Various Artists - Welcome To The Ultra-Lounge (1996)

Capitol's Ultra-Lounge series is consistently inconsistent, so I usually stay away from them when I see them in used bins, but I simply couldn't resist the attractive packaging of this sampler. Turns out it is commonly referred to as the "Fuzzy Leopard" sampler and the faux-leopard skin packaging won a Grammy Award for Best Recording Package in 1997.

As for the music, it's mostly from the 1950s and 1960s in such genres as exotica, lounge, cha-cha, space age pop, mambo, and TV themes. The liner notes (and vintage website) describe it thusly:

The neon above the door reads Ultra-Lounge. Enter, and you step back in time. Not too far back. Just a few decades. Back to a time when "revolution" meant watering down your scotch with ice. Back to an era when "evolution" meant taking out the olive and putting in an onion. When Generation X was a secret atomic weapon coveted by secret agents and Cold War spies.

This is a place clothed in leopard and sharkskin. An era bathed in gimlets, hi-balls, straight-up, on the rocks, shaken, not stirred, hi-octane elixirs dressed in garish garni. A time viewed through the seductive haze of slow-burning gazes. Where lipstick-kissed cigarettes ashtray-dance with cigar stubs and cherry stems.

The atmosphere mambos to a soundtrack of cool. Rumbling saxophones, jazzy vibes, over-heated Hammonds, and the sexy chill of a brush across a cymbal. Bold, exotic rhythms strut to the cough and cacophony of the Atomic-Age.

So pour yourself a cocktail, slip off your shoes, shuffle across the shag to your favorite easy chair and enjoy the intoxicating taste of the Ultra-Lounge.

And at 24 tracks over 67 minutes, there's a lot of lounging to do. 2 songs each from the first 12 volumes of the series.

Peak on the US Billboard 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks, with my favorites indicated (✔):

Title	Artist	Year
Selections from Mondo Exotica
Swamp Fire	Martin Denny	1959
Voodoo Dreams/Voodoo	Les Baxter	1959
Selections from Mambo Fever
Taki Rari	Yma Sumac	1954
Glow Worm Cha-Cha-Cha	Jackie Davis	1959
Selections from Space-Capades
Holiday For Strings ✔	The Voices of Walter Schumann	1951
Lonesome Road	Dean Elliott & His Big Band	1962
Selections from Bachelor Pad Royale
Theme From Route 66	Nelson Riddle & His Orchestra	1962
Melancholy Serenade	King Curtis	1964
Selections from Wild, Cool & Swingin'
Jump, Jive An' Wail ✔	Louis Prima	1956
More ✔	Bobby Darin	1964
Selections from Rhapsodesia
Girl Talk ✔	Howard Roberts	1965
Go Slow	Julie London	1957
Selections from The Crime Scene
The Peter Gunn Theme ✔	Ray Anthony	1958
Search For Vulcan (from "Thunderball")	Leroy Holmes	1966
Selections from Cocktail Capers
The Pink Panther Theme	Hollywood Studio Orchestra	1964
Teach Me Tiger	April Stevens	1960
Selections from Cha-Cha De Amor
Cha-Cha-Cha d'Amour	Dean Martin	1962
So Nice (Samba de Verão) ✔	Billy May	1972
Selections from A Bachelor In Paris
French Rat Race	The Double Six Of Paris	1960
I Love Paris	Jack Costanzo	1960
Selections from Organs In Orbit
Rockhouse ✔	The Ernie Freeman Combo	1963
Mr. Ghost Goes to Town	The John Buzon Trio	1959
Selections from Saxophobia
Bernie's Tune	Curley Hamner/Milt Buckner	1962
Tanya	Plas Johnson	1963

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Back in the late 1990's, I bought a copy of volume 4 of the series, Bachelor Pad Royale, because I dug the retro design and the fact that it had Route 66 on the track listing. Silly me didn't read that it was the theme to the Route 66 TV show and not a version of the standard (Get Your Kicks On) Route 66. So I was disappointed in it from the get-go and probably didn't give a proper chance. But when my father passed all his vinyl down to me a couple of years later, I was captivated with the album cover of Martin Denny's Exotica album that he must have listened to when he was in college.

