You have to be really strong for this one: for some time now i dig deeper and deeper into the 70's world of softrock/M.O.R., the music that i connect to california radio stations, that you listened to in the early seventies while driving desert highways on the westcoast of the USA with some big car in a very slow tempo. For me this contains no irony at all, this is BIG MUSIC, with big compositions, big arrangements and over all bands with (extremly) BIG EGOS.
I guess I am not alone with this hidden passion, as recently lots of modern bands are influenced by softrock (some without admitting...): a.o. Gonzales, Midlake, Phoenix, Zoot Woman, Air, Josh Rouse, Republic of Loose, Sebastian Tellier, Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve, Black Ghosts, Tele or The Autumn Defense discovered this recognizable "warm" sound for themselves. Of course we all know that softrock went horribly wrong ("hell freezes over") in the late seventies and had to be killed by PUNK (thank god). But as with every movement, there were lots of unusual, new ideas, unforgettable great songs and - here especially - great stories (i recommend the book: HOTEL CALIFORNIA by Barney Hoskyns about "singer/songwriter and cocaine cowboys in the laurel canyon"). For me some of the greatest music ever made came out of this....
So I "simply" compiled my favorite 19 tracks for this "starters"-set and included lots of radio-jingles, speech, commercials to make it sound like a real California-radio show from the 70's. It includes some big names and also some really obscure guys, that were not successful back then (and now). Musically the songs range from classic singer/songwriters to megalomania-bands to the disco-influenced mid seventies singer/bands. This is not a folk-mix, all songs are groovy, some of them are played by the greatest studio-musicans ever (The Section). Besides, Browning Bryant's backing band were the original, legendary funk-band The METERS. Rupert Holmes once said in an interview that this is the last period in music history, where a "not so attractive" person could become a successful star (remember it was way before MTV). Oh, and this mix features one of my all time favorite lyric-lines: "Midnight at the Oasis, sing your camel to bed"! This is a very special trip. Dare to take it... and OPEN UP!
(19 songs, 67 min., 92mb)
tracklist:
01. AM/FM Intro
02. CHICAGO - Saturday in the park
03. BROWNING BRYANT - Liverpool fool
04. DOOBIE BROTHERS - What a fool beleives
05. LIVINGSTONE TAYLOR - I'll come running
06. FIFTH DIMENSION - Magic in my life
07. BOZ SCAGGS - Georgia
08. DANNY KORTCHMAR - for sentimental reasons
09. ARETHA FRANKLIN - Until you come back to me (that's what i'm gonna do)
10. RUPERT HOLMES - Get outta yourself
11. AMBROSIA - Holdin' on to yesterday
12. ACE - How long has this been going on
13. CARPENTERS - Calling occupants of interplanetary craft
14. MARIA MULDAUR - Midnight at the Oasis
15. BOB MCGILPIN - I'll always come a runnin'
16. GEORGIE FAME - Peaceful
17. BABY GRAND - Bring me your broken heart
18. SEALS & CROFT - Earth
19. PHILAMORE LINCOLN - Temma Harbor
20. COLIN BLUNSTONE - I don't beleive in Miracles
21. Bad Pizza Geno's commercial Outro
>>>LAUREL CANYON DJ Mix by dj supermarkt.mp3
