Frankie Valli - Swearin' To God

Here's a slick discoclassic by good old Frankie in a Love Boat style. 10 minutes long!

Frankie Valli - Swearin' To God /ysi
from the LP Closeup (Private Stock 1975)

Deborah Washington - Rock It

Deborah Washington - Rock It /ysi
from the LP Love Awaits (Ariola Records America 1979)

Rockwell - Somebody's Watching Me (Instrumental)

A friend of mine has for a long time asked me for the instrumental version of Rockwell's classic Somebody's Watching Me. So here it is for everyone to enjoy...

Rockwell - Somebody's Watching Me /ysi
from the 12" Somebody's Watching Me (Motown, 1983)

Palestinian child pays price of Israel's siege

Zarrylade - Eye's Above Your Head Part II (LEO ZERO VERSION)

Yesterday I had a great night out at club Slow Blow here in Stockholm as they had invited Leo Zero to spin some records. Before the clubnight they mailed over a new Leo Zero edit. A really nice sweet song with the familiar balearic sound.

Zarrylade - Eye's Above Your Head Part II (LEO ZERO VERSION) /ysi

Vintage Disco

I digged out a bunch of classics for you. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do...

Vintage Disco '74-'75 /mediafire

Gloria Gaynor - Honey Bee (MGM)
Carol Douglas - Doctor's Orders (Midland International)
B.T. Express - Express (Scepter)
Labelle - What Can I Do For You? (Epic)
Ohio Players - Fire (Mercury)
The Temptations - Glasshouse (Gordy)
James Brown - The Twist (Polydor)
Barry White - I'll Do For You Anything You Want Me To (20th Century)
Fela and The Africa 70 - Shakara Oloje (Editions Makossa)
The Blackbyrds - The Baby (Fantasy)
Earth, Wind & Fire - Africano (CBS)
Barrabas - Hi-Jack (Ariola)
Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes - Bad Luck (Philadelphia International)
Crystal Grass - Crystal World (Philips)
Jackson Sisters - I Believe In Miracles (Long Version) (Tiger Lily)
Silver Convention - Save Me (Midland International)
Van McCoy & The Soul City Symphony - Fire (AVCO)
Valentino - I Was Born This Way (Gaiee)
KC And The Sunshine Band - Get Down Tonight (T.K.)
The Trammps - Love Epidemic (Philadelphia International)
The Crown Heights Affair - Every Beat Of My Heart (De-Lite)
The Isley Brothers - Fight The Power (Epic)
The Pointer Sisters - How Long (Betcha' Got A Chick On The Side)
(Blue Thumb)

Lennart Persson 1951-2009 R.I.P.

Sweden's best musiccritic has died of cancer at the age of 58. I always loved reading his deep articles about country, soul and forgotten legends. Lennart, I salute you! See you in soul heaven...

Canadian Filmmaker John Greyson Turns Down Offer to Premiere Film at the Tel Aviv International LGBT Film Festival

This post was originally posted on Window Into Palestine. I got really delighted when I read it that I wanted to share it with you. Don't sleep, join the movement now before everyone else wakes up! Hope you got a moment.



John Greyson, a prominent Canadian filmmaker, has recently turned down an offer to premiere his film Fig Trees at the Tel Aviv International LGBT Film Festival, in support of BDS. Greyson is a member of Queers Against Israeli Apartheid.

March 7, 2009
TLVFEST / Yair Hochner
Tel-Aviv Cinematheque,
2 Sprinzak St, 64738, Tel Aviv, Israel
yairho@bezeqint.net

Dear Yair:
After much wrestling with these difficult issues, I’ve come to a decision: I can’t show Fig Trees in your festival, and I can’t go forward with my proposed film shoot in Israel.
This choice has been very difficult to make. As I’ve said before, I have great respect for the work you’re doing, and know what a struggle your festival faces to keep going. I want to be very clear: my decision isn’t in opposition to your festival, which has done much to promote the voices of global queers, or to you, who have done much to get queer films made and shown in your city.
Instead, I feel I must join the many Jews and non-Jews, Israelis and Palestinians, queers and otherwise, who are part of the growing global BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement against Israeli apartheid. I’ve come to the conclusion that, in this moment, to not take this stand is unthinkable, impossible.
Why this moment? I could answer: Another Palestinian home bulldozed in East Jerusalem. Palestinian children recovering slowly from phosphorous burns. Civilian killed on Friday in Gaza by Israeli soldiers. Child born at checkpoint, because ambulance was held for three hours. These were some of today's headlines, but they’re also eerily reminiscent of so many headlines, over so many decades.
Is this moment more intolerable? By what yardstick?
The Israeli apartheid forum this week, and particularly Naomi Klein’s speech, helped clarify my thoughts. Her words took me back to the BDS movement of the eighties, against South African apartheid, and the first 16mm film I ever made, which was in support of that struggle, clips of which are included in Fig Trees.
The cultural boycott worked in South Africa’s case, and lead directly to the sweeping changes and activism that Fig Trees celebrates in song. Therefore, in the spirit of the film, and those activists, I don’t feel there’s a choice any longer. Like you, I yearn for the morning when this horrendous conflict will end, with a lasting, just peace. I yearn for the afternoon when this growing BDS movement can be declared obsolete, because it’s no longer necessary. I yearn for the evening when we can together attend screenings of Fig Trees and other sexy new queer operas, Palestinian and Israeli, in both Tel Aviv and Ramallah.
With respect,
John Greyson