However, I didn't care much for that, either. Then I had a friend/co-worker who liked to spin these Ultra-Lounge discs while we had "cocktails" in his apartment. (His idea of a cocktail was limited to mixing Coke and Wild Turkey, but it was free booze so I certainly didn't complain.) It was then I learned how hit-or-miss the Ultra-Lounge compilations were.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Christmas Cocktails (1996)

Various Artists - Billboard Top Hits 1976 (1991)

I'll own up to buying this Rhino disc solely for the Theme From S.W.A.T.. The 45 of that discofied TV theme was the first single I ever purchased with my allowance money back in early '76, so that made this used CD deal $3 well spent.

Except for S.W.A.T. and Don't Go Breaking My Heart, I have these tunes on other CDs, most notably Rhino's Super Hits of the '70s: Have a Nice Day, Vol. 18 as well as that label's The Disco Box. I guess once you license a tune, you want to use it as much as possible? Can't really blame 'em.

Curiously, the track listing on the front cover doesn't match the actual track listing.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks:

1. Don't Go Breaking My Heart - Elton John & Kiki Dee (#1 pop, #1 AC, #3 disco)
   I can't believe I didn't have this great tune on CD before the purchase of this disc. After all, I once named this duet as the best tune of the year. It's a helluva an album opener as I am already up and dancing. Credit where credit is due: it's the arrangement by James Newton Howard that makes this thing a winner.
2. Dream Weaver - Gary Wright (#2 pop, #14 AC)
   While I prefer Our Love Is Alive, this perfectly titled single is certainly dreamy with its combination of electric piano and synths supported by that upward moving bass line. Also on Super Hits of the '70s: Have a Nice Day, Vol. 18. When my boys were young, we often went to the home games of the Houston Astros. At that time, they had a between innings ad they would run selling their hot dogs. They used this tune but changed the lyrics from "dream weaver" to "steamed wieners." So bad it was comical.
3. Love Machine (Pt. 1) - The Miracles (#1 pop, #5 R&B, #20 disco)
   And I'm up and dancing again to this perfect melding of disco and R&B, courtesy of some amazing falsetto vocals and Freddie Perren's production prowess. Hooks galore. Previously on the blog: 1, 2, & 3
4. Let Your Love Flow - The Bellamy Brothers (#1 pop, #2 AC)
   This country rock sure goes down easy. I still hear it often and have yet to meet anyone my age who doesn't have some childhood memory attached to it. And they're still touring! I just had some friends see them last week in El Campo and they'll be near my place in two weeks. More power to 'em. Also on Super Hits of the '70s: Have a Nice Day, Vol. 18
5. Play That Funky Music - Wild Cherry (#1 pop, #1 R&B, #12 disco)
   I sure did play this funky music back in '76. Previously on the blog: 1, 2, 3, & 4
6. Saturday Night - Bay City Rollers (#1 pop)
   '50s style pop but tweaked for a teen idol bubblegum boy band. I loved it back in '76, but I'm no longer much of a fan of this infectious earworm. The band burned bright with six Top 40 hits '76 - '77, but by the time my family moved to Bay City, Texas in 1978, it was taboo to even acknowledge the group's existence much less speak their name. And yes, I'm aware that the Scottish band took its name from the "other" Bay City, the one in Michigan. To its credit, Bay City MI actually is much closer to Saginaw Bay than Bay City TX is to Matagorda Bay, but I digress. Also on Super Hits of the '70s: Have a Nice Day, Vol. 15
7. Fooled Around And Fell In Love - Elvin Bishop (#3 pop)
   I always liked this bluesy ballad. Bishop isn't the singer, that's Mickey Thomas of Jefferson Starship. But it's not like Bishop takes a back seat to anyone: as an original member of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2015). Also on Super Hits of the '70s: Have a Nice Day, Vol. 18
8. I'd Really Love To See You Tonight - England Dan & John Ford Coley (#2 pop, #1 AC)
   This was the biggest of the duo's six Top 40 hits; I like all six. A song about a booty call decades before that term entered the lexicon. Good soft country rock from good Texas boys. Previously on the blog: 1 & 2
9. All By Myself - Eric Carmen (#2 pop, #6 AC)
   Liberally borrowing from Rachmaninoff and his own previous work, Carmen put together a hit ballad. Lots of strings, muted guitar, and piano. Sure, it's plagiarized, but it's catchy as all get out. Also on The Absolute Best Soft Rock of the 1970's
10. Theme From S.W.A.T. - Rhythm Heritage (#1 pop, #6 AC, #11 R&B)
    I remember exactly what drew me to this tune back in '76: it's that funky bass line on the breakdown section underneath the sirens and squealing tires. Then there's that opening with the hi-hat and wah wah/Boomerang pedal guitar lick. Never seen one episode of the series, oddly enough. I was more into half-hour sitcoms and variety shows in '76, I suppose. Even more odd, though, is the fact that the single version (above) clocks in at 4:07 while the album version is 3:21 and, on some promo copies, there's a 2:47 "short version" and that's the version on this CD.

