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Best Use of Horns During the Electrofunk/Boogie Period ('82-'86) While there is debate about the exact boundaries of the electrofunk/boogie style of music that is clearly demonstrated by mid 80s Midnight Star/Roger-Zapp and the 1999 LP, it is generally agreed that electronic funk/boogie/so called "stripped down" funk was the style that the masters such as Prince, Roger/Zapp, Rick James, the Bar-Kays, the Dazz Band, etc. and the uptempo parts of the Thriller LP used. It is a style the emphasized synthesizers and drum machines and very focused and tight melodies & percussion (compared to the more frequently but not always loose, wandering funk arrangements of that were more prevalent in the 70s such as certain tunes by the Ohio Players, etc.). It is a style that minimized or discarded the use of strings, symbols, horns and electric piano in favor of a more fully electronic sound.
Still, during this period there multiple bands and soloists that had excellent horn parts in their songs either as a prominent part of the background, in solos, or both.
What tunes do you think stand out for their great use of horns or flute during this period?
A couple of ideas:
1. Thelma Houston - "You Used to Hold Me So Tight" Saxophone plays a lead role in tune, almost is a duet with Thelma.
2. Sheena Easton - "Strut"
If you ever heard this, the point is obvious. The LP was produced by Prince.
3. Barry White - "Change"
Heavy use of trumpet the way "You Used to Hold Me So Tight" used saxophone.
4. Kenny G - "Hi, How Ya Doin" and "Love on the Rise"
These tunes were mostly the brainchild of Kashif as the producer.
"Love on the Rise" was played heavily on WGCI and WBMX in Chicago in 1985.
5. Fatback - "Girls On My Mind" - Saxophone was featured and played in this song. The saxophone performer was David Sanborn.
6. Rick James - "Glow" - saxophone, trumpet, and maybe trombone were feature in this song which included a trumpet solo.
7. Con Funk Shun - "Ms. Got the Body"
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Gotta give it up for Prince here. Parade and its b-sides -- "Mountains," "Love or $," "Girls and Boys" -- are among the best.
Good night, sweet Prince | 7 June 1958 - 21 April 2016
Props will be withheld until the showing and proving has commenced. -- Aaron McGruder | |
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Thanks for the contribution.
I had tried to think of Prince song that used horns and I had not remembered "Girls and Boys", which I have, enjoy, and believe is underrated.
One of the few times during this period that he used horns but this was a first class result.
I have not heard the other 2 songs but I should listen to them. | |
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Bloodstone - Funkin' Around / My Love Grows Stronger - 1982 Bobby Glover - What Kind Of Lady / So Mean - 1984 Bobby Nunn - She's Just A Groupie - 1982 (horn section from Ozone) Bobby Nunn - Sex Maniac - 1983 (horn section from Ozone) Cameo - Soul Army - 1982 Cameo - Talkin' Out The Side Of Your Neck - 1984 Cameo - You Can Have The World / Word Up / Candy - 1986 Cutty - Naughty Times - 1984 Dazz Band - Party Right Here - 1982 Dazz Band - To The Roof - 1983 Dayton - Movin' Up - 1982 (intro somewhat sounds like EW&F's "Let Your Feelings Show" lol) Don Blackman - Deaf Hook Up Connection / Never Miss A Thing - 1982 General Caine - Girls / Baseball / Don't Stop / Knock Down The Walls - 1982 Human Body - Make You Shake It - 1984 Jewel - Gotta Make You Better - 1982 Kiddo - Hyperactive - 1984 L.A. Connection - Shake It / Burn Me Up - 1982 Louisiana Purchase - Don't Turn Your Back (between 1982 - 1984) MCB - Do It Up - 1983 (EW&F's Phenix Horns) Midnight Star - Victory / Hot Spot - 1982 Ohio Players - Star Of The Party - 1982 Ohio Players - Fast Track / All Night - 1984 One Way - Wild Night / One Of Us - 1982 One Way - Mr. Groove - 1984 Ozone - Let The Ozone Take Your Mind / Funkin' On The One - 1982 Ozone - Strutt My Thang - 1983 Reddings - In My Pants - 1985 Slave - Do You Like It (Girl) / I'll Be Gone - 1982 Slave - Steppin' Out / Dance - 1983 Wreckin' Crew - Chance To Dance (1982) Wreckin' Crew - Set It On Out (1983) Zapp - Come On / Playin' Kinda Ruff - 1982 Zapp - Heartbreaker - 1983 Zapp - It Doesn't Really Matter - 1985
[Edited 10/13/11 4:03am] | |
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How is that even possible? How old are you? I don't want you to think like me. I just want you to think. |
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I am 42. As my alibi I was also listening to a lot of rock, rap, house, freestyle, nonPrince R&B, alterative/new wave and Eurodance music when the Parade LP was released. I heavily considered making a purchase of "Parade" but I was skeptical because I was disappointed by the pop-ishness of the"Around the World in a Day" LP (but "America" is a cool tune). | |
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Shango, thank you for the definitely genernous contribution to this knowledge base.
