tommy Bolin Steve Winwood Rashaan Patterson Sister Sledge Brenda Russell Stephanie Mills Starship Randy "Dawg' Jackson Frankie Beverly and Maze Ronnie Spector Chic Will Lee Vital Information Tevin Campbell The Four Tops Stanley Clarke Lionel Richie George Duke Sheena Easton Patty Scalfia The Pointer Sisters Take 6 The Winans Jeffrey Osborne Tamia Oleta Adams The Stairsteps Jay Graydon Regina Belle Natalie Cole The O'Jays Jermaine Stewart Carl Carlton Lisa Fischer Clarence Clemmons Wynona Judd Siedah Garrett Taylor Dane En Vogue Phil Perry James Ingram Cherelle Mica Paris Lisa Keith Marc Dorsey... ...Oh, and unfortunately.... ...Kenny G.... 
Let's just say he's done a lot of music, from the sublime, to the ridiculous, 
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... [Edited 3/21/07 16:11pm] " I've got six things on my mind --you're no longer one of them." - Paddy McAloon, Prefab Sprout | |
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Nice. 
He was back on set with Steve Schon, Jonathan Cain & Randy "Dawg" Jackson... 
...during Clapton's Crossroads Festival. tA  Tribal Disorder
http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431 "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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There are still some songs Tori Amos recorded with him in the 80's on the vault... | |
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...
Oh, I forgot Allan Holdsworth... Narada's on that Velvet Darkness album (for what it's worth).... 
.... " I've got six things on my mind --you're no longer one of them." - Paddy McAloon, Prefab Sprout | |
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MikeMatronik said: There are still some songs Tori Amos recorded with him in the 80's on the vault...
Kool!! I wonder what those would sound like.... ... " 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: ...
Oh, I forgot Allan Holdsworth... Narada's on that Velvet Darkness album (for what it's worth)....
.... This album is on Allan's Stuff I Recorded But Wish I Had Not list.
tA Tribal Disorder
http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431 "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: This album is on Allan's Stuff I Recorded But Wish I Had Not list.
Yea, Verily!!... that list of things that "Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time".... ... [Edited 3/21/07 16:13pm] " 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: theAudience said: This album is on Allan's Stuff I Recorded But Wish I Had Not list.
Yea, Verily!!... that list of things that "Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time".... That album was the first time I heard extended Allan Holdsworth and was like... 
tA Tribal Disorder
http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431 "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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Hes' got a Greatest Hits CD that I've been wanting for a long time.I really like his funky jams like "I Don't Want Nobody Else To Dance With You" and "I Shoulda Loved You".And who can resist that cool New Wave track he did with Patti Austin "Gimme Gimme Gimme"? | |
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" I've got six things on my mind --you're no longer one of them." - Paddy McAloon, Prefab Sprout | |
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...
Here's Narada, with former Weather Report members (Zawinul, Alphonso Johnson, Alex Acuna) http://www.youtube.com/wa...-Jb4XifqUU Narada with the Mahavishnu Orchestra (John Mclaughlin, Jean Luc Ponty, Ralphe Armstrong & Gayle Moran) The video's pretty shaky, but the audio is Kool!! http://www.youtube.com/wa...-u2U9R5l30 Oh, and here's that Gimme, Gimme, Gimme video,
http://www.youtube.com/wa...FwvMEdwXZg I Shoulda Loved Ya ( Note Randy "Dawg" Jackson over on the bass, )
http://www.youtube.com/wa...mJLlHGTT-U ... [Edited 3/23/07 17:32pm] " I've got six things on my mind --you're no longer one of them." - Paddy McAloon, Prefab Sprout | |
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