All 10 tracks were top 5 hits and all placed on the Billboard year-end list:

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: All tunes guaranteed heard on my Radio Shack transistor radio:

Click here for more memories of 1976, paricularly Bicentennial celebrations.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Billboard Top Hits 1980 - 1984 (1992)

Various Artists - Rhino Instant Party Disc: Extra Strength (1999)

Extra Strength has gotta be better than Regular Strength, right? Not quite. This starts out with a strong one-two punch before flying off the rails rather quickly (If Hooked On Swing is considered Extra Strength, maybe this isn't my kind of party). It's hit-or-miss after that. I wouldn't spin it at a party, but I'll admit maybe half the tunes would make one of my party shuffle mixes.

Part of a 12 CD series from Rhino.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks, including Billboard Hot 100 chart peak:

Title	Artist	Year	Pop
Play That Funky Music	Wild Cherry	1976	1
Got To Be Real	Cheryl Lynn	1979	12
Hooked On Swing	Larry Elgart Orchestra	1982	31
Louie Louie	The Kingsmen	1963	2
Surfin' U.S.A.	The Beach Boys	1963	3
That'll Be The Day	The Crickets	1957	1
Centerfold	The J. Geils Band	1982	1
Caribbean Queen (No More Love On The Run)	Billy Ocean	1984	1
Disco Inferno	The Trammps	1978	11
The Hustle	Van McCoy	1975	1
Dazz	Brick	1977	3
Banana Boat (Day-O)	Harry Belafonte	1957	5
China Grove	The Doobie Brothers	1973	15
Bust A Move	Young M.C.	1989	7
U Can't Touch This	M.C. Hammer	1990	8
I'm Too Sexy	Right Said Fred	1992	1
Devil With A Blue Dress On/Good Golly Miss Molly	Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels	1966	4
Lean On Me	Club Nouveau	1987	1

Since I ranked the tracks for the Regular Strength disc, I'll do the same here:

1. Got To Be Real
2. Louie Louie
3. Disco Inferno
4. Devil With A Blue Dress On
5. Bust A Move
6. China Grove
7. Surfin' U.S.A.
8. Play that Funky Music
9. The Hustle
10. Centerfold
11. That'll Be The Day
12. Dazz
13. U Can't Touch This
14. Caribbean Queen
15. I'm Too Sexy
16. Banana Boat
17. Lean On Me
18. Hooked On Swing

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Rhino Instant Party Disc: Regular Strength (1999)

Various Artists - The Disco Box (1999)

I have most of these tracks on other CDs or other digital media, but I've trained myself to buy Rhino compilations when I see them because they tend to go out of print rather quickly. If 4¾ hours of disco music doesn't interest you, then you're at the wrong blog. Found this used set on a recent overnight trip to Ft. Worth.