I have heard all of the Bobby Nunn, Zapp, One Way, Midnight Star, and Cameo tunes in this list.
I look forward to hearing the additional tunes.
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I also have to add "Let's Dance" by David Bowie to this discussion.
An unusual, innovate saxophone solo in the LP edition (which is really a remix/extended mix of the radio edition).
Niles Rogers from Chic produced this one. | |
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Someone please correct me if I am mistaken but I believe that Prince had absolutely nothing to do with the song "Strut." The song was featured on the album A Private Heaven which contained "Sugar Walls" which was written and produced by Prince but I do not think he had any other contributions to that particular album. He did contribute one song ("Eternity") to her album No Sound But a Heart and two songs ("101" and "Cool Love") to her album The Lover in Me. | |
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Yeah, he didn't produce "Strut" and he never produced an whole album for her, although I wish he did. They go good together! | |
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As reported in the discography encyclopedia "Discogs.com", the producer of the LP "Private Heaven" and the song "Strut" was Greg Mathieson.
OK, I did mix up the production of "Sugar Walls" and "Strut".
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I happened to listen to "Joy" from Marvin Gaye's 1982 LP "Midnight Love"
That tune and "Midnight Lady" and "Rockin' after Midnight" MUST be added to this list.
Additionally, per the "always accurate" (this is sarcastic) Wikipedia he composed all 3 tunes.
This LP was 3x Platinum in the U.S. but the uptempo tunes do not get get their deserved recognition the way "Sexual Healing"does. | |
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This LP was released in 1982.
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As of today I have listened to most of the additional tunes and while I enjoyed all of them, "Funkin' on the One" and "Hyperactive" I enjoy the most. I need to listen to all of the additional tunes more because I don't remember the rest of my best of the best list. | |
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You're welcome DJK, and glad you enjoyed some of them | |
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Rick James -- Bustin' Out
Bustin out, everybody come along We're gonna dance on the funk and make love on this song!
Love it.
"Love & honesty, peace & harmony" | |
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Thank you for the contribution.
As clarification, Bustin Out was released in 1979 but Rick James frequently used musical styles that were ahead of its time. This one does sound similar to tunes on the LP "Street Songs" which was released in 1981.
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In my opinion, the list that follows is the most electro of the electrofunk tunes in Shango's list & the ones I most enjoyed:
Bobby Glover - What Kind Of Lady All of the Bobby Nunn tunes Cameo - Talkin' Out The Side Of Your Neck - 1984 Cutty - Naughty Times - Dazz Band - To The Roof - Dayton - Movin' Up General Caine - Baseball / Don't Stop (very underrated performer, CDs available at Amazon.com) Human Body - Make You Shake It - Louisiana Purchase - Don't Turn Your Back MCB - Do It Up Midnight Star - Victory Ohio Players - Fast Track / All Night One Way - Wild Night One Way - Mr. Groove Ozone - Strutt My Thang Reddings - In My Pants Zapp - Come On / Playin' Kinda Ruff
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For the millions of you are interested, a couple of additional songs that feature horns from the 1982 - 1986 era:
Collage - Move in Time - feature nice cornet (muted trumpet) fills, perhaps the only boogie funk/electrofunk ever to use what apparently were cornets. Rick James - 1,2,3 (You, Her and Me) | |
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