Follow the Slave Bass

Slave - Just a Touch of Love /ysi
from the LP Just a Touch of Love (Cotillion 1979)



Fresh Band - Come Back Lover /ysi
from the 12" Come Back Lover (Are 'n Be 1984)



Bob Sinclar - My Only Love /ysi
from the Double-LP Paradise (Yellow Productions 1998)

Moodymann - Mahogany Brown

In '98 my favourite album was Mahogany Brown by Moodymann. This was the album that made me discover this detroit-legend. From that moment on I was hooked and bought any KDJ 12" I could find with him. It almost became an obsession. Anyway, here is the title song from that masterpiece of an album.

Moodymann - Mahogany Brown /ysi
from the LP Mahogany Brown (Peace Frog 1998)

Saturday Night Live - The Mix

I got in a mixtape mood tonight so for you I did an hour long discomix.

Disco Dave - Saturday Night Live /ysi

-----------------------------------

Ashford & Simpson - Bourgie Bourgie (Warner Bros. 1977)
Instant Funk - I Got My Mind Made Up (You Can Get It Girl) (Salsoul 1979)
The Blackbyrds - Rock Creek Park (Fantasy 1975)
Musique - In The Bush (Prelude 1978)
Side Effect - Always There (Fantasy 1976)
Carrie Lucas featuring The Whispers - Keep Smilin' (Solar 1977)
Lenny Williams - You Got Me Running (abc 1978)
Don Ray - Got To Have Loving (Malligator 1978)
Donna Summer - Spring Affair (Casablanca 1976)
Carrie Lucas - Dance With You (Solar 1979)
Locksmith - Far Beyond (Arista 1980)
Two Man Sound - Que Tal America (Miracle 1978)
Daniel Wang - Like Some Dream (I Can't Stop Dreaming)
(Balihu 1993)
mikeBurns - Disco Child (Disco Devil 2009)
The Revenge - Night Flight (Jiscomusic 2008)
6th Borough Project - Just A Memory (Instruments of Rapture 2009)

B.T. Express - Express

B.T. Express - Express /ysi
from the LP Do It 'Til You're Satisfied (Scepter, 1974)

Elton John - Mama Can't Buy You Love

In 1977 Elton John went to the studio together with Thom Bell and Philadelphia International's houseband MFSB and recorded six lovely Phillysongs. A couple of them got released on singles in 1979 and eventually all of them got released the same year on the LP The Complete Thom Bell Sessions and re-issued again in 1989. All of them are great. This is one of them. Enjoy!

Elton John - Mama Can't Buy You Love /ysi
from the 7" Mama Can't Buy You Love (MCA, 1979)

Barrabas - Hi-Jack

Here's a early disco treasure from Spain. It was a favourite at many discoteques at the time but is one piece that I think has been forgotten by most discobeards around. Barrabas' songs Wild Safari and Woman has become obvious disco classics but this one is a piece I haven't seen a lot of people lift up to the surface, so enjoy, this is a nice piece of dancemusic and that Barrabas is a spanish band doesn't make it worse.

Barrabas - Hi-Jack /mediafire
from the LP Soltad a Barrabas! (Ariola, 1974)

Marv Johnson - Come To Me

I'm very pleased to say that I just bought the first ever Motown single on ebay. Marv Johnson's Come To Me/ Whisper on the Tamla label with the lovely catalogue number Tamla 101. I don't know if it is because of the financial crisis but I got it for only 40 bucks, which I think is a bargain. Anyway, here it is.
I've been stuck in the motown jungle for a while so don't be surprised if there's more coming from where that came from.

Marv Johnson - Come To Me /ysi
from the 7" Come To Me/Whisper (Tamla, 1959)

I Was Born This Way

Are you gay? Well, in that case, you were born that way.
Here is the coolest gay anthem ever in three versions (since I haven't posted anything for a little while). Firstly, the original version recorded by Valentino for the Gaiee label which I just got a hold of a DJ copy of. It's quite a cut, not just for the song but for historical reason as well. Being gay in USA 1975 can't have been the easiest thing, but the gay communities found a shelter in the discos of those days. One of the most obvious gay anthems of those days.
Secondly, the big "disco hit" of the same song recorded by Carl Bean, a black priest on Motown (!). And lastly, the house-remake from 2000. Enjoy!



Valentino - I Was Born This Way /ysi
from the 7" I Was Born This Way (Gaiee, 1975)



Carl Bean - I Was Born This Way (Vocal) /ysi
from the 12" I Was Born This Way (Motown, 1977)



Pour Homme - Born This Way (Edit) /ysi
from the single Born This Way (nucamp, 2000)

Seven Jewish Cildren - A Play for Gaza

Here's a nine minutes long monologue written by canadian Caryl Churchill. Take your time and look at it. It's good!