A sampler from the excellent 7 volume series, The Disco Years. Normal complaints about such a set are usually: no Bee Gees, single edits. Neither a big deal to this guy since I've got plenty of Bee Gees elsewhere and single edits mean more tracks per disc. Plus: chronological sequencing. Minus: extending beyond 1981. I'd mention the outstanding packaging and liner notes, but that's usually a given when you buy a Rhino product.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks (with Billboard chart data):

Disc One - 20 tracks, 68:43

	Title	Artist	Year	Pop	Disco	R&B
1	Love's Theme	Love Unlimited Orchestra	1973	1		10
2	Dancing Machine	The Jackson 5	1974	2		1
3	Rock the Boat	The Hues Corporation	1974	1		2
4	Honeybee	Gloria Gaynor	1974			55
5	Doctor's Orders	Carol Douglas	1974	11	2	9
6	Get Dancin'	Disco Tex & The Sex-O-Lettes Featuring Sir Monti Rock III	1974	10	3	32
7	Shame, Shame, Shame	Shirley (& Company)	1974	12	1	1
8	Never Can Say Goodbye	Gloria Gaynor	1974	9	1	34
9	Get Down Tonight	KC & The Sunshine Band	1975	1	11	1
10	The Hustle	Van McCoy & The Soul City Symphony	1975	1	3	1
11	It Only Takes A Minute	Tavares	1975	10	2	1
12	Fly, Robin, Fly	Silver Convention	1975	1	1	1
13	I'm On Fire	5000 Volts	1975	26
14	Love Machine (Pt. 1)	The Miracles	1975	1	20	5
15	You Sexy Thing	Hot Chocolate	1975	3		6
16	Boogie Fever	The Sylvers	1975	1		1
17	That's The Way (I Like It)	KC & The Sunshine Band	1975	1	18	1
18	More, More, More (Part 1)	Andrea True Connection	1976	4		23
19	Young Hearts Run Free	Candi Staton	1976	20	8	1
20	Turn The Beat Around	Vicki Sue Robinson	1976	10	1	73

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Disc Two - 20 tracks, 71:21

	Title	Artist	Year	Pop	Disco	R&B
1	(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty	KC & The Sunshine Band	1976	1		1
2	Get Up and Boogie	Silver Convention	1976	2	5	5
3	A Fifth of Beethoven	Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band	1976	1		10
4	Play That Funky Music	Wild Cherry	1976	1	12	1
5	Car Wash	Rose Royce	1976	1	3	1
6	Don't Leave Me This Way	Thelma Houston	1976	1	1	1
7	The Best Disco In Town	The Richie Family	1976	17	1	12
8	Disco Inferno	The Trammps	1977	11	1	9
9	Boogie Nights	Heatwave	1977	2	36	5
10	I Feel Love	Donna Summer	1977	6	3	9
11	Keep It Comin' Love	KC & The Sunshine Band	1977	2		1
12	Dance With Me	Peter Brown	1977	8	4	5
13	Everybody Dance	Chic	1978	38	1	12
14	Shame	Evelyn "Champagne" King	1978	9	8	7
15	Boogie Oogie Oogie	A Taste of Honey	1978	1	1	1
16	Get Off	Foxy	1978	9	18	1
17	I Love The Nightlife (Disco 'Round)	Alicia Bridges	1978	5	2	31
18	In the Bush	Musique	1978	58	1	29
19	Hot Shot	Karen Young	1978	67	1	24
20	Got To Be Real	Cheryl Lynn	1978	12	11	1

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Disc Three - 21 tracks, 77:04

	Title	Artist	Year	Pop	Disco	R&B
1	Shake Your Groove Thing	Peaches & Herb	1978	5	2	4
2	Y.M.C.A.	Village People	1978	2	2	32
3	Le Freak	Chic	1978	1	1	1
4	I Will Survive	Gloria Gaynor	1978	1	1	4
5	Livin' It Up (Friday Night)	Bell & James	1978	15		7
6	Instant Replay	Dan Hartman	1978	29	1	44
7	You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)	Sylvester	1978	36	1	20
8	I Want Your Love	Chic	1979	7	1	5
9	Knock On Wood	Amii Stewart	1979	1	5	6
10	Disco Nights (Rock-Freak)	GQ	1979	12	3	1
11	Love and Desire (Part 1)	Arpeggio	1979	70	4	44
12	He's The Greatest Dancer	Sister Sledge	1979	9		1
13	Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now	McFadden & Whitehead	1979	13	10	1
14	Ring My Bell	Anita Ward	1979	1	1	1
15	Bad Girls	Donna Summer	1979	1	1	1
16	Born To Be Alive	Patrick Hernandez	1979	16	1
17	Good Times	Chic	1979	1	3	1
18	Don't You Want My Love	Debbie Jacobs	1979	106	6	66
19	H.A.P.P.Y. Radio	Edwin Starr	1979	79	7	28
20	I Shoulda Loved Ya	Narada Michael Walden	1979	66	8	4
21	We Are Family	Sister Sledge	1979	2	1	1

---

Disc Four - 19 tracks, 74:36

	Title	Artist	Year	Pop	Disco	R&B
1	Heart of Glass	Blondie	1979	1	58
2	Lost in Music	Sister Sledge	1979			35
3	I'm Caught Up (In A One Night Love Affair)	Inner Life	1979		7	22
4	Got To Love Somebody	Sister Sledge	1979	64	34	6
5	Funkytown	Lipps, Inc.	1980	1	1	2
6	Celebration	Kool & The Gang	1980	1	1	1
7	A Lover's Holiday	Change	1980	40	1	5
8	I Like What You're Doin' To Me	Young & Company	1980		15
9	The Glow Of Love	Change	1980		1	49
10	Cruisin' The Streets	The Boystown Gang	1981		5
11	On The Beat	The BB&Q Band	1981		3	8
12	Forget Me Nots	Patrice Rushen	1982	23	2	4
13	Get Down On It	Kool & The Gang	1982	10	16	4
14	It's Raining Men	The Weather Girls	1982	46	1	34
15	Last Night a D.J. Saved My Life	Indeep	1982	101	2	10
16	I.O.U.	Freeez	1983	104	1	13
17	Give It Up	KC	1983	18	24
18	Change Of Heart	Change	1984		17	7
19	Fresh	Kool & The Gang	1985	9	1	1

---

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Lots of disco dancing memories. You think this 13 year old wasn't a disco dancin' fool?!? Fuhgeddaboudit. Step aside, Deney Terrio.

May 16, 1980

Various Artists - Pure Disco 2 (1997)

I love disco music and, if you're honest with yourself, you do, too. Contrary to the album title, all the tracks here are not disco music. There's some pop and funk here, too.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #71

Tracks:

• I Will Survive (remix) - Gloria Gaynor (1997 remix did not chart)
  Classic disco anthem. When I sing this at karaoke night, I bring the house down. Even though a remix is unnecessary, this one isn't bad.
• (Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty - KC & The Sunshine Band (#6 dance, #1 pop, 1976)
  I can't help but do a little chair dancing as I write this. If you're like me, you sing this song to yourself anytime you're in the kitchen and the instructions on the bottle say "shake well" - I sing it as I shake.
• Turn The Beat Around - Vicki Sue Robinson (#1 dance, #10 pop, 1976)
  Even for disco music, this song is a bit too repetitive for my tastes.
• Macho Man - Village People (#14 dance, #25 pop, 1978)
  When this single hit, I didn't understand what the lyrics were about. Now it makes me think of the 1997 movie In & Out.
• We Are Family - Sister Sledge (#1 dance, #2 pop, 1979)
  The best song on this compilation. I love this song. As I've said before, Nile Rodgers is a genius. Plus, this was the theme song of the 1979 World Series Champion Pittsburgh Pirates. When was the last time a championship team in any sport had awesome theme music? I'm thinking it was 1979.
• Flashdance...What A Feeling - Irene Cara (#1 dace, #1 pop, 1983)
  Not a disco song. Not a good song. Double fail.
• I Just Want To be Your Everything - Andy Gibb (#1 pop, 1977)
  This song brings back fun memories of the carefree summer of '77.
• Everlasting Love - Carl Carlton (#4 dance, #6 pop, 1974)
  A great uplifting song from the early days of disco. Happy music.
• Can't Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe - Barry White (#1 pop, 1974)
  A signature tune for Barry. I think I do a decent impression of Barry White; my wife, on the other hand, just finds it comical. So much for romanticism.
• Rock The Boat - The Hues Corporation (#5 dance, #1 pop, 1974)
  When this song hit, I thought the lyrics were about an actual boat. Apparently, metaphors are lost on 8 year old boys.
• Love Rollercoaster - Ohio Players (#1 pop, 1975)
  Previously reviewed for Millennium Funk Party: Simple step-wise bass line, but the drums, guitar and horns make this a classic. You've heard the urban legend that a high-pitched scream around 2:25 is the voice of an individual being murdered live while the tape was rolling, haven't you?
• Upside Down - Diana Ross (#1 dance, #1 pop, 1980)
  Another disco megahit for Nile Rodgers.
• Play That Funky Music - Wild Cherry (#12 dance, #1 pop, 1976)
  Also previously reviewed for Millennium Funk Party: A huge funk hit. Huge. Deservedly so. Everything about this song grooves and the pleading lyrics are delivered perfectly.
• The Hustle - Van McCoy (#3 dance, #1 pop, 1975)
  Yes, I knew the dance steps.
• Love's Theme - Love Unlimited Orchestra (#1 pop, 1974)
  Barry White, a string orchestra, and a wah-wah guitar. This song is one of the few instrumental and purely orchestral singles to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. I always associate this song with theme music for '80s golf tournament coverage on CBS.
• Gimmie! Gimmie! Gimmie! (A Man After Midnight) - ABBA (1979)
  Not one of the group's better tunes, but it fits in well here.
• Fly, Robin, Fly - Silver Convention (#1 dance, #1 pop, 1975)
  Even for disco music, this song is too repetitive for my tastes. Déjà vu.
• Ring My Bell - Anita Ward (#1 dance, #1 pop, 1979)
  Previously reviewed for Billboard #1 Hits Of The '70s: Even though this song is considered a disco classic, it's not one of my favorites. It knocked Donna Summer out of the top spot for two weeks that summer.
• It's Raining Men - The Weather Girls (#1 dance, #46 pop, 1982)
  While not a big hit when it was released in 1982, the song is now considered a camp classic and gay anthem.
• Last Dance - Donna Summer (#1 dance, #3 pop, 1978)
  Academy Award winner! Love it. If you haven't seen the 1978 movie Thank God It's Friday, you're missing 90 minutes of cheesy fun. You'll see Summer, The Commodores, Debra Winger, Jeff Goldblum, and Terri Nunn (from the new wave band Berlin). The only thing missing is a plot.
• The Diva Megamix (bonus track)
  A below average remix of Hot Stuff, I Will Survive, Gloria Gaynor's cover of Reach Out I'll Be There, and I Feel Love. I guess this means the disco diva club consists only of Gaynor and Summer.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: this was an impulse buy from Wal-Mart back in the late '90s. If I ever see Pure Disco 3 available on the cheap, that will also be an impulse buy.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Pure Disco (1996)

Various Artists - Millennium Funk Party (1998)

Drop a funk bomb. A CD with 20 classic funk tracks from the years 1972-1983 that rates about the highest groove-per-dollar ratio you could ask for. One of the best party discs ever made. Judge for yourself.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #124

Tracks:

• Brick House - Commodores (#5 pop, #4 R&B, #34 dance, 1977)
  The best song Lionel Richie ever had a part in. Of course, in '77 I had no idea what Walter "Clyde" Orange was singing about.
• Love Rollercoaster - Ohio Players (#1 pop, #1 R&B, 1975)
  Simple step-wise bass line, but the drums, guitar and horns make this a classic. You've heard the urban legend that a high-pitched scream around 2:25 is the voice of an individual being murdered live while the tape was rolling, haven't you?
• Dazz - Brick (#3 pop, #1 R&B, #7 dance, 1976)
  Dazz is supposedly a combination of disco and jazz. I'm not sure that's what it is, cause it fits in just fine in this funk compilation.
• Tear The Roof Off The Sucker (Give Up The Funk) - Parliament (#15 pop, #5 R&B, 1976)
  George Clinton is the only person worthy of appearing twice on this disc as a performer. While the groove is unforgettable, the interplay between the musicians is what sets this song apart. We're gonna turn this mother out.
• Jungle Boogie - Kool & The Gang (#4 pop, #2 R&B, 1973)
  My favorite K&TG song by far and possibly my favorite song on this disc. I don't know what I like better: the bass line, the horn line, or the scratchy guitar part.
• Tell Me Something Good - Rufus (#3 pop, #3 R&B, 1974)
  Written by Stevie Wonder, sung by Chaka Khan. 'Nuff said.
• Serpentine Fire - Earth, Wind & Fire (#13 pop, #1 R&B, 1977)
  Wicked horn parts. Maurice White is a musical genius. Even though the band didn't put it on their 1978 "Best Of" album, music critic Dave Marsh ranked this song at #307 in his 1989 list of The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made.
• Pick Up The Pieces - Average White Band (#1 pop, #5 R&B, 1974)
  This ubiquitous piece appears in the most unlikely places. I just watched the 1996 movie Swingers and this plays prominently in that. While all the parts are important, it's the drums that make this song funkier than it should be.
• Play That Funky Music - Wild Cherry (#1 pop, #1 R&B, #12 dance, 1976)
  Huge hit and deservedly so. Everything about this song grooves and the pleading lyrics are delivered perfectly.
• I'll Take You There - The Staple Singers (#1 pop, #1 R&B, 1972)
  While I often write about Memphis soul or Motown soul, I don't think I've ever mentioned Muscle Shoals soul. That discussion begins and ends with soul/gospel family band The Staple Singers. Maybe this cut turned out funkier than they intended? The song, written with only two chords (C & F), features lead singer Mavis Staples inviting her listeners to seek heaven.
• Do It ('Til You're Satisfied) - B. T. Express (#2 pop, #1 R&B, #8 dance, 1974)
  I don't think Billy Nichols is inviting listeners to seek heaven, making for some interesting sequencing. This is one of the less interesting tracks on the disc. The boring bass line and disco strings make it less funky than what's come before.
• Superfly - Curtis Mayfield (#8 pop, #5 R&B, 1972)
  This soundtrack single is more soul than funk, but it packs a punch and served as a bridge for Mayfield's transition to a grittier, funkier sound.
• What Is Hip? - Tower Of Power (#91 pop, #39 R&B, 1973)
  Straight out of Oakland, ToP was (and still is) one of the best large funk ensembles around. Always known for their horn section. The group really brings it on this one, featuring staccato horns, syncopated drumming, and smooth bass playing.
• Best Of My Love - The Emotions (#1 pop, #1 R&B, #11 dance, 1977)
  This sounds like an Earth, Wind & Fire song sung by females. Maybe because that's what it is, written and produced by musical genius Maurice White. The bass line is awesome in its simplicity. Great groove throughout.
• Atomic Dog - George Clinton (#101 pop, #1 R&B, #38 dance, 1983)
  I didn't love this as much in '83 as I should have. Now a classic, being widely sampled in hip-hop music for more than 30 years. Bow wow wow yippee yo yippee yay!
• Slide - Slave (#32 pop, #1 R&B, 1977)
  Probably my least favorite song on the disc. I have to assess a penalty for excessive vibra-slap.
• Fantastic Voyage - Lakeside (#55 pop, #1 R&B, #12 dance, 1980)
  If you're going to be a one hit wonder on the Top 40, this isn't a bad song to have for your one hit.
• More Bounce To the Ounce Part 1 - Zapp (#86 pop, #2 R&B, #19 dance, 1980)
  With a little help from Bootsy Collins, this vocoder-rich piece sounds like a P-Funk tune. That's a good thing.
• You Dropped A Bomb On Me - The Gap Band (#31 pop, #2 R&B, #39 dance, 1982)
  An electro-funk classic from the early '80s. After it hit, there were many imitators, particularly copying the synth bass line.
• Rapper's Delight - Sugarhill Gang (#36 pop, #4 R&B, #14 dance, 1979)
  Loved this song in 8th grade. Still know all the lyrics. The 5 minute version is included here, although the original was 15. Legend has it that the entire 15 minute version was recorded in one take. If any rap song deserves a legend, it's this one.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I bought this disc around 2000, near the time when I switched jobs. I spent a lot of time with my friend/co-worker Chris and this CD got much playtime.